Packing to complete the Jordan Trail may seem like a daunting task to begin with, but once broken up into sections is much more manageable. Follow my checklist below to help you pack for your adventure hike and remember it is important to go lightweight, keeping your base weight as low possible. If you struggle to carry your bag with no food, fuel or water then it is too heavy.
I completed the Trail during the end of winter and start of spring, in the months of February and March, so the weather was relatively mild but still cold at night. There were a few days of rain mainly in the North and once in the South became very hot and dry. Throughout the trip, it was always quite chilly in the shade but then too hot out of it and strong winds were very common.
This list contains mostly items I took with me, with a few alterations and improvements. I hope you find it useful.
Packing List
Pack
Osprey Exos 48
The pack is one of the most important items you will be taking with you, however what size should you take? I purchased the Osprey Exos 48 and it was more than enough. This bag is incredibly comfy and lightweight, and is small enough to fit into my tent to use as a pillow. I have only praise for this bag.
Sleeping System
MSR Hubba NX
The Hubba NX is a free standing, ultralight, 3 season solo backpacking tent that is easy to set up and perfect for when the ground is too hard to peg. This gives more freedom to find interesting camping spots and makes set up quickly as I rarely actually peg it down.
Footprint (Optional)
A footprint is a waterproof sheet of material that you can place under your tent to help keep the inner dry and reduce the chance of damage. I would recommend taking a footprint mainly to help prevent rips in your expensive tent. It can also double as quick waterproof.
Sea to Summit Ultralight Mat
Taking a sleeping mat is a must for this trip due to the rough terrain you'll be camping on and the cold nights in the mountains. There are many options out there and you need to decide if you want to take a foam mat or an inflatable one. I took the Sea to Summit Ultralight Mat and was absolutely blown away by it as it was easy to use, didn't leak air and was very comfy. Every-night I would sleep on my side or even front with no discomfort. Highly recommend.
Sea to Summit SP II
The Spark II Sleeping Bag is beautifully soft and comfortable and I absolutely love it. The comfort temperature is 7 degrees with an extreme of 2 degrees so was way too warm at the beginning of the trip but when camping at higher altitudes, was most welcome. Make sure you check the night temperatures for each month and remember it gets colder the higher up you go.
Hydration
Water Filter
Throughout this hike you will come across many springs and small supermarkets where you will be able to fill up, however there are a few sections where water is slightly more scarce. You will also notice many cisterns and wells on route, but this water will need to be filtered and there is always the chance that an animal has fallen in. You can normally tell if they are in use as the lid is often stacked with rocks and twigs to keep it sealed. I never once needed to take from these and did the majority of the trip using springs.
Due to my light bag, I had no worries about rationing how much water I could carry and always just filled up to my capacity of 2.5litres. This was the simplest routine for me as it meant I would never run out and always had spare to give to people. I was surprised at how many people on route who had ran out of water. Learn how much you need and if there is less on a certain day, try and ration yourself. Also, don't go carrying litres and litres and there are usually regular sources and you will only make yourself tired.
I wouldn't bother taking any filters as it's one less thing to pack but instead take a couple packs of chlorine tablets. If you are adamant to take a filter then I would recommend one of these:
Sawyer Micro Squeeze
MSR Hubba NX
The Micro Squeeze is a highly rated, easy to use filter that has a life of 100,000 litres if cared for and regularly backwashed. It works by filling a bag with dirty water then attaching the filter and squeezing the bag to force the water through the filter. It's good because it can be screwed onto the standard type of plastic bottle lid. You should consider taking a couple of extra bags as they can break and they're useful when you want to carry extra water. This also means you can store water and filter later. Watch this video on how it works: YouTube
The MSR Trailshot is an equally well regarded filter and works by placing the tube end into the water and then squeezing the pump to force the water through. I find it a little annoying to use, especially when you're filling many litres however it is very reliable and easy to clean. Watch this video on how it works: YouTube
Katadyn Micropur MF Purification Tablets
These are good to take as backup incase all else fails as they are lightweight, cheap and take up little space. They can also be added as an extra precaution to a questionable water source. It's a good idea to keep in a separate place or bag from the filter incase you were to misplace one you will still have the other.
Navigation
MAPS.ME
The Lycian Way is a way marked path that is pretty good for the majority of the trail, however there are moments where they are hard to find. They are lacking in the two optional regions where you can take the harder mountain path instead of the easier coastal route.
For the rest of the hike I used MAPS.ME which was fantastic and never let me down. For those who have managed to get this far in life without relying on MAPS.ME, it is an offline maps that can be downloaded and shows loads of interesting places such as viewpoints, springs, camping spots and accommodation. Take it all with a pinch of salt and prepare don't expect every spring to flowing and often camping spots are just houses.
Kitchen
To Take or Not to Take?
The big decision to make here is if you want to take any cooking equipment, I didn't other than my knife and is was the best decision I made. My bag was lighter, easier to pack and was another thing I didn't have to worry about. Most days I managed to find a restaurant and the nights I camped, I just had a cold dinner. It also meant I could take more food before my bag became heavy.
I would recommend clipping a mug onto the outside of your bag so your can have a hot drink. If you would like to take kitchen supplies then these items are pretty good:
MSR WhisperLite International Stove
A lightweight, multi-fuel stove that is very easy to use and can be refilled with unleaded fuel which is much better than one time use canisters. The MSR fuel container is solid and doesn't leak. I would also recommend taking the smallest bottle of 11oz or 325ml as fuel is relatively easy to come by in the bigger towns and it tends to last quite a while.
Camping Pot
It doesn't really matter, just make sure it is lightweight, has a handle and can fit on the stove. It's a good idea to clip on the outside of the bag as it can get a little fire stained and takes up a lot of space. You will only need one.
Opinal No.8
A knife is always useful to have from the kitchen to the medical kit. Ditch those Swiss army knives that are really heavy and you never use and instead take the Opinal No.8.
Cutlery
I'm a big fan of chopsticks so I thought I would feature these. Whenever I do cooking whilst camping, I tend to eat noodles so these are perfect and they are lightweight, good for cooking with, easy to clean and come in a nice case to keep safe.
First Aid
Clothing
Walking Shoes
Picking the right shoes is very important because if they fit badly then your trip could become a nightmare. I prefer thin, lightweight running shoes that allow me to feel the ground however other people like walking boots offering ankle support or walking sandals offering more breathability. Whatever you wear then make sure they are broken in and you're used to wearing them. I would not recommend changing your style for a trip but stick to what you like. Smaller hikes are your opportunity to experiment with different footwear.
Merrell Trail Glove 5
I love these lightweight running shoes, as they keep me quick and agile and their Vibram grip is amazing but did wear thin by the end of the trip. They are also incredibly breathable and the material is soft which allowed me to not wear socks. Shoes like this offer no ankle support so be weary of rolling your ankle.
Merino Wool Socks X3
These socks are fantastic and I would highly recommend them as they are strong, durable and reasonably breathable. You will only need two pairs as you can wear one and then wash the other however I like to take three.
Shorts
I wore Adidas football shorts for the entire trip and they were perfect and offer fantastic manoeuvrability and don't require a belt. There are a lot of scratchy bushes that hug the trail and so you may wish to take trousers as well.
Microfibre Towel
You won't need a towel in any of the hotels however it's good to take a small one for washing when camping as well as drying your tent. I would advise taking a small as one as possible. Consider cutting your towel down to size if too big.
Wash Bag
This is personal preference but all you need is toothpaste & brush, wet wipes, sun cream, hand sinister and nail-clippers. You'll probably want more but just try and keep the quantities down and don't take a heavy wash bag. Keep it small and consider using a pencil case to store it all.
Toiletries
USB Rechargeable Black Diamond Headtorch
Very light, simple headlamp that can be recharged by USB and my favourite aspect is that it only has one button and one setting, just on or off.
Anker PowerCore II
Sleek and compact rechargeable pack that I could use to charge all my electrical items. It would generally get between 4-5 phone charges as a standard.
Camera & Spare Battery
Many people don't take a camera but I really wanted to try and get some cracking shots, however, I ended up using it nowhere near as much as I originally intended.
Electronics