Multi-day tent tour

Going out with a tent means you carry your home, your kitchen and your bed on your back. Every gram counts — but so does safety, and a little comfort. The list above is my summer kit for tours that go properly high. What you wear depends a lot on exactly where you’re headed; this is what I bring in summer, up in the high mountains.

A few principles:

• One set for hiking, one set for the evening. The thicker pair of socks stays clean in the pack and only comes out at camp. After a long day, nothing beats dry, warm feet.
• Don’t skip the repair kit. A needle, thread and a strip of tape will save a torn tent or a leaking sleeping pad out in the middle of nowhere, where there’s no replacement to be had.
• 5 m of thin cord is worth its weight in gold. Extra guy line, washing line, patches, emergency laces — it weighs almost nothing and does almost everything.
• Cooking is part of the experience. You can go minimal with freeze-dried meals, or, like me, cook something real in the evening. Both are fine — decide by trip length and how much weight you’re willing to carry.

Food

Breakfast (per person)

• 50 g rolled oats with a few nuts
• 1 apple or pear
• Instant coffee or tea

During the day (per person)

• 2 thick slices of bread
• 100 g cheese
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• 1 Landjäger (dried sausage)

Dinner — two options (per person)

Pasta: 125 g pasta, ½ small onion, ½ small courgette, 1 garlic clove, oil, salt, spices, ½ tube of tomato paste.

Mashed potato: instant mash from the supermarket, 2 large onions, salt, oil, paprika, plus ½ block of tofu or 1 Landjäger.

These are just two ideas — there are endless others, from your own recipes to ultralight freeze-dried meals. I love cooking on my Trangia and sometimes even make pancakes in the morning. For me that’s exactly part of the experience: getting up early, putting on a coffee, watching the sun climb over the ridge, and enjoying the quiet.