Bushwalk Australia

Hi,

I would appreciate the collective wisdom of the forum, especially the Aarn users. I have an Aarn Featherlite Freedom and I'm doing the DuCane Traverse in a couple of weeks, with a fair bit off track and scrambling over dolerite boulders. I also expect some climbing. My concerns are that the pack is not really engineered for this kind of use and will get excessively bashed up by the scrub and the notoriously abrasive dolerite rock, also that the balance front pockets will be potentially dangerous for climbing due to the limited visibility looking down. I am considering hooking the pockets back or as my pack empties, securing them under the bungee system to the back when necessary. Any comments would be appreciated.

Hugh

dashandsaph wrote:Hi, I would appreciate the collective wisdom of the forum, especially the Aarn users. I have an Aarn Featherlite Freedom and I'm doing the DuCane Traverse in a couple of weeks, with a fair bit off track and scrambling over dolerite boulders. I also expect some climbing. My concerns are that the pack is not really engineered for this kind of use and will get excessively bashed up by the scrub and the notoriously abrasive dolerite rock, also that the balance front pockets will be potentially dangerous for climbing due to the limited visibility looking down. I am considering hooking the pockets back or as my pack empties, securing them under the bungee system to the back when necessary. Any comments would be appreciated. Hugh

I have never had a problem in lots of other places, on and off-track, with "limited visibility looking down", wearing an Aarn pack and pockets. I can't comment on the "scrub and ... abrasive dolerite rock" issue because I have not been in the location you'll be at.

Hi
I used an Aarn pack with photo balance pockets last year up on the Ducane Range. I was very comfortable walking in to Pine Valley but on the steep stuff and on the boulder fields I found that sight lines to my feet were severely limited. I had read all of the testimonials about gaps to see through, better balance etc etc but it just did not work for me. It may work for you. I had to pull the balance pockets off and strap them to the rear of the pack. In one fell swoop the advantages of the pack disappeared. I had no problems with abrasion or toughness problems. I still like the concept but ended up selling the bundle anyway!
Ian

I've taken my Load Limo through the DuCanes as well as a fair bit of other off-track stuff in Tassie. The balance pockets do not limit your vision - they can be an issue with scrambling if you need to hug the rocks, but otherwise they don't cause any problems.

The abrasiveness of the rock will only be an issue if you are dragging the pack over it, or doing a lot of pack-hauling. Scrub hasn't hurt mine, except for the mesh on the pockets. The most delicate part of the Aarn packs is actually the harness system, in particular the tube and line arrangement connected to the hip belt, and this will only get damaged if you throw the pack around a lot or don't take care when pack-hauling (yes, that's me).

There isn't really that much scrub on the DuCane circuit. Lot more boulder hopping and scrambling.

Hi Hugh,

6 of us did a loop of the Traveller Range and DuCane Range in 2014 – and 5 had Aarn packs.

No-one had any issues in particular. Mine is a 2009 Natural Balance which has had a tough life but is still going (with a few repairs along the way – pocket mesh, top and bottom frame holders, pocket zip).

Assuming you’re going anti-clockwise, enjoy the climb up Falling Mountain – it’s certainly provides a good upper body workout (all the pulling up through the bush – well worth it for the scenery once you’re past the vegetation and into the rocks) - the quads will know they've been used, too !

The photo shows us taking a break on Falling Mountain, below the final climb - looking south across DuCane Gap to the Gatepost and the Traveller Range.

It's not the scrub that will worry you on this circuit.
The dolerite is much harder on them. Different people wear packs out at different rates over the same terrain. A guy I walk with has the same One Planet pack and his looks brand new and mine has a lot of abrasion. He is much more flexible, fit and has done a bit of technical climbing. This means his packs rarely rubs on the rock but mine always seems to. So it can be different for different people.

Thanks everyone for the very helpful and thoughtful responses. I appreciate the insights and also BernieQ's photo. BernieQ, we are going clockwise - in from Narcissus to Gould Plateau across to Du Cane Gap and then back along the OLT to Pine Valley and Acropolis and back to Narcissus, so descending Falling Mountain I'll at least have gravity on my side.

That's a good walk, a hard start up onto the Gould Plateau and around Gould itself. I did this part of it a few weeks back. Let me know if you need up to date info on water etc as it was very dry when I was there and I think it would only be worse now.
Have fun

Thanks Scotty, we thought it might be a dry camp for that night. Any info on water very gratefully received. Maybe PM me as we are drifting off topic or open a new one in the Tasmania sub forum as others may be interested. The itinerary is for day 1 late afternoon Narcissus to Gould Plateau (GR227507) day 2 side trip up Mt Gould and camp at saddle between Mt Gould and the Minotaur (GR211528) where we are not confident on water. Any comments on water there or for water in the tarns at GR243596 near Falling Mountain where we propose to camp on night 6 would be very much appreciated. Also, given your comment on the hard start, any thoughts on time needed for Narcissus to Gould Plateau? We are on the 3pm ferry and will have a very late start.

Hugh

pm sent

dashandsaph wrote:Thanks everyone for the very helpful and thoughtful responses. I appreciate the insights and also BernieQ's photo. BernieQ, we are going clockwise - in from Narcissus to Gould Plateau across to Du Cane Gap and then back along the OLT to Pine Valley and Acropolis and back to Narcissus, so descending Falling Mountain I'll at least have gravity on my side.

I did the same thing in 2014 just before christmas - except I went over the top of Mt Gould with pack and all.

Take a yabbie straw and you should be alright for water. Just remember to think about where people might poop and don't grab water from downhill of there.

I have recently returned from the OT, where I used my Aarn Featherlite Freedom up through Pine Valley to the Labyrinth with no problems. Looking down not an issue at all, though some of the places where you have to hug the rocks when scrambling up the boulder fields makes having pockets on the front slightly more challenging. Generally these were up and back sections, so I was able to take the front pockets off and either go pack-free or use them as a day pack, which worked very well. Enjoy!

I have the latest Featherlite Freedom with expedition front pockets and have no problems with visibility. Some of the older Aarn designs had the metal stays carrying the weight of the front pockets attaching to the waist belt close to the buckle at the front. The latest harness design has them joining much more laterally and I think this design has better foot vision.

The expedition pockets make it much easier to get the required weight forward and they make a much more useful daypack than the standard pockets.

Chris

I have an older daypack with expedition pockets. I love the daypack but have recently bought the pockets for the front. I can't see my feet at all (because it is an older version) but the concept of weight forward on the hipbelt is a sound one.

I have reservations about taking the pack 'off track'. The plethora of straps, buckles and netting on the pack looks like a recipe for catching on scrub.

Thanks everyone for the comments. I just got back - we ended up going to the Southern Ranges Track out of Ida Bay as the Reserve was closed just prior to our departure. Great trip, though very taxing for me. Although not much was off track, there was a lot of pushing through Scoparia and some scrambling and although mine is the older version of the Featherlite Freedom it worked well and stood up to the battering. The straps didn't get hung up at all on the scrub, in fact the pockets were a layer of protection. I also rigged up a way of swinging the pockets out of the way by undoing the stays at the waistband and hooking the pockets back with little carabiners to loops on either side in case I needed to have a really clear view down or to hug the rock. Didn't need to use it but it seems to work.