Ultimate Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List

If you’ve landed on this Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List, I’m assuming you’re going to hike the TMB, and I am SO excited for you. It’s incredible.

My friend and I hiked it in mid-September, and here’s the only Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List that you’ll need. This is geared toward backpackers but would work for everybody. If you are hiking mid-summer, feel free to not bring all the cold-weather gear that we brought. If you’re not camping, eliminate all that extra gear 🙂

A note on weather: It changes dramatically minute to minute. Pack for ALL the weather.

If you are looking for an in-depth guide on The Tour du Mont Blanc, I’ve got your back. It’s almost too detailed.

I’m also assuming (maybe I should stop doing that?) that you already know about the Tour du Mont Blanc, but just in case…

The Tour du Mont Blanc at a Glance:

• Distance: around 105 miles
• Time: 10-12 days, typically done in 11
• Where: Through Switzerland, Italy, and France
• Elevation: 32,800 ft height gain and loss
• Best Time to Go: Summer – End of June thru September

About the Tour du Mont Blanc

This trek, also called the TMB, is incredible and unique. You get to hike all day and eat your way through Europe. Mont Blanc, a massive 15,771 foot mountain, is the reason for this loop trek in the Alps. You hike around the entire Mont Blanc mountain range; you pass through mountain towns with the best, most buttery pastries, pizza, and chocolate while admiring views of these stunning mountains. 

In this post – Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List:

Camping Gear – Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List

If you haven’t upgraded to lightweight camping gear, doing so before the TMB might be a good idea. The pack gets SO heavy after 11 days.

• Tent and Poles – 3 season will work.
• Sleeping Bag – a warm one, especially if you’re going on the off-season.
• Sleeping Pad and repair supplies – inflate this before your trip to make sure it doesn’t have any leaks; it’s easier to repair at home than at a campground.
• Inflatable Pillow
• Headlamp
• Camping Stove
• Pot, Plate, Bowl, Mug, Utensils – I own a cooking kit that includes everything.
• Camping Soap
• Matches and/or Lighter – we left our matches out in the rain on the first night; don’t do that.
• Backpack and Pack Cover – you most definitely need a pack cover; it will rain.
• Pocket Knife

Clothing – Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List

Plan to do laundry once or twice on the trail. It is listed in the guidebook which campgrounds have these facilities. We did laundry on the evening of Day 4 when we were at a hotel in Courmayeur and also on the evening of Day 7 in Champex. Obviously, this is a personal preference. If you’d rather save the coins (it wasn’t that expensive) and re-wear sweaty clothing, go for it. You just might want to up the number of pairs of underwear that you bring.

• 6 Pairs of Underwear
• 5 Pairs of Socks – or 3 pairs of wool socks and 2 pairs of sock liners.
• 2 Sports Bras
• 1 Long Sleeve Shirt
• 2-3 Short Sleeve Shirts
• 2 Pairs of Leggings/Hiking Pants
• A comfy Long Sleeve Shirt – honestly, I ended up using this as my towel, but it was still nice to have.
• 1 Pair of Shorts – yes, the weather changes often enough that you might go from wearing 2 pairs of pants one day to shorts the next.
• Down Puffer Jacket
• Rain Jacket
• Rain Pants – THESE WERE A GODSEND. If you do not own rain pants yet, please go buy some. They saved me from hiking in soaking wet, freezing leggings. They’re also a great extra layer for when you’re sitting on the ground to cook your camping meal.
• Hiking Boots – make sure you wear them in and know they’re comfortable
• Sunglasses
• Bandanda, Buff, or Hat – your hair will not look great everyday, and you’ll want something to cover it up. You will also want something to cover your ears in the cold.
• Gloves
• Camp Shoes (optional) – it can be nice to put on a pair of shoes after a shower that are not your dirty, sweaty boots. I brought a pair of Toms because they’re super lightweight. My friend brought Chacos, and these seemed ideal.
• Swimsuit (optional) – I just always want to be prepared if the right time to swim arises. (It did not on the TMB haha. Maybe skip this one.)

Toiletries – Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List

• Toothbrush and Toothpaste
• Toilet Paper – a couple campgrounds didn’t have TP in the bathroom.
• Razor
• Baby Wipes and/or Face Wipes – to clean up a bit when showers aren’t available.
• Hand Sanitizer
• Sunscreen
• Lip Balm
• Shampoo, Conditioner, and Shower Gel
• Deodorant
• Dental Floss – that you’ll end up using one time on the trip because who really flosses all the time?

Personal Gear – Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List

• First Aid Stuff – click here to see what should go into your own first aid kit.
• Camelbak or Water Bottles
• Small, lightweight Day Pack – for on the plane.
• Towel (optional) – I didn’t bring a towel. In my head, this would be so heavy and take up so much space. Instead, though, I had nothing to dry myself with and ended up using a long sleeve shirt instead. I still think this was a better option because the shirt served more purposes. My friend, Erin, dried off with a small dish towel. This one’s up to you.
• A bunch of Ziplocks – these can be used for dirty underwear, food, soap, etc. They’re handy to have.
• Medications, Birth Control, etc.
• Female Products

Miscellaneous Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List

• The Cicerone Guidebook – this is probably the most necessary item on this list.
• Passport
• Phone Charger and an extra battery pack too if you want
• Ear Plugs
• Travel Adapter – you don’t need a converter if you’re just charging your phone.
• Batteries
• Credit and Debit Card
• Garbage Bags – helpful to keep dirty clothes in, because they WILL smell.
• Paper – instead of bringing a heavy journal, I just brought a small stack of printer paper and treated that as a journal.

Things you will need to buy once you arrive:

• Snacks and Food – there are plenty of options to buy food along the trail, whether it’s in restaurants or grocery stores. We planned this out before we left and made sure to buy groceries when there might not be a restaurant. Cooking on a camp stove is always cheaper than eating at a restaurant, so we did this often. On the same token, though, don’t deprive yourself of the amazing European food that is available during this trek.
• Camp Fuel – no you cannot take this on a plane; I’ve googled it.

I hope this Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List helps! Please contact me if you have any questions on what to bring with you; I truly want every person who backpacks the Tour du Mont Blanc to succeed.