my favourite hiking gear.
ZPacks Duplex Tent – Arguably one of the best and roomiest ultralight / lightweight hiking tents on the market and so far my preference.
ZPacks Arc Haul 62L – A roomy yet lightweight hiking pack which still incorporates a harness system to shift weight from shoulders to hips. 15kg max. capacity.
Enlightened Equipment Enigma Quilt – I bought the 10F / -12C version and so far it has suited me well for summer & shoulder season tramping in NZ. Lighter than a standard sleeping bag, with a RDS approved down fill.
Thermarest Neoair X-Lite NXT – Although there’s now a lighter version of this pad, what drew me to it was the high thermal rating in comparison to its competitors.
Sea To Summit Aeros Pillow – A luxury item but a must for a comfortable night’s sleep, this inflatable pillow weighs just 60g and packs down so tiny you might lose it!
Black Diamond Carbon Cork Trekking Poles – With a sturdy yet lightweight carbon fibre shaft, quick lock telescopic poles and cork grips, these trekking poles are my pick for the tough NZ conditions.
Altra Lone Peak Trail Runners – Quick-drying, lightweight, yet with enough padding to stay comfortable on the longest trips, these are my go-to hiking footwear of choice.
Injinji Toe Socks – Regardless of what shoes I’m wearing, you can be sure I’m wearing a pair of these underneath. Minimise friction, prevent blisters.
Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter – Kiwis will tell you we have the cleanest water in the world, but it’s better to be safe than sorry… especially when your filter is this small!
MSR Pocket Rocket 2 – Weighing under 100g and super compact, this stove is guaranteed to work in even the most adverse of conditions and at the highest altitudes.
helpful websites.
Department of Conservation Track Finder — A great place to start when looking for a new track to try. Filter by location, difficulty, track type and more.
DoC Visitor Centres — Shows visitor centre locations & contact details.
DoC Find A Hut — Filter by location, number of bunks, facilities and more.
Plan My Walk — Syncs with Department of Conservation website, so has all the same info (including track alerts). Bonus is the ability to create a plan for each trip which you can share with your emergency contact. Also available in app form.
Mountain Safety Council — Go-to official resource for safety & planning information in the wilderness. Helpful videos for popular tracks, first aid & river safety tips & more.
NZ Topo Maps — My go-to resource when planning a trip. 1:50,000 topographic map resource (from Land Information NZ database). Track overlays & coordinate available.
NIWA Weather — A great website for getting specific, accurate and up to date weather conditions for outdoor activities in New Zealand.
Windy.com — My new second-favourite site for accurate weather forecasting, including real-time specifics, toggle-able overlays and more.
helpful apps.
NZ Topo 50 Maps (Paid) — LINZ topo maps for your phone. Available on iOS and Android. GPS positioning to locate yourself on a map. Download maps for offline use. Import .gpx & .kml files. [ N. Is. for Android ] [ N. Is. for iOS ] [ S. Is. for Android ] [ S. Is for iOS ]
Plan My Walk (Free) — Created by the NZ Mountain Safety Council in collaboration with DOC, make a bespoke trip plan for your upcoming trip, check weather & track alerts. [ for Android ] [ for iOS ]
FarOut Guides (Free but requires subscription) — An ever expanding pocket hiking guide for Australian & NZ trails, including the Kepler Track, Milford Track, Routeburn Track and Greenstone-Caples Track. Includes helpful comment features & GPS positioning. [ for Android ] [ for iOS ]
Windy (Free but subscription for more advanced features) — Recently put onto this by a fellow hiker, this weather app gives you all the info you could ever wish to know for your upcoming trip. [ for Android ] [ for iOS ]
AllTrails (Free) — Community-based app where users can add trails near them meaning you can access not just official trails, but also private ones. Social and tracking components, but not always the most updated ‘official’ info. [ for Android ] [ for iOS ]
suggested gear lists.
The BEST New Zealand Day Hiking gear list
The Ultimate New Zealand Great Walks gear list
hiking forums.
Tramping in New Zealand — After DoC, my go-to planning resource. Established community of experienced kiwi trampers sharing info about tracks all over NZ. Plenty of experts to answer questions. Hikers of all experience levels welcome.
Hiking in Australia & New Zealand — Typically more a place to share photos and maybe gather info. Particularly good if researching Australian tracks and trails (use the Tramping in New Zealand page for researching NZ tracks).
Hike NZ — A place to look for hiking buddies for upcoming trips. NOTE: Solo hikers (especially females) should take appropriate precautions.
Hut Bagger — Ok, so this one isn’t technically a forum. But hear me out. It has some great info about every single hut in NZ (including comments/photos from people who’ve been there recently) and is a fantastic source of inspiration for that next adventure. Honestly, it’s become one of my favourite parts of getting out there and exploring.
hiking calculators.
The Best Hiking Base Weight Calculator
hiking guides.
>> View all my helpful Hiking Guides here <<
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