Packing for Adventure

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Packing for Phantom Ranch was the most stressful part of the trip. I wanted to make sure we had everything we needed for the descent, the stay at the bottom, and the climb out—without overpacking. Here’s a refined version of what we brought!

Duffel Bag for Mule service down
(must be under 30 lbs, next time I’ll use this foldable duffel bag that I can stuff in my CamelBak to save money on the return trip)

• Frozen Gatorade and extra water bottle for hike back
• Trail Mix set aside for hike back (scroll down for my elevated recipe)
• Honey Stingers for energy on the hike back
• Gatorade Protein Bars for breakfast on the hike back
• Clean hiking clothes
  • Good hiking pants
  • Lightweight long sleeve UV protectant shirt
  • Clean underwear and socks
• Essential Toiletries
  • I only brought deodorant (makes me feel better) and contact solution (it’s DRY in Arizona!)
  • Note: The Canteen has travel sized versions of most essentials
• Portable Fan with lights to use on hike up
  • We didn’t need it on the hike down
• Flip Flops (we didn’t bring them and wished we did) – I love my Womens Croc Flip Flops and have even done some light hiking in them. Chris loves his Mens Skechers Flip Flops

Duffel Bag for Mule service up
(must be under 30 lbs – probably not worth the money)

• Dirty clothes
• Toiletries
• Flip Flops

CamelBak (Going Down)
(I use one like this)

• 3 liters of water
• Trail mix
• Cooling Towel
• Sunscreen
• Wipes

CamelBak (Going Up)
(Chris uses one like this)

• 3 liters of water
• Extra water bottle for wetting clothes (from mule bag)
• Trail mix (from mule bag)
• Cooling Towel
• Sunscreen
• Wipes
• Gatorade (from mule bag)
• Honey Stingers for energy (from mule bag)
• Gatorade Protein Bars for breakfast (from mule bag)
• Snacks from Canteen (from prepaid sack lunch or your own assortment)

Fanny Pack (Both Ways)
This one has gotten me through many trips, it’s perfect! It is big enough with several pockets without being too bulky

• Bandaids/Moleskin
• Chapstick
• Medicine (Ibuprofen/Tylenol/anything else you need)
• Inhaler (if needed)
• Lotion (it’s DRY)
• Emergency blanket (probably not necessary for the Grand Canyon, but it’s very small and lightweight and it just lives in my fanny pack)
• Tissues
• Hand sanitizer
• Phone
• Headphones (if you want to listen to an audiobook or music)
  • Chris uses these because they block out noise
  • I use these because I CAN hear my surroundings and can stay safe on the trails
• Car keys
• Wallet/Money/Cash/ID
• Goldbond (we didn’t use and wished we did)

Worn on the Trail

• Good hiking pants – Chris wore something like this and I wore something like this
• Lightweight long sleeve UV protectant shirt – Chris wore something like this and I wore something like this
• Cooling Hat – these covered our necks and kept us cool
• Cooling Towels – these worked much better than I thought they would
• Trekking Poles – don’t hike the Grand Canyon without these!
• Good shoes – I wear these hiking boots, the ankle height helps with my stability, and Chris wears these – whatever hiking shoes you wear, make sure they are worn in!
• Good socks – I actually also put sweat bands around my ankles since I wear ankle height boots
• Sunglasses – I bought these specifically for this trip They have polarized lenses and high UV protection
• Kinesiology Tape for targeted muscle support
• Goldbond
• CamelBak
• Fanny Pack
• Portable Fan with lights – this was a total game changer

Waiting in the Car

• Clean clothes for remainder of trip
• Toiletries not taken down to Phantom Ranch
• Hair needs (brush/pick/comb/ponytails)

Elevated Trail Mix

I have never loved trail mix, but I appreciate its value when hiking. I hate raisins, and I don’t love plain pretzels either. So I made my own version that I actually crave, even when I’m not on a trail. It’s nothing too crazy special, and it’s pretty simple, but it tastes great!

• Peanut M&Ms – no way I’m using plain
• Snyders of Hanover Cheddar Pretzel Pieces – don’t skip this! They’re so good and a major upgrade from normal pretzels!
• Cashews – full of fat and satisfaction – make sure they are salted for an electrolyte boost
• Craisins – much better than raisins and provide the tart flavor trail mix needs
• Sunflower kernels – adds another layer of salt and protein

Simply mix together using your heart as a guide for amounts and divide into baggies. Delicious!