What to Pack for the Lake District: Ultimate First Timer Guide

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Travelling to the Lake District and not sure what to pack? This Lake District packing list has all of the essentials you’ll need on your first trip to the scenic English countryside.

The Lake District is one of the most beautiful locations in the UK. Every year, thousands of tourists head to the area to hike, swim and experience some of the quintessential British countrysides. Over the past few years, we’ve fallen in love with the Lake District. So much so, that we end up visiting at least once a year from London (and are planning to move there for a while soon).

During our time spent in the Lake District, I’ve learnt a thing or two about what I should have packed (and what I shouldn’t have packed). 

This blog post informs you of the best things to pack for your first trip to the Lake District. From what bag to take, to an all-important checklist, let’s delve into the exact things that should be on your Lake District packing list.

Other Lake District posts:

• Best Pubs in Keswick: The Lake District (Essential Guide)
• 13 Tips for Walking in the Lake District (Guide)
• 16 EPIC Things To Do In Grasmere, Lake District
• Best Hiking Boots for the Lake District (Review)

What to Pack for the Lake District: A Summary

Before we begin, there are a few things to mention before starting to pack your bag for your Lake District trip. Whilst you can’t go too wrong when packing for the English countryside, there are a few tips that might help you along the way. They are:

🥾 Pack your hiking equipment and clothing first. This is the most important when packing for a Lake District trip.

🧊 Use packing cubes to maximise your storage and to keep your bag organised.

🚇 Regular items (like toiletries and groceries) in England are expensive. Take as much as you can in your bag before you leave for your Lake District trip.

🚝 Need to book train tickets to the Lake District? If you’re NOT hiring a car, I recommend this company for the cheapest tickets. ➡ You can check out their availability and timetables here.

Where to stay in the Lake District

If you’re only staying in the Lake District for a few nights, I recommend staying in Ambleside. Ambleside is known as the ‘heart of the Lake District’, and is one of my personal favourite areas, as it’s within walking distance of Lake Windermere.

If you’re only visiting the Lake District briefly, it’s an easy way to see some of the quintessential grey slate buildings, traditional pubs, and modern Lake District restaurants.

• If you’re a solo traveller in Ambleside, I recommend staying in the YHA Hostel. It’s a short distance from the centre of Ambleside, and you’ll be able to meet other solo backpackers. ➡ BOOK THIS HOSTEL NOW!

• Want a cute and cosy cottage in Ambleside? Our favourite is Grayling Cottage. It’s just a one-minute walk from Ambleside town centre and is beautifully decorated. ➡ BOOK THIS COTTAGE NOW!

• For a luxurious one-night stay in Ambleside, check out The Ambleside Inn. It’s an 18th-century hotel which will give you a true ‘English countryside’ experience. ➡ BOOK THIS HOTEL NOW!

Lake District essential packing checklist

• Lightweight waterproof jacket – even in the middle of August, you can end up in a shower of rain (which can come from nowhere).
• Hiking clothes (long pants, hiking boots and thermal layers if you are visiting in the colder months)
• An umbrella – for unexpected weather changes.
• A waterproof day bag – for swimming, rainy weather or boat trips.
• Swimwear for wild swimming
• A waterproof phone case (which can also be used for wild swimming when it’s sunnier)
• A portable charger – to make sure you don’t lose signal or charge on any of your walks or swims (especially if you’re solo travelling)
• A GoPro for amazing waterproof camera footage!
• A waterproof backpack cover – depending or not on whether you’re taking a backpack, but it can rain quite a bit. I’d recommend taking a cover to keep your backpack warm if possible.
• A chilly bottle to keep your water at a drinkable temperature. It can be used for hot or cold drinks!
• A Dry Robe, as it helps to keep you warm when entering and leaving the water (even if it’s raining!)
• Bug spray and midge repellent wristbands, especially if you’re prone to mosquito bites.
• Head torch if you’re planning on doing any camping.
• Maps for the areas you will be hiking in. You won’t find any signposts on the mountains, so you’ll need to make sure you’re prepared if you become lost!
• Suncream

Hiking boots for the Lake District

If you’re someone who enjoys long, challenging walks at a high altitude, you’re going to need hiking boots for the Lake District. You’ll be walking on different kinds of terrains, as well as in different kinds of weather (and the Lake District experiences a lot of rain).

However, if you prefer to stick to easier, flat walks, you won’t necessarily need hiking boots. I recently visited the Lake District with my family, and they preferred to wear regular running trainers (but I will emphasise, they didn’t do any difficult hikes at any higher altitudes).

If you do want to invest in some hiking boots, I recommend these Brasher Women’s Country Walking Boots.

🥾 Best for: moderate-challenging hikes

• Exceptional grip
• Waterproof and dirtproof
• Comfortable; and can be worn every day
• They look good – I’ve had many compliments about these boots in the past!
• Affordable for your first pair of hiking boots.

🥾 Related post: Review of the best hiking boots for the Lake District (men and women).

The best backpack for the Lake District

Suitable for both men and women, this backpack is a true winner in my eyes. Some may say it’s too big, but if you’re an over-packer like me, it’s perfect. You can use a smaller-sized backpack, but this one is perfect for the Lake District because of the wheels.

OSPREY 65L WHEELED BACKPACK – BUY HERE

➡ Read a full review of the Osprey 65L wheeled backpack here.

Hand luggage bag for the Lake District

In your hand luggage, keep your laptop, drone, earphones, speakers, camera and all the other valuable tech you may have. Never put valuable tech in your checked baggage. If you’re like me and need space for your laptop and cameras, the best backpack is the Aerolite 40L backpack. It’s small enough to fit in front of the aeroplane seat in front of you but big enough to hold everything you’ll need to take away with you.

It has a few different compartments which can be used for different categories, for example, tech in one pocket, and toiletries in another.

➡ BUY YOUR AEROLITE HAND LUGGAGE BACKPACK HERE.

What clothes do I need in the Lake District?

When deciding on what clothes to take to the Lake District, it’s best to think about the kind of activities you will be doing first. For example, a week in the Lake District may include:

• Hiking or walking
• Wild swimming and days spent by the lake
• Pub lunches and dinners
• Morning coffee stops
• Evenings in restaurants
• Museum trips
• Mini or crazy golf
• Watching the sunset/sunrise
• Nights around the log fire or watching the stars

So, think – what kind of clothes would you normally wear for these activities? Whether you’d wear a dress and trainers, or gym leggings and a hoody, wear whatever you will feel comfortable in.

Most accommodations and pubs will also have blankets you can use to keep warm in gardens or outdoor spaces.

Even if you want to go out for an evening meal, it’s quite rare that you’d need to bring heels and a fancy dress out. Overall, the Lake District has a laidback adventure vibe, so you’ll find most people in the pub in their mucky boots and checked shirts!

However, there are some extra clothes you may want to think about when visiting the Lake District.

• Breathable layers and base layers – especially if you’re hiking summits like Scafell Pike
• Walking trousers or comfortable (gym-like) leggings – for long hikes and walks
• A dry robe – for entering and exiting the lakes
• Hiking boots – as previously mentioned, these are important if you’re hiking for a long time in the Lake District!

What to pack for the Lake District in winter

If you’re packing for a Lake District winter trip, I recommend taking:

🧣Merino Wool Base Layers: if you’re packing for the Lake District in winter, I recommend buying some Merino wool layers. They might be expensive, but they’ll keep you warm even on extremely cold days. When we visited Lapland in Finland, we wore our Merino wool layers in temperatures of -30 degrees Celcius and they were the only thing that would keep us warm!

🧤 Insulated gloves and hat: The temperature in the Lake District in winter can drop right down to -2°C, so make sure you keep your hands and head warm when hiking.

❄️ Fleece, hoody or oversized jumper: for cold nights around the fire! Just layer up if you’re visiting in the winter to make sure you keep warm.

☔️ Rainjacket, umbrella and dry bag: It’s important to know that the Lake District is one of the wettest parts of the UK, so expect puddles and muddy terrains, especially in the autumn and winter months! Plus, when it rains in the Lake District, it pours.

What NOT to pack for a Lake District trip

As well as knowing what to pack for a Lake District trip, there are some things you do not need to bring. They include:

👠 Heels: it’s unlikely that you will need heels for a night out whilst in the Lake District.

👞 Smart shoes: trainers and sandals are sufficient for the Lake District, even for an evening meal.

📚 Heavy guidebooks: Use blogs and social media to do your research!

💄 Your make-up bag: pick a few essential items and soak up the vitamin D! I do however recommend taking SPF 50 suncream for daily face protection.

🎀 Hair tools: most hotels or cottages have hairdryers, or let your hair dry naturally in the sun.

☀️ A heavy towel: if you need a beach towel, pack a Microfibre one. They’re lightweight and dry quickly!

➡ Not booked your accommodation for the Lake District yet? If you’re travelling during the summer months, you must pre-book, as they sell out quickly! Check out the best hotels in the Lake District here.

What to pack for the Lake District: FAQs

1) Is the Lake District muddy?

It can be, although it really depends on what time of year you visit. It’s important to know that the Lake District is one of the wettest parts of the UK, so expect puddles and muddy terrains, especially in the autumn and winter months! Plus, when it rains in the Lake District, it pours. Don’t forget your rainjacket, umbrella and dry bag!

2) What are the best maps for walking in the Lake District?

If you are doing any kind of walking or hiking in the Lake District, you will need Ordnance Survey OS Explorer maps. Most of the hikes are not signposted and Google Maps is not accurate on mountain trails. The OS Explorer maps cover the whole of the Lake District but are broken down into different areas. Make sure you buy the right map for the area you would like to hike in.

➡ Buy your Lake District Ordnance Survey OS Explorer maps now!

3) When is the best time to visit the Lake District?

You can visit the Lake District 365 days a year; as it’s an ‘any kind of weather’ destination in the UK. However, if you want the cheapest accommodation prices, visit in the shoulder season (autumn and spring). During the winter months (November – February), you can expect layers of snow to be covering the trails and paths.

Summer months in the UK (June – August) are always the most expensive months to visit the Lake District, as well as being the busiest. But of course, it’s when you’ll get the best weather, with dry, hot and sunny days.

➡ Visiting the Lake District in winter? Check out this detailed guide on what to do during the colder months.

What to pack for the Lake District: In a Nutshell

So, there you have it! Everything you need to know about what to pack for the Lake District. When you’re planning a trip to the Lake District, make sure you let me know over on Instagram or in the comments below!

If you haven’t seen my blog before, I write posts aimed at first-time backpackers on a budget. I’m currently travelling around the world with my boyfriend (read more here!), creating guides and itineraries for you to follow in our footsteps!

Keep an eye out for more Lake District content, all written from a personal and realistic point of view. You can sign up for my newsletter and juicy travel updates here!

As always, thanks for reading and supporting the blog!

Happy travelling 🙂

Jennie x

Related posts:

• Best Hiking Boots for the Lake District (Review)
• BEST Walks from Ambleside, Lake District (Guide)
• 12 Easy Walks in the Lake District With AMAZING Views!
• Loughrigg Fell From Ambleside: Complete Beginner Guide

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