{"id":17424,"date":"2017-09-12T06:47:56","date_gmt":"2017-09-12T06:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/?p=17424"},"modified":"2022-11-07T15:53:34","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T05:23:34","slug":"overnight-packing-tips-seasoned-hiker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/overnight-packing-tips-seasoned-hiker\/","title":{"rendered":"Overnight Packing Tips for Seasoned Hikers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi there! I\u2019m Kellz and I\u2019m a little obsessed with hiking, okay, a lot obsessed!<\/p>\n

I also love camping so every break off work I try to head out and camp where I can and get some awesome hiking in. I\u2019ve done quite a few overnight hikes now, and figured out what works for me, so I thought I\u2019d share my list.<\/p>\n

Also, being a gear nerd, any chance I get to talk gear makes me grin from ear to ear!<\/p>\n

My pack<\/h2>\n
Before I get down to the nitty-gritty, let\u2019s start with my pack. I use a 65L pack and for now, it\u2019s a perfect size. I\u2019m in the process of lightening my base weight to become an \u201cultralight\u201d hiker with an immediate goal of 5 kg. So eventually I will have to get a lighter pack but for now, it\u2019s great. I have some long-distance thru-hike goals which include The Great North Walk <\/a>and the Great Ocean Walk<\/a> and eventually The Heysen Trail <\/a>in its entirety – so I\u2019ll want to be ultralight for that.<\/p>\n
Taking the hood off the pack saves a little bit of weight and if you don\u2019t need it, why not? Everything that went in the hood now goes in the side pockets but not all packs have these.<\/p>\n
Now that you\u2019ve met my pack, here\u2019s everything I put in it for an overnight hike:<\/p>\n
$\"My$ <\/p>\n
Here’s a snap of all the gear that I take on an overnight hike. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess<\/em><\/p>\n
\n
3L water bladder<\/li>\n
2P Tent<\/a><\/li>\n
Sleeping bag<\/li>\n
Cooking water<\/li>\n
Long-handled spork<\/li>\n
Nalgene bottle<\/a><\/li>\n
Pack rain cover<\/li>\n
Trowel<\/a><\/li>\n
Toilet paper<\/li>\n
Fleece<\/li>\n
Rain Jacket<\/li>\n
Trekking poles<\/a><\/li>\n
Camp shoes<\/li>\n
Map & compass<\/li>\n
Tyvek (for a groundsheet)<\/li>\n
First-aid kit<\/a><\/li>\n
PLB<\/a><\/li>\n
Notepad & pen<\/li>\n
Headlamp<\/a><\/li>\n
Waterproof matches<\/li>\n
Mini roll of duct tape<\/li>\n
Garbage snap-lock bag<\/li>\n
Body Glide<\/li>\n
Spare batteries<\/li>\n
Flick knife<\/li>\n
Earbuds<\/li>\n
Lip balm<\/li>\n
2 in 1 sunscreen & insect repellent<\/li>\n
Toiletries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
$\"My$ <\/p>\n
A 2 person tent is much roomier and worth considering for comfort. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess<\/em><\/p>\n
A lightweight shelter vs a tent<\/h2>\n
This is a lot of gear and I could go lighter by substituting some things like the tent for a tarp but I can\u2019t bring myself to ‘cowboy camp’ yet. The thought of all those little critters crawling on me and mozzies biting me makes me cringe. Also, I like the privacy option of the fly but if I\u2019m on my own and the weather is fine I leave it off so I can see the stars.<\/p>\n
I use an ultralight roomy 2-person tent that has a minimum weight of 1.5kg. I\u2019ve been through so many hiking tents and I\u2019ve finally found one that works for me. There is the possibility that I\u2019ll end up swapping it out for an even lighter one down the track when I\u2019m really conscious about weight, but for now, I\u2019m more than happy with this one.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d always recommend a 2 person tent for 1 person, 3 for 2 and so on because you will appreciate having the extra room for the weight. It\u2019s so worth it!<\/p>\n
$\"\"$ <\/p>\n
I like to keep it simple when it comes to my kitchen gear on overnight hikes. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
In the kitchen<\/h2>\n
Some ultralight hikers prefer to go without a stove and fuel to save weight, but\u00a0I always bring a hiking stove. This is because I know I\u2019ll want hot food for dinner or sometimes even lunch if it\u2019s really cold. It\u2019s also nice\u00a0to have a\u00a0cup of coffee in the morning to start the day.<\/p>\n
I decided to downsize my pot set to save on weight and space in my pack. Plus, I worked out that I only use one pot at a time so I didn\u2019t need a two-pot set. I just make sure that my pot is large enough for boiling the water I need. In that goes my little gas canister and on that sits my stove. I have an ultralight stove that weighs only 45g, and then to save more weight I use a mini lighter which lives in the bag with it.<\/p>\n
The Sea to Summit long-handled spork is all I eat and stir my food with. Everything you need right there! I also keep a cut up bit of sponge in the pot as well for cleaning up. All up, my kitchen weighs 150 g (without the gas and not including my spork).<\/p>\n
Something I do, and I haven\u2019t noticed anyone else doing it, is carry some extra water that I call my cooking water. I carry it in a foldable bottle so when it\u2019s empty it doesn\u2019t take up much room and weighs nothing. I\u2019ll also sleep with this bottle next to me in case I get thirsty through the night.<\/p>\n
$\"Kitchen$ <\/p>\n
My pot, ultralight stove, cooking water, lighter, sponge and long handled spork<\/em> is all I need. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
Meals for the trail<\/h2>\n
In my food bag, I always carry some emergency noodles. I don\u2019t have any intention of eating them, but I keep them they just in case.<\/p>\n
Back Country Cuisine<\/a> is my go-to hiking meal and I\u2019ll pack one of them for each night I\u2019m on the\u00a0trail, and perhaps one or two for lunch as well. I also love their cooked breakfast but I keep that as treat and mostly just eat quick oats for breakfast.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, I\u2019ll also pack in some Back Country Cuisine desserts <\/a>for another treat or if I know I\u2019m going to be doing a hard day so I get extra fuel for my body. Lots of calories before bed will also keep you warmer!<\/p>\n
$\"The$ <\/p>\n
Freeze-dried meals are a must for lightweight adventures. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
For snacks, my go-to\u2019s are:<\/h2>\n\n
Dried fruit<\/li>\n
Nuts<\/li>\n
Protein bars<\/li>\n
Lollies<\/li>\n
Cheese sticks (just because I love them)<\/li>\n
Beef jerky<\/li>\n
Dark chocolate, and<\/li>\n
Clif bars<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cheese sticks don’t have much nutritional value but I just love them, and the dark chocolate is usually for before bed. Unfortunately, I need to go to the dentist so that I can then eat some more naughty-but-good-for-hiking things!<\/p>\n
Food for a hiking trip is pretty simple for me as I\u2019m not a huge cook anyway so I like to just keep it quick and easy with no mess. Back Country Cuisine all the way! You can pick up the biggest variety I\u2019ve even seen from Snowys. Cheerin!<\/p>\n
$\"A$ <\/p>\n
No mess and super quick – Back Country Cuisine meals are a great option for hikers. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess<\/em><\/p>\n
Sleeping gear<\/h2>\nBed time in my hike-in camp consists of a Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated Sleeping Mat<\/a>. I have to get the insulated one because I feel the cold so much. I also spoilt myself by going with the Comfort Light and not just the Ultralight range. Worth the extra weight in my opinion as I\u2019ve never slept on a more comfortable sleeping mat.<\/p>\n
I got the pump sack to inflate it so I\u2019m not having to exhaust myself further after a hard day of hiking. It takes about 3-and-a-bit minutes to inflate the sleeping mat and I use the left-over air in the pump sack to inflate my Sea to Summit Aeros Premium pillow.<\/a><\/p>\n
$\"My$ <\/p>\n
In my bedtime bag, I keep my warmer clothes so I can stay insulated at night. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess<\/em><\/p>\n
Pillow vs no pillow<\/h2>\n
Back in the day when I was starting out, I thought I was so hardcore by just sleeping on a pile of my clothes, but I soon realised how much that sucked! So, I decided to buy a pillow and I don\u2019t think I\u2019d ever go without, even when I become an ultralight gram-counter.<\/p>\n
$\"Sleeping$ <\/p>\n
Even though it does add weight, a pillow is a personal must for me. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess<\/em><\/p>\n
Sleeping bag vs a quilt<\/h2>\n
The sleeping bag I use has a comfort level of -9, and a transition comfort level of -16 so it was pretty much the warmest one I could find at the time. I do love it, but in the future, I will be swapping it out for custom made quilt as it will be warmer, lighter and can compress smaller – pretty neat hey?<\/p>\n
To prepare myself for using a quilt I\u2019ve been sleeping with my bag open and laid over me, which does work – but you have to have an insulated sleeping mat so you don\u2019t freeze.<\/p>\n
$\"Sea$ <\/p>\n
Eventually, I want to upgrade my sleeping bag to a lightweight quilt. Photo: Sea to Summit\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
Extras that could come in handy<\/h2>\n\n
If I know it\u2019s going to be extremely cold, I\u2019ll pack my thermal sleeping bag liner for extra insulation.<\/li>\n
Water filter <\/a>that I\u2019ve never actually used but could still come in handy on long trips in case you run out of drinkable water.<\/li>\n
Scrub gloves (which are just thin gardening gloves) come in handy for when you need to hold onto weeds or branches in steep terrain.<\/li>\n
Fingerless gloves for the cold nights at camp.<\/li>\n
Day pack which is useful for heading into town for a resupply or doing a short hike with your camp still set up.<\/li>\n
Mini towel for drying yourself off after a shower, cleaning your pot or wiping condensation or moisture off your gear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
$\"Extras-the-could-come-in-handy\"$ <\/p>\n
A thermal liner, water filter, and towel are a few extras that you might need. Photo: Kelly-Anne Burgess.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
Priorities<\/h2>\n
If I had limitations on the gear I could take for some reason, here\u2019s my list of priorities:<\/p>\n
\n
A comfortable pack – I don\u2019t think there\u2019s much point in going on an overnight hike if you\u2019re not going to be comfortable while you\u2019re hiking.<\/li>\n
Nalgene bottle of water – The reason why I say that is because you can put boiling water in a Nalgene bottle<\/a> and then put it in your sleeping bag like a hot water bottle. Awesome!<\/li>\n
Warmth, i.e., a sleeping bag or quilt – You could go without food for a night but you\u2019d be risking your life if you get too cold.<\/li>\n
First-aid kit – If you use your imagination, the little things in your first-aid kit could save your life, you never know.<\/li>\n
Shelter of some kind – Why rough it if you don\u2019t have to?<\/li>\n
Sleeping mat – I don\u2019t know about you but I don\u2019t love sleeping on the ground so I\u2019d definitely want a sleeping mat in there!<\/li>\n
Warm clothes – Again, I\u2019m always paranoid about getting cold so it\u2019s always better to be too warm than too cold.<\/li>\n
Toilet paper – I\u2019m not one for using leaves or anything like that! I love nature and maybe too much to use it as toilet paper.<\/li>\n
Headlamp – Super important for visibility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
With all of that, you\u2019d feel good carrying all your gear in a comfortable pack. You\u2019d have water, snacks, first-aid, light, TP and somewhere warm and comfortable to sleep for the night.<\/p>\n
Over to you!\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>To all the other experienced hiking fanatics – how does your list differ from mine?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
120<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>
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If you’re looking to streamline your rucksack for overnight trips, I give you my best tips and tricks for packing like a pro when it comes to your next hiking adventure. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":17480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1591,1589],"tags":[176,330,291,488,394],"class_list":["post-17424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-hiking","category-how-to","tag-hiking","tag-hiking-gear","tag-hiking-tips","tag-overnight-packing","tag-packing-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17424"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30365,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17424\/revisions\/30365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}