World Travel Kit

Bryn Jones happy as a pig in mud, Upper Spey River, Dusky track Fiordland NZ 2008.

When my son was planning to go backpacking overseas I made this list of essential items for him to have in his pack. A useful list for anyone who is interested in ultralight backpacking.

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You need to start ordering around six months ahead as some items may take a while to be made/arrive. It would be good to have them all assembled and try them out locally before you go to work out how to use them and whether modifications need to be made.

Take some (eg 2mm) spectra cord as it has a million uses and you will also need it for bear bagging. We took 45 metres to Tas (140 grams) and it saved our lives. I bought this from a Ship’s Chandler in Elizabeth St just below the Flemington Rd roundabout. EZC 2 guyline(luminous spectra/dyneema – may not be available at present) and luminous clam cleats (I have some spare of these) are great.

NB: Some items can be purchased as bonuses from Moontrail – with free shipping to shipito, then maybe US$20-25.

Everything needs to be carried in a backpack which is robust enough to survive baggage handlers and if possible cutpurses, gypsies etc but certainly rough backcountry travel, and does not need to be replaced for at least twelve months use. Something made of Dyneema would be good. Custom work in this fabric from http://www.zpacks.com/backpacks.shtml eg a 53 litre pack would weigh approx 357 grams & cost US$195. I would suggest some custom work with the pockets to prevent snagging/pilfering, so maybe a Dyneema back pocket with maybe webbing closure especially for the large back pocket where you might stow your raincoat. It could have a webbing closure for security of you like. A tall pocket on one side (the right?) for your tent would be good. I attach my tent with a caribiner so I don’t lose it. Joe also makes a ‘lid’ which gives extra stowage 3.5 litres = 60 grams may be worthwhile (I have one)? Attach it with some spectra cord to make it hard for someone to cut it off with a knife at an airport etc. Makes it possible to get at needed items quickly without opening the pack and makes it harder for people to steal things from the pack – but probably not needed, but could be good for muddy shoes (if small) etc too, so a thought. Weighs 2oz (57 grams in Dyneema and costs US$30. Of course this pack does not have wicking material OR any frame. However he would sew in carbon fibre stays for US$25 and 42.5 grams and no doubt could add wicking material or whatever if you wish – he IS a nice guy, and mention my name. I’m not at all sure about this wicking anyway. Better to keep the pack light and move it around so it doesn’t continue to press on the same spot on your back. Mine has pad sleeves on the outside and I use one of the Gossamer Gear Sitlightpads and a Big Agnes Cyclone Chair as a frame – this pad sleeve can be on the inside of the pack ( see his options). The attachable pockets which fit on the straps are good for small items like sunglasses/camera/snack bars etc and weigh nothing. He also used to have a winged belt which you could put a few items in something like the waist belt pockets I had on the Gossamer Gear packs. Have a look at the pack options section on his website, also accessories, etc. You might take everything out of the pack and reinsert it into the pack turned inside out when checking it in so that there are no straps to get caught by baggage handlers etc. Just a thought.

Another guy to look at is http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/ His ‘Swift’ is 56 litres and approx 450 grams and has a wicking membrane, no frame. Cost US$110. ( I have one of these and it’s great: I swapped the double waist belt for a single which we made ourselves as it is easier for me to do up. I put short lengths of carbon fibre arrow shaft in the frame tubes instead of buying the aluminium tube. I think it would be a good idea if the side pockets were Dyneema instead of mesh as you have to watch out not to snag them on blackberries. I carried it on the Dusky Track (& elsewhere) this year and it performed very well. He also has light tents. These guys would both option things so you can specify what you want.

For comparison, the Berghaus pack you took to Thailand was 30-40 litres and weighs 800-900 grams. The Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus you carried in NZ was 59 litres, 632 grams and US$170, but it is also a lighter fabric.

Other people to look at eg : Golite,

You need SHELTER. It would be good to be able to carry eg a tent/hammock shelter so you could hike or take advantage of cheap accommodation. It would be good if your shelter COULD accommodate two at need (or if the opportunity arises!) but in any case a little more room is good. I am now using a 120 gram cuben tarp and a groundsheet weighing under 100 grams! I think wings could be sewn into it to improve its waterproofness even more and so you can have a fire. This would make it about 200 grams. Have done this and it works well. You can use a tree to pitch it or hiking poles with a couple of extra guylines. I’m sure it could be pitched using a carbon fibre tent poles or hiking pole/s if you wanted. Its GREAT advantage is being able to have a fire. Tarps are good. You could use this tarp to shelter you in aNano hammock (I got one for Xmas) which would weigh only about 160 grams with Dyneema cords for suspension – total weight of a drysleepout where there are trees about 380 grams. I am in the process of making a Tyvek tent such as I describe which will weigh about 900 grams for two people or 500 grams for one! Here are some other ideas:

Gossamer Gear http://gossamergear.com/shelters/shelters/the-one.html has The One at 241 grams plus the weight of poles (two at 88 grams but less if carbon fibre [60 grams each?] from zpacks). This is a one ounce spinnaker fabric and may not be as waterproof as silnylon, but may be the sort of way to go if tenting is not something you plan to do a lot of. Some of these small tents are hard to keep your sleeping bag dry in as you just can’t help touching the walls.

Again, Mountain Laurel Designs claims their ‘shield’ silnylon is more waterproof:http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=47&products_id=105 This Duomid tent is 16 oz (450 grams, 350 incuben and much dearer than $205. You can also get it in 1oz spinnaker fabric [spinntex] @ 400 grams) for the roof and then add whatever you do for the floor etc. I think the silnylon is the best option – depends how much you want to save weight/space versus money! TheSpeedmid gives more space (260 x 260) but doesn’t have a top vent. You may be able to custom it though. It would then be as big as ourSupermid but 180 grams lighter (18 oz – It can also be bought in spinntex or cuben for more money and a weight saving). My thinking about the Speedmid is that there is room for guests – and room to sleep two on one side of the centre pole! (About the pole: I recommend the LT4 Trekking [Regular Length – adjust to 140cm = 96 grams each] poles from Gossamer Gear @ US$160 per pair. I KNOW you only NEED one. Be sure to insist he puts the little loop of cord in below the handle as it is not currently shown on his photo. (I think they always do) The camera mount does not go with this pole, but we can make one. The poles which take the camera mount cannot be joined together to make a taller pole. (Think I have figured a way around this: you can take out a little piece of the handle to join two poles together and you can use a large rubber band to attach your camera to the pole) You need ONE tent pole for all these lightweight tents anyway, and while you can get a collapsible carbon fibre pole (eg from zpacks) for just that purpose, because of your sore ankle it might be a good idea if you had a walking stick anyway just in case the ankle plays up. However, the trekking pole will be much more awkward to carry on aeroplanes etc so maybe the collapsible pole works better for you. ( I bought a Supermid for Tasmania (as there were three of us: it was too heavy and too hard to set up: my new Tyvek tent will be MUCH better: I WILL post the plans when I have made one).

You also have to add the weight of some stakes, line, clam cleats etc. I used the 9” carbon fibre stakes from Titanium Goat in Tas for my corner stakes and they were great, but I think Easton type nail pegs with a caribiner would be just as good if not better. The other stakes where the Vargo lightweights from Moontrail at 11 grams each. These were 6” ones – they also have slightly longer ones. They have a wide surface area and should hold well in softer soil. These had a reflective cord attached which was good. I attached them to the tent with the micro caribiners from zpacks or mountain laurel at 1-1.5 grams per. These are great little caribiners and useful for all sorts of things. Recommend you buy some (eg a dozen).

Essential to Silnett seam seal your tent whatever it is. An Innernet would add 250 grams and US$145. Then you need a pole, probably about 100 grams in carbon fibre, so the total will be about 800 grams, still very good. You would probably need two poles (or trekking poles) if you wanted to get down real close to a second person (eg in a Duomid), likewise a double bed sized floor. For some bug protection without sacrificing head height, you can just order a floor, netting in the vent and a skirt of netting around the outside. He may do a custom curtain of netting sewn one side and velcroed the other as a custom over the normal opening door. This would be a much lighter option than theinnernet. We are further waterproofing our floor by following instructions here: http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Silnylon1/index.html The Mineral spirits is available from Morwell Art Supplies. I used odourless turps from Bunnings which worked just as well. Did a very good job and I recommend it. A’footprint’ for your tent will help protect it from punctures. The Polycryo groundsheet from Gossamer Gear (you can cut down the larger one to double bed size or leave it for 6’x8’ of waterproof floor), or a Spinnaker fabric one would be a good idea. As you would only need (for two) about 7’x4’ or 3 square yards this need not weigh any more than 3 oz or 85 grams. (Speedmid in silnylon510g + 7’x4’ floor @ 90g + netting = @50g + LT4 pole 96g + Polycryo Grounsheet 5og = 806grams

I think that Joe at zpacks has hiked thousands of miles with a tent (check out his photos!) made from .5oz cuben fibre, half the weight : Seehttp://www.zpacks.com/shelter/hexamid.shtml. It is bug proof, his poles would add some weight, about 100 grams, likewise a few stakes .He has a duo one as well at 298 grams and US$ 335. He also has cuben ground sheets, a double would weigh 122 grams and cost US$105. So a tent for two can weigh about 500 grams all up.

The hexamid is VERY low (I think about 2’6” or 75cm). I wouldn’t be able to get into it easily. The advantage of the pyramid tent (apart from really superior stability/waterproofness with a single (eg hiking) pole) is its height at 4’6” (135cm) for the Duomid and Speedmid and 5’9” (175cm) for our Supermid.

Kerri bought the Luna Solo (760 grams plus pole and stakes so probably about 900 total – 45” high (112 cm). This worked quite well in Tasbut was wet in wet conditions due to gear and self touching the sides, but was very easy and quick to put up. Anyway you can see hers.

If the tent is silnylon you need a silnylon fabric repair kit (available MLD for US8 – $20 from Paddy Pallins @10 grams). The advantage ofTyvek and cuben fibre s that they can easily be repaired with Tyvek or cuben tape: the Tyvek tape can also repair an Alpacka raft:http://www.alpackaraft.com/ which I highly recommend)

Sleeping bag: I have not been able to find anything better than the Montbell Ultralight Spiral Down Hugger at 544 grams. These are usually available at a good price from Moontrail (US250?). If you wanted more room their Super Stretch is only slightly heavier. This may now be called the Super Spiral Down Hugger #3 @ 595 grams. It is much more important to keep a down bag dry (than a synthetic – as they lose more insulative ability when wet)) but they are about half the weight. Don’t panic about this though. I have had mine saturated (underwater) and slept in it. It was dry by morning but a bit cold to start with. They can be washed in a Nikwax product or an inner sheet will keep them clean and can be washed separately. You can get a silk one of these or you can get a Thermolitehttp://www.seatosummit.com.au/showdetail.php?Code=AREACTOR which weighs about 248 grams (@$70) and adds 8C to the warmth of your bag. They have a heavier one (399 grams which they claim adds 14C but weight is a problem. Also good in summer to keep away mozzies if your bag is open. Of course silk would do this too and would be much lighter. I have not found I needed a liner for warmth with the Montbell bags. ( I have now at approx -15C or less!) The Sea to Summit silk mummy with hood weighs 137 grams (approx $50) but would not add much warmth in comparison but would be better suited to somewhere warm. (It will also go over your head , but a mozzie head net from Sea to Summit is a good idea at about 30 grams). I use a micro dropper bottle (from Gossamer Gear or Mountain laurel to carry small quantities of liquids – eg Deoderant/insect repellent. In any case you WILL need some small container bottles – the Coghlansones from everywhere are OK. Nalgene/Lexan are too heavy. I got some nice snapper bottles maybe from Gosssamer which are larger than the Coghlans ones (I can show you) which are good for things which you might want larger quantities of (face cream?) While I am on the subject of containers: a variety of zpacks cuben fibre bags is good. It is surprising how many of these you need to make organizing your gear work well. They are lighter and much more durable than snap lock bags – but you need these for some food items (coffee/ powdered milk/muesli etc)

You just can’t beat the Thermarest Neoair mats except they have a new model http://www.moontrail.com/therm-a-rest-neoair-xlite-womens.php @ 320 grams). The regular is 370 grams, the small (120 cm length) is 260) again from Moontrail or Amazon. You CAN get by with the small and a Sitlight pad but it will not be quite as comfie or as warm for your feet. You need a Thermarest Fast & Light repair Kit @ $20 and @10 grams) in case of leaks – I’ve not had one yet, but I did get one on an earlier Thermarest. It has an R rating of about 2.5. If you need a warmer mat you can’t best the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core 5’9” at about 600 grams and R = 4.2. It comes with its own repair kit.

NB sometimes you need to use http://www.shipito.com/ to get stuff from the US!

The Big Agnes Cyclone Chair at 150 grams is just great for a comfy trail/camp seat and has a double duty as a frame in a frameless pack. You use your airmat to make the chair. You can use it even with the Thermarest Neoair small.

You can have a couple of my ultralight pillows at 30 grams each. If you can source the (Graham’s) dual chamber ones I will take 50. I AM working on this myself.

A Sea to Summit bug head net is a good idea if you chose a tarp without a bugnet, but also useful outdoors in ‘buggy’ weather – about 30 grams as I said before.

You need a cookset. Trail Designs or Antigravity Gear have the Ti-Tri system (US$140) which if mated to the 900ml Evernew Titanium with frypan lid http://www.traildesigns.com/cookware/evernew-titanium-ultra-light-deep-pot-9l-eca265 (US$43)will only weigh about 200 grams, I think. This is about as good as it gets for anything durable. It is certainly a lighter unit than our Snowpeak ones and ourBushbuddy Ultras. You will need cuben fibre bags to put it and other things in. This includes three ways to cook. If you get one of these be sure to get the inferno & floor so you can use wood and not burn the ground which is what is so good about my Bushbuddy Ultra which is a bit heavier. Otherwise you can buy/make the meths stove separately (it should fit in your cup) and I have an Esbit wing stove which weighs 11 grams I can give you. Make sure you get a small meths bottle: 100-200 mls should be enough but it depends how long you are ‘out’. You can usually buy meths in 500ml bottles which are quite sturdy enough. A small plastic measurer such as the 20 ml ones they have on insecticide bottles (pinch one from Bunnings or I may have an unused one lying around) are good. It takes about 7-8ml of meths to boil 200 ml ( a cup of coffee given that you then add cold ‘milk’. A pack of 2 minute noodles wants 375 ml of water (but you get to drink it as soup and you can just bring them to the boil and then let them sit for the two minutes ( so about 15 mls of meths). Mixing Continental LaksaCup’o soup with the noodles makes a fine scratch meal. One genuine esbit tablet boils about 200 ml of water – but takes a long time doing it. You do not need a windscreen with the above cookset, otherwise Backpackinglight.com have one in Titanium at about 9 grams. My blue cups are from the Warehouse in Moe and are the lightest I have found. They are 250 mls and the line on them is 200 mls.

Fire Lighting: 2 small Bic Lighters. Small snaplock of 6-12 Esbits or similar ie solid fuel tabs.

You need some kind of wet weather gear. The Montane H2O hooded rainjacket is the lightest at about 160 grams in your size. Kerri also managed to get pants. Available from backcountrygear.com. The Integral Designs Thru Hiker jacket in Event fabric weighs about 355 grams but is tough, very breathable and will keep you very dry. It costs about US$240. I have the Integral Designs Event Rain Jacket in yellow at 270 grams and it is great. Of course you can get by with a poncho eg by Integral Designs which would be much cheaper and a bit lighter at about 280 grams & US90 or even their cape at 140 grams & US60. Joe Valesko at zpacks has a Cloudcape from 71 grams and US$99. It just depends on what you think you might do – and the season of the year. Katmandu disposable ponchos look quite good at 2 for $20. Della has an Montane event jacket whose hood is just SO adjustable. It and her MLD chaps kept her perfectly dry in wet conditions in Tas.

I bought an event raincoat from Rei and it’s great!

Purchasing gear, some thoughts: I have found Joe at zpacks excellent. Moontrail and Prolitegear are very good. Backcountry gear do not always have the items they take your money for, so there can be a delay. Gossamer Gear and Backpackinglight .com have some excellent stuff but their shipping costs are high. If someone has free shipping within the US you can us Shipito to get the items at a reasonable freight rate. It is always best if you are ordering multiple items together to save freight.

Blades: no sense in carrying eg a Gerber ULT from here if you will have to surrender it at the airport, but if it is not carry on luggage it should not be a problem. You can buy the Gerber 18 gram sharpener from BFC Traralgon and use it to sharpen knives which you will have to give away whenever you catch an aeroplane if your backpack is small enough to be cabin luggage, but it is probably not, so the ULT is a good choice in your checked baggage. Two sizes 16 grams and 32. If you can make do with a Sea to Summit Aircraft alloy knife/sporkcutlery set, you may not have to surrender them but I doubt it. They just don’t let you have blades in carry on. I just use their spork now and the Gerber – this works well for me.

The Sea to Summit 68 gram Ultrasil Daypack is good for carry on or for a laundry sack etc and costs about $25 from most hiking stores. You will also need some Seat to Summit Ultrasil Drybags and a 70L pack liner. May be a good idea to seam seal these with Silnett seam sealer and check them for waterproofness from time to time. Essential one 8 litre for your sleeping bag a 13 or a 20 for your clothes. I get by with 13. If you can get away with only 13 litres of clothes that would be very good and is a good way of ‘rationing’ your clothing items. In the normal course of events most/all your other stuff sacks can be cuben fibre from Joe Valesko at zpacks. I recommend his 1.5oz cuben food bag which though heavier than some of his others would be good for bear bagging and he claims it is mouse proof which is an important issue in lots of places you may stay – this advice is particularly relevant in North America (bears) but mice are everywhere and I would be most annoying to have your food spoiled unnecessarily. To further discourage mice/bears etc Mountain Laurel Designs have these smell proof plastic food liner sacks. If any of your food would be affected by water it might be good to put your whole food bag into a suitably sized Ultrasil bag (eg a 13 litre) or just use the plastic bag above. You will want a small pot scourer cut in half probably.

Clothing and Footwear: Two pairs of shoes (one wet, one dry or etc). eg something like Columbia hikers @ maybe 700 grams per pair and Crocs or ACs(?) eg from Clarke Rubber @ 300 grams per pair. I have found the Rossi hikers I bought in Russell St great (there is an outdoor clothing store opposite and towards Carlton from the carparks there). I am now using Keen shoes. Their hiking sandal type shoe is very good and under 400 grams.

I have found the Columbia range of clothing light and durable. Some of their shirts now have venting which is lined with a kind of mozzie netting which I reckon mozzies and sandflies would get through so watch out. Zip pockets are good but check frequently for holes in mesh pockets and repair instantly. (Repair kit: for clothing and self: dental floss (10 grams) and needle ( I have easy thread ones where you don’t have to be able to see the eye) and small piece eg of silnylon/nylon taffeta. They DO have biting insects everywhere. With which in mind at least ONE shirt should have long sleeves and no such venting. Nylon is very quick drying but stinks more. Cotton is too heavy and cold when wet. Wool is best but …Minimum two pairs of longs (one could havE zip offs to use as shorts/swimmersand two shirts (one long) is a minimum.

Insulated clothing. Layers is a must. The best weight etc are the Cocoon range from backpackinglight.com. They also have insulated trousers at about 200 grams if you are going somewhere very cold. The coat http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/bpl_cocoon_hoody.html is less than 300 grams and US$142. They seem to be out of stock of the vests and trousers at the moment. You can substitute Montbell/Patagonia etc. Montbell have some excellent light down vests and coats. A coat, vest and trousers plus the bag liner should take your sleeping bag down probably 20C to say MINUS 20-25C. If you want to sleep outdoors in colder than that you need your head read! Wool thermals eg Merino Skinz/Hadrena etc. You won’t stink if you have wool next to your skin and they are still warm if you are wet through. Come in vests/singlets/tees/long tops & bottoms. A lightweight (polypro?) balaclava is a good idea. You can get a down insulated one (also down sox – for if it’s really cold) from Goosefeet one of the links on Titanium Goat’s home page. I carry an insulated one Della made for me which weighs 30 grams. Paradise on a really cold night even if it looks a bit silly. Socks: I have found Wigwams best. Have both liner and outer socks if you are doing much walking – as you are. At least two pairs of each appropriate for the temperature. Wash them out every day. The sweat in your socks causes sore feet most. Look after your feet and they will look after you. Keep your toenails cut and sanded down so they are shorter than the flesh of your toes and so they don’t touch your shoes at all. This is VERY important. A Swiss card is good for this (at 26 grams) , has scissors, nail file and also contains a pen (very useful – also take a small notepad in a snap lock bag (OR http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/rite_in_the_rain_horizontal.html) at US$3.95 and 20 grams for recording chicks’ telephone numbers etc), a pin and tweezers for removing splinters. Other type cards available here: http://www.modernoutpost.com/shop/13-tools

Towels (hiking). The only ones which dry you are those blue cardboardy ones available from Mitchells etc. We get by with half one (about 45cm x 30 cm but they are not heavy, just bulky. I made a washing line for our packs – check it out. Looks a bit silly but great for drying towels/wet socks etc. For hankies those coin sort of ones (Joe calls them Lightload towels but they are also available fro Alpine Country Morwell (& dearer) are good and also useful for dish cloths, wiping wet tents etc.

First Aid kit: Sewing kit already mentioned for sewing ripped self or trous. Blister pads (two sizes essential), Leukotape. All foot care. I use Neat Feat Foot and Heel balm every morning before I put my socks on (75 gram tube). This prevents blisters. Better than waiting until you get them. You haven’t got time for sore feet to heal so don’t get sore feet in the first place. Running or walking fast really accelerates sore feet. Avoid. Band aids. Some Elastoplast. Alcohol wipes (2-4). Pain killers (Panadeine), anti inflammatories (Voltaren) – pack of each.Imodium (for the trots). Antacid for upset tummy. Anti Nausea (eg Stematil – wise to have some), elastic bandage and safety pin, pressure bandage (two). Canesten/daktarin for tinea – you will get it from backpackers if you haven’t got it already. You REALLY have to look after your feet as they are your only transport. Lightweight mirror for combing hair helping get things out of your eye. Watch. Wrist compass.Small magnifier with tweezers (Dick Smith/Jaycar @$10 is good for splinters/thorns/thistles (12 grams)and for examining things. Wisp toothbrush/es (8 grams = 2). Emergency space blanket bag (Adventure Medical Kits = 100 grams) –prevent hypothermia.Lightweight (Fox brand)Whistle for attracting attention? Mountain laurel designs sell a sternum strap with whistle for about $8. Epirb or Sat phone is a good idea if heading off the beaten track, but you never know. Sat Phones are @1500 new. Epirbs about $300. They weigh about the same (@300 grams). Some epirbs are capable of sending simple text messages (eg Spot/ACR – ACR is definitely a superior product to SPOT, but much dearer; you would probably be better off buying a 2^nd hand sat phone). Pair of emergency grommet things for repairing tent tie outs.Couple of spare caribiners and clam cleats.

Torches: Fenix and Photon (http://www.photonlight.com/products/Photon-Freedom-Micro-LED-Keychain-Flashlight.html only 7grams – great backup torch). I have the Fenix LOD1 at 14 grams. Takes one AAA battery. I have modified it so the end screws off and added acaribiner so it doubles as a lantern. Less than one battery per day at 5 grams each (Lithium are lighter but dearer) is enough probably. A couple spare won’t hurt. You can make up an elastic head band with a second elastic tunnel to convert it into a head torch for about a further 16 grams. Think also about Fenix Bicycle Mount AF02 and Fenix Bicycle Mount AF02. These might be more appropriate for the larger AA Fenix, but some way of attaching your torch/es to a bike you might rent/buy to make lights without adding much weight would be good. Another useful torch is the Mammut head torch (takes three AAAs). It has at least three brightness settings and can be locked off so it won’t accidentally be switched on in your pack.

Camera: one that takes AA batteries is good for long periods away from power. The current replacement (A1000IS) for my CanonPowershot A720 is one of the few cameras which takes AA batteries AD has a viewfinder (which I find necessary in many lights) but doesn’t have as much zoom anymore (mine has 6X). It is about 200 grams and @$150. I got the Canon Powershot SX160IS @ $259 for Xmas and it seems great so far – 16X zoom! If you can’t cope without some battery operated device a small solar charger eghttp://www.modernoutpost.com/shop/solar-panels/239-powerfilm-solar-usbaa.html might be good. It should also charge your phone/ebookreader etc. They have another possible model http://www.modernoutpost.com/shop/solar-panels/239-powerfilm-solar-usbaa.html You need to work out the wattage needed. AAA batteries can be charged in a AA charger with a AAA to AA battery converter case (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/translucent-aaa-to-aa-battery-converter-case-8-pack-3657 $1.98 for 8).

Toilet & Hygiene: We have found the Kleenex Pocket Pack (23 grams each) to be the best toilet tissue coupled with a pack of their Wet Ones antibacterial wipes (Resealable pack = 75 grams. You can give yourself an APC and generally freshen up and prevent chafing etc. Store in small cuben fibre stuff sack @ 10 grams. You can get up to 7 wipes per tissue so a pack can last two days. Four-five pocket packs can last one week. I used three-four in a week in Tas and I had the trots. Advantage ie weight and only one tissue can get wet in the rain as compared your whole roll of toilet paper. Also you know exactly how much you have left. There are 15 wet wipes per pack which should last one week. Comb. Safety razor. Spare blades. Wilderness wash 100 ml bottle – good for washing/shaving/shampoo/clothes.

Food & Fuel: carry at all times 1-2 days food and fuel in case you get caught out (can even happen in a city). 100 mls of meths will boil approx 3 litres. That is approx 600 grams of food and 100 grams of fuel.

Approximate Gear List

ZPacks Custom Dyneema 53 Litre Pack 357 grams $US195+

Montbell Ultra Super Spiral Down Hugger #3 595 grams $US284

Sleeping bag Liner 137 grams @$70

Thermarest Neoair Medium 370 grams US$140

Optional: Big Agnes Cyclone Chair 170 grams US$40

zpacks Hexamid twin with beak 325 grams US$395

zpacks carbon fibre poles 72 grams US$37

zpacks solo plus cuben fibre ground sheet 122 grams US$105

Tent Footprint (max) 85 grams @$30

Pillow/s 30 grams

Raincoat: Montane H2O Hooded Amazon @160 grams US$67