On November 8 of 2018 Jean Hacquart started a new solo-adventure: a 6,000 km own-powered trip through New Zealand. His plan was to go from the northernmost point of the North Island to the southernmost point of the South Island both on foot and by kayak. And then return from south to north by bicycle. When he wasn’t dreaming of food and a dry place to sleep, Jean took time along the way to write a series of articles for Salomon.com about how to plan and execute your own thru-hike. A former Salomon employee who grew up in the French Alps, Jean is an experienced backpacker. A few years ago he completed America’s Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), which stretches for more than 4,200 kms from the Mexico/U.S. border to the Canada/U.S. border. This is the first in a series of posts we will publish with advice from Jean on how to plan and finish your own thru-hike. Read below for Jean's first piece of advice on what to bring in your backpack.
