Here’s what’s in my rucksack – some are necessities, some are luxuries, but all keep me happy and safe on a solo long-distance hike
Here’s the kit I always take with me on long-distance hikes and wild camping trips. It comes to 8kg and this amounts to just my base weight – I haven’t included clothes, toiletries and food, all of which I’ll cover in another post. I could definitely get this weight down a bit – ultra-light fast-packers might laugh at my need for a pillow and mood lighting – but hey, a little comfort goes a long way.
1. Rucksack
Osprey Aura 65 (2kg)
It’s on the large, heavy side, but this pack is a dream to wear. I’m 5ft and the WS size fits perfectly, though there’s a big margin for adjustment. It takes a while to perfect putting it on – the hip straps are tightly curved and need prising apart in order to slip into it – but once it’s on it seems to wear you rather than the other way round. Plus: pockets. Tons of them.
2. Tent
Vango F10 Series Xenon 2UL (1.9kg)
I bought this roomy tent because I wanted something versatile I could take on both solo hikes and to share with someone else. When it’s just me, it’s basically a palace, with a ton of headroom and a large covered porch that makes cooking in the rain and wind, well, a breeze. It doesn’t cope with condensation too well, so better used on higher ground; otherwise, on still nights, keep your stuff away from the walls.
3. Sleeping bag
Vango Venom 300 (900g)
A super-compressible mummy-shaped down bag with a comfort limit of 2C and a warm, snuggly hood. It’s been discontinued, which is a shame as it’s a great bag, but it’s still available from outlet stores.
4. Mattress
Exped SynMat Ultralite 7 (in S) with UL Schnozzel Pumpbag (415g)
This lightweight inflatable mat packs down to a ridiculously small 24cm x 9cm and makes sleeping on any terrain (almost) as comfy as your own bed. It also comes with an ingenious dry-bag pump – just attach the nozzle to the mat, trap a load of air in the bag and squeeze to inflate the mattress.
5. Pillow
Nemo Fillo Pillow (260g)
While the traditional down-jacket-stuffed-in-a-dry-bag trick works a treat on the trail, I’m happy to donate weight and space to the comfort of a proper pillow. And the Nemo Fillo is just that, an air/cushion hybrid that packs down small but is almost as wide as my mat. Tip: lay a piece of clothing between the mat and the pillow to stop it sliding around.
6. Lantern
Lanktoo Rechargeable Camping Lantern & 6400mAh Power Bank (181g)
This is absolutely a non-essential when you’re already carrying a headtorch. However, it’s a much nicer, softer light for chilling in the tent after dark – good for winter hikes – and doubles as a backup power pack for emergencies.
7. Power bank
Zendure A5 Portable Phone Charger 16750mAh (313g)
Charges my iPhone 8 at least six times which, for the weight, is pretty good.
8. Rubber ties
Nite Ize GearTie (13g)
These handy little things are feather-light and have a multitude of uses, from sealing packets of food and keeping spare guy lines or leads tidy to fashioning into hooks for hanging things in your tent (such as damp socks). Plus they’re neon, so easy to find when you’re rummaging around in your pack.
9. Multi-tool
Victorinox Huntsman (95g)
The classic multi-tool needs no introduction. Along with the usual scissors, knife and tweezers, this one has a little saw – useful for a bit of bushcraft.
10. Headtorch
Energizer Vision HD LED Headlamp (59g)
Totally necessary for pitching up after dusk and 2am pee trips.
11. Firesteel
Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel (68g)
This magnesium firelighter replaces matches in my rucksack. Why? It works in the wind and rain, it doesn’t matter if it gets wet and it (virtually) never runs out (the company claims it lasts for 12,000 ignitions). It takes a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of striking, it’s really fun to use. I use it to light a fire using cotton wool and kindling, and to light my gas stove.
12. Stove
MSR PocketRocket 2 (73g)
My last stove was Vango’s budget version of the MSR classic, which lasted a couple of years but finally gave up the ghost. The difference in efficiency between the two is not massive, but definitely noticeable – the PocketRocket boils a litre of water in just three and a half minutes – plus it’s lighter in weight and more compact, folding into a pleasingly neat little bundle.
13. Gas
Various brand canisters (316g)
As a rough guide, I use a 300 size canister for seven days of hiking, using it as efficiently as I can.
14. Water filter
Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System (45g)
This is probably the best £25 I’ve spent on kit. It's an easy peasy water squeezy filtration system which, unlike purification tablets, physically filters out the bad stuff leaving you with crystal clear, fresh-tasting water. Just fill up the pouch with stream water, screw it into the filter and squeeze the water into your bottle.
15. First aid kit
Various contents (82g)
Contains plasters, Compeed, antiseptic wipes, bandages and tape, paracetamol and ibuprofen.
16. Duct tape
(21g)
Nifty little trick stolen from someone on YouTube: wrap duct tape around an old clubcard 10 or so times for a lightweight roll of tape that comes in handy when your kit has failed you. You could, for example, use it to quick-fix a pole or a hole in your groundsheet.
17. e-Reader
Kindle Paperwhite (181g)
A waterproof library – including the guide for whatever trail I’m hiking.
18. Notepad and pen
Moleskine Extra Small Ruled Journal (23g)
I love a good notepad for jotting down feelings and other important things – and Moleskines are up there with the best.
19. Cookset
Vango Hard Anodised Cook Kit (225g)
This double pan set comes in a two-person version, but this solo model is perfect for me and will just about stretch for two people if needed. Comfortably holds a gas canister, my MSR stove and firesteel, along with a little bottle of washing-up soap and a sponge.
20. Spork
OFKPO Titanium Spork (18g)
I decided to get a titanium spork after one too many Light My Fire plastic sporks broke on me. This one has a bottle opener at the end, so it’s handy for picnics too.
21. Insulated flask
SHO Bottle 500ml (306g)
It adds weight, but I bring an insulated flask on hikes to help save gas; I’ll boil up a load of water and pour any leftovers into the flask for later. A full flask of boiling water normally stays hot for around eight hours – to keep it warm overnight, stow it with you in your sleeping bag.
22. Water bottle
Klean Kanteen 800ml (223g)
This stainless steel single-wall flask does triple duty: it’s a water bottle, obviously, but it also works as a kettle as you can put it directly on the stove (don’t screw the cap in though!) and as a hot water bottle for chilly nights.
23. Cup
KeepCup 354ml (118g)
Never bothered getting an specialist outdoors mug – this is light and does the job.
24. Dishwashing kit
Muji 18ml bottle filled with Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap (20g)
I fill a small squirty bottle with Dr. Bronner’s all-purpose organic soap and snip a sponge scourer into a few small pieces so I can get rid of dirty ones every few days.
25. Sit mat
(55g)
Here, I’ve snipped off the end of a Therm-A-Rest Z Lite Sol sleeping mat (I’m short) to use as a lightweight, spongy mat to keep my bum dry and warm when I’m sitting on the ground.
Not pictured:
Coghlans Backpackers’ Trowel (45g): necessary for digging a wild toilet!
Map and compass (41g): just in case GPS fails you – or if you’re going old-school.