Trip report for last weekend’s Te Kahui Kaupeka trip (Two Thumb range) linked below. What will probably be the last full-winter-gear alpine trip of the year for me.
Experimental post here to see if these trip reports are of interest outside ZL (and sorry to ZLs who’ve seen it already).
Gear for a multi-day alpine trip: I’m a solo tramper (fell-walker?) not a mountaineer, so gear is basic winter tramping gear. No climbing gear and no glacier travel when I’m alone.
Tramping ice axe (i.e. long-handled)
Crampons
Boots
Gaiters
Thigh length coat (earth-sea-sky)
85l pack (one planet)
Bivvy tent
R5 down-fill sleeping mat (pro-lite)
Winter sleeping bag (-13 rated - yeah right)
1x full set Winter tramping clothes + spare dry thermal layer for emergencies
Camp clothes (always kept dry, never worn whilst tramping)
Cooking:
Billy, gas stove, gas (stove & gas just fit into billy)
1x226ggas per 3 days (when melting snow for water - 1 per 6 days for cooking only)
Breakfast: porridge oats or muesli or dehy scrambled egg
Snacks: Muesli bars
Tea, coffee, electrolyte powder mix
1 to 4 days basic spare food depending on duration, terrain & forecast
Radio gear
FT818+mic (minus battery)
MX-P50M amp (20w out from 5w in)
8x18650 batteries in 2x4-way cases
40m(/20m/15m/10m) EFHW + counterpoise cut to convert to 60m OCFD
Dual wound 64:1 / 3:1 impedance transformer for above
6m SOTA-pole
Assorted:
Compass, maps, torch (same batteries as radio), Candle for huts, InReach or EPIRB, 1st aid/survival kit
Comes in a bit under 20kg with radio gear for a comfortable 7 day trip. I can do 18 winter days for 24kg without the radio.
Summer the crampons & some of the clothes get ditched. Ice axe always comes for scree and river crossings. Maybe a tarp to make camp more pleasant. Seem to be incapable of not filling the pack!
And often the packraft - but there’s not space for that and the radio!