Thread: A tale of many lessons

Good post. As another newbie, I've learnt something new on every trip and adjusted my gear accordingly. Random thoughts. I also use NZTopo50, but carry a physical compass, in fact I carry two. The spare is in my emergency pack. Realise how screwed I'd be without a compass. After getting lost a couple of times, I'm pretty paranoid about checking where I am all the time. I went down the rabbit hole of "ultralight hiking" a couple of years ago. My pack is now half the weight that it used to be. Not talking about doing stupid stuff like cutting toothbrush handles off, just replacing things like cooking equipment with lighter, smaller alternatives. When I'm puffing my way up a bluff and cursing, I can only blame my lack of fitness rather than the pack on my back!