Gear Checklist 🎒

🎒 The core - every trip

• Daypack, 20-30 L — fits water, layers and snacks for a full day Shop →
• Water, 2 L per person — refill stations are rare past the visitor center Shop →
• Offline park map — no signal past the gate; download the free NPS app before you go
• Headlamp — trailheads outlast daylight; phones die Shop →
• First-aid kit — the small ready-made kind is enough Shop →
• Sunscreen SPF 30+ — elevation burns faster than the beach Shop →
• Layers — mountain weather flips within an hour Shop →

☀️ Summer in Big Bend National Park

• Sun hat + sunglasses — shade is scarce on exposed trails Shop →
• Electrolytes — plain water is not enough on 90 F days Shop →
• Insect repellent — dusk mosquitoes near water Shop →
• Extra water bottle — double the usual amount in heat Shop →

🥤 Nutrition & hydration - this park earns it

The park repeats the same instruction on every trail page: carry one liter of water per person for every hour you plan to walk. On the desert floor summer highs run past 100°F by late morning, and the Chisos run only 10–15 degrees cooler.

• Electrolyte powder — replaces what you sweat out Shop →
• Salty trail mix — salt + calories in one bag Shop →
• Energy bars — one per person per 3 hours of hiking Shop →