One multi-night, long-distance hike has become a mainstay in my summer routine. I have followed this religiously for the last two years and hope to do it this year as well. In 2022, it was the ~40KM Highlands Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park and in 2023, it was the ~80KM Western Uplands trail in Algonquin. This year, I plan to hike the ~80KM La Cloche Silhouette Trail in Killarney Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada.
As with every other trip, carrying the right gear is critical since these trails are in the back country and you are expected to sustain yourself as there are limited resources for rescue (that is, if you are able to get a satellite link to 911). So, here is the gear list for this year's hike - I've gotten better over the years and have managed to make the best use of what I already have.
Backpack
- Osprey Exos Pro 55
Sleep system
- MSR Hubba NX 1 person tent and footprint
- NO sleeping bag this year - Instead, I am carrying a sleeping bag liner from Sea to summit.
- Thermarest sleeping pad
Kitchen and food
- MSR Pocket Rocket deluxe with in-built igniter
- Fuel canisters (whatever I can get hold of - typically MSR)
- Sea to summit foldable kettle with 2 built-in bowls (loved the design - saves a ton of space)
- 1 spoon-fork (not sure what you call those that have fork tines in a spoon)
- 2 1L Nalgene bottles and 1 650ml LifeStraw squeeze filter + 20 water treatment tablets
- Dehydrated food for dinner (the ones you get at REI / MEC); Trail mix / Cliff bars for lunch and Oats /Cereal for breakfast
- Instant coffee, hot chocolate mix (used in the morning with Oats/Cereal)
- Kitchen tissue
Communication
- Zoleo satellite communicator
- Mobile with Alltrails App and the trail downloaded on to it
Other
- Black diamond headlamp (+one extra set of spare batteries)
- 2 Goal zero flashlights (one of them can charge a mobile)
- One 10,000 Amp charge bank from Anker
- Insect repellant, after-bite cream
- Toilet paper and hand sanitizer
Emergency
- Gear repair kit (includes Gore-Tex patches, seam aid for tent/sleeping pad/backpack repair)
- Emergency blanket (lightweight aluminum-like sheet)
- Emergency headlamp from Petzl
- Painkiller (Tylenol), Antihistamine (for insect bite related allergies)
- First Aid kit (band aid, gauze, blister pad)
Bear Kit
- Two 15m ropes (for hanging food every night)
- Pepper spray
- Blowhorn
(1st line of defense is "yell / make noise", 2nd line of defense is the blowhorn and the 3rd and last resort when a bear is in close contact is a pepper spray)
Footwear
- Lowa renegade Mid GTX - used them for 5 years and love them.
- One pair of Luna Sandals for creek crossings (yes, the one made famous by the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall)
Clothing
- 1 hiking pant + 1 hiking shorts
- 3 pairs of hiking socks
- Underwear, nightwear for sleep (best to change into a fresh set of clothes for the night)
- 1 rain jacket; 1 light weight jacket for mild protection
I'll follow up with a detailed write-up / video blog post the trip...
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