Equipment List

During the course of the 12 walks, my base pack weight will vary depending on the climate and terrain. For three season conditions (ie. summer, spring, autumn) it will be between 3 – 4 kg. During the winter months or when hiking for extended periods in snowbound terrain,  I will generally be carrying an extra 1.5 to 3 kg (scroll down to Winter Hiking at the bottom of the page for details).

BACKPACK

  • Frameless Pack: MLD Burn 

SHELTER

SLEEPING SYSTEM

  • Sleeping Quilt: Katabatic Palisade 30°
  • Sleeping mat: Therm-a-rest Neo Air (small)
  • Bivy: Katabatic Gear Bristlecone Bivy or MLD Superlight Bivy

CLOTHING

Base Layer

  • Hiking Shirt: REI Desert Shirt (long sleeves)
  • Shorts: Macpac Cross Terrain 
  • Socks: 3 pairs – REI merino wool liner socks or Wrightsocks Coolmesh.
  • Bandana: cotton / no-frills.
  • Hat:  Adapt-a-cap

Insulation Layer

Outer Layer

COOKING

Except during the colder months I will not be cooking during the 12 walks (see Food for details). When I do cook, I will be carrying the following items:

  • Alcohol stove (Pepsi Can model from AntiGravityGear)
  • Windscreen (aluminium ovenpan liner cut to size)
  • Hard plastic Spork 
  • 0.9 lt.- lightweight aluminium non-stick pot or alternatively a plastic container with lid when not cooking.
  • Pot cozy
  • Small lighter / Matches
  • Fuel bottle (capacity 8 ounces / 0.24 litres)
  • Cotton wool ball coated in Vaseline (2) – for emergency fire starting.

MEDICAL KIT / HYGIENE

In regards to consumable items, such as sunscreen, toothpaste, hand sanitizer and insect repellent (when needed), I will generally transfer contents into small dropper bottles, thereby saving on space and weight.

  • Duct tape
  • Antiseptic wipes (4)
  • Paper medical tape
  • Sunscreen
  • Ibprofun (10)
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Sewing needle
  • Dental floss
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrush

HYDRATION

  • 2 x 600ml plastic bottles (one for each side of the pack).
  • 2 litre Platypus hydration bladder (if hiking in arid areas I may take more than one).
  • Aqua Mira Drops (chlorine dioxide) for water purification.

FOOTWEAR

  • Brooks Cascadia or Montrail Sabino Trail

OTHER EQUIPMENT

  • Small utility tool: Swiss Army Classic – simple, light, all you need 99% of the time.
  • Headlamp:  Petzl Tikka Zipka or Photon Freedom
  • Compass: Suunto M-2 (adjustable for magnetic variation)
  • Gaiters: Dirty Girl Gaiters for arid environments / MLD eVent Gaiters for snowbound or consistently wet and cold conditions.
  • Gloves: Polypro or Merino wool liner gloves.
  • Journal: Small notepad &  iPhone.
  • Camera: Canon Powershot SX 230 HS
  • Sunglasses (polarized)
  • Money / credit card
  • Passport / Driver’s license

WINTER HIKING

When the temperature is consistently below freezing, I will often carry the following items which will either replace or supplement the above mentioned gear:

  • Sleeping Bag: Katabatic Gear Sawatch quilt.
  • Bivy: Katabatic Gear Bristlecone Bivy or MLD Superlight Bivy
  • Sleeping Mat: I usually combine a small inflatable (Therm-a-rest NeoAir) with a closed cell mat (Multimat Adventure Compact XS or Therm-a-rest Ridgerest SOlite).
  • Mittens: Merino wool. Combined  with thin wool liner gloves and MLD eVent mittens. This three layer system gives good flexibility over a wide range of temps and exertion levels.
  • Top Base Layer: Ice Breaker Bodyfit 200 Zip neck and/or Patagonia R1 Hoody 
  • Bottom Base Layer: Patagonia Capilene 2 Thermal Bottoms.
  • Insulation Layer: Down Jacket – Montbell UL Down Jacket.
  • Outer Layer: Montane Litespeed jacket and GoLite Reed pants.
  • Headwear: Merino Wool beanie or balaclava.
  • Footwear: For long stretches in snowy conditions, where keeping my feet dry is a priority due to the risk of frostnip or frostbite (see Hot & Cold), I will generally wear lightweight goretex boots (Montrail Sabino Trail Mid GTX), layer my socks (thin merino liner under a wool blend medium weight) and wear full-length eVent gaiters to keep the snow from entering in the top of my boots.
  • Ice Axe: C.A.M.P. Corsa 50cm
  • Traction for footwear: Kathoola Micospikes
  • Snowshoes: MSR Lightning Ascent 30