To Take Or Not To Take...

It's crunch time..time to make the call on stuff I've been humming and hahing about for the past week, and this is the result:

I have tried in vain to cut down the pack weight to 20 kg, but it just isn't going to happen. I've discussed with friends who balk when I tell them how heavy my pack is fully loaded, running off a list of what that weight comprises...and the universal response has been 'that sounds reasonable' or even 'that doesn't sound like much'. Consequently I just have to own to the fact that my gear weighs more than the ultralight stuff that generally populates hiking and tramping forums online (my only other resource). The truth is New Zealand trampers generally have heavier packs than our American hiker counterparts, mostly because our non-continental weather is not as consistent or predictable, and we don't have the hut-network to allow people to travel without tents. Lets not forget that most Kiwi trampers, particularly the blokes, seem to like taking a crate of beer with them...

Here in NZ we also have to take additional navigation equipment if we're doing anything other than the Great Walks as a number of our tracks and trails aren't so well marked or traveled as they are in places like the US.  Then of course I'm travelling solo, so I have no one to share weight with (e.g. one person carries the tent body and the other carries the poles), but also have to be prepared to rely on myself entirely no matter what mother nature throws at me...a slightly daunting prospect, particularly if you have an inkling of just what nature is capable of.  That being the case I've tried to follow the recommended packing list whilst having back-up options for critical things (like maps) in case the first option fails.

So, here it is, my list of gear that is now sitting packed up ready to go on a plane with me (to be re-arranged into its walking configuration once I get to Kaitaia):

• 1 x pack (old model Macpac Torlesse 65 L)
• 1 x tent (Exped Venus II Extreme...minus the spare pegs)
• 1 x foam sleeping pad
• 1 x sleeping bag (Mountain Designs Pod 500)
• 1 x pack cover
• 1 x hiking boots (Meindls, leather)
• 1 x sandals (Keens)
• 2 x 3 L hydration bladder inc. 1 x carry pack
• pot set (GSI Pinnacle Soloist) containing:
• 1 x pot with lid
• 1 x 230g gas canister (to be collected in Kaitaia as I can't take this on the plane)
• 1 x spork
• 1 x bowl (fits over gas canister, inside pot)
• 1 x compact stove
• 1 x pair walking poles
• Gore-tex Pro Shell Jacket (rainshell)
• Gore-tex over-trousers
• Compression dry bag containing:
• 1 x microfleece zip-front top
• 1 x synthetic down jacket
• Standard dry bag containing:
• 1 x trousers
• 1 x shorts
• 1 x merino long johns
• 1 x light shirt
• 2 x merino long sleeve top (one to walk in when cold, one to wear in camp)
• 4 x socks
• 4 x underwear
• 1 x bra
• 1 x fleece beanie
• 1 x gloves
• 1 x sunhat
• 2 x cotton/elastane buff
• 1 x mobile phone + USB wall adapter (trail notes + maps downloaded)
• 1x handheld GPS (Garmin 64s with track downloaded)
• 1 x external battery pack + cables for GPS & phone
• 1 x head torch (plus a little clip-on solar torch I got as a prezzy)
• 1 x camera (small, waterproof) + 1 x spare battery and battery charger
• 1 x 4 L dry bag (for all charging cables & electrics)
• bank & ID cards
• 1 x compass
• 1 x pocket knife
• 6 m fine para-cord (no specific use but can be a clothesline, used to fix tent guide ropes, emergency laces etc.)
• miniature roll duct tape (for emergency repairs)
• 1 x small packet matches
• 1 x packet of hikers wool (for blisters)
• 1 x high visibility vest (recommended on TA website)
• sunscreen
• insect repellent
• 1 x waterproof map pocket containing:
• 1 x Te Araroa Maps
• 1 x Te Araroa Trail Notes
• 2 x pens (one permanent marker, one pen)
• 1 x small notebook
• First Aid Kit, 12 x 10 x 4 cm, containing: 10 x plasters, 2 x gauze, adhesive wound cover (30 cm, cut to size), 1 x scissors, wound closure steri-strips, 3 x cotton swabs, 8 x disinfection pads (assorted alcohol + iodine), 1 x tube saline, 1 x tweezers, pencil + waterproof note paper, 1 x set of gloves, 8 x safety pins (range of sizes), 2 x straight needle + spindle of thread, 2 x scalpel blades, 2 x curved needle + 2 m fine fishing line (easy to sterilize), assorted one-off doses of medications for pain, infection, diarrhea, allergies, muscle spasms, etc. (extracts from travel-clinic kit): Loperamide, Norfloxacin, Simplotan, Buscopan, Stemzine, Roxythromycin, Strepsils, Razene, Panadol, Voltaren), 1 x laminated sheet identifying medications, usage and dosages, spare Aquatabs (1 strip; enough to treat 8 L of water)
• toilet bag, containing: toothbrush + paste, small tube barrier cream/moisturiser, small tube foot balm, small tube antiseptic ointment, small cake of soap, palm-sized scrubber, handful of cotton buds, hairbrush
• 1 x roll of toilet paper
• 1 x hand sanitiser
• 1 x bum bag (worn separate from backpack), containing:
• snacks/day's lunch
• PLB (ACR ResQLink Plus)
• Survival Kit (metal tin 8.5 x 11.5 x 2.5 cm) containing: waterproof note paper + pencil, 2 x straight needles (1 large, 1 small), 1 x curved needle, 3 x fish hooks, 3 x swivels, 3 x small sinkers, 4 m fishing line, 2 m snare wire, 2 x scalpel blades, 1 x multi-tool card, 1 x mirror, flint + steel, 2 x "compressed tinder sticks" (not my phrasing, but basically: tampons), 2 x sweets, 4 x Aquatabs, 1 x miniature blade sharpening brick (600), 1.5 m duct tape wrapped around a straw, 1 x wire saw, 1 x button compass, 1 x whistle, 1 x survival blanket
• Food (as much as is needed per trail section + 1-2 days' spare)

And there we have it. The bad news is all this still clocks in at over 20 kg...quite a bit over.  Once I added food things got stupidly heavy so I've tried to be diligent and cut out anything that isn't necessary: my beloved Exped Swan WB is gone in favour of my smaller 700g-lighter mid-weight sleeping bag, plus I've ditched my collapsible shovel, solar charger, microfibre towel and (regrettably) my Kindle. All up this saved nearly 2.5 kg.

At this stage I'm not willing to part with anything else. Due to my thru-hiking inexperience and solo attempt I'm unwilling to compromise on safety gear.  Most other things are necessary or come highly recommended; far from having a Kindle my luxury items are now my printed trail notes, notebook, extra merino top, spare undies and a bag of cookies (field work tradition). I considered dumping the trail notes, but I don't want to have to rely on my electrics--if all else fails I want to be able to self-navigate without missing key turn-offs. If I was REALLY organised I could post myself so-called ‘bounce-boxes’ to strategic locations to pick up gear and maps for specific sections of trail and save carrying them the entire way...call me stubborn and disorganised but I like having everything with me all at once.  I like to know that no matter what happens I should be prepared for it, and even with the excessive maps & notes (entire North Island section) it will give me something to read (in place of my Kindle), scribble on, and again, reduces the anxiety I would otherwise have about being able to plan for what’s ahead.  (Now all I have to do is keep the damn things dry…my gut tells me this is going to be a challenge…but I can only try).

It's a pity (and potentially a very real future pain) that my core gear (pack and tent) is so heavy...part of me wishes I'd been a bit more organised, less tight with my money and shelled out for an ultralight tent and pack along with my other new gear (I walked into the shower with my new rainshell on the other day and it passed the test with flying colours). I find myself almost hoping for one hell of a storm so I can firmly nod my head and be justified in both the money I’ve spent on my raincoat as well as taking such a sturdy (a.k.a. heavy) tent (Mother Nature: please don't take this as a challenge and smite me!).

The foam sleeping mat is going to be a tough transition from my comfy bed but I've gone with this over an air mattress as it's easy to pack (straps to the outside of my pack) and is arguably more durable, more versatile, and a lot easier to pack up...I'll just have to harden up (or find an alternative at a resupply point). Two hydration bladders may be excessive but prior experience of running out of water is a good motivator for erring on the side of carrying more water and two bladders was the easiest way of maximising capacity without taking up excessive storage space (only small water bottles fit in my side pockets so they're hardly worth carrying). People look at me a little oddly when I mention the survival kit, but I see it as part and parcel with the PLB: you wear it on your person in case you and your pack get separated.  There are different ways this could happen: losing footing during a river crossing, tipping a kayak (there's at least one kayak leg), or even getting dumped off a bridge into a river. You carry a PLB and survival kit every step of the way hoping you'll never have to use them, but in the event that you do you should be able to send out a call for help and in the meantime find shelter, treat wounds, stay warm, find clean water, find food, and attract attention. Hopefully I won't have to find out about any of this in detail.

I'm sure some people will read the above list and think "what the hell? Why are you taking all that?!", while others might be more inclined to say "OMG, I couldn't not take my Ipod and bunny slippers!" etc. I guess I hope to fall somewhere in the semi-sensible middle ground.  I have all this kit, and I know how to use it. I've never thru-hiked and so while I've shouldered 22-23 kg packs before without a problem, I expect the weight to take its toll over time. If/when it does I'll have to reconsider my packed item priorities. No doubt I will be amusement fodder of experienced thru-hikers jogging past with their sub-10 kg packs, but perhaps this is all part of the rookie thru-hiker rite of passage?  When it boils down to it, as a solo hiker there's really only one way to find out what works and what doesn't...get out there and give it a go!