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What to pack for New Zealand in October
Typical October, built from ten years of weather
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Typical for your dates
Highs 63°F, lows 54°F, rain 14 of 31 days
wetwindyhigh UV
Sunset lands around 6:35pm. Wind averages 16 mph. There is paperwork on this one, so start with Before you go.
0 of 46 packed
Packing for
31 things on this list are on sale today
Essentials
12 items
14 rain days a month finds every seam. A real shell, not a windbreaker.
UV index of 7.9 burns skin fast even on cool days.
Coastal glare off water and sand strains eyes without polarized lenses.
Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.
Remote terrain near national parks means help is far away.
This country runs on Type I. Get one with USB-C so you're not fighting over the single outlet.
International flights drain phone batteries before you land and need to navigate.
Set it up before you land. Signal drops for long stretches outside cities.
Overhead bins on international flights force checked bags unless you pack small.
Day trips from base camps mean you need a separate small pack.
Fits the overhead on every airline that matters. Skip the checked-bag line entirely.
For the passport, the chargers, and the one dry pair of socks.
Before you go
7 to sort
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance, Month-to-month cover you can start after you leave
Going, Cheap cash fares, emailed when they droppoint.me, Finds the flight your points will actually book
AllTrails, Download your trails before you lose signal.
Recommended
10 items
Wind at 26 km/h chaps exposed skin on the face and neck.
UV hits 7.9 here. Long sleeves beat reapplying sunscreen every hour.
Thirteen hours of daylight at high UV means prolonged sun exposure.
One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.
Hotel and cafe wifi is shared with everyone else in the building. A VPN keeps your banking and email to yourself.
International travel through airports makes bags easy targets for theft.
Humid air at 80 percent means damp clothes need quick separation.
Fourteen rain days in October leave clothes damp in shared accommodation.
Jet lag from international travel makes sleep on arrival planes essential.
Nice to have
8 items you could skip
Fourteen rain days a month means wet feet unless boots are treated.
Wind and sun together crack lips within days of arrival.
Tap water is safe but hands touch many surfaces on the trail.
Multiple devices need charging and one outlet won't power them all.
Border crossing into New Zealand requires documents kept dry and safe.
Shared accommodation means luggage sits unattended in common spaces.
Humidity at 80 percent fogs mirrors and breeds mold on damp gear.
Long flights to New Zealand demand rest before hiking starts.
Basics
16 things you probably own already