Australians slow on the uptake of lightweight gear?

[Nuts]

If you can find a way to access ebay us and uk or similar free sites there's a lot of lightweight gear on the cheap (for brand name light stuff).
Then there's that gear is generally much cheaper, though the expensive older gear is now worth very little (in trading down).

Weight in boots isn't on your back, or hips or knees (especially). But otoh I'm thinking that the support of boots itself helps damage knees. And likely ankle support at the expense of stronger ankles.

[rcaffin]

the support of boots itself helps damage knees
Try tieing a half-brick to each boot and walking around. You may find the extra weight rather tiring.
Anyhow, weight on your feet DOES impact on your ankles, knees and hips. You have to lift that weight with every step.

Yeah, I know: the myths of 'support' die hard. But for many of us, they have died.

Cheers
Roger

[alanoutgear]

Like others I too have been converting to lighter weight gear over a number of years. I'm now in my late 60s and a bit of osteoarthritis (mainly in my feet) makes carrying heavy loads problematic at the end of the day. Changing from a 3kg tent to a 1.6kg tent, a lighter quilt rather than a sleeping bag, and a lighter sleeping mat have all made a difference, as did changing from a 400g stove to a 30g stove. It all adds up to a better walking experience for me. I have also given up walking in winter in cold climates, and especially avoid snow walking now - it's just too cold and I'd need to take my heavier gear to be comfortable. I did purchase a lighter 65 litre pack than my OP McMillan, but on the first day of the GOW I snagged it on a rock and tore a great hole in it. That would never happen with my OP pack so I've decided to keep using it despite the extra kg or more.

What I really need to do is work out how to dehydrate the 700ml of Port that I want to take with us on the KIWW in a week or two. Suggestions welcomed.

[slparker]

What I really need to do is work out how to dehydrate the 700ml of Port that I want to take with us on the KIWW in a week or two. Suggestions welcomed.

Dehydrated port? = Cognac

All the taste complexity, half the weight.

[alanoutgear]

Bonus! Thanks slparker - I'll quaff the Port at home and buy a bottle of Cognac on Monday.

[Petew]

I used to take port but have switched to fireball cinnamon flavoured whiskey. It hits the same spot for me.

Powdered alcohol is a thing, though not sure it's legal in Australia or if it's even palatable.

[rcaffin]

Powdered red wine exists (or used to), but reports all say it was AWFUL.

Cheers
Roger

[Petew]

I'm sure it's all disgusting and you would be better off spinning around in a circle really fast to get your jollies

Plus it's ultralight.....

[bobcrusader]

Powdered red wine exists (or used to), but reports all say it was AWFUL.

Cheers
Roger

But it made for a funny review:
"Clumpy, musty odor, like drinking beetroot juice spiked with cheap vodka that has spoiled at the bottom of the ocean for three hundred years."

[Petew]

That is a most descriptive wine review, and honest!

[Moondog55]

Been rereading my old PaddyPallin guide
We've always tried to keep down the weight I would say. I think it's just that it is so easy these days to add in a few extra comfort items.

[Petew]

Does it say what he considered comfort items?

[Moondog55]

The comfort items are my inclusion, such as my CCF pad and the mattress, without which I couldn't sleep at all.
We used to spend a lot of time "in the old days" just gathering dry grass and leaves with which to make a mattress to sleep on, we don't need to do that now. Paddy Pallins lightweight summer kit at 14pounds 12ounces is still reasonably light considering it was canvas rucksacks and japara tents and sleeping bag shells, my 1953 booklet mentions a summer sleeping bag equal in warmth to 3 good woolen blankets weighing only 3 pounds, the weight of a single blanket. The big 4 have become a lot lighter as have a lot of other items along the way but we have added some stuff because we no longer cook over open fires, cut down trees to make tent poles and some other practices that were appropriate when there were very few people around but are now unacceptable because of the heavy use the areas get. Some of my "comfort" items are also there to minimise my environmental impact so I don't have to cut and gather dried grass etc

[Petew]

14 pounds is pretty amazing considering the tech and materials available. I imagine that gear was much harder to source and a lot of myog. I started in the early 80's with being 'outdoorsy' and the gear then was way better than it was a decade before.

[Moondog55]

To put it in perspective the same booklet lists the "Standard weight" as 19pounds. I think the LW kit may have been a third more in cost but I don't have any 1950 catalogues to check, but it this is the case then the difference then gave a better bang for buck that our current costs but our standard gear is so light anyway that going lower means state of the art and that always costs a lot more.
I think out resistance if there is any is to the high cost of Uber-Ultralite and due to cost more than anything and a lot of the added cost is the weakness of out dollar in International trade, good for exporters bad for importers

[rcaffin]

In all this one should remember that the quality of the gear available HAS changed. A light-weight Paddy A-frame tent in the gold colour was fairly light, for sure, but it also leaked badly in heavy rain. Coated synthetic materials do not leak.
Sleeping bags in those days had heavy shells with a bit of down in them; today the shell is much lighter but probably has a fair bit more down, all for the 'same' weight.
By and large, they did not have UL insulated air mats in those days. If you took a LiLo, it was heavy and cold.
Given a choice between ye oldie oiled Japara jacket and a modern coated synthetic jacket ...

To be sure, the weakness of the AU$ is a factor, but the reluctance of Oz retailers to carry UL gear and their enthusiasm for 150% markup may also be a factor. True, bricks and mortar costs these days (ie rent) is a serious problem, relative to buying from the web or from the manufacturer. When I have to buy, which is not that often, I buy from the mfr overseas and pay the freight: the total is usually (literally) half the Oz retail cost.

Cheers
Roger

[Moondog55]

Roger has a point. But also simple standard gear and clothing from any big retailer IS as good as the state of the art was a decade or two ago and in many cases not far removed from the current state of the art, this too have been mentioned before. But balanced against that there is a feel good comfort factor in using gear you are used to and that favourite woolen jumper might not be as light or as warm as the down and polyester equivalent but it might be that one thing you simply can't leave behind. My heavy weight comfort items include a favourite jumper [ cashmere in my case so almost UL] and my old stainless steel army canteen cup, walking is not only about the walking, it's about the why too.
Don't miss the stinky old oiled japara at all but I don't have an UL equivalent yet, I got a cheap poncho instead for summer walking.

[rcaffin]

Ponchos - Oh yeah, for sure!

1942.jpg (95.44 KiB) Viewed 26222 times

Under Triglav, Via Alpina.
MYOG ponchos, silnylon.

Cheers
Roger

[ChrisJHC]

and my old stainless steel army canteen cup...

I also found it hard to give up my “cup, canteen, steel” but finally moved across to a round titanium mug which is much better both in terms of weight and usability.

[Moondog55]

Coffee just doesn't taste the same from my Titanium mug or my plastic one which is even lighter

[rcaffin]

Sounds to me as though the taste you are missing might be the taste of old steel corroded by your coffee ...


Cheers

[slparker]

If the cups, canteen, steel had seen service it’s probably the hexamine residue he’s tasting.....

[rcaffin]

Erk!

[trekker76]

Depends what level of hiker. For the average hiker, making up the bulk of numbers, LW and UL fall into the slightly advanced knowledge area, and as such won't interest them as much. Anymore than you or I bother getting professional lessons to improve our recreational jogging , cycling, swimming experiences.

Australia also has a small more spread out population so we dont have the market intensity for quick fad changes.

As to whether Australia wears out gear faster, as others have pointed out on the thread, its not a nation wide answer.

Eg. I like to go LW or UL for internal items, non perishables or items not facing the environment. For external materials and objects facing the climate(tents, packs, clothing etc) I go heavy but economical mil grade options. 1. because it will survive the longest( I could ruin an UL pack in a single walk off trail here) and 2. when rot and mold do finally kill it( 2-5 yrs usually) its not expensive to replace. This won't change in my region until someone invents a wonder substance tougher and cheaper than 1000D cordura.

[BirchallOutdoors]

There seems to be a few judgemental views on here. When it comes down to it people will spend money on whatever something is worth to them. I don’t mind spending a bit extra on good quality lightweight gear to get the most out of my experience. I can do that and not even have to justify it. Someone else might spend their money on cars, or clothes, or big nights out at the pub. I don’t think people generally turn around and say those expenses are “laughable”. Each to their own.

I think what’s very different here than in the U.S. is the lack of local cottage vendors and small family businesses developing ultralight products for a reasonable price and postage.

[Neo]

Ah, an all-aussie ul kit!

Half way through a morning coffee (half brain), I can think of:

Backpack from wilderness threadworks
Quilt from Mike or Tiergear
DIY metho stove & pot
Treking poles from a native sapling

No tents that I know of, but tarps are available.

What/who else is there?
One will require water carry, cookwear, lighting, rainwear (mont/op), clothing...

Edit: definitely not cottage anymore, Sea to Summit for all the bits n bobs.

[Kickinghorse]

The Dark Side!
https://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/40283422/

Phil

[rcaffin]

Looks OK to me. Dunno about the weight, but effective.

Cheers
Roger

[Kickinghorse]

Packaged weight 220g Roger.

Phil

[Kickinghorse]

Not Sure if it has the volume to cover both the wearer and a pack. Will go to Ikea and check one out.
Phil