Hannah-Rose Watt is an author, tramper and chronic over-packer of unnecessary items. (She’s been known to carry a chocolate cake and a board game into the mountains.)

You’ll usually find her waist-deep in mud or battling sideways rain on some ill-advised misery mission. Here’s what she takes for a standard overnight or multi-day trip that dabbles in alpine territory.

Pack

I haven’t yet reached the crisis point where ‘fast and light’ seems wise, so the Osprey Ariel Plus 70 is a dream. It lets me take all my ‘what if I get cold?’ layers and an unreasonable amount of peanut butter.

Tent 

For four-season trips I use the Macpac Microlight. When I want a palace, it’s Macpac’s Duolight.

Sleep system

I sleep as chilly as a lizard in a southerly, so I use the Sea to Summit Flame IV sleeping bag year-round and add their Thermolite Reactor liner when needed. My side-sleeper-approved system combines the foam Exped FlexMat with the Sea to Summit Ultralight inflatable mat and Aeros pillow. The foam mat doubles for cloud-watching on spiky terrain.

Footwear

I like bouncing around under my heavy pack, so I use Salomon XA Pro or Speedcross trail runners and switch to Kathmandu XT Fitzgerald boots for alpine travel. But my real love? Teva Original sandals. 

Food

As a tea fiend I rely on the Sea to Summit collapsible 1800ml kettle, and for a flat-pack stack I add their collapsible bowl and cup. My Soto Amicus Stove has somehow survived five years of abuse and still self-lights.

Accessories

A few essentials always make the cut: the Petzl Actik Core 600 headlamp, a RescueMe PLB, a Coros Vertex 2 watch, the Julbo Cham glacier glasses and a first aid kit. Depending on the trip, I’ll also bring a power bank, a Sea to Summit pocket trowel, a sports towel and a Macpac water bottle (which doubles as a hot water bottle).

Clothing

I run cold. I’m usually the puffed-up ball of down jackets in the corner of the hut. My mid-layers are Macpac Arrowsmith (winter/spring) and Icefall (summer). My outer layers are  a Macpac Prophet rain jacket and Nazomi overtrousers. Baselayers: Macpac Nitro and Prothermals. I loathe pants with a passion, so I live in shorts and an active tee. On mountains I take two pairs of gloves: liners and Macpac First Ascent outers. My extras are an Icebreaker neck gaiter and beanie and a Macpac Legionnaire hat (above bushline) or Patagonia Trad Cap (below bushline).

Alpine gear

My weapons of choice: Black Diamond Vapor helmet, BD Raven ice axe and Climbing Technology Nuptse Evo crampons, with the Macpac C1 pole if I need additional stabilising. Rope and harness for higher missions.

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