Anyone for discussing bushwalking gear, trips, tall stories, projects

[Carzee]

Many of us go camping with kids, dogs, tents, stretchers, primus stoves and eskies, or the off road camper trailers... but I'm putting my hands together and doing a Coooee! for any walkers around here.

Has anyone walked from Dead Horse Gap to Kiandra in the Snowy Mts? Or that KNP area?
Yesterday I purchased the book , the guide, to the Australian Alpine Walking Track. Great for the armchair traveller. And it does inspire. It's a tad long at 655km, say 7 weeks walking for someone my age, but I wouldn't mind taking a bite of it
As that funnyman said, everywhere is in walking distance... if you have the time.

[Carzee]

Went for a short bash yesterday. GPS said 5km, the hard part was the slog up from ~600m to ~840m, then the ridge line was a simple stroll.

The back pack I wore is "new" and most of the gear as light as possible without buying the super gucci pro gear. All the practice/shakedown walks can hopefully help my right knee bearing which is flogged out a few thou I think..

The back pack is a just a frame, a USMC Molle II for cargo, aka "meat hauler" in US lingo, ex feebay, at 2590g.
link
http://www.usgearup.com/Molley4,Pack-frame,Meat-Hauler,Pack-board

I attached some DIY webbing straps to the rack (sourced from old packs) and loaded it up. It was comfy enough with my scales saying the loaded pack weighed 12775g. Not bad really - it had all biv gear incl. the lightweight 2 man tent, 2 poof mats, down sleeping quilt, 400g of first aid, 2800g of food incl. 2 evening's meals (not MREs). I have a water filter (MSR Miniworks) and I have a titanium pot and frypan. I have a gas cannister with burner - no hexy. The gear is currently stashed under the webbing straps in tough plastic bags from Bunnings while I sort some silnylon stuffbags.

Here is a pic from the web showing someone else's (wild) use of a similar cargo pack..

[Carzee]

Here is a choice of current Techy Safety Stuff for Bushwalking or anyone going off the track and out of mobile coverage:

A Garmin waterproof handheld GPS with topo maps. I do have a Garmin GPS with Aussie Topo maps loaded:
http://sites.garmin.com/gpsmap62/info/

A PLB (personal location beacon) (similar to an EPIRB) for emergency use, sending out a homing signal showing your location to the Rescue services:
http://www.gme.net.au/products/emergency-beacons/plbs/MT410

A GPS Tracker and Emergency Alert with a basic keypad or selectable SMS (txt messages) to send out using the Irridium Sat network to any email or mobile phone contacts you install to the YB unit:
http://www.ybtracking.com/?page_id=1523

I have a Yellow Brick as of today. I tested it in the car doing a simple suburb loop. It logs the positions it sends to a Google map online, but to see it any web surfer needs the password (free)(PM if you want to see). Someone with a Smartphone could see it online in real time at well, as long as they have mobile coverage. YB costs $12 per month line rental (for want of a better term) and around 13c to send the periodic message to the web tracking map or to send a SMS to family phones etc. The periodic update bit is customisable - eg every 5minutes or every 12 hours and settings in between. The line rental can be turned off when you are off holidays for example. You connect back up to the system for (no reconnection fee) when you go back to travelling.

All of that means that unless you are walking alone up in the National Park and get squashed under a falling limb while sleeping under a tree, get eaten by a black panther or some other freak occurance, you remain safe and in reach  - the family can send you a message etc. If you don't reply they can at least point to a tracker map and give searchers your last location, altitude and heading.


As for group travel in 4wd... not needed. In a convoy or tag-a-long holiday the simple VHF/UHF would trump the whole PLB, GPS and tracker stuff.

[Magellan]

Gedday Carzee, just stumbled upon your post. I'm a bit of a bushwalker myself. I've done some of the southern sections of the AAWT...Rawson to St. Gwinnear (summer and winter) and the Mt McDonald area. I"d love to do the rest some day, maybe use some of my LSL!

Previously I've done the Port Davey Tk and South Coast Tk in SW Tassie, Walls of Jerusalem in the Central Highlands (Tassie) and numerous areas in the Vic High Country (near where I live). I'm a keen snowshoer and get away every winter over Mt Stirling and have also done the Razorback (including Mt. Feathertop). I had planned to do Mt. Bogong this winter but the deaths of the snowboarders made me think twice (thought the authorities might think me reckless)...next year beckons however.


I like to go out for at least two nights/three days to really enjoy the experience, day walks aren't really my thing.

So there you go. Be interested to know where you've walked

cheers, Daryl

[Carzee]

Hi there, enjoyable stories, you've walked a lot - I've walked only now and then. And I've only walked locally, never interstate. I did Yengo NP (the Watagans side) and some Blue Mountains when I was on school hols a loooonnnng time ago. I did some Barrington Tops 15 years back. In the Canberra area I've walked The Big Hole (day walk), Stoney Creek to Cotter Dam, Booromba Rocks (morer day walks) and the AAWT to the Cotter Gap in Namadji NP this year which was a 3 day walk. But I have ambitions ha ha.

I have changed the Molle pack to get rid of the bags and use a Aust made poly tub - quick and easy to unpack and pack up again. Open it and you can see most everything at once. Fitted with 'everything biv', spare clothes and 3 days food with 2 litres of water as well it weighs 16.25kg all up. Food is not necessarily all dehydrated stuff; yes I have Deb with Onion and things but I also carry a tin of mushy peas, tom pipers, 3 tins of spam and 3 uht milk tetra packs (150ml) for the weetbix. This stuff weighs a lot but I like the luxury of mushy peas for instance. I hate 2min noodles etc. In the photos the only thing missing is the down sleeping bag which goes on top in a stuff sack.

[Minikeg]

but I like the luxury of mushy peas

you are an odd one.

[Dervish]

Well that's the most creative use of a Nally bin I've seen to date The setup ticks a lot of boxes, but it looks like it would be tough to grab a quick snack or get the binos out to see a bird before it flies off?

[Carzee]

Well my $15 chinese monoculars fit a pocket or a lanyard and the speed of opening the tub depends on how hungry you are I suppose.
One bonus is that after a wet walk you can just (micro)towel it off and have it in the tent - wet backpacks are usually wet and staying wet til the sun comes out.

[Magellan]

An interesting set up...sort a hard version of a dry bag! I'd love to get up to the northern section of the AAWT, if I never do all the middle section I can say I've done both ends!

If you don't mind the cold try snow shoeing, it's relaxing and gets you places (albeit slowly, but then who needs to rush). Deb with onion, now there's a taste sensation, esp' with some Safcol mild chilli salmon, surprise peas and cracked pepper! One of my staples. I must say I'm a gram counter so can't bring myself to tinned food, heavy in and the waste of the tin to carry out. I do however have a weakness for fruit cake and dark chocolate so these are usually in abundance (esp' in winter).  I've been known to carry a Happy Camper gourmet meal of shanks and red wine jus to be consumed on the first night too.

For cooking I have the trusty ol' Trangia, never let me down and virtually maintenance free.

cheers