Packing for a night in the pines

Our kit list is deliberately short. Everything on it has survived a wet night at 900 m; everything not on it has been carried up a hill and never used.

What earns its place

• Merino base layer. Cotton is the single most common mistake. Once it is wet it stays wet and takes your body heat with it.
• A down or synthetic jacket for the hour after sunset, when the temperature drops faster than people expect.
• Two pairs of socks. One for walking, one that is only ever dry.
• Headtorch, plus spare batteries. Phone torches die at the exact moment you need them.
• A one-litre bottle. We refill from the spring, so one is enough.

What to leave at home

Jeans, a folding chair, a hard-sided suitcase, a drone, and the big camera bag you will resent on the walk in. Also the speaker — the forest does that job better.

The thing people forget

A dry bag for the 2.4 km walk in. It is a short walk until it rains, and then it is the longest forty minutes of your week. We keep spares in the truck, but the people who bring their own are always drier at dinner.

Bedding, mattresses and tents are all provided, so the pack you carry in is genuinely small — most guests manage with 25 litres.