What's in Olly's Summer Alpine Rucksack 2024

Summer Alpine Equipment

1. Light Rucksack around 35 Litres Ortovox Trad 30 Dry / Ortovox Trad 35
2. Climbing Helmet
3. Mountaineering boots (minimum B2 flex)
4. First aid kit with painkillers, blister plasters, zinc oxide tape, and any personal meds
5. Sheet sleeping bag (cotton or silk) for mountain huts
6. Camera
7. Mountaineering ice axe 60cm long with a steelhead
8. Steel 12-point crampons compatible with your boots
9. Folding walking poles
10. Water bottle (minimum 1 litre)
11. Sunglass rated for glacier travel (Category 3 or 4)
12. Waterproof container with valuables, passport and money
13. Dry bag for all your clothing
14. Short glacier gators
15. 2 locking / Screw gate carabiners and one 120cm sling
16. Climbing harness
17. Warm hat and sun hat
18. Snack food
19. Leather gloves
20. Ski gloves Ortovox Merino Freeride Glove
21. Alpine soft shell trousers Otovox Westalpen
22. T-shirt and long-sleeve fleece Ortovox 120 Tec T /  Ortovox Fleece Grid Jacket
23. Lightweight waterproof jacket and trousers Westalpen 3L Light Jacket
24. Lightweight duvet jacket Ortovox Westalpen Swisswool Jkt
25. Windproof softshell Ortovox Pala Hooded Jacket
26. A waterproof bag with a phone and charger
27. Hut kit, toothbrush & paste, sun cream, lip salve, ear plugs, head torch

What’s in my Summer Alpine Rucksack? – By Olly Allen

There is a bewildering array of technical equipment and clothing on offer to baffle the budding alpinist. During the summer months, temperatures in the Alps can range from plus 30 to minus 20, so your clothing needs to cope. Whatever you choose, you’ll still be Shivering on the north face of the Eiger or sweating buckets crossing the Trient glacier in the mid-day heat! Just remember, light is right until you have an ‘Epic,’ then it's just downright cold and uncomfortable.

Choose a rucksack that’s light, roughly a kilo and around 35 litres. My favourite is the Ortovox Trad 30 Dry or the slightly bigger Ortovox Trad 35. Go for a simple comfy design without too many straps etc as it just adds weight. Helmets are needed on most trips, the Petzl Meteor or Black Diamond Vision or Capitan are great. The guide will carry a rope crevasse rescue kit and other climbing paraphernalia.

A light comfy harness (Petzl Tour or Blue Ice Choucas) is a must and make sure it is big enough to get over the top of your thick clothing. A 60cm non-technical ice axe, DMM Spire or Black Diamond Raven without a leash as these get in the way. Collapsible walking poles are recommended as they help with balance on rough terrain. The Black Diamond Aluminium FLZ is a favourite but any folding poles will work just avoid twist locking systems. Boots should be B2, waterproofed and well worn in I would recommend the La Sportiva Aeqilibrium GTX or Scarpa Manta GTX. A short pair of gaiters are useful in snowy conditions. I carry a thin pair of leather gloves such as the Simond Alpine from Decathlon and some warmer ski gloves like the Ortovox Merino Freeride Glove. Leave your camel back at home as they are a pain and end up freezing or leaking. Purchase a cheap plastic water bottle to carry about 1.5 Litres. Steel 12-point mountaineering crampons are perfect for most alpine routes please check the crampon is compatible with your boots (Grivel G12 Classic / New Matic or Petzl Vasak Flexlock / Leverlock). Don’t forget a crampon bag!

At the bottom of your rucksack, you need a small first aid kit with blister treatment and personal medication, painkillers etc. A  head torch (Petzl Tikka / Tikka Core), glacier sunglasses and a waterproof bag with money and passport are also slotted in. In the hut it’s nice to have a book to read and some tea bags and powdered milk if you like proper tea! I also have a toothbrush and paste (travel tube), ear plugs and some high-factor sun cream and lip block. Snack food is a personal thing but I usually take some cereal bars, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate and jelly sweets.

There are numerous brands of alpine summer clothing on the market but here are my summer favourites. Ortovox has some excellent high-quality products in their Alpine range that will cover all bases. I have a set of waterproofs which are light yet durable Westalpen 3L Light Jacket. Buried inside a dry bag in my rucksack I'll have a light synthetic insulated jacket Ortovox Westalpen Swisswool Jkt, Ortovox Fleece Grid Jacket and a fleece hat and sun cap with a neck Buff. Then depending on temperatures I wear some Otovox Westalpen soft-shell pants, a technical T-shirt Ortovox 120 Tec T and a windproof soft-shell jacket Ortovox Pala Hooded Jacket.

This should have shed some light on the mystical art of packing your rucksack, remember heavy and spare stuff at the bottom and light regularly used stuff at the top or in pockets. This is not an exhaustive list and it may have to be beefed up slightly if it’s a mega-cold forecast or your going high (Mont Blanc). Some people feel the cold (me) and others could do Mont Blanc in jeans, a T-shirt and fingerless gloves! So tweak the list at your peril!

If you would like any more advice on technical equipment then use the search function on our website to access more in-depth articles on kit.

See you in the mountains  - Olly Allen

Olly Allen is an IFMGA British Mountain Guide and a Lead IFMGA guide for Mountain Tracks. He lives and works in the Alps throughout the year.

Contact him for more information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.