Havasu Falls Packing List: Gear, Clothing & Food
Wondering what to pack for Havasu Falls? Don’t you worry, we have a full backpacking checklist that gives you everything you need to know on what to bring to Havasu Falls. From camping gear to clothing and food, we have your ultimate Havasu Falls packing list right here!
Havasu Falls Packing List
Havasu Falls Backpacking Checklist
When hiking to Havasu Falls, the biggest thing to keep in mind is to pack light! Why? The Havasu Falls hike is a 20 mile round trip hike.
You’ll want to pack only the necessities to ensure your pack is a manageable weight for you to carry. The last thing you’ll want is to hike 20 miles with a pack that is strenuous on your body. No fun at all!
At the same time, you should be careful not to pack too light. Failing to pack some essentials won’t just result in discomfort, it can be dangerous because it leaves you more vulnerable to natural elements.
Check out “Havasu Falls Hike: The Ultimate Planning Guide“
HAVASU FALLS HIKING BAGS
Backpack
A proper backpack is essential for the Havasu Falls hike! A nice, durable trekking pack will make or break the hike to Havasu Falls for you. Meaning, if you are attempting to hike with a backpack that doesn’t fit you properly, you’re in for a looooong, miserable hike.
Backpack For Havasu Falls Tips:
If you’re in the market for a trekking backpack, we’ve listed a few tips below that everyone’s backpack should have:
- Comfortable Straps
- The chest, shoulders, and hip straps on the backpack should be padded for a comfortable fit.
- Adjustable Back Plate & Straps
- Shoulder straps, hip straps, and the back of a backpack should be adjustable. People come in all different shapes and sizes and your pack should be able to adjust to your body type.
- Breathable Back
- The back of the backpack – the part that rests against your back – should be made of a breathable mesh material that will help air flow to your back.
- Gender Fit
- Yes, there are packs that are designed better for males and there are packs that are designed better for females. When buying your pack, make sure you are buying the pack that is the right fit for you.
- Pack Accessibility
- Make sure there are enough pockets and zippers on the outside of the pack to allow for ease of accessibility for contents inside your pack.
Dueter Packs are our go to packs for all things hiking and backpacking! Dueter has been making packs for decades, and you can tell they have perfected their craft by the quality and fit of their packs.
For us, we used the Woman’s Aircontact Lite 60 and the Men’s Aircontact Lite 65 for the Havasu Falls Hike. They were perfect in every way and we can’t recommend them enough!
You’ll need permits to visit Havasu Falls. Be sure to check out our “Havasupai Falls Permit: A Havasu Reservation Guide“
Hiking Day Bag
Once you’re settled in at your Havasu Falls campsite, you are not going to want to take your large trekking backpacks on your day hikes, are you? On the other hand, your day bag shouldn’t add too much weight to your overall kit.
REI Co-op Ruckpack is the perfect day bag for the hikes around Havasu Falls. A perfect size for your camera, water and snacks, this 18 liter day bag is a great small pack.
If you don’t want to bring a day bag, we suggest you consider a Sea-to-Summit dry pack instead. A dry pack allows you to carry your gear in a water-free environment. Perfect protection for phones, towels and clothes.
HAVASU FALLS CAMPING LIST
Lightweight Tent
This will be your home for the next 4 days and 3 nights and more than likely, will be the heaviest thing you carry into Havasu Falls. A good tent is definitely an item not to go cheap on. Make sure to bring duct tape or a patch kit too just in case you get a tear. Being exposed to the elements (or critters) is a form of misery best left unexperienced.
REI’s Co-op Half Dome Tent Plus is the PERFECT lightweight tent for two people. You and your partner will fit comfortably and the tents weight is only 5lbs 5oz, making it an ideal tent to hike with.
Sleeping Pad
A good sleeping pad is your gateway to a good nights sleep while at Havasu Falls campgrounds. Not only will a sleeping pad keep you off the hard, uncomfortable ground, it’ll keep you warm and comfy too!
While there are loads of sleeping pads out there, our go-to sleeping pad is Big Agnes. Easily compactable, Big Agnes is an ideal sleeping pad for any camping trip.
Big Agnes comes into different sizes too – Long, Wide and Long-Wide. Choose the one that’s best for you! Oh, and don’t forget the Big Agnes Pump House to making inflating your sleeping pad a breeze.
Sleeping Bag
Another item that you don’t want to cheap out on is your sleeping bag. Your sleeping bag should be rated for 30°F or colder temperatures, depending on your personal preference and the time of year you’re visiting the Falls.
Marmot Trestles 15 Sleeping Bag for men and Trestles 15 Sleeping Bag for women are perfect sleeping bags for Havasu Falls. Weighing in at 4 lbs and comfort tested for 16 degrees fahrenheit, these Marmot sleeping bags are great for the outdoors.
Inflatable Pillow
While some may view this as a “non-essential” item, we beg to differ. We are all about a good nights sleep, especially when doing active things like hiking and swimming.
Exped Air Pillow fits in the palm of your hand (literally). Weighing 3 ounces and taking no space in your pack, we recommend this pillow as an added level of comfort for your nights rest.
LIGHTING FOR HAVASU FALLS
Headlamp
There is absolutely no light (or campfires) at Havasu Falls campground at night. So in order to see, you’ll need to pack a headlamp! Petzl Headlamp is a great way to illuminate your surroundings once the sun goes down. The headlamp straps securely to your head so you won’t misplace it in the dark and you will still have your hands free to do other things.
With a good headlamp, there is no need to tag along another heavy torch.
Lantern
Easily packable and portable, the Moji Lantern is a great addition to your campsite setup. Hang from the inside of your tent or setup next to your dinner to provide yourself additional lighting with ease. Just remember to recharge your lantern before you pack it since electricity can be an issue if you are already at the trailhead and you need to reserve your power bank for your phone or camera.
HAVASU FALLS COOKING GEAR
Jetboil
You gotta eat right? Well, a Jetboil Flash Cooking System is the primo and easiest way to make your camping meals. The Jetboil boils water in a few seconds leaving you pipping hot water to mix in your dehydrated meals or with your coffee and tea.
Really and truly, this is the best way to make your meals while at Havasu Falls. It’s a game changer.
PLEASE NOTE: Fuel canisters for the Jetboil are sold separately. If you visit your local REI, you can snag a canister or two for the hike.
AeroPress
Call us a little high-maintenance but we gotta have a fresh cup of coffee in the morning! The AeroPress Coffee Maker is made for people like us, the coffee and camping kinda of people!
Super lightweight and easy to use, the AeroPress gives you a fresh cup of coffee to kickstart your morning. Don’t forget to pack the AeroPress Micro-Filters and some freshly ground coffee beans too!
If you truly don’t have the room for an AeroPress then you should consider packing a few pre-mix coffee packs. These packs are light, compact and you can just add water and enjoy.
Camping Mug
The beautiful thing about a camping mug is that it can double as a “bowl” for you too! And since we are trying to pack as light as possible, items that are multi-purpose are definitely a bonus!
The Sea to Summit X-Mug is collapsable, silicon mug perfect for hot (or cold) liquids.
Utensils
You really and truly only need to bring one utensil. Don’t bother yourself with packing a fork, spoon and knife. Instead, pack a spork! Humangear GoBites Uno Spork is all you’ll need for your trip to Havasu Falls.
Food Bag and Paracord
It is always a good idea to tag along a food storage bag with paracord/utility rope when you are hiking or camping. You can hang your food from a tree to keep pesky squirrels and insects like ants out of your food.
Just remember to hang your food pack away from the tree trunk and allow plenty of cord between the bag and the tree so squirrels won’t be able to reach your bag.
An important Havasu Falls campsite tip is to have all items off the ground (food, clothes, backpack) and completely out of reach from critters like squirrels and raccoons.
HAVASU FALLS SHOWER GEAR & TOILETRIES
Shower Bag
There are no showers at Havasupai Falls or campground. If you are wanting to shower, or simply have an easy way to splash your face or brush your teeth, then a make sure a shower bag is on your Havasu Falls packing list!
Sea to Summit Pocket Shower allows you a 7 minute shower and an easy face wash and/or rinse!
Separately, we found that a shower bag is a great option to transport water. Instead of going back and forth to the spring every time we needed water, we used the shower bag to carry water from the spring to our campsite.
Again, another multi-use item (thumbs up emoji)
Microfiber Towel
Whether you are needing a towel to dry your face, some dishes or a towel to dry your body after a swim, a microfiber towel is something you’ll need to pack.
Varying in sizes from small to large, a microfiber towel is lightweight and quick to dry making it perfect for any camping outing.
Soap, Shampoo & Wipes
Whatever you use to bathe or clean up with, make sure it’s biodegradable. You want to leave the land of Havasupai just as beautiful as you found it.
Dr. Bronner’s has been making “leave no trace” camping soaps and shampoos for decades, making it a perfect addition to your camping checklist.
Separately, if a shower is too much to swing, Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes are the next best thing! End the day with a wipe down of the days sweat and dust before heading to bed.
SAFTEY AT HAVASU FALLS
Lock
If you plan on leaving anything of value in your tent during the day while you’re out hiking, it may be a good idea to invest in a security lock.
Loop the lock through the zippers of your tent and leave your campsite feeling like your gear and supplies are a little better protected.
A combination lock is recommended. Locks that come with keys are risky. What happens if you loose the key? No bueno, right? No bueno, right?
First Aid Kit
Accidents happen, especially when running around in the beautiful outdoors. A first aid kit should be on every hikers “must pack list.”
Plan on carrying this with you in your day bag so if any cuts or blisters happen while you’re out and about, you’re covered. Cuts and scrapes are almost a guarantee whenever you go hiking, so it’s best to be prepared for the occasional small wound.
You an also look into adding basic medications such as headache tablets, something for diarrhea and something for heartburn just in case. Antihistamine and insect bite cream is also a must for your kit because antihistamine is always useful for combating the poison of stinging insects and can help a lot in case you experience allergies.
RELAXING AT HAVASU FALLS
Flexlite Air Chair
While this item is technically not a must have, we must say it was SO NICE to come back after a long days hike and lounge in these comfy chairs!
REI Co-op Flexlite Air Chair weighs 1 lb. and are beyond easy to setup and dissemble. In our opinion, if you have space in your bag, pack this chair!
ENO Hammock
The Havasu Falls campgrounds have endless tress for you to strap up a ENO Hammock. Whether you want to chill out for a nap or read a book, a ENO Hammock is a perfect tool for relaxation at Havasu Falls.
Some backpackers love sleeping in a hammock so much, they prefer to leave the sleeping pad at home to help lighten the load and so they can be safely off the ground in case crawling insects linger about.
Don’t forget to pack the hammock straps too!
WATER AT HAVASU FALLS
Water Filter System
At Havasu Falls, there is drinking water that can be found from a spring. The Suapi Tribe says the water is drinkable and no extra purification is needed.
That may be good and true, but we took an extra layer of precaution and packed the Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter. We didn’t want to risk one of us having “tummy troubles” while camping.
CamelBak
A CamelBak Reservoir is a perfect add on to your Havasu Falls packing list. Perfect for your hike in and out as well as your day hikes around Havasupai, the CamelBak will keep you hydrated without the need to carry a water bottle.
FOOD TO PACK FOR HAVASU FALLS
Dehydrated Meals
If you are looking for the easiest way to cook food while at Havasu Falls, then you need to go the dehydrated meal route. No, no , no, the meals are nowhere near as awful as they sound.
MaryJanesFarm and Good-to-Go are are preferred brands when it comes to dehydrated meals. You simple boil water in a Jetboil and pour the hot water into the dehydrated meal packet. Wait a few minute and vualá, your meal is ready to eat! No pots and pans or extra dishes required.
Below is our Havasupai food list of the meals we ate when we were at Havasu Falls.
- 2 Hot Breakfasts
- 3 Hot Lunches
- Chicken Ramen (yes, those ramen packets)
- Mexican Quinoa Bowl
- 3 Hot Dinners
TIP: The suggested servings sizes on the meals will NOT BE ENOUGH for one person. If there are two of you, our tip is to get a serving size that would be enough for 3 people.
Camping Snacks
Along with the above meals, we made sure to pack snacks too.
- Beef & Turkey Jerkey (1 lbs of each)
- Dried fruits (Mango and Apricots)
- Cliff Bars (10 total – 5 per person)
- Tuna (3 pouches)
- Snickers (2 total – 1 per person)
HAVASUPAI FOOD STORAGE
Food Storage Bags
If you haven’t already read, proper food storage at Havasu Falls is a MUST! The squirrels and raccoons that roam the campsite will stop at nothing to tear through your food and devour ever last morsel.
No lie or exaggeration, they are not scared of people and will do everything they can to get your food.
There are two key things you must do at Havasu Falls to store your food properly
- Get odor proof bags for your food AND your trash
- Keep all food and trash elevated aka not on the ground and most importantly, not in your tent
Ratsack Food Storage Bag or LOKSAK OPSAK Odor-Proof bags are great options for food storage at Havasu Falls campground. These two options will keep your food safe and most importantly, rodent-free!
CLOTHING TO PACK FOR HAVASUPAI
Havasu Falls Tops & Bottoms
Alright, alright. So you are doing the 4 day / 3 night Havasu Falls hike and you’re wondering what clothing to pack. Get our Havasu Falls packing list for clothes, hiking boots and water shoes below!
TOPS
- 3 moisture wicking tops
- 1 shirt to sleep in
- 1 fleece and/or wind breaker (season dependent)
- 1 Long sleeve shirt
BOTTOMS
Havasu Falls Shoes
- 1 pair of hiking boots (Vasque or Lowa is our brand of boots)
- 1 pair of water shoes (Teva’s or Chaco’s)
It is very important to break in your boots before you set out on your hike. Wearing a fresh pair of boots on a 10 mile hike can be exhausting and can cause a lot of bruising. Ideally, you should start to break in your boots a few weeks prior to the trip.
Packing an extra pair of socks or two will also be handy for the trip if you are prone to getting sweaty feet. The dryer your feet stays on a hike, the easier the backpacking trip will be to complete.
Misc. Havasu Falls Clothes
- 2 pairs of wool hiking socks (1 for hiking, 1 for relaxing)
- 1 buff (not necessary but if you sweat a lot, good to have while hiking)
- 1 hat (not necessary, but good for sun protection)
- 3 pairs of underwear
- 1 swim suit
- 1 pair of sunglasses
- 2 sports bras (1 for active wear, 1 for relaxing)
- 1 pair of light gloves (weather dependent)
- 1 stocking hat (weather dependent)
TIP: Considering bring a Stuff Sack to keep your dirty clothes in.
HAVASU FALLS TECH & GADGETS
Portable Battery Pack
There are no outlets at Havasu Falls – duh, right?! Well, if you are a picture taker like we are, you’ll need a way to keep your gear charged. A portable battery-pack is a must pack item for us no matter where we are off to! A solar charger is also a great tool to keep your battery pack ready to go when you need it.
GoPro
With all the hiking and swimming you’ll be doing a waterproof camera, like a GoPro, is the perfect action camera to bring with you! From underwater shots, to epic selfies, the wide-angle lens on the GoPro will capture all your best Havasupai moments!
MISC GEAR LIST FOR HAVASU FALLS
Hiking Poles
Wondering “Do I need hiking poles for Havasu Falls?” Well, the answer to this question depends on you!
Hiking Poles help reduce the impact hiking can have on knees and other leg muscles. So, if you tire relatively easy or need a little extra support when climbing up hills and switchbacks, hiking poles are a good item to add to your Havasu Falls packing list.
Sani-Fem
Alright ladies, Lauren here, and I’m talking to you for this particular item! There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night, having to pee, to only realize the closest toilet is a ways away. UGH!
The Sani-Fem is my go-to for camping and fixes the problem of the toilet being “too far away”. The Sani-Fem allows me to pop right outside the tent and pee (like a boy) with ease. No mess, no fuss and it’s back to bed within a few minutes.
Swiss Army Knife
We’re the “better safe than sorry” folks and a Swiss Army Knife has come in super handy for us many times. It’s a great multi-tool to have with you. From scissors to a nail filer and knife, a Swiss Army Knife has proven to be plenty useful!
Duct Tape
Rip in your tent, sleeping pad/bag or backpack? Duct tape that sucker! Duct Tape is the ultimate temporary hiker and camper fix to a lot of unexpected rips and tears.
Carabiner
You’ll probably need a carabiner or two to help get your food and gear onto the suspended rope and out of reach for squirrels and raccoons. Carabiners are not only great for holding your food storage gear but for hanging water bottles and towels from too.
Mosquito Repellent
Yes, yes, mosquitos are alive and well at Havasu Falls. Make sure you have some mosquito repellent packed and ready for use! Trust us, they love bitting ankles 🙂
Sunscreen
You’re going to want to protect that pretty skin of yours from all that sun so best pack some sunscreen! Thinksport Sunscreen is a mineral based sunscreen that is environmentally friendly and will protect your skin from that hot Arizona sun!
Remember, all products you use at Havasu Falls should be biodegradable and/or safe for the environment! Traditional sunscreens you will find at big box stores often contain ingredients that are harmful to the environment.
Deck of Cards
Believe it or not, you’ll actually have some down time from all that hiking and swimming at Havasu Falls. Pack a deck of cards, or another form of entertainment, to keep you occupied.
Lotion / Chapstick
Last but CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, moisturizers. Sweet baby Jesus, Arizona dried us out! No joke, our lips and skin were cracking by the time we were hiking back to Havasupai Trailhead.
If you don’t want to be miserable, pack moisturizer for your body and face along with chapstick for your lips.
Prescription Medication
If you do take any prescription medication then you should be careful to take these along. The cell reception in this region is very bad and even if you do manage to make a call, it will be quite a while before someone will be able to reach you for medical assistance.
Ideally, your prescription medication should be kept in a pill container with enough medication for the trip. Look for a waterproof pill box to ensure that your medication will stay safe for the journey.
THINGS TO LEAVE AT HOME
The below items are strictly prohibited at Havasu Falls. Keep them off your Havasu Falls packing list and leave them at home.
- Water inflatables (like inner tubes)
- Drones
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Weapons
Havasu Falls Gear Rental
For those hikers and campers that are looking to rent gear, no worries. Below are a few places you can rent gear from before heading out on your Havasu Hike.
- Basecamp Outdoor Gear Rental – If you are flying in and out of Las Vegas, Basecamp offers rentals on individual items or a complete Havasupai package.
- Peace Surplus – If you are flying in and out of Flagstaff, check out Peace Surplus for any camping gear needs.
- Arizona Hiking Shack – Flying to Phoenix for your Havasupai Hike? Check out Arizona Hiking Shack for any gear rentals you may need.
Tips to Help Keep Your Backpack Light
Backpacks can get pretty heavy pretty quickly, especially if you are packing for anything longer than day hiking trips. The packing list we shared contains mostly bare essential items as well as multi-functional tools to help keep your bag as light as possible.
But if you are still having a tough time reducing some backpack weight for your trip to Havasu falls then perhaps the following tips can help you out.
Repackage Personal Care Items
No one uses an entire tube of toothpaste or sunscreen on a four to five day trip. It is much better to repackage these items by squirting some of the contents into a smaller bottle so you can cut down on some space and weight.
If you are traveling as a large group, it might also be wise to pack personal care items that can be shared. One tube of toothpaste should be plentiful for an entire group of friends on a four day trip.
Keep Your Wardrobe Limited
If you can skip carrying an extra set of clothes then do so. Hiking trips are meant to be sweaty and bad body odor is going to happen. While it is ok to pack a spare set of clothes, you should consider the ability to re-wear your main pair a day or two in a row.
Another good tip is to focus on clothing items that are lighter and easier to pack. A good example is thick denim compared to lighter linen fabric. Of course, don’t sacrifice so much that you are not comfortable during the hike.
Don’t Pack Books
Lots of people love to read during quiet evenings of hiking trips. Packing a book is, however, a bad idea. If you absolutely must read on your trip then an e-book is a much better solution since you will probably be taking your phone along anyway.
Another good idea is to take a photo of pages or information you might need for your trip instead of hauling an entire book along for the journey. And remember, a portable battery pack will keep you charged up!
Share The Load
Traveling as a group is ideal for keeping your backpack as light as possible because you can share the load. Instead of each member of the traveling party stocking up on items like a pocket knife, flashlight, pot, rope, medical kit and shower bag, try to decide as a group what items can be shared.
When you pack for Havasu you can then divide these bare essentials among everyone’s backpack to lighten the load of your bag.
Make a List of Unused Items of Previous Trips
We always tend to over pack for the sake of safety. On this, and many future hiking expeditions, there will probably be plenty of items that you won’t end up using. After your trip to Havasu you should make a note of items that you did not use. These notes can be terrific to help you cut back on some weight for future hiking expeditions.
Alternatively, apply knowledge from a previous trip to your plans for Havasu Falls. Just remember to consider the terrain and weather differences between wherever you went last time and Arizona.
WANT MORE INFORMATION ON ARIZONA?!
Grand Canyon Day Trip: The Ultimate One Day Itinerary
Arizona Road Trip: One Epic 2 Week Itinerary
Visiting Monument Valley: A First Timers Guide
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Happy Travels,
– Lauren & Jesse Stuart (The Stüs)