Below is listed almost everything I carried on my 7-day hike of the Omine Okugake Trail. Excluding water, my total pack weight was ~11 kg, of which ~4.5 kg was food.
Although I could probably go even lighter on some items, there’s always a question of cost, comfort and how often you will use things. I wouldn’t change much though the hunt for food which is both tasty, nutritious and light is ongoing!
Note: I get small commissions for purchases made through Amazon links in this post.
Pack system
| Name | Weight (g) | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gossamer Gear Gorilla 40 Ultralight Backpack (2017) | They don’t make this model anymore but all their stuff is excellent. | ★★★★★ | |
| Zpacks Large Food Bag | 43 | ★★★★★ | |
| Zpacks Medium Dry Bag (for clothes) | 20 | ★★★★★ | |
| Zpacks Small Dry Bag (for electronics) | 14 | ★★★★★ | |
| Zpacks Front Utility Pack Accessory | 46 | Fiddly to take on and off but very convenient to hold frequently needed items. | ★★★★ |
| Sea to Summit Ultra-SIL Waterproof Backpack Cover (large) | 96 | ★★★★★ | |
| Wallet + Money + Cards | 80 | ||
| Notebook + Pen | 40 | Field Notes make a good waterproof expedition notebook. | ★★★★★ |
| Paper Map | 33 | Don’t leave without this, as a backup at minimum. | |
| Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trek Walking Poles x1 | I only carried 1 as a walking aid and to hold up my tent. | ★★★★★ |
Sleep system
| Name | Weight (g) | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zpacks Plexamid Tent | 435 | Fantastic single-walled ultralight tent but expensive. Easy to set up and I had no condensation issues. | ★★★★★ |
| MSR Tent Stakes x10 | 100 | ||
| Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad + repair kit | 400 | Crinkle sound can be annoying. Takes a lot of puff to blow up. | ★★★★ |
| REI Co-op Magma 10 Sleeping Bag + compression sack | 934 | Affordable but fits a little snug. | ★★★★ |
| Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow (regular size) | 75 | Very compact but a little firm. | ★★★★ |
Cook system
| Name | Weight (g) | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platypus 1 Litre Ultralight Collapsible SoftBottle x2 (full) | 2050 | ★★★★★ | |
| Sawyer MINI Water Filtration System | 85 | Convenient but the water flow is slow and requires considerable pressure. | ★★★ |
| Jetboil MicroMo Cooking System | 365 | One of my favourite pieces of kit. Super fast to boil and well designed. | ★★★★★ |
| Primus IP-110 Gas Canister (~24 Boils) | 200 | ||
| MSR Folding Spork | 10 | ★★★★★ | |
| Cleaning Sponge | 5 | Could have lived without this since I was mostly only boiling water. |
I’ve not listed out all the food that I carried but if you’re in Japan I recommend Izameshi for some tasty camping meals (especially the ramen). MUJI is also good for curry and snacks.
Electronics
| Name | Weight (g) | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 12 Mini + lightning cable | 180 | Apparently, the 13 Mini has much better battery life. | ★★★★ |
| Apple AirPods (2nd generation) | 47 | ★★★★★ | |
| Ricoh GR III + spare battery + sd cards + lens wipes + USB C cable | 330 | I borrowed this from my wife and it exceeded my expectations for a camera of this size. | ★★★★★ |
| Petzl e+LITE Headlamp | 34 | Battery lasts forever. | ★★★★★ |
| Anker PowerCore Essential 20K PD Power Bank | 345 | Kept my iPhone Mini and camera charged for a whole week. | ★★★★★ |
Washing & care kit
| Name | Weight (g) | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washbag | 15 | ||
| PackTowl Ultralite Microfiber Towel | 35 | Attach to the outside of your backpack to dry during the day. | ★★★★★ |
| Toothbrush + Toothpaste | 27 | ||
| Washing Line Cord | 5 | ||
| Toilet Roll | 100 | ||
| Deuce of Spades Trowel | 17 | Aside from at Misen, there are no toilets along the trail so you need to bury your waste. | |
| Wet Wipes | 45 | ||
| Sunscreen | 20 | ||
| Tape (for feet) + extra plasters | 46 | ||
| Antihistamines + painkillers | 5 |
Emergency
| Name | Weight (g) | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight and Watertight .5 First Aid Kit | 130 | It’s amazing how much useful stuff is packed in here. | ★★★★★ |
| Spot Gen 3 GPS Messenger | 135 | Potential lifesaver but the Gen 3 takes ages to establish a satellite connection. Useful to let people know you’re alive! | ★★★ |
| Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife | 33 | Amazingly versatile small knife, even with scissors. | ★★★★★ |
| Lighter | 14 | ||
| Compass | 28 | ||
| Whistle | 14 |
Clothes
| Name | Weight (g) | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap | Keeps the sun off your neck/ears. | ★★★★★ | |
| Warm Hat | 34 | ||
| Patagonia Capilene Midweight Zip-Neck Top | 177 | Super comfortable and warm. | ★★★★★ |
| Arc’teryx Remige Shirt Long Sleeve (day wear) | Great to keep the bugs and sun off your arms. | ★★★★★ | |
| Arc’teryx Remige Shirt Short Sleeve (night wear) | 85 | ★★★★★ | |
| Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody | 380 | Great warmth to weight ratio. | ★★★★★ |
| Patagonia Torrentshell Jacket | 320 | The jacket is a little heavy. I would get something lighter next time. | ★★★★ |
| Patagonia Quandary Pants | Great warmth-to-weight ratio. | ★★★★★ | |
| Shorts | 133 | ||
| Underwear x3 | 80 | ||
| Injinji Outdoor Midweight Crew Nuwool Socks x3 | 150 | Toe socks are great for reducing blisters. | ★★★★★ |
| Arc’teryx Venta Glove | 60 | Comfortable but doesn’t work well with smartphone screens. | ★★★★ |
| Merrell Moab 2 Hiking Shoes | I’ve had 3 pairs of these. Comfortable and more durable than a trail runner. | ★★★★★ |
Feel free to leave me any suggestions in the comments below.
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