Gear Most Hikers Overpack - 11 Most Common Things to Overpack When Hiking :: Efficient Hiking

[@DavidKD2050]

Listen to this lady boys and girls, she knows what she is talking about. And as someone who lived and worked outdoors in NZ for 10 years that most important and lifesaving tip was clothing. NZ is basically a big boat stuck in the middle of the roaring 40’s in the middle of a South Pacific. The rain and fickle weather will kill you pretty darn fast. It’s very common to be cabin bound for days at a time. Get used to it. Don’t challenge the climate, the climate will win.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thank you David, what high praise. I'm not sure I deserve it... still have a lot of learning to do. But thank you for reiterating the dangers of the weather in NZ. This is something that I feel our international trampers in particular don't get enough exposure to before they head out onto the track.

[@DavidKD2050]

@@LongWhiteGypsy haha 😂. We can give them exposure. Prior to arrival Have them stand outside anywhere in the world and be hosed off for half an hour. That should do the trick 🤨

[@toshadavinci5379]

Really good tips and advice. I haven't visited you for a while Michelle great to revisit. I used to overpack deliberately when I was younger so I could increase my endurance. Ive had hypothermia more than once back then and realise now the importance of a space blanket. Im 60 now and tore my achilles twice in the last couple of years. So lightweight is important. When I was your age Michelle I hiked up the Kaurenga Valley in new work boots and with a humongous pack filled with things I shouldn't of carried . I ripped the souls off my feet and had meths poured over my feet for 3 days to get me in shape to get back. Hiking is so much smarter these days thank god. Modern products and the internet has changed the whole game. Your insights are brilliant.Wish you were around 40 years ago.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

OMG that sounds awful! But also I'm amazed at your tenacity. I wish I'd been around 40 years ago as well... I probably would have been made of tougher stuff like you! Glad you liked the video regardless, and thanks so much for sharing your story!

[@TheTrailDancer]

Nice vid.. Everyone packs their fears; but after years of hiking, PCT and many other trails; I have my luxury items: - Small Leatherman with scissors - Helinox chair - so nice - Extra first aid gear, bc you never know. Like an ace bandage, etc.. and duck tape. - always sleep only clothes. Everyone should always hike their own hike anyways. Everyone has different needs/comforts. Hugs

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Awesome to hear about your luxuries... I may have to try one of those Helinox chairs... completely underestimated how nice it is to have somewhere proper to sit, especially at camp at the end of a long day.

[@bananarama3624]

@@LongWhiteGypsy I think a chair is less important on the TA trail as you are often sleeping in huts (which have seats anyways) whereas hiking on a trail where you only camp, then having a chair to properly sit in is something very nice to have

[@Superduper666]

I carry baby wipes. I cut them into sections of 3. I've been hiking for years and I have to have my baby wipes.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

That's a great idea! And much less wasteful :)

[@carrotsandrunning]

Agree on a lot of it. Not so sure about the first aid & multitool/knife (and a fire steel / small magnesium block also). Do carry a plb but in bad weather with the chopper grounded the hours it takes for help to arrive is a looooong time without them. The minimal weight is well worth it imho.

[@markhite4782]

Something to consider in over packing, is the size of pack you’re using. Smaller the pack capacity, the less stuff you can fit into it. Adversely; bigger pack, greater the temptation to fill the space with superfluous gear you don’t really need and probably won’t use.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

This is actually a tip to come in an upcoming video! Stay tuned!

[@markhite4782]

I’ll be waiting.

[@parisrose8173]

Ha! I'm so glad you put cuts from "Wild" in here. That movie made me shout at the screen. Thanks Gypsy, another really solid video. HESR.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Haha the book is even better! Glad you enjoyed ☺️

[@UrbanKiwiana]

Good morning, definitely very helpful information,.I was just having a laugh with my friends about when im out people will know I'm the actual noob hiker 😂😂. The clothes part for me has had me thinking alot about practicality. So thanks for the advice. I live pretty rough off grid as it is so the rest is easier 😂.

[@goldenscales]

Good video, Kiwi! I'm an Aries, and one thing you never do is give an Aries multiple choices. If you do, it will turn into an all-or-nothing struggle. And that's when reality grinds to a miserable halt! Lol. I have got bushcraft experience, and still, I agonize over what I should or should not take with me! Love the videos, babe. Keep them coming!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

YES! I too find myself struggling with choices more and more these days, a byproduct of my anxious brain I think, which makes decisions almost unbearable. But, we do what we must. If it helps, it took me nearly a full week of every evening packing and repacking, weighing and reweighing items in my pack before I eventually settled on my final Te Araroa gear 🤦

[@bradorndorff7408]

My packing philosophy- never pack your fears, if l don't have it I don't need it, make it do and do without, less is more and more is less, and best of all, knowledge weighs nothing ✌️

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Absolutely. One of my biggest fears is of being too hungry when I get out there, so consequently I pack three to four kilos of food every time I go out for a three day trip!

[@z0uLess]

Funny clips. I do appreciate me some comedy. I have a lot of hiking experience, but I am going to try something new this summer, and sometimes you just got to remind yourself of not being able to plan for everything and just learn by doing. I am also tempted to buy lighter versions of the types of gear I allready have ...

[@indiRadTv]

Another great video and very well said, I love the hair and your squinty eyes from sun shine, all and all YOU GO GIRL! love the nail color as well. lol

[@CarlosWilkie]

Kia ora! Hope ya anxiety isnt too bad this week. Hope tilly is getting some awesome walks. Keep it up :) x

[@NorwayHikesTrails]

Nice video. Thank you for sharing and wishing you a wonderful weekend. Take care and see you again soon

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks very much!

[@user-xm3fo5vu1s]

Clothing one made me laugh, most women i know when traveling will fill their own bag and then fill half of my bag with cloths, lol.. it's easy 3 pairs of socks and jocks, 1 short sleeve shirt, 1 semi warm jacket or long sleeve shirt, 1 warm rain jacket if winter or thin rain jacket summer, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of long pants, beanie and hat, easy peasy packeneasy.. ;) I have not hiked or camped NZ yet although spent most my life camping, hiking or 4WDriving here in Aus, you learn pretty fast what you need or don't need, then look for ways on how you can save weight on the things you do need.. Although 1st aid kit is a big 1 for me, 1 thing i think everyone should carry is a triangular bandage because it has so many different uses in 1 bandage especially if someone falls and breaks something.. Tourniquets another thing i carry that i hope i never have to use, people with knives and sharp tools are pretty good at cutting or stabbing themselves, i've seen people have a few close misses with campsite axes too especially when they are tired after hiking all day.. Worse case scenario if people do get cold throw a beanie on and put your hands and feet in socks (it's why i carry 3 pairs of socks and if cold i will wear socks on my hands and feet when sleeping), keep your head, hands and feet warm for most part after that the rest of your body will stay warm, you can even use 1 or more garbage bags in your pack to help retain body heat in an emergency cover hands feet body and even over the beanie.. Cut a head hole in the bottom of the garbage bag and 2 arm holes and you have yourself a garbage bag poncho you can wear to retain body heat, or can put your sleeping bag inside of a garbage bags so it is like a sealed especially if sleeping outdoors or moist cold air, survival blankets work best to retain heat although you can still use garbage bags as an option.. For most part it's that hot here in Aus we want it to rain and we want to be soaking wet, well i want dry feet and dry socks, the rest i don't care if i am soaking wet..

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Some great tips in that comment!

[@ruingakakano6169]

Hi Michelle, really enjoying your videos. Thanks for your work on these. Just wondering how helpful you feel trekking poles are? I know you use them as tent poles as well but aside from that how necessary do you feel they are for tramping in Aotearoa?

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Hi Ruinga, nice to have you here, and glad you're finding the videos helpful! If there's anything in particular you'd like to know, please reach out! On this question, I feel that trekking poles are an important piece of kit for me. As a beginner/amateur hiker, I wouldn't be anywhere without them. Many of the tracks that i've been on (I'm thinking primarily Te Araroa, which can be quite advanced trails) have been narrow, overgrown and muddy in places. Sometimes it's all you can do to keep upright. Add to that the fact that you're carrying somewhere between 12-15kg (or more, perhaps) on your back, and things can get treacherous very quickly! I find that having some additional points of contact on the ground give me a little more confidence to hike safely and efficiently. I also find that, if used properly, they can take considerable strain off of the legs and help spread carried weight throughout the body, which means I don't tire as easily during the day. And also take into account the fact that usually when climbing mountains in NZ we go literally STRAIGHT up and STRAIGHT down... and you need all the extra help you can get (especially for those poor knees)! That being said, they can get in the way sometimes. But I find that having them with me and using them properly FAR outweighs any downsides to carrying them. Make sure you get a nice lightweight pair that you can stow easily on your pack when you're not using, and ones that have good quick lock or twist lock systems.

[@hannahchoat7345]

I needed this! I'm a real 'just in case' packer... But I'm working on it 😂

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Yes I think we've all been there! One of the big things I love about hiking though is realising actually how little I need in order to survive on the trail!

[@AORD72]

Scales that accurately weight to 1 gram are great.

[@theyetti8811]

What movie was the first clip from ?

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Haha it's actually from the Gilmore Girls re-vamp 'A Year in the Life'. My favourite part of the whole miniseries!!

[@6foot8jesuspilledpureblood82]

A sturdy knife is a must in my opinion, I would feel totally naked without it

[@user-xm3fo5vu1s]

I don't carry a saw i carry an axe cos us aussie men love chopping wood.. :)

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Haha fair enough!! Most new Zealand backcountry huts have axes for chopping wood for the fires.

[@rs889]

Anglable....

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Haha... it's a word, right?!