A table with hiking gear and the text Appalachian Trail Gear List.

Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Gear List

Although some will deviate from the below gear list in one way or another, this Appalachian Trail thru-hiker gear list serves as an excellent template for prospective thru-hikers, with some products we recommend below.

Shelters

Your tent is one of the most important—if not the most important—piece of gear for your long-distance hike. It’s literally your home away from home.

Continue reading to learn more about the gear needed to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, written by The Trek staff.

Editors

The Trek Editors

We are the word nerds of The Trek who want nothing more than to infuse some hiking and backpacking joy into your day.

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Media Mentions

4 MIN

Media Mentions

Cnoc’s ThruBottle also features a 28mm thread, allowing you to use it with filters such as the Sawyer Squeeze.

Mac

Contributing Writer

Media Mentions

Sawyer Squeeze + Cnoc VectoX 2L 28mm is widely considered to be the most reliable filter-bladder combo in existence, and we agree 100% with that sentiment.

Jaeger Shaw

Owner & Managing Editor

Media Mentions

I carry the Sawyer Squeeze in my day pack in case of emergencies and as a backup to my larger water filter on backpacking trips where I know I’ll be relying on streams.