Planner
Loadout Planner
Tell us the trip and the dates. Get a complete, category-by-category gear list with every line marked critical, recommended, or nice to have.
1. Describe the trip
Rain likely
Shell layers become critical
Bug pressure
Nets and repellent
Natural water on route
Filter vs. hauled water
No cell service
Satellite messenger required
2. Your loadout
Backpacking · 4 days / 3 nights · Summer · Cool nights · 65 items · 0 packed
How we rank each item
- Critical
- Shelter, insulation, water, navigation, light and fire. Missing one of these turns a hard day into a rescue. Never cut a critical line to save weight.
- Recommended
- Keeps the trip efficient and the margin wide — repair kits, spare layers, backup treatment. Pack these unless weight genuinely forces a cut.
- Nice to have
- Comfort and convenience. Cut here first when the pack is heavy.
Loadout Planner FAQ
How does the Loadout Planner build my gear list?
You choose a trip type (backpacking, canoeing, hunting, winter camping and more), your start and end dates, expected overnight temperatures, and field conditions like rain, bugs, water availability and cell coverage. The planner then generates a category-by-category kit — packs, shelter, sleep system, pants, tops, footwear, kitchen, navigation, safety, tools and hygiene — sized to the length of your trip and your party.
What do critical, recommended, and nice to have mean?
Critical items are the ones whose absence turns a hard day into an emergency: shelter, insulation, water treatment, navigation, and light. Recommended items keep the trip efficient and comfortable and should be packed unless weight forces a cut. Nice to have items are pure comfort or convenience — cut these first.
Does the list change with the dates I enter?
Yes. Trip length drives quantities — sock count, fuel canisters, days of food, and battery capacity all scale with nights out. The start date sets the season shown on your plan, and the temperature band you pick drives sleeping bag rating, pad R-value, and whether insulated pants, mittens and vapor barriers appear.
Can I print or export the loadout?
Every generated plan can be printed as a checklist, copied to the clipboard, or downloaded as a plain-text packing list you can share with the rest of your group.