Packing essentials

40 lbs is an seagulls lot of stuff to carry around.
For Jungfrau region I used layers. Back something like an Icebreaker brand merino layer for higher altitudes.

A 40 pound backpack?? 40 pounds??? Backpack????

Are you sure you didn't mean 40 litre backpack?

Lololol...My fault. 40L 😂
Also...I'm not hiking w it, but still...DETAILS 🤣

Thank goodness it's not 40#!!

Here's what I always make sure I have when I travel to mountain areas - either in the Western US or Europe.

-glove liners: I like the Smartwool ones. I took some new merino/poly liners to Scotland recently and found the fabric seemed to be absorbent rather than neutral or water repellent, lol. Yikes, what a wet soggy mess. I'll go back to the 100% Smartwool ones for next winter but you might not want to spend that much money. I'd just go with basic liners.

-waterproof jacket: Waterproof, not water resistant with a hood. I prefer the hoods to have a small bill on the front to help deflect rain from my face

-long sleeve layer: I took a long sleeve dri-fit quarter (or half?) zip pullover with me recently and wore it at least part of nearly every day. It is light enough to go in to my purse but warm enough to be a nice layer in rain/wind/chilly temps under my waterproof layer. I just had a cheap Ideology brand shirt from Macy's sale rack.

-small binoculars: Essential for me but not for everyone. I have an older pair or Nikons that were under $100 that I use for traveling.

-chapstick and sunscreen!

Never pack a thing because it might be useful. Only pack a thing if you know you will use it multiple times. If it turns out you need a thing you didn't pack, then you can buy the thing over there. Europe has many things. Except ibuprofen. For some reason they control the heck of out it.

ibuprofen is available, though possibly under a trade name. You would need to ask the pharmacist.

• If you're doing any serious hiking, a small compass. But if you can see the sun and know the time, you should be able to find north (hint: solar midday, when the sun is due south, is actually ~13:30 Swiss summer time).
• A Swiss army knife. If you have hand luggage only, you will need to buy one in Switzerland.
• A water bottle. On sale everywhere in Switzerland. Even in the valleys, it can got very dehydrating. Luckily nearly every village has a drinking water fountain for you to fill up (click for photo).

We love hiking in Switzerland and northern Italy so have determined after many trips to pack along collapsible trekking poles. We used to buy a cheap set of rigid poles on arrival then abandon them at the end of the trip since they would not fit in our luggage, but as we need them at home now, too, the more expensive ones get packed along.

I just got back and there's not much you need there that's different than any other trip.
Reusable water bottle, day pack, dress in layers, a light rainjacket, sunglasses and sunscreen.
I did not bring or need gloves, a compass, hiking boots. We did a hike everyday but around 2hours ish, nothing too technical.

I did bring a swiss army knife - for the corkscrew and knife for spreading Nutella :)

@jbkulick...I think you're my kind of traveller 😂😍

I don't go anywhere without a raincoat, sun visor and a cork screw!

Pack a bathing suit. As you indicated you will have a day in Bern, one of the highlights of our trip there was doing the Aare River float.

RE: I did bring a swiss army knife - for the corkscrew and knife for spreading Nutella...

Assuming that you are NOT checking your pack, the knife will likely not make it out of North America:L
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/swiss-army-knife

That said, you can buy a souviner Swiss Army Knife after landing. Just remember to put it into your checked luggage on your return flight home.