CDT Gear Checklist
The Continental Divide Trail has no trail-wide permit and no trail-wide gear rule, so a thru-hiker's kit is a list of local rules and local trouble. New Mexico asks for big water carries, the San Juans in Colorado ask for an ice axe and microspikes, Wyoming and Montana ask for bear spray and a food bag you trust, and three national parks write their own rules about canisters, fires and campsites. Hikers also carry a warmer bag than on other long trails, because nights below freezing are common.
What shapes your gear on Continental Divide Trail
- No single permit
- The trail runs about 3,100 miles through five states, and the park service says the Forest Service manages it as a whole. There is no one permit for the walk. Glacier, which covers about 110 miles of the route, needs a wilderness permit for any overnight, and Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Park have their own.
From Glacier National Park (NPS): National Scenic Trails: CDT & PNT, Glacier National Park (NPS): Wilderness permits and Treeline Review
- When people start
- Treeline says northbound hikers usually start in New Mexico from mid-April to mid-May, and southbound hikers in Montana from mid-June to early July. It says most hikers take four to five months. Glacier's park service says winter lasts about ten months on the Divide, September through June, and that snowfields and hazardous weather can occur in any month.
From Treeline Review and Glacier National Park (NPS): National Scenic Trails: CDT & PNT
- Water carries
- Treeline warns of several water carries over 20 miles in New Mexico and Wyoming. It adds that the first 100 miles northbound have no flowing water, so hikers lean on caches, and that caches cannot be trusted elsewhere.
From Treeline Review
- Snow in the San Juans
- Northbound hikers face hundreds of miles of snow in Colorado's San Juan Mountains, according to Treeline. One thru-hiker's base weight jumped from about 14 pounds overall to about 21 pounds in that section.
From Treeline Review and Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear List (Post-Trail)
- How cold it gets
- A gear blogger calls the Divide the coldest of the three Triple Crown trails and says many mornings are below freezing. In the 2025 hiker survey, the average sleeping bag or quilt was built for about 17 degrees F.
From Bike Hike Safari and Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey)
- Typical pack weight
- The 2025 survey of 144 hikers put the average starting base weight at about 14.4 pounds, before food, water and fuel.
From Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey)
What the agency requires on Continental Divide Trail
A hard-sided, lockable canister in Rocky Mountain National Park
Overnight hikers must use a commercially made hard-sided, lockable bear canister and store it 200 feet from the campsite. It must be shown at the wilderness office to get the permit.
A stove, not a fire, in Rocky Mountain National Park
Campfires are prohibited in the wilderness and only portable stoves are allowed. Hikers camp only at designated sites, and every water source must be purified.
A food container or a 35-foot rope in Yellowstone
Food and scented items go in an approved hard-sided bear-resistant container or hang from the campsite's food pole, for which you bring at least 35 feet of rope. Camping is allowed only at designated sites and not within 100 feet of water.
A printed wilderness permit in Glacier
A permit is required for every overnight and must be on you in the backcountry. It is valid only for its dates, places and party size.
An approved food container when camping undesignated in Glacier
At-large camping in the Nyack and Coal Creek zone requires an approved grizzly-resistant container, and the ranger must see it before issuing the permit.
A way to pack out toilet paper in Glacier
Human waste goes in a cat hole at least 200 feet from water, or in a wag bag. Used toilet paper and hygiene products are packed out.
What hikers carry on Continental Divide Trail
An ice axe and microspikes for the San Juans
Treeline tells northbound hikers to carry both for the hundreds of miles of snow in Colorado, and says southbounders may need them at the start in snowy Glacier. In the 2025 survey, 33.3 percent carried an ice axe and 59.4 percent carried a traction device. One thru-hiker carried both plus snowshoes. Another source says to mail them home once the snow melts.
From Treeline Review, Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey), Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear List (Post-Trail) and Bike Hike Safari
A warmer bag than other long trails need
One blogger recommends a bag good to somewhere between 10 and 20 degrees F and says few thru-hikers complain of being too warm. The 2025 survey average was about 17 degrees F. The same blogger would not take a quilt in very cold weather, and also suggests a hot water bottle in the bag.
From Bike Hike Safari and Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey)
A stove and a warm pad before the high San Juans
Treeline says you may sleep on snow or melt it for water. It tells a story of an ultralight northbounder who bought a pad and stove in Pagosa Springs after struggling in the South San Juan. In the 2025 survey, 96.7 percent of the stoves carried burned canister gas.
From Treeline Review and Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey)
Extra water capacity and a water report
Treeline urges extra capacity for New Mexico, Wyoming and Montana and says hikers should drink fully at each source before leaving. It leans on crowd-sourced water reports in a phone navigation app. In the 2025 survey, 93.8 percent used a squeeze, gravity or pump treatment device.
From Treeline Review and Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey)
Bear spray from the Wind Rivers north, and a way to protect food
Treeline says most thru-hikers carry bear spray from the Winds to Canada, and recommends a bear-resistant bag or canister before the Winds. The survey says no canister is required trail-wide but 86.6 percent carried something to secure food. Yellowstone's own packing list includes bear spray for each person.
From Treeline Review, Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey) and Yellowstone National Park (NPS)
A satellite messenger
In the 2025 survey, 87.1 percent of hikers carried a satellite messenger or locator beacon. Treeline says to carry one through northern New Mexico, the San Juans and the off-trail routes in the Winds, and notes a thru-hiker died when snow in northern New Mexico stopped him.
From Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey) and Treeline Review
A sun umbrella for the Great Divide Basin
Treeline says the Basin has almost no trees and plenty of wind, and recommends an umbrella for shade. A 2007 yo-yo hiker planned to drop his in Colorado because of snow and cold, then used it there in September and was glad he had.
From Treeline Review and Francis Tapon
Real rain gear
Treeline warns of afternoon lightning in Colorado and says to carry a rain jacket and consider pants or a kilt. A 2025 survey respondent adds that anyone pushing the weather window should bring a true hard shell jacket and pants.
From Treeline Review and Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey)
Shoes that suit the snow, or a mailed swap
One blogger says trail runners are poor below freezing or in deep snow and suggests mailing a waterproof pair for the cold sections. Treeline suggests waterproof socks. One thru-hiker carried waterproof snow gaiters and found them heavy whenever he was not wearing them.
From Bike Hike Safari, Treeline Review and Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear List (Post-Trail)
Hunter orange in the fall
Treeline advises orange hats or shirts for southbounders and late northbounders in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, because hunting seasons overlap with the hike.
From Treeline Review
Going as a group? Split this list between you so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Continental Divide Trail
Snowshoes that never come out
A thru-hiker carried them through a couple hundred miles of the San Juans and never put them on.
From Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear List (Post-Trail)
Skimping on the pad and the stove
The ultralight northbounder in Treeline's story struggled in the South San Juan and had to buy both in town. Treeline says they could have mailed them from home.
From Treeline Review
A quilt in the coldest sections
One gear blogger does not recommend a quilt for a trail with many nights below freezing and prefers a bag.
From Bike Hike Safari
Fleece you never wear
A 2025 survey respondent gave up a fleece and fleece leggings because a synthetic jacket and rain pants were enough, and sent the extras ahead so a colder section could change the plan. A bounce box can be re-mailed three times free.
From Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey)
Untreated water
One hiker got sick twice from not filtering on the Divide and says water quality is poor overall.
From Bike Hike Safari
A perfect list before the start
A thru-hiker who tested his kit on the trail says the list will change, and to focus on the pack, shelter and sleeping bag first.
From Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear List (Post-Trail)
Gear questions for Continental Divide Trail
Do you need a bear canister on the Continental Divide Trail?
Not along the whole trail. Rocky Mountain National Park requires a hard-sided canister, Yellowstone allows an approved container or a food pole, and Glacier requires an approved container for undesignated camping. In the 2025 survey, 86.6 percent of hikers carried something to secure food.
From Rocky Mountain National Park (NPS), Yellowstone National Park (NPS), Glacier National Park (NPS): Wilderness permits and Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey)
Do you need an ice axe on the Continental Divide Trail?
It depends on the year, the start date and the direction. In the 2025 survey, 33.3 percent carried one. Treeline tells northbounders to carry one in the San Juans and southbounders to expect to need one at snowy Glacier.
From Halfway Anywhere: Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey) and Treeline Review
How much water do you carry on the Continental Divide Trail?
Treeline says to expect several carries over 20 miles in New Mexico and Wyoming, and no flowing water for the first 100 miles northbound. It advises extra capacity and crowd-sourced water reports.
From Treeline Review
Do you need bear spray on the Continental Divide Trail?
Most thru-hikers carry it from the Wind River Range to Canada, according to Treeline, and Yellowstone's packing list includes it for each person.
Is there one permit for the Continental Divide Trail?
No. Each park, forest and tribal unit sets its own rules. Glacier, Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Park all issue their own overnight permits.
From Treeline Review, Glacier National Park (NPS): Wilderness permits, Yellowstone National Park (NPS) and Rocky Mountain National Park (NPS)
Sources
- National Scenic Trails: CDT & PNT · Glacier National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Wilderness permits · Glacier National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Backcountry Hiking and Camping · Yellowstone National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Wilderness Overnight Backpacking · Rocky Mountain National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Continental Divide Trail Gear List and Strategy · Treeline Review · Blog
- Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide (2025 Survey) · Halfway Anywhere, Tyler 'Mac' Fox · Blog
- Continental Divide Trail Gear List (Post-Trail) · Halfway Anywhere, Tyler 'Mac' Fox · Trip report
- CDT Gear Review · Bike Hike Safari · Blog
- CDT Gear List · Francis Tapon, Francis Tapon · Blog