Bushwalk Australia

Posted: **Fri 14 Jun, 2013 7:54 pm**

Hi bushwalk team,

My partner and I are off walking for 6-8 weeks in September along the bib track. I'm off to Melbourne next week and was thinking of hitting up the EOFY sales (if there are any) to pick up some gear while I'm over there. I've already got a pack (osprey aura), and we've also got our tent sorted (macpac olympus, older style), but I'm thinking of picking up some other essentials while I'm over there. So:

1. Does anyone know who stocks One Planet over East? Have had some trouble finding OP gear here in WA. Has anyone used their sleeping bags or gaiters/any thoughts?
2. For the ladies, any recommendations for a mattress? I'm a side sleeper and my hips tend to feel the ground a bit. My partner has an exped and likes his.
3. Does anyone use one of those thermarest pillows? Any good?
3. Finally, any recommendations for a good goretex jacket? Kathmandu have some on "sale" at the moment, wouldn't know where to begin.

Cheers!

Posted: **Sat 15 Jun, 2013 2:59 pm**

1. hiking.com.au stock One Planet Gear http://www.hiking.com.au/b/36816/1/one-planet.html
They are Kelly's Camping and Outdoor in Brookvale http://www.hiking.com.au/g/43537/contact-us.html

2. I'm a side sleeper and feel the cold. I have a Women's Thermarest NeoAirXlite I love, and also a Prolite Plus Womens' (the women's versions are shorter than the men's (usually 168 cm rather than 183 cm) and have a highter R rating , but are a little heavier) I think in retrospect for one multi-purpose mat I would have chosen a NeoAir XTherm (which is what I have just purchased for my 15 yo daughter - I got her the small plus one of their foam eggshell type sit pads for her to sit on and to go under her feet - double duty. Z-seat http://www.campsaver.com/z-seat)

3. We also have the inflatable thermarest pillows but they are a bit bulky. The down ones are nice and soft, but they compress a lot when you sleep on them, and I think a stuff sack with the reversible polarfleece side with a down jacket inside would be as good. The most comfy pillow we've found is an elcheapo one from BCF - their house brand Wanderer. Samll size inflatable one with a soft surface for your face is less than $15. http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/prod ... 9#Cross(It comes in a large size too)
I've bought and tried quite a few pillows.....

4. Goretex shell jacket - I have a Kathmandu one I got 'on sale' last year - the black Jardin style http://www.kathmandu.com.au/womens/jack ... anite.html. My daughter has the red one. We've found these to be great. 565g. 3 layer gore tex. I tossed up between it and the Alopex.
I have a lighter jacket too - the Outdoor Research Aspire jacket - only 341g. 2 layer gore tex http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/or-ge ... 32496.html. Really nice, great ventilation options

Hope this helps
Happy shopping!

Posted: **Sat 15 Jun, 2013 3:13 pm**

mountain designs usually have better prices on their gore tex jackets and they are on sale now.'
3 layer gore tex lasts longer than 2 layer.
active shell isnt as robust as proshell , proshell is the top of the line gore tex,
ideally get a jacket with pit zips, makes a big difference for venting excess sweat.....

Posted: **Sat 15 Jun, 2013 3:16 pm**

if you're looking at kathmandu, avoid the stormfront jacket, it weighs an absolute tonne, you only need it if you're bush bashing

Posted: **Sat 15 Jun, 2013 3:30 pm**

In Melbourne you will find a good range of outdoor stores in Little Bourke St. One planet is stocked by Snowgum and Pinnacle Outdoors which you will find both of these stores there.
I have a one planet sleeping bag which is lovely and warm but weighs about 1.6kg which I find excessively heavy these days. I have changed to a Western Mountaineering bag which is just as warm ( I sleep really cold) and comes in under 1kg in weight. You can find WM bags at Paddy Pallins.
You will also find Mountain Designs which Wayno has mentioned for jackets and Bogong Equipment is also worth looking at, all these stores are in the same block of Little Bourke between Elizabeth and Queens streets.

Posted: **Sat 15 Jun, 2013 7:24 pm**

I am a side sleeper as well. I got the Exped Synmat UL 7 mattress and Exped air pillow from Bogong Equipment in Little Bourke. Both the sleeping gear and Bogong Equip have been great.

http://www.bogong.com.au/sleeping/sleep-accessories/exped-air-pillow.html

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 6:19 am**

I'm a side sleeper. Since getting a NeoAir I've been sleeping like a baby.

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 8:07 am**

odway wrote:Kathmandu have some on "sale" at the moment, wouldn't know where to begin.

Cheers!

Dont begin there.... dont start there, dont even enter there unless you have more money than sense.

Classic example, check out this down jacket "on sale" from the recently opened mega store in Hobart, Would anyone pay $700 for a bit of garbage like this?? Not on your life!! And at the AMAZING half price of $350, it's still twice what it should be.

They are a disgrace, I'd prefer Anaconda.

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 8:43 am**

Rays tent city actually have a really good lightweight down jacket for sale at the moment, $99- and as good as the Patagonia and much better value and quality than the Katmandu unit

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 8:55 am**

ILUVSWTAS wrote:from the recently opened mega store in Hobart

Where is this new store? Is the Salamanca store still there also?

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 8:58 am**

It seems they bought out a decent store in passion8 and have opened up in that location.

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 9:30 am**

Passion8 closed down a few months ago due to a rent dispute and has been empty ever since, so they definitely didn't buy them out.

I wonder how successful it will be given the proximity of the other outdoors stores. Then again, they don't directly compete with any of these so the punters might just stick to what they know...

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 9:34 am**

Strider wrote:Passion8 closed down a few months ago due to a rent dispute and has been empty ever since, so they definitely didn't buy them out.

I wonder how successful it will be given the proximity of the other outdoors stores. Then again, they don't directly compete with any of these so the punters might just stick to what they know...

Ok, you seem to know more about it than I do. :roll:

That was certainly the word that was given to the public. :wink:

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 10:12 am**

maybe kathmandu bought out passion8's lease...

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 10:25 am**

I spoke to the owners of the Passion8 when they first said they were leaving, it was about a lease dispute and not being bought out by Kathmandu

Roger

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 10:38 am**

theres also the Jolly Swagman on Elizabeth st next to Mountain designs, I was in there, seemed to be a pretty well stocked shop. seemed to have everything you'd need for bushwalking.. if you're in the area , could be worth a look in there as well.

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 10:41 am**

wayno wrote:theres also the Jolly Swagman on Elizabeth st next to Mountain designs, I was in there, seemed to be a pretty well stocked shop. seemed to have everything you'd need for bushwalking.. if you're in the area , could be worth a look in there as well.

Certainly for the newbie it is a much better place to start than Kathmandu.

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 10:43 am**

odway wrote:Hi bushwalk team,

My partner and I are off walking for 6-8 weeks in September along the bib track. I'm off to Melbourne next week and was thinking of hitting up the EOFY sales (if there are any) to pick up some gear while I'm over there. I've already got a pack (osprey aura), and we've also got our tent sorted (macpac olympus, older style), but I'm thinking of picking up some other essentials while I'm over there. So:

1. Does anyone know who stocks One Planet over East? Have had some trouble finding OP gear here in WA. Has anyone used their sleeping bags or gaiters/any thoughts?
2. For the ladies, any recommendations for a mattress? I'm a side sleeper and my hips tend to feel the ground a bit. My partner has an exped and likes his.

I am yet to find a mat that works for a side sleeper with hips. I use a Thermarest Prolite which isn't too bad, although if weight is an issue it is probably a bit on the heavy side.

3. Does anyone use one of those thermarest pillows? Any good?

Not a Thermarest, but hubby loves his Exped pillow.

4. Finally, any recommendations for a good goretex jacket? Kathmandu have some on "sale" at the moment, wouldn't know where to begin.
Cheers!

Can't help there, I'm afraid. My lightweight rain jacket is actually a cycling jacket and my heavy weight jacket is a Macpac Prophet, which although excellent, is probably going to be overkill on the Bibbulmun track - unless you are expecting snow. As a minimum, I would look for something light and long with pit zips. If the Kathmandu jacket fits that bill then it is worth considering.

I would advise going into all the outdoor shops on Little Bourke St first and checking out stock/price and then making a decision. Kathmandu is about a block away on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets and Macpac and Backpacking Light are on laneways off Little Bourke St.

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 10:53 am**

also it should be said, take anything a staff member says in an outdoor shop with a grain of salt. especially the chain stores... some of the staff don't have a clue. and some will just tell you anything to make a sale...
a shop like the joly swagman if you look at it , is different from a chain store, its moe of a one stop shop. you could kit yourself out completely in it. you can't do that at kathmandu or macpac.... not sure you can do it at mountain designs...
the one stop shops are more likely to have staff who may know what they are talking about the younger they are the less you should believe what they say... the more emphatic and charismatic they are the less you should believe them, do they have a pasty white complexion? soft skin ? look like they've hardly spent much time out in the elements? then they dont have enough experience to know what they are talking about.

Posted: **Sun 16 Jun, 2013 12:37 pm**

I'm a side sleeper & love my neoair. Have slept better than I ever have since getting it a couple of years ago. I make sure the valve is at head end so I can easily let a bit of air out if it feels a bit firm. Do nice not to have hips touching hard ground

Posted: **Tue 18 Jun, 2013 4:40 am**

Thanks a bunch guys, loads of ideas there (seems like there are plenty of shops, may need to set a full day aside!).

Going back to the mattress thing - I've been doing a bit of reading on the forum here, and while I like the idea of a nice thick air mattress to keep my hips off the ground, I'm somewhat worried about durability... day/weekend walks would be ok but I'd hate for something to go flat out in a bush on a long treck! What are your thoughts on getting some kind of super lightweight foam mat (say 3cm) and then plonking a self inflating thermarest on the top?

Posted: **Tue 18 Jun, 2013 7:07 am**

I plan to do that on my snow hike this year.

The foam can just sit in a waterproof bag outside your pack and you will be set

Posted: **Tue 18 Jun, 2013 7:32 am**

Yep- when camping in the snow or car camping I take a thick CCF mat. Other times I take a thinner one or none at all. I do take the repair kit & of course try to clear the tent area. Nil problems with 2 mats to date.
I think if you take a little care with them they should have a good life & provide many comfortable nights sleep.

Posted: **Tue 25 Jun, 2013 6:39 pm**

odway wrote:Going back to the mattress thing - I've been doing a bit of reading on the forum here, and while I like the idea of a nice thick air mattress to keep my hips off the ground, I'm somewhat worried about durability... day/weekend walks would be ok but I'd hate for something to go flat out in a bush on a long treck! What are your thoughts on getting some kind of super lightweight foam mat (say 3cm) and then plonking a self inflating thermarest on the top?

I assume you mean 3mm. Yes this works, but don't get a foam Therm-a-rest! If you're worried about durability maybe get one of the non-UL Expeds. I can't recommend them enough for comfort and I personally have never had an issues.

Posted: **Tue 25 Jun, 2013 8:10 pm**

As Matagi suggests, "something light and long" for your jacket. I don't know if Kathmandu sell the long ones - I can't see them in their latest catalogue. They're not style wear.

If you're in the market for your first, serious bushwalking jacket, then thigh protection is much the better option. They weigh a little more of course. However, walking in rain pants is a pest over long distances. But they're great to have if you're severely exposed to wind, cold and scrub - less likely on the Bibbulman than S-WTasmania.

In the walking apparel market place, the shorter, stylish jackets are the catalogue favourites, including in recent Wild Mag. surveys.

Posted: **Tue 25 Jun, 2013 9:34 pm**

vagrom wrote: If you're in the market for your first, serious bushwalking jacket, then thigh protection is much the better option.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that, unless you're ripping into some serious Tassie scrub.
I have both options and the shorter jacket with rain pants works better in most cases.

Posted: **Wed 26 Jun, 2013 5:20 pm**

I'm sorry....Will this be a five minute argument?

Posted: **Wed 26 Jun, 2013 11:44 pm**

Thanks guys!

I've had a bit of a browse through the shops, loving the cluster of stores on Little Bourke street, doesn't get much easier that that. Bogong is a definite stand out for me.

An update on where I'm at:

Mattress I decided to go with a thermarest prolite plus womens. I couldn't get past that air-matress feel (exped/neoair) so opted for the prolite, and I'll take a 3mm mat if I need some more padding. Will most likely grab a thermarest pillow to go with it.

Bag: very much leaning towards a western mountaineering summerlite (wish these would go on sale though....!)

and jacket I'm still on the fence about. There's a nice goretex outdoor reasearch jacket on sale at Bogong, but it isn't a long fit

And a side question - it's freaking cold here in Melbs so I picked up some 100% merino thermals on a whim from Rays, think the brand was outdoor expedition... they were pretty cheap, so I'm wondering why other brands are more expensive? Thicker density wool perhaps (is that a thing?). I'm planning on replacing these with icebreakers later on down the track, unless 100% merino is 100% merino is 100% merino... if you get my drift?

Posted: **Thu 27 Jun, 2013 2:16 am**

long fitting jackets: mont, earth sea sky, some of the mountain designs.... none of them gore tex
most gear is either made for people who mainly walk in good weather seasons or mountaineers who live in long pants...
in the northern hemisphere, people just arent into shorts as much. it's usually long trousers so the makers turn around and make short jackets since they figure you don't need the length if you're wearing long pants, all the hype about the sun and skin cancer doesnt help, as the makers flog off the trousers and having high uv filter ratings....
its ironical. people who work indoors have higher skin cancer rates.... its not how much sun you get its about how regularly you are or arent getting it.... and how healthily you eat...

Posted: **Thu 27 Jun, 2013 7:17 am**

odway wrote:Hi bushwalk team,

My partner and I are off walking for 6-8 weeks in September along the bib track. I'm off to Melbourne next week and was thinking of hitting up the EOFY sales (if there are any) to pick up some gear while I'm over there. I've already got a pack (osprey aura), and we've also got our tent sorted (macpac olympus, older style), but I'm thinking of picking up some other essentials while I'm over there. So:

1. Does anyone know who stocks One Planet over East? Have had some trouble finding OP gear here in WA. Has anyone used their sleeping bags or gaiters/any thoughts?
2. For the ladies, any recommendations for a mattress? I'm a side sleeper and my hips tend to feel the ground a bit. My partner has an exped and likes his.
3. Does anyone use one of those thermarest pillows? Any good?
3. Finally, any recommendations for a good goretex jacket? Kathmandu have some on "sale" at the moment, wouldn't know where to begin.

Cheers!

I. Why a One Planet? Check all the stores, I have a S2S bag and it's been fantastic. But Snowgum have OP.
2. My wife uses a 4 season Therm-a-rest, loves it, I use a X-Therm and lob=ve it. mines warmer and lighter but it's makes some noise when you move around on it
3. Yes we have the Therm-a-rest pillows because they are small and light, And they are ok, I seems to shove a jacket under mine still
4. Gortex, or Event? Both have good and bad points but MD seems to have better Gortex jackets but Backpacking Light probably have the lightest Event (Montane) but I also like Macpacs new Event Jackets too.

Bushwalk Australia

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