Here is a list of the gear I used while walking the West Highland Way in September 2021.
Since I stayed in hiking huts, I did not need a tent or sleeping pad. A lightweight sleeping bag was sufficient as most of the huts had a heater if needed. I also did not need to carry food for the most part as I ate in towns.
Backpack:
I chose the Hyperlight Mountain Gear 3400 Southwest which is a 40L ultralight pack. It is waterproof and extremely durable. Their website is here.
I opted to check my bag since I was bringing my trekking poles and didn’t want to possibly lose them to TSA. I bought a zippered-top IKEA bag and was able to fit my pack and poles in easily. You can find it here.
Sleeping Bag and pillow:
I chose a lightweight down sleeping bag that could also unzip into a blanket if desired. It has a 45 degree F comfort rating which was perfect for this type of hike. It did come with a small stuff sack that I did use but is optional. I paired this with an inflatable pillow. I was surprised by how comfortable this was!
Trekology Ultralight Inflatable Camping Travel Pillow – ALUFT 2.0 Compressible, Compact, Comfortable, Ergonomic Inflating Pillows for Neck & Lumbar Support While Camp, Hiking, Backpacking
Hydration:
Since this walk had a few days where there would be little or no support to refill water bottles, I elected to try a water bladder. This ended up being a great move and probably kept me better hydrated.
Water Buffalo Hydration Bladder | 2 Liter Water Bladder | Leakproof | BPA Free
Front Pouch:
I used this Zpacks pouch/fanny pack to keep all of my important documents (passport, CDC vaccination card, bus tickets, etc.) and my money for quick and easy access and security. You can find it here.
Rain Gear:
I used a North Face jacket that I already had. It did start to soak through on the one day it rained so I will get something different and lighter for next time.
Clothing:
I went pretty minimal with clothing using mostly items I already had.
Shirts:
- 1 Long-sleeved button-front shirt by Magellan
- 1 short-sleeved dri-fit shirt
- 1 Nike long-sleeved pullover
Pants:
- 1 pair of Columbia light-weight hiking pants
- 1 pair of mid-calf length sport leggings
Also included:
- Long-sleeved shirt and leggings for post-shower and sleeping
- 2 pairs of underwear (Woxers) and 1 sports bra (but should have brought 2)
- Dri-fit type of hat
- Puffy coat that I already had. I think I only wore it once over the 2 week period.
All of this went into a Zpacks dry bag.
Footwear:
I wore the Altra Lone Peaks 4.5 (I think) as I’ve worn them on previous hikes and in Peru and have had great success with not getting blisters.
Injinji socks are my go-to’s for hiking or running. I brought 2 pairs on this trip plus an extra pair of regular socks for sleeping.
Injinji Run Lightweight No-Show
I also brought a cheap pair of rubber flip-flops to wear around camp and in the shower.
Microfiber Towel:
I wasn’t sure I would like this type of towel but it works surprisingly well. Even after washing my hair, this towel was always dry by morning.
Electronics:
I only brought my iPhone and watch and was able to get by just fine. This baggie contained various charging cables, a multi-port plug adapter, and a power bank.
First Aid Kit:
I kept this pretty minimal as well since there were many places to buy more supplies if needed.
My kit included a few band-aids of various sizes, a packet of anti-bacterial cream, vaseline, moleskin, gauze pads and tape, KT tape, tick removal tweezers, some anti-diarrheal meds, and ibuprofen.
Miscellaneous Items:
This plastic bag included various items.
- Headlamp
- Sunscreen
- glasses
- hand sanitizer
- nylon clothesline and close pins (so glad I had these!)
- a carabiner
- Suction cup hooks to hang stuff in the shower
- Cork Massage Ball Set with Carry Bag – (1 Large 3″, 2 Small 2″). I just brought the large one.
I did have another small bag with travel-sized shampoo, conditioner, and soap and another with some minimal personal hygiene items.
All in all, I think I did a pretty good job of packing everything I needed without bringing a bunch of stuff I never used. Some changes I would make for next time: add an additional sports bra as the one I had never seemed to be dry. Get a better and lighter rain jacket and ditch the rain pants. I can say this in hindsight as there was only one day of rain and the pants really weren’t necessary but could have been in different circumstances. I stayed in Scotland for an additional week after this hike was over and I would have REALLY liked to have had different clothes to wear. I did consider several times during the hike that using the baggage transfer service would have been nice. But I got through it just fine!