Te Araroa Gear List (Why Does Stuff Weigh So Much?)

Boy, You’re Gonna Carry That WeightAs I assemble the gear list for my hike, I’ve found myself wishing that stuff just didn’t weigh so dang much. I’m a pretty committed thrift store rummager, which means I have an abundance of old weird cheap clothes and knickknacks. So it’s been entertaining and strange to spend a bunch of money on a very small array of precision-engineered technical gear that I’m going to stink up and pulverize. This will be the first time I’m using a shelter that’s held up by trekking poles instead of conventional tent poles, and I’m a little nervous about it blowing over in the wind. Knowing that I am going to be eating dinner out of underwear every day makes me unaccountably happy.