The Ultimate Gear List for Backpacking Colorado’s Four Pass Loop

When making a gear list for backpacking Colorado’s Four Pass Loop, including everything you need while minimizing pack weight is an art! If you’re climbing the four mountain passes with extra weight on your back, there will be regrets. We had a lot of time to contemplate our packing decisions while hiking the ~28 mile trail through the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. We quickly learned what could be left at home and what was essential.

The Four Pass Loop packing list below is a checklist of gear we suggest bringing along. The list doesn’t include exactly everything we brought along with us, but that’s because we learned what was important and what wasn’t from our experience on the trail. If we did it all over again, this would be our ideal gear list for backpacking Colorado’s Four Pass Loop.  

Gear List for Backpacking Colorado’s Four Pass Loop

Backpacking Gear

• Backpack with Rain Cover: Jordan and I both have Osprey packs and love them. I have the Women’s Osprey Aura AG 65 (Amazon | REI), he has the Men’s Osprey Aether AG 70 (Amazon | REI). After trying on many different backpacks from different brands, we found that these packs were the most comfortable with a full load. The Osprey Aether AG 70 backpack also happens to be a multi-year winner of the Outside Magazine’s Gear of the Year Award!
• Backpacking Tent: A lightweight, 3-season tent is ideal for backpacking. We brought our old trusty Kelty Salida 2 with us on the Four Pass Loop. The Salida 2 has withstood a beating over the years, but a lighter tent would be more ideal for backpacking. For premium features, we recommend the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 Tent (Amazon | REI). The Copper Spur is lightweight, has two vestibules, feels very spacious, and is long enough for a tall person like Jordan to lay down flat in (he’s 6’2”). If you’re looking for a more affordable option, the REI Co-Op Half Dome SL 2+ Tent is a great value.
• Sleeping Bag: A good backpacking sleeping bag is lightweight, warm, and compressible. Our sleeping bags have been discontinued, but we recommend something like the Big Agnes Sidewinder Sleeping Bag, which is available in both men’s (Amazon | REI) and women’s (Amazon | REI) versions and in different lengths! Having length options is ideal for finding a sleeping bag that is long enough without being excessively long (and therefore not excessively heavy). The Sidewinder sleeping bag is insulated with Responsible Down Standard and its unique design provides some wiggle room and comfort for side sleepers.
• Sleeping Pad: Sleeping pads can make or break a backpacking trip, making the difference between a few cold, sleepless hours, or a well-deserved full night’s rest. Our sleeping pad models are discontinued, but for a sleeping pad with a good warmth-to-weight ratio, we recommend the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT (Amazon | REI).

Hiking Clothing 

• Rain Jacket: Pack a rain jacket in case of rain (or snow!) during your hike. A rain jacket can also be used for extra warmth over top of an insulated jacket on chilly nights and mornings. Jordan wore his REI Co-op XeroDry GTX Jacket (Women’s | Men’s). My rain jacket has been discontinued, but when I need to replace it, I have my eye on the Women’s Outdoor Research Aspire Jacket (Amazon | REI). The men’s version is the Outdoor Research Foray Jacket (Amazon | REI). When shopping for a rain jacket, look for waterproofing, packability, weight, and pit zippers!
• Insulated Jacket: The insulated jackets that Jordan and I own are too heavy to recommend for backpacking. For future trips, we have our eye on the Arc’teryx Atom Hoody Jacket, which is available in both men’s (Amazon | REI) and women’s (Amazon | REI) versions. This midlayer jacket has an good balance of warmth, shoulder mobility, and breathability. ***Update! We both have Atom jackets now and can’t go anywhere without them. The fit is fantastic.
• Long Sleeve Quick-Dry Shirt (UPF Recommended): The sun is intense in the mountains, and it can be a pain to reapply sunscreen while backpacking. I was VERY glad to have a lightweight, quick-dry UPF long sleeve shirt with thumb holes and a collar to help cover most of my body so I only had to focus on putting sunscreen on my face and fingers. (I missed my fingers the first day and they got roasted – the alpine sun is no joke!) The shirt that I wore on the Four Pass Loop has been discontinued, but the Patagonia Tropic Comfort Natural UPF Hoody (Women’s | Men’s) is a good alternative. This top delivers 40+ UPF sun protection and has thumbholes.
• Moisture-wicking Undergarments
• Hiking Pants/Leggings: I usually prefer hiking in leggings rather than pants because I love the stretchiness and comfort. For hiking leggings, I recommend CRZ YOGA Leggings. They are very stretchy, breathable, and fairly inexpensive. If you prefer hiking pants, go with the Women’s Prana Halle Hiking Pants (Amazon | REI). Prana’s hiking pants are incredible and are available for men and women. Jordan lives by his Prana hiking pants. He goes for the Men’s Prana Zion Hiking Pants (Amazon | REI) when he wants a roomier fit with more pockets and the Men’s Prana Brion Hiking Pants (Amazon | REI) when he’s going for a more fitted, lighter feel. In general, we recommend pants/full length leggings over shorts for coverage from the sun and for protection from the brush that hugs the trail in some areas.  
• Hiking Boots: For day hikes, I prefer trail running shoes over hiking boots, but for this multi-day backpacking trip with significant elevation changes, it was great to have the sturdiness and ankle support of a hiking boot. Waterproof boots are best in order to be prepared for variable weather conditions and water crossings.  I love my Salomon X Ultra Hiking Boots (Women’s | Men’s), and Jordan has been wearing the Merrell Moab Hiking Boots (Women’s | Men’s) for years.
• Hiking Socks: Good socks are important for preventing blisters. Smartwool Hike Light Socks (Women’s | Men’s) are our favorite hiking socks. 
• Optional – Rain Pants: Check the weather forecast for your hike. If consistent rain is in the forecast, rain pants will be crucial to keeping you dry and warm. For light precipitation, rain pants are probably not necessary, especially if your hiking pants have a DWR coating like the Prana pants we recommended above!

Camp Clothing

• Sleep Shirt and Bottoms: We like to dedicate a moisture-wicking top and bottom for sleeping during our camping trips. Smartwool Merino 250 Base Layer Tops (Women’s | Men’s) and Smartwool Merino 250 Base Layer Bottoms (Women’s | Men’s) are a top pick for warmth, breathability, and resisting odors. For those like me who find wool to be itchy, the Patagonia Capilene Midweight Crew Shirt (Women’s | Men’s) and Patagonia Capilene Midweight Base Layer Bottoms (Women’s | Men’s) are good non-wool options.
• Camp Shoes/Water Shoes: Bring along one pair of shoes in addition to your hiking boots to serve as both camp shoes and water shoes for crossing steams along the Four Pass Loop. I love my Teva Hurricane Drift Sandals (Women’s | Men’s) as camp/water shoes, and Crocs are surprisingly great too. Both of these styles are great dual-purpose shoes for backpacking because they are lightweight and made of non-absorbent materials. Non-absorbent materials for these shoes are important because it means the shoes will not retain water and thus be heavier to carry, or still be wet when worn later on at camp. Nobody likes soggy feet.
• Sleeping Socks: Since socks can get damp and smelly while hiking, we like to reserve a pair of socks to wear just at night. I usually use a clean pair of hiking socks as sleep socks while backpacking, but hiking socks sometimes feel restrictive so I’ll occasionally live a life of luxury and pack a pair of comfortable Acorn Fleece Socks (available in both men’s and women’s) for sleeping.
• Warm Beanie: Mornings and nights are cold at high elevations even in the summer. During our Four Pass Loop hike, we experienced a surprise snow squall overnight, and it was the end of August! A beanie is a small weight addition that provides a lot of extra warmth. I wore my beanie every night while sleeping and every morning while hiking.

Camp Kitchen

• Food: Bring plenty of meals and snacks. The Four Pass Loop is a multi-day workout; you’re going to need the calories. We burned over 3500 calories each day! For meals, Mountain House Freeze Dried Meals (Amazon | REI) and Backpacker’s Pantry Freeze Dried Meals (Amazon | REI) are our go-to’s. These dehydrated meals are lightweight, tasty, and convenient. The packaging is designed so that you add boiling water directly to the bag, making clean-up a breeze.  (Trade Secret: We sometimes supplement our backpacking meals with good ole, cheap college-style ramen. After eating the backpacking meal, we just reuse the bag to cook the ramen.)
• Snacks: Be sure to pack plenty of snacks in easily accessible locations in your backpack so you can eat on the go. We’ve been on an RXBAR (Amazon) kick lately for backpacking snacks. RXBARs are protein bars made from natural ingredients. They are filling and actually taste good!
• Bear Canister: Bear canisters are required for backpackers on the Four Pass Loop. We used a Backpacker’s Cache Bear Canister, which is a rigid plastic food container that can also serve as a stool. We met another hiker on the trail that used the Ursack, which is lighter and soft sided, but if a bear finds a Ursack, the food inside will likely be pulverized. Bear storage regulations for the Four Pass Loop can change so check the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Forest Service webpage to make sure your bear storage is acceptable.  
• Cookware: We’ve used the GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Camper Cooking Set (Amazon | REI) for all of our camp cooking for many years. For backpacking, we only bring the pot, pot lid, and one cup from the set in order to minimize weight.  If you plan to only use freeze-dried meals and add water directly to the meal pouch, a Jetboil Flash Stove (Amazon | REI) is a more lightweight and quick option for boiling water than a cook set.
• Stove: The MSR PocketRocket Ultralight Backpacking Stove (Amazon | REI) has served us well for many years. (This is only applicable if you’re bringing cookware. If you have a Jetboil, it includes a stove and cooking cup.)
• Fuel: A 3-season Isobutane or Isobutane/Propane blend will work for most hikes, but if you are going for a winter trip, make sure to get an all-season blend fuel (Amazon | REI).
• Lighter/Matches: Even if the stove has an igniter, we like to bring a lighter or matches as a backup in case the igniter fails.
• Utensils: We use the TOAKS Titanium Long Handle Spoon (Amazon | REI) for our backpacking trips. This spoon is light-weight and long enough to scrape every last bit of nosh out of the bottom of a Mountain House meal bag.

Health and Safety Items

• Printed Out Map: You will likely not have cell service along the Four Pass Loop so don’t count on being able to search for information while on the trail. Be sure to print out and pack your itinerary and a map with campsite locations on it (or you can save photos of these on your phone). We ended up sharing our map with many backpackers on the trail who had not downloaded or printed one.
• Printed Out Backpacking Permit: Permits are required for overnight stays.
• Headlamp: We’re fans of the Petzl Tikka Headlamp (Amazon | REI). We like headlamps that have the red light option for stargazing!
• Trowel and Toilet Paper: TheTentLab The Deuce Backcountry Trowel (Amazon | REI) is a handy lightweight shovel for doing your business in the woods. Be sure to bring a baggie for packing out your used toilet paper as well. 
• Toiletries: Glasses/contact lenses, hand sanitizer for putting contact lenses in, medications, etc.
• First Aid 
• Knife
• Hydration Bladder: Hydration bladders make it easy to drink water on the go. I find that I don’t drink as much as I should when using a bottle so I prefer hydration bladders. We really like Osprey Hydration Bladders (Amazon | REI) since they’re easy to open and close, easy to clean, and have a quick disconnect for the hose so you can remove the bladder for refilling and still keep the hose attached to your pack.
• Water Filter: We recommend the Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System (Amazon | REI). It’s inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to use.
• Sunscreen and Lip Balm with SPF: Do not forget this! The sun is intense in the mountains, and you’ll be exposed with little to no shade for several hours while hiking between campsites. Be sure to pack a small bottle of sunscreen rather than a full-size bottle so you only have to carry the amount you need. For lip balm, we’re fans of Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 since it is completely sealed and won’t melt all over your gear.
• Lightweight, Breathable Hat: A hat serves many purposes on the trail – it helps provide extra sun protection, shades the eyes from the sun, and hides greasy backpacker hair! I like to wear a running hat on the trail since they’re very lightweight, washable, and packable.
• Bug Spray: We carried a small bottle of Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent (Amazon | REI) on our hike, but luckily we didn’t need to use it. We had treated our packs, clothes, and tent with Sawyer Permethrin spray (Amazon | REI) prior to the trip to help keep the mosquitoes and ticks away.

Luxury Items to Consider Packing

• DSLR/Mirrorless Camera: The Four Pass Loop is a bucket list worthy hike with stunning scenery and you’ll treasure your photos of the hike for a lifetime. Cell phone cameras are compact, lightweight, and convenient for backpacking, though if you have a DSLR or mirrorless camera and you can handle carrying the extra weight, you may want to consider bringing it for the Four Pass Loop.
• Power Bank for Electronics: To put it bluntly, it would suck to have your camera run out of juice on this bucket list trek. If you know your camera/cell phone will last the entirety of the hike, then you don’t need an extra power source. Put your phone in airplane mode to help save battery; we didn’t have any cell service along the trail anyways. 
• Trekking Poles: Trekking poles help with stability, especially when hiking on rocky portions of trail. They also help reduce the impact on knees while hiking downhill, and the downhills on the Four Pass Loop can be steep! Jordan and I both used Alpine Summit Trekking Poles which are a great bang for your buck. Cascade Mountain Tech Trekking Poles are also well known for being a great value, however, I found that the padding on the Cascade Mountain Tech wrist straps prevented me from tightening the straps enough to fit snuggly around my small hands.
• Bandanna or Buff (Amazon | REI)
• Pillow: For backpacking, I use rolled up clothes as a pillow. Jordan loves his Nemo Fillo Elite (Amazon | REI). If a pillow will help you get a better night’s sleep, the extra weight may be worth it to you. 
• Sleeping Bag Liner: Sleeping bag liners (Amazon | REI) help enhance the warmth of your sleeping bag and keep it clean. Washing a sleeping bag can cause extra wear and tear so we typically use liners and wash those instead. If you are a warm enough sleeper without the liner, it may not be worth the extra weight.
• Sunglasses: Jordan wore sunglasses, but I ended up carrying mine without ever using them since I had a hat. If you know you’ll wear them, bring them. 
• Gloves: Nights and mornings are cold on the Four Pass Loop. If you’re using trekking poles, your hands will be exposed so gloves may be worth the weight. North Face Etip gloves (Women’s | Men’s) are great for being able to keep your gloves on while taking pics on a cell phone camera.  
• Wipes: If you’d like to freshen up during your hike, bring along Sea to Summit Wilderness wipes (Amazon | REI). Remember to bring a baggie to pack out your used wipes.

For more information to help you plan your backpacking trip, check out our Four Pass Loop 4 day itinerary. For more Colorado hiking inspiration, visit our Colorado Travel Guide.

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and this means that we may earn a small commission on any purchase made at no extra cost to you. You can learn more about our affiliate policy here. As always, all ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely our own. Thank you for your support!