Packing list for hikes and day trips from a city
A city break with one day on a hill or a coast path: Arthur's Seat, the Dragon's Back, Bondi to Coogee or a Los Angeles canyon. Trail shoes that pass at dinner, a 20 liter pack that folds into your case, two liters of water for the hot ones, a blister kit, the fare for the bus back and the time you agree to turn around.
On a phone with Waystop installed, the button adds the list to your trip as a bag you can tick off. Otherwise copy it and paste it into Waystop’s Chat with “add this to my packing list”.
Checked October 10, 2026.
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0 of 16 packed
On your feet
0/4In the daypack
0/5Sun and wind
0/4Getting back
0/3What the weather is like
Edinburgh tops out around 66°F (19°C) in July with wind on every summit and rain on about half the days; Hong Kong's trails are 90°F (32°C) and 80 percent humidity from June to September and best from November to March; Sydney's coast is 79°F (26°C) in January with extreme UV and a pleasant 68°F (20°C) in October; Los Angeles canyons start at 50°F (10°C) in the shade and pass 86°F (30°C) by late morning in summer.
- Hiking bootsA 300 meter hill on a path does not need them, they take a third of the case, and they look like boots at dinner
- Trekking polesThey are not allowed in the carry-on on most airlines and a city hill does not need them
- A 3 liter hydration bladderTwo bottles do the job, are easier to refill at a kiosk and do not leak into the laptop on the city days
- Sunscreen in AustraliaSupermarkets and pharmacies sell SPF 50 cheaply and in sizes that would never pass security; buy it on day one
- A transit card or day ticketAn Octopus card in Hong Kong, an Opal card or a contactless tap in Sydney, a day ticket on Edinburgh's buses; the bus back is the moment you want it already loaded
Worth knowing
- Start early. The Dragon's Back and the LA canyons are shaded and quiet at 8 a.m. and baking by 11; Bondi to Coogee is a parade by mid-morning on a weekend. Pick a turnaround time before you set out, from the last bus and sunset, and tell the hotel or a friend your route. Edinburgh is dark by 4 p.m. in late fall and light until 10 p.m. in June.
- Buy the water and the snacks in the city the night before, not at the trailhead. Supermarkets near the hotel are cheap and open; the kiosk at the end of the walk is a bonus, not a plan.
- Make the hike the middle day. Legs are fresh, the forecast is real by then, and if the weather turns you still have a city day either side to swap it into. Book a table near the hotel for 7:30 a.m. so the hill ends with dinner.
Trips to pack this for
Never leave the charger in the hotel again.
Waystop keeps a list for each bag and each person. On the morning you change hotels it walks you through a quick pack-up check, and Chat can suggest items to add when you ask what to bring.