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Packing list for your first big mountain tour: Zugspitze and Watzmann with a hut night

Updated 18 October 2026 · All facts with sources at the end of the article

The same applies to the Zugspitze via the Reintal or Gatterl and to the Hocheck on the Watzmann: you are out for a long time, often two days, with a night in a hut. Your rucksack has to carry everything you need, but nothing more. This list is based on the DAV (German Alpine Club) and on the huts themselves. As of October 2026.

The most important rule: pack light

In its Zugspitze and Watzmann brochures, the DAV says: do without luxuries and only take what you need. According to the DAV, a rucksack that is too heavy is a safety risk. In its packing list for hut stays, the DAV suggests a 30 to 40 litre rucksack, depending on the length of the tour.

But packing light does not mean cutting back on safety. A first-aid kit, weather protection and warm clothing always come with you.

Boots and clothing

  • Sturdy mountain boots with a lugged sole. The DAV lists them in its packing list. On the Zugspitzplatt and the Hocheck you walk over scree and rock. Berchtesgaden National Park also asks for sturdy footwear.
  • Waterproof jacket. It is on every list. Mountain weather can turn quickly.
  • Warm layer, hat and gloves. Even in summer. In its Watzmann brochure the DAV writes that snowfall and icy wind are possible even in high summer. For the Zugspitze, bergsteigen.com advises taking warm clothing in summer too.
  • Spare clothes. The DAV explicitly recommends them. After a wet day, you will have something dry at the hut.
  • Base layers, hiking socks, durable trousers. From the DAV packing list.

Food and drink

  • At least 2 litres to drink. That is what the DAV packing list says.
  • Enough food, such as cereal bars and nuts. The DAV lists this too.

On the Watzmann, water is a topic of its own. The Watzmannhaus is short of water. The Munich section asks guests to bring as much of their own water as possible. There is a surcharge for refilling bottles and for hot water for tea. More in Watzmannhaus: overnight stay, booking, prices and tips.

Safety

  • First-aid kit. According to the DAV, it should always be with you.
  • Bivvy bag. The DAV lists it in its packing list next to the first-aid kit.
  • Head torch. It is on the huts’ packing lists and in the DAV tour sheet for the Zugspitze. You need it at night in the hut and as a back-up if you are running late.
  • Fully charged phone and power bank. From the DAV packing list. In an emergency, call 112; in Austria, 140 connects you directly to mountain rescue. The DAV points out that emergency calls sometimes only work with an active SIM card. And there is not always signal: on the Watzmann, according to the DAV, there is none on the descent from the Südspitze to the Wimbachgrieshütte.
  • Map. For the Zugspitze, the DAV names the Alpine Club map BY 8 “Wettersteingebirge – Zugspitze” (1:25,000). For the Watzmann, the tour sheet of the Munich & Oberland sections names the Alpine Club map BY 21 “Nationalpark Berchtesgaden – Watzmann” (1:25,000). The DAV explicitly warns about fog on the Zugspitzplatt.
  • Sun protection: sunglasses, sun cream and a hat. From the DAV packing list.
  • Blister plasters and your medication. Also from the DAV packing list.
  • Walking poles. Not essential according to the DAV, but useful. tirol.at lists them for the Gatterl route, and so does the sections’ Watzmann tour sheet.

For the hut

The huts themselves require these. The Watzmannhaus, Reintalangerhütte and Knorrhütte all belong to the DAV Munich section and have similar rules:

  • Hut sleeping bag liner. Compulsory, made of cotton or silk. Sleeping bags with an inner lining are not allowed.
  • Hut shoes with a firm sole. You may not enter the dormitories in mountain boots.
  • Cash. According to the section, card payment is not possible at any of the three huts.
  • DAV membership card, if you are a member. Without it you pay the non-member rate.
  • Small towel and toiletries.
  • Rubbish bags. You carry your rubbish back down to the valley.
  • Earplugs. Optional, but helpful in the dormitory.

The DAV packing list also mentions ID and insurance documents.

Tip for summit day: in its Zugspitze tour sheet, the DAV suggests leaving surplus luggage at the Knorrhütte and climbing to the summit with a light daypack. That only works, of course, if you come back past the hut.

What you do not need

  • A via ferrata set on the Reintal and Gatterl. tirol.at says of the Gatterl route: “No climbing equipment required.” There are still fixed cables. What that means is covered in Zugspitze without a via ferrata: is it possible?.
  • Books, games, extra shoes for the evening. You carry every gram up yourself.

The via ferratas are different. For the Höllental and the Stopselzieher you need a complete via ferrata kit, and in the Höllental glacier equipment as well. Neither is a route for your first big mountain.

Snow: not a packing-list problem

In early summer there can still be old snow higher up. On the Zugspitze, the DAV warns of snowfields in the summit flank and at the Gatterl. On the Watzmann, according to Bergwelten, old snowfields on the approach to the Hocheck can hide the path into June.

You do not solve that with more gear. If you have no experience on steep snow, choose a later date. Which months are realistic is covered in Best time for the Zugspitze and Best time for the Watzmann.

The checklist

Category What to pack
On you sturdy mountain boots with a lugged sole, base layers, durable trousers, hiking socks
Weather waterproof jacket, warm layer, hat, gloves, spare clothes
Food and drink at least 2 litres of water, food
Safety first-aid kit, bivvy bag, head torch, phone, power bank, map
Sun sunglasses, sun cream, hat
Hut cotton or silk sleeping bag liner, hut shoes, cash, membership card, towel, toiletries, rubbish bags
Documents ID, insurance documents
Optional walking poles, earplugs, blister plasters

Check your hut’s website before you go. It lists exactly what it requires.

The preparation packs for the Zugspitze and the Watzmann include a packing list tailored to your mountain and your date, as a checklist.

Sources

All sources accessed on 18 October 2026 (as of October 2026). Quotes are translated from German.

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