Bushwalk Australia

Hey guys,

Going to walk the Overland in late July with my girlfriend, planning to stay in the huts.

I'm totally dialed on 99% of the gear (and really psyched ) - the only thing I'm a bit uncertain on is sleeping pads. We both use Exped Synmat UL7 (R = 3.3) which have been comfortable down to freezing, but I'm expecting colder in July in Tassy.

If I was sleeping in a tent I'd 100% take an additional CCF pad to stick on top... but will that be necessary in the huts? I'm thinking that since you're not directly on the ground maybe less insulation is needed... but I don't want to be cold.

Thoughts?

The more R's the better Hard to say, i'd go lighter on bedding, heavier on clothing. The hut sleeping platforms can get cold but not as bad as the aerated tent platforms. All the huts are insulated now so minuses inside are likely less frequent.

Iv'e been hearing about at least one or two hut heaters out of gas already (which sometimes is.. but may or may not be the case in fact).. Keep in mind that in winter you may be the only ones using the huts and the only ones generating heat (they can be a fair bit warmer with a large group cooking). It's arguable whether the huts would be much warmer (later into the night) if you are the only ones, rather than a good winter tent/groundsheet (which you'll need anyway) with two up.

PS, we use thermarest trekker (R2 or something) but carry thick groundsheets (and 2mm foam overlay sheets in winter)/ -9c bags.
We had -18c bags at one stage. Really warmth is open ended, some people still got cold, -18c bags and down mats..

With so much space in the huts, can always set up the tent inside to trap the heat.

True

Heat lost upward doesn't worry me too much - we'll have a -1c down double quilt to share and a long&wide -1c synth quilt to throw over which I think gets us to about -12c... plus merino, fleeces and puffy jackets to be layered as required.

I would go for a minimum of R3 but the more the better, just depends on what you want to carry.
R3 or better mat + a good sleeping bag rated at -10 C or better and most people will be ok
The thin foam overlay like a yoga mat are a good way of boosting an R3 mat a bit and then you don't have to carry the high R rating mat for summer walks, see Nuts post above

Those yoga mats are not light. A quality high R mat would be lighter in comparison to mat + yoga mat.

If you are sleeping in the hut proper an R2 will be plenty. The timber base will add some insulation and the mat is mainly for comfort.

Outside, at least R4, preferably more.

Nuts wrote:The more R's the better

You mean like a pirate Nuts

Aye .. I

We've been using the Exped multimats (I just happen to have one for sale ) cut into thirds and resewn = three separate pads around 1m x .7mx 2mm (+nylon), around 100g's each, negligible space. Usually there are other reasons these, the 2R pads and the -9c bags wont work (and other cures), usually compensate by handing out down vests and synthetic jackets. As I say we started with -18c bags and downmats, too hot for most (but not all), less versatile.

Anyhow, think it's something i'd want to be satisfied with personally, i'd take something, for little extra weight penalty..take regardless of mat R value.

We're already skewing pretty excessive on the clothing front... like merino longs, fleece pants, thick socks, 100 weight fleece jackets, synth puffies (preferred for stops when backs are sweaty or it's raining) and had been thinking we'd throw in a light down jacket each as well (at least a vest) to wear under / over the synth. I'm thinking we can push the 3.3 to pads pretty far with that many clothes, even if an emergency forced us to set up the duomid and sleep outside we should be fine (at least in terms of survival > comfort)

PS - that multi-mat is kind of interesting... much lighter solution than the overkill option of 2x TAR ridge rests I was thinking about... One under the middle of our two pads would be almost wide enough - I have a medium-wide pad, so we'd be short by about 12.5 cm... Still 310g gram I can probably avoid though

I would go for a lighter back-up option like an AMK heatsheet, which would work well as a ground sheet right under the mats, or as a heat reflector above. I would think that would give you the benefits without the added weight of more mats. It also lets you share a bit more heat, important if one of you is cold and the other isn't.
If your bags are near the rating you need them, then there are other little tricks you can use.

One thing if your girlfriend is not used to the cold. Women's clothes tend to be on the tight side, and layering doesn't help. that can cause constriction on the skin, making it feel cooler than it really is, which can make it more uncomfortable than it needs to be. women tend to be more susceptible to this due to a tendency to lower blood pressure and circulation. Its a fairly common thing to happen. My wife doesn't due cold since there isn't a set of non-electric boots that will keep her feet warm. just don't exist. Survival isn't on your mind when your toes hurt.

RE: Gas and coal supplies, I think Parks has just restocked the huts for the winter. There was a lot of heli activity on the weekend.

I took a Thermarest Prolite which has a rating of 2.2 to Barrington Tops last July. There was plenty of snow up there and a howling wind which we were very exposed to. We put down a budget blue tarp, another thin ground sheet and then our tent (Big Agnes Copper Spur) and after using the Thermarest, the snow was still there in the morning (i.e. under the tent). Sleeping bag was an average quality kathmandu with a rating of -1 (I think) and I used a thermal liner and slept in thermals.

Not sure if that helps and what others thoughts are.

We(adult son and me) use Prolite 4 Reg mats 2.2 R both Summer and Winter in Tassie, Tents and Huts and have found in Winter that having a "Real Space Blanket" 204x120 weight around 290g under us foil side up increases the thermal efficiency of our -5 Down sleeping bags even on the Snow.
In the Huts even with the heaters operational they don't keep working all night as they are on a timer so someone needs to get out of bed to re set them so personally we ensure that we are well set when going to bed with extra clothing if needs be
At that time of the year(speaking from experience) you could encounter deep Snow so you may need to consider Snow Shoes especially at the Northern end .
Regardless of this hope you enjoy your Walk and don't forget the pics