Ray Salisbury began his tramping career in Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges when a child. Now, he calls Nelson home and is the author of Tableland: The history of Mt Arthur, Kahurangi National Park. He can often be found photographing Aotearoa’s natural landscape.
Pack
I carry a modern version of the older Macpac Torre, an 80l single-compartment sack that’s suited for the rugged conditions I haul it through. This features a crampon patch and ice-axe loop for the occasional alpine jaunt.
Clothing
Most of my clothing is from Macpac, including polypro, liner socks, raincoat, T-shirts, cap, shorts, over-mitts, polar fleece and a Halo down jacket.
Photography kit
I’ve replaced my heavy DSLR with a much lighter Sony A7iii mirrorless camera. A 28–200mm lens caters for wildlife and landscape shots. A hefty carbon-fibre Benro tripod ensures pin-sharp images and enables me to shoot at night and take selfies from a distance.
Electronics
An iPhone is useful to view topo-maps and for GPS navigation. I carry an Accusat pocket series 406 PLB for safety. A powerful Fenix HL60R 950-lumen headlamp is vital for returning from photo shoots in the dark, as well as illuminating huts for night-time images. An Adata 20000mAh power bank charges the phone, headlamp, Garmin watch and the camera.
Footwear
Asolo TPS full-grain leather boots are my favourites. They’re stiff enough to fit crampons. I wear liners inside thicker tramping socks and never suffer from blisters. Macpac’s Cascade gaiters keep my feet dry in shallow river crossings. A single trekking pole aids balance.
Cooking
For 27 years I have relied on the Kovea Backpacker stove with propane-butane gas canisters. Cheap, compact and idiot-proof. I heat dinner and an array of hot drinks in a simple saucepan kit from Kathmandu.
Sleeping gear
My Latitude 500 two-season sleeping bag from Macpac is lightweight and suitable for sleeping inside huts. If I’m forced to camp, then I wear lots of clothes to mitigate the cold and lie on a winter-weight inflatable down-filled mat from Exped. While cheap, my Mono one-person tent by Freedom Equipment weighs only 1300g. It’s small but light.
