Equipment for the Milford Track

...have I mentioned I'm walking the Milford... 

As you are no doubt aware (because I mention it so often) I am going to walk the Milford Track in January. I am going the guided way and Karen and myself will be gathering gear to specifically walk the track. This time around I will not require so much gear as Ultimate Hikes is providing us with meals and accommodation. What I will need to take is basically my own personal gear...

Sutherland Falls from the Arthur River

First lets look at the gear that I don't need...I don't need my sleeping bag, cooker, or food because all these are supplied. These will save a good deal of weight that I would otherwise need to haul over McKinnon Pass.

So lets look at the gear I will be taking to walk the Milford Track.  

Pack:

I will be taking my Vaude Brenta 40l pack with me to haul all my gear in... 

..my Vaude 40l pack should suffice...

I figure that this pack should be large enough to haul my gear. I don't need to take a lot with me so this pack will be fine for carrying my gear. It is big enough to carry everything with me but not so large that it slows me down...

Vaude Brenta 40l will see me right

Walking poles:

I will be taking my Lexi poles with me on this trip...

...remember to bring your walking poles...

I didn't carry any poles with me when I walked the Milford Track back in 2018...it was a mistake so I will be taking them for this trip. 

Water botltes:

My standard water bottles will go with me on the track...I will carry two 1 liter bottles to be sure I have water for all the day. 

...I will be carrying two of my 1liter bottles...

I will be filling it as necessary over the days....

Clothing:

Clothing is the one thing I will have to carry with me...I need my standard tramping kit plus something to wear in the lodges when I get there. These are broken down into the clothes I will be wearing and the clothes I will carry for emergencies...

Wearing:

I will be wearing my standard kit for tramping i.e. I will wear a short sleeved shirt and shorts. The total clothing I will wear is:

short sleeve shirt, shorts, technical underwear, socks, boots (my Lowa Ranger III's should be fine), a hat. Additionally I will carry my wet weather gear for wearing while on the trail...because it will rain!!!

My usual attire: shorts, short sleeve shirt, sun hat

Emergencies:

I will carry a few items for emergencies namely: 

...spare clothing I will take with me...

Spare short sleeved shirt

Long sleeved thermal top

Thermal bottoms- I will wear merino for warmth

 Polar fleece

Down jacket

Track suit pants

Hat and gloves- warm

This should provide me with spare clothing to wear if I get wet or if any of my kit gets damaged. 

Safety gear:

I carry some kit for my personal safety including my PLB, maps and other gear.

PLB, maps, first aid kit, a SOL emergency bivy, pocket knife, tape for my feet 

...I will be carrying my PLB...

Personal items:

I will be carrying a few items which are intended to make my stay more comfortable. These include:

...I will be carrying various camera gear...

Paperwhite, toiletries kit, repair kit, head lamp, various electrical cables, camera, keys, wallet

Brown bag lunch:

Every day the Ultimate Hikes people supply you with a brown bag lunch to consume while on the trail. Items such as sandwich's, fresh fruit, biscuits, chips and chocolate feature on the menu and provide you with much needed calories while you are walking. 

This is about all that I have to carry.

Tramping Equipment: Orson Indie 1P UL Tent

 Another tent for the tramping equipment cupboard

Over the weekend I brought myself a new tramping tent to add to my already extensive stable of shelters. It is the one person Orson Indie 1P UL Tent which is another lite weight shelter for use on my tramping and back country adventures. 

The Orson Indie 1P UL tent

Orson tents are made in conjunction with Intents Outdoors an Auckland based importer of outdoor equipment. Orson is their new in house brand manufactured overseas to NZ specifications. Intents Outdoors have existed from the mid 2000's and provide a range of outdoor gear including tents, shelters, camping gear, camp kitchen and car camping items. 

The Intents Outdoors website

The Indie 1P UL is a tarp shelter which means it can be erected with a treking pole or optional tent pole. I always carry a set of trekking poles so it makes sense to use a tarp tent as a lite weight shelter. The Indie 1 weighs in at just over 1 kg and is long enough, wide enough and tall enough to provide space for myself, my sleeping pad and my gear. 

Dimensions of the Indie 1P

The Indie 1 is a pyramid style tent with a outer fly with a 4000mm water rating and a 8000mm rated floor. It will have significantly more water protection than my Big Agnes tent which will allow me to camp further into the summer shoulder seasons. 

Indie 1P UL tent in green...side view

The tent is available in either bright orange or a mid green color (mine is green) and they are a combination of sil nylon, polyester and netting material. It has one vestibule and one opening and needs to be pegged to the ground to erect. The outer fly and inner tent can be erected separately, together or outer first so the inner can be kept dry if erecting in rain. 

You can also buy the Indie 1P in this bright orange color

The tent packs down to a relatively small size and has its own waterproof stuff sack for storage when not in use. There is a set of 9 Y shaped aluminium pegs and I will replace 2-4 of these with longer V stakes for the foot and head. 

The Indie 1P comes with a waterproof drybag

The inner dimensions of the Indie 1P are roughly the same as my Copper Spur UL 1 and like that tent this is a single person shelter. The Indie is a little bit taller so I will have to take some care when pitching as it will probably be more prone to wind.  This is a minor problem for me as I do not often pitch my tent on exposed hills. 

I have seen a number of other people using this tent here in New Zealand and it is the main shelter of one of the tramping vloggers I like to watch. I brought this tent from Hunting and Fishing at Tower Junction and it cost $350 NZ Dollars. This is the first time I have seen these tents here in Christchurch and H & F had a good selection of the Orson tent range in stock. 

There are two optional additions to this tent with either a metal or carbon fiber pole available and a ground sheet cut to the correct dimensions for the tent. I have ordered a metal pole for the tent but I'm not sure if I will order a ground sheet to go with it. The pole cost $30 from Intents Outdoors an online store here in New Zealand.

I have already ordered one of the optional Indie metal poles

I usually cut some plastic sheeting to size for a footprint and use this as it it is lighter and more durable than a nylon groundsheet. I have also used Tyvek and space blankets for ground sheets in the past so I will have to decide what I want to use with this shelter. 

Optional Indie1P footprint is about $60 NZD

 I am looking forward to getting this out and into the backcountry to see how it performs. 

The Indie 1 in use...

There is nothing to see here yet as I have not had the opportunity to pitch the tent. 

Here are a couple of photos I found showing the tent pitched. This particular instance is using the optional metal pole you can purchase for this tent and a treking pole. I have already ordered one of the poles from Intents Outdoors and I expect it to arrive in the mail sometime this week. 

Side view of a pitched Orson Indie 1P using trekking pole

Another view of a pitched Orson Indie 1P with metal pole

I will be taking this outside and pitching it as soon as we have some dry weather so I can practice raising and lowering before I need to use it on a tramp. I will add some photos to this post when I have been able to do so.

Tramping Equipment: Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Mat

 A new Sea to Summit sleeping mat for 2023

Here is another new piece of kit Karen brought me for my birthday back in August of 2022. It is a Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated sleeping mat. I have already used this beauty and it made for a comfortable night's sleep.

Sea to Summit Ultra Light sleeping mat

Sea to Summit are one of the larger outdoor gear brands and they make a range of tents, packs, sleeping bags and other outdoor kit for the backcountry adventurer. I have quite a bit of their gear mostly cooking equipment like cutlery, plates, cups and mugs but this is the first sleeping mat I have owned from this company.

Various inflation settings for the Ultralight Mat

The Ultra Light Insulated comes in a number of sizes from X-Small through to Large. My mat is the large size and it is plenty wide and long enough to fit my 6'3" frame onto with space to spare. 

Sizes in the Ultra Light mat range compared to a water bottle

Part of the comfort and warmth of the mat is provided by the air cells in the mat. They make small pockets of air under you as you are laying on it which protect you from the ground. The mat has a soft finish to the outer material and it was reasonably quiet when you roll around on it at night. 

Air cell construction adds comfort and warmth

When packed the mat is about the size of a large Nalgene bottle so it is a compact item. There is a stuff sack/pump bag for inflating the mat which is becoming a standard feature for most sleeping mats. It only required five bags of air to fully inflate so it is a breeze to use. 

Ultralight mat compared to a drink bottle

My mat has a insulation layer inside and its R-Value (or measure of how warm it is) is 3.1. This means it would be good to down around 2 degrees Celsius but it would not provide enough warmth for temperatures lower than this. The R-Value can be extended by adding a foam mat underneath but you should really be looking at a mat with a 4.5 or above R-Value for proper winter camping. 

The Ultra Light Insulated has a 3.1 R-Value

This mat would be best suited for use in summer and the shoulder season either side so here in New Zealand that would be from November through March. When inflated it is about 2" thick (5 cm) so it is actually quite comfortable to sleep on. It is thick enough for people like me who sleep on their side to keep your hip up off the ground. 

Technical specifications of the Ultralight Mat

My mat is 600 gm's in total which is not super light but is quite competitive when compared to other brands like Klymit and Thermarest for the same size and R-Value. Sea to Summit are certainly cheaper with this mat retailing for around $320 as compared to the $550 price for a NeoAir XLite from Thermarest. 

All in this looks like a really good sleeping mat and I look forward to using it in the future. 

The Ultralight in use...

So far I have only used this mat on one trip which was my Hawdon Valley camp back in January. As I said at that time I am looking to do more camping trips before I get to old to handle them. My intention is to do several tramping trips a year solely as camping tramps as well as some overnight "Wild Camping" trips.  

Jon on his camp in the Hawdon Valley

The sleeping mat performed well and I had a good nights sleep using the mat and my Big Agnes Tent. It is an excellent summer weight mat and it could probably be used down to temperatures around 5 degrees with ease. It was 15 the night I was out and I was actually a bit warm...

Sea to Summit Ultralight mat in the Big Agnes tent

The mat fitted into my one person tent and it is a good size to allow me to store gear at the head of the tent with the mat laying flat on the tent floor. For most of the day I had it folded up or stashed behind me so I could sit on the floor of the tent to read, cook etc. 

Gear packed on the last day of the Hawdon Valley camp

This will now become my go to summer sleeping mat and will replace my older Pacific Outdoor mats I have been using for the last 10 years. I am still in the market for a warmer autumn/winter sleeping mat and I am looking at another Sea to Summit product the Ether Light XT. It has a slightly higher warmth rating and is 10 cm's thick so it would be more comfortable. 

The Sea to Summit Ether Light XT sleeping mat

As always cost is a factor i.e. I need to save up some money to be able to buy another mat so we will see what happens. Keep an eye out for future trips where I am using this piece of equipment. 

Tramping Equipment: Macpac Uber Lite down jacket

 ...My new winter clothing items...

Here is my latest outdoor equipment purchase the Macpac Uber Lite down jacket. I brought this recently in the Macpac winter sale and with the sale prices and club membership discount it cost me only $99 New Zealand dollars. 

The Macpac Uber Lite Jacket

I have previously owned a down jacket for using on my tramping trips but have not used it for several years as it became too small to fit my body. I could not do the zip up on the front as my advancing years and increasing chonk meant it was too small. You must be able to zip up your down jacket to keep in the air which warms you. 

Front zipper on the Uber Lite from Macpac

As you would have seen my go to warm layer is a Hunting and Fishing fleece top. these have many good features the best of which is ease of drying, warmth when wet and durability. The main problems with these tops is their bulk and weight...my fleece easily tops 500 gm's. 

Down jackets by comparison are super lite weights and pack down to basically nothing. this jacket is around 300 gm's and packs down to the size of a 600ml coke bottle. Down is significantly warmer for weight than fleece but they are useless if wet and are not as robust as your average fleece jacket. 

...the Uber Lite weighs in at 300 gm's...

Here are some specifications about the Uber Lite jacket:

Inner fabric: 100% Nylon

Fill Type: 90/10 RDS Duck Down

Fill Power: 650

Fill Weight(gms): 120 (4XL)

Main Fabric: 100% Nylon

Weight: 320gms (size 4XL)

The Uber Lite has a main zip up the front of the jacket from waist to neck and a padded collar around the neck to retain heat. It has two external zipped pockets and two internal pockets for gear storage. The fit is loose rather than athletic and sizes range from XS to 4XL in the men's jacket. There are jackets with and without a hood but hooded jackets go to size 20/3XL only!

Macpac Uber lite jacket...front

...zip pockets on the Uber Lite jacket...

The Uber jacket comes with a nifty waterproof Nylon bag which is the correct size to hold the jacket. Remember...stuff your jacket into the carry bag and do not fold it or roll it. All down products should be stuffed and not folded to prolong life of the insulation. 

Loose fitting through the back...Uber Lite

There are four colors with Black/Blue/Olive Oil/Tapestry and I currently own two Uber Lite jackets one in Olive Oil and one in Tapestry. Only the Tapestry and Olive Oil go up to size 24/4XL the black and navy blue variants are only to size 20/3XL...

The Uber Lite in 'Olive Oil' color...

Uber Lite jacket in 'Tapestry'

I have only worn the jacket a couple of times so far and I find it comfortable, warm and easy to use. I took it with me on my recent Christchurch 360 Trail trip and it worked well. I will put up some photos of the jacket in action once I take it out on some adventures. 

Wearing my Uber jacket on the Christchurch 360 Trail

Here I am at a park at McCormicks Bay on the way to the end of this section of trail...

At Indie's Park while walking from Scarborough to Mt Pleasant

You are sure to see my Uber Lite jackets going into the future and the next opportunity will probably be when I visit the Able Tasman Coast Track in early August. 

You Tube: Macpac Uber Lite jacket

Equipment for the Routeburn Track

 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:

I have a set of packing lists which I use when I am preparing my gear for a trip. I have one for day tramps right through to multi day expeditions and I tick items off the list as I gather the gear and pack it. I use the same basic set up for a Great Walk and a tramp of 1-3 days. There is just enough gear here to keep me safe, warm & reasonably comfortable.

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...

I use generic clothing from the Warehouse (the local Walmart...) or Hunting and Fishing made from a moisture wicking technical material. I have recently taken to wearing collared shirts so I can flip the collar up for extra sun protection. I will wear a hat most of the time as the sun here in Kiwiland is savage...

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

I have been using the quilt for nearly four years now and it is a really awesome bit of kit...it is lite yet warm and comfortable to sleep under. Quilts are the go...they are much less constricting around the body and lighter as there is no down under you. This one is good down to zero degrees and I usually find I am still too hot even when it is that cold...

My favored position in Lakehead Hut, Nelson Lakes NP

My sleeping system for this track will include:

 Macpac NZAT zero degree quilt, Sea to Summit Aeros pillow, silk sleeping bag liner

The other parts of my sleeping kit are a Sea to Summit inflatable pillow and a silk sleeping bag liner that I tend to use as a bottom sheet so I am not sleeping directly on the nasty DOC hut mats.

I carry a Sea to Summit Aeros pillow

I have be using this set up for the last four years and I think it works well. 

Cooking kit:

I will be taking a lighter version of my standard cooking kit with me on the tramp including my Toaks cooking pot and Firemaple stove. All the main huts on the Routeburn have gas cookers but I like to carry a cooking kit for emergencies and for on trail tea/soup breaks. 

My standard cook kit...Great Walk edition

Additionally I will have two 1 liter plastic bottles for water...I have been using recycled Just Juice bottles for the last decade and they work really well. 

Recycled juice bottles are great for water carry...

My cook kit will have the following items in it:

Toaks 1.3 liter titanium pot, Firemaple TI stove, plastic Sea to Summit Delta mug, TI fork and spoon, Victorinox folding knife, 110gm gas cannister, lighter, liquid camp soap, carry bags

If I have enough water I will brew up for lunch at Harris Saddle Shelter, Lake Howden Shelter and at the end of the track. I only need a small 110 gm gas cannister for these occasions. 

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!!!

The poles I am currently using are Leki Traillite poles...these are the traditional Leki poles with the screw action for changing the length of the poles. I have been using these since 2020 after my previous poles broke on the Travers -Sabine Circuit. 

My pack and poles at Gouland Downs Hut

Up until last year I was just carrying the one pole but have starting carrying two as using the one pole was giving me joint pain. Trekking poles are fantastic when you are climbing and descending slopes and are useful even on the flattest track. 

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..