I’ve chosen to break this down into a three-part series as there is a fair bit to cover.
The next blog in our trek to New Zealand series will look at what hiking gear I will take with me.
So far I’ve written about what food we will be taking, as well as how we will be breaking down some of those 30km days we’ll be doing.
If you’ve yet to read them, I’d highly recommend reading having a look through all of the articles.
I feel as though all three will offer up a few handy little tips that will help those of you who are looking to get into multi-day trekking.
Anyway, onto the gear…
The Big Four
The big four pieces of hiking gear that should be in every multi-day trekker’s arsenal are:
- Tent
- Backpack
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat
Last time I went to New Zealand, I shared and split, my One Planet Wurley 3 Tent with one of the other guys who came with us.
‘The Palace’ is a three-man tent that weighs just over 3kg. Despite my love for it, I have opted for something a little lighter.
This time I’m taking a Nature Hike two-man tent that weighs just under 1.9kgs. It’s incredibly light and, at 6’3, it has all the room (both sitting down and lying down) that I need.
What I like about this tent is that you can use the inner and the outer as normal, however, you can use a drop sheet and the outer should the conditions allow for it.
From lightweight to a little heavier, I’ll be taking my One Planet Ned Hybrid Backpack to store all my gear in.
It weighs 2.3kgs, holds around 70 litres, and is as durable as the day is long.
I love my lightweight gear, but I’m a huge fan of this backpack for a number of reasons. It has plenty of compartments to store smaller items in, and two straps that are designed to keep my tent in line with my spine.
My sleeping system will be my Enlightened Equipment Revelation Sleeping Quilt. Weighing in at just over 500g, this quilt is rated at 20 degrees F (-6 degrees C).
This is an ideal rating for this time of year in New Zealand, especially in the places we will be going.
As the name suggests, it’s a quilt rather than a sleeping bag which allows me to open it right up should it get too hot during the evenings.
Finally, my sleeping mat is a Sea to Summit Ultralight mat with an R-Value of 0.7.
What’s an R-Value? The R-Value of any sleeping mat refers to its resistance to the cold coming through the ground below.
A mat with a rating of 0.7 has little resistance and is there suitable for warmer conditions.
Conversely, an insulated mat of any description is better suited for colder/alpine conditions.
