Gear

The following list is a practical list used by one of our club members for extended trips of 3 to 10 days in bush or mixed open tops country, without snow travel. Use this as a guide only.



The philosophy behind this gear list is to have a down sleeping bag and a light weight but extremely weatherproof tent. The holder of this list uses a Macpac Minaret semi alpine tent. In bad conditions, or if benighted, he can camp, requiring only a very small tent footprint, stay put and keep dry in the tent.

The other philosophy is to carry a bivy bag (and no tent), which is lighter, but to carry a synthetic fibre filled sleeping bag which will not take up water in wet conditions and will stay warm. If down gets wet it collapses and become heavy and useless. Fibre fill sleeping bags are more bulky and not as warm as dry down..

Similarly, Polarfleece can take up its own volume of water in extreme conditions and become very cold. If you use fleece in wet conditions you must have a very good shell. The alternative is a fibre filled mountain jacket which does not take up much water.

A compromise philosophy is to use a light weight fibre fill sleeping bag (I use a Snugpak Sofftie 720g) and a single skin alpine tent made by Black Diamond (dome tent with floor). Weighs 1.2kg incl. poles and pegs. If the tent sprays in long periods of very heavy rain then use your survival blanket or tube to keep dry (not had to yet). Fibre fill takes up very little weight when wet and is very much easier to dry than down. In cold conditions you can take a Firefly down inner sleeping skin.

A Gear List

(suitable for a weekend or extended trip in bush or open tops)

Note that there are alternatives including Ultralight Tramping.

Pack 70 litre
Boots

Putties

Socks (2pairs, 1 Thorlo + 1 Sport Socks)

Sock liners as spares

Tent (semi alpine)

Sleeping bag (Gortex cover)

Thermorest

Primus Burner Top (gas)

Gas Cannister (screw on)

Candles, Rubber Tubing (fire starter)

Repair Kit

Headlamp & batteries

Billies + 1x 2 pint

Plate (optional, could use billy)

Mug

Spoon

Pocket Knife

Platypus (for water carry)

Water Bottle & carrier (1 litre)

Maps

Waterproof map case

Altimeter (excellent for navigation on long bush ridges and cloudy open tops)
Compass & notebook & pen
GPS

Parka (Gortex or equivalent)

Over trousers (Reflex)

Polar Fleece jersey (100)

Microfleece shirt

Polypropylene first layer

Marino Wool Underlayer

Polar fleece pants (100)

Polo Shirt

Shorts

Thermal briefs

Sleeping top

Gloves & overgloves

Fleece hat

Sunhat

Camp Shoes (water shoes or Chinese Slippers)

First Aid kit (incl. large roll sport tape)

Splint (small closed cell sleeping mat) Doubles as a mat to sit on and to cover sharp objects under the tent floor)

Survival Blanket and tube (both recommended)

Hiking Pole. Great for river crossings & rough terrain.

Cellphone (027) Yes you can ring for help from most NI open tops. You can also call your transport.

EPIRB (emergency locator beacon)



      A Lighter Weight Gear List

Suitable for weeks or up to 5 days bush and open tops

Pack 65 litre Alpine

Boots

Putties

Socks (3pairs, 1 Thorlo + 2 sock liners)

Sock spares

Tent (lightweight Black Diamond single skin)

Sleeping bag (Snugpak 750g fibre pile)

Thermorest (Superlight long).

Gas Primus & cannister (50g/person/day LPG)

2 disposable cigarette lighters.

Fire kit (short candle, inner tube rubber, metafuel tablet).

Repair Kit (tent and thermorest).

Headlamp (PETZL LED superlight)

Billies (1 2L S/S + 1 L aluminium bowl)

Plate (polycarbonate) (optional use billy)

Mug (polycarbonate)

Spoon

Swiss Army Knife (single blade very sharp 60g)

Platypus (for water carry)

Water Bottle & carrier

Maps (NZS 260 series or eqivalent)

Waterproof map case

Altimeter (excellent for weather assessment & for navigation on long bush ridges and cloudy open tops).
GPS

Compass, pen & notebook

Parka (Gortex)

Over trousers (Reflex)

Microfleece shirt

Polypropylene first layer

Marino wool underlayer

Long Johns (Earth Sea Sky type)

Polo Shirt

Shorts

Macpac Thermal briefs

Silk briefs to sleep in

Gloves & overgloves

Fleece hat

Sunhat (cap is lighter)

Camp Shoes (made from Sellys Spreadsole on a pair of sock with closed cell inner...65g)

First Aid kit (incl. large roll non stretch sport tape for joint & ankle injuries).

Splint (small length closed cell sleeping mat) Doubles as a mat to sit on and to cover sharp objects under the tent floor).

Survival Blanket and tube (take both)

Hiking Pole. Great for river crossings & rough terrain.

Cellphone (027) 100g. Yes you can ring for help from most NI open tops. You can also call your transport. EPIRB optional but good idea.





A Food List

General Food List

Mains

Dehydrated Sweet & Sour Pork mince & Rice with a sauce (satay for sweet & sour)

Dehydrated mince & Dehy potato, mixed herbs, cheese & milk powder

Dehydrated mince & Pasta with sauce in pasta (mushroom, or Spicy Italian)

Continental pasta with dried bacon & extra noodles

Deserts

Dried Apricots

Instant Custards & milk powder OR instant hot custard (no milk powder needed)



Breakfasts

Hubbards fruitful (museli)

Homemade Museli (Helen's is the world's best)

Dried fruits (re hydrated) with nuts & milk (dried apple is best)

Porridge (Flemming's Apple or Apricott Dream)

Bread (soya linseed keeps the best)

Lunches

Tararua Biscuits

Savory Meal Mates

Tasty cheese

Tomatoe (store on the billy or a tube)

Vacuum Pack Salami

Soy Linseed Bread

Digestive Biscuits

Margarine

Jam

Snacks

Cuppa Soups

Teas

Milo

Scroggin or mixed nuts (unsalted)

Museli Bars (Mother Earth are best)

Power Bars (team NZ bars are durable)

1/2 apple per day

fruit drops

chocolate

Powerade or Replace (Replace sachets from Big Fresh)

Extras

Salt

Mixed Herbs (for the rice and mashed potatoe

Cornflour (if you add too much water)

Milk Powder

Vitamin Pills
Apple or orange per day (if short enough trip)





Making Your Own Dehydrated Meat

(Using a fan oven or dehydrator)



Method

Cook mince dish in frypan for 5 - 8 minutes until the bulk of the liquid has gone and the meat begins to fry.

Spread on metal trays in a mono layer and dry 80°C for 4 hours minimum fan oven setting.

Turn & crumble very 1/2 to 1 hr.

Vacuum pack in plastic bags and store in freezer.

Rehydration

Cover with water & Stand.

Bring to boil and simmer a few minutes.

Leave to stand until fully hydrated.

Thicken if required using cornflower

Serve



Savoury Mince

500 gm lean mince beef

2 Oxo cubes beef flavour

1 onion finely chopped

4 TBLS Worstershire Sauce

2 TBLS Soy Sauce

1 TSP mixed herbs



Milne Tomato Mince

500gm lean beef mince

2 medium onions fine chopped

6 cloves garlic crushed

Salt & Pepper

365 gm Tomato Paste (Tomato Chutney Sauce is great)

2 tsp Oregano



Sweet & Sour Pork

600gm minced lean pork

Fresh Ginger (golf ball size)

1 clove garlic crushed

2 tsp mustard pickle

2 tsp soy sauce

2 TBSP Vinegar

1 TBSP Brown sugar

300gm tin crushed pineapple

1 TBSP cornflour to thicken at the end

Cook pork 45 minutes until tender but add pineapple near end and thicken last with cornflour.



Standard Mince

Scince this was posted, I have found it better to cook the mince with onion and add the flavours later. See the weekend meal plan below.

Also: My son tells me that adding breadcrumbs to the mince before dehydrating makes the re-hydration much quicker.





Some Simple Tasty Meals

Suitable for a weekend trip



                                           Macaroni & Tuna



1 Large Continental Pasta (eg.cheese & leeks)

1 Cup macaroni Noodles (to beef up the volume)

1 Tin Tuna (Tomato & Basil tastes great)

Add the requisite water for both the packet pasta and the extra macaroni

Stir in 4 tablespoons of powdered full cream milk

Bring the water to the boil and add both the pasta and the macaroni

Simmer for 10 minutes

Serve and add the tuna on top



Serves two with plenty or three small eaters






John & Briars Egg Noodles and Tuna

3 Blocks Egg Noodles

½ Packet freeze dried vegetables or beans

Sun Dried Tomatoes to taste

½ Cup cashew nuts

1 Tin Tuna (Tomato & Basil is gourmet)

½ Fresh Green Capsicum, sliced

Bring Three cups water to the boil and add ½ packet freeze dried vegetables or beans plus the sun dried tomatoes..

Simmer 2 minutes and add the noodles.

Simmer for 5 minutes turning every minute to loosen the noodles

Tip off the excess water.

Add the cashews and serve.

Add the Tuna and capsicum on top of each serving.

Serves two with plenty or three small eaters







Margaret's Curry



(With thanks to Margaret Law for developing it and to Sue Grant & Colleen Brewer for giving me the recipe)



1 Packet Freeze Dried Mixed Vegitables

½ Packet freeze dried beans

1 Packet Curried Sausage flavouring

1 Packet powdered coconut cream

200g Salami

2 Sachets Uncle Bens boil in bag rice



Bring 4 cups of water to the boil and put the rice bags into the water.

Simmer for 7 minutes as per instructions. Keep rice warm in a towel.

Mix the Curry Flavour to a paste with a minimum of water in the billy. Add sufficient water for both the vegitables and the Curry Flavour according to the combined instructions on the packets.

Bring to boil, add the dried vegitables and the Salami (diced) and simmer until the vegitables are soft.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the coconut milk and serve the rice with curry on top of the rice.



OR you can bring the vegetables to the boil and stand aside while you cook the rice, then complete the curry.

Gourmet stuff!



Serves two to three

See variants below







A Weekend or multi day meal Plan with desert



This is a variant on the home dehydrated meat based meal suitable for a weekend or the first two nights of a long trip



First the meat

At home before the trip take 500gm of pork mince or lean beef mince

De-water the mince in a fry pan with a little olive oil. Lightly cook until the water has been expelled, evaporated away and the mince is cooked and starts to fry. Remove, cool, bag and store in a freezer until you need to pack for your trip.



Recipes to die for using the pre-cooked mince:



Sweet & Sour Pork

In a billy, mix one packet of Sweet & Sour gravy mix and 1 tsp cornflour to a paste with water.

Add the pre cooked pork mince, cover with water, stir and bring to the boil

Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the contents of a small (250g) tin of pineapple pieces.

Heat and serve on a bed of rice.

You could bring a small bag of grated ginger as an added embellishment



Curried Beef (this is something else!)

In a billy, mix a packet of Satay Gravy powder to a paste with water.

Add the pre cooked beef mince and cover with water

Stir the mixture

Add freeze dried beans and corn

Bring to the boil and simmer 3 to 5 minutes to cook the vegies, stirring occasionally.

Add 2 tablespoons of coconut cream powder and mix thoroughly

Can be thickened with a tsp cornflour premixed to a paste.

Serve on a bed of rice



Rich Beef and Potatoe

In a Billy, mix a packet of Rich Beef Gravy powder to a paste with water.

Add the pre cooked beef mince and cover with water and stir.

Bring to the boil and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally

Serve with instant mashed potatoe and freeze dried vegetables

You can experiment with other flavour packets and you can use the fully dehydrated mince but just simmer longer before adding the flavour sachets to allow for re hydration and premix the gravies and cornflour to a thick paste before adding.

Tip: I am told by my son that adding breadcrumbs to the mince meat before dehydrating makes the re-hydration much easier and quicker.

Apple Crumble Desert Mountain Style

(This can be taken on a multi day trip without taking much room or adding significant weight)

Before you leave home cut a 200g packet of dried apple slices into small pieces and blend in a food processor until well pulped. Store in the original bag.

In the hills, place 2 deserts spoons of the dried apple pulp in a small billy. Add a cup of cold water and half a teaspoon of cinnamon. Simmer for 2 minutes to make stewed apple.

Break 2 or 3 shortbread biscuits over the top.

In another billy, mix 4 level desert spoons of whole milk powder with a rounded desert spoon of custard powder and add half a desert spoon of sugar. Then slowly mix in 1 cup cold water. Slowly bring to the boil stirring all the time.

Pour the custard over the stewed apple and shortbread and enjoy.









Energy Cookies



Makes 10 large cookies (we always get more). Does the same job as the old Tararua Biscuits but taste much better.



½ cup liquid honey

½ cup chunky peanut butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large ripe banana, mashed

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup wheat bran

¼ cup wheatgerm

½ cup dried apricots, finely chopped

¼ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup of cooking chocolate chips (optional but very good)

2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely chopped or grated

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cardamom (Mum doesn’t like cardamom so we use mixed spice)



Preheat oven to 200C - Place honey, peanut butter and oil in a small saucepan. Over a medium heat, stir these sticky ingredients with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes liquid. Take the saucepan off the heat and beat in the mashed banana. Set aside. - In a large bowl combine oats, bran, wheatgerm, apricots, sunflower seeds, cooking chocolate, lemon zest, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir in the honey mixture until well combined. - Drop spoonfuls of the dough into a baking sheet, and press each cookie down firmly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Store in an airtight container.



Beats Tararua Biscuits!