Carpathian Notes
Illustration of a small lit tent, a loaded backpack with a rolled sleeping mat, trekking poles and a camping stove with a steaming pot in a meadow at dusk, below snow-flecked mountains.

Planning

What I pack for a multi-day hike

The list I actually use for two to four days in the Carpathians between June and September, sleeping in huts or a tent. A starting point, not a shopping list.

I've tried to keep this honest: what I take, what I've stopped taking, and the few things I would never leave behind. Adjust it for your own body, your route and the season. In spring, late autumn and winter you will need more, and some of it specialised.

For a three-day trip staying in huts, my pack weighs roughly eight or nine kilograms with water. With a tent, a stove and food, it's closer to twelve or thirteen. Lighter is nicer, but not at the cost of being cold or wet.

Carrying it

  • Backpack of 35–45 litres for hut trips, around 50 litres with a tent
  • Waterproof liner or a strong bag inside the packRain covers help, but a liner keeps things actually dry.
  • A few small bags to keep things sorted

Clothes, in layers

  • Quick-drying base layer top (not cotton)
  • Light fleece or other warm mid-layer
  • Insulated jacketEven in August, nights and early mornings up high can be cold.
  • Waterproof jacket with a hood that fits
  • Waterproof over-trousers
  • Hiking trousers or shorts, plus something dry for the evening
  • Warm hat, sun hat and thin gloves
  • Two or three pairs of hiking socks, and one dry pair kept only for sleeping

Feet

  • Broken-in boots or sturdy trail shoes with good grip on wet rock
  • Light sandals or soft shoes for the evenings
  • Blister plasters and tapeUse them at the first hot spot, not when the blister is already there.

Finding the way

  • Paper map of the area and a compass, and the knowledge to use them
  • Phone with offline maps, a small power bank and a cable
  • Your route written down, with descents and escape routes
  • The trail symbol for your routePaths are marked with painted shapes in red, blue or yellow on white. Know which one you're following.

Sleeping

In huts

  • Thin sleeping bag liner
  • Earplugs, for the snorer who is always there
  • Small torch for finding your bunk

In a tent

  • Tent that can handle strong wind
  • Sleeping mat
  • Sleeping bag warm enough for nights near freezing

Water and food

  • At least two litres of water capacityThree or more for dry limestone ridges, where there may be no water at all.
  • Water filter or purification tablets
  • Lunch and snacks for every day, plus one spare day of food
  • Small stove, fuel, pot and lighter, if camping

Safety and first aid

  • First-aid kit you know how to use, with any personal medication
  • Headtorch with fresh batteries
  • Whistle
  • Emergency foil blanket or a light bivvy bag
  • Sun cream and sunglassesThe sun is strong at altitude, even when the air is cool.
  • Insect repellent for the forest stretches

Small things that matter

  • CashDon't count on paying by card in mountain huts or village shops.
  • ID document
  • Toilet paper and a small bag to carry it out
  • Rubbish bag: whatever goes up comes down with you
  • Trekking poles, for steep descents
  • Small knife, a few metres of cord, a little tape

What I leave at home

  • Cotton clothes, which stay wet and cold.
  • A spare outfit for every day. One set to walk in and one dry set for the evening is enough.
  • Glass jars and heavy tins. I repack food at home.
  • Anything with a strong smell inside the tent at night. In bear country, food and toiletries are stored away from where I sleep.

Before I leave

  • Check a mountain forecast, not just the one for the nearest town.
  • Ask Salvamont or the park office about current conditions on the route.
  • Tell someone where I'm going and when I expect to be back.
  • Save the emergency number: 112 works across Romania.