ARCTIC CIRCLE TRAIL Equipment — TALES OF A TRAIL | Your favorite Long Distance Hiking Blog

Here you can find a list of the equipment we brought with us for hiking the ACT.

A few additional notes:

DON’T TAKE THIS GEAR LIST AS THE ONE AND ONLY WAY TO GO!
Buy the gear that fits your personal needs, preferences and budget. We too are still inside an endless learning phase regarding equipment. Every experience will teach you something and you’ll realize what’s best for you once you hit the trail.
We are not sponsored by any of the below listed companies.

Backpack

ULA Circuit

ULA Backpack Cover

Maximal capacity = 68L

Shoes

Lowa Renegade Boots

For hiking the ACT, we recommend to wear mountain boots, since the terrain can be very wet and muddy. We also advice to bring shoes to wear in the evening, in order to rest the feet and to keep them dry if the boots are wet. Some suggestions could be flip flops, Crocs or hiking sandals, which could potentially come in handy if used to cross rivers.

Shelter and Sleeping System

Tent: Zpacks Duplex

Tent Stakes: Zpacks 6.5" Red Tough Titanium Tent Stakes

Trekking poles: Black Diamond Alpine FLZ

Sleeping pad: Thermarest NeoAir XLite

Sleeping Bag: Western Mountaineering Versalite

I am in love with the Zpacks Duplex tent, but I have to admit that it was maybe not resistant enough for the chilly September nights in Greenland, since it is a 3 season tent. As the temperatures were dropping below 0 °C at night, we indeed preferred having a good rest inside the huts.

Cooking System

Cooking pot: Toaks Titanium 750ml Pot

Spork: Snow Peak Titanium Spork

Stove: MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Stove

Water Filter: Sawyer Micro Squeeze Filter

Water Bladder: Cnoc Outdoors Vecto 2L Bladder

The water filter was not really necessary, since we always managed to collect water from a running source or from a lake and it was very clean. However, since I tend to worry too much, I brought it with me and we always used it.

Clothing

Rain Jacket: Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Jacket

Puffy Jacket: Patagonia Micro Puff Jacket

Fleece: Appalachian Gear Company All-Paca Fleece Hoodie

Shirt: Columbia Long Sleeve Shirt

Thermal Base Layer Shirts 2x: Ortovox 185 Rock’N’Wool Long Sleeve

Pants: Mammut Eisfeld Advanced SO Pants

Thermal (Sleeping) Pants: Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Bottoms

Socks 2x: Darn Tough Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Socks

Underwear 2x: Icebreaker Merino Hot Pants

Bra: Icebreaker Merino Sprite Racerback Bra

Beanie: Nikin Classic Polylana Sleek

Gloves: I forgot this very important piece of equipment and bought a pair of warm gloves at the airport’s souvenir shop in Kangerlussuaq.

Electronics

Power Bank: Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD

Power Port: Anker PowerPort PD 2

Head Lamp: Petzl TIKKA

GPS Device: Garmin Inreach Explorer+

Camera: Sony Alpha 6400

I advice to switch off your phone, as there is no reception along the ACT. Moreover, charging your phone would consume a lot of battery on your powerbank, which needs to stay charged for more important devices! A GPS device is however a must on the ACT. The Garmin Inreach also has a SOS button, which can be pushed for calling rescue in dangerous situations. Moreover, it allows to share your location with friends and family, so that they don’t have to worry all the time.

I was also glad that I brought a camera with me for capturing pictures and collecting memories. Aside from pictures of great quality, the battery of the camera did not consume my powerbank.

Toiletries

My first aid kit usually comprises bandages, tape, plasters, disinfectant, needles with thread and wadding, which I mainly use to cure blisters. Additionally, I always bring with me ibuprofene pills, a gel for muscle aches, insect repellent and cream for skin rashes or insect bites, along with some general pills for fever, nausea or stomach problems.

In my toiletry bag I usually pack soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, cotton swabs, contact lenses liquid and box, a brush, sunscreen, toilet paper, tissues and wet wipes.