Listed below are my suggestions for a good-quality Te Araroa Gear checklist. The Te Araroa has a repute for being laborious on gear, with a number of rain and dirt.
After I hiked the Te Araroa, my gear checklist was round 6kg (13lb), which put much less stress on my physique in contrast with another hikers who carry heavier masses. As I’ve hiked many long-distance thru-hikes, I accomplished a light-weight gear checklist for the Te Araroa.
Ultralight Te Araroa Gear Listing
As talked about above, the mud, the chilly, and the troublesome terrain make the Te Araroa path a tricky path for gear. Nonetheless, it’s potential, however you have to take high-quality light-weight gear on the path.
Finest Light-weight Tent for the Te Araroa
The very best tent for Te Araroa shall be light-weight, waterproof, bugproof, and capable of stand up to windy circumstances. Here’s a checklist of the very best light-weight 1-person, 2-person, and 3-person tents.
Finest 1P Tent for Te Araroa
Finest 2P Tent for Te Araroa
Finest 3P Tent for Te Araroa
Finest Backpack for Te Araroa
The very best backpack for the Te Araroa shall be light-weight and have sufficient capability to hold all of your meals and equipment for as much as round 5 days. For many light-weight through hikers a 50 litre pack shall be sufficient. Some hikers who haven’t dedicated to carrying a light-weight and compact load might have a barely larger pack.
Finest Sleeping Bag for Te Araroa
There are a lot of decisions of ultralight sleeping baggage for the Te Araroa Path. Listed below are my suggestions.
Finest Ultralight Quilts for Te Araroa
Lately many ultralight hikers have moved from sleeping baggage to ultralight quilts. I feel they’re a greater and lighter choice for most individuals. They perform properly till the temperatures get a few levels under freezing. At that time, a sleeping bag turns into a greater choice because it capabilities higher in colder climate.
Finest Sleeping Mat for Te Araroa
Light-weight and compact with good insulation is what you want in a sleeping pad for the Te Araroa. Listed below are some nice choices.
And don’t overlook an excellent high quality ultralight pillow and a pack liner to make sure all the things stays dry in the course of the inevitable moist climate.
Footwear for Te Araroa
I wore 3 totally different pairs of path running footwear on my hike to see which one I favored finest.
However will Path Working Footwear make your ft happier?
You could have a selection of sporting Light-weight Climbing Boots, Light-weight Footwear, or Path Runners. There are professionals and cons for every. I wore path runners however discovered they carried out poorly within the muddy circumstances. Climbing boots put an excessive amount of stress in your ft in the course of the lengthy highway stroll sections and light-weight mountaineering footwear don’t carry out as properly throughout mud. So which is finest?
The reply is, there is no such thing as a reply. I hiked with path runners they usually carried out very properly on all sections of the path besides the very muddy sections on the North Island. Specifically the mud close to the very northern sections of the path and the Tarraroa Vary within the southern part of the North Island. The mud and tree roots destroyed my path runners.
Possibly light-weight mountaineering boots for the North Island and Ultralight Path runners for the South Island.
Listed below are my 3 suggestions for the very best footwear and boots for the Te Araroa hikers with vast ft.
Listed below are my 3 suggestions for the very best footwear and boots for the Te Araroa hikers with slim ft.
Don’t overlook an excellent pair of mountaineering socks. I just like the New Zealand which you’ll simply decide up on-line in NZ. If coming from abroad then Darn Robust Socks are among the best choices.
Insulating Layers – Down Jackets / Fleece / Baselayers
An excellent layering system that features a heat down jacket, fleece mid-layer, and a light-weight base layer shall be wanted and far appreciated on the Te Araroa. One of many key issues about this layering system is to not overdo it, or overthink it. Take objects of clothes that may work, are prime quality, and can be utilized together to see you thru all types of climate circumstances. For probably the most half, there is no such thing as a have to look any additional than New Zealand model Macpac.
Down Jacket
- Macpac Icefall Down Jacket – This jacket appears to be on clearance so is sort of low-cost, if you will discover one be certain and purchase one as they’re good for the Te Araroa!
Fleece Mid Layer
Baselayers
- Macpac Merino – For lovers of fine high quality Merino Wool.
- Macpac Geothermals – Low cost however ok
- Macpac Prothermals – The Highest quality, lightest, and highest high quality base layers obtainable. I’ve been sporting a pair of tops and bottoms for greater than 5 years, and love them.
Don’t overlook underwear, once more check out Macpac. I like the Merino Underwear.
Climbing Pants / Climbing Shorts / Climbing Shirts
Similar to your layering system of insulation talked about above you need to take an excellent have a look at what sorts of Shirts, Shorts, and Pants you may be sporting.
Climbing Shirts
Climbing Pants
- Macpac Trekker Pants – Light-weight softshell. I’ve been sporting them for the final couple of years.
Climbing Shorts
Gloves / Hats / Sun shades
Check out among the mountaineering gear guides that may advise you on the very best gloves, Hats, and Sun shades for the Te Araroa.
Raingear for Te Araroa
It would rain loads when thru-hiking Te Araroa. Be ready with a high-quality light-weight rain jacket and rain pants. Listed below are among the finest for 2024:
Climbing Poles
Do you want mountaineering poles for the Te Araroa? Quick reply, not likely. However in case you are like me and you employ them when long-distance mountaineering then check out my information under. Or for one thing light-weight from Macpac, check out the Macpac Carbon Trekking Poles.
Cookware – Stoves & Pots for te Araroa
You’ll recognize a heat meal at night time and possibly a scorching espresso or tea within the morning. Listed below are some cookware units, stoves, pots, and different gear you’ll need for the path.
Water on the Te Araroa
Total the water high quality on the Te Araroa is sort of good however as with nearly each backcountry journey, you need to deal with the water and carry sufficient in your wants. Listed below are some advisable water therapy units and water storage bottles and bladders.
Cameras and Electronics
With so many electronics that we tackle the path nowadays, it may be laborious to resolve what to take and what to depart behind. Check out among the objects you could want and observe the hyperlinks to my detailed guides about which of them are the very best.
- Finest Cameras for Climbing – For the photographers. Most individuals shall be blissful sufficient with the standard of their smartphone.
- Finest Battery Financial institution for Climbing – Crucial to have a high-quality battery to recharge all of your electronics.
- Finest Climbing GPS – Not wanted for the path as most individuals can navigate OK with a smartphone App.
- Finest GPS Watch – Increasingly more individuals are mountaineering with a GPS watch. They’re nice however will want charging each night time so you’ll want to take a transportable battery financial institution with you.
- Finest PLB and Satellite tv for pc Messenger – Extremely advisable for thru-hiking the TA. Many individuals get into issue on the path and one in every of these can save your life.
- USB Wall Charger for New Zealand /Australia+ Cables.
Different Gear
- Plastic zip lock baggage
- Cash / ID / Credit score Playing cards
- Blister pads
- Strapping Tape
- Foot an infection anti-biotic
- Ibuprofen
- tweezers
- Toothbrush and Toothpaste
- Security Pin
- Needle
- Deet insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Lip Balm
- Bathroom tissue
I hope this helped together with your planning indirectly. If you happen to want extra assist with all the very best light-weight mountaineering gear then check out my Gear Guides.


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The creator, Brad McCartney from BikeHikeSafari is a small impartial adventurer and outside gear tester who owns and runs BikeHikeSafari.com.
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The creator, Brad McCartney is a really skilled triple crown thru-hiker, adventurer, and bike tourer having spent 1000s of nights sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag (Learn extra). He was a supervisor of an outside retail retailer and may be very skilled in what’s vital when utilizing and testing gear for critiques like this.
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