Day Pack Essentials (for Snowshoeing)

Snowshoeing requires minimal gear compared to other winter sports.  You don't need a lift ticket, season pass, or fashion savy clothes.

If you are a hiker, you already have a day pack.  Your pack capacity for a day of snowshoeing should be between 2,000 to 2,500 cu. in.

Your pack should have a few basic features.  An adjustable hip belt that can be secured around your waist and adjusted easily with gloves on.  Some belts have mini pouches with zippers to hold small but important items like a compass, pocket knife, or personal meds.

Shoulder straps should be padded, and adjustable, to insure your pack is firmly secured with the hip belt resting on your hips.  The sternum strap should also be adjustable to insure the shoulder straps are positioned over your shoulders with no gaps between them and your body.

One or two mesh side pockets for extra water bottles are a plus.  A long zipper to access the main compartment is good.  A second smaller compartment is nice to have for easy access stuff like a trail map, hand/foot warmers, lighter, trail mix, or multi-tool.

If zippers do not have extended pulls, buy some and secure one on each pull tab.  If your pack has an internal bladder sleeve, get a bladder and use it.  I use a 100 oz. bladder, but depending on length of trip may only take 60/70 oz.. The feeder hose should have an insulated sleeve so it won't freeze solid.

A check of the web for pack manufacturers that make day packs found the following:  Jansport, Mountainsmith, Madden, Granite Gear, Quest, The North Face, Eureka, Lowe Alpine, and Vortex.  The capacity of their day packs ranged from 2,000 to 3,250 cu.in. and weight from 2 to 4 lbs.

I will introduce another name to the mix...Golite, based in Boulder, Colorado.  I use the Golite Peak day pack at 2,350 cu. in. and 1# 10 oz.  I have other packs but this one is on my back twelve months a year.


The 13 items you will need plus 7 optional items and their weight:

• Water - 60 oz. +/-
• Xtra Food - 24.0 oz.+/-
• Trail Map - 2.5 oz.
• Compass - .5 oz.
• Sunscreen UPF 30 min. - 3 oz.
• Lip Balm - .5 oz.
• UV Sunglasses - 1.5 oz./Goggles - 4 oz.
• Cell Phone - 4 oz.
• Hand/Foot Warmers - 4.5 oz.
• Xtra Socks - 2.5 oz.
• F. A. Kit - 8.5 oz.
• TP and Trowel - 3.5 oz.
• WP Pack Cover - 3 oz.
• 2 Lg. Trash Bags - 2.5 oz. (Opt.)
• Leatherman Tool - 2.5 oz.(Opt.)
• Space Blanket - 2.0 oz.(Opt.)
• Water/Wind. Proof. Matches - 1 oz.(Opt.)
• Lighter - .5 oz.(Opt.)
• Repair Kit - 3.5 oz.(Opt.)
• Yakx Trax - 4.5 oz.(Opt.)

All items                   = 8 # 9 oz. 

Pack                        = 1 # 10 oz.

Total with Opt. items = 10 # 3 oz.

Less optional items   =     1 # .5 oz.

Total w/o Opt. items =    9 # 2.5 oz.