The equipment I will carry on the Routeburn Track...
The second part of my preparation for walking the Routeburn Track is gathering all the equipment I will need for the tramp. I have honed this gear list down over the last decade and have removed all extraneous equipment and excess weight.
Packing up my kit in Howden Hut back in 2020 |
My over arching plan with this equipment is to carry as little weight as possible without compromising safety. I could certainly take less gear with me but I would not be self sufficient in an emergency. I have no wish to appear on your evening news as another of those "daft trampers" in trouble because I didn't take enough gear to support myself...
Gator don't play that way!!!
Overview of my gear:
My usual set of gear for a Great Walk |
Here is a list of the gear I carry excluding specific sub groups I will discuss below...
Pack: Osprey Atmos 50 AG with raincover and packliner
Sleep system: see below
Cooking kit: see below
Clothing: see below
Emergency equipment: ACR ResQLink PLB, First Aid kit, SOL mylar bivy bag
Electronics: Samsung A12 phone, Canon SX410IS camera with 6 batteries, Kindle Paperwhite, 20 000 mAh power bank with cord, Black Diamond headtorch + spare batteries
Navigation: Silva Ranger compass, topographic maps of the track
Toiletries: Sea to Summit Drylite towel, tooth brush, tooth paste, comb, insect repellant, sun screen, anti chaff, Luka tape
Accessories: jandal's for hut shoes, strapless digital watch, general repair kit, bandanna, wallet (drivers license/hut pass/cash/credit card), car keys, camera pouch fitted to my pack hip belt,
All up my gear weighs 9.7 kg's without food or water which is not Ultra Lite but is manageable. The gear I would take on a Great Walk is basically the same as what I would haul for any tramp. This equipment (with regular food resupply) would allow me to stay on a long trail for several months at a time.
Specific equipment sub groups:
Some of the equipment I carry warrants its own sub grouping.
Clothing: Worn
Worn clothing refers to the clothes you wear day to day and therefore does not take up space in your pack. I'm from the start cold-warm up school so I am usually attired in the bare minimum of clothing when I start out in the morning. My usual tramping attire will be some type of short sleeved shirt, shorts, underwear and my boots or shoes.
My tramping uniform: shirt, shorts and boots... |
Jon standing outside Saxon Hut in December 2021 |
Worn clothing consists of:
Short sleeve shirt, shorts, technical underwear, socks, foot wear, sun hat
I will use mountain trainers or boots depending on the trip and the socks I use are either Bridgedale or Icebreaker.
Footwear: worn
The Routeburn is a rough & rocky track in places through high Alpine terrain and good footwear is essential to a successful trip. I will be wearing my old faithful Lowa boots on this tramp as I have on so many others.
Lowa Ranger III boots for the Routeburn |
I use Lowa Ranger III boots in a size 14US or 13UK....my current pair have been in use since 2018 and still have many years of use in them. Lowa are a German bootmaker who have been in business since the 1920's and they make some of the best outdoor boot products on the market. As you would imagine with a German manufacturer they are well made and super comfortable to wear...I have never had blisters with these.
My Lowa boots on the Heaphy Track in Decmeber |
Good boots need good socks to work at their peak so my go to sock brand is Bridgedale...I wear their merino blend Trekker socks and have been very happy with my choice. I have a brand new and freshly laundered pair for this trip and I carry a spare pair of the same for hut wear and in case something happens to one of my day to day socks.
Bridgedale Trekker socks are my go to brand |
I have gaiters but do not wear them on Great Walks as the tracks are usually wide enough and well formed enough to make them surplus to requirements. That said I could have used them on the Heaphy track last December...it was muddy!!!
Clothing: Warm/Spare
I have a set of warmer clothes that I take with me when I go out tramping..the weather here in New Zealand is very changeable so you have to be prepared for all weather from baking sun to blizzard. As I have already stated I am usually to be seen in a short sleeve shirt and shorts so this warm gear stays in a dry bag in my pack most of the time.
Wearing one of my merino tops on a trip to the Hawdon Valley |
I carry the following warm gear on every Great Walk tramp:
H & F fleece pullover, merino long sleeved top, merino leggings, nylon track pants for the hut, merino Bennie (2 incase I lose one), gloves, spare socks
Great Walk specific clothing includes:
Spare short sleeve shirt, nylon track pants (both for use in the hut)
In actual fact I have only needed these warm clothes 6-7 times over the last decade but I would never leave them behind. I wear my warm fleece on every trip once it starts getting cold at sundown...
Clothing: wet weather gear:
You spend most of your time on the Routeburn up above the bush line so the chances of encountering some serious rain are quite high. Ideally I would have a heavy duty E-vent or Gortex parka but what I will be carrying is my usual wet weather gear.
My wet weather gear: jacket, pants and over-mitts |
Both my jacket and over trousers are from Stoney Creek...the Stow It jacket and a pair of Dreambull wet weather pants. Both items have a 24 000 water head and are fully seam sealed with a generous adjustable hood on the jacket. I have recently renewed the water proofing on my jacket so it should be good to go for this trip.
Stoney Creek Stowit jacket |
I have worn these in heavy sustained rain and they have kept me warm and safe if not always comfortable or 100% dry. If it rains enough every jacket is going to soak through eventually. I wear these with a wicking undergarment and a baller cap to keep the hood off my eyes.
In my wet weather gear on the Paparoa Track in 2021 |
My wet weather gear is:
Stoney Creek Stowit Jacket, Stoney Creek Dreambull trousers, Outdoor Research Mitts, Baller cap
I also have a pair of Outdoor Research Gortex over-mitts for my hands so I can basically be cocooned from my head to my feet in water proof gear.
OR Gortex over mitts for use in the rain... |
I really need a heavier duty jacket just for tramping in Fiordland but it is not something I am going to acquire before this tramp.
Sleep system:
I am a hot sleeper so I will not need to take one of my heavy duty sleeping bags with me on this trip. All of the huts on the Routeburn are less than 40 years old so they will have good insulation and are likely to be full of hot heat pumping humans.
What I will be using is my Macpac NZAT down quilt...
My Macpac NZAT quilt at Ces Clarke Hut in 2020 |
My favored position in Lakehead Hut, Nelson Lakes NP |
I carry a Sea to Summit Aeros pillow |
Cooking kit:
My standard cook kit...Great Walk edition |
Recycled juice bottles are great for water carry... |
Ancillary gear:
Here is some ancillary gear I will carrying with me when I am on the Routeburn Track. This gear does not easily fit into the sub groups mentioned above and needs explanation.
Food...
As you will know I have made a separate post just about the food I will be using on this trip. I will be taking meals for four days with breakfast, lunch and dinner catered for. I am more than happy to just eat freeze dried meals the whole time...hey it is only four days and I can eat healthier options before and after the tramp.
My Routeburn Track menu... |
My food is the heaviest and bulkiest item I am carrying in my pack. It weighs in at 2.4 kg's but I will eat almost 1 kg of that total before I start the real climbing up out of Routeburn Falls Hut. Food is energy to tramp so this is an area you cannot skimp on...
Trekking poles...
I have been using trekking poles for the last decade...they assist with stability, make crossing smaller streams easier and relieve pressure on your hips, knees and ankles. As I get older I find them more and more useful and would not think of going for any extended tramp without them. My go to brand is Leki and I am currently on my second pair.
Ye gawds...lift those pole tips Jon!!! |
My pack and poles at Gouland Downs Hut |
Using the Leki poles on the Heaphy Track |
If you have never used trekking poles before you should think about it. There are a ton of suppliers and lots of information online about the techniques and pros/cons of using them.
So that is the gear i will be using on the Routeburn Track in two weeks..
Thanks, Jon for the info. Have you ever used Lighterpack.com which is a invaluable website for collating one's pack weight?
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