I walked the Coast to Coast over July and August 2013 and had mainly lovely summer days with highs around 25 degrees celsius but also a few very wet days. This list reflects that time of the year.

There is however a baggage service which can pick up and drop off your bag at your destination daily. Howard used Coast to Coast Packhorse and it cost £7 daily, he usually booked the same day for the next’s day pick up. If using this service just make sure to bring a daypack big enough for food, water, wet weather gear, extra socks, fleece etc to carry with you.

Starting from the bottom up…

CLOTHES

• Shoes – Again I wore my Salomon GTX XA Ultra 3D shoes as I’m much more comfortable in shoes than boots and I also use two poles to steady me on rocky paths, but this comes down to personal preference. There are alot of rocky and uneven paths and steep descents where you need to be careful with your ankles.

• Sandals – for shower and evening – I wore TEVA Tirra sandals

• Socks x 3 – combination of lightweight and midweight merino socks depending on the weather

• Gators – These were terrific when sinking in the bogs

• Hiking pants x 1 – Kiwi Pro-Stretch Craghoppers – quick dry, lightweight, stretchy and comfortable

• Shorts x 1, poly material, light, quickdry, zip pockets for money

• Knee brace – For my dodgy knee

• Underpants x 2 – I wore Icebreaker hipkini. Merino is great for breathability and quick dry

• Shirts x 2 – 1 short-sleeve and 1 long-sleeve

• Sports bra

• Icebreaker sleeves – these are one of my favourite items. I wear them with short sleeve t-shirts and it saves me from constantly taking off and putting on a fleece, I can simply roll them down my arm if I get hot. (I wouldn’t take these again as I would use a long-sleeve top to walk in instead, better for sun protection and warmth)

• Buff – to keep your neck warm, but can also be used as a hat, headband etc

• Fleece

• Rain gear – I took waterproof pants and my Macpack Event rain jacket. If I was to do it again in summer I would probably just take a good poncho and use this with gators instead

• Hat – I use a sports cap that fits under my rain jacket hood and helps to keep the rain off my face

• Sunglasses

 BACKPACK & ACCESSORIES

• Backpack – I used a Lowe Airzone Trek ND33-40, it’s lightweight and small

• Backpack raincover (not necessary if using a poncho)

• Backpack liner – I recommend using a dry bag inside your backpack for extra protection against rain, I have a 40 litre dry bag inside mine.

• Dry bags inside pack to compartmentalise clothes

• Guidebook – Trailblazer Coast to Coast Path by Henry Stedman, 5th Edition

• Compass

• Ziplock bags – for keeping things like passport/guidebook/pilgrim’s passport etc dry and also good for storing leftover food if you cook. Pack as many as you can.

• Water Container –  1 x 2 litre water bottle

• Walking poles – I used and love my PACER POLES

• Utensils – spork & cup

• Headlamp – only really necessary if staying in hostels / camping or walking before or after sunrise

• Alarm Clock – use phone/watch

• Clothes Line – I have the lifeventure pegless clothes line and it is the most used item I own!

• Towel: ULTRALIGHT PACKTOWEL (you can rent one in most YHA’s and they are provided in B&B’s / pubs)

• Ear plugs – definitely a necessity in the hostels

• Eye mask – good to use in hostels when headlamps are shining your way

• Foldable daypack – Sea to summit Ultra Sil 20l pack

• Sleeping Bag – I didn’t take mine on this walk because all of the accommodation (hostels / B&B’s / pubs) provided bedding

• S hook – I took one from my dad’s garden and use it for hanging things up in showers when there are no hooks

• Safety pins – for hanging wet clothes on your pack to dry

ELECTRONICS

• Camera – I used a Sony RX 100 compact digital camera

• GPS – I used a Garmin 62s and found it helpful for recording my tracks, distances, elevation etc

• Phone with headphones – I used my iPhone as a second camera and to listen to music

• Chargers for camera & phone

• Adaptor Plug – if you’re not from England

• Spare batteries – AA for my GPS and AAA for my headlamp

TOILETRIES & FIRST AID

• Shampoo – I used a LUSH shampoo bar for hair and body and it lasts more than a month

• Soap – multi-purpose soap for washing clothes, body, hair etc

• Toothbrush – Kathmandu does small, folding and lightweight toothbrushes

• Toothpaste – bring a small tube and you can always buy more

• Toilet paper / tissues – inevitably you’ll have to go somewhere along the trail but please take your rubbish with you (easy to pack it out in a ziplock bag)

• FirstAid Kit– bandaids, needle and thread, antiseptic cream, betadyne, ibuprofen, painkillers, sunscreen, lip balm, scissors, tweezers, Imodium, anti-histamine, antibacterial hand gel