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

• RailRiders sun pants

• Icebreaker underwear

• Le Bent or Kathmandu hiking socks

• Keen boots

• Hunter’s Element Legacy gloves (not enough 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

• Sunday Afternoon Sun Guide Cap, to which I add the brim and sun flaps (but not the top) of a Legend Sunmaster hat

  • The combined hats offer good sun protection. I used a seam-ripper to detach the Sunmaster brim, and then got help from an experienced sewer to reattach the Sunmaster’s chinstrap to the now-loose brim.

• McMurdo Personal Locator Beacon

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

  • instructions video

• Kathmandu whistle-compass (each hemisphere needs a different compass)

• Osprey Talon 22-liter backpack

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

I use physical sunscreen (e.g. Invisible Zinc Sport) above my eyes because it is much less likely than normal (chemical) sunscreen to run with sweat. However, it is harder to rub in.

Direct sunlight degrades sunscreen, so I try to keep my sunscreen bottles wrapped in clothing deep in my backpack.

Remember to lace your boots up fairly tight, to avoid blisters.

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)

• Ororo Twin Cities heated gloves (inner and outer pair; the inner pair is battery-heated)

  • I wish I had tried the Snow Deer gloves, since this product comparison review rates them higher for cold fingertips.

  • Also, my Ororo gloves tend to turn on when something bumps them inside of my backpack.

Gear for Australia

• Sea to Summit Nano bug net

• Picaridin insect spray

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.