It's absolutely vital to make sure you take the right equipment on a long walk like Land's End to John o'Groats; if you get it wrong, it could mean the end of your trip. I got it wrong when I set off from Land's End with 17kg on my back, and although I managed to walk the distance convincingly for a couple of weeks, my body finally gave up and I injured a tendon in my right foot. The solution? I had to dump as much gear as I could, so I boxed up all my camping gear and chucked out anything that wasn't completely essential, and managed to bring the pack down to a much more respectable 8.5kg.
If you ignore the last section (What I Sent Home) then this page lists everything I carried after dumping my camping gear; I found it perfectly adequate for staying in B&Bs and hostels and eating in pubs. An 8.5kg pack is a decent weight, and although it would have been nicer to have more clothes (one smart set and one walking set is fairly minimal) it suited me fine.
If you're camping then you'll need to carry a lot more, and if you can't survive without things like deodorant, don't forget to pack them too. You can always shed them as you walk, and it's easy enough to pick things up in towns and villages on the way.
Miscellaneous
- Backpack (see this FAQ for more on backpacks)
- Daypack
- Waterproof backpack cover
- Sewing kit
- Safety pins
- Compass
- Small Swiss army knife
- Lighter
- Watch/clock (preferably with an alarm for those early starts)
- Whistle
- Emergency thermal bag
- Water bottle
- Water bottle belt attachment
- 4 x plastic 500ml bottles (old Coke bottles are good)
- Dried food (for emergencies)
Electrical
- Batteries (for torch and Palm)
- Small torch
- Digital camera, charger, SD cards
- Weatherproof camera case
- Mini camera tripod
- Palm computer, fold-out keyboard, SDs, Bluetooth card
- Mobile phone, charger
Documents
- Waterproof zip-lock wallets
- Plastic bags
- Durable wallet
- Credit/debit cards
- Chequebook
- National Savings account book
- Cash
- YHA membership card
- Photographs of loved ones
- Elastic bands
- Pen
- Paper
- The Land's End to John o'Groats Walk by Andrew McCloy (available from Amazon) or Andy Robinson's The End-to-End Trail (also available from Amazon) - please note that these are affiliate links, from which I may earn a commission
- Ordnance Survey maps
- Map case
- Highlighter pen (if you want to draw your route on your maps)
Clothing
- 1 Gore-Tex jacket
- 1 pair waterproof over-trousers
- 1 pair Gore-Tex gaiters
- 1 pair tracksuit bottoms
- 1 fleece
- 1 woolly hat
- 1 pair gloves
- 1 pair normal socks
- 1 T-shirt
- 1 pair shorts
- 2 pairs hiking socks
- 2 pairs under-socks
- 1 pair normal trousers (non-iron)
- 1 lightweight shirt (non-iron)
- 2 handkerchiefs
- 2 pairs underpants
- Spare shoelaces
- Hiking boots (see this FAQ for more on boots)
- 1 pair sunglasses
- Strap for hanging your sunglasses round your neck to help prevent loss
- 1 Australian bush hat (wide brimmed to keep the sun at bay)
- 1 small towel (travel towels are awful – get a real towel, as they're cheaper and far more pleasant)
Medical and Toiletries
- Sponge bag
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Earplugs
- Comb
- Small scissors
- Paracetamol
- Plasters (Band-Aids)
- Compeed blister plasters
- Micropore tape
- Elastoplast stretchable fabric tape
- Antiseptic cream
- Knee supports
- Shampoo
- Soap
- Soap dish
- Plastic mirror
- Lip balm
- Chlorine tablets (for purifying dodgy water)
- Taste removal tablets (to make it drinkable)
- Any special medicines you might need
What I Sent Home
When I had to shed weight from my pack, I ditched the following and cut out any luxuries (so I carried less emergency food and only as much water as I needed). I would suggest that when it comes to carrying a pack this sort of distance, less is more... but it's your walk and your back that has to carry everything, so take what you want. You can always post it home later.
- Sleeping bag
- Stuff pillow
- Eye shades
- Sleeping mat
- Sleeping mat repair kit
- Tent
- Knife, fork, spoon
- Clothes line (just a bit of plastic line)
- Stove and fuel
- Cooking pots
- Toilet paper
- A second set of clothes
- 1 pair sandals
- First aid book
- Deodorant (I survived without, but I don't smell much)
- Thermometer
- Anti-fungal cream (those hostel showers are a haven for athlete's foot)
- Muscle sprain cream
- Sunscreen (instead of burning, I made sure I covered up)
- Insect repellent (you don't need to buy this until you get up north and into midge territory; Avon Skin-so-Soft is the best midge repellent)
- Small pair of binoculars
And last, but not least, don't forget to pack your smile. It makes walking so much easier...