Best Gear List Apps for Backpacking and Hiking in 2026
The best gear list apps for backpacking in 2026 are Don't Forget the Spoon, GearLi, Hikt, LighterPack, MetaGear, OutPack, PackLight, Packstack, PackTrek, and PackWizard. Whether you're thru-hiking the PCT or packing for a weekend camping trip, these apps help you organize gear, track pack weight, and share your setup — each with a different approach to platform, features, and price. If you want a native mobile app, start with Hikt, MetaGear, or Don't Forget the Spoon. If you plan primarily on desktop, PackWizard or LighterPack cover the fundamentals well.
Disclosure: This article is published by MetaGear, a gear list app included in this comparison. All apps are evaluated using the same criteria and listed in alphabetical order. We link to every competitor directly and aim to present an objective picture — including areas where others do things better. If you spot anything outdated, contact us.
If we missed any relevant service, or made a mistake somewhere, please let us know. We'll do our best to update the article quickly. Reach out to us on Reddit or by email.
What Makes a Good Gear List App?
Not all gear list apps are built the same. A weekend camper and a thru-hiker attempting the Pacific Crest Trail have different needs — but a few core qualities matter across the board.
Gear Library & Organization
The best apps let you build a personal gear inventory — a "gear closet" of everything you own — and then pull items into different trip lists without re-entering data. Look for support for custom categories, item-level notes, and the ability to tag gear by type (shelter, sleep system, clothing, and so on). Some apps go further with a built-in product database, letting you search for gear by name and auto-populate weight and price from manufacturer specs or retailer listings.
Weight Tracking
Weight tracking is the feature that separates gear list apps from generic packing apps. A useful app tracks at minimum three numbers: base weight (everything in your pack except food, water, and fuel), worn weight (what's on your body), and total pack weight (everything including consumables). Visual breakdowns — pie charts or bar graphs by category — help identify where weight is concentrated. If you're chasing a sub-10-pound base weight, that category breakdown is how you find what to cut.
If you're new to the concept, our base weight calculator guide explains exactly how these numbers work.
Platform & Sync
This is where apps diverge most sharply. Some are web-only and work best on a laptop. Others are native mobile apps that work offline on trail. A handful offer full cross-platform sync — desktop planning, mobile reference, seamless handoff. Think about where you actually use your gear list: if it's always at your desk before a trip, web-only is fine. If you want to check your list at the trailhead, you need a mobile app.
Sharing & Community
LighterPack made gear sharing a community standard — the "shakedown post" where hikers share their list and ask for weight-cut feedback is a ritual on r/ultralight and trail forums. Most modern alternatives support shareable links. Some go further with public gear browsing, community-sourced databases, or real-time collaborative editing for group trips.
Import & Export
If you've been using LighterPack for years, you have data you don't want to re-enter. Most apps in this comparison support LighterPack CSV import. Check also for export options — CSV, PDF, or JSON — so you're never locked into a single tool. Data portability is a basic expectation in 2026.
Best Gear List Apps Compared
| App | Platform | Gear DB | Weight | Sharing | Free Tier | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don't Forget the Spoon | iOS, Android, Web | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ Shareable links | Freemium | Mobile + calorie tracking |
| GearLi | Web, Android | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Free | Android users, trip planning |
| Google Sheets | Web, iOS, Android | ✗ | Manual | ✓ Link sharing | ✓ Free | Maximum flexibility, DIY |
| Hikt | iOS, Android, Web | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ + Collaboration | Freemium (3 lists) | Cross-platform + collaboration |
| LighterPack | Web only | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ Community standard | ✓ Free | Simple web tracking, sharing |
| MetaGear | iOS, Android | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Free (ads) | Mobile-first UL hikers |
| OutPack | Web (responsive) | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Free | Gear tracking + trip journaling |
| PackLight | iOS only | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ Web publishing | ✓ Free | iOS-only, ad-free simplicity |
| Packstack | Web only | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Free | Open source, trip-centric |
| PackTrek | Web (responsive) | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ Public lists | ✓ Free | Bikepacking, social browsing |
| PackWizard | Web only (desktop) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Free | Desktop power users, price research |
Don't Forget the Spoon
Don't Forget the Spoon was born from a simple mistake: its creator forgot a spoon on a Yosemite trip. The product reflects that origin — it's practical, hiker-built, and focused on the details that actually matter on trail.
Don't Forget the Spoon Overview
Native iOS and Android apps with a personal gear locker, community gear browsing, and a sub-pack system for organizing nested bags (food bag, toiletry kit, first aid) within a larger pack. One of the few apps that tracks calories alongside gear weight — useful for multi-day trips where food planning and pack weight intersect.
Don't Forget the Spoon Key Features
- Sub-packs: organize gear bags within your main pack, each with its own weight total
- Calorie tracker integrated with trip food planning
- Community locker: browse public packs from other users for inspiration
- Pack analyzer that surfaces specific weight-reduction suggestions
- Shareable pack links
Don't Forget the Spoon Pricing
Freemium. Core features are free. Full access costs $19 as a one-time purchase or $4/month.
Who Don't Forget the Spoon Is Best For
Hikers who want trip planning, food tracking, and gear weight management in a single mobile app.
GearLi
GearLi is a free web and Android app organized around a concept called "gear bags" — reusable, pre-configured item groups (your sleep system, your cook kit) that you assemble once and drag into any trip list. Import support covers LighterPack, PackLight, Google Sheets, and Excel — one of the broadest import ranges in this comparison.
GearLi Key Features
- Gear bags: reusable item groups that sync across all trip lists
- Trip planning with dates, location, and difficulty tagging
- Two-way sync between web and Android app
- Import from LighterPack, PackLight, Google Sheets, and Excel
GearLi Pricing
Free.
Who GearLi Is Best For
Android users who want structured, reusable gear organization across multiple trips and seasons.
Google Sheets
No download required. No account. No learning curve beyond what you already know. Google Sheets is the silent competitor that nobody talks about — but a significant portion of hikers, especially long-distance and thru-hikers, manage their gear in a custom spreadsheet. Exo Mountain Gear offers a popular free backpacking spreadsheet template that has been widely shared in the UL community.
Google Sheets Key Features
- Infinite customization — build exactly the columns and views you need
- No lock-in — your data is always accessible, exportable, portable
- Accessible on any device with a browser or the Google Sheets mobile app
- Free with a Google account
Google Sheets Pricing
Free.
Who Google Sheets Is Best For
Hikers who want complete control over their data structure and aren't looking for purpose-built weight visualization or a gear database.
Hikt
Hikt is the most feature-complete option in this comparison. Built by Appsolute Oy in Finland, it covers iOS, Android, and web with full cross-platform sync, a product database with thousands of items, and real-time collaborative editing — a feature no other app here currently matches.
Hikt Key Features
- Real-time collaboration: edit a trip list simultaneously with your hiking partner
- Product database with barcode scanning for adding gear
- AI-powered gear recommendations based on trip type and conditions
- Separate pantry system for tracking consumables (food, fuel)
- Folders for organizing lists by trail, season, or trip type
- LighterPack CSV import
Hikt Pricing
Free tier supports up to 3 packing lists. Premium subscription unlocks unlimited lists, real-time collaboration, and advanced analytics.
Who Hikt Is Best For
Hikers who want a seamless web-to-mobile workflow and the ability to plan trips collaboratively. Hikt offers real-time collaboration that MetaGear doesn't currently support. If you're planning a group trip and need to edit a shared list simultaneously, Hikt has a clear advantage here.
LighterPack — The Original
LighterPack pioneered gear list sharing for the ultralight community and remains the community standard on r/ultralight and most thru-hiking forums. It's free, requires no account to view shared lists, and has hosted millions of gear lists since its launch. If you're posting a shakedown request on Reddit, a LighterPack link is still the expected format.
LighterPack Key Features
- Simple, fast web interface for building and sharing gear lists
- Base weight, worn weight, consumable weight, and total weight tracking
- Shareable URLs — no account required for viewers
- CSV export for migrating to other tools
LighterPack Pricing
Free.
Who LighterPack Is Best For
Hikers who need a simple, reliable web tool and want their lists readable by the broader trail community without any friction.
MetaGear
LighterPack is the default tool for building gear lists and tracking pack weight. It's been around forever and the community loves it. But it was never designed for mobile. And a native app isn't just about screen size — it opens up things a browser tool simply can't do. Faster interactions, photos from your camera, quick sharing to social media. A gear tracker that lives on your phone becomes part of your workflow. MetaGear is two people, no funding, just a problem we wanted solved.
MetaGear Key Features
- Smart Search — start typing a gear name and MetaGear suggests items, auto-filling weight, price, and specs so you don't have to enter everything manually
- Checklist mode — flip any gear list into a packing checklist before a trip and tap items off as they go into your pack
- Gear Locker — a personal inventory with weights, prices, and photos for all your equipment
- Gear lists with live weight and cost breakdowns and drag-and-drop sorting
- Shareable links viewable in any browser, plus visual Highlight cards for social media
- One-tap LighterPack import so existing users can migrate in seconds
MetaGear Pricing
Free with ads. Ad-free upgrade available. Pro tier in development.
Who MetaGear Is Best For
Mobile-first ultralight hikers and thru-hikers who want a purpose-built native app. For more on how MetaGear compares specifically to LighterPack, see our full LighterPack alternatives comparison.
OutPack
OutPack is what you get when you combine a gear list tracker with a trail journal. Beyond weight management, it logs trips with notes, waypoints, and photos — and tracks how many times each piece of gear has been used across all your trips. Featured in Backpacker Magazine in September 2025 as "best new trip planner."
OutPack Key Features
- Gear history: tracks how many trips each item has been used on
- Trip cataloguing with notes, waypoints, and photo attachments
- Nutrition and pantry planning for food-weight management
- Mobile-responsive web — works well on phones without a native app
OutPack Pricing
Free.
Who OutPack Is Best For
Hikers who want to combine gear management with trip documentation — closer to a hiking logbook than a pure weight tracker.
PackWizard
PackWizard is the most powerful gear research tool available for desktop users. Created by Justin Outdoors, it pairs a large gear database (with current prices from major retailers) with LighterPack CSV import and a gear closet organized into bins. Reviewers on Backpacking Light forums called the UI "savant-level" — for desktop use specifically.
PackWizard Key Features
- Gear database with real-time prices from retailers — built for pre-purchase research
- Daily gear deals feed
- LighterPack CSV import
- Gear closet with bin organization for grouping kit by trip type
- Affiliate retailer links (can be disabled)
PackWizard Pricing
Free. Revenue comes from affiliate links.
Who PackWizard Is Best For
Desktop-first hikers who want a gear database and price research tools before a trip. PackWizard is described by reviewers as "completely unusable on iPhone." If you ever need to reference your gear list on trail or at the trailhead, it's not the right tool — but as a desktop planning and research platform, nothing in this list matches it.
Also Worth a Look
These apps didn't make the detailed review section but are worth knowing about depending on your use case.
- Backpack Planner — Web app with a large product database and price comparison across retailers with price history. Good for gear research, smaller community than PackWizard.
- PackLight — A 10-year-old native iOS app that does exactly what LighterPack does, ad-free, with no account required. iOS only. No Android, no web sync. Featured in Trails Magazine.
- Packstack — Open-source web app organized around trips rather than a general gear closet. Clean drag-and-drop interface, LighterPack import, shareable links. Web only.
- PackTrek — Responsive web app covering hiking, trekking, and bikepacking with a public gear list discovery section. Smaller community but modern UI.
- The Pack List — iOS-only native app with gear comparison tools, budget tracking, packing reminders, and a preloaded brand library. Covers backpacking, climbing, fishing, and overlanding.
- Trailpost — Web app with a centralized gear database, community pack browsing, and auto-suggestions based on your past gear choices. Less active development in recent years.
Which Gear List App Is Right for You?
The right app depends less on which has the most features and more on how you actually plan and hike.
Mobile-first hikers — If you plan on your phone and want your gear list accessible offline on trail, the native apps are the right starting point: MetaGear, Hikt, and Don't Forget the Spoon all offer iOS and Android. Hikt adds collaboration; Don't Forget the Spoon adds calorie tracking; MetaGear focuses on weight tracking and LighterPack migration.
Desktop power users — If you plan at a laptop and don't need mobile access, PackWizard is the strongest option for gear research and price tracking. LighterPack and Packstack are solid for simpler weight-tracking needs without a gear database.
Gear research and price comparison — PackWizard's built-in retailer price tracking is unmatched in this category. Backpack Planner also tracks price history across retailers.
Trip journaling — OutPack is the only app here that meaningfully combines gear tracking with trip documentation — waypoints, photos, notes, and gear usage history across trips. Nothing else in this list does this well.
Collaborative planning — Hikt's real-time collaborative editing is the standout feature for group trips or partners planning together. GearLi also supports multi-device sync across web and Android.
Maximum flexibility — Google Sheets. No app can match a custom spreadsheet for adaptability. The trade-off is that you build everything yourself and lose purpose-built weight visualization and sharing features.
For a deeper breakdown of options specifically for ultralight hikers replacing LighterPack, see our best LighterPack alternatives in 2026.
Gear List Apps vs. Spreadsheets
A significant number of experienced hikers — including many long-distance thru-hikers — manage their gear in a spreadsheet rather than a dedicated app. It's worth being direct about why.
The case for spreadsheets: Complete control over structure. No account. No vendor lock-in. Works on any device. Free forever. You can build exactly the columns you want — item name, weight, volume, purchase price, number of uses, notes — with no constraints imposed by an app's data model. Exo Mountain Gear's free template has been shared widely in the UL community as a solid starting point.
Where apps win: Purpose-built weight visualization (pie charts, category breakdowns) that would require significant formula work to replicate. Shareable links that render cleanly for forum shakedown posts. A mobile experience designed for gear browsing. Gear databases that auto-fill item weights. None of these are impossible in a spreadsheet — but apps make them effortless.
The honest answer: If you're already using a spreadsheet and it's working, there's no compelling reason to switch. If you find yourself fighting the spreadsheet to get weight breakdowns or sharing your list is awkward, a purpose-built app will save time. The choice isn't ideological — it's practical.
For a dedicated look at weight tracking tools, see our pack weight tracker comparison.
How We Compared These Apps
Every app in this article was evaluated against the same set of criteria: platform coverage (iOS, Android, web, offline), gear organization features, weight tracking capability, sharing and community features, import/export support, and pricing. We tested apps directly where possible and cross-referenced community reviews from Backpacking Light forums, r/ultralight, AlternativeTo, and trail publications including Backpacker Magazine and Trails Magazine.
MetaGear publishes this blog and is included in this comparison as one option among many. We've flagged specific areas where competitors outperform MetaGear — real-time collaboration (Hikt), gear databases (PackWizard, Hikt), trip journaling (OutPack), and desktop depth (PackWizard) — because an objective comparison is more useful to you than one that isn't.
FAQ: Gear List Apps for Backpacking
What is the best gear list app for backpacking?
There's no single best app — it depends on how you hike. For mobile-first use, Hikt and MetaGear are the strongest options in 2026. For desktop planning with a gear database, PackWizard leads the category. For trip journaling alongside gear tracking, OutPack is the standout choice. LighterPack remains the community standard for sharing lists on hiking forums and Reddit, even as newer apps offer more features.
Do I need an app to track my pack weight?
No. Many experienced hikers use a kitchen scale and a Google Sheet. A purpose-built app adds value through weight visualization, gear databases, shareable links, and mobile access — but if your current system works, there's no reason to switch. Apps make the process faster and more visual; they don't make it more accurate.
What is base weight in backpacking?
Base weight is the total weight of your pack excluding consumables — food, water, and fuel. It's the standard metric for comparing pack loads because consumables change daily on trail. A base weight under 10 pounds is generally considered ultralight. Most gear list apps calculate base weight automatically once you categorize items correctly.
Can I use a gear list app offline?
It depends on the app. Native mobile apps — MetaGear, Hikt, Don't Forget the Spoon, PackLight — generally cache your gear list for offline access once it's been loaded. Web-only apps like LighterPack, PackWizard, and OutPack require an internet connection. If you want to reference your gear list at a trailhead with no signal, a native mobile app is the safer choice.
Are gear list apps free?
Most are free or have a functional free tier. LighterPack, PackWizard, OutPack, Packstack, PackTrek, and GearLi are completely free. MetaGear is free with ads, with an ad-free upgrade available. Don't Forget the Spoon and Hikt are freemium — free tiers cover basic use, with paid plans unlocking full features. PackLight is free with no ads. No major gear list app in 2026 requires payment to use its core weight-tracking features.
The right gear list app is the one that fits how you actually plan — before a trip, on trail, or both. Start with your platform (mobile vs. desktop), decide whether you need a gear database or LighterPack import, and pick one to try. Most are free, and your LighterPack data exports as a CSV that moves to any of the tools above. There's no wrong starting point.