New Tramper, looking for gear list?

My wife just got a Peak Aspiration Aarn pack but it would be way too small a volume for me - total of 57 litres. So I got the Load Limo knowing that most times it will not be full but when needed will have the volume to put cooker, tent, fishing gear etc. in with no problems - 90 litres. And it only weighs a fraction more than the smaller ones. That is my thinking about the size of any pack - my old one is a Macpac 90 litre and it could hold anything. Good for going overseas with too. Mind you I am 187 cms tall which helps

I was thinking of getting that as apparently that other one I mentioned is out of stock until dec. I figure once I get some more, I could then buy the front pack that matches it. But then until I get everything else I really just don't know how much space I'll need huh. Plus I want to take my bow and maybe hunt some rabbit/possum, maybe even some goat. I did consider the load limo, but I worry that that pack once full might just be too much to handle. Ultimately I'll seek their advice on the day I guess. But what do you guys think? Should I buy all the insides first then buy a pack to suit? I do currently have the one my father is lending me (15d x 45w x 50h around 35L) which should suffice for day trips in the meantime + I can take the bus and store as much in there as I want.

Some people get by on multi day trips with 35l packs but be aware the only way they can is by paying attention to every bit of gear and its size. Small light gear costs a lot more than regular gear. I carry a 70l Macpac which replaced a 80l noname which replaced a 100l something. 15 years ago I struggled to get everything in the 100l now as Ive improved gear I dont even fill the 70 now unless carrying a tent. The side of that is pack weight has dropped as well from near 20kg to 15 to 16 including water

Most trampers finish up with a couple of different sized packs for different purposes. I've got three Aarns, a small daypack that sees a lot of use, one of the early model Featherlite Freedoms, and a Natural Balance. Overall I'd tend to start larger because it's the most versatile. There's nothing more frustrating that having a pack that's a few litres too small to get everything in - and the difference in pack weights you might have saved isn't that much. Even after doing this for most of my life - I still find I'm juggling and trying new things out. Some of us are just gear-bugs and there's no helping us :-)

A 65l pack is all I need, and I always carry a tent. I also have a 50 (day walks - Winter) and a 35 (day walks - Summer, also used for climbing). Now that jnr is getting more in to tramping I might need a 75l+ as I always seem to end up carrying half of his crap :-)

Hey guys! Another question which I just remembered. I bought some topo maps from land & Survey today, $20 a pop but they're really nice, thick paper too, so worth. Anyway, some time ago I was going to buy a compass, but I read that Northern hemisphere compasses can be out a bit? And that you should buy a southern hemisphere one? But none of the ones on trademe really stated and the sellers did not know so I held off buying. Could someone suggest a reliable, cheap, southern hemisphere compass? Then it's off to find someone up here who can teach me how to reliably navigate a map lol. By the way, I also want to state. You guys have been really great, so often I shy away from asking questions on the internet as people treat you as if you're stupid, but not once have you guys condescended me and it's really a nice change. Thank you all for the help.

Any compass you buy retail in NZ will be southern hemisphere. That not that much - no great advantage in online purchasing. Get a 'silva' type. Short base is fine, no bells or whistles needed. http://tramper.nz/15703/plb/

Yes, what HughVN said. If you want to ask on Trademe, ask them which retailer they bought from and if it's a local retailer you're likely to be fine, unless it looks like a parallel import and then I'd be wary. From what I've seen, even popular manufacturers often don't state on the packaging which zone it's been made for! NH compasses aren't so much out directionally but the needle is weighted differently to compensate for the different orientation of the earth's magnetic field. As long as you're holding it so the needle can float without being obstructed (assuming there's enough depth for it to pivot for this to be possible) then it should be okay. Note though that magnetic north from NZ is about 20 degrees off grid north. It varies slightly from map to map and if you look at the margin of an official LINZ map it'll tell you the difference between grid north on the Map and magnetic north of a compass. No matter which compass you have, the needle will always be pointing at that direction on your map, not at north. If you weren't aware of how this works and how to use it, you might need to read up on compass skills.

What does Mao mean, and thanks.

Map. Sorry, bad autocorrect on my phone (and now fixed with an edit).