Bushwalk Australia

Quick question, is the BPL site worth the money? That's not a criticism, a genuine enquiry. I guess there's a reasonable [ understatement! ] amount of freely available info out there online, is there really enough [ new/different stuff ] on the BPL site to warrant subscription costs?, or is it worth it just to have a lot of info in one place.

Credit card at the ready......

they do some pretty extensive articles. find one of their comparative reviews or state of the market reviews, pay for the one, and have a look, if you think thats worth paying for then its worth subscribing.
obviously its all slanted for ultralighters , if you're not interested in ultralight gear then there may not be much point,
but some of the gear they discuss is also gear that gets reasonably widespread use..
they did a really extensive comparative test of rainshells , they tested the moisture buildup in them, comparing jackets that have venting with the vents open and closed, came up with some interesting results and not what you'd expect. it the most breathable membranes didnt necessarily give the best results....

I bought an annual subscription recently but have not been able to access it. Very frustrating. I can't get them to respond to my e-mails either. Very disappointing.

K

If you are into the very technical details of gear and have a lot of time to read into and research gear, then it is worthwhile. I used to be a subscriber and I think these were the only articles I read.

You have to take a fairly critical approach most of the articles/content, to ensure that the test environment and situation is applicable in your situation.

yeah, they dont test the gear in tasmanian conditions....

I think it is good value.

Reviews are detailed and there is a focus on trying to use objective, science derived measures to comparisons.

Even if you are not aiming to be lightweight - there is a lot to learn from lightweight walkers.

Davidf61 wrote:Quick question, is the BPL site worth the money? That's not a criticism, a genuine enquiry. I guess there's a reasonable [ understatement! ] amount of freely available info out there online, is there really enough [ new/different stuff ] on the BPL site to warrant subscription costs?, or is it worth it just to have a lot of info in one place.

Credit card at the ready......

David
I subscribed to BPL for a year and it was definitely worth it. With a sub you can then trawl the archives and make copies of any relevant article you like.
After a year I found I had enough info to last me a while and that the day to day articles weren't relevant often enough to maintain my sub.
But in a few years I may subscribe again and play catch up.
Steve

I'm a paid subscriber - I think it is an excellent site IF you are into gear and UL

Need to consider the value of subscription to be in triple digit multiple of the subscription price, to account for all the subsequent premium purchases. Enter with care!

GPSGuided wrote:Need to consider the value of subscription to be in triple digit multiple of the subscription price, to account for all the subsequent premium purchases. Enter with care!

So true! It can be inspiring stuff if somewhat obsessive.
After I subscribed I bought some digital scales, started an Excel spreadsheet and went about obsessively weighing all my gear and searching the web for lighter alternatives. I even put a column in the spreadsheet of $/gram so I could calculate the most cost effective gear replacement.
I now have a new tent (well hammock, 500g less than my solo tent) a new sleeping bag for shoulder seasons (700g less than my old winter bag) and a new pack (about 1.5 kg less than my old 'Aching').
Don't regret a moment, lighter pack = happier walking.

Be prepared to pay for more than just the sub!

Happy Pirate wrote:

GPSGuided wrote:Need to consider the value of subscription to be in triple digit multiple of the subscription price, to account for all the subsequent premium purchases. Enter with care!

So true! It can be inspiring stuff if somewhat obsessive.
After I subscribed I bought some digital scales, started an Excel spreadsheet and went about obsessively weighing all my gear and searching the web for lighter alternatives. I even put a column in the spreadsheet of $/gram so I could calculate the most cost effective gear replacement.
I now have a new tent (well hammock, 500g less than my solo tent) a new sleeping bag for shoulder seasons (700g less than my old winter bag) and a new pack (about 1.5 kg less than my old 'Aching').
Don't regret a moment, lighter pack = happier walking.

Be prepared to pay for more than just the sub!

Hahahaha you made me laugh - I did pretty much the exact thing!

KANANGRABOYD wrote:

Happy Pirate wrote:

GPSGuided wrote:Need to consider the value of subscription to be in triple digit multiple of the subscription price, to account for all the subsequent premium purchases. Enter with care!

So true! It can be inspiring stuff if somewhat obsessive.
After I subscribed I bought some digital scales, started an Excel spreadsheet and went about obsessively weighing all my gear and searching the web for lighter alternatives. I even put a column in the spreadsheet of $/gram so I could calculate the most cost effective gear replacement.
I now have a new tent (well hammock, 500g less than my solo tent) a new sleeping bag for shoulder seasons (700g less than my old winter bag) and a new pack (about 1.5 kg less than my old 'Aching').
Don't regret a moment, lighter pack = happier walking.

Be prepared to pay for more than just the sub!

Hahahaha you made me laugh - I did pretty much the exact thing!

Yeah, I'm still tossing up if I can justify spending $50 for a 49g Flame Maple stove burner to replace my $10 ebay 100g burner.
But it's sooo light!!!

Actually what I discovered helped most was that the best weight savings can be made by looking to your food. I carry fresh whenever possible but it's heavy.
Actually doing a weight audit ain't such a bad idea generally. I was surprised.
Make sure you include food and luxuries, these are often your heavies.
S