What gear do I need for a New Zealand Great Walk?

Waterproof boots, a proper rain jacket and rain trousers, warm non-cotton layers, a 45 to 65 litre pack with a waterproof liner, a sleeping bag, cooking utensils and a pot, a headlamp, water treatment, sandfly repellent, and food for every night. Add a tent and sleeping mat only if you are booked into campsites rather than huts.

Do Great Walk huts provide mattresses and cooking?

In the Great Walks season huts have bunks with mattresses, water, toilets and heating, and most have gas cookers. You still bring your own sleeping bag, pots, plates and utensils. Not every hut has cookers and no campsite does, so check the facilities list on DOC's page for your track.

Can I take gas canisters on a plane to New Zealand?

No. Airlines do not allow gas canisters in checked or carry-on luggage. Buy fuel at an outdoor shop in Te Anau, Queenstown, Nelson or wherever your track starts.

← All guides

Gear Guide

Best Gear for New Zealand's Great Walks: 20 Picks for Huts, Rain and Sandflies

12 min read · Published 2026-10-06

Picks checked on Amazon on 6 October 2026, for the 2026/27 Great Walks season.

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Great Walk Watcher earns from qualifying purchases. If you buy through a link on this page we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. No brand paid to be listed. Prices and stock change constantly on Amazon, so check the product page. Amazon.com ships many outdoor items to New Zealand, and delivery options show on each product page.

Quick answer: on a Great Walk you sleep in a heated hut with a mattress, so you can leave the tent and sleeping mat at home unless you booked campsites. What you cannot skimp on is waterproofing. Fiordland's tracks are some of the wettest walking in the world, and a soaked sleeping bag on night two ends trips. Spend first on boots, a real rain jacket and a pack liner, then everything else.

What the huts give you, and what they don't

Great Walk huts in the booked season have bunks with mattresses, a water supply, toilets and heating. Most also have gas cookers. They do not have pots, plates, cutlery, sleeping bags or food, and the water is not treated. Campsites have toilets and water, and some have a cooking shelter, but no cookers. That shapes the whole list below.

The 20 picks, by category

Footwear

Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid GTX Hiking Boots: light, waterproof, the all-rounder. Boots guide
Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots: comfortable straight out of the box.
KEEN Targhee III Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots: wide toe box for wider feet.
Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Socks: merino hiking socks with a lifetime guarantee.

Rain and layers

Outdoor Research Foray 3L Rain Jacket: three-layer shell with full side vents. Rain jacket guide
Marmot PreCip Eco Rain Jacket: the budget waterproof that still works.
Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew: merino base layer that stays warm when damp. Clothing guide

Packs and waterproofing

Osprey Exos 58 Backpack: light pack for hut walkers. Backpack guide
Osprey Atmos AG 65 Backpack: carries heavy camping loads comfortably.
Sea to Summit Lightweight Dry Bag: keeps the sleeping bag dry inside the pack.

Cooking

Jetboil Flash 1.0L Cooking System: boils fast, everything nests inside. Cooking guide
MSR PocketRocket 2 Mini Stove Kit: tiny stove with a pot set, for campsites.

Sleeping

Kelty Cosmic 20 Down Sleeping Bag: down bag warm enough for alpine huts. Sleeping guide
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT Sleeping Pad: sleeping pad, for campsites only.
MSR Hubba Hubba LT 2-Person Tent: freestanding two-person tent. Tent guide
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent: roomier ultralight two-person tent.

Small things that matter

Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles: trekking poles for the long descents. Poles and headlamp guide
Black Diamond Spot 400-R Headlamp: rechargeable headlamp for dark huts and toilet runs.
Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System: water filter, because hut water isn't treated. Sandflies and water guide
Sawyer Picaridin 20% Insect Repellent Lotion: the repellent that keeps sandflies off.

If you only buy three things

A waterproof boot you have already walked in. New boots on a 50 km walk is how blisters happen.
A genuine rain jacket. Not a "water-resistant" windbreaker.
A pack liner. Pack rain covers leak at the back panel. A dry bag inside the pack does not.

How we chose

We picked gear for Great Walk conditions specifically: heated huts, very wet Fiordland weather, alpine passes that can see snow in any month, sandflies near every lake and river, and walks of three to five days carrying all your food. Every product is widely sold, has been on the market long enough to have a track record, and was in stock on Amazon when we checked. Most of the clothing and footwear also comes in women's fits under the same name.

More Great Walks gear guides

Got the gear but not the booking?

Most Great Walks sell out on opening day, and DOC keeps no waitlist. Cancelled hut nights go back on sale all season. See how cancellations work or set a free cancellation alert.

Availability alerts

Ready to Set Up Your Great Walk Alert?

Set up a notification for your Great Walk dates and hear about cancellations as soon as they are spotted.

Set Up Alert

Get notified when spots become available on your chosen dates and tracks.

Check Current Availability

See current availability across the Great Walks and plan your trip.

Select date range

Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

Navigate backward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

Quick month filters

Loading availability…