The Tour du Mont Blanc is an incredible 103-mile(166km) trek through France, Italy, and Switzerland. The best part? You can stay in refuges along the trail, many of which offer 3 & 4-course meals along with a bed and hot shower. While you can choose to camp along the way, I found that staying in refuges was part of the magic of the trail! In this guide, you will find a complete Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List.

When it comes to planning your Tour du Mont Blanc trip, you’ve got plenty of options: camping or staying in refuges, self-carry or luggage transfer, half-board or full-board, and purist or supported. This blog post focuses on trekkers who plan on staying in refuges and who plan on skipping the luggage transfer! Though I do mention some packing tips for people considering doing a luggage transfer.

I’ll share some details about all of the different options above, as well as a printable packing list of gear to bring on your epic journey.

If that sounds good to you, let’s get into it!

Just a heads up! This post contains affiliate links, which means I could earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List for Travelers Staying in Refugios

After spending an incredible amount of time backpacking in the United States, my partner and I decided it was time to take our passion for the outdoors elsewhere. After flipping through “100 Hikes of a Lifetime” by Kate Siber & National Geographic, we agreed on the Tour du Mont Blanc!

We used The Hiking Club to help plan our route, book refuges, and create a daily brief on what each day of our trip would look like. It was an extremely valuable resource that I would recommend to anyone planning to create their own TMB route.

For those planning to carry all their gear for the TMB (i.e., not using a luggage transfer service), aim for your pack to weigh around 20 lbs.

My bag weighed in at 17 lbs with 2 liters of water, while my partner’s bag weighed closer to 25 lbs with 2 liters of water. Typically, on a standard backpacking route, I recommend that your pack weigh at or under 20% of your body weight. However, the difficulty of this trail should not be downplayed. This is not your typical backpacking route. You will want to keep your pack as light as possible.

The sections of this blog are broken down by individual items and my recommendations for each of those items.

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Backpack

The backpack you choose for the trail should be comfortable with adjustable straps and secure internal pockets for important documents and small items.

For those planning on staying in refuges along the way, I recommend a 30+ liter pack. For those backpacking, a 50 – 60 liter pack will be sufficient.

Typically, the larger your pack, the easier it is to overpack to fill the space. Try your best NOT to pack non-necessities.

I brought the Pingora Outro 40 Backpacking Pack and found it to be the perfect size for this trek. It features a two-compartment system, consisting of a back compartment that zips closed and a front compartment with a roll-top design. In the back compartment, I kept everything I would need at the refuge, and in the front compartment, I kept everything I might need while on the trail.

Check out the Pingora Here!

This bag was specifically purchased for the TMB, but you don’t need to buy something new! My best friend, Caitlynn, used her Osprey Aura 65L pack, and my partner used his ULA Equipment Catalyst 75. They both use these packs for standard backpacking trips!

Sometimes using gear you already own is the way to go, because you’ll want to thoroughly test your gear before hitting the trail. I brought my new pack on every trail for a month leading up to the TMB. Caitlynn and Addison already knew they loved their packs, as they had been using them for years.

Whether you decide to splurge for a new, mid-sized pack for this trail or your trusty backpacking pack, make sure it fits the gear you need for the trip!

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Trekking Poles

Trekking Poles on the Tour du Mont Blanc are a must-have piece of equipment. You will likely be gaining over 4,000 feet of elevation and losing just as much in the same day. Trekking poles help with balance, posture, and weight distribution.

Trekking Poles were one of the only reasons we had a checked bag on our flight. Some TSA agents will not allow you to bring trekking poles in a carry-on. Not sure what camping gear you can bring on a flight? Check out my blog here!

I used my Black Diamond Pursuit Shock Trekking Poles every day, all day on the trail, and my partner used his Leki Journey Lite Poles every day, but not all day.

Good trekking poles can certainly be an investment, so if you’re not trying to check a bag on your flight or purchase trekking poles, you can rent trekking poles specifically for the TMB. I recommend renting trekking poles at Snell Sports in Chamonix, France.

Rent trekking poles at Snell Sports Rental for $56 for a 9-day trip. Check rates here.

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Microspikes/Crampons

If you are going to be hiking the TMB between June and Early July, you will need to pack microspikes. Many of the mountain passes in the early summer months are still covered in snow and are rather treacherous.

Microspikes and Crampons can be rather heavy, so I’d recommend only bringing them if they are needed. If you plan your trip using The Hiking Club, they provide real-time data on snow.

I did not pack microspikes, since I was completing the trail in late August.

Microspikes also need to be in a checked bag if you plan on flying with your gear. They are also available for rent at Snell Sports Rental.

Kahtoola MICROspikes have been my go-to as an all-season Washington hiker!

Read Next: 3-Day Itinerary for Zermatt, Switzerland

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Sleeping Bag Liner

A sleeping bag liner is a MUST if you are staying in a refuge. Since the refuge provides bedding, a sleeping bag liner is required so there is no direct skin contact with the provided bedding.

There are lots of different types of liners: fleece, silk, rectangular or mummy-shaped, and with and without a pillow sleeve.

If you take my advice on anything, DO NOT bring the warmest sleeping bag liner available if you plan on hiking this trail in late summer. The dorm rooms can get extraordinarily hot and humid with all the people sleeping in them. While there were some nights I was able to sleep next to a window and keep it open a crack, many nights any attempt at keeping a window open overnight was squashed, and we were left suffocating in a small room with 20 people.

I opted for the Breeze Sleeping Bag Liner by Sea to Summit, which weighed in at 0.63 pounds. A luxury option is the COCOON Egyptian silk bag liner.

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Rain Gear

Even in the summer months, rain is still probable on your Tour du Mont Blanc trek. In late August, when we went, it rained every day. Afternoons at high altitude brought snow and hail along with the occasional thunderstorm.

Recommended Rain Gear:

1. Rain Jacket: Most rain jackets are designed to be worn over long sleeves. Without long sleeves underneath your rain jacket, you could be diminishing the integrity of the jacket. My favorite lightweight rain jacket is the Stormline Stretch by Black Diamond.
2. Rain Pants: When packing light on this trail, you’ll want to keep your hiking pants as dry as possible so they are ready to go the next day. I brought the REI Trailmade rain pants. If you don’t own rain pants, you need to decide for yourself if they’re worth it.
3. Rain Cover: Keeping your gear dry is the most essential part! If your bag does not come with a pack cover, you can purchase one here.
4. Poncho: This is optional, but if you’re looking to cover yourself and your pack, you can opt for a poncho! While there are super light, flimsy ponchos, there are also ponchos designed for backpacking to cover your pack. Like this one.

It is essential to keep important items, such as passports, electronics, and extra socks, in dry bags or plastic bags. We used these waterproof packing cubes from Sea to Summit and LOVED them. They were great for organization and had a rain-tight seal, so we didn’t have to use stuff sacks.

Weather conditions on this epic trek are constantly changing. Even if the weather report only calls for sunny days, you can expect at least one rainy day.

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Water Bottle + Filter

One of the best parts about hiking the TMB is that you will regularly find potable water(eau potable – in French) along the route. Since there are plenty of water sources throughout the trail, it is important not to overcarry water on the hike. Overcarrying water can be dangerous and puts unnecessary strain on the body.

When we exported our trip data from The Hiking Club to Organic Maps, we were able to see all of the available water sources along the way.

Hardside Hydration + 48 oz Nalgene

On the trail, I carried 48 oz Nalegene and a Hardside Hydration drinking hose. This allowed me to keep a close eye on how much water I had throughout the hike, and it was also extremely easy to refill at the water sources since I just grabbed it out of a side pocket and unscrewed the cap.

I think a water bladder is cumbersome since they need to be fished out of your bag, and it is hard to gauge how much water you actually have left in your reservoir.

Water Filter

Most of the water along the route is considered potable water. However, we did stay in refuges that lacked potable water. At Robert Blanc Refuge, the water was not deemed potable, but was still safe to drink. We did not filter the water from this refuge, but the water was a little cloudy. You can filter it if you choose to.

Lac Blanc Refuge and Chalet du Glacier require you to filter the water. I recommend bringing a small water bottle with a filter for cases like this. I use the Flux+ for filtering water and love it.

Carrying 2 liters of water between refuges will be sufficient. Even if you still have most of your water left at a refill station, I always recommend topping it off.

Related Read: Best Filtering Water Bottles for Backpacking & Travel

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Electronics

When staying in refuges, there will be opportunities to charge your electronics, but be warned that some places have limited charging ports and available wattage.

While you don’t necessarily need to carry a battery pack, it did come in handy for us when we were sleeping in places with limited charging ability.

Recommended Electronics:

1. Headlamp: You will need a headlamp for this journey. We used ours briefly on the trip, but there were days when people were getting to the refuge late into the evening or leaving before sunrise. I use the Black Diamond Spot and love the long battery life.
2. Travel Adapter: If your gear does not have the standard two-prong European plug, you will need to bring an adaptor. This is the one I’ve used for all of my international travel. Travel Adapter with USB-C.
3. Battery Pack: We brought two of these Anker Power banks. These are what we use when backpacking, too.
4. Kindle: Another optional item, but I cannot tell you how pleasant it was getting to the refuge, showering, grabbing an Aperol Spritz, and reading my Kindle until dinner.
5. Camera: If you’re bringing your camera, I suppose I don’t need to tell you to get backup batteries and additional SD cards. For this trip, we brought our Fuji Film x100v and our Canon with a 70 – 200mm and 24 – 70mm lens.

All of our electronics that we weren’t actively using were organized in these waterproof packing cubes by Sea to Summit.

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Clothes

At the end of the day, when you’re choosing what clothes to pack for your trip, you need to ask yourself these questions:

• Could I comfortably wear this article of clothing for 10+ miles a day?
• Do I plan on wearing this item more than once?
• Is the item worth its weight?

If you’re using a luggage transfer, you do not need to be as conservative with your options. However, if you are self-carrying, that pair of jean shorts that you will only wear once will get pretty heavy… I might know from experience.

I keep all of my clothes in waterproof bags since my day pack was not waterproof.

Footwear

Every Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List will tell you that you will need two types of footwear—a pair of shoes to hike in and a pair of shoes to wear in the refuge. A comfortable pair of shoes is definitely a personal preference, so if you have shoes you already love to hike in, bring ’em!

Hiking Boots

I opted for my Oboz Bridgers because they are waterproof, sturdy, have ankle support, and I know I can hike 15 miles in them with no problems. You will see a good mix of hiking boots and trail runners on this trail. While most of the standard trail is well graded without too many rocks, some alpine routes are extremely rocky.

Ultimately, the only hiking shoes you should be wearing on the trail are shoes that are comfortable for YOU. Make sure you test out your shoes thoroughly beforehand. Please, do not wear new boots on this trial.

Refuge Shoes

All refuges will require you to remove your hiking boots and wear refuge shoes when you get there. Many refuges will offer pairs for you to use while you’re there. They are typically crocs.

However, if you don’t want to wear the refuge shoes available, you can bring your own. These are typically sandals, slides, or Crocs.

I brought my Teva Hurricanes as my refuge shoes because I knew they would be comfortable to hike in, IF I had any issues with my boots.

On the trail, nothing feels as good as putting on your refuge shoes after a hard day.

Upper Body

On the TMB, you will experience chilly mornings, warm days, cool evenings, and everything in between, like rain, snow, and fog. While you don’t want to overpack to appease all of the different types of weather you will experience, you do want to be thoughtful about the various purposes of each piece of clothing.

• Hiking Shirt: I bought two different hiking shirts. A sun hoodie (highly recommend) and a merino wool t-shirt. Sun hoodies are great for protecting your skin on long days on the trail. The merino wool t-shirt was mostly for comfort and smell management.
• T-Shirt: I brought my coziest, short-sleeve t-shirt to sleep in and hang out in at the refuge.
• Micro-Puff: Bring a packable, insulated jacket on the trail. Many days I started and ended in my Cotopaxi Fuego Down Jacket.
• Fleece: While optional, a cozy fleece or mid-layer makes a great secondary option for hiking in cooler weather that doesn’t warrant a jacket. My favorite mid-layer is this Highliner PrimaLoft Fleece by Backcountry.
• Merino Wool Sports Bra: I only wore this Sports Bra from Branwyn. It has smell-resistant properties and even after a full day of sweating, it was always dry by the next morning.

There are a few options for doing laundry throughout the route, but that won’t truly be worth your time IMO. For a quick rinse, many people will rinse their clothes in the shower and hang them out to dry. You could also use a Scruba for on-the-go washing.

Lower Body

For your lower body, you’ll find that most people on the trail actually wear shorts. In late August, the days will get pretty hot. I wore zip-off pants and had the thigh zipper open for many of the days to increase air flow.

For a late August TMB Packing List, I suggest:

• Hiking Shorts: Typically, shorts with a 5-inch inseam have minimal chaffing for women. My go-to hiking shorts are the Patagonia Outdoor Everyday Short. My partner wore the ON 5” Performance Shorts.
• Hiking Pants: If you know you’ll hike in shorts every day, I would say that hiking pants are really optional, especially if you’re bringing rain pants. I wore Notice the Reckless Sahara Zip-Off Pants.
• Refuge Bottoms: Bring a pair of extra comfy pants or shorts to lounge in at the refuge. I brought the Beyond Yoga Biker Shorts.
• Undies: I am a historically overpacker when it comes to undies, but I do recommend merino wool underwear. You will find lots of undies drying out on clothes lines at the refuges.

You definitely could bring more than three bottoms, but I found that by rinsing my hiking pants halfway through the trip, I didn’t need more than that.

Accessories

The time of year you go will truly determine what accessories you will need. Early summer, there will still be snow on the ground, potential for snow, and very cool evenings. When I went in late summer, I didn’t actually use the beanie or gloves that I brought. My friends who were hiking the trail at the same time but on the opposite side of the mountain ran into snow and wore their beanies.

• Hat: For most of the trail, you will be fully exposed to the sun. Bring a baseball hat or sun hat to protect your eyes, scalp, and face from harmful UV rays.
• Beanie: Regardless of the time of year, bring a beanie just in case.
• Gloves: For early-season trekking, you might want gloves to keep your hands warm; in the late summer, you might want sun gloves.
• Sunglasses: Sunglasses are a must on this epic journey, from shielding your eyes from the direct rays of the sun to protecting your eyes from the glare off of snow. You will not want to leave your sunglasses behind.
• Fanny Pack: Another optional item, but if your bag does not have hip belt pockets, you can also wear a fanny pack to hold your phone, energy bars, your wallet, and chapstick with UPF.

Again, you don’t want to overdo it on items that you won’t wear or use multiple times. You only need one baseball hat and one pair of sunglasses. But you do you, badie.

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Toiletries

I kept all of my toiletries in this travel bag by Sea to Summit and loved it. It was the perfect size for all of my necessary items. I also brought a pack towel, which I loved because it was always dry by the next day.

Here is everything I kept in my toiletry bag:

1. Bar Soap
2. Conditioner Bar
3. Face Wash
4. Toothpaste and Toothbrush
5. Small Face Towel
6. Sunscreen and Face Sunscreen
7. Small Hand Sanitizer
8. Deoderant
9. Tinted Moisturizer & Mascara (feeling good is self care!)
10. Medications & Pain Killers (Recommend the sleep assistant ones for at night)

Some people recommend packing toilet paper. I had my Kula Cloth with me if I ever needed to pee on the trail, but I never had to. Lucky me!

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Miscellaneous

Some items that were not included above:

1. Paperwork: Printed Itinerary, Passport, Paper Map
2. Small First Aid Kit: I just brought my Adventure Medic Kit and added duct tape and leukotape to it for blister aid. I also added an emergency blanket.
3. Ear Plugs: I would consider earplugs a must if you are a light sleeper.
4. Compression Socks: At the end of the day, it felt so good to have support from compression socks. I wore them from the time I got out of the shower until bed, and I felt that they helped significantly with recovery.
5. Snacks: Trailmix, energy bars, bread and cheese. Anything that you could eat between refuges.
6. Electrolytes: This is optional, but we brought an extra water bottle with us so we could drink electrolytes throughout the trek.
7. Eye Mask: If you’re sensitive to light and already use an eye mask, you might want to bring one.
8. Digital SIM Card: I didn’t have an international plan, so I purchased the Regional eSIM card from Airalo. Use code EXPLOREN3 for $3 off your eSIM from Airalo.

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Pack it Up

Packing for the Tour du Mont Blanc is all about balance. You want to bring enough gear to keep you safe and comfortable, while keeping your backpack light enough to carry over long distances.

Use this list as a guide and baseline, and adjust it to your personal needs and travel style. Pack light, bring comfortable shoes, and prepare yourself for an epic Tour du Mont Blanc adventure.

Have questions about packing for the TMB? Let me know in the comments. I would be happy to help! Happy packing!