Going Light(er) in Tassie

[Champion_Munch]

Hey all,

In 2011 I hiked the OT with my partner, carrying around 19 kg total for the 9 days on the track. Half of the gear was strapped to the outside of my bulging pack. Last year I carried around 14.5 kg total for 5 days of walking with my dad, but at least this time it all fit on the inside. Both of these trips were in Summer.

What I'm hoping to do is to cut down this weight as much as possible for my next trip, which is likely to be 10 days in the Walls of Jerusalem/Lake St Clair region in early April (this time with both my partner and my dad). I think as far as food, cooking and general misc items go we're pretty lean on the weight, my major concern being with the 'big 4' and with the kind of clothing that would be suitable for this time of year.

My current big 4 gear choices look like this:

- Deuter Air Contact 65+10 (~2.8 kg)
- Oztrail 2 person tent (2.2 kg)
- Solace Beyond sleeping bag (2 kg) <- took first time and was far too warm
- Denali Lite 100 sleeping bag (1.05 kg) <- took second time and froze (although I was sleeping alone this time)
- Denali self-inflating mat (0.9 kg)

The obvious easy changes, I guess, would be the sleeping bag and mat. I will be tenting with my partner so (hopefully) the cold won't be so much of a problem. We were considering swapping our two full-length Denali mats for something like this: http://www.wildearth.com.au/buy/black-w ... 3659703291, a 3/4 mat of half the weight. I've also read a fair bit of people talking about these thermarest mats on this forum but they sound a bit too expensive for us. The other issue is that the mats tend to slip apart during the night and at least one of us ends up not on the mat anyway... not sure how to deal with this issue yet.

In 2011 we both took the solace beyond bags, but they were absurdly big and far warmer than we needed. Rather than zipping them together we ended up lying over one and under another, but it was still much warmer than necessary. I'd love to hear any suggestions - not sure what temperature ratings etc to aim for, whether to get two different bags (one to sleep over and one to sleep under) or even to try out some kind of 2-person blanket??

The tent is a fairly new addition and although slightly weightier than my previous tent, has performed admirably well in runs I've done with it so far, including a couple of wild storms (admittedly, this is not the same as a snowstorm... but I live a long way from the snow!). The pack on the other hand is a bit of a behemoth, and I wouldn't mind finding something lighter as long as I can still fit all the gear. Problem is, even on overnighters, all my gear seems to fill the pack most of the way up! So not sure about how I can improve this point, until I get less of the other gear to go in it.

So yeah, I'm a gear noob and would love to hear any suggestions for helping me to go a bit lighter for my next tassie adventure!

Cheers,
Munch

[photohiker]

My current big 4 gear choices look like this:

- Deuter Air Contact 65+10 (~2.8 kg)
- Oztrail 2 person tent (2.2 kg)
- Solace Beyond sleeping bag (2 kg) <- took first time and was far too warm
- Denali Lite 100 sleeping bag (1.05 kg) <- took second time and froze (although I was sleeping alone this time)
- Denali self-inflating mat (0.9 kg)

Suggestions:

Pack: You can lose 2kg. The walls area is not tough on packs. My Mariposa is under 800g. Even an Osprey Exos 58 is around 1100g
Tent: Tarptent Stratospire 2. 1.3kg Like the pack, there are other similar weight two person tents.
Sleeping Bag: Consider quilts. You can go well under 1kg and still be warm. Also look at ZPacks and similar bags.
Sleeping mat: Neoair XLite reg 350g or XTherm 520g. Neoairs are warm.

Saving: around 4-5 kg Judging on the gear you have, there is probably a fair saving on the rest of your gear. The problem is cost of replacing it. Best to pick off the big weight difference items first and gradually replace gear as it wears out with lighter.

[Eljimberino]

Have a read of some of the threads found here: https://bplight.wpengine.com/forums/for ... ear-lists/

This will give you an idea of what's possible and the kind of advice people may give.

Since you're only going for 10 days spending big bucks to get lighter probably isn't worth it. You'll only be
hitting your straps on your last days.

You could take your denali lite and invest in warm clothes.
Look into a cheap silnylon tarp plus bivy. Maybe 2 sea to summit poncho tarps pitched together?
Don't underestimate the warmth a x-therm pad will provide. The thermarests are only expensive in Australia. Friends overseas might be able to send you a cheaper one.

Can you set the oztrail up without the inner? If so you could get a sea to summit bug net and pitch it inside the fly.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Agree with the suggestions above. Photohiker is on the money.

You could easily shed 3-4kg off your big 4, but it's going to cost a lot of coin.

Id recommend:
1. ULA Circuit or similar
2. Tarptent
3. Zpacks or EE quilt
4. Thermarest XTherm (or Exped Downmat if they've fixed their leaking/unglued baffle issues yet).

Probably from a cost vs weight perspective, replacing your pack would be best bang for buck. Then sleeping bag, then tent, then mat.

Remember to help with the cost of upgrading your gear, you might be able to sell your old gear (depending on condition) for $50-100 on the market place.

The current exchange rate is not helping things!

[Franco]

To keep two mats together I suggest you have a look at this video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2mL6wMku4s
Thermarest has something similar to that called Universal Couple Kit.
Both are easy to replicate with straps you probably already have.

As for the tent, the Tarptent suggested above are not all that cheap particularly now with our low dollar but are much lighter than what you have and not much heavier at all than the expensive Cuben stuff.
If you like some specific info on Tarptent products I can be contacted at franco@tarptent.com
BTW, I would not opt for shorter mats because of reduced insulation and or comfort.

[undercling-mike]

While the pack is probably the easiest and cheapest place to save weight make sure if you upgrade that your new pack will carry your final weight comfortably. Lightweight packs vary in their load carrying ability but are generally designed for lighter loads. I've often read the advice that when switching to lightweight gear the pack should only be changed when the rest of your gear constitutes a lightweight load.

At the moment it looks like you've got entry level gear so you've got the dilemma of whether to upgrade things to midrange gear or move right on up to the high end lightweight gear. You don't want to be in the situation where you buy midrange now and then want to upgrade again in a years time. You need to decide how much you're likely to use the gear and whether it's worth the investment. If you think you might be doing regular or semi-regular walks or have your eye on a few more Tassie trips then I'd probably try to gradually change to high end gear and skip the middle step.

[Moondog55]

I'd suggest starting with a lighter mat if you can get one on sale; and the new S2S mats are so far the best I have used
Save 500 grams there
But I agree that you have to decide if you go for the best gear now or follow the upgrade path gradually but you go a lot lighter and warmer in the sleeping bag if you can afford to as I consider that Denali rating of 5C to be highly optimistic and the other is really for car camping
Perhaps the sleeping cold part could be fixed by using clothing you already carry/own tho and getting a good nights rest is really important
Decide on the upgrade budget and then do the best you can with-in the money you have allocated
There is the possibility that the Denali bag could be hacked into a decent over quilt to boost a LW down bag tho it would still weigh a kilo+

[Alittleruff]

I've been through all my gear yesterday. Kitchen scales out & all!
What I found- was that
- A light weight pack actually packs the biggest bang for your buck in terms of lightening the load. Balanced of course by durability. Personally- I am eyeing off the clearance section of Mountain Design and quite like this - http://www.clearancemountaindesigns.com ... e-w?tier2=
- Space in your pack is probably just as valuable as weight. Bulky sleeping pads not only feel like a brick, but they also take a heap of room in your pack. This means that weight distribution isn't ideal, you can't down size your pack to go lighter ect. Smaller gear is the go. So personally, I'd love to go to an insulated blow up type mattress set up. Less weight than the self inflatables, and a lot less bulk.
- The little stuff adds up quickly. I've just transferred some Bushmans and sunscreen into smaller dispensers. I'll still have enough, but I won't be carrying a heap of the stuff in bulky packaging and I won't be carrying a heap out.
- I'm a fan of Pure soap (seek laundry isle). It can be used to wash yourself, clothes, dishes. Everything. A cake of soap can be cut down.
- My first aid kit is in a zip lock bag. I have enough stuff in there. But I'd ditch the weight of the first aid kit bags.
- Sleeping bag, I'd think that a warmer sleeping mat would help. However, with sales on, what about this from the clearance section. It is bulky, but would save you 400g on your sleeping bag and you would be warm as toast. http://www.clearancemountaindesigns.com ... std?tier2= It's not a "Light weight option" but is a cost effective option compared to some of the down bags out there.

Hope this helps. I'm still learning myself.

[Alittleruff]

Another possibility is to switch tent.
I just brought a Big Anges Copper Spur (they are cheaper now, doh!) 3 person. Share the load, between all three of you. Three mats will fit. They weigh 1.8kg.
http://www.campsaver.com/copper-spur-ul ... n-3-season

Between three people, you would probably only need to carry half the load. Maybe 1kg.
Just a thought.
That would reduce your load by 1.2kg.

[Moondog55]

The Dedos is an excellent winter bag but no longer state of the art having been around for a couple of decades in its current iteration, but it is warm and 20 years ago was almost at the cutting edge of lightweight Alpine

[kitty]

Put some WTB in market square for your Big4 replacements...people might have gear they wanna sell.

[paul_gee]

I'm with most of the others. If you're going to upgrade, think long and hard about it and potentially go higher end rather than mid-range and then have to upgrade again later on.

When it comes to upgrading your mat, don't mess around. A good night's sleep is so important on a big trip. Spend your money here if you can, on something that is crazy comfortable and lightweight. I have mentioned the Sea to Summit range of sleeping mats in several other posts not only because Snowys sell them, but because they are the most comfortable range of mats I have tried. I just bought a S2S Ultralight. It's 440 grams (slightly heavier than the Black Wolf you linked to), has an R-value of 3.3 (better than the BW) which is important if you opt for a colder / lighter sleeping bag, and they retail for not much more than the BW. A way better mat in my option.

[johnrs]

Hi Champion
You might also think about combining a short mat wirh a length of light cheap closed cell foam,
under your feet and something to sit on outside.
Subzero sleeping bags should come in around 900gms,
for something less expensive look at http://sleepingbags-cumulus.eu/
You can get a big pack at about 1.5kg
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/berghaus ... -light-80/
And look at your food, home dehydrating and simple well screened gas stove to rehydrate at under 50gms. Minimise water containing foods such as fresh fruit and some spreads.
Peanut butter and chocoloate spreads have high calories per gramm, jam and honey mostly water.
Hard fatty preserved sausage or even speck and so on
Clothing wise, one layer polypro, one midweight fleece top beanie and gloves with good upper shell and light overpants will cover most eventualities.
Your tent is almost on the money, if you come down below 1.5kg
you lose durability and it may not stand up in bad conditions up high.
Tyvek underneath.
Latest model epirb such as RescueMe.
Tiny headlamp, its light till late in Tassie summers.
Go through all your bagging systems, washing bags are cheap and light
An old PET soft drink bottle is light durable and can be stored rolled up.
An airline luggage plastic bag for your packliner- durable light and free at checkin.
And just keep refining
John

[north-north-west]

- I'm a fan of Pure soap (seek laundry isle). It can be used to wash yourself, clothes, dishes. Everything. A cake of soap can be cut down.

Soap is unnecessary. Washing bodies and clothing is a waste of time as everything will get just as smelly and dirty the next day. Utensils can be easily cleaned with sand, some vegetation (scoparia makes a great scourer, for instance) and/or plain water and a scourer. It's better for the environment and lighter.

[Champion_Munch]

Hi all,

Thanks for the many detailed and varied responses! Didn't expect to see so many...

Unfortunately all this great gear looks to cost several arms and legs, and we are in the process of buying our first house - so really can't afford to spend big bucks. From everyone's comments it sounds like it would be best to upgrade only one of these items to the higher range, rather than a couple to the mid-range for the time being. Upgrading pack will be an issue if I can't cut down the other items' weights. Saw the black wolf mat that I linked to in the opening post for $70 or thereabouts at Anaconda, which is much more budget-friendly (particularly if we are buying two between us). Maybe we can save on weight in other areas (as suggested by some posts above) for cheaper? Below is a list of items I took with me to Tassie last Summer:

Gear (other than big 4)
Day Pack (259 g)
Walking pole (350 g)

Essentials
1st aid kit (329 g) <- could definitely cut down
Compass and whistle (22 g)
Guidebook, maps (368 g) <- could just scan the relevant pages
2 x 1 L water bottles (empty plastic water bottles from supermarket)
Torch and spare batteries (88 g)

Cooking
Gas burner (85 g)
Gas and matches (unsure - bought 3 x 120 g at the shop keeper's insistence, but only went through just over one of them in 5 days for 2 people)
Pot (263 g)
Bowls (93 g for 2)
Sporks (21 g for 2)
Spare zip-loc bags (28 g)
Chopping board (9 g)
Small knife (22 g)
Measuring cup (16 g)
Rubbish bags (21 g)

Misc
Toilet paper (41 g)
Dozen pegs (55 g)
Trowel (97 g)
Towel (121 g)
Sunscreen (149 g)
Rid (49 g)
Deo (30 g)
Dettol (45 g)
Toothbrush (8 g)
Lip balm (7 g)
Hanky (13 g)
Glasses case (107 g) <- could probably do without
Alarm (32 g)
Ear plugs (10 g)
Camera, spare battery/SD cards (299 g)
Notepad (80 g) <- could probably do without

Clothing
Spare clothing - 1 x change of boxers, shirt, shorts, socks, sock liners (471 g)
Thermal top (116 g)
Thermal bottom (139 g)
Rain jacket (229 g)
Rain pants (256 g)
Microfleece jumper (194 g)
Beanie (70 g)
Gloves (36 g)
Thongs (197 g) <- could probably do without, now that I have swapped my big fat hiking boots for something a bit lighter
Sleeping socks (90 g)
Gaiters (229 g)

Food (for 5 days)
1 L water / day
Breakfast - oats (315 g total)
Lunches - mountain bread, cheese and salami (1099 g for both of us, total)
Dinners - dehydrated meals (1048 g for both of us, total)
Snacks - nuts and m&ms (639 g total)

Thoughts???

Interesting thought about setting up the oztrail without the inner, could give this a go. Won't this make it much colder though?? Also, what do you mean by WTB in market square, kitty?

Cheers,
Munch

[photohiker]

WTB = Want to Buy

[Eljimberino]

Hey mate,

Weight your inner. Set the fly up in the back yard - you'll be amazed how much more room there is - and spend a night in it. You'll need a groundsheet. Tyvek is good.

Here's how I would edit your list:

Gear (other than big 4)
Day Pack (259 g) - delete
Walking pole (350 g) delete

Essentials
1st aid kit (329 g) <- could definitely cut down get below 100g
Compass and whistle (22 g)
Guidebook, maps (368 g) <- could just scan the relevant pages
2 x 1 L water bottles (empty plastic water bottles from supermarket)
Torch and spare batteries (88 g) don't need spares

Cooking
Gas burner (85 g)
Gas and matches (unsure - bought 3 x 120 g at the shop keeper's insistence, but only went through just over one of them in 5 days for 2 people)
Pot (263 g) lighter pots are not that expensive, try to find one you can drink out of aswell
Bowls (93 g for 2) only need one for your partner
Sporks (21 g for 2)
Spare zip-loc bags (28 g)what for?
Chopping board (9 g)delete
Small knife (22 g)
Measuring cup (16 g)delete
Rubbish bags (21 g)

Misc
Toilet paper (41 g)
Dozen pegs (55 g)delete
Trowel (97 g)
Towel (121 g)delete
Sunscreen (149 g)delete - cover all skin, get a good hat
Rid (49 g)delete
Deo (30 g)delete
Dettol (45 g)little bottle of hand sanitizer instead
Toothbrush (8 g)
Lip balm (7 g)delete
Hanky (13 g)
Glasses case (107 g) <- could probably do without
Alarm (32 g)delete
Ear plugs (10 g)
Camera, spare battery/SD cards (299 g)don't need spare battery - use phone camera?
Notepad (80 g) <- could probably do without writing 100-200 words a day is valuable

Clothing
Spare clothing - 1 x change of boxers, shirt, shorts, socks, sock liners (471 g) delete all of these as you cover them below
Thermal top (116 g)
Thermal bottom (139 g)
Rain jacket (229 g)
Rain pants (256 g)how quick do the pants you wear in the day dry out? staying warm is more important than staying dry
Microfleece jumper (194 g)is your rain jacket warm enough?
Beanie (70 g)
Gloves (36 g)
Thongs (197 g) <- could probably do without, now that I have swapped my big fat hiking boots for something a bit lighter - can you share these?
Sleeping socks (90 g)one pair of dry socks is good
Gaiters (229 g)don't need these on Overland

[kitty]

He is going to Walls of Jerusalem.

[Alittleruff]

NNW- Sorry Mate. A little soap is necessary for hygiene. It weighs around 20g. But... packs a good punch of personal hygiene, especially as a woman who's last trip saw me on my period . Can be used to clean jocks ect... yes, if you take kids, and they refuse to wear their skiddy underwear you would be glad to be able to wash, dry & go. And then there is dishes ect. I would prefer to take a 20g cake of soap rather than get gastro. I'm so not hard core!

Pure soap isn't really that harsh to the bush. No phosphates ect. I guess you could DYI soap using coal embers and lard...... but yet again, I'm not that hard core.

First aid- 1x Triangular bandage, 1 crepe bandage long enough for a leg in case of snake bites, 1 x non adhesive dressing, 1 x pair of gloves, 3 x wound closure strips, 4 band aids, 1 space blanket.
Optional but I find handy- small scissors, wound tape, panadol or asprin, paw paw ointment, tablets to treat water, a few hydration tablets, sunscreen & bushman's in containers that have been dispensed into, some string, a couple of tampons and a pad (doubles as a non-adhesive dressing in an emergency), and some sting-goes for insect bites.

Yes, I'm really not all that hard core. My first aid kit weighs 364g. Which is quite a lot, but the upside is that in an emergency I have it.

[photohiker]

1 crepe bandage long enough for a leg in case of snake bites

Swap that for setopress, and have a read of the last couple of pages of the Snake Bite thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=295&start=120

and https://www.prospectingaustralia.com.au ... hp?id=4225

I bought mine from independenceaustralia.com : https://store.independenceaustralia.com ... 290110+%09

[gayet]

NNW- Sorry Mate. A little soap is necessary for hygiene. It weighs around 20g. But... packs a good punch of personal hygiene, especially as a woman who's last trip saw me on my period . Can be used to clean jocks ect... yes, if you take kids, and they refuse to wear their skiddy underwear you would be glad to be able to wash, dry & go. And then there is dishes ect. I would prefer to take a 20g cake of soap rather than get gastro. I'm so not hard core!

Parks advise - Do not use soap. That should be sufficient.

[stry]

You don't need to spend a lot of money at this stage.

A good, appropriate, bag and mat will get heaps of use, make your nights much more pleasant and restorative, last for years, save some weight. That is the only major expense that I would make for this trip if I was in your circumstances.

A 2.2 kg 2 person tent that you have confidence in weighs 1.1kg per occupant and is not unduly heavy. If you are tempted to go without the inner I would do some thorough testing at home first, and make sure that all exposed ground is covered with cut to fit tyvek. Personally, I wouldn't bother for this trip because of LEECHES.

A 2.8kg pack is heavy, but there are heavier in use, and 10 days will require some capacity. Worry about later, as others have said.

There are at least two responses in this thread suggesting ways to refine and reduce your load in many small ways. As johnrs said "just keep refining", as you have started to. Food is often needlessly heavy. Again, some trial runs at home may yield savings.

Take your rain pants. Cold and wet combined can be lethal.

[Moondog55]

As a spectacle wearer I know a good glasses case is not an optional item if you need said specs to get around/survive and some of us [ me before surgery] would need to pack a spare in case of breakage.
If said rain-pants are the wind barrier then essential in my opinion no matter what the season and I'm wondering how cold that area gets in April at its worst

[kitty]

And take your walking pole...even better take 2

[Moondog55]

I agree with Stry
It was the point of my first reply as there is nothing more important than a good nights rest

[icefest]

Don't take soap.

If you need really clean hands just use hand sanitizer after washing with normal water. That will prevent gastro as well as any soap.

Clothes can be washed as well without soap.

Pots and plates definitely can be washed without soap. Just scour off what comes off and leave the rest on.

[Champion_Munch]

Thanks for all your responses. Stry, I suspect you are right - the sleeping bag/mat system is probably what we should be considering replacing at this point, out of the big 4. For clarity - we are looking to head in from Walls of Jerusalem, spending a few days getting across to the OT via the Never Never, followed by a few days in the Pine Valley area before exiting the lake (see this thread: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21731).

Regarding the use of soap - we eat all of our breakfasts/dinners out of zip loc bags, the only thing that needs cleaning is the mugs (for hot drinks), the sporks and knife/cutting board if we take them this time. These can be easily wiped with a bit of toilet paper, rinsed with water if necessary. I agree better to avoid contaminating the wilderness with gunk like this if avoidable. We take sanitiser for our hands.

Eljimberino, you seem keen rob us of enjoyment on our hike! I will leave some comments next to yours below. Your feedback is, again, welcome.

Hey mate,

Weight your inner. Set the fly up in the back yard - you'll be amazed how much more room there is - and spend a night in it. You'll need a groundsheet. Tyvek is good.

Here's how I would edit your list:

Gear (other than big 4)
Day Pack (259 g) - delete how will we do day trips/side trips without a day pack?
Walking pole (350 g) delete walking poles are pretty useful, almost essential, for people with bad knees (this includes myself) when carrying a heavy pack. likely I will have a heavy enough pack to warrant bringing a single pole

Essentials
1st aid kit (329 g) <- could definitely cut down get below 100g suggestions on what it should contain? the reason the weight was so high previously was due to the fact that I carried it around my waist in a bum bag
Compass and whistle (22 g)
Guidebook, maps (368 g) <- could just scan the relevant pages
2 x 1 L water bottles (empty plastic water bottles from supermarket)
Torch and spare batteries (88 g) don't need spares do you usually just swap with new batteries before heading out? i tried this on a recent 3 day walk, but 10 days a bit longer...

Cooking
Gas burner (85 g)
Gas and matches (unsure - bought 3 x 120 g at the shop keeper's insistence, but only went through just over one of them in 5 days for 2 people)
Pot (263 g) lighter pots are not that expensive, try to find one you can drink out of aswell any suggestions for what pots to look at?
Bowls (93 g for 2) only need one for your partner there will be three of us. actually I only used my bowl in order to sit my zip loc bag'd meals in while they are too hot / when there is a chance of leakage. but this could be amended by placing inside another zip loc bag I guess...
Sporks (21 g for 2)
Spare zip-loc bags (28 g)what for? see above. also for carrying out waste
Chopping board (9 g)delete
Small knife (22 g)
Measuring cup (16 g)delete
Rubbish bags (21 g)

Misc
Toilet paper (41 g)
Dozen pegs (55 g)delete used for drying clothes hanging on the outside of pack (provided it is no longer raining of course). one of the less critical items i suppose
Trowel (97 g)
Towel (121 g)delete
Sunscreen (149 g)delete - cover all skin, get a good hat i prefer to walk in shorts and short-sleeved shirts, but even if I choose long-sleeved everything, my face and neck are still likely to get burnt without sunscreen. no way i would go walking without it.
Rid (49 g)delete what are bugs like in the area we're heading to? RID necessary or not, you think?
Deo (30 g)delete wouldn't if i was by myself... but sleeping in close confines to my partner compels me to try and scrub up somewhat
Dettol (45 g)little bottle of hand sanitizer instead sorry, this IS hand sanitiser
Toothbrush (8 g)
Lip balm (7 g)delete for 7 g it's not a big deal...
Hanky (13 g)
Glasses case (107 g) <- could probably do without
Alarm (32 g)delete needed for the last day to ensure we are awake early enough to get the bus back
Ear plugs (10 g)
Camera, spare battery/SD cards (299 g)don't need spare battery - use phone camera? my phone is more than a decade old, i think even digital cameras were fairly rare then - it certainly can't take photos haha. i enjoy taking photos and my point and shoot camera fits into my pocket.
Notepad (80 g) <- could probably do without writing 100-200 words a day is valuable very surprised you are for notepads but against so many other things?

Clothing
Spare clothing - 1 x change of boxers, shirt, shorts, socks, sock liners (471 g) delete all of these as you cover them below
Thermal top (116 g)
Thermal bottom (139 g)
Rain jacket (229 g)
Rain pants (256 g)how quick do the pants you wear in the day dry out? staying warm is more important than staying dry
Microfleece jumper (194 g)is your rain jacket warm enough?
Beanie (70 g)
Gloves (36 g)
Thongs (197 g) <- could probably do without, now that I have swapped my big fat hiking boots for something a bit lighter - can you share these?
Sleeping socks (90 g)one pair of dry socks is good
Gaiters (229 g)don't need these on Overland see comment above. I suspect gaiters would be deemed necessary where we are headed?

Regarding the clothing - I'm a bit unsure how I should go in terms of warmth/anti-rain stuff, as all my previous rain gear has died and the microfleece jumper was too small on me. I never seem to get cold walking, no matter how miserable the weather is, my body heats up very quickly. It's only at camp when I stop moving around that I cool down and get cold.

staying warm is more important than staying dry

In my (albeit, limited) walking experience, this has not been the case. Staying dry equates to staying warm for me. I took the spare clothes last time because when it rained hard, most of what I was wearing was at least damp if not soaked, and I needed something dry to sleep in! Can't imagine how you could expect to stay warm when you are wet and temps are close to zero?

Cheers,
Munch

[Moondog55]

Wow if you phone doesn't have an alarm function it is even older than mine and mine was ancient when the dinosaurs ruled the earth

[Champion_Munch]

Ha! Actually, good point - the phone will have an alarm, no need for a separate one.

[Moondog55]

A really good substitute for clothes pegs is simply twisted shockcord but I've never lost a pair of socks just shoved under the shockcord on the back of my pack
If your pack doesn't have any spent $3- and add some, a very versatile addition to any pack
As for day trips? My solution is to pack all of those 10 essentials into a bumbag and always keep it ready it swaps from pack to pack
I can then hang a water bottle from it and a WB pocket can be made for $1- and 30 grams if you don't have one already

More pix in this thread

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=19408