# PackLight for Backpacking — Lightweight Packing List Maker

> Backpacking packing list maker for lightweight gear organization and weight tracking. (iPhone/iPad app by Mark Oliveira.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packlight-for-backpacking/id1054845207 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Mark Oliveira](https://appshunter.io/developer/1054845206)
- Category: Travel, Lifestyle
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 991 App Store ratings · 145 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 4 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2015-12-01
- Data updated: 2026-08-24
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packlight-for-backpacking/id1054845207/reviews.md

## What is PackLight for Backpacking?

Keep your pack weight down and never forget crucial gear with PackLight, the packing list app for backpackers. Get PackLight today and be confident that you have exactly what you need - and only what you need - on your next adventure.

CORE FEATURES 
(100% free / no sign up / no ads)

- Organize Your Gear -- Inventory your gear by name, weight, and category.
- Build Packing Lists -- Use your gear to build weight-aware packing lists.
- Keep Your Backpack Light -- Instantly see how your gear choices impact pack weight.
- Packing Checklist -- Check off items as you pack to ensure nothing is forgotten.
- Share Packing Lists -- Post your list on packlightapp.com and share a link or send a CSV of your list to anyone.
- Visualize Weight Distribution -- Use the bar graph to compare gear categories.
- Custom Categories -- Organize items your way with your own categories.
- Import From LighterPack -- Don't start from scratch - import your LighterPack lists (unaffiliated).
- Offline Access -- Access your data even off the grid. Works without internet.

ADVANCED FEATURES (Supporter Edition)

Supporter Edition is a one-time purchase that supports ongoing maintenance and improvements to PackLight and grants permanent access to these advanced features:

- Kits for Quick Packing -- Create kits to group items that you normally pack together, like a first aid kit or cooking gear, so you can add them all to a list at once.
- Unlimited Base Lists -- Create new packing lists based on any combination of your other lists and kits.
- Inventory Search -- Quickly find gear in your inventory.

ABOUT PACKLIGHT

PackLight was originally built for my own use and published free on the App Store to share with other backpackers. All of the core features are still free and always will be and it's been great to see PackLight become a favorite for so many! Thank you!

If you think PackLight has earned it, I'd really appreciate your honest rating and review. They help a lot and I read every last one.

Got an idea for improvement? Email me any time with feedback or feature requests at packlightapp@gmail.com.

## Key features

- Organize gear by name, weight, and category
- Build weight-aware packing lists
- Visualize pack weight impact
- Packing checklist functionality
- Share packing lists via link or CSV
- Import lists from LighterPack
- Offline access to data

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter Edition | $19.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of PackLight for Backpacking?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for planning and organizing gear
- 👍 Useful for tracking gear weights
- 👍 Great for creating custom packing lists
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 👍 Excellent for backpacking and hiking
- 👍 Comprehensive gear inventory

**Cons**

- 🔍 Lack of custom categories
- 🔍 No ability to add notes or details to gear items
- 🔍 No option to track purchase price or date
- 🔍 Inability to easily share lists with others
- 🔍 No cloud sync or backup functionality

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Occasional issues with alphabetical sorting of lists
- Reported bug with displaying the correct list when selected

**Most requested features**

- Add ability to track purchase price and date for gear items
- Implement custom category creation
- Include option to add notes and details to gear items
- Implement cloud sync and backup functionality
- Add sharing capabilities to easily collaborate with others

## Recent user reviews (10 of 145)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packlight-for-backpacking/id1054845207/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Know Thy Weight

*2026-06-15, version 4.0.1*

I work at REI and share this with backpackers all the time. Often in we think of items as “that’s not so heavy” but it adds up quickly!

### 5/5 — PackLight

*2026-06-08, version 4.0.1*

This app is an awesome organization tool. I love using it for making a list for my trip and deciding what to take and not to take.

### 5/5 — Love it!

*2026-05-25, version 4.0.1*

Such a helpful, great app!

### 5/5 — Wow

*2026-05-21, version 4.0.1*

Actual free functional app 🎉!! 

Love the evolution of the packerthals on the app lol

### 2/5 — It’s fine I guess

*2026-04-12, version 4.0.1*

I wish there was a way to link to a webpage of gear items and then the app would pull the specs for you

### 5/5 — Quality Straightforward App

*2026-04-01*

The application has a great set of features and works well. I love the simple interface. The ability to have multiple gear lists and to sort them makes it easy to pick sets of gear or individual items to create a pack. 

I wish there was implementation to sync info between multiple devices and an iPad app would be nice, maybe in the future. 

The app is well worth the price for premium benefits.

### 5/5 — Great organizer

*2026-03-29*

This app will keep track of your gear and its weight. You can very easily plan a trip from there.

### 5/5 — Very Good

*2025-09-21*

Great App for easily tracking and making loadouts for different adventures.

One additional item that would be nice is to have a spot to put the price of the items so I can track cost of gear.

Also a wishlist feature would be handy.

**Developer response:** Thanks so much for the great review :) I just put out a huge update for PackLight's 10th anniversary. I hope you find the new features useful!

### 5/5 — So useful

*2025-09-04, version 4.0*

Great ability to categorise anything you need to record. Love the ability to build lists, then take the built ones and make tweaks to create new ones. Still a work in progress to see full item descriptions when inside lists, but when that happens, it will be excellent. Five stars for effort so far.

### 5/5 — Backpacking Dream List

*2025-08-23, version 4.0*

Incredible Gear Load Out Software for Backpacking

## Frequently asked questions about PackLight for Backpacking

### What does PackLight do?

PackLight is a packing list app designed for backpackers to help them organize their gear, track its weight, and build efficient packing lists. It ensures users pack only what they need, keeping their backpack as light as possible for their adventures.

### What are the key features of PackLight?

Key features include organizing gear by name, weight, and category; building weight-aware packing lists; visualizing how gear choices affect total pack weight; acting as a packing checklist; and the ability to share lists via links or CSV files. It also offers offline access and the option to import lists from LighterPack.

### Is PackLight free to use?

Yes, all core features of PackLight are 100% free, with no sign-up required and no ads. There is an optional 'Supporter Edition' available as a one-time purchase that unlocks advanced features and supports ongoing development.

### What are the advanced features in the Supporter Edition?

The Supporter Edition, available for a one-time purchase, includes advanced features such as 'Kits for Quick Packing' to group frequently packed items, 'Unlimited Base Lists' for creating complex packing lists, and 'Inventory Search' for quickly finding specific gear items.

### Can I use PackLight without an internet connection?

Yes, PackLight provides offline access to your data, meaning you can access and manage your packing lists and gear inventory even when you are off the grid and without an internet connection.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.0.1 — 2025-09-24

Fixed a bug that caused items to temporarily appear miscategorized when searching your Gear Inventory.

----------------------------
Thanks for using PackLight! Please leave a review and tell your friends if you like it.  :)

### 4.0 — 2025-04-19

PackLight turns 10 this year!! Let's celebrate with a BIG update :)

This update includes many of the most popular user requests. Thanks to your feedback, PackLight keeps getting better! 

- Share Lists On The Web: Upload a packing list to the new packlightapp.com web site and share a link with friends.
- Base Lists: Start your packing list empty, include all of your items, or pre-populate it with another list.
- User-requested enhancements: Enjoy a PackLight that is even easier to use thanks to your great user feedback. There are too many related updates to list here. Please keep the feedback coming!

- Supporter Edition: Core PackLight will always be free but if you'd like to show financial support please consider the new one-time purchase, "Supporter Edition". As a thank you, you'll gain permanent access to new, advanced features:

+  Create Gear Kits - Group items that you normally pack together (like a first aid kit or cooking gear) to easily add them to your packing lists.
+  Inventory Search - Quickly find gear in your inventory.
+  Unlimited Base Lists - Create packing lists based on as many other lists and kits as you'd like.

I hope you'll check it out!

----------------------------
Thanks for using PackLight! Please leave a review and tell your friends if you like it.  :)

### 3.9 — 2022-08-06

Bug fix: the weight field now defaults to a number pad as it should.

----------------------------
Thanks for using PackLight! Please leave a review and tell your friends if you like it.  :)

### 3.8 — 2022-07-26

When creating a new inventory item, PackLight no longer automatically skips to the notes field after you select a category. 

----------------------------
Thanks for using PackLight! Please leave a review and tell your friends if you like the app :)

### 3.7 — 2022-06-16

You can now add multiple inventory items to an existing packing list at once. You no longer need to add them one at a time.

----------------------------
Thanks for using PackLight! Please leave a review and tell your friends if you like the app :)

## Apps similar to PackLight for Backpacking

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Packing Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packing-pro/id312266675) | 4.8 (851) | $2.99 | Travel |
| [Packr Travel Packing List](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packr-travel-packing-list/id1208312901) | 4.6 (7,029) | Free | Travel |
| [Travel Packing List: Pack This](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/travel-packing-list-pack-this/id1258042125) | 4.5 (669) | Free | Travel |
| [Packing List – Pack, Repeat](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packing-list-pack-repeat/id6473901846) | 4.6 (88) | Free | Travel |
| [The A.T. Guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-at-guide/id1523722049) | 2.7 (15) | Free | Travel |
| [Dont Forget The Spoon - Hiking](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dont-forget-the-spoon-hiking/id6444052519) | 4.5 (33) | Free | Travel |

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[backpacker list](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/backpacker-list) · [packlight for backpacking](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/packlight-for-backpacking) · [lighterpack](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/lighterpack) · [backpacking](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/backpacking) · [backpacking list](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/backpacking-list) · [packing list backpacker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/packing-list-backpacker) · [packstack](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/packstack) · [packstack app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/packstack-app) · [backpack gear](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/backpack-gear) · [backpacker reviews](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/backpacker-reviews) · [backpack lizard stickers](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/backpack-lizard-stickers) · [packcheck lists](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/packcheck-lists) · [ibags](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ibags) · [my backpack mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/my-backpack-mobile) · [bushcraft](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bushcraft) · [farout guides](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/farout-guides)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-24.*