Thru-Hiking Gear

Backpacks
& Storage

Backpacks
& Storage

Camping
Equipment

Camping
Equipment

Apparel &
Weather Gear

Apparel &
Weather

Footwear &
Hiking Poles

Footwear &
Hiking Poles

Electronics
& Navigation

Electronics
& Navigation

Hygiene
& Survival

Hygiene
& Survival

Thru-hiking essentially boils down to how much weight can comfortably be carried to safely hike the distance between resupply points. This includes the base-weight of thru-hiking gear, typically including items like a backpack, tent, sleeping bag and clothes, and the variable-weight which is mostly food, water and perhaps some toiletries. The gear list will be influenced by the size of pack, the seasons and weather, resupply opportunities, surface conditions, altitude, fitness and strength, and dare I say it, your bodyweight and age. Solo thru-hiking has the added challenge of not being able to share the load.

Most thru-hikers try to keep their base-weight as low as possible, often discarding items or utilising ultralight hiking gear in their packing list. I always find myself carrying too much at the start of the season, when my post-six-month-European-winter bodyweight is often too high, my fitness not high enough, I’m eager to get out there and the perception of my capabilities is a little optimistic. This shock to the system often sees me reducing weight as much as possible, measuring everything, sometimes replacing gear with ultralight alternatives, and then as bodyweight decreases and fitness improves, I slowly begin to add the more ‘luxury’ or heavy-duty items. Of course I should work out at the gym over winter because I do feel those extra pounds, and knees become more noticeable with age.

My Thru-Hiking Gear List

I use this page as a guide and reminder when preparing for a hike, and the gear list is constantly evolving. Depending on the terrain and predicted weather, not everything listed is taken. After experimenting and adjusting through trial and error, I’ve compiled the packing list below, which meets most of my hiking needs.

My season start, 5-day, good-weather pack list has a current base weight of around 13.1 kilograms (28 lb 14oz) and a total weight of 19.4kg (42lb 12oz) including 4 litres (1.1 gallons) of water. This is everything I carry on my bare body, including my shoes. My end-of-season, 10 day, all-weather gear list has a base weight of around 15.5kg (34lb 3oz) and a total weight of 24.1kg (53lb 2oz), also including 4L of water. In both cases the food weight per day is 470g (1lb 1oz). Total weight decreases by that amount each day, making initial days more difficult. Water is also variable but I have learned to fill when I can and not try to make the going easier by reducing its weight, especially if I am uncertain of water sources.

Backpacks & Storage

Several years ago, I purchased the Gregory Baltoro Pro 95L to accommodate the camping gear for both of my children as well. It’s a reliable backpack but weighs around 3.25kg. In contrast, the Gregory Focal 58 weighs just 1.3kg. The 2kg reduction is significant, and having less space curbs the temptation to over-pack. Mastering the art of packing a backpack is useful; it usually depends on what I need to access with the backpack on, or to minimize the need to unpack unnecessary items when I stop and take it off. I am methodical in my approach, which aids in covering miles efficiently, especially when weather conditions become challenging.

I carry everything internally. Water bottles and poncho are stored in two easily accessible side compartments. The Befree water bottle/filter is clipped to the front strap which I have additionally secured to minimise bouncing. wearing it here prevents wear-and-tear from pushing it into side pockets and allows it to act like a water tube. I keep snacks (rationed the evening before), bonbons, sun cream, lip balm, and a pocket knife in the hip pockets. Electronics and documents are in my front waist-pack. The top and front compartments hold items I might need regularly when stopping, such as rain gear, toilet roll, spade, damp gear, clothes line, and sandals.

My routine involves waking early, making breakfast, breaking camp, and starting to hike before the sun rises. After packing everything into compartmentalized dry bags, I layer my backpack roughly in the following order:

• clothes,
• sleeping bag,
• sleeping mattress & air pillow,
• tent (if dry)
• toiletries,
• heavy-duty rain gear (poncho is in lid or side pocket),
• food,
• cooking equipment,
• first-aid,
• tent (if wet/damp),
• fleece.

The fleece is usually worn in the mornings but taken off as soon as I warm up. I place the tent at the top of my pack as it is often damp or wet, and I’ll take it out to dry at my longer midday break or whenever there’s a sunny spot and charge batteries at the same time. If it is wet, I might put it in a large plastic supermarket bag rather than compressing it into its sack. I prioritize setting up shelter before cooking, especially in adverse weather. For storage, I sometimes use the Baltoro’s internal daypack as a stuff sack, along with some inexpensive 2L and 5L dry pack stuff sacks for food and a compression sack for clothes. While I hardly ever need a daypack when thru-hiking, it’s on the list in case there’s a side trip, off-track climb, or a city walk along the trail.

Water has become an interesting issue. Perhaps due to unfitness, bodyfat and heat, I seem to both sweat and use a lot of water at the start of the season. The 3D Hydro hydration 3L bladder is an item that I might not take, it is more difficult to fill, and its 212g base-weight is almost three times that of two 40g 1.5L plastic bottles. If I do take it, I may only do so on short trips and supplement it with one plastic bottle. It is designed to fit the Focal, and I only ever fill it with clean tap water to use as a reserve, switching to it in the final days of the hike to deplete it and lighten the load.

I wear the waist-pack at the front, which works well once you find the optimal strap placement. Backpack rain covers usually have an integrated clip to secure them to the backpack—use it or you might lose the cover to a gust of wind. The Deuter Transport cover is used for checking in luggage on flights but is too heavy for use in Germany. The patches and tapes are assorted ones I found at an outdoor shop; after ripping one of the Baltoro’s waist pouches while stumbling through some trees, they repaired it so effectively that no further repairs have been needed.

• Trekking Backpack
  • Backpack (Gregory Focal 58) 1269g
• Daypack
  • Gregory Baltoro Pro 95L Internal Daypack 121g
• Compression & Stuff Sacks
  • Stoic 2L Drybag Stuff Sack x2 (Breakfast / Dinner) 17g
  • Stoic 5L Drybag Stuff Sack (Snacks) 28g
  • Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil Event Dry Compression Sack (Clothes) 67g
• Hydration Bladder
  • Hydration Pack (Gregory 3D Hydro 3L Reservoir) 212g
• Bags & Wallets
  • Waistpack (Gregory Nano 3.5) 215g
• Backpack Accessories
  • Backpack Rain Cover (Gregory) 99g
  • Deuter Transport Cover (only for checked baggage) 470g
  • Repair tape and patches 38g

Camping Equipment

Sleeping in a tent that’s large enough to accommodate my backpack inside or under the fly cover is one of my indulgences. I I’ve used several single-person tents, including a budget-friendly Grand Canyon Apex 1P, similar to the Wechsel Pathfinder 1P, weighing around 2.3kg and packing long due to the poles. The Nemo Dragonfly Bikepack, however, only weighs 1.2kg and packs to a short length, fitting sideways inside a backpack. While light-weight and free-standing, I do feel I need to be careful with it. I will often leave the ‘Landing Zone’ waterproof storage tub behind and replace it with a multi-purpose large plastic rubbish sack.

I frequently use the Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy (1.1kg) on shorter overnight hikes, which is possibly more durable than the Nemo, but requires the backpack to stay outside, protected by its rain cover. This is manageable if you can find a good Schutzhütte hut, although the benches are often too narrow, so I often pitch the tent inside when possible. I use a tarp as an emergency shelter but may also hang it above the tent to minimize moisture from dew and shorten drying times. I always gently shake and then wipe the tent with a microfiber cloth before packing it.

Both tent and bivy sack have the advantage of keeping bugs out, however the 3x3m tarp is 250g lighter than the tent, and a mosquito net around your head and face will help keep the bugs away. I’ve included a camp stretcher in my list of options, and will only ever consider it with a tarp or perhaps bivy, the stretcher feet possibly damaging the tent floor. A stretcher has a number of advantages: I personally have a better sleep on one rather than an air mattress, and it keeps you off the ground, something very handy when under a tarp in bad weather, or to help keep the creepy-crawly-slithery things out of your sleeping bag. The tarp/stretcher combo comes in at 2151g, while the tent/mattress option weights 1568g, 583g less. That isn’t so much to worry about on shorter hikes when your variable weight is low, but it is still a luxury when you consider the tarp/mattress combination is 1311g.

My groundsheet is a budget nylon silver auto windscreen sun/snow shade, which provides both protection and insulation. All these tents are freestanding, so they don’t need tent pegs in fine weather, and a backpack inside can stabilize them. If it starts to blow, I secure the fly with 3x quick-set-up, shoe-lace guy-ropes with pre-attached carabiners that connect to three MSR Cyclone pegs at the main points of the fly, and 3-4 of the smaller Nemo tent stakes for the remaining points around the fly edges. The long MSR Cyclone stakes are effective in sandy terrain, which I frequently encounter. I also use my hiking poles to extend the tent fly by connecting the handle-end to hair ties attached to each end of the cross-bow. I usually find a rock or stone to hammer in the tent pegs.

I’ve also included a camouflage net. Personally I am not really into stealth camping, and I choose green tents to blend into the surroundings and remove reflective materials if I can. The 705g is not something to consider on longer hikes, and I prefer not to play games of hide and seek, camping legally or as close to it, and simply moving on if I’m asked to.

I upgraded my sleeping bag to the Nemo Equipment Coda 25/35 (Long) in 2024 which has a packed weight of 873g. The Regular version weighs only 760g, but I’m just too tall for its 183cm or 6′ maximum. My previous go-to sleeping bag was my MacPac Névé R down sleeping bag from the 1990s, which features a slot for the air mattress at the back, and only the front and sides are filled with down. It has been my preferred choice, perhaps partly due to nostalgia, however weighing in at 1221g, the 350g savings of the Nemo Coda is welcome. The air mattress is slightly noisy, although the newer Thermalite NeoAir XLite NXT model is much quieter. I need a pillow for a good night’s sleep and use a partly inflated air pillow beneath a sack stuffed with clothes, covered with a T-shirt as a makeshift pillowcase.

Water management is crucial, and I fill up at every opportunity, always filtering my water. I switched from the Hiker Pro (350g) to the lighter Befree Tactical (78g). I carry 1-2 1.5L plastic bottles filled via the Befree. I have decided to forgo using a bladder and saving the 212g, however when I did take it I tried to avoid using it, filling it only with potable water when available (also using these opportunities to rinse and refill the Befree and plastic bottles). I seldom use purification tablets, keeping them on hand just in case my water choices are limited.

I prepare my own breakfast and dinner mixes, using a single recipe for each throughout the journey, stored in individual plastic bags within Stoic 2L Stuff Sacks. It is much cheaper to do this than to buy premade food pouches, saves accumulating rubbish, and is easier to refill at resupply points and supermarkets. Breakfast typically consists of oats, almond flour, sunflower seeds, and raisins, sometimes enhanced with powdered milk, cocoa or cinnamon, transformed into porridge or gruel with hot water. Dinner is quick-cook rice with dried vegetables, raisins, nuts and a flavoring like satay or curry that isn’t too salty. Dried vegetables are often difficult to find and I made my own before leaving, or substitute with raisins or dried fruit if necessary. To conserve gas, meals are prepared in old, recycled and resealable food pouches, one each for breakfast and dinner, placed inside a homemade silver bubble wrap insulation envelope to retain heat. I will always cook before setting up or breaking camp and use that time to allow the water has to rehydrate the mix. The cooking gear is straightforward and I only have one pot which only ever holds hot water, and occasionally coffee in the mornings. To keep my lighters dry, I use a small plastic vitamin bottle. The pocket knife is both a luxury and a survival tool, while the long-handled spoon is essential. I don’t have a fork or spork. Although I fondly remember carrying a machete in New Zealand, open fires are no longer an option.

• Shelters
  • Tent (Nemo 1P Dragonfly Bike) 1202g
  • Bivouac Sack (Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy) 1028g
  • Tarp (Robens 3m x 3m) 945g
  • Poncho Tarp 2.2m x 1.5m (raincoat, tarp shelter, backpack cover) 352g
  • Tarp Clips 2-4 23g each
  • Tarp Bungee Cords x4 12g each
  • 6m 3mm 125kg Nylon Paracord Rope 46g
  • Hiking poles (to support the tent fly or tarp) 527g
  • Tent Pegs (3x MSR Cyclone) 35g each
  • Tent Pegs (4x Nemo) 17g each
  • 3x shoe laces (guy-rope with carabiner) 18g each
  • 1x shoe lace (with carabiner) 17g
  • Ground Sheet (Nylon silver auto windscreen sun/snowshade) 173g
  • Camouflage Netting (CamoSystems Premium Ultra-lite Woodland 3m x 2.4m) 705g
  • Repair tape and patches 38g
• Sleeping
  • Nemo Equipment Coda 25/35 873g
  • MacPac Névé R 3-season Sleeping Bag 1154g
  • Microtech Summer Sleeping Bag 668g
  • Camp Stretcher (Thermarest UltraLite Cot) 1206g
  • Air Mattress (Thermarest NeoAir XLite) 366g
  • Air Pillow (SeaToSummit Aeros Ultralight) 80g
  • Repair tape and patches 38g
• Water
  • Katadyn Befree 1L Tactical 78g
  • Katadyn Hiker Pro (not generally taken anymore) 337g
  • Hydration Pack (Gregory 3D Hydro 3L Reservoir) 212g
  • 1-2 1.5L plastic bottle 40g each
  • Katadyn Micropur Forte MF 1T water purification tablets (in First Aid)
• Food
  • Breakfast mix (150g per day, oats, nuts. powdered milk etc.)
  • Muesli Bars (in between) 1 per day, 32g each
  • Mixed Salted Nuts and Raisins (in between) 100g per day
  • Dried Fruit (in between, luxury)
  • Mini Salami / Cured Meat (in between) 1 per day, 22g
  • Dinner mix (150g per day, instant (puffed) risotto rice, dried veges/fruit, flavouring)
  • Assorted Vitamins and Minerals 10g per day
  • Eucalyptus bonbons (or other, treats)
• Cooking
  • Burner (MSR Pocket Rocket 2) 73g
  • Burner Case 30g
  • Gas Bottle Small 3-5+ days (174g canister, 97g gas)
  • Gas Bottle Medium 4-10+ days (385g canister, 200g gas)
  • Flip fuel (to fill small bottle from larger, not taken)
  • Small BIC lighter 11g
  • Flint / Firesteel 27g
  • Watertight Vitamin Bottle for Firestarters 20g
  • Few sheets of newspaper
  • Sea to Summit Alpha Pot 1.2L with lid 181g
  • Homemade food pouch insulation pouch 103g
  • Reusable food pouch x2 13g each
  • Small day-ration plastic container 29g
  • Small bottle detergent 42g
  • Scrub sponge 7g
• Knives & Tools
  • Pocketknife (Victorinox CH Soldier) 130g
  • Long-handle spoon (SeaToSummit Alpha Light) 15g

Apparel & Weather Gear

The Heimhat is a cherished old rag, once a hat from the early 1980s, and it has become a quirky nostalgic tradition to bring along. The sun can be intense during the summer and autumn, so I also pack a 360° wide-brimmed hat, which is useful with a net in areas plagued by mosquitoes or horseflies, both of which seem particularly fond of me. I wear a single pair of light-weight, self-tinting prescription glasses.

When it comes to apparel, there are numerous items with very technical names, but I prefer to keep it simple by layering. In colder conditions, I wear a beanie, a waterproof/windproof shell jacket, a down or puffer jacket underneath, a fleece, a long-sleeve T-shirt, a merino base layer, and gloves, with my legs covered by rain pants, zip-off trousers, merino long-johns, and thick socks. This combination ensures warmth. It’s crucial to dry any wet clothing as soon as possible. A general rule is to avoid cotton which doesn’t dry well or provide warmth when wet or damp. Merino wool is a popular but expensive choice; alternatively, fast-drying polyester, spandex, and other synthetic materials are commonly used in fast-drying ‘performance’ gear.

At night, I typically wear only underpants and a T-shirt, switching to various merino base layers according to the season and conditions. If it gets chilly, I’ll add socks, a fleece, and a beanie. When hiking German trails, I make it a point to have a set of respectable clothes at the beginning and end of the hike when I might visit a restaurant, pub or wine-cellar, typically a very light, long-sleeved button-up shirt which is otherwise seldom used when walking.

Weather is easier to predict on shorter, 5-10 day hikes, but any longer than this I will take the full weather gear. For light rain I use only the Poncho/Tarp, which also covers the backpack. If the rain turns heavier I might wear the rain trousers to avoid getting water into my boots. If the wind picks up I will secure the poncho with rope to stop it fluttering and will use the backpack rain cover. I only wear a hard-shell jacket with the backpack in storms where I must keep walking, but won’t generally take it on shorter thru-hikes. If the weather is that bad it is probably best to seek shelter and wait it out.

• Head & Eyewear
  • Heimhat 63g
  • Wide-rimmed hat 145g
  • Mosquito Head Net
  • Beanie 92g
  • Glasses / sunglasses 22g
  • Handkerchief/Bandana 15g
• Upper Body / Arms
  • Jackets
    • Fleece jacket 687g
    • Down jacket (Puffer, Mountain Hardware StretchDown Light Shacket) 453g
  • Shirts
    • T-Shirt BN205 Beyond Nordic XXL 215g
    • T-Shirt Icebreaker M 139g
    • Long-sleeve T-Shirt (Icebreaker Merino) 287g
    • Button-up Shirt (Fjallraven Abisco Hike Shirt) 165g
  • Gloves
    • Pearl Izumi Cycling Gloves 86g
• Lower Body
  • Trousers
    • Zip-off trousers (Beyond Nordic BN005) 525g
    • Belt 120g
    • Shorts
      • Shorts / Swimwear 150g
    • Base Layers
      • Underpants x2 (maybe x3) 76g each
      • Revolution Race Fuse Merino Base Layer Hooded Long-sleeves 255g
      • Revolution Race Fuse Merino Base Layer Longjohns 204g
      • Icebreaker Merino Base Layer T-Shirt Short-sleeves 120g
      • Icebreaker Merino Base Layer 3/4 Pants 165g
  • Wind & Rain Gear
    • Poncho Tarp 352g
    • Wind/Rain Shell Jacket Arc’teryx Beta AR 480g
    • Cycling Rain Pants 241g

Footwear & Poles

Getting into my advanced years, I come from a time when hiking was synonymous with boots. While the Hanwag Alaska hiking boots are robust, weighing a hefty 2016g per pair, they are almost like gumboots, especially on the muddy or swamped trails I’ve encountered in New Zealand, and more recently in Germany after a wet winter and spring. In such conditions, mud or water would have easily spilled over into the Meindl Avolas (1240g per pair), which I have owned for years and re-soled twice – a benefit of choosing shoes with Vibram soles.

There’s an adage that a kilogram on your feet feels like five in your pack, and at the end of a long hiking day when your feet are aching, I truly understand its validity. Therefore, for long-distance trekking in 2024, I tried hiking shoes with the Merrell Moab 3 (944g) hoping this would help increase my miles per day. I had positive experiences with the original Moabs for day hikes and travel backpacking years ago, but after some longer-distance hiking in The Netherlands and one 85km thru-hike in Germany, they have still not convinced me to change from boots, and I miss the ability to wade or walk through mud. I also think the soles are A or only just A/B, and I prefer a stiffer B or the B/C sole of my Hanwags as my feet get tired in softer soles over tree roots or rocky ground. While the cushioning and lining was initially comfortable, my feet became noticeably hot inside them which might have made them sweat more readily. This, along with apparently not wearing them in well enough, gave me quite severe blisters on the sides of my ankles, an odd place, which might be due to less ankle support. I’m going to wear them wet and walk them in once my blisters have healed, then I’ll give them another try later in the season, however I think I prefer boots for longer thru-hikes. Eventually, I plan to upgrade the sauna slippers I’ve used for years to secured-to-feet sandals, which I can use to wade streams or cross mud without losing a slipper or contemplating going barefoot.

Many years ago, I picked up a foot, toe, and toenail fungus in New Zealand, and my experience has taught me that it’s a matter of management and care from that point onward. I powder my boots and shoes before setting out and might bring along a tube of ointment. My feet tend to sweat in heat, so I change my inner socks midday and hang them on my pack to dry. The afternoon socks are dried overnight and during the morning’s hike. I wash them whenever the opportunity arises, usually along with underwear and T-shirts. My backpack often serves as a mobile clothesline, and I’m always drying things during breaks or until the last rays of sunlight at camp.

While younger hikers might consider walking poles a luxury or simply pick up a stick, I’ve found poles very useful as I get older, particularly as I start to feel it in my knees. Switching to hiking shoes will likely make them even more essential for maintaining general stability. I use regularly them for the tent fly and they are also handy for the tarp.

• Hiking Boots/Walking Boots
  • Hanwag Alaska GTX 2016g pair
  • Meindl Identity Avola (Twice Vibram re-soled) 1236g pair
• Multisport Shoes
  • Merrell Moab 3 944g pair
• Sandals/Water Shoes
  • Adidas Sauna/Bath Slippers 270g
• Socks & Gaiters
  • 2 pairs thick hiking socks 78g pair
  • 3 pairs any thin inner sock 37g pair
• Hiking Poles
  • Leki Corklite DSS Antishock 527g pair
• Footcare
  • Anti-fungal cream (feet/toes)
  • Anti-fungal powder (boots)

Electronics & Navigation

I wouldn’t even have been discussing this gear 25-30 years ago. While it’s nice and handy to have, we managed without it in the past. Also, German trails are usually so well-marked that a GPS is really only to minimize the chances of taking a wrong turn (which can and does happen) and helps reduce the daily kilometers lost when it does. I use an old iPhone, which is still fine and serves as my GPS device, camera, and backup lighting on this gear list. It’s also a good way to let people know where you are, so it can be considered a safety device. I turn off all data or switch to airplane mode when hiking, only using the phone when I absolutely need to, to conserve battery. Unfortunately I need all the cables you see here, also to take advantage of charging batteries on the train.

The solar panel on the power bank doesn’t supply much recharging power, but I might attach it to the top of my pack while walking. I’ve found a portable solar panel worthwhile if you deem electronics necessary and are hiking for more than four or five days, I was plesantly surprised at how quickly it charges my phone. I’ve also discovered that it’s better to charge at stationary moments, perhaps when drying out other gear. When moving, the interrupted solar power supply actually drains my phone faster as it switches on and off between sun and shade. You might be better off charging a power bank while moving, and using that to transfer charge to your phone later, but I haven’t needed to test that yet.

A headlamp is essential, and I’ve found the RGB useful, particularly the green light for seeing further into the bush. The solar power bank has a built-in light, and failing that, there’s also the light from the phone. I can see that a dedicated camera could be useful for bloggers or vloggers, but I’m not there yet, so the phone suffices. I do have a small tripod as solo hiking means there’s no one else to take the shot.

I always carry a small compass, even though I’ve never needed to use it. Similarly, I’ve never needed a printed map, but I tend to print them on an A4 sheet and stow it in a sealable plastic bag inside my pack. The compass is more useful with it. The rest of the equipment on the thru-hiking gear list is common sense.

• GPS
  • Smartphone iPhone (iOS) 217g
  • Phone protective case
  • Maps 3D Pro App (iOS)
  • GPX viewer 2 App (iOS)
  • Downloaded Map Tiles for offline
• Power & Cables
  • Xtorm 20W 10,000mAh Solar Bank with LED light 284g
  • BigBlue 14W USB Foldable Solar Power Charger 279g
  • USB-C to Lightning cable (adapter, phone charge) 20g
  • USB-C to USB-C cable (adapter, battery charge) 18g
  • USB to Lightning cable (solar/train, phone charge) 18g
  • USB to USB-C cable (solar/train, battery charge) 31g
  • Phone fast charger adapter 54g
• Lighting
  • Petzl Tactikka +RGB (3xAAA) Head Torch 86g
  • Xtorm 20W 10,000mAh Solar Bank with LED light
  • Smartphone
• Camera
  • Smartphone iPhone
  • Small Joby Gorilla Tripod with phone clamp 71g
• Compass & Maps
  • Small Magnetic Compass 29g
  • Printed Maps as required
• Notes & Documents
  • Passport/ID 40g
  • Travel documents
  • Debit card 24g (all cards)
  • Health Insurance Card
  • DJH Hostelling International Card
  • Some cash/coins 70g
  • Small notebook
  • Pen 8g
  • Pencil 10g

Hygiene & Survival

It’s inevitable, so learn how to do it properly and keep it far from water sources. I am appalled by how often it is done directly behind a Schutzhütte without being buried. I have mostly used the first aid kit to treat minor cuts with betadine and plasters, and to treat blisters with special blister plasters. It is a little on the heavy side and I need to revisit its contents. Toiletries become less important as the hike progresses, and are mostly there for when I end the hike and return to civilization.

I take four additional shoe laces with me. They are strong cords, and I have three set up with carabiners and tent-peg fasteners for my tent fly. They are also used to tie the four corners of my Poncho/Tarp if I use it, or as a washing line. The rope is the preferred washing line, used for a central line for a tarp shelter, to rig additional shelter in an exposed Schutzhütte, as a belt to keep the poncho from flapping in windy conditions, or to hang a backpack if it isn’t stored inside a tent.

Tarp clips are used for the tarp and are also useful for hanging and drying items on a backpack. Be cautious of items dropping off or being scraped off in the bush, as you might not notice until kilometers have passed. Zip ties can be used for repairs, and stretchy hair ties are useful for a multitude of reasons, particularly for fastening items like tarps that benefit from some stretch absorption during gusts.

• Toilet
  • Toilet Paper 115g
  • Small spade 56g
• First Aid
  • First Aid Kit 392g
    • First Aid Handbook
    • 3 bandages
    • Assorted plasters
    • Blister plasters
    • Cotton buds
    • Betadine
    • Latex gloves
    • Tape
    • Scissors
    • Tweezers
    • Tick removal tweezers
    • Tiny Swiss Army Knife
    • ORS Electrolyte sachets
    • Mask
    • Covid Test
    • Emergency blanket
    • Sumatriptan
    • Paracetamol
    • Ibuprofen
    • Aspirin
    • Voltaren K
    • Anti-histamines
• Hygiene
  • Plastic Bag with Toiletries 225g
    • Hygiene Wipes
    • Body Wash / Shampoo
    • Toothpaste
    • Toothbrush
    • Toothpicks
    • Razor
    • Antiperspirant
    • Small Mirror
  • Sunscreen (backpack waist, 77g all)
  • Refillable Eau de Toilette (backpack waist)
  • Microfiber Travel Towel/Cloth 87g dry, up to 200 wet & squeezed!
• Insects
  • Small refillable Deet Spray (backpack waist)
  • Mosquito Head Net
• Functional
  • Whistle (integrated in backpack)
  • Carabiners (assorted, integrated in backpack weight)
  • Travel cable lock 68g
  • 4x Shoe Laces (shoes, washing, tent, tarp – see camping)
  • 6m 3mm 125kg Nylon Paracord Rope 46g
  • 4x Clothes Pegs 7g each
  • Zip-ties (assorted)
  • Hair Ties (5x assorted) 2g each
  • Keyrings (4x assorted) 1g each
  • Plastic bags (assorted) 69g
• Repair
  • Assorted tapes and patches (with zip ties) 38g

Gear List Target

The motivation I use is the idea of solo hiking the 3000km Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand, and this thru-hiking gear list is constructed with that in mind. I have hiked sections of that trail in the distant past, for example the Tongariro Crossing as you see here. To train for this I solo thru-hike German long-distance trails up to 300km in length, attempting to be self-sufficient from beginning to end.

The Te Araroa is similar, but not as long as trails like the 4270km Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Both trails have a maximum resupply section of about 165km (100 miles). That’s roughly equal in length to the Hermannsweg (164km) or Rothaarsteig (153km), both about 4-6 days of solid hiking. However the section on the Te Araroa passes over the Richmond Alpine Track, which has a difficult elevation profile, rising from 250m to regularly above 1500m, and requiring about 9-11 days to reach the resupply point. Successfully hiking a section like this is my ultimate thru-hiking gear list target or goal.

To train and prepare I’ll choose shorter trails at the start of the season like the 2-3 night Harzer-Hezen-Stieg (101km) or the similar length, but more challenging elevation profile of the AhrSteig (108km). This gets me into shape without having to carry too much variable weight in my gear list. It is also a good opportunity to start rearranging my thru-hiking packing list’s base (non-variable) weight. From there the distances start increasing until I can attempt a longer thru-hike toward the end of the season. I’m then carrying supplies for about 10 days to attempt 300km over easy to moderately difficult terrain.

Things I’m considering for my Packing List

Essentially a note for me to keep looking for discounts!

• Sleeping bag liner
• Sandals
• Gloves
• Lighter rain pants
• Sturdier tarp with better ringlets, connections
• Shorts
• Dedicated Nemo Dragonfly Ground Sheet
• Nemo Coda 23/35 Endless Promise
• Lighter Fleece Jacket