Hiking in the Alps of Italy - Tour du Mont Blanc Essentials

Hints and tips on what to take with you during the TMB hiking tour.

The first advice to everyone going on the Tour du Mont Blanc, is not to overfill your backpack, even if there’s still space left.

Since the TMB is quite long and with relevant altitude gains, the lighter the backpack, the lesser the struggle: carry just the bare essentials, unless you’re planning to do the trek with a day-to-day luggage transportation service.

Clothing for the Mont Blanc trekking tour:

There’s no need to dress up fancy while trekking high in the Alps of Italy, and we guarantee that you will most certainly be too tired to be part of the Courmayeur or Chamonix night life!
So, here are the bare essentials:

• A pair of trekking shoes you feel comfortable with
• A pair of trousers of the kind that can transform in a comfy pair of short thanks to the zips
• A pair of water-resistant trousers-cover, really handy in case of bad weather
• 3 synthetic garment tech-shirts, which you can rinse at the end of the day, as they dry up really fast
• 2 pile shirts, one heavy and the other light
• A k-way for the rainy days
• A warm woolen hat
• A pair of gloves
• Sunglasses
• 3 pairs of boxers/slips and socks (you can wash them at the end of the day)
• T-shirt and sweatpants as a pajama for the overnight stays in the mountain huts / tent
• A pair of flip-flops, comfortable after a day of hiking

Equipment for the Mont Blanc trek:

Here’s a list of recommended equipment for the Mont Blanc hiking tour:

• Trekking poles, useful to lessen the weight on your knees
• A couple of water bottles to have 1.5-2l of water with you
• A first aid kit with some basic meds
• An emergency kit ( safety pins, duct tape, spare laces…)
• A water-resistant backpack cover
• A towel
• A small bag for the daily care (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, comb…)

If you’re planning to sleep in a mountain hut, you will only need a sleeping bag liner, otherwise, if you want to camp, a decent tent, an inflatable mattress and a “comfort” type (5°) sleeping bag are recommended. A torch is a must in both the situations.

Food during the Mont Blanc trekking tour:

Mountain huts often offer half-board accommodation as the only choice, so dinner and breakfast won’t a problem, and you will enjoy the delicious local food! For lunch, you can purchase tasty paninis in the towns of the lower valley or directly from the mountain huts.

If you prefer to dine on your own, you can carry a small camping stove with its gas tank and buy the food from the local stores in the various towns and hamlets you wll cross during the hiking tour of Mont Blanc. However, carrying the necessary food will add a considerable amount of weight on your shoulders!

Other things to pack for the Tour du Mont Blanc:

A tour guide, a map, a camera to get some nice shots, an ID card, a credit card and some cash (as in the mountain huts it’s often the only way to pay) complete your backpack for this trekking experience.

Anyway, keep in mind that during the Tour du Mont Blanc you will never get too far from hamlets and town, and you will be able to buy or rent most of the items listed above in case you forgot something!