Bushwalk Australia

Greetings,

I like reading gear lists so I thought others might be interested in what I'm considering for my N-S AAWT thru hike starting mid-Feb. The list is not everything - no food and water for starters - and I'll be updating it daily as I add the final items, but it's 90% there.

Did a S-N thru hike starting New Years last year. This time I'm taking more clothes because I have a suspicion it's gunna get cold. Also, I'm taking a tent instead of a tarp and bivy, so I'll need to be a bit warmer when I sleep out on the groundsheet.

Will be taking tights and shorts instead of merino leggings as I can wear them during the day as well if it's hot.

Before I get jumped on about all the technology, the electronics are not really negotiable as I will be writing a novel while I'm walking, although they do add a bit to the base weight.

Here is the link to lighterpack: http://lighterpack.com/r/4f9i8z

Your comments are welcome, and thank you for your time.

Good starting list

Navigation requirements aren't listed such as map, compass, GPS and no first aid or PLB are my first observations.

Great walk though, wished I was doing it! Have fun


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It looks like a good list. My question would be whether you need a warmer mid layer such as a 100wt fleece. You appear to plan on walking in a very light short sleeve merino top (based on 130g weight) and layer it with the wind shirt for cooler conditions. I use a similar layering system but find I a 100wt 1/4 zip fleece a really useful addition when conditions get towards single digits.

You also have only a single pot and no mug - perfectly ok but does limit your dining routine. No drinking soup while preparing the main course.

I would consider carrying a jif cloth (about 16 grams). I find them really useful as a towel and for jobs such as wiping condensation from the tent in the morning, etc.

Mark F wrote: . . . I would consider carrying a jif cloth (about 16 grams). I find them really useful as a towel and for jobs such as wiping condensation from the tent in the morning, etc.

Agree about a small cloth - also very useful after a boots-off river crossing.

Giddy_up wrote:Good starting list

Navigation requirements aren't listed such as map, compass, GPS and no first aid or PLB are my first observations.

Great walk though, wished I was doing it! Have fun

Hi Giddy,

Compass is on there. It got a real work out last time. I looked at getting maps but it looks like the guidebook is still the best option. Having done the walk already I don't think I'll need a GPS.

It is a great walk - possibly my favourite in Australia.

Cheers

Mark F wrote:It looks like a good list. My question would be whether you need a warmer mid layer such as a 100wt fleece. You appear to plan on walking in a very light short sleeve merino top (based on 130g weight) and layer it with the wind shirt for cooler conditions. I use a similar layering system but find I a 100wt 1/4 zip fleece a really useful addition when conditions get towards single digits.

You also have only a single pot and no mug - perfectly ok but does limit your dining routine. No drinking soup while preparing the main course.

I would consider carrying a jif cloth (about 16 grams). I find them really useful as a towel and for jobs such as wiping condensation from the tent in the morning, etc.

Hi Mark,

Last time I wore cycling arm warmers/screens for the sun with a short sleeve shirt. I found them annoying.

Have a down jacket, wind shirt and rain jacket to wear if it gets cold.

I don't drink soup. I'm switching from a jetboil with mug for this trip. I only really eat cous cous and pasta and pour hot water straight into their own packets. I'm scrutinising every hundred grams and the mug had to go this time. I may regret this decision in terms of comfort drinking out of a pot. Have a mug I can boil in, but I figure a pot with a wider diameter will boil quicker and hold more stuff inside when not in use.

Haven't carried a towel and/or a cloth for years. I drip dry if I bathe. Also I find once the cloth gets dirty they stink and they just spread dirt after a few days. Not a biggy.

Thank you

peregrinator wrote:

Mark F wrote: . . . I would consider carrying a jif cloth (about 16 grams). I find them really useful as a towel and for jobs such as wiping condensation from the tent in the morning, etc.

Agree about a small cloth - also very useful after a boots-off river crossing.

Hi Peregrinator,

I don't wear boots, I wear sandals with vibram soles and river crossings are a breeze.

*as a side issue I wanted to ask about your Mariposa pack: does it have the Rubic fabric?

Cheers

Hi Eljimbero

I assume you got through KNP, Bogong High Plains etc last time without any weather hassles. My experiences are a bit different having experienced interesting conditions many times in KNP (my favourite walking area) including 30cm of snow on 21/22 December, -8 overnight at Whites River in March and more than enough days of 80+kph winds with heavy driving rain and sleet that ensures everything you wear is damp if not saturated. I would not risk using my down jacket for insulation in those sorts of conditions. Save it for camp. You could consider carrying an extra layer only for specific sections of the route leaving it in a food drop for later retrieval.

Good point Mark - your suspicion is correct - I did have a good run with weather. I did get caught in a storm in the Mt Clear area, but it was warm. I also had enough sense to drop down to a low road to avoid the lightning.

Perhaps I'll take my trusty Icebreaker jumper instead of the down jacket: a bit heavier, but warmer, more comfortable and versatile.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Eljimberino wrote: . . .

Hi Peregrinator,

I don't wear boots, I wear sandals with vibram soles and river crossings are a breeze.

As a side issue I wanted to ask about your Mariposa pack: does it have the Rubic fabric?

Cheers

You're thinking of The Perambulator on that one, but it's clear why you have mixed us up. If I was starting again I'd avoid the polysyllabic waffle (well, I'd try) and might sign up as Legs.

Are you sure you'd be comfortable with sandals in the sort of conditions Mark F reported: 80km/h winds and 30cm of snow in December?

Hi P-Legs

I'm sure of sandals, yes.

Thank you

Eljimberino wrote:

Giddy_up wrote:Good starting list

Navigation requirements aren't listed such as map, compass, GPS and no first aid or PLB are my first observations.

Great walk though, wished I was doing it! Have fun

Hi Giddy,

Compass is on there. It got a real work out last time. I looked at getting maps but it looks like the guidebook is still the best option. Having done the walk already I don't think I'll need a GPS.

It is a great walk - possibly my favourite in Australia.

Cheers

Gawwwwwd, I'm hopless haha. Didn't see it, lucky it wasn't a brown snake or it would have bitten me.

Looks like the list is coming together, the trip report should be a cracker

Great list, given you are planning on sending time writing, I assume on your iPhone, are you sure the power bank will have enough power to last the trip? If not perhaps consider a very light solar panel that could trickle charge it, there is a discussion about these over in the tech part of the equipment page.

Thank you for the suggestion Watertank. The power bank should get 5 full charges - which is about two weeks on and off airplane mode.

I'll be able to charge at Thredbo. I'm going to Hitch to Omeo when I get to the hwy, or stay at Glen Wills retreat. Either get down to Bright or go to Mt Hotham.

Share a camp with some friendly car campers who might let you charge.

I'll take a notepad and pen if all else fails. The thing with the typing is - I usually write a lot when dreaming the afternoon away. Then at the end have five or six full notebooks to type out at the end - takes ages. Tested how it works on a three week Bibb walk. Type into notepad then email to yourself when you have 3G in case something happens to your phone.

I'll check the discussion in the tech thread, but the power bank was the go last time I researched power.

Hi Giddy

As I mentioned in the other post I started typing out my previous report here: https://jpquinton.wordpress.com/2015/01 ... il-part-1/

But it was taking forever. I'll be posting updates to the blog from time to time and let you guys know when full report is available and then the novel in a few years.

Cheers

Hi, I'm interested in your electronics set-up. I'm basically doing a year long bike tour but i want to do hike the aawt in the middle. I need to write too (blogging) and I was going to take a tablet and microsoft universal keyboard but i'm wondering, if you find typing a novel on an iphone doable, maybe i could too.

Presumabley you've used this setup before for some period of time? I've never actually owned a mobile phone and can hardly even use a tablet yet but i have been practicing a bit on my father's.

How long will your hike take and how much time a day are you likely to spend typing on your iphone and walking? Are there any issues with typing on the iphone?

Stroller and OP may find Alex Roddie's post about his electronics for hiking. He is a regular blogger and an excellent outdoor writer based in the UK, see http://www.alexroddie.com/2015/08/elect ... or-me.html
I have one of the keyboards he mentions, it is robust and folds up small.

Hi.

Yes I tested the Logitech keys to go keyboard out on a 3 weeks run on the Bibb track. I timed how long one paragraph took on the keyboard versus straight to the phone. It was 30 seconds faster for one paragraph with less mistakes.

With phone screens so big these days and more versatile than a tablet it seemed the way to go.

I could probably leave the kindle at home and just read on the phone, but the kindle is a pleasure when you're in camp.

You can sync your phone to your kindle so sometimes when I stop for lunch and can't be bothered dragging the kindle out I'll just read on there.

The time factor is up to you- when I travel solo I usually find I have about 2-3 hours a day for reading/writing. It depends on the purpose of your trip. If you're making time to blog you'll probably do 5-10km less a day or make camp later.

Altogether the AAWT usually takes 6 weeks. It can be done faster, it can be done slower.

Good luck with the walk mate.
I was the one at the Visitors Centre when you started, we had a decent chat about your gear.

Keen to know how you went when you finish.