This past October, I spent two weeks walking part of the Island Walk in Prince Edward Island (PEI) and generally exploring PEI. It was nice to be able to travel again and do some long-distance walking in a rural setting. And of course, being me, I wrote about it in a series of posts (starting with overview, that you can find under the category Long Distance Walks) like I did when I walked the latter half of West Highland Way (WHW) in May 2019. This post is about what I took in my 30L backpack. The best way, for me anyways, to keep my pack weight down is to use a smaller pack. Plus my 44L pack, which is what I would normally use for a longer trip like this, isn’t carryon size and it was important to me that I only bring a carryon. Keep reading if you’re curious about what I brought/used.

As I stayed in B&Bs, hotels and motels, this packing list is geared for those who are doing so also and not camping. It’s also assuming that you’ll be packing light as you’ll be carrying your pack while you walk (there’s really no luggage transfer service yet) and based on the weather in October but it would work for pretty much any season except winter (and the Confederation Trail isn’t open to walkers in winter so…).

Oh, and none of the links in this article are affiliate links, they are simply products I used on my trip/hike that I recommend.

Before you leave for your trip

As always, there are a few items you need to check and/or try out/break in before you go. Primarily your footwear, your pack and your raincoat. Because no one wants sore, blistered, wet feet; to be wet themselves, especially when the weather gets cooler; or be unable to carry their pack. Speaking of the last, the conventional wisdom is your pack shouldn’t weigh more than 10-20% of your body weight but my advice is to keep it closer to (or under) 10%, especially if you don’t need camping equipment. The lighter it is, the more comfortable it will be. I’ve written about my love of Merrell hiking shoes and boots before so I won’t go into more detail but I do want to comment on the difficulty in finding a good hiking backpack that is also carryon friendly.

Backpack – a great pack is the one you forget you have on. While I used a luggage transfer service when I hiked the WHW and only need a day pack to carry the necessities, for my PEI trip, I was planning on carrying my pack most days. I used a Helly Hansen Transistor 30L backpack (in midnight green) and loved it. While it’s a unisex pack, it fit my body well, was comfortable both fully and partially packed (I used it as a day pack as well as carrying it fully loaded), and the dimensions fit most airlines’ carryon size requirements, which is hard to find in a hiking pack as they tend to be too tall. I also bought it on sale (half price, yay). Make sure you’ve carried it a few times on a hike/walk, fully loaded, before your trip so you know it’s going to be comfortable.

Raincoat – it’s going to rain and you’ll be walking in it so a good raincoat is key. I was lucky and had mostly fabulous sunny weather but it was October so at least one day of rain was a given. I ended up buying a new raincoat for the trip as during my testing in the summer, I noticed that my old one wasn’t beading well. My new one was a women’s Apollo rain jacket (in Sunset) by Outdoor Research, bought on sale (70% off, double yay), and it worked perfectly the couple of rainy days. And yes, I tested it out before I left just in case. It also doubled nicely as a wind breaker, especially when layered over my fleece on one day when it was quite windy.

What I packed

The basics: non-cotton underwear (5) and bras (3). While I could have brought less, they don’t take up much room and I didn’t want to do daily laundry.

Socks: such a key item. I brought 5 non-cotton, merino wool blend hiking socks for walking and 1 pair of ankle socks for sleep in case it was cold. Same point as above on the reason for bring 5.

Base layer: 3 synthetic running/hiking t-shirts, 2 synthetic long sleeved hiking tops. While I wore them all, I should have brought one less long sleeved top to cut weight because my pink one is heavier and takes up more room than the others.

Fleece (mid-layer): 1 full zip fleece. I wore it most days but would like to find one that packs smaller if possible.

Hiking bottoms: 1 quick-dry, water resistant hiking pants (love my women’s Equinox pants by Outdoor Research), 2 hiking leggings. I probably didn’t need the second pair of leggings which were only used on laundry days. Note: I loved the Equinox pants so much I ended up buying two more pair (they were also on sale, 70% off yay!).

Waterproof jacket: see above. I used it as both a rain jacket and to protect from the wind a few times. I didn’t bring a pair of waterproof pants as the forecast was mostly sunny for my trip and I tend to not wear them.

Hiking shoes: a pair of lovely purple Merrell MQM Flex Gore-Tex hiking show (waterproof), which I need to replace soon as then have more than 600km on them now.

Non-hiking stuff

Pajamas: t-shirt and yoga pants that could be wore for other reasons if needed. Might try to see if I can find lighter but still warm pjs for my next walking trip.

Casual top (for flight and evenings): 1 tank top, 1 lightweight shirt. Neither took up much room but really weren’t necessary either. The tank was the only cotton item I brought.

Packable puffer jacket: it was October and I wanted a warmer jacket for evenings. My Merrell puffer (yes, I own a lot of Merrell, lol) packs up really small and is perfect for fall (or even early winter); definitely recommend!

Sandals/extra shoes: Teva flip flops are my go-to. Great to change into after a day of hiking and can double as shower shoes or slippers if necessary. They are also light and don’t take up a lot of room. I didn’t bring any other shoes.

Extras: a light wool scarf, baseball hat, sunglasses, light toque (winter hat), and small pair of gloves. I used everything but the toque and gloves (but they didn’t take up much space and it’s better to have than not). The baseball hat was regularly used and the wool scarf doubled as a blanket when needed. I always bring those five items unless it’s summer when I would leave off the toque and gloves.

Non-clothing essentials

These are from my normal travel packing list, with a few additions for the hike and ruralness of some of the areas.

Breakfast/protein bars: I brought 5 protein bars from home for the hike in case I ever had difficulty find food. I ended up bringing 3 home but it’s always good to have extra food.

Ziplock bags (med & large): I always travel with a couple of extras as they can be used for so many things.

Plastic bags (for garbage): just in case, so I could leave no trace. I dump the trash each night in my hotel garbage and reuse it.

Toiletries: I brought my regular small bag of toiletries (shampoo bar, conditioner, travel brush, soap/body wash, toothpaste & toothbrush, contacts, sunscreen, face cream, deodorant, razor, emery board, tweezers, hair ties, Q-tips, tampons). I didn’t need the shampoo, conditioner, soap or body wash as most of the places I stayed provided basics but I’m used to staying in hostels where I would need them. Glad I brought the tampons because they were unexpectedly necessary.

Compression packing cubes (2): a small one for underwear, socks and extras; and a large one for the rest of my clothes. Worked great to keep my pack organized and be able to re-pack quickly.

Stainless steel water bottle: why use plastic when you can simply refill.

Small first aid kit + blister kit: luckily, I didn’t need it but I always travel with a small travel-sized first aid kit and I added a few extras for blister prevention/care that thankfully, weren’t necessary. However, it’s something I would never leave behind, especially for solo travel or anything outdoorsy.

Disposable rain poncho: this is another item that’s always in my travel kit – a cheap, light, dollar store poncho for just in case. Plus it will cover your pack too if you don’t have a rain cover (which I did but…).

Electronics: my phone & charging cable

Camera: this is something I won’t bring next time as my phone takes great photos so it’s not necessary anymore. Plus it’s extra weight.

Random extras – Advil, lip balm, hand sanitizer, gum for the plane, notebook & pen, pack cover, tissues, disinfectant wipes, small travel towel, reusable shopping bag (packs up small), laundry detergent (took a few TruEarth strips as they can be used for both handwashing and in a machine – works great)

Essentials – wallet, ID, money, printed directions/hotel info (just in case phone dies)

What I would change

Clothing: I brought an extra top and pair of leggings, both of which really weren’t necessary even if I wore them. Plus my one top, which I wore lots, is heavier/bulkier and it would be better to replace it with a lighter/smaller one for trips like this when weight is important. I’d also like to find a pair of pjs that pack smaller/lighter but are still warm.

Other stuff: I would like to pare down my toiletries and “extras” a bit (a continuous exercise), although with the “extras”, some are important even if I don’t use them. I won’t bring a camera next time as I didn’t use it. And I’d like to swap the packable shopping bag for a lightweight, packable crossbody if I can ever find one I like.

Ideally, I’d love to get my pack down to 10-12lbs for walks without luggage transfer but as it was 15lbs this time (fully loaded with food and water), I’m almost there. I’ve come a long way since backpacking across Europe with a 50lb pack in my 20s! Man, my sore back was the best incentive to learn to pack lighter. Although there was a full bottle of whisky in it back then, lol.

Final thoughts

While it wasn’t the trip I originally planned (see previous posts for more on that), it was an absolutely fabulous trip and I’m definitely going back to PEI someday soon to actually hike the Confederation Trail. My packing was good but still has a bit of room for improvement. All the essentials worked well, and I loved the Equinox pants so much, I bought two more in different colours.

Have you hiked/walked the Island Walk or the Confederation Trail? What clothing or other items did you find essential on your walk? What did you bring that you didn’t need or won’t bring next time? Did you not bring something you missed?