A general topo map of the Kepler Track. I hiked counter-clockwise, from the point marked "Enter/Exit" near the control gates near the right-center of the image to the point marked "Enter/Exit" near the bottom-right, sleeping at the Luxmore Hut my first night and the Iris Burn Hut the second night (map from NZ Department of Conservation),

NZ Part 4. In early December 2005 I hiked the Kepler Track, one of New Zealand's "Great Walks". During the 3-day trip I stayed in two different huts run by the Department of Conservation.

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andrewg > The location of the Kepler Track (map from NZ Department of Conservation).

andrewg > A general topo map of the Kepler Track. I hiked counter-clockwise, from the point marked "Enter/Exit" near the control gates near the right-center of the image to the point marked "Enter/Exit" near the bottom-right, sleeping at the Luxmore Hut my first night and the Iris Burn Hut the second night (map from NZ Department of Conservation),

andrewg > Packing for the Kepler Track, all smushed together.

andrewg > Packing for the Kepler Track (minus food). There are a couple of important additions since the Routeburn Track: a pair of hiking poles, sweat-wicking underwear, and a water bladder. The bladder is a brilliant invention. It fits inside your pack, with a hose that runs out and you tuck somewhere near your shoulder. At the end of the hose is a fixture that blocks the water from getting out unless you bite on it, and then you can suck water from the bladder. Because it's inside your pack, the water stays cool. Because it's in a pouch in the pack specifically designed for a bladder, it sits right up against your back, which is exactly where you want it to be (you want the heaviest things as close to your back as possible, so they don't lever you backwards). Having the hose right there at your fingertips all the time means you can sip water anytime, rather than having to stop and take off your pack and dig out your water bottle. For someone like me, who drinks a LOT of water, it was nothing short of a quality-of-life improvement to have this!

A general topo map of the Kepler Track. I hiked counter-clockwise, from the point marked "Enter/Exit" near the control gates near the right-center of the image to the point marked "Enter/Exit" near the bottom-right, sleeping at the Luxmore Hut my first night and the Iris Burn Hut the second night (map from NZ Department of Conservation),