What to pack
I'd like to take you along the practical route of my preparations in this blog.
How does one pack for a 4 month trip by foot? Well, let me tell you, it’s a challenge!
Luckily, it’s also an interesting and fun process.
A while ago I read a book by Dennis Storm (Dutch tv-presenter and author) called ‘Weg Ermee’ (Out with it). It’s about minimalist living. This way of life aims to add more value to your life by ridding yourself of all that is unnecessary.
I lived out of a suitcase for a few years overseas, but in day-to-day life,I try to only buy things when really needed, use items to their full potential and try to live by the reduce, reuse, recycle method. So I think I got the hang of a fair bit of minimalism.
However, only taking with you what fits on your back in a reasonably comfortable manner, is a whole different way of minimalism. It's not only size that matters, but weight is the main thing.
A challenge I will try to manage :)
In backpacking language they speak about the Big Three. Pack, Tent and Sleeping system. Let me tell you about mine.
#1 Pack
The backpack being on top of the list. This is going to be my best buddy during the trip. I’ve heard stories about people doing long distance journeys naming their pack. Mine does not have one, yet. If you have a great suggestion, do let me know ☺
I’ll have to carry it on my back day-in day-out and everything I own during these months will have to fit in it. Needless to say it has to be a good match.
My pack is the Lowe Alpine Airzone Camino Trek ND 35:45L and we've already done a fair amount of kilometres together. It's just over a year old now and I've done parts of the Dutch coastal trail and the Pieterpad trail with it, as well as different day trips. It sits super comfortable around my hips and has great cushioning over the shoulders. Different pockets, a top and a front opening, drinksystem option, clips to store hiking poles and a raincover.
The smallest setting is 35L which is perfectly fine for day trips. Full capacity holds 45L, which some might argue it's a bit small for long-distance hiking. The more space, the more I could bring, so I prefer to keep it small. Give a girl a bigger bag is not an option here.
#2 Tent
My tent is the Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo 2p.
Which is a mouthful for an ultralight tent of not even 1 kilo.
The complete set including poles, pegs, store bag and footprint comes to 935 grams.
It's made from 100% recycled material free from any PFAS. Besides sustainability, having the poles of the tent attached to the inner mesh layer was my second demand. So that on warmer nights I can leave the cover off, to just lay inside the mesh tent to watch the stars pass by during the night. It was a super lucky purchase during the outdoor winter sale.
While writing this blog, I'm actually spending a night sleeping in it. I set it up on my neighbour's grass lawn to practise and test out my complete system. Looking forward to countless nights in it.
#3 Sleeping System
This is a shared spot of a sleeping mat and sleeping bag (with liner).
The sleeping mat I take with me is from my mom's friend. She lent it to me for this trip. It's a Therm-a-rest Neoair XLite airbed and lays very comfortably. It has an R-value of 4.5 which means it offers insolations to a max of -11C degrees.
Buying the sleeping bag was one of the most difficult purchases I had to make for this trip. For one, there are so many different options. Secondly, it has to keep me warm, and I get cold too easily.
So the specs I looked for in a sleeping bag were; it has to be lightweight and pack up small, keep me warm enough but should also be okay to use during the summer months.
There is only one material that can do lightweight and have a small pack size, which is down. Sadly, there are very inhumane ways to get down from geese and ducks for human use. Therefore it was very important to me to ensure that if I would choose for a down filling that it’s as sustainable as possible and of decent quality which would make it last (a lifetime).
In the end I chose the RAB Neutrino 400 Down Sleeping bag.
It has a comfort rating of -1C and a sleep limit of -7C. Exceptional warmth for its weight of 775 gram, this bag is built for fast and light mountain missions. Filled with 800FP (fill power) RSD Certified goose down and covered with a recycled, wind resistant Pertex® Quantum outer fabric.
The Responsible Down Standard (RSD) independently certifies down against animal welfare requirements and tracks it from the source to the final product. It’s a Fluorocarbon-free product with 100% recycled nylon and polyamide.
Mummy shaped with a toe box that gives room to my feet. It's super comfortable and extremely cozy.
Shoes, another very important subject when walking for days…..
I chose a pair of trail runners; Brooke’s Cascadia 16. These are comfortable and flexible like a running shoe, but have a rock shield and a sturdier sole for off-road hiking.
The second pair I'm bringing with me are my Vivo barefoot All Weather shoes. These are a zero-drop, a wider fit and are super flexible to allow your feet to have their own natural shape, as if you were walking barefoot. They also have a good grip sole, which makes them good for outdoor activities. When feet are given plenty of room to flex and splay, they gain the chance to re-align and re-strengthen. Vivobarefoot shoes are designed to allow your feet to have this space, even when you’re wearing shoes.
I love walking barefoot and these shoes offer the same feeling where it’s not possible to walk without shoes. It takes a little getting used to due to the zero-drop sole, but now they’re my favourite shoes to wear.
This weekend I also got myself Injinji toe-socks. Now I've got happy feet and happy toes for walking 😄
Hiking poles is what I used to consider being good for elderly, or people with injuries or a weak spot (knees, ankles etc). Excuse my misconception.
I had never walked with hiking poles before I decided to get these. Wasn't really sure I needed or wanted them in the first place. Until I learned how many benefits they have through all the research I've done. Hiking poles;
Spread the weight across your whole body.
Enhance full body movement, upper body gets involved.
Stop your hands from swelling up.
Help pull you up hills.
Provides stability when going down hills.
Serve as anchors when hiking through mud or other slippery surfaces.
Function as a shield to keep branches out of your face, or stray dogs at bay.
In the outdoor winter sale I found a sweetly discounted pair, the Leki Khumba Lite. A good-looking pole I have to say.
The first time I used them was during my training in the southern hills of the Netherlands and they instantly became my best friends. Without them I would have slipped and tripped a countless amount of times in the slick and mud I had to hike through.
This took all my doubts of needing poles away, they are a must-have, for sure.
I would also like to tell you about a few other items that I’ve chosen with care, consideration and love for our planet.
First of them being my fanny pack, otherwise known as the classic bum bag.
Cotopaxi Bataan Hip Pack - Del Dia. It’s named after a city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines, the Bataan. Del Dia means that each pack is one-of-a-kind. No colour combination is the same, making each pack unique. Which colour combination you get is a surprise. A lightweight and eco-conscious fanny pack made with high-quality, remnant fabric, which was originally produced for another purpose. Each fanny pack keeps fabric out of the landfill by using the cut-off pieces.
Together with my cooking set, this was a birthday present I’m super happy with.
My cooking set is quite adorable because it’s very compact and extremely lightweight. My cooking pot is a Toaks Titanium 750ml with lid and fold away handles. The gas burner is BRS Ultralight Camping Stove and weighs a total of 25g. The gas container, together with the burner, a package of matches and a lighter all fit inside the cooking pot and weigh a total of 340 grams. Additionally to this I have a Toaks titanium spoon with a long handle to stir the pot and eat with, that weighs 8 grams. With my kitchen being so light and small, I hope to have some space and weight left for food ;)
Finally, one more very important item to bring along is power. Using my phone for navigation and sleeping in my tent means I have to make sure I have enough power to keep my phone battery going. I’ve researched different power banks and solar systems. Both have pros and cons. It was one of the last purchases I’ve made and I think (and hope) that it will provide me with enough power along my path.
The Heko Swung Solar Power Bank. With 4 solar panels and a 30.000 mAh capacity. It’s water, shock and dust proof and has a flashlight with sos function. This combination of solar and power bank comes with a decent weight of 590 grams, which unfortunately makes it one of the heavier items I carry, but a necessary one I think.
When everything you bring is something you have to carry on your back, one's choices become very specific. If I don’t absolutely need and love it, I don’t want to bring it.
And if you made it this far, you’ve read that I have very carefully selected the items that I do bring with me. They are all chosen for their qualities of being lightweight, small packable, sustainable, planet friendly, durable, multipurpose and necessary.
Once I have all of these necessities in my backpack, it still leaves some room for clothing, toiletries and other needed items. Have a look through my full packlist below.
Together this comes to a weight of 9 kg. That’s it, my whole life for the next coming months in just 9 kilo’s!
This is what they call base weight, the weight that is consistent. On top of that will be a variable weight of the water and food I have with me. My hope/aim was for a total weight of 10 kg with a maximum of 12 kilo’s. As you can see that’s a challenge, even with all lightweight gear.
Perhaps I’ll make some changes along the way. I’m planning to make another packlist at the end of my trip to see if there’s been any changes. Whether there were still some items that turned out not necessary.
Only 10 days left in the luxury surroundings of my home, finalising my last preppings.
Stay tuned for my next blog!
Much love X
