Hiking Elopement Packing List

You’re taking the plunge and exchanging your vows somewhere beautiful, unique, and probably off the beaten path. While traditional weddings have whole teams setting up, your elopement will probably be just you, your nearly-spouse, and your photographer (me!). You don’t need much to get to your spot and marry, but you do need some essential gear whether you’re hiking, kayaking, canoeing, skiing, etc.

Scroll to the bottom for your easy checklist!

The Ten Essentials

It might seem like overkill for some people if you’re only planning on a day hike to exchange vows and picnic, but these are the ten items that are considered absolutely necessary should anything go awry while you’re in the backcountry.

1. Navigation: This can be a GPS device, compass, a personal beacon, or a satellite messenger like the Garmin InReach. You could use your phone with downloaded maps, but be aware that service and GPS signals can be interrupted by mountains and canyon walls, and can sometimes be unreliable. Remember to bring a printed map of the area you will be visiting, and have your trail marked clearly.
   
   
2. Headlamp: A lot of adventurous elopements with me begin before sunrise, and involve hiking before the sun rises. Inversely, we do a lot of sunset sessions too, and you don’t want to be caught out after dark without a light.
   
   
3. Sun Protection: This doesn’t include just sunscreen! Think about hats, light layers, sunbrellas/parasols, and sunglasses! The sun can be deceivingly destructive, even when it’s cloudy out. Protect yourself, and don’t end up burned on your wedding day! Bonus – your sunbrella doubles as an umbrella in the case of rain!
   
   
4. First Aid: You’ll want a basic first aid kit for your hike. Also, consider adding moleskin, insect repellent, and chafing cream to your kit for longer hikes.
   
   
5. Knife: Seems silly for a wedding, but you never know! Tuck a small utility knife or multitool away with your first aid kit.
   
   
6. Fire: This one doesn’t have to be complicated, and if you’re just going on a day hike, your fire tools can also be tucked away with your first aid kit. This includes a lighter, matches, or your backpacking stove.
   
   
7. Shelter: Don’t overthink this one – you don’t need to bring an entire tent on your daytime adventure elopement! Consider bringing a lightweight emergency bivvy or emergency blanket that can act as a tarp in the sun or rain.
   
   
8. Extra food: Bring snacks! Always bring snacks! Hiking and getting married is hard work and should be rewarded with snacks. I like to pack an extra meal’s worth of calories with me, in case hiking gets extra strenuous and/or we end up on the trail longer than expected.
   
   
9. Extra water: This one is especially important to me. Living in triple digit Texas, I’ve seen countless people head out on dangerous trails without enough water. I know water is heavy, but you really do need to bring more than you think you’ll need. If you know there are water sources on trail, you can get away with carrying less at a time, and filtering as you go. But in places like Palo Duro Canyon where you’re hiking 3 miles out-and-back with no shade, you’ll need to bring at least a gallon of water per person – yes, even in the morning.
   
   
10. Extra clothes: If you’re hiking up to your spot and then changing, then you’ve probably got this one covered. Make sure you’ve got comfortable and appropriate clothing for your hike, even if you plan on hiking in your wedding attire. Keep it simple, light, and packable. You’ll want to include layers, especially if you’re hiking at elevation – a hat, sweater, warm jacket, extra socks and gloves, just to name a few. The Trek has lots of good information about how to dress for elevation.
    

Wedding Essentials

Now that you’ve packed all of your hiking essentials, what to bring to make your elopement special? A lot of this may depend on your personal preference, but here’s a wonderful place to start!

1. Your attire: Your dress and/or suit can either be worn up the trail or changed into on location! If you want to change at your ceremony spot, you may want to consider a pop-up tent for some privacy. Don’t forget each layer of your attire! Tuxes have many layers to keep track of, and you definitely don’t want to forget your veil or bridal cape. If you need help figuring out how to hike with your dress in your pack, I can show you how at the trailhead.

2. Shoes: This includes both your hiking shoes and your fancy elopement shoes! If you’re still deciding on what kind of shoes to wear for your ceremony and portraits, a lot of my couples love leather boots and pretty flats. I, myself, wore comfortable Teva sandals because my feet weren’t visible in photos, and it’s always best to have some traction on your feet.

3. Jewelry: Your rings, cufflinks, earrings, bracelets, hair pieces, and watches all need to be accounted for! Keep your accessories in a handy jewelry pouch, or they will get lost at the bottom of your pack. Consider bringing your rings in their boxes so they don’t get mixed in and lost with the rest of your jewelry.

4. Florals: Your bouquet, boutonnière, and hair pieces will need to be handled very carefully. I highly recommend tying these to the outside of your pack, and hiking with awareness. Floral pieces can be very fragile, which is why I urge you to research your florist and make sure you’re getting arrangements that can withstand your hike!

5. Vows: For most people, these are probably in tiny books (so cute!). For some, they might be safely in the notes section on your phone. Maybe you’ve been memorizing and practicing your vows in front of a mirror for weeks. For us, our vows were written on postcards from the town we were visiting! But whatever you do, don’t forget those forever promises. If they’re tangible, keep them tucked somewhere safe in your pack where they won’t get wrinkled or wet.

6. Marriage License: Don’t forget the super important legal part, or a blue/black ink pen to make it legal! You can sign your license at the ceremony spot, or at the trailhead where we’re parked. But either way, don’t leave without getting the proper signatures and documentation. Keep this somewhere safe where it can’t get wrinkled or wet.

7. Unity Ceremony Items: Handfasting ropes, tea, a letterbox with nails and a hammer, whatever tradition you’re planning on performing for your unity ceremony, be sure to include all of the items in your pack. Don’t forget to practice Leave No Trace principles while performing your ceremony, so no German log-cutting or planting trees while we’re out on your hiking adventure.

Extra Essentials

Outside of your Ten Essentials and Wedding gear, here are some other things you’ll want to pack for your adventure elopement hike.

1. Toilet Paper and Hand Sanitizer: Even if there’s a vault toilet nearby, you’ll still want them. Trust me.
   
   
2. Picnic blanket or tarp: Even if you just want to sit for a while and watch the sun rise over the mountains, you’ll want something to separate your fancy clothes from the ground. If you’re real savvy, this can double as your emergency shelter!
   
   
3. Picnic: Hiking elopements with me are usually timed so that you can sit and enjoy a picnic meal with your new spouse while you watch the sun glide across the sky. If you’re not hiring a company to set your picnic up for you, don’t forget each element of your picnic – including the champagne! You’ll want your picnic blanket, a basket, your food and/or charcuterie, and flutes (plastic is probably best if you’re hiking any distance!) for your bubbly.
   
   
4. Pup Supplies: I love it when couples bring their pups on their adventure! Don’t forget that doggo needs supplies for hiking too, like a harness, leash, food and water bowl, treats, doggie bags, and hiking booties on especially rough terrain.
   
   
5. Makeup Touch ups: Bring a little makeup to touch up during the day! You can get hot and sweaty hiking all day, but you’ll still want to look and feel like a million bucks for your photos.
   
   
6. Permits: We’ve probably already talked about permits before crafting your day together, but don’t forget them at home! There’s a good chance you’ll be stopped by a ranger at some point in the day and asked to furnish your permit. So even if you’ve acquired the correct permits, if you don’t have them on you, we could both be fined.
   
   
7. Bear Spray & Bear Bells: When you’re in bear country, you don’t want to be caught without them. Bells will let bears know you’re in the vicinity, and a bear with a healthy fear of humans will avoid you. If you do have an encounter with a bear, you’ll have happy to have bear spray easily accessible.
   

Adventure elopements hit different, and making sure you’re prepared will make a world of difference. Folks who elope don’t generally have a coordinator or person of honor who can help take the stress of packing off of their hands, so I hope this packing list gave you a solid start.

The list may sound like a lot, and it can be. You may not be able to fit everything into one backpack. Consider splitting the weight between you and your partner, and carrying larger hiking packs. We find that a well-fitting 45-55L pack is more than enough space for most people.

Of course, every elopement is different, so you may need to tweak this list to fit your needs. If you’re still not sure, give me a shout and I’m always ready to help.

Adventure Elopement Packing List

• Map
• Permits
• Headlamp
• Sunscreen
• Sunbrella/Umbrella
• First Aid Kit
• Bug Repellant
• Multitool or utility knife
• Lighter or matches
• Emergency blanket or bivy
• Extra snacks
• Extra water
• Hiking clothes
• Extra socks
• Handwarmers
• Rain jacket
• Toilet Paper
• Hand Sanitizer
• Picnic blanket
• Picnic Supplies
• Makeup Touchups
• Bear Spray + Bear Bells
• Dress + Veil
• Suit/Tux (all layers)
• Wedding Shoes
• Hiking Boots or Trail Runners
• Jewelry (in a separate pouch)
• The Rings (in their own boxes)
• Florals
• Vows
• Marriage License + Blue/Black Ink Pen
• Unity Ceremony Items
• Champagne + Flutes