Tramping in Arthurs Pass: What gear do I need?

What gear do I need to tramp in Arthur's Pass

If you are new to New Zealand or tramping it is a good idea to know what kind of gear you need to take with you. The length of your trip and the activities you intend to undertake play the most important role in deciding what gear you carry. Obviously going on a short walk around Arthur's Pass village requires less gear than a hard core multi-day tramp.

Equipped for a day walk...walking the Bealey Spur Track in 2015

Another factor to consider is the climate and terrain you expect to encounter...what height will you reach and how will this affect your gear needs? Do you require specialist cold weather clothing? Is an ice axe and crampons needed due to ice and snow? Will specialist climbing gear be required? Is there a large storm front due in the next couple of days and what will this mean to your plans?

Through planning is required to ensure you have the right equipment to survive in our harsh environment.

Ice axe and crampons..extra weight but vital gear in snow and ice...

Imagine the worst case scenario, you fall and incapacitate yourself...you are stuck where you are. Will the gear you carry allow you to treat any injuries, alert the authorities and keep you alive until they arrive?

If the answer to any of these question is NO then you are ill equipped.If you cannot survive for 24 hours with the contents of your pack then you need to rethink your gear list.

The golden rule is to be totally self sufficient!

Ensure you have enough gear to survive 24 hours..?

The other side of the equation is just as important..don't carry more gear than absolutely necessary. The weight will fatigue you and it will certainly slow you down. Think like a long trail hiker...carry only what you need and nothing more.

Check the weather before going out...

The clothing you wear is important

You need to think about the clothing you are wearing as well as the gear in your pack. If you are a fair weather tramper then it is probably going to be technical underwear, t-shirt and shorts with outdoor shoes or boots on your feet. This will be supplemented by long sleeved tops for cold weather and possibly a warm mid layer and jacket as required.

My standard tramping attire:technical shirt, nylon shorts, tramping socks and boots

All of your gear should be made from quick drying, wicking materials, these include nylon, polyester, merino wool, silk and bamboo. Never wear cotton...it is slow to dry and saps heat from your body when wet...keep your cotton for that summer trip to Nelson.

All of my clothing options laid out...all made from merino or technical materials

Here is the gear I wear 90% of the time when tramping, regardless of whether it is a day or multi day tramp:

• A generic technical shirt, 100% polyester, nylon, polypropylene or merino
• Nylon sports shorts
• Polyester sports underwear, boxers by preference
• Boots, I am currently wearing Lowa Ranger III's/ Lowa Tibets . I also wear mountain running shoes on the shorter/easier trails
• Technical tramping socks: I wear Bridgedale boot socks and Icebreaker running socks, merino & technical blends by choice
• A ball cap or wide brim hat depending on the sun level

My typical summer time clothing 'system'...although I hate the term system: shorts, t shirt, boots and hat

Here is a link to a post about the JMOCS or Jon Moake Outdoor Clothing System ..hahahahahaha... I love those useless military sounding abbreviations.

Going for a short walk

There are a multitude of short walks in Arthur's Pass, mostly clustered around the village itself. These range from the 10 minute Millennium Walkway right up to the 3+ hours needed to walk the Arthur's Pass Walking Track. The amount of gear you take must reflect the risk factors of the track you are on. It pays to remember that the weather in Arthur's Pass is notoriously fickle so be prepared for anything.

Lots of tracks around Arthur's Pass Village

For any walk up to an hour you should be carrying:

• A small pack,  15-20l for carting your gear in
• A wet weather jacket, with hood, wind and waterproof
• A warm top...a 200gms fleece is good
• A warm hat: wool or fleece 
• Map of the tracks you are walking
• Water bottle
• Snack foods: lunch if it is that time of the day
• A cellphone or PLB  if no cell coverage
• Your wallet and car keys

 This small amount of gear will keep you comfortable as you enjoy a coffee at the General Store, check out the railway station or hike up to the Punchbowl Falls.

 

A DOC safety message in the Avalanche Creek Shelter, Arthur's Pass

Day tramping...still requires preparation!

Going for a day tramp (i.e. more than 2 hours in duration) requires almost as much planning/equipment as a much longer trip. A higher percentage of SAR rescues are for day trampers than multi-day trampers...probably because day trampers fail to take enough gear to navigate & survive in the bush. If something hampers your mobility then it is very easy for the dark, rain, wind and cold to take their toll.

You need to be totally self sufficient for at least 24 hour any time you are more than one hour away from civilisation.

Typical Day tramp gear: Pack, spare warm clothing, first aid, food/water and wet weather gear

Here is my list of vital gear for a day tramp anywhere in New Zealand:

• Pack, 20-45 litres in volume, single compartment preferred
• A rugged plastic bag/pack liner to keep your gear dry in your pack- can also be used for an emergency rain fly if needed
• Wet weather jacket, with hood, wind and water proof
• Warm top: polar-fleece, merino or down jacket
• Wet weather over-trousers, wind and water proof
• Warm hat, merino gloves, over-gloves (I use OR brand Gortex over-mitts)
• Spare clothing: merino base layer, merino legging, socks
• First aid kit plus material for treating blisters
• Personal locator beacon, ACR ResQLink
• Map and compass or a GPS receiver
• Head torch, Black Diamond (not in photo)
• Breathable emergency bivy bag (SOL)
• Water bottles X2 (for 2 litres of water)
• A sharp knife...a little Victorix is fine not that 12" pig sticker you own...
• High energy food: snacks, drink powders, fruit, nuts, sandwiches, crackers and cheese etc. I will be looking at tramping food in a future post. 
• Sun hat, buff or cap
• Camera, car keys and wallet (an eftpos card, spare cash and drivers license)

Store loose gear in plastic bags or sil-nylon bags, it is tidier and easier to find gear inside a pack if it is tidy. I have a colour coding system:

blue=clothing, red=cooking, orange=safety gear, yellow=food, black =miscellaneous.

Warm clothing: merino leggings, merino long sleeved top, fleece hat and polypropylene gloves

Here are some photos of this gear laid out so you can see what I carry...

My Vaude Brenta 401 day pack: wet weather gear ad warm clothing

Safety and survival gear for 24 hours...note the PLB, first aid kit and emergency bivy

My Vaude Brenta 40l pack is exactly the right size to hold all of this gear, fully loaded it weighs approximately 4.5 kgs. Some might say this is over kill for a day tramp but I am a cautious guy and I'm often alone so I tend to err on the side of caution.

The Vaude Brenta 40L on the Bealey Valley Track, 2018

In the past I have also used my Brenta 50l pack for day tramps, this was the reason I brought it in the first place. It is really too big for the task...lots of empty space and extra weight I don't need to carry.

Using the Vaude Brenta 50l in the Otira Valley in 2016

Overnight Tramps: Packs, boots and tents...

Now we turn to overnight and multi-day tramps, obviously the length of your trip and if you are tenting or staying in a hut will make a difference to your equipment. This means a slightly larger pack is required to haul all that gear.

Again the aim is to be totally self sufficient for at least 24 and up to 72 hours.

1-3 nights..light but not Spartan

Regardless of the number of nights you are spending on your tramp a lot of the gear you carry for a one night tramp is also required on a tramp up to a week in length. The main variable will be the amount of food/fuel you are carrying and if you need to carry a tent etc..  

My base equipment for an overnight tramp: no tent and no food..

On top of the gear you carry for a day tramp you will also require the following:

• Medium/large size pack, 50-75 litres in volume
• Sleeping bag, down or synthetic, sub 1kg if possible
• Sleeping bag liner: silk is best also the lightest
• Extra clothing: a second shirt for camp wear, extra socks, spare underwear
• Food: breakfast, lunch and dinner for all the days you will be tramping in a sil-nylon food bag
• Cook pot, a fork, spoon and knife, plastic bags, Chux cloth, the pot should be around 1 litre and titanium or anodized aluminium
• Cooker, lightweight either cannister gas or mineral spirits work best
• Lighters...I carry three as I often leave them in huts etc. for other people to use
• Lightweight pack repair kit: spare belt buckle, harness buckle, wire, pull ties, mesh and thread
• Toiletries: tooth brush, camp soap, comb, technical towel (small), a bandanna
• toilet paper, there is none in a back-country hut 
• Hut pass or DOC hut tickets. Pay for your visit...no exceptions!
• Bug repellent and a head net (optional)
• Hut footwear- light, jandals/sandals/Crocs (optional)
• Candles for hut use (optional)
• Something to read: book or Kindle (optional)

This is also the range of gear you need while walking one of the Great Walks, because the huts are pre booked and you are therefore assured of a place to sleep you need no tent.

Overnight tramp: 53L pack, wet weather gear, spare clothing...

With a few tweaks, the gear you carry for 1-3 days is perfectly adaptable to use for 10 days or even longer.

Overnight tramp:cooking, sleeping, safety, toiletries and medical equipment

This gear load-out is basically the same I carry while section hiking the Te Araroa Trail so in reality you could survive for a couple of months with just this gear. You have to wash periodically of course although having smelt a hut full of fellow TA hikers you sometimes wonder....

My Osprey Atmos AG pack in Anti Crow Hut, on the way to the Upper Waimakariri River

Remember: carry only what you absolutely need..do not load yourself down with soul sapping weight.

3+ days....more food required!

 There are only a few differences between a gear list for a 1-3 day trip and a longer affair. We exchange the Osprey Atmos for either my Vaude Accent or my Osprey Volt, both in the 65-75 litre range. These are both spacious enough to allow all my gear to be carried internally.

Using my Vaude Accent on the Abel Tasman in2017

A tramp of more than three days will entail a massive increase in the amount of food you need to carry. While you can get by with a limited menu for 1-2 days any longer than this means you have to start thinking carefully about nutrition. You are looking at 600-750gms per day of food to keep you healthy so this means a lot of extra weight and space.

I will look at tramping food in an separate post.

My base load for a 1-10 day tramp, using a tent....

 The other item you will need is some kind of shelter; in this case a ultralight one person tent. Even if you intend to stay in a hut you must have some form of shelter...you may not make it to the hut or it might be full. It is no fun sleeping outside in the rain with no over head shelter which happens more often than you might think.

If you are using a tarp or tent then of course you also need a sleeping mat and a ground sheet. I use a piece of Tyvek for a ground sheet, this is waterproof and protects my floor area. I sometimes carry a rain fly but most often use a 1 person tent.

My main tent is a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 1, my sleeping mat is a Pacific Outdoor thermal insulated mat.

Overnight tramp: 75L pack, wet weather gear, spare clothing, tent, ground mat...

Overnight tramp:cooking, sleeping system, safety gear, toiletries and medical equipment

My main multi-day pack is a Osprey Volt 75 (1.75 kgs), this has been my main heavy load carrier since the beginning of this year. It is super comfortable, roomy and can easily hold up to ten days worth of food and gear.

My Osprey Volt on the track to Speargrass Hut, Nelson Lakes NP

Carting the Osprey Volt on the Abel Tasman Coastal Walk in September 2018

My other pack in the 'big load' category is a Vaude Accent 65+10 litres (2 kgs), this was my main overnight pack from 2011-2017. I still use this on occasion but it is hard to argue with the 300gms weight difference between the two packs.

The newer Osprey pack is much lighter and more comfortable to carry.

My Vaude Accent pack in the East Hawdon Valley, 2013

To recap, extra gear you need for for a +3 day tramp:

• Shelter: tent, bivy bag or tarp or you can sleep in a DOC hut if available
• Sleeping mat, insulated
• Ground sheet for the tent/tarp: store brought, Tyvek, plastic sheeting or space blanket
• A LOT of food...the main weight of your pack really

I hope that provides some useful guidelines on what you need to carry.

Short Walk: Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthurs Pass: 7 October 2018

Day walking in Arthur's Pass, part two...

After finishing the Bealey Valley Track, I jumped into the car and drove down to the Devils Punchbowl Falls on the western edge of Arthur's Pass Village. The Falls are the third highest in Arthur's Pass National Park and are particularly impressive if it has been raining in the last 2-3 days.

The Devils Punchbowl Falls, Arthur's Pass from the track

This track is probably one of the most visited sites in the country as it is a short and not overly difficult track to a really gorgeous 112 meter waterfall. It features in Lonely Planet so a lot of international visitors stop here on their way over Arthur's Pass.

 On the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, 1 hour return

You can walk to the start of this track from anywhere in Arthur's Pass Village but there is a large car-park situated right near the start of the track. It sits right out on the western edge of Arthur's Pass, and is the last gravel roadway on the right as you drive towards the Pass.

Entrance to car park for The Devils Punchbowl Falls, Arthur's Pass and Arthur's Pass Walking Track

Map: Track network around Arthur's Pass village

DOC sign at end of Arthur's Pass Village

The car-park will hold about 30-40 cars, it was 12 noon when I got here so it was totally full. The car park is the starting point for a number of tracks:

Cons Track to the top of Mt Cassidy

Scott's Track to the summit of Avalanche Peak

Mt Aicken Track

Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

Arthur's Pass Historic Walk

Arthur's Pass Walking Track

Track sign at the Devils Punchbowl Falls, Arthur's Pass car park

Start of The Devils Punchbowl Falls, Arthur's Pass and Arthur's Pass Walking Track

You can see the Falls and the bridge over Devils Punchbowl Falls Creek from the car-park, you can also see Mt Cassidy in the photo below, the object of a future tramp in the park...

Mt Cassidy from near the start of Devils Punchbowl Falls and Arthur's Pass Walking Track

There is an interesting stone hut just before you reach the bridge over the Bealey River, I think it belongs to the New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC)..there are a number of similar huts in the village belonging to various schools, tramping clubs, alpine clubs and private individuals.

An interesting stone house, next to the Arthur's Pass Walking Track

The bridge across the Bealey River was built in the 1970's prior to that there was a swing bridge across the river. This solid bridge has been here since I was a child, I must have walked over it 40 odd times over the years while visiting the National Park. There is a nice interpretative panel on the far side of the bridge...

Bridge over the Bealey River, Arthur's Pass Village

The Devils Punchbowl Falls, Arthur's Pass

Once on the true left of the Bealey you just follow the nice track up to the second bridge over Devils Punchbowl Falls Creek. At the track junction you can go two ways...right is the Arthur's Pass Walking Track and right is the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track. 

The side track to Mt Cassidy, Cons Track starts about 20 meters away from the Devils Punchbowl Falls Creek bridge. Con was the name of one of the legendary NZFS park rangers who worked in the area in the 1960-1980's. 

Track Junction: left for the track to Otira, right to The Devils Punchbowl Falls

Arthur's Pass Village from the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass

The bridge over the Devils Punchbowl Creek

The Bridge over Devils Punchbowl Creek

the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass at the head of the creek

Once over the second bridge the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track starts proper, it is flat at first then turns into a long series of stairways which take you up the side of  Mt Aicken. 

Once you get to about 100 meters it sidles along the side on Mt Aicken and into the valley holding Devils Punchbowl Falls Creek.

Start of the the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass

Turn off for the Arthur's Pass Historic Track

Here is the first of many, many staircases you will climb on this track...

Lots of stairs on the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass

the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass....even more stairs

View West from the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass

Up until the mid 2000's this was a very basic dirt track running up and along the side of Mt Aicken, but once mass tourism hit New Zealand DOC built this new track to control erosion and increase visitor safety margins. 

On the old track there were two hairy arsed spots where you could fall 30-50 meters off the side of the hill, not ideal terrain for your average middle aged foreign tourist!!!

Even more stairs on the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass

Close up of the stair structure: the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass

Once you reach the apex of the track you lose all that altitude gain as the track descends right down to the creek bed. On the old track you stayed on the side of Mt Aicken right to edge of the Falls, back then you could look down into the cauldron where the falls land. 

The old track had a better view but it was way, way more dangerous...

Descending down to the Falls, the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass

The track sidles along the flank of Mt Aicken: the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

An attempt at a track border, the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass

A beautifully formed track...the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

Descending to the viewing platform, the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track, Arthur's Pass

Once down in the creek bed you climb up onto a new platform which gives you a very nice view of the falls. It was quite busy on the day I was there so I had to wait for about 10 minutes so I could get some shots of the falls without a crowd in front of me.

Climbing to the viewing platform, the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

Climbing to the viewing platform, the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

Climbing to the viewing platform, the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

The Devils Punchbowl Falls flow right throughout the year but they are most impressive if you come up here when it has been raining for a couple of days. Then they are a ferocious, thundering monster with dense clouds of mist flowing down the creek bed. 

This is an all weather track but obviously don't come up here if the Bealey River is lapping around the bridge as it is wont to do on occasion. Arthur's Pass gets 8 meters of rain a year (twice as much as Fiordland), the river valleys are narrow, the rivers flood...you get the idea!!!

The Devils Punchbowl Falls (112 meters)

Interpretive panel at The Devils Punchbowl Falls

The Devils Punchbowl Falls

View down the creek from the platform for the The Devils Punchbowl Falls

The Devils Punchbowl Falls

After sitting for awhile and taking a few photos I headed back down the track to the car-park. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the falls from the car park and about 25 to get back so give yourself 1-1.5 hours to walk the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track and enjoy the scenery.

On the way back to the car-park, The Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

Climbing up to the apex of the The Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

The trip out is the exact opposite of the trip in....just follow the same track back to the car park.

Almost at the apex.....The Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

Just past the high point on the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track there is a side track to the top of Mt Aicken. This is a very steep, exposed track which takes about 3 hours to get to a point directly opposite Avalanche Peak. 

I plan to come back and walk this track some time in the near future, if you decide to head up there make sure you are fully prepared for alpine conditions and do not go up the track in the avalanche season as it can be very dangerous.

The rough and ready track to Mt Aicken, from the The Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

Climbing back down the stairs...The Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

Heavy forest around the head of the Devils Punchbowl Falls Creek

The bridge over  Devils Punchbowl Creek from the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

I turned off the track and went along the Arthur's Pass Historic Track for a change of scene, I will be writing a post about this some time in the near future. Suffice it to say just walk back over the Bealey River bridge or if the river is low and you are keen why not try an easy crossing of the Bealey River.

Last view of The Devils Punchbowl Falls, true right of the Bealey

So another fine day walk in Arthur's Pass, I thoroughly recommend it to anyone passing over the pass, take the time to stop and enjoy some fine alpine scenery if you are ever in the vicinity. 

Access: Turn off SH 73 gravel road, right hand side, on the western edge of Arthur's Pass township. The track starts next to the car-park. The first 500 meters are on the Arthur's Pass Walking Track, then turn off to the Devils Punchbowl Falls Track

Track times: 1-1.5 hours return if time is spent admiring the falls from the viewing platform

Miscellaneous: Do not leave the track or attempt to approach the Punchbowl Falls as the area is prone to rock fall and is wet and slippery at all times.  No toilets at any point along this track.Do not drink the water out of Punchbowl Falls Creek as it has Giardia in it from time to time.