Clothes for tramping south island Feb and March?

[cal_blam]

OK I got the sleeping bag. I always take toooo many clothes and want to really limit it this time.

I have a lightweight Macpac down jacket (with hood) and polar fleecy long pants. Merino t shirts and under light/medium layers. Quick dry hike shorts. Good goretex tramping jacket, good goretex boots.

I won't be spending heaps of time up high, but hopefully doing quite a few multi-night south island trails. Should be warm enough at that time of year with a long sleeve merino underlayer (120) and jumper, the down jacket and fleecy pants for backup, right?

Cheers guys!

[wayno]

fleece top for on the move when its cold. down jackets don't dry fast in NZ unless the weather is perfect, I only use them for camp and prefer to get something a couple of hundred grams heavier than lightweight down jackets for camp
I usually have a fleece vest anything up to 300wt depending on where I'm going and the forecast and time of year and a light fleece jacket for warmth on the move when its stormy. if it rains a lot. nothing will stop you getting wet, you need enough clothes to keep you warm when wet on the move. at that time of year its mainly the rain and wind and not the air temp itself that is the biggest problem for cooling you down...

[GPSGuided]

We were all over South Island 2 years or so ago in mid summer and it was freezing at times but just short of snowing. Ended up buying an extra winter jacket at Te Anau.

[wayno]

We were all over South Island 2 years or so ago in mid summer and it was freezing at times but just short of snowing. Ended up buying an extra winter jacket at Te Anau.

if your boots aren't frozen solid in NZ, its not cold

[wayno]

don't worry about gore tex boots, your feet will get wet anyway and the water won't get out. they all leak eventually. and for a rainshell get one with vented pockets or with pit zips or you'll drown in sweat

[GPSGuided]

...for a rainshell get one with vented pockets or with pit zips or you'll drown in sweat

I'd say that's a common requirement everywhere.

[wayno]

...for a rainshell get one with vented pockets or with pit zips or you'll drown in sweat

I'd say that's a common requirement everywhere.

people walking in very cold weather often find jackets OK without venting, but i'd say thats what jackets without vents are designed for, very sub zero weather..
the only other time you'd put up with wearing an unvented shell would be for short bouts of rain when a lightweight jacket would do the job..