Bushwalk Australia

I just thought a spot to share what gear you love and maybe why... could be you bought it for 50c 150 years ago and it still rocks... or you might just buy one or two when ya win the lotto ( or sell a child perhaps )
you get the idea

heres what i either have and value or would like at some stage:

Stephensons triple bag
Arcteryx theta AR coat; ideally a knee-length, waterproof, breathable, durable coat with a great fitting hood that allows neck/head movement with adjustable peak for glasses
Macpac Olympus (Juniper) Tent
or maybe a hilleberg... Nallo 2
One Planet McMillan Backpack $450 - 500ish
Leatherman Skeletool belt-tool $35 (second hand) cant say how many times this has been handy.
Sea to Summit Quagmire canvas (Large) Gaiters $60ish
Army Fitted Cup and bottle in pouch water and cup $20 this with a cheap slim solid fuel stove in the bag on the pack belt is great for a hot lunch quick stop..
Generic Hard Anodised Billy Can 20cm Billy Can $25 sooooo useful and versatile - stronger ones will keep their shape better
Scout type flint and steel
EPIRB
waterproof pack liner and bags
deck of cards / book
candle
Missus ( in a good mood )



i could keep goin on for a while here but that'll do for now - how about you?
cheers, Liam

Well where to start!

I guess top of the list is a GPS, probably the Garmin GPSMAP 60cSx
I also need to buy an PLB, for when I need a helicopter ride

Other things I would like are:

WE Karinjiji 85L pack - for those longer trips
New STS Quagmires
Mont Icicle down jacket
Icebreaker thermals
A daypack - no preference of brand yet
More camera lenses for my Olympus E-510 - I regard this as a bushwalking item
A wife to cook my meals while I am hiking

Other than a thermos that keeps water hot, i think i'd like:

- a decent compact camera with GPS for geotagging that's also drop/waterproof (dropped my lumix in at the edge of a creek on Saturday but fortunately the trickle and the case prevented water damaging the camera)
- a goretex jacket (or whatever some salesperson convinces me is the most breathable yet waterproof)
- new thermals (an overnighter is planned in the Blue Moutains in August)
- a food dehydrator (you can't buy real freeze-dried beef/chicken mince in Australia)
- a spot locator thingy (I'm a geek that wants family to have piece of mind)
- pacer poles (they have fancy handles and make you look like a preying mantis)

Because of other threads in this forum, I think there should also be cameras and sunglasses that contain their own spot-style GPS locator.

I bought myself a $150 Slik ballhead tripod for a trip to Europe in February. It was great compared to the Manfrotto 'pod I use at home - way lighter and shorter. A Carbon fibre one would be lighter again but I can cope.

A helicopter. That is all.

Actually, I lie. New knees and a new right ankle. And new elbows would be good too.

Yeh some sort of hover craft or jetpack would be cool, then I wouldnt have to ask for the new back.....

Laimy, Dont put STS gaiters on a wish list, They are ok, but im convinced there has to be better out there! Looking forward to testing out my OP RFG's!! The guy who I got them off (who I also know outside of being a salesman) says the RFG stands for REALLY f$@#$ing GOOD!!

i havn't bought em yet... might have to rethink it then!!

i have been using a leather pair a mate made for me a while ago... bit warm for em over here in WA though.. great with scrub and rocks but not too light and take a bit of maintaining....

ollster wrote:A helicopter. That is all..

Ahhhh, a man after my own heart. That's exactly what I was going to say.
Although a new left shoulder and right hip wouldn't go astray either.

And a canoe. Or sea kayak. Something to paddle and carry gear with. And a lightweight tripod instead of the 50 tonne Manfrotto I have.

Though, most of all, I'd just love to have the time and money to make the most of what gear I already have . . .

Forget all that, hows about the ANTI-GRAVITY pack we were talking about Oll?? That way you could carry just about anything you wanted anywhere for any amount of time

or half a dozen sexy pack bearers?

but i think the antigrav pack might be less stress in the long run?!

I guess my real wishlist would be something like:

-one of those inflatable rafts, they look awesome.
-endless supply of free outerwear so that after each scrub trip I have working wet weather gear rather than pincushions in the shape of clothing.
-some awesome GPS with great signal, decent interface, all the tassie maps including foliage and battery life of about a week
-micro 4/3 camera (Panasonic or something) or some brilliant superzoom compact.
-SPOT
-Walkie talkies (10-4 Big Daddy!)
-A range of tents and bivvies for specific functions
-More One Planet packs, maybe one of each.
-Arm gaiters!
-Ultimately, I'd like all items custom designed for me, like boots, gaiters, gloves, packs etc, because there's always something I don't like about the stuff I've got.

Pretty vague list, but that's just me.

Roger that big daddy...kyyyk...out.
(hmm...big daddy sounds kinda wrong...how about brown dozer?).

A heavy duty sewing machiene.....
they just dont make some of the gear i want.....
I would love to combine some of the materials used in motorcycle gear into coats and gaiters for starters.... not to mention how much easier it would have been modifying the gear i already have done by hand....

I guess my ultimate favorite bits of kit are
Flint lighter
merino thermals
comfy leather boots
knife
tinwhistle (cant play very well but at least when i play in the bush instead of home the chooks at home keep layin!)
dark sense of humour - helps with Murphys Law (wouldn't we all like to stuff his Law back up his left nostril someday!)

I would love to get hold of a really comfy, waterproof, wartm and light sleeping bag ... close but not quite there yet.....

Hi All

Gradually got gear together after numerous false starts and have the survivors pretty much sorted.

1. One Planet McMillian. Near as possible to perfection for the traditional Tassie bushwalking pack. In this age of more compact gear the OP Stiletto might just pip it for people that fill packs with XL or XXL things, though for medium people a OP Shadow looks promising.

2. Hilleberg tent, the Katium three is near perfect for two with the ability to cater for the third no problems. For solo I like my Akto and respect the Scarp. Maybe perfection on that front is if Hilleberg duplicated the size dimensions of the Scarp. Then again maybe they have with the Nallo but at 2.1 it is just a bit heavier than I would like for a solo tent.

3. PP Vista Goretex jacket and pants. Heavy, yes, breaths, yes, tough as nails, yes, long enough, well maybe.

4. Sleeping bag. WM Badger with Gore-tex Dryloft is near as perfect for a a 6' 3" person when matched to a Sea to Summit Event compression bag.

5. Pro-lite four sleeping mat is a remarkable piece of gear but a Neo-air is looking very tempting.

6. Cooking gear. For multiple people in freezing conditions down to say -5 the Primus ETA is the go with gas. For fast and light the Pimus Weekender with Optimus folding Crux is great but equally happy with the Kovea Ti, just prefer the broader flame of the Crux.

7. Snow Peak double wall cup at 300 ml. In freezing conditions it is the difference between hot drinks or luke warm drinks plus avoid burnt hands.

8. GPS, a Windows type one that runs Ozi Explorer and all the Tasmap on a card. Had an IPAQ that could do that but failed the real world walking experience. Live in hope.

9. Mobile phone. Nokia 6120 does a remarkable job but the dream of a mobile phone with long batter life, excellent coverage and waterproof fails with the nightmare that is Telstra.

10. Decent map case that takes the 1:25000 series Tasmaps without having to extract them and re-fold when near the edges of the map. The ALOHSAK 22,700 CC is good but without the over printing would be better, yes you are from the USA but need not shout so much about your virtues.

11. Mont Merlin down jacket. Water repealing Hydronaut fabric, with 700 loft down and long cut that means warm over the kidneys and arms with room to move. Now might fall for the charms of a WM jacket but would miss the bullet proof construction of the Mont. None better in the local moderately over price jacket range.

12 Waterproof clothing bag with Therma-rest value to let air out when squashing it. I have the OR type with ultra tough material but would be happy with a lighter grade as my friend has or had

About all of the main stuff. Yes lighter, stronger, cheaper please but a good start. The only thing I lust for is a Neo-air and then that would trigger the overwhelming desire to get a OP Long Stiletto pack. Scarpa SL boots and Black Diamond walking poles are now well and truly fixed items, enough said

Cheers Brett

One of those sailing Kayaks from Hobie. Its based on the standard 'Adventurer' Kayak, and you can use it like that, or add the side pontoons called "Ama's" and the mast and go sailing. It also has their "Mirage Drive" which is apparently not the joke I thought it was...

A bridge.
From Cape Patterson, via the Kent and Furneaux Islands, to Tasmania.

I'd be willing to pay a reasonable toll - say $25 - $50 each way. I'd even be willing to share it with the rest of you.

north-north-west wrote:A bridge.
From Cape Patterson, via the Kent and Furneaux Islands, to Tasmania.

I'd be willing to pay a reasonable toll - say $25 - $50 each way. I'd even be willing to share it with the rest of you.

Wont you be wantin a new car to go with that bridge??

No, the Beast is now running very nicely thank you very much and will be well and truly earning its keep after all the trouble it's given me lately.

Unless you have a spare 911 to give me . . . ?

I sure do!.... but as i'm sitting down i can't reach it for you atm....

north-north-west wrote:A bridge.
From Cape Patterson, via the Kent and Furneaux Islands, to Tasmania.

I'd be willing to pay a reasonable toll - say $25 - $50 each way. I'd even be willing to share it with the rest of you.

Now I would love to see the planing approval process for that Be more expedient to fit a very, very long snorkel to the beast as you already have the driving oops sorry diving gear

Cheers Brett