Packing lists are personal and endless. This is the short version: the things that matter when something goes wrong, rather than the things that make the day nicer.
On you, not in the boot of the car
- Water and more food than you plan to eat. Waiting for help takes hours, and cold arrives with stillness.
- A warm layer and a windproof one, even in summer. Most people who get into trouble are not injured badly; they are injured and then cold.
- Head torch. Half of all late finishes become night finishes.
- A small first aid kit somebody in the group has actually opened before.
- A foil blanket or a bivvy bag. It weighs nothing and it is the difference between waiting and suffering.
- Your medication, in its box, with the name legible. Enough for a day longer than the trip.
- A power bank and a cable. One phone with charge is worth more than five without.
What the group carries between you
Agree who has what, out loud, before you start:
- The first aid kit and who knows what is in it.
- The route, and one person who has looked at the alternatives if the weather turns.
- The insurance details, where somebody other than the owner can reach them.
On your phone, before you lose signal
- The route downloaded, not just opened. A map that needs a network is a picture of a map.
- Your card filled in: blood type, allergies, conditions, medication, who to call.
- Your insurer's 24-hour number, not the office number.
- Enough battery to still be useful in the evening. Flight mode doubles it, and the emergency number still works.
What not to bother with
Anything you would not open with cold hands. A clever gadget you have never used is weight; a foil blanket you bought for two euros is not.
Parta is not an emergency service and this is not medical advice. Ask a guide or an alpine club for what your kind of trip needs.