I only do day-hikes. For overnight hikes, check out my friend Iva’s gear list on her blog.

Gear that I normally use/wear

• Oakley wraparound sunglasses

• Outdoor Research Astroman long-sleeve sun shirt, and similar

• RailRiders sun pants

• Icebreaker underwear

• Le Bent or Kathmandu hiking socks

• Scarpa ZG Trek GPX boots

  • these replaced Keen boots which were satisfactory but a bit too bulky.

  • tightly-laced boots reduce blisters

• Hunter’s Element Legacy gloves (not for cold weather)

  • the glue for the grips melts if the gloves are used on a hot steering wheel!

• inov-8 Stormshell jacket (2.5 layers)

  • the hood’s breathability is disappointing

  • also, not enough pockets

• Kennex headband - not just cheaper than Nike headbands; it is also stretchier

• Bassdash Unisex UPF 50+ Sun Hat with Face Cover & Neck Flap

• McMurdo Personal Locator Beacon

  • recommended as worn on the body, not carried in a backpack

  • instructions video

• whistle-compass

  • Kathmandu (southern hemisphere)

  • Coghlans (northern hemisphere)

• Osprey Talon 22-liter backpack

See this Mountain Safety Council video for recommendations on what first aid supplies to bring.

Sunscreen

I have started using mineral sunscreen (e.g. Invisible Zinc Sport) across my entire face. It’s harder to apply and remove than chemical sunscreen, but it irritates my skin less. Even if your skin is fine with chemical sunscreen, mineral sunscreen is useful above the eyes, since it runs less with sweat.

I still use chemical sunscreen on the rest of my body.

Direct sunlight and heat both degrade sunscreen, so I’ve started carrying my bottles in a Naroote thermal water bottle carrier, outside my backpack.

Gear for some circumstances

• Black Diamond trekking poles with shock absorbers (watch this video for guidance on attaching the challenging snow baskets)

• Kathmandu polypropylene base layer (shirt)

• Outdoor Research Crocodile gaiters (recommended to me by Edward at HikingScenery.com)

  • The Māori once made their own gaiters, marowai, from tussock and sticks.

• Black Diamond headlamp

Gear for snow

• obvious things like balaclava (more for reflected UV than for temperature), insulated hat, neckwarmer

• Kahtoola MICROspikes (less effective but lighter in weight than proper crampons)

• Salomon snow pants (for the few day-hikes I’ve done in them, they have always seemed too heavy)

• Gobi Heat Vertex II Heated Ski Gloves (single pair, not inner and outer)

  • These are a replacement for Ororo Twin Cities heated gloves, which I stopped using for two reasons. First, they comprised separate inner and outer pairs, and the inner wasn’t washable. Second, they sometimes turned on by themselves while in my backpack.

Gear for buggy environments

• in NZ: citronella spray seems adequate for sandflies (black flies)

• outside of NZ: Picaridin insect spray - it doesn’t smell nearly as bad as DEET, but I’ve also read that it’s a little less effective

• worst case, e.g. parts of Australia: Sea to Summit Nano bug net

NZ shops I’ve used the most - all but one found in Newmarket, Auckland

• Bivouac

• Living Simply (Newmarket, Auckland only)

• Small Planet (central Queenstown only)

• Kathmandu

• Macpac

• Torpedo 7

• Chemist Warehouse

GearShop.co.nz is a useful online retailer.