My gear list of Te Araroa

PLB (Personal Location Bean) - SOS Device

There are a few sections that seem rather dangerous. Worth mentioning here are: Tararuas and the Richmond Ranges. Basically, as with most hiking, the risk of injury is a reality as with other sports. From the risk of falling to river crossings to blood poisoning. The dangers are many and varied. A PLB (personal location bean) can save lives. The PLB informs the emergency call center via satellite with location data and thus works in most locations with a clear view of the sky even without a network connection. Some PLB’s also support obtaining weather data via GPS. This is extremely helpful for planning more dangerous sections.

See in this regard: SOS Devices for Thru-Hikes and Dangerous Hikes

Good hiking poles

are also recommended, as these can often prevent falling and twisting.

Gaiters

Extremely helpful to keep small rocks and sand out of your shoes. Blisters are reduced.

See in this regard: Gaiters to keep stones out of your shoes

Hiking backpack

The volume of the backpack is very individual and especially adapted to the base weight. For me personally, a light 45 L backpack without frame worked very well with a base-weight of 4.7 kg. During the 10 day resupply sections, the backpack was certainly pushed to the limits.

See in this regard: Ultralight Hiking Backpacks

sleeping bag/quilt and sleeping pad.

The temperature can vary extremely. Therefore, better to pack a little too warm than to freeze on the trail. I prefer the quilt and especially down. Before the hike I was strongly advised not to use down in New Zealand because of the humidity. I cannot support this statement. Down worked flawlessly in my case and provided a much better weight to warmth ratio than synthetics.

See in this regard: Quilt or sleeping bag the pros and cons and Ultralight sleeping pads for hiking

shoes

I wore out a total of 5 pairs of shoes. However, the quality of my Fuji Trabucco Ultra-Runners were not very good. Many other hikers have worn out 3 pairs of shoes. Most of the thru-hikers also wore trail runners. It is important to test shoes extensively before starting! For some, hiking boots may be a better choice.

See in this regard: Shoes, Gore-Tex and Gaiters

Tights and hiking pants

Depending on the model, the tights or hiking pants help to keep the extreme UV rays as well as sandflys away from the legs and are absolutely recommended.

Shirt

I would recommend a long sleeve UV50 shirt that is as light and breathable as possible. A polyester or nylon shirt is ideal. Merino is also a good choice. Cotton and the like should definitely be avoided as with other sports.

Hat

To protect the head from the extreme rays of the sun, it is recommended to wear a sun hat. These are available in many variations.

Head net

In order not to lose your mind by the thousands/millions of sandflys, a head net is recommended!

Rainwear

In New Zealand it can be very rainy. Don’t worry it doesn’t rain every day! I was amazed at how little it rained compared to my expectations. A poncho or a good rain jacket is a must.

See in this regard: Rainwear for hiking a comparison of options

My gear list for Te Araroa

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