The Ultimate Berg Lake packing list (3-4 days)

If you’re thinking about doing the Berg Lake trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park as an overnight, or multi-day hike, you might be wondering: “what to pack for the Berg Lake trail?”.

I know I had lots of questions about what to pack, what with this being the longest multi-day hike I’d done since I was 17 in the Himalayas (where I didn’t have the issue of having to carry my stuff!).

The weather on the Berg Lake trail changes rapidly, you’ll need plenty of snacks and you’ll be carrying a tent and sleeping gear as part of your Berg Lake packing list.

That sounds like a lot and it kinda is, but with this Berg Lake packing guide, you’ll make sure you’ve everything you need for the Berg Lake trail!

2023 Update: The Kinney Lake trail opens June 7th 2023 to the campground only for day-hikes and overnight stays. The trail beyond Kinney Lake Campground will be closed for the remainder of the year. Signs will be posted to indicate trail closures – check out these alternatives to Berg Lake

Berg Lake trail packing list

This is everything that was on my Berg Lake trail packing list. I must’ve written about three different lists but I don’t think I forgot anything I really wish I’d had. 

What to wear on the Berg Lake Trail, Mount Robson Provincial Park

These are the clothes I packed with me for a 3-night/4 day (3 full days, 1 afternoon) of hiking on the Berg Lake trail. This is in addition to what I was already wearing when we began the hike (leggings, t-shirt)

• Underwear x 3
• Sports bra x 1
• Long sleeve t-shirt x 1: I bought a merino wool one before the trip and it really did keep me cool/warm and didn’t smell too bad by the end either!
• Short sleeve t-shirt x 1
• Waterproof trousers x 1
• Waterproof jacket x 1
• Puffy jacket x 1
• Thin warm sweater x 1
• Woolly hat + baseball cap
• Swimsuit 
• Thermals for sleeping in
• Hiking socks x 2 + one spare pair for camp/sleeping
• Camp shoes/slippers/flip flops: I wear my Teva sandals which are super lightweight and comfy for walking around camp in.
• Hiking boots
• Leggings/hiking trousers x 1 (2 pairs in total) Check out this post about the best hiking leggings!
• Shorts x 1
• Gloves (probably not necessary for July/August, but definitely take outside these months)

Berg Lake campground equipment

You won’t sleep well if you forget some of these essentials on your Berg Lake camping checklist!  

• A tent: ideally a fairly small, lightweight one. We use an MSR Elixir
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping mat
• Backpack with rain cover: While a lot of backpacks come with a rain cover, not all do. We ended up using the rain covers the entire time so it’s worth buying one if needed.
• Gas + camping stove + lighter as a backup
• Pans for cooking or a jetboil
• Bowl + spork/spoon: these collapsible bowls were great for breakfast and my extra-long spoon was perfect for getting to the bottom of the dehydrated meal packs! 
• Mug: we went collapsible again to take up less room
• Dry bags: A couple of dry bags are useful for storing clothes in and your food. You’ll need to keep all food & toiletries in a bear locker and this is easier if they’re in a bag.
• Unscented, biodegradeable soap for washing
• Toilet roll (+ Kula cloth if you wish): Toilet roll is not provided anywhere. 
• Small camping trowel in case you need to go when there are no facilities
• Bin bag: you must carry out ALL your trash
• Resealable silicone bags to separate food/toiletries

Food & hydration

Deciding on what food to take on the Berg Lake trail was one of the harder decisions. Everyone worries about being hungry!

I tend to err on the side of taking too much rather than too little provided you’ve room and can carry it. 

• Sawyer water filter. All the water must be treated in some way before being consumed. This water filter was the easiest way to do that for us.
• Water bottle and/or hydration pack: We each had a 2L hydration pack and a 1-litre bottle. Though there are enough water sources you could get away with just 2L per person at any one point. 
• Food:
  • Breakfast: 2 x sachets of instant porridge per person per morning, instant coffee and/or tea bags and dried fruit/trail mix to jazz up the porridge for breakfast. I also bring Overherd oat milk powder which is great for coffee and oats! Get 15% off with code ADVHANNAH15 at checkout.
  • Lunch: Salami (we bought a big one and cut up as required), sliced swiss cheese, small pots of houmous and pita bread (bought pack of 6 which fed two of us all three lunches of the trip)
  • Dinner: 1 x dehydrated meal per person, per night. The Backpacker’s Pantry Pad Thai was a favourite (and it’s exciting as comes with lots of little sachets!)
  • Snacks: Hornby bars (or similar), trail mix, Babybel cheese, dried mango, Snickers/Mars bars, fruit bars, Starbursts, beef jerky

Toiletries

A few things to keep you feeling ever so slightly cleaner.

• Deodorant. I used a natural one and just decanted some into a smaller pot to save space.
• Toothpaste & toothbrush
• Hand sanitiser: As of 2020, this is a requirement but it makes sense to take some anyway. 
• Wet wipes: for a wet wipe shower!
• First Aid kit: Buy premade (this is the one I have), or make your own. I like to add a few extras to my premade kit including:
  • Bandaids; regular & for blisters
  • Antiseptic cream
  • Antihistamines
  • Tylenol/Advil
• Sun cream
• Moisturiser 
• Lip balm

Misc + safety gear

• A print-out of your Berg Lake trail reservations to exchange for a permit at the Mount Robson visitor centre.
• Headlamp + extra batteries if required
• Bear spray
• Battery pack + cables
• Camera: In the end, we just used our phone & GoPro to take photos. 
• Camping knife (not essential, but it did chop our salami for lunch!)
• Sunglasses: My Goodr sunglasses are my new fave as they don’t slip and they’re pretty cheap.
• Camping towel
• Bug Spray
• Your phone: keep on aeroplane mode or off to save battery. 
• A day bag if you plan to do any day hikes (this is my one). 
• Pack of cards for camp entertainment. 

Final thoughts on this ultimate Ber Lake trail checklist

Over the course of this Berg Lake trip packing list, I’ve provided a list of essential items to carry on a hike on the Berg Lake trail.

First things first, you’ll need a print out of the trail reservations to exchange for a permit at the Mount Robson visitor centre.

The list includes most of what you’ll find on a day hike essentials packing list as well as extras to account for the fact you’re camping.

Last Updated on June 15, 2023 by Hannah