Indispensible Items:
broad-brimmed hat

GOOD, high-quality polarized sunglasses (with the little strap that keeps them tight around your head and around your neck so you don't lose or drop them)

mosquito repellant AND mosquito netting for your head.  (sometimes they are so bad repellant is not enough.)

lip balm; ChapStick. (TRUST me. You don't want severely chapped lips on the trail.)

water filter or iodine tablets

either a bear-proof food container or use the bear boxes.

two small flashlights (ever been in the backcountry when your flashlight goes out or you lose it?)

spare batteries (see above)

sharp pocket knife

spare pair of dry socks (both polypropylene and wool)

blister first-aid kit (alcohol, cotton balls, LOTS of moleskin, medium-size band-aids and Neosporin; bring EVERYTHING on this list!!)

ground cover; plastic sheet of some kind.

sleeping bag rated to at least 20 degrees.

matches/lighter

stove and extra fuel

freeze-dried food or whatever

pot or pots for cooking; recommend at least one quart size, preferably 2 quarts.

wash cloth/gloves to handle the hot pots when water boils. (DUH! Ever been ready to eat and have NOTHING to handle hot pots? Trust me, this sounds trivial, but it's not. Also good for washing the dust off your face at day's end)

camera and extra film/memory cards.

toilet paper and gardening trowel.  (Do I really have to explain what this is for?)

toothbrush & small tube toothpaste

large plastic collapsible water container for camp water.
 

Highly recommended Items:
sandals, moccasins, some sort of shoes to change into after a day on the trail.

sleeping pad, air mattress, foam pad, etc.

sweatshirt with hood; (the wind can blow in the afternoon in some places, and helps protect against mosquitoes. Plus, if worn while sleeping helps immensely in keeping head warm and mosquitoes off.)

sweat pants; comfortable after hiking in shorts or jeans, and warmer when it cools at night.

dish soap and brillo pad or some sort of pot scrubber.

plastic coffee cup

instant coffee and what ever you put in it.

powdered Kool-Aid or Gator-Aid; plain water gets REAL boring REAL quick.

beef jerky.  (Good for trail snack, good source of protein and sodium; add to some freeze-dried foods)

trail snacks; peanuts, raisins, or both.

GOOD LOUD pea whistle; (in case you fall and sprain your ankle and cannot walk, they can find you. Plus, is good against bears.)

Excedrin Extra Strength. (At days end your feet WILL be sore, and helps with blister pain, too.)

Cell Phone (I know, many of you will be shocked, but many trails in YNP have coverage.  If something happens; it's a lot closer to find a signal than to go all the way back down the hill for help.  Plus, it's kind of neat to call someone from deep in the Yosemite Wilderness and rub it in.)
 

 Luxury items you might consider:
Aluminum beach chair. (Get a small one; TRUST ME!  This will be a HUGE luxury in camp. They are only about 1 to 1.5 lbs, and fit on the outside of your pack very easily. I ALWAYS carry one.  People laugh at me on the trail until they have to sit on a log or stump or the ground.)

Some sort of liqueur or brandy. (REAL nice after dinner as the sun sets, or around the campfire, or at night as you do some star-gazing)

small, lightweight video camera. (I always bring mine. It's amazing how enjoyable it is to relive the trip on video and force relatives to watch it at Christmas)

Book (paperback only; nothing is more relaxing than sitting in your beach chair in the shade in camp with a good book either at lunch break, or during a day in camp. Sit very quiet and you never know what kind of wildlife will wander by checking you out.  Deer, squirrels, chipmunks, maybe a bear...)


Things NOT to bring:
iPod, etc.  (c'mon, leave that stuff at home.)

too many clothes.  (ONE pair of spare socks, ONE pair of undershirt and briefs/panties etc. Yes, you will be grubbing it; if you feel the need to get amorous, then bring clean ones, I guess, but sheesh, that's something I usually put off until trails end.  Then again, there is something to be said for love at 10,000 feet in the woods if you can fight off the mosquitoes.)

Peanut butter. (Sounds strange, but it weighs a ton, and makes you thirsty, and is nothing but fat.  You need CARBS!)


I'll add to this list as it occurs to me, but this is the bulk of it.

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