Gear packing for hiking/camping 170km Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) July

On Monday I am flying to Geneva and meeting with a friend with whom I will be hiking and camping the famous Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), starting and finishing in Les Houches in the Chamonix Valley. In this video I will talk through all the gear I am planning to take - as well as some bits I thought about taking when I started making this, and since decided to leave behind - including the backpack, shoes, tent and sleep system I will be using for this 170km circuit with many nights of wild camping. I'll also talk about how I plan to pack things each day, after testing my set up over a couple of longer distance weekend hikes.

In terms of the gear, replicating my exact set of clothes and equipment would probably cost upwards of £1,500, but I bought almost all of it second hand from eBay and Vinted over several years, so outdoors adventures really don't need to cost the Earth! The MSR pocket rocket was lent to me by a friend, so begging, borrowing and, um... buying from Vinted, is a great way to have budget adventures.

I also faced some moral dilemmas as a vegan, eventually deciding to buy some 'new without tags' merino things from Vinted on the basis of this avoiding placing any direct demand on the merino wool market, but also giving me the best material for wearing the same socks for a week! The down jacket I actually got for £18 in a local charity shop and has been with me on a great many adventures. I consider myself a pragmatic vegan - the only thing I am interested in is the real-world consequences of my choices, not some search for the moral highground - so I'm happy with this :)