🏕️ Outdoors & Adventure 84 items
The Complete Ski Touring Packing List
Every piece of gear you need for a backcountry day tour or a multi-day hut traverse, from beacon to base layer.
Updated May 13, 2026 · 2 scenarios
Quick answer
Category
Outdoors & Adventure
Items per trip
~42 items
Scenarios
2 scenarios
Tips
8 pro tips
A ski touring packing list starts with the avalanche safety trio: beacon (457 kHz, worn on your body under your outer layer), probe (240 cm minimum), and shovel (metal blade, not plastic). Add touring skis with climbing skins, AT or pin bindings, touring boots with walk mode, breathable layering, a 25 to 35 liter pack, food, water, a headlamp, and a first-aid kit. Leave resort-weight insulated pants and heavy helmets at home.
Ski touring is not resort skiing with extra steps. The gear list is longer, the consequences of forgetting something are higher, and the margin for error shrinks the farther you get from a trailhead. The single non-negotiable rule: no beacon, probe, and shovel, no tour. Period. Everything else on this list supports two jobs that do not exist at a resort: getting yourself uphill efficiently and keeping yourself alive if something goes wrong.
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The biggest gear mistake beginners make is dressing like they are heading to the chairlift. Resort skiing is cold and passive, so you layer for warmth. Touring is hot and active on the way up (you will sweat through anything heavier than a base layer within 20 minutes), then cold and passive on the way down. The solution is a breathable uphill kit you can strip to, plus a packable insulated layer you pull on at the summit before you drop in.
This list splits into two scenarios: a single-day tour from a trailhead and a multi-day hut traverse. The day tour fits in a 25 to 35 liter pack. The hut trip adds sleep layers, hut shoes, and extra food, pushing you toward a 35 to 45 liter pack. Both share the same core safety kit.
A single-day skin-up, ski-down tour from a trailhead. Pack everything in a 25 to 35 liter touring pack. Total pack weight should stay under 20 pounds to keep the uphill efficient.
🔴Avalanche Safety (Non-Negotiable)
Essentials
- Avalanche transceiver/beacon (457 kHz, 3-antenna) (Worn under outermost layer on a chest harness, never in your pack)
- Avalanche probe (240 cm minimum, aluminum or carbon) (Carbon is lighter; aluminum is cheaper and nearly as fast to deploy)
- Avalanche shovel (metal blade, extendable handle) (Plastic blades shatter on avalanche debris; metal only)
Nice to Have
- Snow study kit (crystal card, thermometer, inclinometer) (For pit analysis if you have avy training; otherwise carry but learn to use it)
⛷️Ski Equipment
Essentials
- Alpine touring skis (or splitboard) (Lighter and often shorter than resort skis for uphill efficiency)
- Climbing skins (trimmed to ski width, leaving edges exposed)
- Skin wax or glide crayon (Prevents snow glopping in wet or spring conditions)
- AT bindings or pin bindings (mounted and tested)
- Touring boots with walk mode (Walk mode frees the cuff for striding; lock it for descent)
- Adjustable touring poles (Shorten for descent, lengthen for traverses)
Nice to Have
- Ski crampons (couteaux) (Essential on icy skin tracks or firm spring mornings)
🧥Clothing (Layering System)
Essentials
- Merino or synthetic base layer top (lightweight) (No cotton; you will soak through it on the first pitch)
- Merino or synthetic base layer bottom
- Softshell or ventilated touring pants (not insulated) (Resort insulated pants overheat on the uphill in minutes)
- Breathable hardshell jacket (Gore-Tex or equivalent) (Wind and precipitation protection; pit zips for ventilation)
- Packable insulated jacket (synthetic or down, 700+ fill) (Stays in your pack until the summit; pull it on before descent)
- Lightweight touring helmet (well-ventilated) (Resort helmets work but run hotter; touring-specific helmets have more vents)
- Thin uphill gloves (liner weight) (Full insulated gloves are too hot for skinning)
- Warm descent gloves or mittens (Swap at the top; cold hands ruin the run)
- Lightweight merino beanie
- Merino or synthetic touring socks (mid-weight)
Nice to Have
- Buff or balaclava (Face protection on exposed ridges and during descent)
🧭Navigation & Communication
Essentials
- Topographic map of the area (waterproofed or in a case)
- Compass (baseplate)
- GPS device or phone with offline topo maps (Gaia, CalTopo) (Phone is backup only; cold kills battery life fast)
- Headlamp with lithium batteries (Winter daylight is short; delays happen)
- Whistle (attached to pack strap)
Nice to Have
- Satellite communicator (Garmin inReach or similar) (Cell service is nonexistent in most touring terrain)
🍫Food, Water & Emergency
Essentials
- Insulated water bottle or hydration bladder (1 L minimum) (Insulate the hose or it freezes; blow water back after each sip)
- High-calorie snacks (bars, gels, nuts, dried fruit) x4 (300 to 400 calories per 1,000 vertical feet of climbing)
- First-aid kit (blister patches, tape, pain relievers, SAM splint)
- Emergency bivy or space blanket (If someone is injured and cannot ski out, this prevents hypothermia while you wait for rescue)
Nice to Have
- Thermos with hot drink (0.5 L) (Hot tea or broth at the summit is not a luxury in subzero wind)
- Duct tape (wrapped around a pole or water bottle, 2 ft) (Field repairs for skins, boots, and torn shells)
- Multi-tool or folding knife
🥽Eye Protection
Essentials
- Ski goggles (low-light and bright-light lens) (Goggles for descent in wind or flat light)
- Glacier sunglasses (Category 4, side shields) (Wear on the ascent; goggles fog when you are working hard)
- Sunscreen SPF 50+ (face and lips) (Snow reflects 80% of UV; altitude intensifies exposure)
Packing Tips
- 1 Turn on your avalanche beacon at the car and do a group check before you start skinning. Wear it on your body under your outermost layer, not in your pack. A buried beacon in a buried pack adds minutes you do not have.
- 2 Dress to be slightly cool at the trailhead. Within 10 minutes of skinning uphill you will be generating enough heat to sweat through a mid-layer. Start in a base layer and shell; add insulation only when you stop.
- 3 Carry your insulated puffy in your pack, not on your body. Pull it on the moment you reach the summit and before you start the descent. The transition from hot ascent to cold, wind-exposed descent is when hypothermia risk spikes.
- 4 Apply skin wax (or rub a glide wax crayon) to your climbing skins before every tour. Un-waxed skins in wet snow develop glopping, snowballs that add pounds to each stride and destroy your kick.
- 5 Check the avalanche forecast the morning of, not the night before. Conditions change overnight. In North America, use avalanche.org; in Europe, check your regional avalanche center. If the forecast is Considerable (Level 3) or above, stay home unless you have formal avalanche training and terrain-selection skills.
- 6 Pack lithium batteries for your headlamp and beacon. Alkaline batteries lose up to 40% of their capacity below freezing. Lithium cells maintain voltage down to -40°F.
- 7 Carry at least one liter of water and 300 to 400 calories of fast-access food (energy gels, bars, dried fruit) per 1,000 vertical feet of climbing. Touring burns 600 to 900 calories per hour on the ascent.
- 8 Practice beacon searches, probing, and shoveling before you need them. You have roughly 10 minutes to locate and dig out a fully buried person. That clock does not pause while you read the manual.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between ski touring and resort skiing gear?
Ski touring uses lighter skis, boots with a walk mode that frees the cuff for striding uphill, pin or AT bindings that release the heel for climbing, and climbing skins that grip snow on the ascent. Resort gear is heavier, stiffer, and designed only for downhill. Touring also requires avalanche safety equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) that resort skiers never carry because ski patrol manages that risk.
Do I need avalanche training before ski touring?
Yes. Carrying a beacon, probe, and shovel without knowing how to use them is not meaningfully safer than not carrying them at all. At minimum, take an AIARE Level 1 course (US/Canada) or an equivalent European avalanche course before touring in avalanche terrain. The course covers snowpack assessment, terrain selection, rescue technique, and companion rescue practice. Most courses are 3 days and cost $300 to $500.
How heavy should my ski touring pack be?
For a day tour, aim for 15 to 20 pounds including water and food. For a multi-day hut trip, 20 to 30 pounds. Every extra pound costs energy on the uphill and balance on the descent. Weigh your packed kit before the trip and cut anything you packed 'just in case' that you did not use on your last two tours.
What size pack do I need for ski touring?
A 25 to 35 liter pack for day tours. A 35 to 45 liter pack for multi-day hut trips. Look for a pack with ski carry straps (A-frame or diagonal), a dedicated avalanche tool pocket for quick shovel and probe access, a helmet carry, and hip belt pockets for skins and snacks.
Can I use resort ski boots for touring?
Not effectively. Resort boots have a fixed cuff that does not allow a walking stride. You will burn far more energy fighting the boot on every step. Alpine touring (AT) boots have a walk mode that unlocks the cuff for uphill travel and locks it again for descent. Pin-compatible touring boots are lighter still but sacrifice some downhill stiffness.
What should I wear for the uphill on a ski tour?
A lightweight moisture-wicking base layer and a breathable shell. Nothing else on most days. You will generate enough heat within 10 to 15 minutes to sweat through an insulated mid-layer. Keep a puffy jacket in your pack for stops and for the summit transition. Vent zippers on your shell and pants help regulate temperature without stopping to strip layers.
How many calories do you burn ski touring?
Between 600 and 900 calories per hour on the ascent, depending on gradient, snow conditions, and pack weight. A 4,000-vertical-foot day can burn 2,500 to 4,000 calories above your basal rate. Carry at least 300 to 400 calories of fast-access food per 1,000 vertical feet of climbing, plus meals.
Do I need climbing skins for ski touring?
Yes. Climbing skins are strips of synthetic mohair or nylon that attach to the base of your skis and grip the snow on the uphill, preventing you from sliding backward. Without them you cannot ascend anything steeper than a very gradual slope. Skins should be trimmed to your ski width with the metal edges exposed for grip on hard snow.
What is the difference between a day tour and a hut trip?
A day tour starts and ends at a trailhead the same day. You carry everything in a 25 to 35 liter pack and need no overnight gear. A hut trip connects multiple days of touring with overnight stays in mountain huts or shelters. It requires a sleeping bag liner, hut shoes, extra clothing, more food, and cash for hut fees. The daily vertical is usually lower than a day tour because you are carrying more weight.
Are splitboards good for ski touring?
Yes. A splitboard is a snowboard that splits into two halves for skinning uphill and reassembles for riding down. Modern splitboards with Karakoram or Spark R&D bindings perform well on both the ascent and descent. The main trade-off is transition time: splitting and reassembling a board takes 3 to 5 minutes compared to ripping skins on skis in under a minute.
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