🌲 Weekend Warrior Packing List: What You Really Need for a 2-Night Backpacking Trip

🎒 Backpacking Basics: Your Big Essentials

☐ Backpack: 40-50L is ideal for a 2-night trip.

Wild & Cozy's Pick: ALPS Mountaineering Baja 60L – Lightweight and budget-friendly

☐ Shelter: Tent, hammock, or bivvy, depending on conditions.

Our Pick: Sunda 2.0 tent/hammock hybrid - it's a tent... it's a hammock... it's both!

☐ Sleeping Bag or Quilt: Rated for the season (30°F is a safe all-around temperature).

Our pick: NEMO Disco 30 Sleeping Bag (Amazon) – Cozy and roomy

☐ Sleeping Pad: Comfort matters! Inflatable or closed-cell foam.

Wild & Cozy's Pick: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite (Amazon) – Ultralight comfort and it fits nicely in the Sunda 2.0

☐ Optional: Lightweight camp chair for luxury.

Our Pick: Helinox Chair Zero (Amazon) – Featherweight luxury. If you can fit it, pack it -this chair is worth it!

🧥 Trail Clothing: Layer Up Smart

☐ Base Layers: Moisture-wicking top and bottom.

Our Pick: Thermowave Merino Base Layers

☐ Insulation Layer: Puffy jacket or fleece.

Wild & Cozy Pick: The North Face Aconcagua 3 (Amazon)
☐ Rain Gear: Lightweight rain jacket and pants.

Our Top Choice: 33,000ft Rain Gear (Amazon)
☐ Hiking Pants and Shirts: Quick-drying and breathable fabrics.

The Pants we Love: prAna Stretch Zion Pants -by far the most comfortable, durable, and versatile pants I've ever owned. I own 4 pairs of different colors! They look good enough for the office, but truly shine on the trail!
☐ Camp Clothes: Cozy set dedicated for sleeping.

Must Grab: Woolf Merino Base Layers
☐ Accessories: Hat, gloves (even in summer), buff or bandana.

Our Pick: Buff UV Half Neck - no weekend warrior kit is complete without a Buff. Super versatile, ultra-comfy, and looks cool.
☐ Footwear: Trail runners or boots, plus comfy camp shoes (like Crocs or sandals).

Wild & Cozy's Fav:

• Camp Shoes: Glerups Slipon with Rubber Sole

• Trail runners/hikers: Altra Lone Peak 7 Trail Runners (Amazon)

🍳 Camp Kitchen: Quick Meals, Easy Cleanup

☐ Backpacking Stove:

Our Pick: GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Canister Stove

☐ Fuel: IsoButane Fuel

Recommended: MSR Isopro Fuel Canister

☐ Cookware: Small pot, spork, and mug.

Top Choice: GSI Outdoors Halulite Soloist - it's got everything you need for any meal, plus the stuff sack doubles as a wash basin.

☐ Food: Dehydrated meals, oatmeal, trail mix, energy bars.

Best Option: The Weekender from Good to Go. Great company with yummy dishes that are easy to make and won't break the bank. They have vegan and gluten-free options as well. Make sure to bookmark their Amazon Store for your next backpacking outing!

☐ Water System: Filter or purification tablets + at least 2L water storage.

Great Option: LifeStraw Peak Series Collapsible Squeeze System

🧭 Safety & Trail Smarts

☐ Headlamp: With extra batteries.

Top Pick: Black Diamond Spot 400 - Super bright, waterproof, and compact. Rechargeable models also available, but for backpacking we recommend battery operated.

☐ Navigation Tools: Map, compass, or GPS app.

We recommend: Gaia GPS Premium App Subscription

☐ First Aid Kit: Pre-made or DIY.

Our Pick: Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight/Watertight 5 (Amazon) - Everything you need to stay safe on the trail.

☐ Multi-tool or Knife: Always good to have.

Top Choice: Validus Night Black G10 - The Eikonic Knife Company makes hands down the best quality knives on the market. These knives will last a life time.

☐ Emergency Blanket: Lightweight and compact for safety.

Our Pick: SOL Emergency Bivvy - there are a lot of emergency blankets on the market, but they are often of very low quality. SOL uses tear-resistant materials which gives you peace of mind if and when you are facing any sort of emergency in the back country.

☐ Toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, biodegradable soap, wipes, toilet paper, and trowel.

Not to Forget: Compact, ultralight Trowel - The Dirtsaw Deuce is super light and designed to make hole digging a breeze. Don't hit the trail without it!

🛋️ Wild & Cozy Extras (Totally Worth the Pack Space)

☐ Book or Kindle: Fireside reading material.

We Suggest: Kindle Paperwhite - Waterproof, compact, and lightweight, we love the Paperwhite! Of course we love the feel of physical books and the tactile joy of turning a page, the backlit readability of a Kindle insures you won't need to use your headlamp while reading in the tent at night (which also means you won't disturb your tent-mate - bonus!).
☐ Journal & Pen: Capture your trail memories.

A Great Option: Rite in the Rain Weatherproof Notebook - How many times have you brought your journal on a trip only to have the ink smeared and the pages warped? This handy, hardy notebook will not let you down. Rite in the Rain also make highly rated weatherproof pens.
☐ Tiny Luxury: Hot chocolate, tea, or a favorite trail treat.

We Recommend: Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Packets - We know, hot cocoa can sound a little childish, but as you know, everything tastes better when you're camping! When you have a cozy cup of hot cocoa in your hand on a chilly, star-filled night by the camp fire... Cocoa packets will forever more be one of the first items that goes in your pack!

☐ Small Sit Pad: Ultralight but so cozy for trailside breaks.

Our Go To: Therm-a-Rest Z Insulated Sitting Pad - If you don't have the space for a camp chair, go for the comfort of an insulated sitting pad. You'll love the luxury of that little extra cushion when lunching on a rock or damp fallen tree, and weighing in at a mere 2 ounces, you won't even know it's there (until you need it).

🌄 Trail Takeaway:

The right gear transforms a 2-night trip from “barely getting by” to “pure trail magic.”
With a little smart packing, you'll feel light, free, and totally ready for adventure.
✨ Your next great weekend starts with what you bring — and what you leave behind.

What's your favorite go-to item for short backpacking trips? What is our list missing? Please leave us a comment on your preferred social media channel. Visit Wild & Cozy on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.