Plan Your Trip
Clothing, Equipment & Food
On a tramp, what you don’t carry is just as important as what you do. Learn which items of clothing, equipment and food are indispensable and which are ballast. Test your pack-load before setting off, so that your back and shoulders can tell you if you really need those little extras.
Tips for Packing Light
Take only the food and fuel you need, plus one or two days’ spare in case you’re delayed by bad weather, an impassable river or other mishaps.
Plan the amount of water you’ll need to carry, accounting for availability en route.
Beyond a spare set of clothing for the evening, you need not take anything more than what you plan to hike in.
Don’t take jeans or any cotton clothing: they’re heavy, especially when wet, difficult to walk in and don’t retain any heat.
Limit your toiletries (miniature travel packs are ideal); weight obsessives have even been known to snap their toothbrushes in half!
Repackage all foodstuffs into lightweight plastic. Avoid carrying tins of food – you’ll have to carry the empty tins out.
Share gear – if you’re tramping in a pair or a group, share your stove, food, toothpaste, first-aid kit…everything you can without leaving the essentials behind.
Clothing
When buying clothes for tramping, consider their weight, warmth, fit, breathability and, for outer layers, their ability to keep you dry. Always be prepared for bad weather; carrying an extra midlayer just in case is a smart option.
Layering
The key to staying warm is layering your clothes, which traps air between layers (the best way to conserve body heat) and allows you to add or remove clothing to suit conditions. You should be able to wear all of your layers together if absolutely necessary.
Choose your base layer (closest to the skin) carefully as these items have to deal with sweat, which in cool conditions can reduce your ability to keep warm. Merino wool, polypropylene, polyester or merino-synthetic mixes are good options; cotton is not as it doesn’t trap the air inside or keep any body warmth when wet. Ultrafine merino has become a bit of a staple base layer among trampers. It can be expensive, but it’s soft and comfortable and won’t smell even after a few days on the trail. Polypropylene and polyester are excellent at wicking moisture away from the skin, but they do tend to retain odours.
An insulating midlayer provides essential additional warmth. Many trampers use a jersey or jacket of pile or fleece fabric, such as Polartec, or merino wool. Avoid cotton hooded sweatshirts, as they won’t insulate when wet and take forever to dry. Also toss into your backpack some woollen mittens and a wool or fleece hat. The body loses most of its heat through its extremities, particularly the head.
A common and practical uniform for the track is thermal leggings under a pair of hiking shorts, giving maximum freedom of movement while providing protection from cold weather, light rain, excessive sun and bugs. If you prefer long trousers they should preferably be of stretch nylon, synthetic pile or light merino, never denim.
Waterproof Shell
Your jacket should be made of a breathable waterproof fabric, with generous pockets, a good-quality heavy-gauge zip protected by a storm flap, and a hood that’s roomy enough to cover a cap or warm hat, but which still affords peripheral vision. Make sure the sleeves extend well down the wrist, and that the overall body length allows you to sit down without getting a wet, mossy bum. If your jacket is shorter and ends around your waist, pack waterproof overtrousers.
Overtrousers are essential if you’re tramping in wet and cold conditions. Choose a style with slits for pocket access and long ankle zips so that you can pull them on and off over your boots.
Footwear
Many trampers now opt for lightweight nylon boots made by a number of sporting-shoe companies. Designed for trail hiking, easy terrain and carrying light loads, such boots are fine for well-maintained tracks such as the Kepler, Milford, Routeburn and Greenstone. A growing trend is towards hiking shoes, without the ankle support (and weight) of boots, though in New Zealand terrain and conditions they’re not really suited to anything other than well-maintained easy tracks. Any overnight tramps will require a minimum of lightweight boots.
For more challenging tramps, which often use less-maintained tracks or routes covered in rocks, tree roots and loose gravel, sturdy hiking boots are a much wiser choice, offering more support, with a stiff leather upper, durable sole and protective shanks. Many also feature a high-tech waterproof lining.
Gaiters
Gaiters, which protect your lower legs and come in two lengths, are something of a Kiwi tramping institution, and for good reason. If you’re likely to be tramping through snow, deep mud or scratchy scrub, consider using them to protect your lower legs, to keep unwanted stones out of your boots and to try to keep your socks dry. The best gaiters are made of strong synthetic fabric or canvas, have a hook to attach them to laces (to prevent them slipping up and down your legs), and an easy-to-undo method of securing them around feet.
Equipment
Backpack
For day tramps a 30L to 40L day-pack should suffice, but for multiday tramps you’ll likely need a backpack of between 60L and 70L. The required capacity will depend on the destination, whether you plan to camp or stay in huts, the facilities provided and the duration of your tramp. Your pack should be roomy enough for your gear without the need to strap additional items to the outside.
Assemble everything you intend to take and try loading it into a pack to see if it’s large enough. Keep in mind that as your pack’s weight increases, your enjoyment and walking speed decreases, so think twice about taking unnecessary items.
A good backpack should have adjustable, well-padded shoulders straps and hip belt, and a chest strap to evenly distribute the weight between your shoulders and hips. External pockets are good for quick access to water bottles, snacks and maps.
Even if the manufacturer claims your pack is waterproof, it’s not (nothing is in continuous NZ rain!). Use a heavy-duty interior plastic liner to ensure everything stays dry.
EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST
This is a general guide to the things you might take on a tramp. Your personal list will vary depending on the type and length of your tramp, whether you’re camping or staying in huts and lodges, and on the terrain, weather conditions and time of year.
Clothing
A sturdy walking boots and spare laces
A gaiters
A warm hat or balaclava
A scarf or buff
A gloves/mittens
A waterproof overtrousers
A waterproof rain jacket with hood
A footwear for hut use: sandals or thongs (flip flops, jandals)
A shorts and trousers or skirt (quick-drying)
A socks (multiple pairs)
A underwear
A sunhat
A sunglasses
A sweater or fleece jacket
A thermal top and bottoms
A T-shirt and long-sleeved shirts (quick-drying)
Equipment
A backpack with waterproof liner
A first-aid kit
A food and snacks (high-energy) and emergency supplies for one or two days
A tent, pegs, poles and guy ropes (if not staying in huts)
A sleeping bag and bag liner/inner sheet
A sleeping mat (if not staying in huts)
A portable stove, fuel and pan(s)
A cooking, eating and drinking utensils
A insect repellent
A map (waterproof, or in clear plastic cover) and compass
A communication device (mobile phone and one of satellite phone/mountain radio/personal locator beacon)
A torch (flashlight) or headlamp, spare batteries and bulb
A water bottle or bladder (minimum 2L capacity)
A pocket knife
A sunscreen and lip balm
A survival bag or blanket
A toilet paper and trowel
A plastic bags (for carrying rubbish)
A whistle (for emergencies)
A dishwashing kit (pot scrubber and biodegradable detergent)
A matches and lighter
A sewing/repair kit
A spare cord
A toiletries
A small towel
A water purification tablets, iodine or filter
Optional Items
A GPS receiver
A duct tape
A book
A camera
A day-pack (for side trips)
A tent groundsheet
A swimming costume
A walking poles
A deck of cards
Sleeping Bag & Mat
Down sleeping bags are warm, lightweight and compact, but useless if they get wet. Synthetic bags are cheaper and more effective when wet, but are generally heavier and bulkier. Mummy-shaped designs prove best for weight and warmth, but can be a little more restrictive to sleep in. A sleeping bag’s rating (minus 5°C, for instance) is the coldest temperature at which a person should feel comfortable in the bag. For extra warmth, purchase a sleeping-bag liner, which will also protect the sleeping bag and add years to its life. Most huts have mattresses and are warm enough that a medium-weight bag of synthetic fibres is more than sufficient. Huts don’t have blankets, so you’ll need to bring your sleeping gear with you everywhere you tramp.
Self-inflating sleeping mats provide comfort and insulation from the cold. Foam mats are cheap, but can be far less comfortable. If you’re planning to stay in huts you most likely won’t need a sleeping mat. However, if you’re tramping a popular track during high season, the hut might be full when you arrive, in which case a sleeping mat will make a night on the floor much more pleasant.
Stove & Fuel
Before your trip, check whether the huts you intend to stay at have gas cookers. Even if they do, carrying your own stove means you won’t have to fight for space on the hob, and you can prepare hot food or a cup of tea on the track, providing warm relief on wet and cold days, or if you’re delayed and have to make camp unexpectedly.
When buying a stove, choose one that’s lightweight and easy to operate. Isobutane canister stoves are the easiest to operate. Multifuel stoves are versatile but need pumping, priming and lots of cleaning. In general, liquid fuels are efficient and cheap; look for high-performance, cleaner-burning fuel. Gas is more expensive, cleaner and a reasonable performer. When using gas canisters, be sure to be sure to carry yours out at the end of a tramp. In New Zealand, fuel can be found at outdoor gear shops, hardware stores (white gas), some supermarkets and petrol stations.
Airlines prohibit flammable materials and may well reject empty liquid-fuel bottles, or even the stoves. Check with your airline for its rules before you fly.
Most huts have fireplaces, but these are designed as a heating source in poor weather, not a cooking facility. Don’t plan to cook on them.
Tent
A tent is obviously a necessity on tracks without huts, such as the Te Paki Coastal Track, but they can also come in handy on popular tracks when huts might be full, snorers keep you awake, or you just want to enjoy the outdoors in solitude.
A three-season tent will suffice in most conditions. Because of the amount of climbing encountered on many New Zealand tracks, weight is a major issue, with most trampers selecting tents of around 2kg to 3kg that will sleep two or three people. The floor and the fly should be waterproof, have taped or sealed seams and covered zips to stop leaks. Dome- and tunnel-shaped tents handle blustery conditions better than flat-sided tents. Make sure you peg out all your guy lines as strong winds commonly blow tents over.
Walking Poles
It’s become popular to tramp with walking poles, especially on tracks and routes above the bushline. A pair of lightweight telescopic poles will help you balance, give you an added push when climbing steep ridges and slopes, and ease the jarring on your knees during descents.
Buying & Hiring Locally
Most major towns in NZ will have at least one outdoor-gear shop. Stores to keep an eye out for include Bivouac Outdoor (www.bivouac.co.nz), Outside Sports (www.outsidesports.co.nz), Torpedo7 (www.torpedo7.co.nz), Macpac (www.macpac.co.nz) and Kathmandu (www.kathmandu.co.nz).
Outdoor-gear shops in popular tramping areas such as Queenstown, Te Anau and Nelson will often hire a variety of gear for a daily or weekly charge. Prices vary, but expect to pay around $10 a day for a sleeping bag, backpack and jacket, and about $5 for a stove. Overseas travellers who want to tramp more than one track should bring all their own gear, or at least the major items such as tent, boots, backpack, sleeping bag and stove.
Food
Having enough of the right food is a tramping essential and will enhance your trip substantially. A hearty and tasty meal at the end of the day, or a square of chocolate or delicious snack on the track, helps keep both energy levels and morale high.
Food should be lightweight and nutritious. A good overall ratio is 1:1:4 for proteins (meats, cheese, eggs, milk powder, nuts), fats (cheese, chocolates, cured meats) and carbohydrates (sugar, bread, rice, pasta, sweets, dried fruit). If it’s a short tramp – two or three days – you can take fresh vegetables and even meat. For longer trips, save weight by taking more dehydrated foods and ready-made meals, which can be purchased at most outdoor gear shops and some supermarkets.
Always include extra meals for that unscheduled additional day on the track due to bad weather or an emergency.