My gear list

A gear list for multi-day Summer trips

This gear list is a work in progress as I am trying to reduce the weight of equipment I carry. I am certainly not an ultra lighter, those guys can get by with with less than 5 kgs of gear.  I have got my base weight (no food or water) down to the 8-9 kg level. This provides me with the essentials for survival at a bearable weight.

My pack leaning on the Anne Saddle sign, St James Walkway

Anyway, I'm currently carrying a total weight of approximately 8.5 kgs. Added to this would be 600-800gms of food per day (dehydrated meals, snacks, tea/coffee, instant soup etc) and water.The plastic water bottles I use are1 litre volume and weigh 45gms empty. I carry two, I would carry more water if going onto dry tops or to a 'dry' hut so 1-2 kgs.

My pack on the Abel Tasman Coast Track

I have shaved about 1.5 kgs of weight by buying lighter rain gear, cooking gear, a quilt and a lighter pack. 

A note on my various shelters

 Because I am normally by myself I carry an emergency shelter of some sort, either a emergency bivy bag, tarp or tent. If I am mostly going to be staying in huts I take a tarp and bug net as a back up just in case the hut is full.

My current tarp is a Oztrail 2.1 x 3.0 metre design with a Sea to Summit bug net for a total of 1.1kgs.

My tarp set up on the tops near Mt Richardson

My main tent (a Luxe Lightwave) is 1.28kgs. I carry it if expecting to camp for the night, it gives me more bug free space than the tarp. I use a 6' x 4' piece of light plastic sheeting as a ground cloth with both of these set ups.

My Luxe tent set up on the QCT, February 2016

I recently purchased a new Ultra Light tramping tent, it is a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 1. This is a 3+ season free standing tent, it is for 1 person but is almost the same size as my Luxe two person tent.This will now act as my main tramping and long trail tent it weighs 990grams!!!

My Big Agnes, Copper Spur UL 1 tent

I also carry a SOL emergency bivy bag with me at all times, this is a breatheable mylar bag with heat retention properties.

A SOL emergency bivy bag

It weighs around 260gms but gives me a level of protection especially when I am out on a day tramp. you would freeze but at least you wouldnt die.....

Talking about my packs...

I have six packs which I use depending on trip type, amount of gear carried and length of trip:

• Osprey Atmos 50 AG, 53+ltr -  this is my new overnight pack and could carry enough gear for 1-4 days if required. Total weight is in the region of 1.6 kg

The Osprey Atmos 50 AG in Anti Crow Hut

The gear I carry on an overnight trip

• Osprey Volt 75ltr - This is now my go to multi-day and long trail pack. This weighs a lot less than my Vaude pack and comes in at 1.7-1.8 kg

Osprey Volt 75 on the Travers -Sabine circuit track

The gear I carry for a multi day (3-7 day) trip

• Vaude Accept, 65+10ltr - this is for multi-day trips over three days or when I am carrying additional gear for winter conditions. I have taken to this bag with a knife and cut off all unnecessary straps, pouches etc. for a 400gm weight loss, it now weighs 1900gms.

My Vaude Accept 65l pack on a multi-day trip on the West Coast

•  Vaude Brenta 55ltr - this is a pack I brought in 2016 for short over night trips, Great Walks and for the Te Araroa Trail. The bag weighs 1400gms so it is relatively lite. I have used it on all these trip types but have switched to using my Brenta 45 and Atmos 55+ packs.

My Vaude Brenta 55 ltr on the Nina Hut Track

My daughter Georgia with the Brenta 55, Packhorse Hut

• Vaude Breta 45l - This is my main day trip bag, it weighs 1200gms and is large enough to hold my gear without excess space. It is the smaller cousin to the Brenta 55 (there are also Brenta 35 and 25l packs).

My Vaude Brenta day pack on the Bealey Valley Track

The gear I carry for a day trip...

• A Rocky Ridge 25l - this is a small bag I use for short day walks, and my fitness walking. It is a good bag if I am doing a there and back tops day trip because it only weighs 700gms. 

Me and my Rocky Ridge bag on the Christchurch 360 Trail

My multi-day tramping gear list

This is a gear list for Spring-Summer-Autumn multi-day trips, I do go out in winter but only for overnight jaunts. 

My 2018- multi-day tenting gear laid out for packing

Obviously if I was going out in Winter or Spring I would carry additional warm clothing; a Macpac down jacket and  extra warm merino hat/gloves/socks as spares. 

A summer tramping gear list:

Item Name		Description	Qty	Gram
Batteries	tools	AAA 4 spare	1	48
First Aid kit	tools	Home made	1	180
Knife	tools	Victorix folding	1	34
Lighting, tent	tools	Cylum stick	1	25
Compass	tools	Silva ranger	1	64
Survival kit	tools	Misc. items	1	145
Repair kit	tools	Various repair materials	1	108
Headlamp	tools	Black Diamond, LED	1	48
PLB	tools	REsQLink PLB	1	260
Trekking pole	tools	Leki Lightweight pole	1	225
Pack liner	pack	Plastic, MSC yellow	1	174
Pack 75 ltr	pack	Osprey Volt, 75l pack	1	1900
Pack 55 ltr	pack	Osprey Atmos 55l pack	1	1600
Stove, butane	cooking	Maple Fire, butane,Ti	1	40
Gas canister	cooking	MSR, butane, medium	1	350
Lighter	cooking	Bic brand	2	16
Pot 1 ltr	cooking	Toaks Ti 1300ml	1	133
Eating utensils	cooking	Knife, spoon Ti	1	31
Waterbottle	cooking	Plastic, 1 ltr (empty)	2	85
Food Bag	cooking	Sea to Summit 15ltr	1	55
Cleaning cloth	cooking	Chux cloth (dry dishes)	2	12
Ground sheet	shelter	Tyvek	1	104
Hiking Fly	shelter	Oz Trail, plus pegs+ties	1	850
Mosquito net	shelter	Sea to Summit, 1 person	1	250
Or: Tent	shelter	Big Agnes UL, 1 person	1	980
Sleeping:mat	sleep	Pacific Outdoor mat	1	580
Sleeping:quilt	sleep	NZAT Down quilt	1	750
Sleeping bag	sleep	Exped Lite 500 (down)	1	1020
Hygiene kit	toilet	Various items	1	92
Bug repellent	toilet	Aerosol, Bushman’s brand	1	80
Towel	toilet	Small, Sea to Summit	1	134
Bandanna	toilet	Generic, cotton	2	70
Mossie net	clothing	Head, Coleman brand	1	18
Shirt S/S	clothing	Technical, generic (wear)	1	176
Shorts, nylon	clothing	Nylon shorts (wear)	1	150
Underwear	clothing	Russell Athletic, (wear)	1	130
Shirt, L/S	clothing	Stony Creek, polyester	1	165
Shirt, L/S	clothing	Stony Creek, warm, merino	1	190
Pants- thermal	clothing	Cold-Pruf, merino	1	160
Jacket, rain	clothing	Stoney Creek Stowit	1	470
Pants, rain	clothing	Stony Creek, Dream Bull	1	290
Over-mitts,rain	clothing	Outdoor Research, Gortex	1	95
Gloves	clothing	Warm, polypropylene	1	45
Boots, size 13	clothing	Lowa Ranger (wear)	1	1400
Socks, 2 pair	clothing	Merino,Bridgedale (wear 1)	2	250
Warm hat	clothing	Warm, polypropylene	1	82
Sun hat	clothing	Baseball style (wear)	1	114
Top, warm	clothing	Fleece, 200gsm, H & F	1	380

Total Weight (Tent/large pack/down quilt) 8.5kg
If I am carrying my Big Agnes tent, Osprey Volt 75 liter bag and quilt my total carry weight is 8.495 kgs. If I use my Exped down sleeping bag the weight is around 8.75kg. If using the Atmos pack the weights are 8.195 and 8.45 kgs. Add an additional 600-700 grams of food per day and a three day overnight trip would be a total carry weight of around 10-11 kgs.