Pack Weight

By Tyler Socash
IG: @tylerhikes

Bill Bryson never liked talking about hiking gear.  If you read A Walk in the Woods, you know how uncomfortable a conversation about hiking equipment can be.  I don't understand the intrigue when it's happening on-trail, but alas, it happens.  We are all outside, nature surrounds us, and no I don't know how much my tarp set-up weighs.  Gahhh!

That said, I'm going to to provide an unsolicited list of the things that I currently have on my person for the TA.  Most of these things survived the PCT thru-hike as well:

● Granite Gear pack - Crown 60 (60 liter capacity)
● Rain cover for pack
● Light-weight umbrella found along the PCT
● 3-liter water badder
● Gatorade bottle
● Fuel cannister
● Mountain Lorel Design Large Quilt, Bivy Sack, and Cubanfiber tarp (8 stakes and guylines).  I also have a thermarest sleeping pad.  Thanks Harpo and Groucho for the advice!
● Down Jacket, 2 merino wool long-sleeves (one is falling apart), acrylic hat, fleece gloves, 2 pairs of running shorts, 1 pair of windpants, 1 polyester hiking shirt, 1 town cotton shirt, flip flops, 1 bandana, 2 headbands, 1 light rain jacket, dorky sun hat, sunglasses w/ band.  That's all within a water-resistant bag.
● My 2 pairs of Darn Tough socks will last from Cape Reinga to Bluff and beyond
● Breeze 2.0 Vasque boots.  Possibly the only person hiking 3,000km in the same pair of boots from Cape Reinga to Bluff
● Food bag with various amounts of sustenance
● A durable garbage bag used to hold sleeping system + clothes
● Cooking pot + lid with the following inside, bowl, spoon, knife, lighter, pocket rocket
● Trekking poles

The rest of this list is everything in my Sea to Summit dry bag...
● Small medical kit with standard items inside. (Running low on band-aids, discarded most medications and just brought some ibuprofen, triple antibiotic, and Excedrin)
● Aquatabs and Aquamira found along PCT hikerboxes
● Bug head net and sunscreen
● Passport, small wallet, cell phone
● Small journal and pencil
● Toilet paper
● TOO MANY ELECTRONIC CHARGERS (adapters for NZ outlets)
● External batteries for devices
● GPS
● Headlamp
● Deck of cards (with the jokers for some reason)
● Toiletries... Standard stuff but I'll list it all.  (No deodorant)  Mini-toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, small toenail clippers, small scissors for my mustache, tweezers, q-tips.

And finally, Leuko Tape from Bipolar.  This is the best blister tape.

The overall weight does not matter as long as you finish your hike without leaving a trace of litter in your wake.  Picking up trail trash, thereby increasing your packweight, is actually much cooler.

The river crossings were innumerable.  Te Araroa from Harper's Pass to the Rangitata River poses some daunting challenges.  If the rain falls in torrents, you will likely have to spend an extra night (or more) in huts while you patiently wait for water levels to decrease.

Entering Arthur's Pass National Park, we had heard about the notorious Deception River.  Earlier this season a woman drowned in one of the many crossings en route to Goat Pass Hut.  I hiked this stretch alone.

At one moment I had the genius idea of taking a picture of my legs mid-way across the Deception.  Tossing my trekking poles to the opposing shore, I now had the necessary dexterity to snap a photograph.  Suddenly I stood helpless without support.  My next step would be critical.  The thigh-deep current was relentless, and the algae-covered rock bed unforgiving.  I escaped with just a subtle pack dip.  Close call.

The backcountry of Arthur's Pass was beautiful, and dangerous.  Our hiking companion Sebastien actually broke his foot while concurrently snapping a photo of its splendor.  It was a sobering moment for the fractured Cute Boys Club.

Bekah's mum Adrienne lifted our spirits by surprising us with a smorgasbord of sweet and savory treats at the Bealey Hut.  Her parents also gave us a ride around the Rakaia River, officially labeled a Te Araroa "Hazard Zone."  The Rakaia is one of New Zealand's largest braided rivers, and fortunately thru-hikers are exempt from crossing it.  (Although, some brave purists will make a daring swim!)

The section of Te Araroa between the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers is absolutely stunning.  Do not miss out!  Endless tussock fields merge with spanning scree fields and stream walks.  The highlight for me was spotting Mount Sunday, filming location for Edoras in The Two Towers.  I couldn't stop smiling as I thought fondly of the riders of Rohan while crossing the Rangitata with Bekah.

Fortuitously, heavy rain started to fall after climbing out of the Rangitata's final braided bed.  Dangerous crossings behind us, we staggered through Bush Stream towards the Crooked Spur Hut.  Up and up and up we climbed through the rain, desperate for dry quarters.  The rain fell hard, and we arrived at the tired hut near sunset.  There was no room at the inn!  At least the hut was filled with our friends Reyne, Alex, Renate, DJ, and Otis.

Pounding rain fell until approximately 4am.  Suddenly it stopped.  The cold hut walls radiated no heat, and I lied awake shivering until dawn.  Renate made a quip about New Zealand's four seasons and revealed that the precipitation never stopped.  It was snowing!

Reyne rushed outside to touch snow for the first time.  It was thrilling to see the mountains coated in a couple of inches of powder!  The snowfields helped Alex spot a herd of introduced Himalayan Tahr on the mountainside.  This was my first time thru-hiking in a snow squall.  It was a bit unnerving.   Our footing on the steep tracks was compromised, and I typically carry better gear in these conditions.  By the mid-afternoon though, the snow had melted below 1,500 meters.  We stopped early that day at Royal Hut where prince Charles once stayed to soak up the rays.

We awoke to a bluebird day.  Snow still covered the mountain tops, but the tussocks gleamed with morning dew.  I decided that going off-trail for a ridge hike would be optimal on this day.  Bekah, Alex, Renate, and Reyne agreed.  The five of us made up our own trail to find staggering views high above Royal Hut.  We followed a knife's edge rocky ridge towards a tarn-filled basin.  I knew that Sebastien would be loving this place, and I hope he enjoys this same detour next year when he returns healthy.  The scrambling stopped well above Stag Saddle, highest point of Te Araroa, at the 2070-meter Beuzenberg Peak.  Glory! 

Mt. Cook and the surrounding Southern Alps spanned the horizon.  New Zealand really was "the land of the long white cloud."  Yesterday's snowfall gave the peaks around us glistening crowns.  The 360 degree view was breathtaking.  I really felt like the journey from Cape Reinga to here was well worth it for the feeling I had perched on that summit ridge.  The glacial till-waters of Lake Tekapo glimmered blue far below, and a sea of tussocks stretched out in every direction.  New Zealand, damn it you're incredible.

I'm just so very grateful that in that moment, Bekah didn't turn me and ask, "So Ty-Lah, what's your pack base weight?"