
Planning Resources
Please feel free to download and use any of the planning resources below. It is ultimately your responsibility to ensure you are prepared for your adventures, but we hope that these resources will save you some time and effort in organizing your planning process. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us.

Backpacking Gear Checklist
PDF File
This is the backpacking gear checklist Mark and Katie use for 3+ Season trips (most summer, spring, and fall conditions and locations). For winter trips, or for more extreme conditions, they change the items on this list. This list is considered “Light” but not “Ultralight”.

First Aid Kit Checklist
PDF File
Use this checklist to make sure you have everything you need in your backpacking first aid kit. NEVER go backpacking without a first aid kit and make sure you know how to use the items inside. See our Emergencies in the Backcountry section on the "Learn" page for more information.

REI Backpacking Checklist
PDF File
This is a comprehensive backpacking checklist from REI, which is one of Katie and Mark's top choices for outdoor equipment and information. Their backpacking checklist is "your tried-and-true guide to packing smart. The list is intentionally comprehensive so you don’t forget anything important."

Wilderness Medicine
Amazon Book
Katie and Mark have the privilege of calling Dr. William Forgey, MD a personal friend. He has been called the Father of Wilderness Medicine, and rightfully so. With more backcountry experience than anyone we have ever met, Dr. Forgey (or “Doc” to his friends) is the authority on wilderness medicine. His book, Wilderness Medicine: Beyond First Aid, now in it’s 6th edition, is an invaluable resource for the backcountry traveller.Katie and Mark have the priv