Kit list generator
Build a packing checklist for a UK hill day, wild camp or multi-day trip. Pick your season, route and forecast, and get a categorised list with indicative weights — built around standard UK mountain-safety advice, so map, compass, headtorch, first aid kit, whistle and a spare warm layer are always on it.
Layering: how UK hill clothing works
UK hill weather is rarely extreme, but it changes fast and it is very often wet and windy at the same time. The standard answer is three thin layers rather than one thick one: a base layer (synthetic or merino) that wicks sweat off your skin, a midlayer (fleece or light insulation) that traps warm air, and a shell (waterproof jacket and overtrousers) that keeps wind and rain out. You add and shed layers as you climb, stop and descend — which is why the spare warm layer lives in your pack even on a warm day.
Why "cotton kills" on the hills
Cotton — jeans, hoodies, everyday t-shirts — soaks up water, dries slowly, and loses almost all of its insulating value when wet. In the UK's maritime climate a wet cotton layer plus wind is a fast route to losing body heat, and hypothermia cases occur on British hills in every month of the year, summer included. Synthetic and wool fabrics stay warm when damp and dry quickly; that is the whole reason the checklist above says "not cotton" and "not jeans".
A note on winter skills
When the generator adds an ice axe and crampons, that is a statement about the ground you may meet, not a judgement that conditions are manageable. Snow and ice can persist on high UK ground from late autumn well into spring, and an axe and crampons only help if you have practised using them — including cutting steps, footwork and self-arrest. A winter skills course is the usual way to learn; short daylight, whiteout navigation and avalanche awareness are part of the same picture. Check a specialist mountain forecast and the avalanche forecast where one is published, and be ready to change plans. See our safety pages for more.
This checklist is general information built from widely used UK mountain-safety advice (map, compass, torch, first aid, whistle, spare warm layer, food and water). It cannot know the forecast, the ground or your experience on the day. Check the weather, tell someone your route and return time, and turn back when conditions demand it — read our safety notes.