Overland in June 09

[wildkai]

Hi Adam,
I've ended up scoring a Bunker1 from Ebay.
Kai

Interesting looking tent. Look forward to your review as either a emergency shelter or as a tent for camping out in.

There supposed to be great in really really cold, tough conditions but pretty terrible any where else....

I'll post up my experience with it after the trip.

[Nuts]

wildkai,

* whats the sleeping bag, (not a vango is it )? The temp rating sounds pulled from dark smelly place is all...
*2 poles may work best with snowshoes?
*metho perhaps Very slow?
*2 fleece jacket/pants? Perhaps be (good)s/bag hours before 2 necessary?

[wildkai]

wildkai,

* whats the sleeping bag, (not a vango is it )? The temp rating sounds pulled from dark smelly place is all...
*2 poles may work best with snowshoes?
*metho perhaps Very slow?
*2 fleece jacket/pants? Perhaps be (good)s/bag hours before 2 necessary?

Hey nuts,

*No, not a Vango! It's a Macpac Sanctuary 500 Light XP. http://www.macpac.com.au/shop/en_au/gear-and-clothing/sleeping-bags/sleeping-bags-mountain/sanctuary-500-light-xp.html?SID=V1BydqvEpBO22kYHQtgeAl7adHLZENIKw7z+/6z17LQ=
*Thanks for the 2 pole advice I wondered about that.
*I've tried to test out the metho on frozen water and the boiling times and fuel usage. That's one of the real variables and something I really don't want to run out of but easily could if I'm not careful. I'm pretty happy with the time and fuel usage - but I'm yet to find out just how much the ambient temperature affects these things!! It's all well and good in sunny brisbane in 20 - 25'c! I'm not a real fan of gas - purely because the canisters aren't recyclable!
*Are you suggesting to bring two fleece pants and two jackets? I've been a bit concerned about the legs! I think I'll be ok on top - i splurged on a Mont Icicle http://mont.com.au/index/catalog/product/055 to make sure my core stays warm!



kai

[north-north-west]

Normally I don't like lists so that is what I came up with. The list is not complete, just to give you a very rough idea


Clothes

1 short sleeve merino top (wear)
2 long sleeve merino top
2 long john's polypropylene
2 underpants
2 liner socks (wear one)
2 wool socks(wear one)
2 fleece jumper (wear one)
1 Zip-off pants (wear)
1 waterproof pants
1 waterproof jacket
1 Gaiters (wear)
1 beanie
1 gloves

Sleeping

4 season tent Exped Sirius Extreme
WM Ultralight
silk liner
3.8cm self inflatable mattress

Cooking

Trangia cookset
fuel
spoon
cup
(no plate eat out of zip-lock bag)

Other stuff like head torch, pocket knive, camera, towel, compass, EPIRB, 1st aid kit, food ...bla bla are not listed

Sort of boggling here - apart from a brand name or two, and the fact that all my thermals are merino, that's my usual cold weather packing list. Then again, it would be close to being a generic list . . .

[north-north-west]

1x bowel

Plus heart, liver, lungs etc, I hope . . .

[corvus]

samh and wildkai,
Looks like you will be well equipped for your trip a couple of suggestions if I may ,I would include a couple of disposable lighters, as matches can be fickle in the wet and consider individual packaged kleenex tissues 9 to a pkt in lieu of roll TP as you can disperse a few sealed pkts throughout your pack to ensure dry ones if the weather is really bad and wet (they are big enough to tear in 1/2 so that gives you 18 4 ply wipes if you like )and for ultimate comfort a pkt or two of kleenex flushable fresh wipes to finish
c

[photohiker]

kleenex flushable fresh wipes
c

biodegradeable wet ones? That's an excellent idea. Makes you wonder why they weren't so in the first place.

Thanks, will pack some of those next trip.

Michael

[walkinTas]

A little caution on recommending flushable wipes Corvus. Even though it is probably important that you pamper your aged posterior.

Firstly there is no industry standard for the term flushable - so long as they go around the bend it appears to be enough. But more importantly is the claim that they are biodegradable. There is evidence that flushable wipes "do not disperse in water in any time frame (other than perhaps geological), have varying biodegradability and essentially maintain their structure throughout their entire lifetime in the waste water system". There have even been reports of blocked septic systems where families have switched to using wipes instead of TP.

Whether those reports are convincing or not, there are good studies that shows that TP breaks down very slowly in Alpine soils (due to the cold, wet soil conditions). Introducing wipes (or anything that breaks down slower) into these regions would be worse. For the sake of making a low impact on the wilderness you visit, all Bushwalkers should be encouraged to use TP - and preferably TP that has a fast or high biodegradation rating - and should avoid anything else. It would be better to carry wipes out or dispose of them into toilets that will be removed, but please don't bury them in alpine soils.

[samh]

I normally always bring some kind of wet wipes with me, no matter what sort. I carry them out anyway.

[Son of a Beach]

I agree with wT... do not leave wipes buried in the wilderness. You can take them and use them, but make sure you carry them back out with you, if you do. Have a look at the manufacturers recommendations for any home AWTS (sewerage system) - they will explicitly say not to flush wipes into them. They will wreck the pumps, cause blockages, etc. They do not biodegrade in any reasonable time frame.

Tissues is probably a good idea, but toilet paper is obviously best for the environment, as it is actually designed to break down quickly in water. Even TP can take years to break down in the Tassie alpine environment.