Corey Mosen

DOC wildlife biologist Corey Mosen

DOC wildlife biologist Corey Mosen spends much of his time in the Fiordland mountains, searching for kea with his canine companion Ajax. Here’s what he packs.

Pack
For a multi-day trip, I use a Deuter 65+10-litre Air Contact Pack. This is the perfect size to fit all my safety gear, food and kea catching equipment. I have managed to do overnight trips with my 45-litre Ortovox, but I usually need to pack a few things in a dry bag on the outside.

Clothing
I always carry spare clothing and a raincoat, just in case the weather gets wet or cold. I have a Macpac short-sleeved merino thermal, some blue long johns that I inherited from the lost property at work, a new DOC uniform high-vis short-sleeved top, a Macpac hat that I’ve lost numerous times but keep finding when I return to the area, and a heavy-duty Bushbuck raincoat that acts as an extra warm layer as well as waterproofing. I always pack gloves and a balaclava.

Kea equipment
To find, catch, band and process a kea by myself I require a catch bag, a net gun, a fishing rod with string, a burrow scope, coloured and metal kea bands, scales, callipers, kea restraining device, transmitters, R1000 radio receiver, trail cameras, SD cards, alcohol swabs, needles and blood vials.

Sleeping
I have pitched my Mountain Designs Neutrino two person tunnel tent in some pretty precarious places. It has a small footprint and can handle wild weather. My Mountain Equipment Glacier 750 down sleeping bag is ideal for cold mountain tops and makes a good base to lie on when the weather is hot.

Cooking
I use a Primus OmniFuel with white spirits. It works really well on the mountain tops, the fuel lasts well and it can burn liquid and gas fuel.

Safety equipment
I have a Triple-One Care first aid kit packed with all the usual items plus an EpiPen for when the wasp season is in full force. I have a PLB and a DOC VHF radio for emergency and general communication.

Dog gear
Ajax wears a high-vis coat so people don’t mistake him for something else and a muzzle as part of the rules implemented by the conservation dog programme.

Essentials
I always pack a compass, a Garmin 64s GPS, a Leatherman multi-tool with a screwdriver, electrical tape and a Ledlenser headlamp. I also take Leica binoculars, spare batteries, a pencil and a notepad.