France · Italy · Switzerland
Tour du Mont Blanc
Camping Packing List
By TrailIQ — camped the full loop from Chamonix · Updated June 2026
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Camping Rules: Three Countries
France
Bivouac allowed — dusk to dawn
You may pitch outside designated reserves. In the Chamonix valley and some protected zones, use official campsites.
Italy
No wild camping below 2,500 m
Use the network of campsites in Val Vény and Val Ferret. Above 2,500 m, bivouac is generally tolerated.
Switzerland
Use official campsites (plentiful)
The Swiss section has excellent campsite infrastructure — Champex, La Fouly, Trient — clean, affordable, with showers.
The Tour du Mont Blanc circles Western Europe's highest massif — 170 km through France, Italy and Switzerland with 10,000 m of cumulative ascent. I walked the full loop camping it, starting from Chamonix and going counter-clockwise, over 11 days.
The camping version is a fundamentally different experience from the hut trip. You're self-sufficient. You choose your pitch. You watch the massif change colour at dusk from inside a tent with no one else around. The tradeoff: 14–16 kg on your back and the logistics of three different camping-law regimes.
Gear List
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⛺Shelter & Sleep
🍳Kitchen & Pack
🧥Clothing & Feet
💧Water & Safety
- Survivor Filter Cleanable Water Filter Straw (L600)Buy at:Survivor FilterAmazon
- Ledlenser MH5
- Exped Drybag First Aid 1
From my loop
"The campsites surprised me — hot showers, laundry, resupply almost every day in the Italian and Swiss sections. Crossing borders is strange: no checkpoint, just a sign mid-stride, then suddenly different languages on the trail markers. The Col de la Seigne into Italy was the best morning of the trip — clouds below us, the Aiguilles lit up, nobody else on the col."
The CAYL Tae Baek 2 held up perfectly over 11 days. The frame transfers weight well for a 55 L pack, and the 10 L extender was useful on resupply days when I was carrying three days of food out of Courmayeur.
Approaching the Grand Col Ferret — the Swiss border crossing
Weather on the TMB
The weather was the whole story on my loop. Three days of clear skies, then two days of rain and low cloud at the cols. The massif creates its own weather — storms can build in two hours on the Italian side while the French side is sunny.
Check Météo France and MeteoSvizzera the evening before each stage. Know your bailout: each section has a valley descent with bus or taxi access. Don't push over high cols in electrical storms.
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Can I wild camp the entire TMB?
No — the rules differ by country. In France you can bivouac (dusk to dawn, not in protected reserves). In Italy wild camping below 2,500 m is prohibited; use the valley campsites. In Switzerland, use official sites — they are well-spaced on the trail and very affordable. Plan your itinerary around this.
What size pack do I need?
For a camping TMB you need 50–60 L. A tent, sleeping bag, pad, stove, fuel, food, and full clothing kit adds up to 14–16 kg in a 55 L pack. Anything smaller means leaving something behind; anything larger punishes you on the Col de la Seigne and Grand Col Ferret climbs.
How warm a sleeping bag?
A 0 °C comfort bag covers most TMB nights from late June through August. Higher camps and early-season trips can hit −5 °C, so a −5 °C bag gives a useful margin. The Sea to Summit Trek TkII at 0 °C is the right call for most campers; upgrade to a −5 °C bag for September or high-route variants.
Quick Comparison
| Item | Weight | Retailer | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Agnes C Bar 3 Tent | 1960 g (trail) | Big Agnes | 3P freestanding, 1500mm fly — roomy for 2 with gear |
| Sea to Summit Trek Down Sleeping Bag (-1°C) | 1119 g (Regular) | Sea to Summit | -1°C / 30°F · 650+ duck down · Free-Flow Zip |
| MEC Bravo 6 Sleeping Pad (2Kilo Project) | 455 g | MEC | R-value 5.8, 8.5cm — 4-season ultralight pad |
| CAYL Tae Baek 2 (b-grid) | ~856 g (SM) | CAYL | 45L (SM) / 48L (ML) · Korean UL brand · aluminum frame |
| Fire Maple Blade 2 Titanium Stove | 142 g | Ultralight Outdoor Gear | remote canister, pre-heat tube — works in cold |
| Survivor Filter Cleanable Water Filter Straw (L600)Buy at:Survivor FilterAmazon | 99 g (3.5 oz) | Survivor Filter | 0.05 micron — removes virus & bacteria |
Weights are manufacturer-stated.