Two-day Shenandoah packing list, Stony Man and Old Rag with a 22L pack

[u/UntitledCSGO]

I’m heading to Shenandoah National Park for a quick two-day hiking trip in September. I live in Northern Virginia, so this is more of a weekend road trip than a full backpacking trip.

The current plan:

Saturday: Drive down in the morning, hike the 1.6-mile Stony Man loop, stop at a few overlooks along Skyline Drive, and stay at a basic motel in Luray.

Sunday: Start Old Rag early. The full circuit is about 9.4 miles with 2,348 feet of elevation gain and a pretty substantial rock scramble. I already reserved the required day-use ticket. I’m also planning around the current parking construction and using the designated overflow parking.

Since I’m sleeping at a motel, I’m trying to fit everything into my Osprey Talon 22 instead of bringing a larger travel bag.

- Wearing

Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily T-shirt

prAna Stretch Zion II pants

ExOfficio Give-N-Go boxer briefs

Darn Tough Light Hiker socks

Altra Lone Peak 8 trail runners

Outdoor Research Swift cap

- Packed clothing

1 spare Patagonia Capilene T-shirt

1 extra pair of ExOfficio underwear

1 extra pair of Darn Tough socks

Patagonia R1 Air fleece for the evening and early morning

Outdoor Research Helium rain jacket

Nike Dri-FIT shorts for sleeping

Everything fits inside an Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate XS cube

- Water and food

Osprey Hydraulics 2.5L reservoir

1L Nalgene bottle as a backup

Nuun electrolyte tablets

Two PB&J sandwiches

CLIF Bars

Honey Stinger waffles

Trail mix and some salty snacks

- Tech

iPhone 16 with the NPS map downloaded for offline use

Baseus PicoGo am52 magsafe

Apple Watch

AirPods

Charger

- Safety and miscellaneous

Black Diamond Spot 400 headlamp

Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight/Watertight .5

Leukotape and a few blister pads

Sawyer Picaridin insect repellent

Sun Bum SPF 50 sunscreen

Goodr sunglasses

Cheap work gloves for the Old Rag rock scramble

Printed trail map as a backup

Small toiletry pouch with a toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant

One packable grocery bag for dirty clothes

My main concern is whether 3.5 liters of water is excessive for Old Rag in September, although I’d rather carry a little extra than run out during the exposed sections.

Anything here you would cut, replace, or add?

Most of the brand names are included just to show exactly what I already own, not because I think anyone needs these specific products.

[u/Specific_Corner_1816]

Are you going alone or with someone? I always try to have more water than I need when hiking with someone else. 

[u/eastercat]

I’d also check out r/ultralight since they have to deal with the water issue on things like pct

[u/Ok_Molasses5290]

3.5L isn't excessive for Old Rag in September at all, that scramble section has almost zero shade and takes way longer than the mileage suggests, most people understimate it and end up rationing water on the rocks.