Question for Aussies – water.

[Franco Darioli]

Hi Adam
I don't work in the City anymore.
I guess that the H2O bit makes this part of the thread…
Last time I was there, a few days ago, they had plenty of Montane stock. The Featherlite H20 is listed at $190 inc postage on their website.
(http://www.hikelight.com.au/)
The new name of the shop BTW is BackpackingLight, I forgot to type the Light bit…
Franco
I will be in town again soon. I will ask about the quilt. I don't think that they have arrived as yet. I slept under my JRB NoSniveller last night (to try out the new X Rocket from Luxe…) , for the first few hours I had it on and off, eventually the temperature dropped to 12c so it was on top when my cat woke me up. I love the feel of a quilt on top . In Nepal recently I used my WM Ultralite as a quilt down to just below zero .
I have never seen a quilt on display here……
It 15 min away by tram.

[Andrew :-)]

I think the thread has served its purpose as far as my original question about water treatment goes.
Perhaps general communication between Australian light-hikers is a better use for the thread now… it seems to be anyway.

[Rod Lawlor]

Hey Franco,

Which part of Melbourne are you in? I work up in Parkville.

Rod

[Joshua Hill]

Add another Australian to the list (sorta). I was born in the States but that's another story.

To address the original thread on water. I treat my water with puritabs and I've never had an issue with them. I'm interested in the Steripen but can not justify the cost at the moment (my wife would not approve…yet). I tend to be very careful about my water. I got a rather nasty bug in PNG about ten years ago which I never want to repeat.

What I'm really interested is sharing any information about possible tarp/shelter set ups you guys have tried. My experience doing the ultra lite thing has been confined to Australia so I do not have experience using tarps in the States. I seem to hear a lot of resistance by Australians on the use of tarps particularly on the lack of a bath tub floor and bugs. I would love to hear some ideas you guys have on these two issues.

My current shelter system (imported from North American mostly) consists of the Integral Designs Silshelter, 6 ti needle stakes, 2 nail stakes (for my guys), about 6m of Dyneema guy line, and a 2mm plastic ground sheet. All this weighs 613g. I use trekking poles most of time as (not helpful in scrub but my knees thank me on descents…maybe another topic?)

The manner I have addressed the problem of running water under my silshelter is to lay four sticks length and width under my ground sheet to create a virtual bath tub floor. This in conjuction of picking a good spot works quite well with the silshelter as one can pitch it quite low if desired. I have sat through a couple storms without getting wet from water running under.

I'm still working out a solution for the bugs although. I've used a head net while sleeping but I tend to move a fair bit while sleeping and found it rather constricting. I've used a hanging mossie net (weighs 210g) with comfort but not I'm 100% happy with it…I've looked at a bug bivy made by Mountain Laural Designs which is lighter and fully enclosed but it has a very silly entrance and would cost as much as the Steripen my wife won't let me get. I'm thinking about just making my own. If any one has suggestions that would be cool.

Hopefully this opens some discussion. I would love to hear any new ideas.

[Tony Beasley]

Hi Joshua,

I tried using a Sea to Summit silnylon tarp/poncho for two nights in the Western Jagungal Wilderness in March last year (no mozzies) and I had mixed results. The first night I pitched near Grey Mare Hut on a beautiful clear Mountain night (see picture 1 below), it was one of the best nights I have ever had in the bush, I spent most of the night looking at and enjoying the sky. The next night I pitched near Wheelers Hut, went to bed when the sky was crystal clear, sometime during the night the rain moved in and even though I pitched the tarp so the open part was away from the weather it was a bit windy and the tarp offered very little shelter from the rain, I was lucky as my bag has a water resistant shell and kept me dry. I also noticed that I had lots of condensation on the inside on both nights. But I also enjoyed the wind on my face.

Before I used my tarp I practiced pitching in both the open configuration and the A configuration and I decided that in the A configuration I felt a bit claustrophobic and if I pitched it higher the sides would not offer much protection from the rain.

I definitely would not use the tarp in summer without some form of insect netting. I have also used the poncho as a raincoat and did not like it as I became very wet under it and found that while pushing through the bush I was stepping on it a lot.

I have gone back to a one-person tent as when you add up the weight of the tarp, walking poles, ground sheet and insect net it is nearly as much weight as a small tent which offers much better protection from the weather and insects. I now use a Mountain Designs Nutrino 1 weight 1.3kg. (picture 2).

Tony

Using my tarp at Grey Mare Hut

My tent near Wheelers Hut

[maurice tate]

I am Aarns brother and get to test a lot of his prototype packs and tents for free.

I like the pacer tent. As it uses pacer treking poles it is very strong and stable in high winds and has a lot of room if you do not use the inner tent. The usual tarp tent would be blown over in Tasi I feel. Ventilation is great too.

My prototype was a bit fiddly to put up but Aarn has modified it so the poles are outside the outer tent to overcome this.

Pacer poles are quite different from the normal poles and I really feel it is saving my knees on the long climbs etc and adds a bit of speed on the flat too. Perhaps the grip could be a bit lighter.

Aarn is working on some lighter packs that I tested in New Zealand in the last few weeks. Due to the balance pockets and other design features they are the most comfortable packs I have ever used.

[darren stephens]

G'Day Everyone
I just stumbled on this thread so I apologise for being late. Although off the original topic I Just want to let you know that there is another Aussie out there. While I’ve spent my whole life in the bush I’ve only started allot of hiking in the past few years and a lifetime of abusing my body on dirbikes etc, means I needed to go light. I like my amp pack and either a SMD lunar solo or Gatewood cape although I wouldn’t consider wearing the cape for anything off trail. Summer on the circle of ranges that surround the hunter is fairly predictable so it’s ok for an emergency.
As far as buying gear goes considering the cost and lack of availability, plus the fact its 4hr drive to Sydney plus parking, I buy it all on line from the states. It’s a bit hard judging sizing and I’ve had a few mistakes but it’s normally here in a week.
Maybe a local forum on this site might be the go to help each other out with gear, trips etc
Just a thought

[Andrew Lush]

Sorry to post so late, but I have only just noticed this thread. I have just got back from a long cold winter in the New England area of the USA.

I do a lot of walking in the Blue Mountains, especially in the Kanangra-Boyd NP. I also try to get away to the Snowies as often as I can as well.

My vote for making water safe is "Clearwater" made by Xinix and available from BPL by mail order. It is a chlorine dioxide treatment that is very convenient to use as it is premixed. I have tried the ClO2 tablets in the past, and while they work OK, they seem to taint the water with a slight chemical taste (IMHO anyway). I find that the Clearwater does not do this. I normally decant it from the bottle into a dropper before each trip (plus a bit extra). You mix it at 1:1000. I have never been sick and I have been using it for over two years now, ever since BPL introduced it.

I used to use a Katydyn Hiker filter, but it weighs around 300g. With the Clearwater, my water treatment kit is reduced to around 25g for a normal long-weekend bushwalk.

I concur with all the above posters as to the tyranny of distance that we face down here in Australia. However the biggest problem is from our gear retailers who, for the most part, insist that gear needs to bombproof for Australian conditions. I have no interest in a 4kg backpack that will last for twenty years. I would much rather a 500g model that I will replace in maybe 4-5 years at the most. The advances in lightweight technology are such that whatever I buy today will most probably be superceded in a couple of years. Why would anyone want to lug around any more than they absolutely have to?

Anyway just a few thoughts. I have seen nearly all the Aussies who responded to this thread posting on the various BPL fora over the last few years. Nice to see us all in one list.

Any other lurkers?

Cheers,

Andrew

[Aris Dennis]

Another lurker here. I've been browsing this site for the past couple of years.
I'm a hammock camper in the Blue Mountains and have my base weight down to around the 3.5kg mark.

I was told that my golite gust pack wouldn't hold up to the scrub here, but for the past 5 years it has been doing very well.

I used to use a MSR Miniworks, which is a nice unit, but the weight, coupled with the laborious scrubbing process made me change to "aquatabs". Which I understand is a chlorine based tablet, which took over from puritabs.

I've just ordered the new mUV purifier and can't wait to have a play with it. So much toy factor!

[Jay Trent]

sorry for the extremely late post but only just found this thread. Only started walking bout a year ago. I'm trying to go lighter but some of the stuff is pretty expensive. My mate doesn't understand about going light really. Sorry if i shouldnt have posted in hear because i was too late.

Jay

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Jay

You're welcome!

The answer to UL stuff being expensive is to make a lot of it yourself … :-)

Cheers
Roger
NW side of Sydney

[Rod Lawlor]

No problem Jay,

This has become the defacto log in thread for Aussies on the site, so it's good to see it get a nudge every now and then.

I think Roger's right about making your own gear, although I heard a rumour he was planning on picking up some cheap titanium gear and selling it on to other colonials ;^) (I got my Ground Effect catalogue today Roger. Think there's a market in Oz for an Alpkit/GE model?)

There's quite a lot of good, hardly used gear that goes cheap on the Gear Swap thread. Lot's of US members are happy to ship to Oz. Although with the state of the dollar in the last 3 months, even that is fairly expensive.

Regards, Rod

[Jay Trent]

i think i might have to learn how to sew well.

[Andrew :-)]

Welcome Jay,
Thanks for bumping the Oz thread back up to the top.

This is the best we can hope for in lieu of a 'sticky' thread for Australian members.

[Denis Hazlewood]

Last summer I was hiking on the east side of the Emigrant Wilderness when a string of hikers came up behind me at a brisk pace. I stepped aside to let them pass and heard one of the women talking in a "certain" accent. As she passed I asked, "Strine?" Without turning or missing a step she replied, "Betcha life!", and the group walked on in a cloud of dust.

[Michael Walker]

Well, i'm a New Zealander. But I live in NW Sydney (near Roger perhaps?).
I'm fairly certain i've seen AquaMira for sale at Mountain Equipment on Kent. I generally buy my gear from the states, it was going well for me until August came along. We're heading rapidly back to those dark 48c days now… good times.

I'll be buying up big in the cheap gear haven of Nepal in about a week from now. Not sure on my chances of getting UL gear, all North Face i expect, but you never know.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Michael

> I'll be buying up big in the cheap gear haven of Nepal in about a week from now. Not sure on my chances of getting UL gear, all North Face i expect, but you never know.

Chuckle! The North Face gear you can buy in Kathmandu has a very good chance of being as legitimate as the 'Rolexes' you can buy there … But the Thamel district is super-educational!

Cheers
Roger

[Michael Walker]

Yeah, I know. I was actually thinking more of the second-hand gear that is apparently available. I'm just going on what i've been told by people who've been there recently.
Besides, cheap knock-offs can be as good as or close enough to the original, don't care about the label.
Worth a look if nothing else.

[darren stephens]

G'Day Michael
Welcome aboard
Darren

[Andrew Lush]

Gday Michael.

>>it was going well for me until August came along. We're heading rapidly
back to those dark 48c days now… good times

Gday Michael.
Yep those bad old days look likely to return if all the doomsayers are right. But look at it this way: even at 48 cents to the Aussie dollar, mail order from the US is still often the cheaper way to go.

Or you could make your own like our highly esteemed compatriot Roger : )

[Andrew Wolff]

I saw this thread way back when but never did get around to posting. But since it has gotten bumped back up I might as well go ahead and out myself as another Aussie on the site, albiet living in the states – Tennessee to be precise. I'm originally from Brisbane so my first ultralight backpacking experience was in Lamington NP with my schoolbook backpack, a blue tarp and a billy can before I had any real gear.

[peter pattenbury]

Hi Guys, another Kiwi joins the ranks, albeit one that is now lurking in the bush somewhere south of Sydney.
Somewhat late in joining up – I am 62 – but hey, while there's life in them thar legs….

On topic briefly: I chemically poison, or boil all the water I use in the Blue Mountains, Snowy Mountains, Victorian Alps, or any of the national parks on the coast.

I believe you don't need to boil water for any length of time to kill the critters. By the time the water is up to the boil anything that can harm you is dead. We used to boil for several minutes, but that is simply a waste of fuel. But that was in the days when we lugged 90lbs around.

Completely off topic: it is good to make acquaintance with the 'locals' ; I really appreciate the sound advice on BPL; thanks guys and gals, not forgetting the folks of the good ol' US of A.

BPL philosophy is international, but sometimes the practice of the art is national, or regional. My gear is now a mixture of NZ and Australian, and in a year or so some of it will be US when I do a walk over there.

That's fine; I am happy with the concept: we can all learn from one another. That's the fun of it.

Regards, Peter

[Gareth Parker]

Hi,

I am also an Aussie, (well actually a Saffa) living in Sydney. I have become interested in light backpacking from a trail running background and am just starting out.

If you dont mind I have a question or two! I am planning some hikes in the Blue Mtns, but I hear the water is not safe to drink. I notice that most people do anyway on this thread. If you were not comfortable doing this how much water should you take if doing about 80kms in a weekend?

[Dan Healy]

never had a problem with Micropur (Chlorine Dioxide) in the Blue Mountains. When the water is muddy I strain it thru a synthetic buff/microtowel or whatever.

[Julian Watson]

Another late arrival…. based in the 'gong.

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