advice on packs, boots, sleeping bags & tents

[AdamB]

Hi All,

I am fairly new to hiking and this forum and am seeking the advice of those more experienced.

I have recently been investigating equipment for multiday hiking etc and have been bombarded by brands, prices, usage, jargon and all the sales pitches imaginable.

My travels will be building up over the next 2-3 years and will include 2-3 day treks in my local area, the 3-4 day trek in the gold coast hinter lands, fraser island, hitchenbrook, new zealand and then hopefully Europe.

What i would like to know is the following, please bare in mind that the trekking im looking at varies in difficultly & length.


PACKS
What sized pack should i be looking at to fit a sleeping bag, tent, sleeping mat, stove etc? - 65L, 75L or 90L?
What brands are most reliable? - i was informed one planet is the best.
Should i look at getting a hybrid pack with a detachable day pack?
Is it better to have a pack with 2 compartments rather than one whole one for accessibility?
is it necessary to have one with a bladder included?

FOOTWEAR
What type of boot cut - Low, mid, or high will be most reliable for the treks im looking at?
what brands are most suitable?
Should i have two pairs?
Are gaiters necessary?

SLEEPING BAGS
what type of rating/thickness will my sleeping bag need to be for New Zealand & Europe, with out being to hot and uncomfortable for the goldcoast, fraser island and hitchenbrook?
what brands are most reliable?

SLEEPING MATS?
Will a poor quality mat lose heat and attribute to cold?
What is the ideal thickness without loosing to much pack space?
what brands are most reliable?

STOVE
what is the best type of portable stove and fuel type that will last over 3-5 night without taking up to much space?

TENT
What brands are most reliable?
Is a two man tent spacious enough for 2 people, 2 sleeping mats + backpacks etc?

CLOTHES
what thermal clothing is recommended for the above treks?


I do realise this is a lot to answer and i do appreciate the time. I have had a lot of conflicting answers to some of the above questions and would love it if they could be clarified. I also understand that the cheapest option is never the best way to go when buying this type of equipment, in saying that i need to be cost effective and stick to a budget.

Thanks to all that respond.

[Drifting]

I'm no where near as experienced as others on here, but having just gone through this, let me pass on my wisdom, such as it is.

PACKS
I'd avoid a hybrid pack if you plan on doing serious walking, unless it is from a really good manufacturer such as Macpac, OP or Wilderness Equipment.

There are tons of different packs. In Tassie a lot of folks prefer heavier canvas packs for their water ressitance and durability, but in other areas folks prefer lighter packs make of synthetic materials.

There are many pack makers who make good products, but it seems that the consensus is One Planet, Mont, Wilderness Equipment, Macpac, Lowe Alpine, Aarn (ultralight stuff) and Osprey are good ones, though there are many others. You MUST try them on and find the one that fits you the best. Make sure it has 10-15 or more kg in it when you try it on.

I'd think 75lt would be a good size, though a lot depends on the length you are planning on. I use a 95 litre pack, but fully laden it weighs 25kg (too heavy to be practical for a lot of stuff), and that is with all of my stuff AND my daughter's gear too.

My WE Karajini is a pack horse's best friend- it just swallows the weight. I swear it has anti-gravity on it. But, it's very low on features, including some, such as external water bottle pockets, that I really wish it had.

My wife's Mont Pioneer pack absolutely rocks. If it came in 95 litre size, I would have bought that one for myself. A seriously nice bag.

Both my wife and I found a whole range of OP packs uncomfortable, but I tihnk we are the only people on her.

I personally think Osprey is overrated and too gimmicky, and WAY overpriced.

With packs, you seem to get what you pay for.


FOOTWEAR
I HATE GARMONTS. There. I said it.

Boots are like packs- you have to try them on. Seems like most folks prefer Scarpas, Garmonts (but see the posts about them), and others. I personally love Asolos, but they aint cheap. With boots, you get what you pay for.

SLEEPING BAGS
You need multiple bags for those conditions. A lot depends on what time of year you are going, how cold/hot of a sleeper you are and what your tent/lodging arrangements would be. There are many different sleeping bags- choosing one can be tortuous. I'd look overseas too- they are a lot cheaper there.

SLEEPING MATS?
Will a poor quality mat lose heat and attribute to cold? YES
What is the ideal thickness without loosing to much pack space? A Thermorest Prolite.
what brands are most reliable? Thermorest Prolite

I have a Exped Downmat, and it is heavenly to sleep on, but I wish I'd bought a thermorest prolite, as it is like 1/2 the weight.

STOVE
what is the best type of portable stove and fuel type that will last over 3-5 night without taking up to much space? Kovea titanium ultralight job- the one that screws on to the top of a gas bottle.

TENT
What brands are most reliable? There are MANY tents to choose from. IMHO the best of them all are Hilleberg tents, though you should have a look at some others, such as Big Agnes' Copper Spur 3 ultralight. There are so many tents, I wouldn't know where to start. Really, you need to decided on the following first:
1) Budget
2) Wieght
3) Worst conditions it will be used in

Is a two man tent spacious enough for 2 people, 2 sleeping mats + backpacks etc?
No- generally you need to buy 1 size up.

CLOTHES
what thermal clothing is recommended for the above treks?
Merino and polyprop seem to be the most popular. Once again, don't be afraid to shop overseas. All of my family's stuff has come from http://www.llbean.com, and we are happy with it. Top brands you find here are Macpac and Mont, and there are others too. Kathamndu and Mountain Design's clothing gets some mixed reviews, but they have always stoop up to our abuse. You need to buy from those companies when they are having sales, as their normal prices are about twice what is fair.

Here's my recommendations for you, for general, non-winter use.

Backpack: Wilderness Equipment Breakout Pack (about 250)

Sleeping Bag: Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20 or 30 (I think it comes in a 30)- my wife has one and it is awesome. She choose it over a much more expensive
Mont down bag, and has not regreted her decision. (around 250 I THINK)

Sleeping Mat: Thermarest Prolite (this will cost you) (around 200 I tihnk)

Stove: Kovea Titanium ultralight model (70)

Tent: If you are only going to use it in the summer, spring and fall, and not in extreme winter conditions, get a Coleman Avior X3, if you can still get one from Gosford Camping on Ebay. I have a mate that had done the overland track with one 16 times, and he still swears by it. The excpetion to the rule that you get what you pay for- they are only like $200, but be quick, as they have been discontinued.

Clothes- pick them up as you need them for each trip. Socks and boots are the most important things, and if you are in Tassie- rain gear.

[Franco]

PACKS
This is the last bit of gear you buy. First you get your kit, then look for a pack that can hold that.
As an example I did the Overland with a 60l, could do it now with a 50 yet many had 70-90 liter packs.
Typically the packs that have a detachable day pack, are heavier

Sleeping bag.
The easiest answer is to get a light summer bag and a heavier 3-4 season bag.
A way to cover 3 seasons in different climate is to get one that you can fully open, quilt like.
It does not have to be rectangular, a mummy shape will do.
If you can afford get down, they are warmer for the weight and last longer.
As an example, my Western Mountaineering Ultralight has been used from about -10c to around +15c.
About 700g but expensive.

Sleeping mats.
Many use solid foam for security (they don't puncture) I use inflatables for comfort and lesser space when stored.
If you look at the Thermarest site they give an R rating to their mats. A 2.5 R will keep you comfortable down to 0 degree. 5 is twice as "warm" 1.25 is half as "warm"
Stove
I use the Caldera Cone (metho) but I only boil water. For cooking something like the Kovea Ti (about 70g)or that new stove suggested in another recent thread here (about 50g), will do the job. You can aluminium pots cheap and light from disposal stores. No you will not die using them.

Tents
If you cannot see the tent in person, make yourself a "floor plan". All tents give the inside dimensions. Keep in mind that most slope aggressively inwards so you need to take that in consideration.
(mark the size with string or tape. put a pole/chair up at the highest point and run a line from that to the corner. That will give you an idea of the "usable space") Try to look for light solutions.

If you get a synthetic bag, that will take a lot of space, so you need a bigger pack. That means an heavier pack...
Same for a Trangia system compared with a simple one pot version.
So look for both weight and size.
A last tip. The cheaper the gear the more inflated the figures. That is a $50 sleeping bag rated to 5c would probably be rated 10c or so by a reputable brand.
Same for tents. A 2kg $100 tent will probably be 2.5 to 3 kg in real life.
But do allow a 10% difference on most reputable brands. (to do with fabric coating variations)
Franco

[Tony]

Hi Adam,

You will certainly get a good range of views from bushwalk.com forum.

I, like Franco I am on the light weight side, I regularly do up to 4 days 3 seasons in the Australian Alps using a 50 liter pack and for snow trips I use a 75l pack to take extra clothes but never fill it.

some hints

Do not get caught up with gadgets, in other words keep it simple.

If you can afford it join Backpacking Light, it is a web based magazine solely devoted to lightweight backpacking, even though it is US based a lot of the principles can be applied to Australia, it is only US$25 per year and it will save you more than that. There is a lot of top research based information in its data base. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... index.html

Do not believe myths like going lightweight is unsafe or the gear will wear out or break faster. Some of the modern lightweight fabrics are proving to be stronger.

With footwear do not believe that wearing heavy boots stops ankle sprains, that is a myth, the lighter the foot wear the less energy used, the most important thing with footwear is use what is most comfortable for you or what you are most comfortable wearing.

With stoves, I have lots and lots of stoves and pots more than I can mention on this post and I use what Franco and drifting have advised the Kovea Supalite and a cheap aluminium pots from my local camping store.

Sleeping bags, Franco's advice is very good, you can always boost the temperature rating by wearing more thermals or as a recent article in BPL suggested wear some down pants and jacket. Some of the synthetic sleeping bags do squash down to very small sizes these days, I use a 500 odd gram BPL 180 Cocoon quilt for three season. Synthetic can also keep you warm when wet, down is fairly useless when wet.

Tents, there are some very good lightweight tents around, you should be able to get one that suits your needs that weighs below 1kg.

Tony

[samh]

Hm pretty much all is said. I'm not sure what are your plans for Europe, e.g. exactly where in Europe you want to go, what time of the year etc. This can change things a lot.
I have only about 2 years experience doing overnight walks, mainly 2-4 nights with the occasional longer walk 1 or 2 times a year.
When I started I bought a lot of gear and even though I did some research I regret a few things I bought. If possible I would suggest you to do one or two walks locally with borrowed or rented gear, which would help you to get a feel for some things and find out some things you like or don't like.
Here a brief list of some stuff I did regret buying, but this said does not mean that the gear can't be used.

- My pack Tatonka Katanga 60L
it's a good pack, reasonably priced, comfortable to wear (for me), big enough I went on a hike to the Western Arthurs with 12 days worth of food.
the problem I have with this pack that it is far too heavy (3.6kg)
- My tent Exped Sirius Extreme
again this is a good piece of equipment it's very roomy for two people I can sit upright, the packs both fit in the vestibule and you can still cook in it.
with 3.6 kg it's however again on the heavy side and as a tunnel tent it is not self standing which can be but doesnt have to be a problem especially on platforms. It is also very long and sometimes it's difficult to find a suitable campsite.
- My rain jacket Berghaus (forgot the exact name)
it's just to heavy
- Stove Trangia
this was a gift so I don't complain. But the pots of the trangia 27 are a bit small for two and the whole set is also much heavier then most gas stoves.

As you can see it is mostly the weight I'm complaining about. I think it is always good to keep your pack light as it is more fun to walk with a light pack.
Here in Tasmania lot's of people have heavy gear as they think it is more durable which is partly true, maybe. But a lot of light gear is very good too and it has clear advantages.

If possible please let us know where and when you would like to walk, e.g. alpine areas, which season etc. so we can give you some more advise

[Son of a Beach]

The short answer is that you'll always get differing opinions on such questions because people have differing priorities and differing requirements. Some people need something tougher for scrub-bashing, some people want something lighter to be easier to carry, etc. Some people need a travel pack with a handle on the side and a harness cover (for airports), and some don't.

Eg, There are very good reasons for wanting separate compartments, especially if you're travelling. It makes it much easier to get at each different thing without having to unpack everything to get at the stuff on the bottom. However, for most bushwalkers, a single compartment is better, as it reduces weight, increases water resistance, and you generally unpack most things when you get to camp anyhow (also for people who use a single waterproof pack liner, anything other than a single opening is useless).

So for each item, you really need to decide on what your own priorities are otherwise you'll end up just taking advice from others based on their own preferences, which may be different to yours. The really difficult thing here, is that if you're not yet experienced in bushwalking, you probably don't know what your own priorities are, and your own preferences are likely to change as you gain experience. If you have time and are able to, it's great to be able to do a range of walks with a range of gear to get some idea of what's important to you.

As others have already said, packs and boots must both be trialled before you buy them. If you have ANY discomfort from them (fully laden) in the shop, then you can be sure that this discomfort will get a LOT worse while walking for several hours. Do NOT buy such boots or packs. Sometimes boots will wear in and problems will go away, but sometimes they will wear in and the problems will NOT go away, so don't accept that excuse from the salespeople unless you are prepared for a painful wearing in period, and you know which particular problems will go away with wearing in - do NOT trust salespeople's opinions on this matter! You CAN buy boots which do NOT require wearing in and are comfortable from day 1 and which are still solid and durable (eg, Zamberlans), however they are admittedly more difficult to come by. I always used to buy boots that required wearing in, but not my last pair and will never do so again. It just ain't worth the pain.

I disagree with Drifting on needing tents that are 1 size up from your actual requirements. But again, this is probably just due to a difference in the tents we both have and/or differences in how we use them. Some models of 2-person tents are very squishy for 2 people, but some 2-person tents are quite roomy for 2 people. Eg, in the Macpac range, the Minaret and Olympus are both very similar designs, and both are 2 person tents. However, the Minaret is a bit squishy for 2 people, but quite light, and the Olympus is quite roomy for 2 people and 2 packs, but is somewhat heavier (both are excellent tents by the way - I use an Olympus when walking with my wife).

I agree with many others here that One Planet make great packs and sleeping bags. I use a OP Strezlecki pack which may suit you. It's a single compartment, but does have a bottom opening, and has an internal divider than can be closed or opened also. I've never used the bottom opening or internal divider, so it's not really the ideal pack for me, and next time I'd get a Macmillan instead (which does not have these features). The strezlecki and macmillan both have great bottle holders which are in reach while walking, but does not have anything specifically for bladders. This suits me fine, as I prefer bottles to bladders, but some bladder users might rule the pack out on this basis.

So in summary, again...

Getting conflicting advice does not mean that any of the advice is wrong - it simply means that the advice is coming from people with differing preferences, and differing uses for their equipment. You need to figure out what your own priorities and preferences are for each item of equipment, and weigh up all the advice you get against this.

This makes selecting gear MUCH easier.

[blacksheep]

G'day,

you'll get a variety of qualified and unqualified opinions in a forum...most guys here though are genuine in giving honest appraisals baised on their experience, so dig around..

also, are you within easy access of Sydney?
If so, why not use the resources in the stores in Kent st.

Of course each store is likely to push their own product, but you'll be able to see them and more easily understand the various benefits of different options. Don't buy without speaking to all the retailers on the strip (about 8 stores?) about how you intend to use your products, what your expectation are of the gear (ie: 20 years of wilderness exploration, or a weekend trip here and there). All the better brands will provide some material for you to take away from their retailers to help you compare and make notes on what you saw/tried on.

I think there are some very knowledgable people in many of the stores there (I am certain anout my team, and confident Pallins and Mountain Equipment will have some good staff at least), just ensure to filter sales hyperbola out and don't buy what you don't want. Or putting down what they don't stock (some retailers for example taste sour grapes in their mouths after Macpac opened our own stores instead of stocking in their shops)

There is much experience in forums like this one, and some good advice here. Just adding that good stores also are a great source for helping you make informed decisions.

[Drifting]

I disagree with Drifting on needing tents that are 1 size up from your actual requirements. But again, this is probably just due to a difference in the tents we both have and/or differences in how we use them. Some models of 2-person tents are very squishy for 2 people, but some 2-person tents are quite roomy for 2 people. Eg, in the Macpac range, the Minaret and Olympus are both very similar designs, and both are 2 person tents. However, the Minaret is a bit squishy for 2 people, but quite light, and the Olympus is quite roomy for 2 people and 2 packs, but is somewhat heavier (both are excellent tents by the way - I use an Olympus when walking with my wife).

That's because you are slender. You wouldn't want to fit in a 2 man tent with me- it'd be like sharing with a buffalo!

[Son of a Beach]

I disagree with Drifting on needing tents that are 1 size up from your actual requirements. But again, this is probably just due to a difference in the tents we both have and/or differences in how we use them. Some models of 2-person tents are very squishy for 2 people, but some 2-person tents are quite roomy for 2 people. Eg, in the Macpac range, the Minaret and Olympus are both very similar designs, and both are 2 person tents. However, the Minaret is a bit squishy for 2 people, but quite light, and the Olympus is quite roomy for 2 people and 2 packs, but is somewhat heavier (both are excellent tents by the way - I use an Olympus when walking with my wife).

That's because you are slender. You wouldn't want to fit in a 2 man tent with me- it'd be like sharing with a buffalo!

heheh... yes, I should have added, "and/or difference in size of the actual 'persons'". No, I don't think I'd want a buffalo in my 2 person tent with me!

[Drifting]

[quote="bushrunner]This debate is a perfect example of what people have been saying about differing views and opinions. Get all the advice you can stomach then buy what best suits you.[/quote]

Maybe you can add to this- try and buy cheaper stuff where possible, because you wont yet know if you'll need the best.

For instance, earlier I went on about Macpac, One Planet, WE and Mont packs. But to be honest, I just bought myself a DMH pack to use as a day pack/camera pack, for under $100, and I'd very happily use it for a multi-day trip. There's other cheaper alternatives you can go for too.

Roman Sleeping Bags (but don't trust the cold ratings)
Pacific Outdoor Sleeping Mats
Blackwolf Tents and Packs
DMH packs and tents
Coleman tents
Even Jackaroo clothes, when KMart sells them.
Hi-tec or Merrill boots.

How's that for contradicting myself?

If you outfit yourself cheaply, then you can afford to upgrade when you learn what you need.

[Drifting]

BOTHER- In my first post I said I'd go for the prolite sleeping mat- I meant to say the Neoair.

[AdamB]

Hi again all,

Thank you to all who responded to my s.o.s in regards to the equipment issues i was having. The information provided has certainly cleared things up for me and im ready to hit the shops again this weekend!!
Just a quick over view to confirm that i have it right.

PACKS:
- 75L size should see me fit all the necessity's for a 4 day hike.
- OP, WE, Monte, MacPac, Lowe Alpine are the brands i should invesigate
- Try on and load the bag before buying
- Single compartments with dual access are generally better
- Drink bottle feature is handy
- Internal frames are better?

FOOTWEAR
- Try before buy obviously
- High cut and mid cut boots are better than low cut.
- Brands to investigate are Garmont, Scarpas, Asolos
- Any discomfort or annoyances in the shop can multiply dramatically. Fine line between these annoyances and the need to wearing them in.

SLEEPING BAGS
- Purchase 2 types of bags, one summer, one 3-4 season bag
- brands: OP, Monte, Mountain Hardware, Western Mountaineering
- Synthetic saves space and will keep you warmer when wet

SLEEPING MATS
- Will attribute to cold
- Brands - Thermorest - Neoair
- Inflatable mats will save pack space

STOVE
- Kovea titanium ultralight (70)
- Extra fuel can be purchased at all good camping stores?
- and no, i wont die from it

TENTS
- Shop around keeping in mind the weather conditions and usage
- you get what you pay for
- Devise a floor plan from the tent specs
- Some tents are larger in dimensions than others
- My Gf and I are certainly not the size of some of those wild buffalo's on the bushwalk forums, so we shouldn't need to up size the tent as long as I have done the above investigation.

I see that in regards to purchasing any type of equipment naturally weight is a major consideration.

If I have over looked anything or anything can be suggested or added to this please do so.
I’ll be hitting the shops this weekend, GF permitting

Again, thanks to all of those who replied to my post, the help is greatly appreciated.

[tasadam]

Sorry I missed this topic the first time round. Sounds to me like you're on the right track.
Re boots, I have had no experience with Garmont, but I am aware of this topic -
Garmont Boots BAD

Re tent, I bought mine over the internet because you cannot buy them in Australia. Plenty on this forum about them, Hilleberg Nallo2.
I'm impressed.
The AUS dollar is pretty good at the moment too.

Re stoves, assuming that's a gas stove. Assuming gas cannisters are available in the countries you plan to walk, also that it is unlikely you will be able to fly with said cannisters.

Re sleeping bag, I only have 1 and unzip it if it's too warm. Warmer when wet is an interesting comment, a wet sleeping bag can be a very dangerous situation, better to keep the bag dry at all times (along with 1 set of clothes that must stay dry).
Of course, if you can afford two bags, great.

New Zealand and Europe can offer dramatically different conditions to what you might experience in SE Queensland. As such, your needs for certain gear may differ. A 3 season tent and sleeping bag to get you started, and as the budget recovers, go looking for a do-anything bag & tent.

Definitely the thermal / poly clothes, avoid cotton.

Best of luck to you.

[blacksheep]

the only thing you missed was the name macpac next to sleeping bags you should consider!
good luck!

[north-north-west]

FOOTWEAR
I personally love Asolos, but they aint cheap.

Ahhhh, my soulmate. (Or should that be solemate?)
No, they aren't. But they're worth every hard-earned cent of their price.

[samh]

I think you are on the right track
PACK: if you don't intend to do trips longer than 4 days, 60 or 65L should be plenty imho.
SLEEPING BAG: I'm wouldn't say that a synthetic bag has a smaller packsize, but certainly it will be heavier than a down one and as tasadam mentioned it should always be kept dry anyway.

[sthughes]

Actually the original comment noted a Synthetic sleeping bag would take up MORE space, not less. Which I agree with entirely.
Otherwise I think you're on the right track.
Personally I have an 85L pack and think it's a perfect size so I can choose to take some luxuries and still never have to contemplate attaching anything to the outside. But 75 is quite adequate.
Also I wouldn't limit sleeping bags to those few brands. They are all good but there are others that are also fine and depending on price may be better value. I mean the more you pay the better it is generally, but often the relationship between price and quality is not linear (i.e. 3 times the price gets you twice as good sleeping bag or whatever). Also look for either properly European Standard rated bags or compare fill weights & lofts, not manufacturer claims.

[tasadam]

I had a 60 litre pack for 20 years and I am now loving the flexibility of my 75L pack, there are plenty of straps around it to tighten it & take up the void if there is one. Usually tho, just means I can carry more stuff

[Son of a Beach]

Add Zamberlans to the list of boot brands to investigate.

75 litres is heaps for most people for most trips. I have a larger pack but rarely fill it. I'm glad for the larger pack on the rare occasions I really need it, but most of the time 65 or 75 would be enough.

Yes, internal frame packs are much better than external frames. Does anyone still make/sell external framed packs? I haven't seen them in shops for about 20 years.

[bushrunner]

Saw that MD Launceston are stocking Zamberlan now. I might try them on when I need a new pair but I expect that they will be too narrow for me. My current Garmont mids are a great fit for me. Comfy straight out of the box and suitable for fastish moving.

[Son of a Beach]

Saw that MD Launceston are stocking Zamberlan now. I might try them on when I need a new pair but I expect that they will be too narrow for me. My current Garmont mids are a great fit for me. Comfy straight out of the box and suitable for fastish moving.

Zamberlan's website does state that they use a variety of lasts (ie, the foot moulds used to shape the boots). So you have to make sure you get a boot that's made using a last that matches your own foot shape (same for any decent brand). This may mean that you've got to get the shop to order something in for your specifically, if their in stock range doesn't suit the shape of your foot.

[photohiker]

Add Osprey to the list of Packs. They have some very good packs of traditional design and they seem to be masters of reducing weight without using fragile materials. Their Exos pack builds a bridge between traditional and lightweight and is well worth a look. 60L should be more than enough capacity, but buy the pack last and either take your other gear in, or play 'sale or return' with the shop so you can try it at home. If you are tempted to buy lightweight, they are all import items, probably worth leaving until you have a better idea what you want.

If you get a chance, and want to try something different, try on an Aarn Pack. This is a NZ design that pays a lot of attention to body mechanics and weight distribution. They're great packs, but not for everyone.

[Ent]

All of the evidence that I found pointed that boots do not stop ankle sprains if you have any evidence that proves this wrong please post it as I would love to read it.

Tony

I have personal experience, does that count? I've got weak ankles, and my Scarpa SL-M3 boots have stopped me from rolling my ankles on numerous occasions - my foot cannot rotate past the "point of no return". They are pretty stiff and quite high cut. My previous boots were Scarpa Trek Pro (I think) and were not as stiff, and consequently I rolled my ankles a couple of times last year.

For me bushwalking without these heavy duty boots would be a recipe for disaster. I call bullcrap that boots don't make a difference - they do. Not to mention the protection from punctures that 2.8mm leather provides.

Yes and yes I fully agree but others seam not to have a problem with shoes so maybe it is an individual thing and more than enough has been written on this point already so pick the church that best suits you.

Bushwalking and backpacking is rather a difficult mix. I spent four months travelling around Europe and despite my best intentions always wound up carrying more than I wanted. Living eight days in the same clothes is ok for a bush walk but not so trendy when hitting the night spots, plus I was in snow in Turkey and swimming three months later in Norway so no chance of picking gear for a season. In a way you are forced into a bigger bag for backpacking plus as Tasadam mentions makes for quicker packing when you are running late. My bag was a One Planet Bass which is a hybrid pack. Super tough at 85 litres with a great exact fit plus harness that for many on this site is the Holy Grail of harness so it can go bush with the best but this comes at a 4.5 kilogram cost. What I found was the zip off day pack was brilliant as you load your valuables in this and leave you main pack in the hostel. The One Planet has lockable zips that stops the casual snoops with light fingers so nothing went missing. What I did notice is a lot of cheaper packs exploded when doing platform dashes and killed the carrier on the long hikes when the French and Italians went on strike or found yet another Holy day to have it off. For bushwalking I prefer the One Planet Macmillan at 3.4 you save a kilogram but lose the day pack but still have the same great harness and solid construction. Four months every day carrying a day pack means you do appreciated the One Planet one for comfort and ruggedness. After four month mine still looked new. Plus clipping it on the front makes for easy access through document control and good body armour when a lowlife decides their need for your stuff is greater than yours.

For bushwalking alone probably 75 litres is best size as the weight saved on a smaller pack is rather small unless you get bitten by the UL bug. Go for a pack with the best harness possible and if you travel never under estimate the value of being able to zip the harness up in a protective compartment. Many people with normal packs had straps and buckles damaged on buses, plains and trains.

As for the rest of the gear pretty much well covered by others. I would be tempted by the Neoair and would tend to compromise on bushwalking comfort if you are mainly backpacking as you will rather more appreciate a change of clothes than a roomier tent if you are mainly backpacking.

One final thing be aware of marketers that flog many products as when travelling and walking I noticed increasing rationalisation by the more experienced to lighter specialist manufacturer packs or to bullet proof top grade packs such as One Planet. The choice on which is governed by personal preference, light weight versus solid, etc, etc. A specialist manufacturer in one or two areas is going to give a better performing product than a marketer selling a wide range of products. The products may be more expensive but get it right and buy once is much cheaper than buying many times, something that I have still to fully master. Also as Tony says avoid the temptation to buy the "nicknacks" as it is easy to stack on the weight. When travelling investigate the ability to carry one charger and also consider having the ability to charge the camera battery without having to use the camera as you can wander off happing snapping rather than been stuck by the camera as it charges. A very smart traveller standardised on AA batteries for all his gear. Makes sense and quite easy to do if you start out with that approach, sadly I did not

Cheers Brett

[Son of a Beach]

Note that the discussion of boots vs. shoes for bushwalking has been moved to an existing old topic which discusses this issue: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3365

[QldHike]

Hi Adam,

Just wanted to suggest that if you are starting out and getting a full set of gear that you shop around online for the best price. I've saved hundreds of dollars buying from stores in America even including the postage. I paid $310 Aus including postage for my Golite Ultra Quilt ordering from America compared with $550 not including postage in Australia. This is alright for tents and sleeping bags but for backpacks somewhat risky to get the right fit.

Also stores in Australia tend to sell their own brand of product; e.g. Macpac stores sell Macpac, Mountain Designs sells MD, etc. This means it can be hard to compare similar products because you have to go to each individual store so internet research can save you a lot of time.

Good luck!

[Drifting]

Hi Adam,

Just wanted to suggest that if you are starting out and getting a full set of gear that you shop around online for the best price. I've saved hundreds of dollars buying from stores in America even including the postage. I paid $310 Aus including postage for my Golite Ultra Quilt ordering from America compared with $550 not including postage in Australia. This is alright for tents and sleeping bags but for backpacks somewhat risky to get the right fit.

Also stores in Australia tend to sell their own brand of product; e.g. Macpac stores sell Macpac, Mountain Designs sells MD, etc. This means it can be hard to compare similar products because you have to go to each individual store so internet research can save you a lot of time.

Good luck!

I saved something over $1000 when I recently upgraded my family's stuff. It helps if you have a friend in the US that you can have eveything shipped to, and then they put it all in one box and send it over here. I think there are companies that do this.

Remember, any purchases over $1000 Aus incur duty tax, so be careful. Unless they are gifts