Bushwalk Australia

Our NZ hike (december) is coming up, we are just finalising our gear lists and in particular doing our final clothing shopping on the weekend.

This is my list so far, mostly I have raided my sailing wardrobe. We have some money to buy a few extra bits of gear, I would love some advice about where it would be best spent (if at all).

feet
Boots
Socks (Merino x 5pair)
bottom
Shorts (70%cotton/30%nylon - not optimal, but everything else I own is 100% cotton)
3/4 pants (50% cotton/ 50% nylon)
top
wicking layer (92%nylon/8%spandex - it is one of those shirts you wear while swimming -- will this work?)
Short-sleeve shirt (100%polyester - thomas cook 'amphibian' shirt)
light-weight long-sleeve shirt (100% polyester - feathertop)
heavier long-sleeve shirt (100% polyester - feathertop)
outer
vest (100% polyester - feathertop)
Wind-jacket (polyester, spandex, nylon - feathertop)
Gore-tex jacket
Beanie

Things I want to buy
Nemesis pants (http://www.macpac.co.nz/public_catalogue/displayItemCode/item,Nemesis-Pants/code,NEMPM08)

I dont know NZ very well (went when I was 3-4, but forgotten most of it... ), but it would depend on which Island your going too and where on the island, along the coast or the top of a mountain?

5 pairs of socks does sound extreme! I only ever take 2 pair. One to wear and the other is yesterdays worn pair washed the next morning and left to dry on the outside of my pack.
Those shirts you wear when swimming are they wicking? I have only worm them a few times and from memory I found myself always hot and sticky in the sun....I could be wrong but...was a while ago...
I dont see any warm jacket. You will surely need one.
Nemesis pants look good. Do they have a pair that has zipoff bottoms? Saves taking 3/4 length pants and shorts.
I cant comment on the feathertop base and mid, dont know them.

Theirs your first comment on the gear list and hopefully others with more experience in NZ will pipe up for you.
Enjoy your walk.

thank you. It is helpful already.

We are going to the south island (Routeburn, Hollyford, Kepler).

I'm with Earthling on the socks. I only ever take 2 pairs, but use them a little differently. I wear the same pair walking each day; I expect them to get wet (if they don't it's a bonus), and I put them on wet in the morning. If they do get wet, I wear the second pair around the campsites in the evenings. If it's a long walk, I'll do something similar to Earthling, and give the walking pair a wash as best I can after a few days.

If I have a wet pair of socks and a dry pair of socks, I always put on the wet pair to walk in for the morning, otherwise I'd have two wet pairs by the end of the day. At the end of the day, if it's not too cold, I'll sometimes keep wearing the wet pair in my camp shoes, as this helps them to dry out a bit.

these walks will see a couple of river crossings- so the lightest weight hut booties/flipflops for end of day to allow your boots to dry is something to consider.
3 pais of socks.
take plenty of good insect repellant- sand flies.
sunscreen + a cap (like Tassie here=no ozone)

If cooler weather is possible (I haven't been to NZ as yet but I think it may be possible any time of year, especially the south island), then lightweight thermals might be worth taking. Polypropylene ones are usually fairly inexpensive, light, breathable and quick drying. You can wear them under shorts or longs as an insulating base layer or to bed. They're quite useful and versatile.

I dunno about the rash top. I thought they were mainly to keep the sun/UV out. I've got a running/sports top of similar construction. It's cool and breathable, but would provide zero warmth I think.

Do you find the undershirts get really sweaty? Do they rinse well overnight? Do they end up stinking for a week? Or do you just get used to the smell...(who knows all that raw sweat may just be an aphrodesiac).

Kainas wrote:Do you find the undershirts get really sweaty?

It's mostly been cool to cold when I've worn thermals, so haven't really noticed a problem. I normally sleep in them and put other clothes on top in the morning when it's cold. In the Sydney region, by the time we've had breakfast and started packing up camp it's often warm enough to remove them. On one occasion I was walking in them, started to feel hot and did notice some sweat, but not a lot, so took them off. Last summer on the Overland Track I hardly used them at all, as it was warm-ish for the whole trip. Winter in Tasmania is likely to be a different story.

Kainas wrote:Do they rinse well overnight?

I haven't bothered doing this on a trip but they seem to dry quickly enough at home (cold wash).

Kainas wrote:Do they end up stinking for a week? Or do you just get used to the smell...

Everyone says that polypro does this. I haven't noticed it, or maybe I'm immune to it. Another option is the merino ones eg "Icebreaker" but can be very expensive. However it's claimed that they don't smell, or at least not as much. I've also got a Macpac undershirt made of a synthetic/wool mix and Lowe Alpine DryFlo synthetic bottoms. Both of these don't seem to smell either but I think may be slightly less warm. They are very lightweight though and probably quicker drying than polypro, but more expensive. I might take both types on my Walls trip coming up as an experiment.

Kainas wrote:(who knows all that raw sweat may just be an aphrodesiac).

Umm, well doesn't do much for me...

johnw wrote:Everyone says that polypro does this. I haven't noticed it, or maybe I'm immune to it. Another option is the merino ones eg "Icebreaker" but can be very expensive. However it's claimed that they don't smell, or at least not as much. I've also got a Macpac undershirt made of a synthetic/wool mix and Lowe Alpine DryFlo synthetic bottoms. Both of these don't seem to smell either but I think may be slightly less warm. They are very lightweight though and probably quicker drying than polypro, but more expensive. I might take both types on my Walls trip coming up as an experiment.

Someone else also recommended icebreaker (and coincidently yesterday I was given their catalogue). We are heading to a macpac store (or place that sells macpac) tomorrow, as well as going to check out paddy pallin (in Brissy).

The list so far is:
Waterproof overpants (probably nemesis)
Good wicking undershirt (probably icebreaker)
Thermal pants ($30 random brand$80 Merino brand prob Snow gum)

The fine merino wool thermals are far better than the poly ones (at least the poly ones I've used). Yes, they most definitely smell less. They don't stop you sweating, but the smell doesn't seem to stay in the fabric anywhere near as much as in the poly. They're very comfortable, and some of them even look fashionable without anything worn over them. However, they are incredibly expensive (mine was given to me).

I use Snowgum merino long sleeve tops summer and winter they are super soft retail for $99.95 less10% for club members and the one I purchased today I got for $79.95 in their sale which ends on Sat.

Thanks for the advice I will definetly go for a merino thermal, heading to Brissy tomorrow, and we do have a $30 Snow Gum voucher that will reduce the cost of any purchases.

(Note that a vendor-related post and the two follow ups have been removed to comply with the no advertising in the forums rule - it was in response to the earlier posts here, but was a bit too commercial in nature - sorry for any inconvenience caused. I believe Kainas got the information required, anyhow. )