So you got your permits for the Havasupai hike? Well done, that’s the truly tricky part! Now it’s time to figure out what to pack for Havasupai. All of the items listed below are things I personally brought with me on the Havasupai hike, and if you purchase from any of the affiliate links I thank you greatly because I may make a commission. But as always, I would never tell you what to bring to Havasupai if I hadn’t actually brought it myself thanks to either my own arsenal of gear or my friend’s who I went with. This Havasupai packing list includes lots of different items, and I’m going to sort this Havasupai into the following categories:
Havasupai Packing List
Related: 27 Tips For the Havasupai Hike • What to Know Before You Go
Hiking Clothes & Attire
Depending on what time of year you do the Havasupai hike will determine how much of this Havasupai clothes packing list you actually need to bring. I went in April so it was warm during the day and cold at night, so I needed to be covered for basically all weather variations. If you’re going during summer, you won’t need the cold weather gear, but if you’re going during the cooler months, each of these items listed below worked out great for me.
Footwear
An imperative add to any “what to pack for Havasupai” list is sturdy, comfortable footwear. I brought both a pair of waterproof hiking boots that I wore down into the canyon as well as a pair of hiking sandals that I strapped to my pack and wore for stream crossings and while swimming.
- Hiking boots (1 pair)
- My favorite pair – Timberland Women’s Chocorua Trail Boot
- Men’s recommendation (per my husband) – Salomon Men’s Quest 4 GTX High Rise Hiking Boots
- Hiking sandals (1 pair)
Tops & Jackets
I packed super light in this department because I wore merino wool and it was April so it wasn’t too hot and I just wore the black shirt every day. Because it was merino wool I never really got stinky, but that could have changed had I gone in August for example. But, either way, here are the shirts and jackets I had on my own personal Havasupai packing list, and therefore what I recommend when I answer the “what to pack for Havasupai” question.
- 1 – 2 shirts
- Choose your fabric based on when you’re going
- Merino wool (for cooler weather but is good sun protection and not too hot for the warmer days)
- Long sleeve Unbound Merino (my favorite merino wool brand brand)
- Short sleeve Unbound Merino
- Sun shirts (for hotter months, like May – October) that will be better for sweating
- Merino wool (for cooler weather but is good sun protection and not too hot for the warmer days)
- Choose your fabric based on when you’re going
- 1 middle layer zip up for layering
- Choose based on when you’re going and the projected temperatures
- Lightweight
- Heavier fleece
- Choose based on when you’re going and the projected temperatures
- 1 collapsible puffer jacket
- You may/may not need this for the warmer months – it really just depends on how cold you get at night – but it was definitely useful for me in April
- 1 rain jacket
- Just in case it rains, you’ll be glad you added a rain coat to your Havasupai packing list
Pants or Bottoms
My personal Havasupai packing list consisted of two pairs of hiking pants and one pair of shorts but I would adjust this again based on time of year you’ll be visiting (sub out more shorts instead of pants during summer, for example).
- 2 pairs of leggings &/or hiking pants
- These are my favorite leggings that don’t fall down that I always wear hiking
- Hiking pants
- 1 or 2 pairs of athletic shorts
Other Hiking Clothes or Items
Other random hiking gear you’ll want to bring to Havasupai:
- 2 pairs of trekking socks
- Trekking poles (particularly if you have any knee issues)
- Underwear
- Sunglasses
- Sun hat of sorts
- Pajamas (I wore a tank top and a pair of shorts)
- Rubberized gloves for going up/down the ladder by Mooney Falls
- Swimsuit
- Pocket knife
- Water bottle
- I would also say a filter but the drinking water from the campsite is actually so good and you really don’t need a filter, but if you want to be safe my personal favorite is the LARQ UV Self-Cleaning water bottle
- Quick dry towel
Camping & Backpacking Gear
Camping in Havasupai is such a magical part of the experience! You really do not need to overpack, and you almost certainly will need less than what you think. So pack light, and here are some items that should go on your Havasupai backpacking list:
Where to Sleep
No “what to pack for Havasupai” list is complete without camping equipment. If you’re planning on staying at the Lodge, feel free to skip this, but these items are what we used!
- Tent
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Hammock
- Completely optional but tons of people had hammocks and many even chose to sleep in one over a tent
How to Eat
I actually ate pretty well while backpacking in Havasupai between what we cooked ourselves and trekking up to the frybread stand! But for when you don’t want to hike to get any food, this is how we made our own meals and what I would recommend adding to your Havasupai packing list:
For the record, we were able to pick up fuel left behind by previous campers at the lost and found down at camp so didn’t actually pack any down.
How to Carry it All
Everything on this Havasupai packing list can fit in these bags, can you believe it?!
- Backpacking backpack
- Ideally, you’ll get fitted at a local outdoor/recreation supply store to find the backpack that is perfect for your build, but I can recommend the Osprey Ariel 65 Pack for women and recommend you take a look at the men’s backpacking backpacks section at REI
- Small daypack
- A smaller daypack is perfect for day hikes so you don’t have to carry your huge backpacking bag every day, and here are some of my favorites:
Backpacking Safety Equipment
Every backpacking or hiking trip should have a safety kit, and this is a no brainer add to any Havasupai packing list:
Toiletries
Just because you’re sleeping in the dirt doesn’t mean you have to forego all hygiene; here’s the toiletries I brought with me:
- Face Halo (reusable makeup remover pad)
- Deodorizing body wipes
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Eye drops
Technology
These tech items helped keep my items charged and should definitely be included on any “what to bring to Havasupai” list in my opinion:
- Battery bank
- This one is my favorite because it can charge fully your device(s) multiple times
- Satellite Communicator
- I personally used the Garmin InReach Mini 2 to send texts to my husband each evening
- Collapsible lantern and solar charger
- I love this LuminAid and bring it everywhere with me
- Headlamp
- AllTrails app downloaded on your phone
- Photography equipment (if you’re a photographer)
- This is the camera equipment I brought
- Sony a7IV full-frame mirrorless camera body
- Tamron 28-200mm zoom lens
- Sony FE 12-24mm wide angle lens
- Peak Design carbon fiber tripod
- This is expensive but it’s SUCH good quality and so light so it’s perfect for backpacking
- You can also rent on any of this equipment on BorrowLenses.com if you don’t want to purchase them specifically for your Havasupai hike
- This is the camera equipment I brought
Other
Random other items to add to your Havasupai hike packing list that might make your life easier:
- ID
- Printed proof of reservation
- Carabiners for clipping all the things to your bag
- Collapsible water jug for carrying water at the campsite
- This was the most popular jug I saw everyone using
- Trash bags
- Entertainment
- Book(s)/Kindle
- Deck of cards
So there you go, that’s my complete Havasupai packing list and all the gear I personally used for backpacking in Havasupai! If you have any questions, as always feel free to reach out, and definitely check out my Havasupai playlist on TikTok as well as my Havasupai story highlights on Instagram. Happy hiking!
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