West Highland Way Kit List | What I pack for Thru-Hiking with my Dog | 9.2kg Base Weight

In this video I’m going over my current lightweight gear list that I’ll be using when thru-hiking the West Highland Way in Scotland with my dog. This is more of a winter/early spring setup that I can comfortably use in temperatures below freezing too.
Happy hiking,
Elli and Otto 🐕‍🦺
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🎒 My long-distance hiking gear list (incl. dog stuff): lighterpack.com/r/itw64b
- Some items have changed as you can see in this video, I’ll update the list in a couple of days to display the exact items I’m talking about in this video!
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Time stamps:
00:00 Intro
01:54 Big 4
04:54 Shoes
05:35 Clothes
08:23 First Aid
09:33 Miscellaneous
10:10 Electronics
12:06 Toiletries
13:05 Cooking
15:45 Dog Stuff
17:18 Outro

[@samwilson1021]

I love the way you look after your dog! I wish everyone was so considerate!! Thankyou for a fab video.

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much :) Always trying my best to make sure he's living his best life :)

[@cromwellfairfax1106]

Hope to see you on the trail! I'm walking #JOGLE starting 2nd April and watched your videos in preparation, they were brilliant. Have a great trip!

[@ellihikes]

Aww, brilliant! What route are you following? We might really bump into each other at some point 😅😊 wishing you all the best for your JoGLE!!

[@cromwellfairfax1106]

@@ellihikes Thank you! A very similar route to yours 👍 Cross county from John O' Groats to Fort William then West Highland Way south. Watching your videos helped me plan my route and convinced me to walk part of Offas Dyke. Only a few days to go now, I can't wait! Happy hiking 😀

[@nickwinter991]

Thanks Elli! It's always interesting to see what other people carry in their packs, especially when they are as experienced as you are. Everything looks like it has been tried and tested and you have confidence in it. Hope you have a really good time in Scotland on the WHW and the other trails - can't wait to see the videos!

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much, Nick! I'm always happy to read your comments, you were there since the beginning which is so incredible :) so far, I'm really happy with everything I took. Turns out that it even worked perfectly in some very very poor weather. The insulation pants made such a huuuuge difference, so happy I took them:)

[@Curlew-Corner]

Looking forward to your trip. Love Otto’s sleep kit. Good luck to you both.

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that :)

[@janicemiddlemass5215]

Hi Ellie, thinking of you if your already on the WHW weather cold and wet , hopefully your doing ok , I’m on the trail next week so hoping the weather will improve, happy hiking in Bonnie Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 best wisher 🤗

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much! It's been hard tbh so far 😅🫣 some really nice days, but also sooo much rain, icy winds and snow 😅 have a great time, it's a beautiful trail!

[@dannyp133]

You’re enthusiastic excitement for this hike is contagious Ms Elli 😃 So excited to follow along on another awesome journey with you and Otto 😃 I’ve been a car camper or boat hiker my whole life, it amazes me just small an overall load your packing considering literally it’s everything yourself and Otto needs💪🏻. You’ve dialed in for your hikes perfectly looks like. One item that stood out hugely, Otto’s poop bags, I salute you and the others that do the same with pet waste. Over here it’s gotten bad in general, in the middle of the trail/pathways, campgrounds, parking lots, boat ramps. No respect for anything anymore. Saddens my tired old soul the way things are now a days. Waiting patiently on your coming videos, take care, keep safe, give Otto a scratch and hike onward Ms Elli 👍🏻🙏🏻😃☺️

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much for your kind words and for following our adventures :) your comments always make me smile, thank you so much!!

[@dannyp133]

You’re so very welcome Ms Elli😃☺️

[@gerardgeometre1862]

Hi Elli! Your equipment is very well thought out and organized. What also amazes me is that it all fits into your backpack. It must be a real magic backpack or a "black hole" in which the equipment temporarily loses mass or is dematerialized. In any case, you have to be able to pack properly and systematically. I see that you can do it. Keep it up!!! 😊 😊

[@ellihikes]

😊🤗🤗😅

[@SherryD235]

The West Highland Way is in my bucket list!!! Hope you and Otto have a great hike!!

[@ellihikes]

It's a beautiful trail, can't recommend it enough! Thank you so much for following along :)

[@sr6001]

Have a fantastic time. Hope the weather is kind to you both and that you have a safe trip. 🐶 🥾

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much 🥰

[@Randolf4475]

Da sieht man die pure Vorfreude. Wünsche euch beiden eine beeindruckend Tour und dass das schottische Wetter sich öfter mal von der sonnigen Seite zeigt. Viele Grüße und guten Hike G

[@ellihikes]

Vielen lieben Dank für netten Worte :) bisher war das Wetter so lala, aber mal hat man Glück und manchmal eben nicht ;) die Landschaft ist aber immer spektakulär :)

[@wendyanderson8169]

so glad I found your channel! I am starting to hike this year with my large service dog, so your tips about dog gear are so helpful! He is 107 pounds so I'll need to carry more food, but such a good reminder to carry anti-diarrhea med in case I have to change food. Thanks so much, I look forward to more videos :) watching with my dog Chaucer, from Vancouver Island, BC, Canaada :) he loves shows with dogs

[@ellihikes]

Aww, thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement! That means so much :) Hope you're having a great hike with your dog :) Yep, anti-diarrhea meds and/or probiotics are really useful to avoid an upset stomach in case you have to change food etc.!! All the best to you both 😍

[@mikePNW]

Looks like you're prepared and ready to go! Can't wait to follow along with you two. Hope you both have a wonderful safe trip.

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much, that means so much :)

[@stephenvicary9243]

Fascinating gear review Elli 👍🏻 Looking forward to your new video hikes and some spectacular Scottish scenery. Take care, stay safe and enjoy the West Highland Way 🥾🐾

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much, Steven! I really appreciate the encouragement and continued support:)

[@JCandCo.]

Have a great trip, Ellie! Wishing you and Otto safe travels. 😎🥾

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much 🥰

[@COYSMike]

Have a great, safe trip. Looking forward to following again! Interested to know more about your dehydrated meal prep, if it's a video you'd consider making :)

[@rowancrafts]

Yes, I'd like to know more about your DIY dehydrated meals please.

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much! One of my first videos (sorry for the bad audio there, was still learning back then 😅🫣) last year was on my meal prep which hasn't changed a lot. I use either Huel hot&savoury Meals (cheaper than backpacking dehydrated meals, all vegan) or when I'm doing them myself, I always add 3 components: Carbs (instant noodles, instant potato mash, Couscous, rice noodles), protein (dehydrated soy chunks or jackfruit chunks, but also seeds for example), fat (oil that I take in a small separate bottle and only add when I'm preparing my meal). Then dehydrated veggies (leak, carrots, zucchini, onion). And then for some flavour either a veggie stock cube, sachet of instant soup (for example tomato soup if I want to have pasta bolognese with instant noodles and soychunks or mushroom soup which goes really well with instant potato mash). Then some spices and herbs and a bit of nutritional yeast. And then I just mix and match what I think goes well together :)

[@ellihikes]

Just added my comment here :)

[@mrjiggs3761]

Looking forward to this Ellie x

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much!!

[@niafer9444]

Thank you for the video. I hope you have a wonderful time :)

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much 😊😊

[@THE-RIVER-RAT]

Hello Elli and Otto. So you're heading back over hear again. I will tell Scotland to get more coffee in lol Looking forward to watching your adventure. 😋✌

[@ellihikes]

Hahahaha 😅 good idea! Thank you so much for following along :)

[@elinaranes4357]

Good luck and have a safe trip 👍 I’m looking forward to follow your trip.

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much, Elina :) I really appreciate you following along!

[@gregoryoutdoors]

Hi pal! I just came back yesterday from hiking 6 days doing Rob Roy Way(180km with extras) but also started in Milgavie to do first 20km of WHW to go to Drymen...anyway your gear looks good, similar to mine, I would ditch that sun cream you wont use it for sure lol, the weather was and still is kinda crazy, rainy and windy! Go get that WHW Passport that you can stamp on the way, its awesome and worth having as an awesome souvenir from finishing your hike! Im very pround having mine fully stamped haha its was not easy tho ;) I also recommend Sallochy camp by Loch Lomond its awesome there and prices are normal comparing to other overpriced campsites. Anyway, have fun, hope the weather is good for you!

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much for sharing! The Rob Roy Way is definitely something on my bucket list too - would you recommend it? So far, the weather has been all over the place, but I have very sensitive skin on my face, which is why I always use sun cream if the sun's out. So far, 2 very sunny days, so that was already useful 😅😊 Sallochy was still closed unfortunately, but I got a permit for the area around Lochan Maoil Dhuinne, just a bit further which was beautiful 😊🥰

[@gregoryoutdoors]

@@ellihikes Ah that all good then, surprised Sallochy is closed now, strange! Thats good to know for my future Whw. For me RRW was superb but but I stared at Milgavie, had a detour to see Rob graveyard and then later on mid Loch Tay I went into the mountains to do a circle there, was epic, but pretty hard going at times. So yeah its was probably more crazy then WHW for me, with all kinda weather, rain, sun, 50mph wind, snow etc and place I slept, its basicly no campsites on the way so you need to find some good places youself which is difficult. Anyway, atb to you.

[@ellihikes]

Thanks for sharing, very interesting :) sorry for the misunderstanding: sallochy was still closed last week, apparently they only open in April this year :)

[@gregoryoutdoors]

@@ellihikes Yeah closed for winter like most campsites like that. Oh well. Nevermind

[@BopToTRythmOfTRadio]

good luck!!

[@ellihikes]

Thank you 😊

[@cheekuenbird38]

Can't wait to see your video. Hope the weather 🙏 is not wet and windy 🙏🙏

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much! So far, it's been a bit all over the place 😅 but we've also had some very sunny days already 🥰

[@aswinsuierveld9308]

Good luck on your hike, Elli and Otto!

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much :)

[@WalkOnTheWildSideBonn]

Hey Elli & Otto, nice load out video! Have fun on the West Highland Way and not too much rain ! :)

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your support! 💛

[@andrewanderson68]

Nice one Elli Looking forward to your videos! I'm also doing the Affric and Skye trails in April. I hope it's not too cold :D

[@ellihikes]

Wow, we might bump into each other at some point then :) thank you so much, have a great time :)

[@helenreeves6978]

Looking forward to following you, loved the UK trek. Hoping to take my Labrador Penny for a couple of days backpacking very soon 🐕🩷

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so so much for following along, I really appreciate that :)

[@outdoorsincornwall2060]

Good luck Elli! Hope the new bag works out well. And fingers crossed that the weather gets better - it's very 'british' at the moment :)

[@ellihikes]

Hahaha, it definitely is 😅 so far, we've had a lot of sun, but also ao much rain, snow and icy winds 🤣🤣🫣 thank you so much!

[@reluctantfellrunner]

Good luck out there. Spring is finally on its way. Been a wet one! Think I'm getting webbed feet!

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much :) yes, it's been sooo wet 😅 hoping for some drier weather now :)

[@chrishiking8818]

Another great video Elli, always great seeing what others take with them, but as you said we change over time with taking some gear and get to know what's useful or not . Be interesting over the fexi pump and jacket how they both do . Respect again carrying for 2 . Wishing you and Otto safe travels take care 🌷

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much, Chris!! I really appreciate you following along :) so far I'm very very please with the pump.... makes setting up camp a bit easier and as of now, I wouldn't want to miss it :)

[@Mike-zm5bf]

Hi Ellie, thanks for the pack list, depending on how long you are planning to be in the UK for your hikes the one thing you may be missing, could be Smidge a midge repellant. Depending on the weather (heat) they can be out mid-April. I hope the weather is kind to you during your travels, and look forward to your updates.

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much! Yes, that's true, I'm definitely planning on picking up a head net and some smidge when they start appearing :)

[@Daytona2]

Interesting to see, thanks Elli 👍 Hope it's not too soggy Not having to carry so much food must be nice Enjoy! 😊

[@ellihikes]

Thank you a lot :) it really is, there are so many great food stops along the way 😅🥰🥰

[@safasilvana9313]

Interessantes Video🥰 Ich habe mich nun dank dir und viel Recherche nach Alternativen auch für einen Quilt von Gramexpert für Luke (Hund) entschieden☺️ Halbier das Gewicht von seinem Schlafsack😅 Definitiv den Vorteil am kleineren Hund ist die geringere Futtermenge... für Luke trug ich im letzten Jahr 6kg auf dem WHW... einmal und nie wieder😂 Ich wünsche euch viel Spass und gutes Wetter🙏🏻

[@ellihikes]

Vielen lieben Dank! Oh das freut mich, viele Grüße an die netten Jungs von Gramxpert :) bin wirklich so zufrieden!! Das stimmt, da bin ich echt dankbar, dass Otto so 'wenig' isst, sodass es noch gut zu managen ist :)

[@Ballbagsaggins]

Really interested to see how your dog gets on with colder camping. I'm still trying to get my dog comfortable in a colder nights. Recently tried a fleece base layer with a puffy jacket but I'm thinking that a thermal overall and socks might help.

[@ellihikes]

He's pretty used to it and seems to not mind. But since he's small, he can always sleep inside my sleeping bag if it's really cold, so we always have that as a back-up option :)

[@emmawalker26]

Hi Ellie, hope you had a great hike! Love the video! What is the name of the green dog quilt? Looks great! 😊

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much :) The quilt is custom made by gramxpert.eu (a slovenian brand). Basically just a synthetic blanket with Apex filling, snaps on each corner and a straps with a buckle in the middle :)

[@wendyanderson8169]

@@ellihikes thanks for that info, I wondered too. Going to try making one for my dog, he is a big coonhound and can't take the cold--used to sleeping under the blankets even at home! Your quilt by that company looks awesome as well, I won't use down so am looking for a warm/light synthetic option. Maybe with the extra wide he could still get under at the bottom of bed if cold

[@ervinslens]

Absolutely fantastic gear my friend, you are well prepared! 👏👏

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much :)

[@alangauld6079]

I guess you are already on-trail now but I hope you enjoy the WHW, although this will be your third(?) time? I actually thought you might be doing the Southern Upland way after your discovery of the borders last year! :-) I hope you enjoy the Skye trail, I haven't done that one. But I know you'll like the Affric trail it is a classic.

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much, yes - it's our third time doing the WHW :) I'm definitely doing the SUW this year too, probably in June - really excited to do it :) and I'm also looking forward to the AKW, I've heard so many great things about it :)

[@hope2someday691]

Your load out looks like you’ve got this hiking stuff figured out. I’m in the states and am not familiar with a dog passport. Is that something the EU uses to show Otto has had all his shots?? Hopefully there will be no rain on your whole trip. 🤞🍀

[@ellihikes]

Thank you :) yes, the passport shows his microchip number and his vaccinations that need to be up to date. And the UK also requires a tapeworm treatment before entering the country that's recorded on there as well :)

[@luxlieb]

Sehr coole Auswahl an Gear! Wie viel Platz nimmt denn der Quilt bei dir im Rucksack? Überlege auch einen GramXpert zu holen, vielleicht aber sogar die noch wärmere Variante? Kann mich immer so schlecht entscheiden 😅

[@ellihikes]

Lieben Dank :) tatsächlich kann ich das ziemlich genau sagen, denn ich nutze für den Quilt den Compression Sack 13L von Exped. Da passt mein Quilt (apex233, Weite: Regular, Länge: S) super rein, etwas Platz ist noch übrig. Also hat er wohl so etwa 11L Volumen. Finde den Kompressionssack tatsächlich ziemlich sinnvoll, so komprimiert hab ich ihn ohne nie reingekommen, da hat er immer etwas mehr Platz eingenommen :)

[@luxlieb]

@@ellihikes Cool! Vielen Dank für die Antwort :)

[@theoutdoordogandhikinggirl]

What kind of quilt are you using for Otto?

[@ellihikes]

It's custom made my gramxpert. Basically just a synthetic, lightweight blanket with apex filling. I asked them for snaps at the corners and a buckle in the middle so that I can attach it to him and it's basically a top quilt!

[@_girafff_6612]

Hi Elli and everyone, I'm from Strasbourg, France and I cannot find places to buy Tivek. I tried other materials for groundsheets but they all rip. Could someone tell me where they found theirs in Germany or France ? Thank you so very much!! Have a wonderful hike Elli !!

[@ellihikes]

Definitely order it from www.extremtextil.de/en - they are a German shop but ship to the EU too. They have all sorts of fabrics and they have different kinds of tyvek. My groundsheet is just some tyvek from them that I cut to size. I have the tyvek hardstructure 54g/qm and I've used the same piece for over 200nights and there is no wear and tear whatsoever. And you can even wash it in case it's too dirty....

[@_girafff_6612]

Thank you so much!!!!