Having walked the Australian Alps Walking Track, Elise Marcianti empties her backpack so we can see the gear she relied on to complete her journey.
Deuter 65 + 10l pack
With long days on the trails, it was important my pack fitted well to avoid discomfort and rubbing and gave easy access while on the move. I chose to take the Deuter 65 + 10l pack - with wide hip pockets, I had easy access to my phone, map and Inreach, and with a zipped hood I could access snacks and small items without them falling to the bottom of my bag. The pack had load-adjustable straps and as someone who is short, was a key feature for it fitting well. The bag is divided into three main components. I stored my sleeping bag in the bottom, my tent, sleeping bag, mat and clothes and my food in the main section and the days snacks and sunscreen in the top.
Capacity: 65 + 10l
RRP: $570
tmosports.com.au
Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash
Nothing worse than setting up camp and discovering last night’s dinner still stuck on the pan. I brought along the 3 in 1 Wilderness Wash which became my detergent, soap and laundry soap. It meant my dishes were clean after a good feed and myself and clothes stayed clean. Hygiene is super important for any long hike and it meant I could hike lighter as I only needed what I was wearing, plus an extra pair which I could wash and have drying as I walked. It was small but concentrated (and biodegradable) so little was used and wasn’t harmful to the environment!
RRP: $10
seatosummit.com.au
Nalgene water bottle
The Nalgene came handy in many ways – it’s super lightweight with good volume and is durable, so I knew it wouldn’t break. It also has a cap attached to the lid so it can’t go missing and can easily be attached the bag (about the only thing I wasn’t capable of losing). It acted as a hot water bottle at night when I filled it with boiling water before tucking into bed, keeping me warm for hours and was a trusty water source during the day. It’s light and makes me happy to know it’s BPA free.
RRP: $30
nalgene.com
Salomon Women's X Ultra 3 Mid GTX waterproof boots
These are my first and only pair of hiking boots (which have fortunately taken me many places). I first bought them for a New Zealand trip five years ago and they have proven comfy and supportive - over 250km without a single blister! They have good grip especially for the downhill, but can be a little slippery on wet rocks. They’re waterproof, which was great for all the small river crossings.
RRP: $270
salomon.com.au
ACR personal locator beacon / Garmin inReach messenger
I take my PLB on all my solo adventures as well as my inReach on longer expeditions. I chose the inReach SE+, prior to leaving. I set it up with my planned route, added contacts and pre typed messages. It has a bunch of features which are great for hiking in remote areas like I was. Some of the functions include weather forecast and waypoints and meant my friends could track me. Having this as well as the PLB was great for possible situations like alerting ‘I’m hurt but safe’ or needing to know information about bushfires where there was no reception. One of my friends was able to message me predicted kilometres till next reception and any upcoming hazards to look out for (and a nice comforting message that I was going great). Battery life is reasonable.
RRP: PLB $370, Inreach $670
ACR: For sales contact t: (02) 9417 5755 or e: sales@intertrek.com.au
Garmin: garmin.com/en-AU
Mountain Designs Redline 1p 3-season tent
This tent was chosen for price. It was the tent that I got when I first got into hiking and hasn’t needed to be upgraded yet as it does the job well. It’s middle range for weight and could be smaller but it’s a comfy budget-friendly tent that is super quick and efficient to set up. It’s a narrow single person tent that doesn’t have much room for storage but efficient and practical.
RRP: $250 (Club price: $200)
mountaindesigns.com
To see the rest of the contents of Elise’s pack get a hold of the latest issue of Great Walks.