What to pack in your gym bag comes down to five things: water, fuel, the lifting gear you actually use, a shower kit and the small items that save a session, like headphones and a lock. A bag packed the night before means fewer missed workouts and fewer trips to the vending machine. Use the checklist below, then tick off the extras that suit how you train.
The gym bag checklist
Screenshot this table or save the page. Not everyone needs every item, so start with the essentials and add the rest as your training grows.
| Item | Why pack it | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Water bottle | Drink between sets and refill at the gym | Essential |
| Small towel | Wipe down benches and your face. Most gyms require one | Essential |
| Phone, headphones and membership card or app | Entry, your program and music | Essential |
| Padlock | For a locker, if your gym has them | Essential |
| Shaker with a pre-measured scoop of protein | Easy protein after training, just add water | Handy |
| Electrolyte sachet | Long, hot or very sweaty sessions | Handy |
| Snack, such as a protein bar or fruit | If you train straight after work or need fuel on the drive home | Handy |
| Lifting straps and wrist wraps | Heavy pulling and pressing days | If you lift heavy |
| Lifting belt and chalk | Heavy squats and deadlifts, sweaty hands | If you lift heavy |
| Thongs for the shower | Communal shower floors | If you shower there |
| Shower towel, toiletries, deodorant and a change of clothes | Going straight to work, uni or out | If you shower there |
| Plastic or wet bag | Keeps sweaty clothes away from clean ones | Handy |
| Spare socks, hair ties and a few plasters | Small things that save a session | Handy |
Fuel and hydration: what to bring
Water first
For most one-hour gym sessions, water is all you need. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests aiming to avoid losing more than about 2 percent of your body weight through sweat during exercise, and says sweat rates vary a lot from person to person. A simple check is to weigh yourself before and after a session. If you are regularly lighter afterwards, drink more during training.
Electrolytes for long or sweaty sessions
Electrolyte drinks replace the sodium and potassium you lose in sweat. The Australian Institute of Sport lists electrolyte supplements in Group A of its Sports Supplement Framework, meaning there is strong evidence for their use in specific sporting situations, such as long or hot sessions. The ACSM notes drinks with electrolytes can help more than water alone in some situations. If you train for more than an hour, train in the heat or finish sessions soaked, they are worth packing.
- Switch Nutrition Hydrate sachets: 20 single-serve sachets, each with 302 mg sodium, 155 mg potassium and 125 mg magnesium. Sachets are the easiest option for a gym bag. $49.95 a box, about $2.50 a sachet.
- Dr. Hydrate Electrolytes: one of our best sellers in the last six months. A 270 g jar with 30 serves, each giving 250 mg sodium, 160 mg potassium, 160 mg calcium and 63 mg magnesium, and it is HASTA certified. Tip a scoop into your bottle before you leave. $49.95, about $1.67 a serve.
- R1 Lytes 10 Serves: a 60 g trial tub with 200 mg sodium and 220 mg potassium per scoop, small enough to live in your bag. $10.00.
Compare more options in our best electrolytes in Australia guide or browse the hydration and electrolytes range.
Protein and a snack
Pre-measure a scoop of your usual protein powder into a dry shaker or a small container, then add water after training. If you train straight after work, a bar in your bag stops a long gap between meals. Fibre Boost Protein Bars are sold as single bars at $5.50 each, so you can keep a couple in your bag. See every option in our protein bars collection.
Lifting gear worth carrying
Only pack what you use, but if you lift heavy these earn their place:
- Lifting straps for deadlifts, rows and shrugs when grip gives out first. Heavy Duty Lifting Straps are $19.95.
- Wrist wraps for heavy bench press, overhead press and front squats. A pair of Wrist Wraps by Supps247 is $27.90.
- A lifting belt for your heaviest squat and deadlift sets. The Heavy Duty Leather Weight Lifting Belt is $49.95.
- Chalk for sweaty hands, if your gym allows it. Ultimate Grip Pro chalk comes in a 200 g resealable pouch, so it will not spill in your bag, for $39.95.
Browse more in our cool gym stuff and gym accessories ranges, or see our gift guide for gym lovers if the bag is a present.
Shower kit and hygiene
If you shower at the gym, pack thongs. Healthdirect notes you can catch tinea from the floors of showers and shared changing rooms, and advises wearing thongs in communal showers and not sharing towels. Add a separate shower towel, travel-size toiletries, deodorant and a full change of clothes, plus a plastic or wet bag for sweaty gear.
Packing tips that make it easier
- Pack the night before. Leave the bag by the door or in the car so there is no excuse in the morning.
- Keep a stocked pouch. A small pouch with electrolyte sachets, a bar, plasters, hair ties and a spare lock means you only need to add clothes and water.
- Empty it after every session. Rinse your shaker straight away and hang damp towels and clothes to dry so the bag does not start to smell.
- Restock once a week. Check your sachets, snacks and toiletries on the same day each week.
Our pick: the three things most people forget
Most people remember their shoes and headphones. The items that most often get left behind are a lock, thongs for the shower and something to drink besides water on a long or hot day. If you only add three things to your bag this week, make them a padlock, a pair of thongs and a box of Switch Nutrition Hydrate sachets for sweaty sessions. Then build out your lifting kit as your training gets heavier.
How our price compares
Here is what the same products cost at other Australian supplement stores, so you can check the difference yourself.
| Product | Supps247 | Nutrition Warehouse | ASN | Elite Supps | Supplement Mart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Hydrate Electrolytes 30 serves | $49.95 | $49.95 | $39.96 (sale) | $49.90 | $53.95 |
| Switch Nutrition Hydrate 20 sachets | $49.95 | $49.95 | $39.96 (sale) | Other sizes only | $49.95 |
| R1 Lytes 10 serves | $10.00 | $17.00 (sale) | Other sizes only | Other sizes only | Other sizes only |
Supps247 prices come from our website. Other prices were checked on the websites of Nutrition Warehouse, Australian Sports Nutrition (ASN), Elite Supps and Supplement Mart on 29 October 2026 (same product and size, price for one unit) and can change at any time. Sale means it was on sale that day. Other sizes only means they sell it in a different size. Supps247 members can use our Price Match Guarantee against Nutrition Warehouse, ASN, Elite Supps and Supplement Mart: we beat their full price by 5% or match their sale price (conditions apply).
Shop the products in this guide
Switch Nutrition Hydrate, 20 sachets$49.95
Dr. Hydrate Electrolytes, 30 serves$49.95
Heavy Duty Lifting Straps$19.95
Wrist Wraps by Supps247 (pair)$27.90
Browse all hydration and electrolytes, cool gym stuff and gym accessories.
FAQs
What should I bring to the gym as a beginner?
Keep it simple: a water bottle, a small towel, your phone and headphones, your membership card or app, a padlock if there are lockers, and comfortable shoes. Add a shaker with a scoop of protein if you plan to have a shake after training. Lifting gear like straps, wraps and a belt can wait until your weights get heavier.
Do I need electrolytes for the gym?
Not for most one-hour weights sessions, where water is usually enough. Electrolytes are more useful when you train for longer than an hour, train in the heat, sweat heavily or do two sessions in a day. The Australian Institute of Sport rates electrolyte supplements as Group A for specific sporting situations. Sachets are the easiest way to keep them in a gym bag.
How do I stop my gym bag from smelling?
Take everything out after each session. Hang damp towels and clothes to dry, rinse your shaker straight away and wash it properly when you get home. Keep sweaty gear in a separate plastic or wet bag, and let the gym bag air out with the zip open. A quick wipe of the inside every week or two helps too.
Should I pack a protein shake for after the gym?
It is a handy option if your next meal is more than an hour or two away. Put a scoop of powder in a dry shaker or small container and add water after training. Your total protein across the day matters more than having a shake right after a session, so if you are eating a protein-rich meal soon, you can skip it.
Why should I wear thongs in the gym shower?
Communal shower floors are a common place to pick up tinea, a fungal skin infection. Healthdirect advises wearing thongs in communal showers and not sharing towels or shoes. A cheap pair of thongs in your bag is one of the easiest things to pack and one of the most often forgotten.
Sources: ACSM position stand: exercise and fluid replacement (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2007); Australian Institute of Sport, Sports Supplement Framework Group A; healthdirect, tinea; product labels and brand nutrition panels, checked October 2026.
Order online with Australia-wide delivery, free on orders of $99.99 or more, with Afterpay available at checkout. You can also use click and collect at a store that offers it, or visit a Supps247 store in Melbourne, regional Victoria or Brisbane to compare products in person. Members can use our member price match on full-priced items.
Prices and stock were checked on 29 October 2026 and can change at any time. Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or take regular medication, check with your doctor first.
