Lightweight Gear for Tassie Use ?

[Dale]

Howdy

I’m heading to Tassie in September for a few days, maybe a week or so of walking – haven’t decided the location yet (first walk in Tassie - very excited !). A recurring theme in the forums is around the potential of LW / UL gear’s suitability in Tasmania. I’ve read opinions ranging from– UL gear is OK to you will certainly die if use it in Tassie As my kit is mainly light / UL I would be interested to hear about your experiences in Tasmania from those that have tried / used lighter gear and what did and didn’t work.

I’m assuming the main concerns are:
• Fabrics tearing through scrub, rocks, getting hauled down mountains etc...
• Tent floors tearing from rough ground
• Being prepared for sudden and extreme temp variations

These are few of the items that I figured would be the most contentious gear, alternative gear that is heavier and / or more appropriate to 4 season use in brackets:
• Tarptent Sub Lite Sil (Scarp 1)
• Integral designs eVent rain jacket (Macpac Zealot – weighs more than my tent !)
• Six Moons Design Swift backpack (Aarn Featherlite Freedom)
• WM Summerlite (WM Apache - warmer)
• Montbell Extra Light Down Jacket (Montbell Alpine Down Parka – heavier down jacket)

The sublite has been used in the NSW Alps at low minuses, but no snow, just frost. The rain jacket has performed well but hasn’t been through much scrub. I recently took my Six Moon Designs Swift (backpack) for its first outing near the Colo River, lost the track and spent about 40 mins scrub bashing – not a single tear, even in the mesh – and there’s a lot of it on the outside of the Swift.

Here are some links to the gear if you’re not familiar with them:

http://www.tarptent.com/sublitesil.html

https://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bi ... .228.180.6 – Integral designs eVent jacket reviewed here by Ryan Jordan – the jacket isn’t made anymore

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/packs.htm ... gory_id=11

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.ph ... id=2301344

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/in ... ntentId=69

At this stage a likely destination is Walls of Jerusalem area, but no specifics yet.

Thanks in advance for the advice !

[ILUVSWTAS]

You'll probably be ok in the WOJ. And you'll probably be ok anywhere 9 times out of 10. BUT when that roaring 40's picks up that 1 time out of 10 and your at a high exposed camp somewhere, THAT'S when the *&%$#! will hit the fan. We had a guy rescued from the Western Arthurs here last summer trying to get through the range with just a tarp and UL gear. All his *&%$#! got shredded and he needed to call in a chopper.

[MichaelP]

I saw a guy in a light weight tent on the Mt. Anne circuit. Overnight the winds picked up and snapped all his tent poles... Also saw another person's tent fly off into the distance but that was due to his pitching skills rather than it's weight. So yeah, depends entirely on what trip you're planning on doing and what the weather is like at the time. WoJ should be find as ILSWT said.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thanks Michael. A guy I did the Arthurs with had a pole snap as well.

Having said all that I do know a guy who had an olympus shredded on the picton range. so sometimes NOTHING is safe in Tassie....

[sthughes]

Tent should be fine, but a Tyvex footprint is a must in my opinion as they have quite thin floors (but many camp sites in the walls are very nice and grassy - depends where you intend stopping).
Can't see the jacket link. You heading off track in the scrubby parts? If not the walls is fine with a light weight jacket.
Pack is Dyneema, so as long as you're comfortable with it carrying the load I can't see it being less comfy in Tassie, gravity is similar here.
Down jacket will be fine as long as you don't intend walking in it. Will need more something in addition to it to stay warm at camp of course.
Sleeping bag should be fine, but if it is cold you will probably want that down jacket and something warm on your legs as well.

Worst thing is that with that tent and sleeping bag you may have to choose between opening the tent vents to keep from getting wet with condensation, or closing them to stay warm. If it is a multi day walk it may be hard to stay dry and warm with a single skin tent for several days.

So my 2 cents would be if you plan to walk on track in the summer it looks good, if you plan to go off track a tough coat is worth it, if you plan to come in the winter (or just get wet cold summer weather) it might really suck and a 2 skin tent and warmer sleeping bag/clothes would be advisable in that case.

[sthughes]

Thanks Michael. A guy I did the Arthurs with had a pole snap as well.

Having said all that I do know a guy who had an olympus shredded on the picton range. so sometimes NOTHING is safe in Tassie....

Probably got a lot to do with age too. A brand new Tarptent would probably be stronger than an Olympus that's spent a lot of time in the sun.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Might be right there Hughsie. Probably have to have been ALOT of time in the sun though....

[MichaelP]

Having said all that I do know a guy who had an olympus shredded on the picton range. so sometimes NOTHING is safe in Tassie....

I bet Macpac told him to keep that story to himself... Must have been pretty ferocious up there.

[Dale]

Thanks for the responses.

Here's a link for the jacket (not a bad price for an eVent jacket either ):

http://www.prolitegear.com/integral_des ... acket.html

Tent should be fine, but a Tyvex footprint is a must in my opinion as they have quite thin floors (but many camp sites in the walls are very nice and grassy - depends where you intend stopping).

Have a Tyvek Footprint so I'll bring that along.

Pack is Dyneema, so as long as you're comfortable with it carrying the load I can't see it being less comfy in Tassie, gravity is similar here.

StHughes - I suspect gravity is also a harsh mistress in Tasmania ?

I loaded up my Swift with extra weight for an overnighter and she comfortably carried 10kg with stays and a cut down Z-Lite for the frame, so a few more kilos for food should be fine. Was impressed with the Dyneema fabric - pretty robust.

Worst thing is that with that tent and sleeping bag you may have to choose between opening the tent vents to keep from getting wet with condensation, or closing them to stay warm. If it is a multi day walk it may be hard to stay dry and warm with a single skin tent for several days.

So far the Sublite managed a 5 day walk in cold / wet conditions and my Summerlite repelled moisture pretty well. I'm wondering how it will go with high winds and possible snow. Is it likely to snow in the WOJ in early Sept ?

Thanks for the advice !

[frenchy_84]

You should plan the walk expecting snow

[sthughes]

StHughes - I suspect gravity is also a harsh mistress in Tasmania ?

Yes she can be a real cow at times

So far the Sublite managed a 5 day walk in cold / wet conditions and my Summerlite repelled moisture pretty well. I'm wondering how it will go with high winds and possible snow. Is it likely to snow in the WOJ in early Sept ?

Snow is very likely in early September in the Walls area, as is ice so some of the board walked areas suddenly become the most treacherous sections of the track! Generally speaking August/September is the worst time of year in the walls.

Depending on which tracks you are on (not the main Dixons Kingdom track) it can turn an "on track" walk into a scrub bash because the vegetation sags over the track heavily laden with snow. So while your feet are busy up to your thighs in snow, your arms are kept busy with the chest and head high snow on sagging branches. That's when the rain coat might want to be a little tougher. Snow shoes may also be necessary. On average it rains 2 out of three days and overnight temps average around -1 degree and can go to -10 or so, so a warmer sleeping bag might also be good

Or you could have fine weather and no snow

[Dale]

Thanks for the heads up everyone. Looks like I'll need to plan for snow... Now off to checking out snow shoes...

Also interested to hear about pants that work for you if there are potential snow falls ? Can you get away with thermals, regular pants and a waterproof outer ? Stomping in thigh deep snow spounds like a blast !

Generally speaking August/September is the worst time of year in the walls.

Ahh... Murphy is also harsh !

[sthughes]

Most parts of the Walls aren't particularly exposed, and usually the snow is soft so it's such hard work that you don't get real cold when you are walking. In such conditions I go with thermals, shorts and Gore tex overpants. Then thermal top, shirt and a heavy weight breathable rain shell. Plus beanie, gloves, gaiters and waterproof boots of course. If it is colder I add a thin fleece (or 2),the zip off legs to my shorts and another pair of gloves.

Not sure if you are going with a group or not but in soft snow the order of difficulty increases a lot the smaller the group is. You reach a point you are too buggered not to stop for a rest, and then you get cold when you do and so on. With more people you can take a break further back in the line just stepping in the already trod snow.

Here's a little trip report I did a couple of years back in case you are interested http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2658&p=30470

[Son of a Beach]

Generally speaking August/September is the worst time of year in the walls.

I reckon August is OK - especially the last couple of weeks - so long as you don't mind snow and rain. But I agree, September is a terrible time for bushwalking. Generally just about as cold as Winter, windy, and sudden changes.

[Dale]

I checked out the trip report sthughes - looked like quite the adventure and highlighted how we'll need to be ready for serious snow and all the fun it brings I will be with a group so we can all take turns being snow ploughs.

Son of a Beach - that's interesting that August weather is likely to be better. This could be a good reason to pull the trip forward a couple of weeks.

Thanks for all the input I can start doing some more specific planning now...

[Son of a Beach]

that's interesting that August weather is likely to be better. This could be a good reason to pull the trip forward a couple of weeks.

August can still be pretty bad, but in my experience, if you don't mind walking through snow, and cold temperatures, the weather in the last half of August is usually reasonably stable. But of course anything can happen, and if you do get bad weather at that time of year, it will be very cold indeed.

This is only anecdotal, but here are my experiences of bushwalking in those two months last year:

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

[Franco]

See this thread for some pics of the Sublite Sil in the snow.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1484
Do keep in mind that the part that failed has been re-enforced and that it isn't designed for this, but it is a bit better than the name would suggest.
Franco

[Dale]

See this thread for some pics of the Sublite Sil in the snow.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1484
Do keep in mind that the part that failed has been re-enforced and that it isn't designed for this, but it is a bit better than the name would suggest.
Franco

Hi Franco - I remember seeing those pictures of the Sublite and being suitably impressed. For harsh conditions I'll be hedging my bets and going either with my Nallo or I'll pick up the Scarp 1 that I've been convincing myself I really need

I think the Sublite is a great 3 season tent or fine for my local winter conditions in the Blue Mountains.