Sketching in the mountains: How much art supplies do you really need?

Last week, I went on a hut-to-hut hike in the Italian Alps with two friends. It wasn't a leisurely walk from mountain hut to mountain hut, but a multi-day hike where every gram in your backpack matters. After all, everything you bring has to be carried over the mountains by you.

For many hikers, the choices are straightforward. Bring the bare minimum of clothing, you can wash items along the way. Toiletries are carefully measured out for the exact number of days you'll be away. Everything you pack has a practical purpose. But what do you do when drawing is an essential part of your travels?

For me, one thing was immediately clear: leaving without a sketchbook was simply not an option. The only question was how much art material I could justify bringing.

Finding the right sketchbook

The first challenge was choosing the right sketchbook. It had to be light enough to carry in my backpack, yet sturdy enough to handle watercolour.

So I headed to my favorite art supply store, where I could actually feel the paper and compare the weight of different options. In the end, I chose a set of three small Hahnemühle sketchbooks.

Choosing the rest of my supplies

Then the real puzzle began. Which watercolour set should I bring? Which pencil grades would I actually use? Which fineliner sizes? And what could I possibly use as a lightweight water container in the mountains?

Since we were able to leave one bag behind during part of the trek, I decided to pack a little more generously. My complete sketching kit consisted of:

The complete sketching kit.

• 1 new sketchbook

• 1 set of Faber Castell sketching pencils

• 1 simple Winsor & Newton watercolour set

• 1 pencil sharpener

• 1 eraser

• 2 fineliners (0.05 and 0.1)

• 1 tissue

• The lid of a small jar to use as a water cup

• 1 resealable plastic bag as a pencil case.

Making the final decisions

Right before we started hiking, it was time for one last round of decisions. What would stay behind? And what would actually make it into the mountains?

Looking at my supplies one more time, I realized I didn't really need the pencils after all. By leaving them behind, I accepted that every line in my sketchbook would be permanent from the very first stroke. So the pencils stayed behind.

In the end, I carried only my sketchbook, two fineliners, and my watercolour set with two brushes into the mountains.

Showtime

Capturing the day after a cold shower at the rifugio. The cold water wasn't by choice..

After every demanding day of hiking, I took out my sketchbook.

With a drink within reach and my friends beside me, I made quick sketches of the day's scenery. A mountain ridge, a refuge, a breathtaking view, or simply a memorable moment.

No elaborate drawings. No perfectionism.

Just observing, sketching, and capturing the moment. I saved the watercolour for later.

Alongside the sketches, I drew the route we had walked and added short notes. Funny comments, exhausting climbs, unexpected encounters, and those moments when we simply stood in silence because the view left us speechless.

Looking back now, it's those little notes that bring the drawings completely back to life.

What I actually needed

The finished mountain sketches from my hut-to-hut hike in the Italian Alps.

After the trip, I became curious about how much weight my choices had actually saved.

• Complete sketching kit: 270 grams

• Sketchbook, two fineliners, watercolor set, and two brushes: 150 grams

• Just the sketchbook and two fineliners: 62 grams

While hiking, I discovered that I hardly found the time to paint at all. The quick ink sketches were more than enough to capture each day.

Next time, I'll probably leave the watercolor set at home as well. That would save another 90 grams.

On paper, that doesn't sound like much, but during a multi-day mountain trek, those small weight savings can make a surprisingly big difference.

Een onbetaalbaar souvenir

Besides a collection of bruises, scraped knees, and a healthy reality check for my ego, I brought home something far more valuable: a sketchbook full of memories.

Not perfect illustrations, but pages that instantly take me back to the mountain trails, the refuges, the conversations, the incredible views, and, of course, my dear friends.

Maybe that's the biggest lesson this trip taught me: You don't need much to preserve a memory. Sometimes, a small sketchbook, a fineliner, and just a few quiet minutes are more than enough.