I Overpacked for Mt. Apo , Here's What You Actually Need (Sta. Cruz Trail 3D2N)
Just like everyone, we tend to overthink when it’s our first time doing something new. I’ve done a lot of day hikes before, so I know the drill. But when it came to an overnight hike, especially a 3-day, 2-night trip, I honestly had no idea what to bring.
I spent hours watching TikTok videos and YouTube videos just to get an idea of what I needed to purchase and pack for this adventure. But I think all that overthinking led me to make one huge mistake.
Let’s start with the backpack.
The backpack I chose was way too big for me and for the type of trip I was planning. Your girl had no idea that a 65L backpack was way too big for a 5’2 girlie and definitely not the ideal size for a 3-day, 2-night hike.
To tell you a funny story, before we started the hike, the organizer asked me if I wanted to hire a porter. Silly me thought I could handle it because I had been preparing for this trip for a few months, StairMaster, running, lifting weights… I can confidently say I did all of that.
I confidently insisted that I could carry my own bag and finish the hike without any problem. He politely agreed but gave me an option: try carrying it for the first few kilometres and decide afterward if I still wanted a porter.
Thank goodness he gave me that option because after just the first few kilometres, I was already struggling. I honestly didn’t expect my backpack to be that heavy.
Hiring a porter ended up being one of the best decisions I made during that trip.
And guess what? My backpack weighed 18kg. 😭
While having a conversation with my porter, he suggested that a 30L–45L backpack would have been the perfect size for me instead of a 65L. That was definitely a lesson learned.
So here are the unnecessary things I packed that I barely used (or didn’t even use at all):
1. Three waterproof jackets I know… what was I thinking? 😂 I guess my mindset was, “3 days means I need 3 outfits.” Looking back, this was definitely unnecessary.
2. Too many outfits I packed 3 full outfits — 3 shorts, 3 shirts, and even extra clothes just in case. This was probably one of my biggest mistakes.
3. Too much trail food I brought a whole bag of trail food, but little did I know there were actually “tindahan” (small stores) along the mountain. We passed by two stores during the hike, so there was no chance of going hungry.
I ended up giving away most of my trail food because I brought way too much.
4. Too many cameras and accessories I brought three different cameras, which was another mistake: an Insta360, Polaroid, and digital camera.
On top of that, I carried accessories for each camera, plus two heavy power banks. Looking back, this added so much unnecessary weight.
5. Trekking poles I brought trekking poles but didn’t use them the entire hike. They just added extra weight to my backpack.
Now, here are some of my must-have items for this hike:
1. Gloves And I’m not talking about expensive hiking gloves. I literally used cloth garden gloves, and they worked perfectly. They helped protect my hands during the trail.
2. Heat packs Personally, I didn’t use mine, but I gave them to two hikers who were feeling really cold during the second night.
3. Electrolytes and enough water You can buy water from the stores on the mountain, but keep in mind that the prices are much higher compared to buying them before the hike. Bringing electrolytes was also a lifesaver.
4. Thermal layers For some reason, the second night felt much colder than the first night. Having extra layers made a huge difference, especially when the temperature dropped.
5. Collapsible utensils This is something I forgot to bring and ended up borrowing from the organizer. Definitely add this to your checklist!
But honestly, we learn from our own mistakes. Maybe I was also lucky that we had good weather and didn’t experience any rain because that could have completely changed my perspective on what was useful and what wasn’t.
But don’t worry, your girl got you! 🥾
I’ll be attaching a checklist of what to pack, a possible itinerary you can follow, and helpful information including the organizer, accommodation, website, and equipment rental options.
Hopefully, this can help you prepare better for your own Mt. Apo adventure. 🌋
Mt. Apo Organizer: Lakaw ni Paw
Accommodation: Frances Inn
Equipment Rental: Recreational Gear rental/sale (davao rentals)
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