Going Light(er) in Tassie

[Champion_Munch]

Interesting solution you've come up with moondog, although you will have to carry it around the rest of the time you are walking too. What are the '10 essentials'?

I also came across this little day pack: http://www.wildearth.com.au/buy/sea-to- ... /AUDPACKyw, has anyone used one before? Looks well priced at $25, would shave a couple of hundred grams off my current one.

[kitty]

Staying dry equates to staying warm for me. I took the spare clothes last time because when it rained hard, most of what I was wearing was at least damp if not soaked, and I needed something dry to sleep in! Can't imagine how you could expect to stay warm when you are wet and temps are close to zero?

As per the Overland Track Gearlist....
"Regardless of how wet your walking clothes get, always keep a set of dry clothes for when you stop walking. It is impossible to warm up when all your clothes are wet."

I use the S2S daypack...its light, packs small and can carry a days food, water and wet weather gear. Very handy.

[Mark F]

+1 on the S2S day pack. I often take one if I plan on side trips.

For me, the spare set of clothes is a set of light polypro thermals, a light down jacket and a pair of socks - around 500 grams. The thermals do double duty, poly pro will dry off quite quickly once you reach your destination if you have to wear them during the day. I don't carry spares. In cold conditions I may wear a merino zip neck top and carry a spare polypro top.

On your cooking gear, if walking with my partner I take a single, amazingly indestructable, black polypropylene bowl from a Lean Cuisine (also other brands) microwave meal (18 grams) which my partner uses and I eat out of the pot as normal.

[corvus]

- I'm a fan of Pure soap (seek laundry isle). It can be used to wash yourself, clothes, dishes. Everything. A cake of soap can be cut down.

Soap is unnecessary. Washing bodies and clothing is a waste of time as everything will get just as smelly and dirty the next day. Utensils can be easily cleaned with sand, some vegetation (scoparia makes a great scourer, for instance) and/or plain water and a scourer. It's better for the environment and lighter.

+1

[Alittleruff]

Ok...Ok... so I'm a newbie. I might give the soap the flick next trip & take hand sanitiser.

[Moondog55]

Interesting solution you've come up with moondog, although you will have to carry it around the rest of the time you are walking too. What are the '10 essentials'?

Of course you have to carry it around all the time. That is why they are termed the "Essentials"
Water
Navigation
Signalling
Safety and Sanitation
Shelter
Fire
Food


http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/assets ... tials.aspx

https://www.mountaineers.org/learn/how- ... essentials

[stry]

Ok...Ok... so I'm a newbie. I might give the soap the flick next trip & take hand sanitiser.

Dunno about that. Those kids undies would be better dealt with with mild soap, as additive free as you can find Maybe sand and fingernails would work,maybe not

Everyone's needs differ. I don't use or carry sanitiser and don't remember when I last carried soap. That doesn't mean that it is wrong for you

[photohiker]

Take some Dr Bronners (not a whole pack)

http://www.drbronner.com.au/collections ... stile-soap

[Franco]

I use Dr Bronners. (in a much smaller bottle)
You only need a drop or two with 2-4 L of water.

[Alittleruff]

Pure-castile soap in liquid form + packaging is what Dr. Bronners essential is.
You know you can make this at home.... by dissolving shavings of pure soap and boiling it in water. You can also make it into liquid soap for dispensing.
If I carry pure soap, I am reducing the packaging and the weight.
I might slip a small cut of section of soap in my pack after all.

[gayet]

Using soap sparingly and if necessary in the bush is ok, provided you keep it and the used water well away from water sources, disperse it widely to avoid localised toxicity etc - don't dump your washing water in one spot and don't wash in or near a creek, lake etc. For a few days only it shouldn't be necessary. A few weeks maybe

Hand sanitiser has a slightly different role and should be used carried anyway - does more for avoiding gastro than just washing

[RonK]

I can't see the point in carrying soap either.
For obvious environmental reasons, you cannot use it in or near any streams.

So you would then need another unnecessary item, a folding bucket or such to carry sufficient water for bathing/ laundering away from the stream.

[Nuts]

I went through this with groups, entertaining the thought of even whether swimming was a good idea (with whatever un-natural residue still stuck to our bodies). At the end of the day it was a dash of natural soap, often only 5-10mm each is used from dropper bottles.. but along with them, S2S wash basins, to take water well away from the source.. We carry sanitiser too so not exactly any weight savings there.. (and sanitiser isn't without it's own set of questions, some only now being considered)

I think Munch would do best considering the big items as mentioned first by others. Weight saving doesn't necessarily have to rely on expensive gear changes but it's either that or experience/ known compromise (or DIY). The walk planned is mostly sheltered or with occasional hut access but even then i'd not rely on tarps/UL tents without some backup.

Leeches roll off or drop off when full and mossies shouldn't be an issue in Autumn

PS. I like m'dog's grab bag of essentials, good idea & also use one of those lightweight S2S daypacks, flimsy but most often just used as an extra stuff sack.

[Moondog55]

Unscented laundry soap is pretty benign environmentally if not used in excess and I always carry a small bit but I stopped using toxic sunscreens years ago and have gone back to clown cream and LW long clothing mainly and accepting the risk of a melanoma

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Parks say don't take soap, so I don't take soap.

People get gastro, particularly from hut walks like OLT, because they don't use common sense and good hygiene - not through lack of soap.

Touching rain tank taps and then their face. Putting their cutlery on benches and dirty surfaces. Using the same bottle of sanitiser in the toilet as they use for food.

It's not rocket science.

Agree with comments about size and weight being important. Smaller gear needs a smaller pack, and avoids big packs which bulge out and pull down in your shoulders.

[Nuts]

'Parks' recommend treating the water as well and iv'e never intentionally treated a drop. It's good advice nevertheless, abbreviated for the masses. Dispersing a few mls of 'natural' soap away from water courses is better than lathering up with shampoo in the creeks..

I agree, gastro mostly being transferred between people, some forethought around huts and toilets and water sources trumps the mere carriage of soap.

[north-north-west]

Ok...Ok... so I'm a newbie. I might give the soap the flick next trip & take hand sanitiser.

Dunno about that. Those kids undies would be better dealt with with mild soap, as additive free as you can find

Make a game of it - the second day you wear the undies inside out. It's hygienic enough (I've done this for a month on end without any PIDs or UTIs or other issues) and if you handle them the right way the kids will get into the swing of it.

Agreed, some of us do get a little fanatical about some of these issues (yeah, me included, so don't bother pointing fingers, OK.)

[biggbird]

Eljimberino, you seem keen rob us of enjoyment on our hike! I will leave some comments next to yours below. Your feedback is, again, welcome.

Hey mate,
Gear (other than big 4)
Day Pack (259 g) - delete how will we do day trips/side trips without a day pack? You can always use your big pack as a daypack, presuming you are doing daywalks from an already erected tent. Just empty everything into the tent, pack all you day stuff into your big pack. A bit larger than you need, but it saves on taking the extra pack.
Walking pole (350 g) delete walking poles are pretty useful, almost essential, for people with bad knees (this includes myself) when carrying a heavy pack. likely I will have a heavy enough pack to warrant bringing a single pole. Everybody has different ideas about walking poles, but if you use them regularly and are accustomed to walking with them, I would suggest that you take it with you! It will often be in your hand anyway, so doesn't really add to your pack weight.

Essentials
1st aid kit (329 g) <- could definitely cut down get below 100g suggestions on what it should contain? the reason the weight was so high previously was due to the fact that I carried it around my waist in a bum bag. A <100g first aid kit really doesn't seem like it would be very useful. Pretty hard to call a few ibuprofen, a few paracetamol and a bandaid a first-aid kit... End of the day, look at what is in it, and think about what you actually know how to use/do. Some stuff is great, if you know what to do with it, but pointless if you don't. Pretty sure my first-aid kit weighs around 400g, but that may just be to do with my inflated sense of skill .
Compass and whistle (22 g)
Guidebook, maps (368 g) <- could just scan the relevant pages.
2 x 1 L water bottles (empty plastic water bottles from supermarket)
Torch and spare batteries (88 g) don't need spares do you usually just swap with new batteries before heading out? i tried this on a recent 3 day walk, but 10 days a bit longer... I would absolutely bring spare batteries. Pretty rough not being able to see where you're going when you get up to pee in the middle of the night for the sake of saving 30g... Also, if you do happen to get lost and the chopper is searching for you at night, a good light is going to make life a hell of a lot easier.

Cooking
Gas burner (85 g)
Gas and matches (unsure - bought 3 x 120 g at the shop keeper's insistence, but only went through just over one of them in 5 days for 2 people)
Pot (263 g) lighter pots are not that expensive, try to find one you can drink out of aswell any suggestions for what pots to look at?
Bowls (93 g for 2) only need one for your partner there will be three of us. actually I only used my bowl in order to sit my zip loc bag'd meals in while they are too hot / when there is a chance of leakage. but this could be amended by placing inside another zip loc bag I guess... When I walk with my partner, we typically take 2 pots, and just eat out of those, without separate bowls. Obviously when going with three, one bowl might be useful, but I probably wouldn't bother with two. Are you able to sit the meals up in the other pot instead?
Sporks (21 g for 2)
Spare zip-loc bags (28 g)what for? see above. also for carrying out waste. Never know when you might need a ziplock!
Chopping board (9 g)delete. Agreed. Particularly if you have a pot lid, as you can just cut on there, or otherwise most things can be cut without the need for a board, just make sure your knife is sharp!
Small knife (22 g)
Measuring cup (16 g)delete
Rubbish bags (21 g)

Misc
Toilet paper (41 g)
Dozen pegs (55 g)delete used for drying clothes hanging on the outside of pack (provided it is no longer raining of course). one of the less critical items i suppose. I usually take pegs, but a dozen is probably more than sufficient. I guess a half dozen? Not really a big deal, as the weight/space savings are minimal anyway.
Trowel (97 g)
Towel (121 g)delete Personally, I disagree. A small microfiber towel can be quite useful, doesn't take up much space and doesn't weigh much. Personal preference!
Sunscreen (149 g)delete - cover all skin, get a good hat i prefer to walk in shorts and short-sleeved shirts, but even if I choose long-sleeved everything, my face and neck are still likely to get burnt without sunscreen. no way i would go walking without it. Absolutely agree with you here. Walking without sunscreen seems like a good recipe for a very uncomfortable trip.
Rid (49 g)delete what are bugs like in the area we're heading to? RID necessary or not, you think? I personally don't bother carrying it. It won't keep the leeches away, and mozzies aren't that big of a deal.
Deo (30 g)delete wouldn't if i was by myself... but sleeping in close confines to my partner compels me to try and scrub up somewhat. If they're your partner, that's even more of an excuse to ditch it. It isn't a real walk if you don't smell! Personally never take deodorant.
Dettol (45 g)little bottle of hand sanitizer instead sorry, this IS hand sanitiser. Yup, good thing to take for sure.
Toothbrush (8 g)
Lip balm (7 g)delete for 7 g it's not a big deal... Agreed, and if you are the sort of person that gets dry lips regularly, it can make a big difference.
Hanky (13 g)
Glasses case (107 g) <- could probably do without. Doubt it, glasses case is kinda important... Maybe a slightly lighter one? But I would definitely take one.
Alarm (32 g)delete needed for the last day to ensure we are awake early enough to get the bus back
Ear plugs (10 g)
Camera, spare battery/SD cards (299 g)don't need spare battery - use phone camera? my phone is more than a decade old, i think even digital cameras were fairly rare then - it certainly can't take photos haha. i enjoy taking photos and my point and shoot camera fits into my pocket. Always worth taking your camera and spare batteries, otherwise you don't have the memories saved. I guess some people don't care, but I love to take photos, and am happy to carry the weight. Doesn't really look like your camera weighs very much anyway.
Notepad (80 g) <- could probably do without writing 100-200 words a day is valuable very surprised you are for notepads but against so many other things? Personally, I don't find the time/inclination to write whilst walking. But then, I don't find the time/inclination to do it whilst not walking either... A few scraps of paper can be useful for leaving messages, taking notes etc in case of emergency, but I wouldn't bother with a whole notepad. YMMV!

Clothing
Spare clothing - 1 x change of boxers, shirt, shorts, socks, sock liners (471 g) delete all of these as you cover them below
Thermal top (116 g)
Thermal bottom (139 g)
Rain jacket (229 g)
Rain pants (256 g)how quick do the pants you wear in the day dry out? staying warm is more important than staying dry
Microfleece jumper (194 g)is your rain jacket warm enough?
Beanie (70 g)
Gloves (36 g)
Thongs (197 g) <- could probably do without, now that I have swapped my big fat hiking boots for something a bit lighter - can you share these? I would recommend taking some type of camp shoe. A lot of people like crocs, as they're sturdy enough to wear for most river crossings too. Nothing beats the feeling of getting to camp and taking off hot, sweaty boots to put on nice, cool thongs!
Sleeping socks (90 g)one pair of dry socks is good
Gaiters (229 g)don't need these on Overland see comment above. I suspect gaiters would be deemed necessary where we are headed? Personally, I love gaiters, and wear them pretty much all the time. Given they are going to actually be on you the whole time you are walking, it's pretty hard to count them as pack weight, and the benefit they give is well and truly worth it IMO. I hate getting sticks and stones in my boots! Plus keeping mud off, keeping out a bit of light rain, plus generally just looking awesome.

Have added a few comments above. Walking is a very personal experience, and everybody has their own way of doing it which suits them. As you start to do more, you'll work out what suits you and what doesn't, and rejig your gear accordingly. What you want to take will also often change with different terrain, length of walk, companions etc. I guess I come from more of a comfort/reliability point of view, whereas others here are obviously more interested in serious UL! Personally, I would rather carry a few more Kgs and feel a little safer/happier. Horses for courses.

With regards to the clothes, like I said in the above comments, if you aren't smelly, you aren't doing it right! I usually just take one lot of clothes to walk in, with a set of thermals as dry clothes for camp. I would usually take 1 spare pare of undies, and 1 pair of socks to wear as drys. Depending on whether or not you double sock (thick and thin), maybe take one pair of each. Could understand taking an extra pair of socks, but sometimes you've just gotta get used to the idea of putting on wet, cold socks.

Anyway, hope that all of the advice everyone has given helps, and that you guys have an awesome walk!

[Champion_Munch]

Thanks again for all the detailed comments. I ended up getting the S2S 20 L day pack, but still trying to decide about a few other items.

bigbird, think I will ditch the pegs this time (as you say, you can always find other ways to attach stuff to the pack). Can probably do away without a second bowl, too. Regarding the chopping board, it's only a few grams and is paper-thin (and only a couple of inches square - cut down from a larger piece), so probably barely makes a difference to bring it or not. Might bring along spare torch batteries between the three of us, rather than each carrying spares (or none!). If mozzies aren't a big deal we'll skip on the RID, never seem to use it when we go camping anyway.

Looking at getting some new clothing - a lightweight down jacket, and rain/wind-proof jacket and pants. Any thoughts on the following?

Down jacket
- Uniqlo have jacket or parka (jacket with hood) options that seemed very light and comfortable enough when I tried them on in-store. http://www.uniqlo.com/au/store/men-ultr ... 80014.html // http://www.uniqlo.com/au/store/men-ultr ... 80014.html
- Kogan also have a down jacket, around 300 g (similar to Uniqlo) but half the price: https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/komodo-pac ... ack-small/

Outer layer
Tossing up between the very lightweight and cheap Pocket-it nylon jackets and pants from Kathmandu (~400 g for both) or slightly bulkier polyester rainbird stowaway jackets and pants (~650 g for both), bit more costly but seem to be more breathable and wind-tolerable. Has anyone had much experience with these? I used the pocket-it jacket last time and stayed dry in 1-2 days of constant rain but we were in forest... not sure how well it would hold up on the walls or labyrinth plateaus in bad weather.

UPDATE: ended up getting the rainbird jackets, 30% off at Anaconda and found a nice fitting size... just need to find the right size in the pants. Also going to upgrade the mat to the S2S Ultralight Insulated, see if I can get a 10% price beat at Anaconda over MD's $126...

Cheers,
Munch