Hike right, hike light

There’s something awe inspiring about hiking or trekking in the great outdoors, and getting your gear right can make it all the more memorable.

Last year, I completed the Jatbula Trail, a 62km full pack trek over 6 days in the stunning Northern Territory – Arnhem Land escarpment country to be exact. Setting off from Katherine Gorge and ending at Edith Falls, we followed the ridgeline through Nitmiluk National Park, stopping off at water holes for swims and lookouts with breathtaking views.

We carried all our food, all our clothes and all our camping gear, and slept out under the stars in mosquito domes in simply stunning natural surroundings.

We covered around 10 kms each day, crossing various terrains and carried up to 4 litres of water to keep hydrated. While the trail organisers provide a complete list of what you should carry, they err on the side of caution and it’s easy to over pack.

But by thinking a little creatively, you can lighten the load on the not-so-importants.

Here are my 5 tips on what to pack on a similar hike with similar conditions:

1. You don’t need as many clothes as you think you do. Two sets (t-shirt, shorts) will be fine. You’ll be able to wear one set, while you wash the other that will dry in an hour or two.

Make sure your clothes are quick dry/light weight fabric and one set of your bottoms are the trouser style you can roll up, or zip off to make shorts. Throw in a thin, light weight hooded pullover and you’re sorted.

2. Pack items that have multiple uses. A bath towel doubles well as a sheet and your swim cover up as pyjamas/sleepwear.

3. Opt for a 2 litre or more water pouch and a squeezy pull top water bottle. The water pouch means you can carry loads of water and distribute it evenly in your pack. The squeezy water bottle will tuck neatly into the side pocket of your pack, making it easy to reach and sip from.

4. Bring a pair of super light weight flexi-bend slip on shoes like Sketches for getting around camp. You’ll appreciate having enclosed footwear other than your hiking boots when you troop off to the bush loo in the middle of the night.

5. The lighter pack means you can bring your proper camera, rather than snapping things on your mobile! You won’t have reception out there so you can’t upload and share to social media anyway. It’s a great opportunity to leave technology behind.

This hike has to be one of my favourites and is up there with Mt Kinabula in Malaysia and Milford Sound in New Zealand that I hiked in 2009 and 2011 respectively. Bring on Mt Kilimanjaro!

Have you done a hike recently and got some great tips to share? Please post in the comment box below.

If you’d like to know who I did my hike through, send me an email at hello@askthatfitgirl.com.