Solid video, I'm going in July and will be carrying a similar weight. One thing I was looking at trimming was fuel, what size were those fuel canisters you brought?
We used the smallest canisters that MSR had; 110g. We used almost exactly 1.5 canisters across 6-days (5-nights). Had a pretty simple cooking setup with using boiling water for rehydrating food vs. actually cooking food on heat. We boiled water for morning oats, coffee, and some other food (instant mash etc) which all just required hot water rather than heat applied to the food.
Hey Kieth, great vid! Curious, why you omitted certain items, such as camp shoes, or more a first aid kit. Also, anything you wish you had brought? Have fun in Kiwiland!
Hey Brad. When are you starting the trail? Rei and I really enjoyed the trip and highly recommend it. Just pray for sunshine! We didn't pack camp shoes and would definitely say it would be a nice-to-have. If your hiking shoes get wet during the day, then it's a psychological bugger to put them back on again when walking around camp. Some super light flip-flops or Crocs would do the trick. More of a luxury item though and you definitely can do without them. Rei packed a super basic first aid kit. To be honest, we were a bit naive with not taking very much. if you're in a bit of a group, then you're good if just one people carry some basics. Even though we were super light, we actually packed too much food, so could have lightened the load even more. I only packed one pair of socks for hiking, but 2 would have been better. Our windshield for the stove could've been better. Prudent to have more than 1 lighter in the group as you'd be buggered if you lost it. A steel scrubber would be better than a sponge one. They are all tiny little changes. The only item that I really missed out on, I think, is some better gloves. I had some crappy gardening gloves. But some simple Marigold kitchen gloves would've been way better. The ropes/ladders can get slippery/yucky, so gloves are quite nice to have. Feel free to shoot me an email if I can help out with anything. We still have some Google docs that Rei put together to plan out our packing/itinerary/etc. Enjoy!
@@kmander Hey Keith, thanks for the reply. We're doing the Trail Sept 25th, North to South. Yes, praying for sunshine, prepping for rain.. Cool, yeah was thinking of the extra weight vs comfort for camp shoes. We'll be wearing gortex boots and gaitors, but water finds a way. Ohh, good to know - A birthday is being celebrated on the trip, so we're trying to strike a balance between weight and comfort..we're bringing bourbon and cheese for example. (not my suggestion) Okay, so definitely plan on bringing 2 pair of socks.. multiple lighters, / fire starting methods definitely.. We're going to eating the freeze dried just add water for dinners, eating out of the bag, but also have the Sea 2 Summit Delta bowls for breakfast oats, just the Jet Boil. Ahh yes Gloves!! everyone is saying gloves.. also in Sept, it could be super chilly.. Really appreciate the detailed response.
