Small but Mighty: Stocking Fillers for Hikers

This pocket biodegradable soap is the bomb. It does everything you need it to during your hut to hut trek. Use it to shower with, wash hands, wash clothes. It’s completely biodegradable so it won’t hurt the fragile ecosystem.

A little goes a long way with this concentrated formula. Great lather & smells good—and since toiletries Since toiletries are some of the heaviest items in your pack, do yourself a favor—grab this and lighten your load. It’s a simple way to keep your pack light.

I ALWAYS have small lock carabiners attached to my backpack!

These little carabiners are incredibly handy! I mostly use them to secure my cap when not in use and to hang freshly washed clothes—yes, even my underwear—right on the pack. At 52, I’ve long left embarrassment behind. It’s much easier to wash and hang three pairs than to carry double the weight.

I literally never go anywhere without packing cubes nowadays. They are a life saver. When you’re living out of a bag on hut-to-hut hikes, staying organized is essential. I rely on packing cubes to keep everything in its place and easy to access. My large cube holds clean, dry refuge clothing; the medium one houses toiletries and evening essentials—sleeping bag liner, eye mask, ear plugs, head torch, and quick-dry towel; and the smallest cube carries my homemade first-aid kit. Honestly, packing cubes are a game-changer on multi-day treks!

New to hut-to-hut trekking? Don’t skip a hydration system.

Being able to drink on the move saves a surprising amount of time—almost an hour a day in stops alone.

I pair a 2 L hydration pack with a 750 ml filtered bottle, perfect for adding rehydration tablets at each hut.

If you’re bedding down in dorms each night on the Tour du Mont Blanc – a sleeping bag liner, called a “meat sac” (sac de viande in French) – is mandatory at the refuges. Private rooms often don’t require them, but some high-altitude refuges still do, so double-check.

I use a silk liner, and I love it. On a trek like the TMB or AV1, every gram counts, and silk is incredibly lightweight compared with heavy cotton alternatives. It’s a little luxury on the trail without the weight penalty. Don’t forget to buy a sleeping bag liner with a pillow sleeve as refuges will provide a pillow but this still need covering unless you plan to improvise with a t-shirt.

A quick-dry towel is one of those small items that makes a big difference on a hut-to-hut trek. Avoid the bulky options—small or medium is plenty, and every gram counts. Even if towels are provided or available to rent, having your own lets you soak tired feet in a glacial stream or add some privacy on a bottom bunk in a crowded dorm. Make sure it has a loop to hang it off your pack.

I first heard this tip from my physio, who’s run the UTMB countless times. All ultra trail runners use NOK in the weeks leading up to a race to keep their feet supple and ready for the pounding. It’s a preventative cream for blisters—start applying it about six weeks before your hut-to-hut trek. Combine it with my on-trail strategy of moleskin and Vicks VapoRub for maximum protection.

If you’re bedding down in dorms each night on the Tour du Mont Blanc – a sleeping bag liner, called a “meat sac” (sac de viande in French) – is mandatory at the refuges. Private rooms often don’t require them, but some high-altitude refuges still do, so double-check.

I use a silk liner, and I love it. On a trek like the TMB or AV1, every gram counts, and silk is incredibly lightweight compared with heavy cotton alternatives. It’s a little luxury on the trail without the weight penalty. Don’t forget to buy a sleeping bag liner with a pillow sleeve as refuges will provide a pillow but this still need covering unless you plan to improvise with a t-shirt.

Seriously THE best ear plugs out there!

As a light sleeper, I’ve tried just about every earplug on the market. Friends first told me about these little gems years ago when they were living in Thailand opposite a 24/7 construction site—they swore by them, and they were absolutely right.
I’ve never looked back. Ever since that first pack, I won’t buy anything else. Stock up—if you’re sharing dorms in mountain refuges, you’ll want a generous supply of earplugs in your pack.

This might seem like an unusual stocking filler, but I never hit the trail without this trick: wrap a length of gaffer tape around one (or both) of your trekking poles for quick, easy access. You’ll forget its even there but this emergency tape really comes into its own in dozens of scenarios – fixing torn gear, prevents blisters on hotspots, stops chafing and can even be used as a makeshift bandage or splint in an emergency.