Hi there! Iām Kellz and Iām a little obsessed with hiking, okay, a lot obsessed!
I also love camping so every break off work I try to head out and camp where I can and get some awesome hiking in. Iāve done quite a few overnight hikes now, and figured out what works for me, so I thought Iād share my list.
Also, being a gear nerd, any chance I get to talk gear makes me grin from ear to ear!
My pack
Before I get down to the nitty-gritty, letās start with my pack. I use a 65L pack and for now, itās a perfect size. Iām in the process of lightening my base weight to become an āultralightā hiker with an immediate goal of 5 kg. So eventually I will have to get a lighter pack but for now, itās great. I have some long-distance thru-hike goals which include The Great North Walk and the Great Ocean Walk and eventually The Heysen Trail in its entirety ā so Iāll want to be ultralight for that.
Taking the hood off the pack saves a little bit of weight and if you donāt need it, why not? Everything that went in the hood now goes in the side pockets but not all packs have these.
Now that youāve met my pack, hereās everything I put in it for an overnight hike:
Hereās a snap of all the gear that I take on an overnight hike. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess
3L water bladder
Pack rain cover
Trowel
Toilet paper
Fleece
Rain Jacket
Trekking poles
Camp shoes
Map & compass
Tyvek (for a groundsheet)
First-aid kit
PLB
Notepad & pen
Headlamp
Waterproof matches
Mini roll of duct tape
Garbage snap-lock bag
Body Glide
Spare batteries
Flick knife
Earbuds
Lip balm
2 in 1 sunscreen & insect repellent
Toiletries
A 2 person tent is much roomier and worth considering for comfort. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess
A lightweight shelter vs a tent
This is a lot of gear and I could go lighter by substituting some things like the tent for a tarp but I canāt bring myself to ācowboy campā yet. The thought of all those little critters crawling on me and mozzies biting me makes me cringe. Also, I like the privacy option of the fly but if Iām on my own and the weather is fine I leave it off so I can see the stars.
I use an ultralight roomy 2-person tent that has a minimum weight of 1.5kg. Iāve been through so many hiking tents and Iāve finally found one that works for me. There is the possibility that Iāll end up swapping it out for an even lighter one down the track when Iām really conscious about weight, but for now, Iām more than happy with this one.
Iād always recommend a 2 person tent for 1 person, 3 for 2 and so on because you will appreciate having the extra room for the weight. Itās so worth it!
I like to keep it simple when it comes to my kitchen gear on overnight hikes. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess.Ā
In the kitchen
Some ultralight hikers prefer to go without a stove and fuel to save weight, butĀ I always bring a hiking stove. This is because I know Iāll want hot food for dinner or sometimes even lunch if itās really cold. Itās also niceĀ to have aĀ cup of coffee in the morning to start the day.
I decided to downsize my pot set to save on weight and space in my pack. Plus, I worked out that I only use one pot at a time so I didnāt need a two-pot set. I just make sure that my pot is large enough for boiling the water I need. In that goes my little gas canister and on that sits my stove. I have an ultralight stove that weighs only 45g, and then to save more weight I use a mini lighter which lives in the bag with it.
The Sea to Summit long-handled spork is all I eat and stir my food with. Everything you need right there! I also keep a cut up bit of sponge in the pot as well for cleaning up. All up, my kitchen weighs 150 g (without the gas and not including my spork).
Something I do, and I havenāt noticed anyone else doing it, is carry some extra water that I call my cooking water. I carry it in a foldable bottle so when itās empty it doesnāt take up much room and weighs nothing. Iāll also sleep with this bottle next to me in case I get thirsty through the night.
My pot, ultralight stove, cooking water, lighter, sponge and long handled spork is all I need. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess.Ā
Meals for the trail
In my food bag, I always carry some emergency noodles. I donāt have any intention of eating them, but I keep them they just in case.
for another treat or if I know Iām going to be doing a hard day so I get extra fuel for my body. Lots of calories before bed will also keep you warmer!
Freeze-dried meals are a must for lightweight adventures. Photo: Kelly-Anne BurgessĀ
For snacks, my go-toās are:
Dried fruit
Nuts
Protein bars
Lollies
Cheese sticks (just because I love them)
Beef jerky
Dark chocolate, and
No mess and super quick ā Back Country Cuisine meals are a great option for hikers. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess
Sleeping gear
Bed time in my hike-in camp consists of a Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated Sleeping Mat. I have to get the insulated one because I feel the cold so much. I also spoilt myself by going with the Comfort Light and not just the Ultralight range. Worth the extra weight in my opinion as Iāve never slept on a more comfortable sleeping mat.
I got the pump sack to inflate it so Iām not having to exhaust myself further after a hard day of hiking. It takes about 3-and-a-bit minutes to inflate the sleeping mat and I use the left-over air in the pump sack to inflate my Sea to Summit Aeros Premium pillow.
In my bedtime bag, I keep my warmer clothes so I can stay insulated at night. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess
Pillow vs no pillow
Back in the day when I was starting out, I thought I was so hardcore by just sleeping on a pile of my clothes, but I soon realised how much that sucked! So, I decided to buy a pillow and I donāt think Iād ever go without, even when I become an ultralight gram-counter.
Even though it does add weight, a pillow is a personal must for me. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess
Sleeping bag vs a quilt
The sleeping bag I use has a comfort level of -9, and a transition comfort level of -16 so it was pretty much the warmest one I could find at the time. I do love it, but in the future, I will be swapping it out for custom made quilt as it will be warmer, lighter and can compress smaller ā pretty neat hey?
To prepare myself for using a quilt Iāve been sleeping with my bag open and laid over me, which does work ā but you have to have an insulated sleeping mat so you donāt freeze.
Eventually, I want to upgrade my sleeping bag to a lightweight quilt. Photo: Sea to SummitĀ
Extras that could come in handy
If I know itās going to be extremely cold, Iāll pack my thermal sleeping bag liner for extra insulation.
Water filter that Iāve never actually used but could still come in handy on long trips in case you run out of drinkable water.
Scrub gloves (which are just thin gardening gloves) come in handy for when you need to hold onto weeds or branches in steep terrain.
Fingerless gloves for the cold nights at camp.
Day pack which is useful for heading into town for a resupply or doing a short hike with your camp still set up.
Mini towel for drying yourself off after a shower, cleaning your pot or wiping condensation or moisture off your gear.
A thermal liner, water filter, and towel are a few extras that you might need. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess.Ā
Priorities
If I had limitations on the gear I could take for some reason, hereās my list of priorities:
A comfortable pack ā I donāt think thereās much point in going on an overnight hike if youāre not going to be comfortable while youāre hiking.
Nalgene bottle of water ā The reason why I say that is because you can put boiling water in a Overnight Packing Tips for Seasoned Hikers appeared first on Snowys Blog.
