SO…
I have bushwalked, cycle toured, canyoned, canoe toured, lived out of a 4WD and a whole lot of other things but this January I have committed myself to a new style of adventure. It isn’t new technique-wise but this adventure means gear weight and equipment generally will be more of a consideration than my previous trips. What am I do? I am going to walk a section of the Te Araroa!
The section I have selected to do is at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, from Ship Cove to St Arnaud.
Now the walking doesn’t inherently worry me, nor does 18 days tramping by myself (though if anyone wants to come you are more than welcome to join me!)
What worries me is the fatigue of carrying a pack and knowing that weight will have a significant impact on how my body handles a long walk, and then combining that with the fact that New Zealand’s weather is notoriously variable and wet. I think basically my inner gear freak is having a field day worrying about what gear to carry!
I am torn between taking a tarp, bivvy and bug net or a small one man tent (which I don’t own currently).
I am sure I will write more on this, but any thoughts or ideas would be more than welcome!
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The Graceful Cyclists 
Sounds like a good trip and shoudn’t worry about the doing it alone. I walked the Cambrian Way last year for 17 days, and though not as isolated might have some useful tips :
http://cambrianway-malcra.rhcloud.com/cambrian-way-day-by-day/ Sounds good !
Thanks for the encouragement Malcolm! The Cambrian Way sounds pretty amazing – I might have to add it to my list next time I am in the UK!