>>8618775 Months in NZ on the TA. I learned to really appreciate wool clothing, it regulates your temperature well and doesn't stink like synthetics or rot as fast as cotton. My socks, underwear, shirts, beanie, and long johns were all merino wool and it was well worth the cost, you can find some of the items discounted online if you hunt. My shorts and pants were synthetic because I wool pants don't really exist and I figured they would get torn up.
I noticed other hikers I met who didn't wear wool were very stinky all of the time. I'm sure I didn't smell good either, but they constantly reeked of body odor and sweat.
Frog Toggs raingear is cheap, light, and effective, but not very durable. If you don't anticipate much rain they are great. I used mine in rainy / misty NZ with no problem but they were shot after the trip.
A good rain cover for your pack is essential.
I recommend picking gear that is colorful vs olive and tan military style gear. I normally prefer earth tone colors, but when you can afford to loose anything go ahead and get bright colors you can see if you set items down or drop them. I used a green tent though incase I needed to camp concealed, but all of my other gear was blue, red, yellow ect.
Hiking poles are great. They may seem faggy, but they distribute the load away from your legs, and can double as tent poles for tarp type tents.
Pumping water filters are a pain, it's much easier to use a gravity filter while you do other camp chores. I used a platypus gravity works, it was great, backlash a half liter each use to keep the element free flowing.
A kindle paper white with a water proof bag is great for entertainment / education. Just be careful with it, mine was fine, but I met a few people who broke theirs.
