Mitchell Radford can’t get enough of the backcountry. His film The Long Way Round, about a 16-day solo packraft mission from the Routeburn to Milford Sound, screened at last year’s NZ Mountain Film Festival. 

Radford and his friends document their adventures and share them on their YouTube channel, South Island Rifle Walkers.

Here’s how Radford packed 39kg of gear on his Fiordland expedition.

Rafting gear

Packrafts are a great piece of kit. They allow access across otherwise impassable rivers, lakes and even oceans, opening up a world of possibilities. I carried my 4.5kg PacKraft raft, four-piece paddle, Torpedo7 personal flotation device and a Kokopelli feather pump.

Camera

This trip was years in the making so I wanted to capture it to the best of my

ability. I carried a GoPro and Sony ZV1 for the main vlogging and travel shots, a Nikon P1000 for zoom/animal footage and a Nikon D3400 for stills. I had a 1.64kg Benro Roadtrip Pro Tripod, five power banks and 10 camera batteries plus cables. All up, just over 7kg.

Clothes

Two walking shirts, Domex Thermalayer top and pants, Sitka Core Heavyweight Hoodie, Mountain Pants and MicroDown Hooded Jacket, Patagonia rain jacket. Sir W. Merino beanie and cap, Lowa Tibet GTX boots, Crocs for camping/rafting and four pairs of socks.

Food

My average day was noodles for lunch with a nut bar and either a Real Meal, Go Native or tuna and rice for dinner. I would have a dehy breakfast if it was going to be a big day. The dehys are great for cutting down weight (about 120g each) but it is worth carrying a few heavier Go Natives (about 250g each plus 60g instant mash) as they are more enjoyable and similar to a proper meal in my opinion. Plus 250g of cheese, one packet of crackers, 250g salami, a handful of chocolate bars and a pack of Chelsea Buns as treats. Electrolytes and Raro are always staples. Total weight 7.2kg.

Camp

Marmot Tungsten 2P tent, Exped sleeping mat and an 800g Domex Halo Superlite sleeping bag.

Pack

I absolutely love my Tatonka 90l Bison. At 3200g, it’s a little heavy but also robust and virtually bombproof. It’s also capable of handling 40–50kg loads, trust me …

Miscellaneous

My TwinNeedle Bino Harness is one of my favourite bits of kit – being able to have my binoculars, phone and cameras packed away on my chest makes access a breeze. I also carried a MTNGear stick as an emergency ice axe. It has multiple other uses such as walking pole, picatinny mount, removable saw blade and tool for digging.