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This is what we pack when leaving from Blenheim, at the top of the South Island, aiming for two weeks of complete autonomy for two horses and two people.

Shoeing

  • Farrier tools and nails
  • Spare set of shoes already shaped for each horse, with thungstene hardfacing for Wiki who usually wears out his back shoes very fast
  • Boots always handy to avoid having to do the job on hairy trails

All that is heavy (6 kg) but the horses' feet are worth it.

We also carry a fair bit of shoeing gear for ourselves:

Tethering

  • 12m rope for each horse plus 3m chain for Waka (tethering is new for him and he would get rope burnt without it)
  • "Horse anchor" with swivel to drive in the ground in case not enough grass is to be found next to a tree or post

Heavy too, but finding the horses in the morning is a must.

Eating

  • Wood stove (easiest combustible to source)
  • Alcool burner for wet days and when fire restrictions apply - proudly manufactured in New Zealand by Steph
  • Very limited cutlery
  • 16kg of food

A lot to pack, but less than 600g per person and per day for three meals plus snacks.

To get some fresh meat we'll take along some live stock ;), a possum trap and a hand line.

  • 400g of hard food per horse and per day, including minerals and salt

It also serves the same purpose as the tethering gear.

That's not much though compared to their size and activity, so Wiki and Waka, if you read this blog: YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EAT GRASS!

The feed bags have been sawn by Christine McNicols in Bart's cover, Debbie Harding's regreted horse.

Sleeping

Miscellanous

  • First aid kit
  • Emergency locator beacon
  • Two tablets with topographic maps and a GPS chip
  • Solar charger
  • Speedy Stitcher
  • High vis vest
  • Powerful pocket knifes
  • Hand scale
  • Merino shirts, rain jacket and rain trousers, gloves, ...
  • Phones, cameras, chargers 

The Pack Horse

Wiki is wearing a Haute Couture Formfitter pack saddle, felt saddle pad and greenstone bins embroided by hand.

The Saddle Horse

Waka is wearing an australian pack saddle enhanced with a sheepskin, Hepa Paewai, John Dillon and Guichard saddle bags, and a beginner rider.