At the top are large ziplock bags that double as rubbish bags. They weigh almost nothing and are surprisingly strong — perfect for keeping waste contained until we reach proper disposal.

You’ll also see kitchen towels, a spray can of insect repellent, the stove, and (again) two tubes of sunscreen and insect repellent.

Yes — those are important in Australia. Very important.

With the top layer removed, the main cooking items become visible.

We use two reusable party plates. They’re lighter than many titanium options and cost a fraction of the price. Simple, durable, and easy to replace if needed — which matters more to me than having “premium” gear.

You’ll also see three 450g gas canisters for the stove. In our testing, one canister lasts a little over a week with normal use. We’re also running a Kelly Kettle to reduce gas consumption further — I’ll write a separate article about that setup and why we chose it.

The small Tupperware-style container holds all the smaller kitchen items. I’ll break down exactly what’s inside in the next photo.

Fully unpacked.

The remaining items we haven’t mentioned yet:

• Shampoo and deodorant — I’ll assume no explanation needed.

• A backup fire-making kit.

• A hiking water filter.

• Two Sharpies — always useful.

• Two titanium sporks (remarkably affordable and lighter than most alternatives).

• Scissors (these are old and due for replacement).

• A proper cooking knife and a small cutting board.

• Jasper’s allergy medication.

• And a tiny 15g backup stove.

That last one is purely redundancy. The main stove is reliable and unlikely to fail — but if it did, not being able to boil water for freeze-dried meals for three-plus weeks would be a problem. For 15 grams, the insurance feels worth it.