Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List: Hut to Hut Guide

You want a Tour du Mont Blanc packing list that’s decisive, light, and zero fluff. This TMB packing list assumes you’re carrying your own gear and sleeping in mountain huts. 

You’ll get exact items, counts, and weights so your Tour du Mont Blanc gear list is dialed, you’re comfy, and you’re not hauling a portable wardrobe. It’s perfect if you’re not sure what to bring on the Tour du Mont Blanc.

• Book a Self-Guided TMB With Us
• Luggage Transfer on the TMB – if you want to hike light.

Note: While this is designed for the Tour du Mont Blanc, it’s relevant for any hut-to-hut hiking tour in Europe, including the Haute Route, Gran Paradiso, Alta Via 1 and more. 

• Pack target: Base weight (everything minus food/water) 5.5–7.5 kg (12–16.5 lb) for hut-to-hut.
• Morning total with 2 L of water + snacks: ≤8–9.5 kg (18–21 lb).
• Backpack size: try to keep it to 45 L if you’re carrying everything.

Golden rule: Cotton = no. Quick-dry only. Merino wool is your friend for everything – yes, even socks and underwear.

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Quick TMB Packing List (carry your own gear, huts)

Upper body

• 2 merino or synthetic short-sleeve tees – 120–160 g (4–6 oz) each → 240–320 g total (8–11 oz)
  
• 1 merino long-sleeve for cool mornings, even in July/August – 150–200 g (5–7 oz)
  
• 1 lightweight fleece – 250–350 g (9–12 oz)
  
• 1 hooded rain shell – 250–350 g (9–12 oz)
  

Lower body

• 1 pair zip-off convertible hiking pants – 350–450 g (12–16 oz)
  
• Running tights (for wearing once you arrive at the huts) – 120–200 g (4–7 oz)
  
• Light rain pants – 150–200 g (5–7 oz)
  

Footwear

• Hiking boots or trail runners you already hike in and have fully broken in
  
• I personally recommend hiking boots for better ankle support on mixed terrain
  
• 3 pairs merino wool hiking socks – 50–70 g (1.8–2.5 oz) per pair → 150–210 g total (5–7 oz)
  
• Hut shoes or Crocs – 250–350 g (9–12 oz)
  
• Hiking poles, optional, but highly recommend them since they take pressure off your joints
  

Warmth

• Light puffy or fleece vest – 250–350 g (9–12 oz)
  
• Beanie – 30–60 g (1–2 oz), light gloves – 40–80 g (1–3 oz) in shoulder months
  

Hut kit

• Sleeping bag liner – required in huts – 100–200 g (3–7 oz)
  
• Quick-dry towel – 50–120 g (2–4 oz)
  
• Earplugs + eye mask – 20–40 g (0.7–1.4 oz)
  
• Headlamp – 50–80 g (2–3 oz)
  
• PJs – 200–300 g (7–10 oz)
  
• Tights or comfy bottoms for hut wear – 150–200 g (5–7 oz)
  

Water & food

• Carry at least 2 L (68 fl oz) at all times
  
• Snack stash – 200–400 g (7–14 oz)
  
• You can order a packed lunch from your mountain hut the day before, but bring extra snacks

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Base Weight by Category

Use this handy chart to see where extra grams are sneaking into your TMB packing list. Example totals aim at a ~6.5 kg (14.3 lb) base.

Morning total = base + 2,000 g (4.4 lb) of water + 300–500 g (0.7–1.1 lb) snacks = ≤8–9.5 kg (18–21 lb).

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Footwear on the TMB – Boots vs Trail Runners

Hiking boots – better ankle support, confidence on wet rock and long descents. My personal recommendation for most hikers carrying their own kit on the Tour du Mont Blanc.
Trail runners – lighter, faster drying, great if you already train in them and your ankles are strong.
Whatever you choose, wear what you already hike in and make sure it’s fully broken in. Bring a blister kit.

Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List – Clothing by Layer

Base layers

• 2 tees (merino or synthetic)
  
• 1 merino long-sleeve even in July/August for cooler days
  
• Cotton = no
  

Mid layer

• 1 fleece 250–350 g (9–12 oz)
  

Shells

• Rain jacket 250–350 g (9–12 oz)
  
• Rain pants 150–200 g (5–7 oz)
  

Insulation

• Light puffy or fleece vest 250–350 g (9–12 oz)
  
• In June/September add: beanie + glove liners
  

Socks & underwear

• 3 hiking socks total
  
• 2–3 underwear (Merino wool or quick-dry)

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Hut Essentials – What’s Provided vs What You Bring

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Water, Sun, Weather – The Unsexy Stuff on the TMB That Saves Days

• Carry at least 2 L (68 fl oz) daily; refill at huts/towns en route.
• No treatment tabs needed on standard TMB stages with regular refills.
• Sun: hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
• Storms roll in fast – always pack your shell layers even in July.

Navigation on the TMB

• Phone with offline maps kept in airplane mode to save battery.
• Paper map backup + small compass.
• If you book your TMB tour with Monkeys and Mountains, we provide the GPS route and variants in an easy app:

Safety & First-Aid

• Blister kit, small first-aid 
• Emergency blanket 
• Whistle

Toiletries & Laundry

• Travel-size quick-dry towel
• Toothbrush travel toothpaste
• Sunscreen travel size 
• Lip balm 
• Tiny moisturizer 
• Small laundry soap for sink-wash

Electronics

• Power bank 10k–20k mAh  
• EU plug adapter (USB-A/USB-C) 
• Short cables

Admin

ID/passport, travel insurance, cash card, booking confirmations.

What NOT To Bring

Second pair of hiking shoes, denim, bulky towels, full-size toiletries, “just in case” outfits, heavy camera kit you won’t use daily.
If you packed a hairdryer, I am lovingly staging an intervention.

Optional Luxuries Under 200 g (7 oz)

Pick one or two: mini massage ball, Kindle or a slim book, UNO or a deck of playing cards. Hut evenings are better with a laugh.

Luggage Transfer on the TMB (If You Don’t Want To Carry It All)

Prefer hiking with a daypack? Use TMB luggage transfer.
Soft-sided bag only, typically ≤15 kg (33 lb).
Keep passport, meds, electronics and a warm layer with you.

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Doing Our 6-Day Luxury TMB (No Huts)? What You Can Omit

If you’re on our 6-day Luxury TMB (private rooms and private bathrooms, no dorms):

• Omit the sleeping bag liner, hut slippers, travel-sized towel.
•  Add one smart-casual top for dinners; keep the rest of this Tour du Mont Blanc gear list the same.

6-Day Luxury TMB Itinerary

TMB Packing List FAQs

Why Trust This Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List

I run Monkeys and Mountains Hiking Tours and have dialed in this list over years of guiding and planning TMBs through heat waves, surprise snow, and the classic “my pack is heavy and my snack is gone” finale. My job is to make your pack lighter, your days happier, and your photos smug. See you on the trail.

Final Pep Talk

If an item doesn’t earn its grams, it stays home. If you’re debating a third mid-layer, the answer is “no.” And if you remember only one thing: Cotton = no. Have an epic trek. Your future knees salute you. This Tour du Mont Blanc packing list keeps your TMB packing list lean, your Tour du Mont Blanc gear list smart, and your adventure glorious.