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

Tramping Equipment: Canon M50 Mark II camera

A quick look at my tramping camera...

I recently upgraded my camera equipment from the older point and shoot camera I had to a new Canon mirrorless camera with more advanced features. I am hoping that the new camera will enable me to produce better quality images for both this blog and my You Tube channel. 

Self portrait at Punchbowl Falls in March

I thought I would have a quick look at my camera gear after this new purchase. 

My old camera gear:

Up until the last year I have been using a succession of cheap point and shoot cameras I have been buying off Trade Me. The quality of the images from any digital camera made after 2015 are good enough to post on the blog and I was happy to use a simpler camera when tramping. 

Two of the previous cameras I have used

For the most part I have been using various models of the popular Canon Powershot camera which can be had for anywhere from $40-$100 dollars second hand. They are still excellent cameras and if you want something better than a phone camera this is a good start point. 

An older Canon SX170IS digital camera

This was fine when I only needed photos for my blog but once I started my NZ Bush Adventures channel on You Tube I needed to up date my equipment. The main problem is that older digital cameras will only film in 720p HD which is not high enough quality for good You Tube production. 

The number relates to the number of pixels...720p is fine for photos but the standard for video is now 1080, 2820 or 4 K. Filming in Fine High Definition (FHD) means clearer, sharper video with better color saturation. 

My Canon SX410 would only film in 720p HD

I have been unable to find a second hand camera that was cheap enough and also took at least 1080 FHD film and photos. After much research I decided I needed to bite the bullet and invest in some brand new photo equipment to drag me into the second decade of the 21st century.

Canon M50 Mark II:

My new camera is a Canon M50 Mark II. This is a mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses and the ability to add other photography equipment like tripods, microphones, lights, filters and lens hoods. This camera is in the style of a DSLR but on a smaller scale...lighter, more compact but with the features of a full frame camera. 

Canon M50 Mark II mirrorless camera

I have upgraded so that the quality of both my photos and videos are better. The new camera allows me to make use of a range of specific lenses suited to different conditions and particular subjects. It is also able to film in 1080 FHD and 4 K so the quality of the films are a lot better...sharper, greater focus and color corrected.

Canon M50 Mark II...view of the top controls

The M50 is one of the more commonly used cameras for vlogging as it has many of the ideal features to make it good at this role. In particular the ability to film in 4 K, the flip screen, image stabilization, touch screen, ability to change lenses and plug for a exterior microphone. I'm still coming to terms with using it as I am not a photographer (yet) but the potential is obvious. 

Ancillary camera equipment:

While the M50 is fine right out of the box a few ancillary items will make it more useful and easier to use. I am slowly acquiring all of the equipment I need to make the best use of the camera and this will be an ongoing task as photography gear is heinously expensive here in New Zealand. I will look at a couple of items I have already brought....

Camera Bag:

I purchased a new Lowe camera bag to hold some of the gear I need to have to make the most of the camera. The one I brought is large enough to hold the camera itself, a couple of extra batteries and some SD cards. 

My LowePro camera bag

The bag has one large pocket for the camera and several smaller one for other gear and fits on the hip belt of both of my main tramping packs. 

Microphone:

One of the features of the Canon M50 is a port for an exterior microphone...a vital part of a vlogging rig. Some commentators believe that the audio is more important than the film itself so a good quality microphone is a vital piece of equipment. 

My Boya microphone kit

I brought a Boya microphone off Trade Me for a very acceptable price...it is a Cardioid type with a fluffy wind sock to cut wind noise. 

Boya Cardioid microphone model BY-MM1

I have used it on several of my vlog posts and it will eventually become a piece of gear I always carry with me. 

Filters/hoods:

Filters are basically like sunglasses for your camera and help deal with intense sunlight which might over expose your photos. There are a variety of types and a range of companies making filters for any size and type of lens. I brought a set of filters for the M50 from a company called K&F Concepts...available through Trade Me.

Various filters: Carry wallet, UV, variable ND and solid ND

The set included a UV filter to enhance photographs of water, a variable filter with the ability to decrease/increase the darkness level and a solid dark filter for extreme sunlight. I also have a lens hood for the camera to stop sunlight flares off the lens.

Various caps for camera and spare lenses

Additionally I have a series of lens caps to protect the fragile contact points on my kit lens and my EF 35-80 lens. 

EF to EF-M lens Adaptor:

An EF to EF-M adaptor allows you to use full frame lenses on a mirrorless camera thus gaining some of the advantages of using the larger lens. I have an older DSLR with a couple of EF lenses so buying this adaptor meant I could make use of the existing lenses I already had.

A Canon EF to EF-M lens adapter

There are a lot of second hand EF lenses on the market as they have been the Canon standard for the last 20 years so I will gradually acquire some new or second hand lenses to enhance my photography kit. 

Spare batteries:

You only get the one camera battery with the M50 kit so I have purchased three additional off brand batteries for the M50. I also purchased a USB type battery charger so I can re charge them from my power bank in the field.  

My USB charger and spare batteries

With the kit battery and three spares I should have enough battery power for 4-5 days without recharge. 

My camera gear list:

Here is a complete list of the equipment I have for the camera at this stage. 

Canon M50 Mark II, with 14-45 EF-M kit lens*

Canon EF to EF-M lens adaptor (allows me to use EF lenses on a EF-M camera)

Canon 35-80 EF lens (I already owned this lens from a previous DSLR camera)

...a Canon 35-80 EF lens I already owned....

Canon lens hood (49mm)*

LowePro Camera Bag

K&F Filter set (49mm) (MCUV/ND adaptive/Polarizing filter)

Boya Cardioid microphone set*

4X LH12E batteries* plus a USB type charger

You will need cleaning tools for your camera

I usually just carry the camera, kit lens and microphone (*) on my tramps...the other equipment I take as and when required. I could use a portrait lens (fixed 50mm) and a 12-22 EF lens for my vlogs but they will require time to acquire as a decent lens is from $400-$900 in New Zealand. 

A selection of example photos...

I have been using the camera for a couple of weeks now and have included a couple of photographs to give you an idea of the images I can capture with this camera. The greatest increase has been on my vlogs so have a look at my You Tube channel to see the change in quality. 

Otamahua/Quail Island from Gilpins Track

Lyttleton Harbor and Mt Herbert

A photo taken up the Otira Valley on the M50

A photo taken up the Otira Valley on the M50

North face of Mt Rolleston from Bealey Valley

South Island Robin

South Island Robin

Bealey River from the bridge near the village

I am slowly learning about digital photography but you can already see that using a quality camera can bring improvement to my blog images and vlogs. 

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..