**This is a preliminary list and may be subject to change. Please check back the week before TREK.
It is recommended that you WRITE YOUR NAME on all of your belongings with a permanent marker.
What to Pack:
Pioneer clothing – 2 or 3 complete sets. Jeans are not recommended.
Western style hat or wide brimmed floppy hat with chin strap to keep it from blowing away. Bonnets are ok but not recommended because they trap the heat.
2-3 pairs of athletic or spandex pants or lightweight knee length shorts to be worn under pioneer skirts or pants. We want to encourage athletic or spandex pants that reach the knee or calf. Make sure it is something that fits snuggly and covers the parts of the legs that rub together.
Shoes – 2 pairs (2nd pair is good for the evening around camp - not flip flops)
Jacket – lightweight but warm or a sweatshirt. (This can be rolled into a sleeping bag to save space)
Sack lunch for the first day – take with you on the Handcart (This will be provided to you at staging)
Sleeping bag – warm, good quality. Place in waterproof bag or thick contractor grade garbage bag. Label bag with your name on a piece of duct tape.
Small pillow and Sleeping pad – small pad that can fit in the garbage bag with sleeping bag and pillow
Work gloves – 1 pair, warm soft, leather or cheap work gloves with non-slip grips for handcart pulling.
Warm Pajamas – 1 set, modest, to sleep in (it will get cold at night)
Rain Poncho – VERY IMPORTANT
Bandana or cooling neck wrap – 1 or 2 :)
Socks – 4 pairs (2-3 should be wool, liners are optional)
Underclothing – 4 sets
Small flashlight – with new batteries - Headlamps work great
Winter hat – for cold evenings and nights
Sunglasses
Large Ziploc bags or plastic grocery bags – to store clean or dirty clothes
Optional small backpack/daypack - (only if you have things you don't want to be in the Handcart but need to keep with you.)
Reusable, Insulated & Sturdy water bottle (24 oz with a way to hook it to a carabineer)
Small Book of Mormon - Pen or Pencil to write in your journal (the journal will be provided)
5 gallon buckets with lids. The stake has about 100 for first come first serve. Get in touch with Ryan Mathews of the Almy Ward to obtain one. (Making padded seats is optional ask your ward) - **Everything needs to fit inside your 5 gallon bucket except for jacket, sleeping bag, pillow, and sleeping pad. You can choose to bring your pillow or bundle it with your sleeping bag and sleeping pad. Your jacket, (other warm clothes items) sleeping bag and sleeping pad need to be put in a large garbage sack labeled with your name. This will be loaded in the trailer at staging for TREK. Your 5 gallon bucket and small day pack will be brought with you the morning of departure and buckets will be put in the handcarts.
Personal Items:
Small comb or brush
Toothbrush, paste & floss
Deodorant
Small hand towel
Hand Sanitizer
Chafing Powder or Body Slide Gel
Tissues or wet wipes (for hygiene)
Sunblock SPF above 30
Sanitary supplies for young women
Medicine as needed (Prescription meds must be turned into the stake medical team the morning of departure.)
Insect repellant with DEET 30 strong or higher
Lip balm/Chapstick with SPF
Small/personal first aid kit: (optional as your Ma and Pa should have one for the family as well)
Band-Aids
Tweezers
Sterile gauze pads, 2×2
Adhesive tape
Moleskin, 3×6 inch
1 small tube antibiotic ointment or Neosporin ointment packs
1 travel size bottle of hand sanitizing gel
What Not to Pack:
Personal music and players, game systems of any kind, other electronic devices, lotions, aftershave, hairspray, gel, makeup or perfumes (they attract bugs that bite).
Things provided to you at staging:
Journal (provided)
Water
Sack Lunch
Colored Duct Tape - To match your "family" color
Pioneer Clothing:
Pioneer Attire for Men:
2-3 pairs of pioneer style pants – Dockers type, light colors are best. No denim, camouflage, or sports type pants
2-3 shirts – long sleeve button up cotton shirts, light colors are best, no t-shirts
1 western style hat with strings to keep it from blowing away. A wide brim floppy hat would also be acceptable. No beanies, army hats or baseball caps.
Vest – optional
Suspenders – optional
Shoes: It is not necessary to buy expensive shoes for trek. Just be sure to have sturdy athletic shoes. They can be cross-trainers, trail runners or running shoes. You need good tread on the bottom of your shoes. You can wear hiking shoes but it is not necessary. Shoes should be well broken in before trek to prevent blisters. No flip flops or open toe shoes. The shoe size should be comfortably snug while wearing 2 pairs of socks. Too tight or too loose can cause blisters.
Socks: An excellent way to prevent blisters is to use a rayon or polypropylene sock (or nylon) next to the skin and a wool sock on the outside. This has shown to reduce friction between your shoes and feet. Cotton socks should be avoided.
Pioneer Attire for Women:
We want to avoid unnecessary expense, so we encourage making the dresses or skirts yourself if possible. It can be a great learning experience for your youth to take part in this and learn a valuable skill. Another option is to ask family members and friends who have gone on trek if they have clothes you can borrow. Each ward can help you.
Patterns and Sewing: There are many free patterns on Pinterest and a few simple ones in the Trek Manual pages 28-33. You can also purchase patterns at the fabric store. You can also find out if someone already has one you could borrow. You can visit the How to Dress Like a Pioneer blog for free patterns and ideas.
Skirts: Skirts are the most practical because tops can be changed to keep clean. Any fabric will do but a lightweight cotton blend calico or solid is probably preferable. Light colors are best. The dresses or skirts need to be about 6 inches from the ground to avoid tripping and tearing but long enough to be authentic. You can access a free pattern for pioneer skirt here.
1-2 aprons with pockets. Aprons: with pockets are a great way to have your lip balm and other essentials near by.
Bonnets and Bloomers: For girls, a bonnet or wide brimmed hat is required. The Wyoming Trek missionaries recommend wide brimmed hats because they reduce sun exposure on the forehead and neck of girls much better than a typical bonnet. Their experience has shown that girls just don’t wear bonnets and in many cases they end up just wearing it around their neck and not on their head. If you want to be more traditional then a bonnet will be just fine also, it’s really up to each individual
Girls leggings are also essential. They help protect from bugs and bites on your legs. If you would like to wear bloomers use a very lightweight fabric and keep the elastic loose enough to be comfortable around the knees. You can use a drawstring instead of elastic for the waste if you want. Be creative and have fun putting your pioneer outfits together. Please stay with the traditional skirt/dress styles. No split skirts or gaucho pants.
Shoes: It is not necessary to buy expensive shoes for trek. Just be sure to have sturdy athletic shoes. They can be cross-trainers, trail runners or running shoes. You need good tread on the bottom of your shoes. You can wear hiking shoes but it is not necessary. Shoes should be well broken in before trek to prevent blisters. No flip flops or open toe shoes. The shoe size should be comfortably snug while wearing 2 pairs of socks. Too tight or too loose can cause blisters.
Socks: An excellent way to prevent blisters is to use a rayon or polypropylene sock (or nylon) next to the skin and a wool sock on the outside. This has shown to reduce friction between your shoes and feet. Cotton socks should be avoided.
Bucket:
A great mutual activity would be to pad the lids to make the buckets also serve as comfortable seats. Here’s a tutorial on how to do it: