-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
pack guide required
- Thread starter Forrie
- Start date
Codger_64
Moderator
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Messages
- 62,324
You are doing an end to end, so that is 963 klicks, or about 54 day walk if you don't loose time to illness, weather, injury or sightseeing.
A lot has changed in the world of backpacking since I did the Appalacian trail back last century...1973-74 I think it was.
Light/ultralight has a new meaning now. While we sawed handles off of toothbrushes, for example, today's metal and plastic technology has changed a lot of things. A single titanium billy might suffice for cooking, and a siera cup of the same metal to eat and drink from. Utensils come in some really nice advanced plastics that beat the doo-wad out of the stainless sets I used way back when.
Sloshing military canteens have been replaced by softsided bags like the Camelbacks, and there are Nalgene bottle for collection and treatment of water. Beware the cheap copies of these from China not made from food grade plastics, but recycled lord knows what.
You can save a lot of weight with your selection of the pack, but don't scrimp on the price and quality. You'll be wishing you had spent a bit more when the seams rip out in the middle of nowhere.
There are shelters on every section with water tanks (containing bugs), so invest in a water filter of some sort, size based on the length of your trip. Each type has a certain number of gallons it can filter before clogging and needing new elements.
The shelter availability is great. I stayed at a couple on the App, but take some sort of fly or bivey bag anyway, as you may not always end the day at the end of a section.
My old 35mm camera weighed a ton, and the rolls of film took up a lot of room. A newer small digital camera with some extra batteries and storage chips would be much better.
With some research, you can find places along the way you can send yourself packages to preposition a food replenishment. Don't expect to carry two months of food and other expendable supplies. And don't expect the small bush town mercantiles to have those supplies. Cans of beans and tuna are a poor substitute for freeze dried chicken ala king.
I am sure others can add a lot more, but this bit might help you somewhat. Enjoy!
Codger
A lot has changed in the world of backpacking since I did the Appalacian trail back last century...1973-74 I think it was.
Light/ultralight has a new meaning now. While we sawed handles off of toothbrushes, for example, today's metal and plastic technology has changed a lot of things. A single titanium billy might suffice for cooking, and a siera cup of the same metal to eat and drink from. Utensils come in some really nice advanced plastics that beat the doo-wad out of the stainless sets I used way back when.
Sloshing military canteens have been replaced by softsided bags like the Camelbacks, and there are Nalgene bottle for collection and treatment of water. Beware the cheap copies of these from China not made from food grade plastics, but recycled lord knows what.
You can save a lot of weight with your selection of the pack, but don't scrimp on the price and quality. You'll be wishing you had spent a bit more when the seams rip out in the middle of nowhere.
There are shelters on every section with water tanks (containing bugs), so invest in a water filter of some sort, size based on the length of your trip. Each type has a certain number of gallons it can filter before clogging and needing new elements.
The shelter availability is great. I stayed at a couple on the App, but take some sort of fly or bivey bag anyway, as you may not always end the day at the end of a section.
My old 35mm camera weighed a ton, and the rolls of film took up a lot of room. A newer small digital camera with some extra batteries and storage chips would be much better.
With some research, you can find places along the way you can send yourself packages to preposition a food replenishment. Don't expect to carry two months of food and other expendable supplies. And don't expect the small bush town mercantiles to have those supplies. Cans of beans and tuna are a poor substitute for freeze dried chicken ala king.
I am sure others can add a lot more, but this bit might help you somewhat. Enjoy!
Codger
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2002
- Messages
- 2,177
I've got my base load (minus food and water) down to 11kg's now. I walked the Larapinta in NT in July this year with up to 32kg some days
This was because we had to carry up to 14L of water on the long sections.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416208
The Bibbulman is guchi walking by comparison. A decent hut and water tank every 20k's. My basic gear list would be.
3 season sleeping bag
Thermolite bag liner
Bivvi sack (in case the hut is full) - check this one out, seems good value and is quite light.
http://kitbag.com.au/category6_1.htm
Pack - at least 70litres. Mine is a Lowe Cerro Torre - it served me well on the Larpinta. Mountain designs have a model that they call 'The Bibbulman' so it's probably well suited.
Clothes - 2 sets of shorts, 2 shirts, one pair of long trousers - all in lightweight wicking nylon (Columbia stuff is best I reckon). Some people despense with the change of clothes and just wear the same set the whole way - wash them when they can and stink the rest of the time. Me? I like a clean set each day or two.
2-3 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of underpants, 1 pair of bikeshorts (in case chaffing rears it's ugly head)
1 lightweight fleece, 1 goretex jacket, 1 set of polypro thermals.
Boots - any good quality walking boots. The bibbulman is not hard walking so heavy dury mountain boots aren't necessary. Scarpa Treck Pro's would be my choice.
Sandals - Teva or source or the like - to give your feet a break at camp and to walk on a swollen ankle if you happen to roll it a long way from help.
Walking Poles - I'm a convert. My right knee swelled up badly one day on the Larapinta and I was able to walk 16k's by favouring it, using the poles as crutches - next day it was fine.
Cookset - Snowpeak titanium.
Stove - Gas, petrol or metho - each has pro's and cons. I use an MSR Whisperlite - it fits ok into the potset and although it is a tad heavier than gas you save on fuel weight and it is guaranteed to work every time (as much as these things can be) in cold rainy conditions.
Water - 1 10 litre MSR dromedary (for water collection, emergency cariage and the like) 1 3 litre Camelback. 1, 1l army canteen (for back up and to drink out of/pour for cooking around camp)
Groundsheet
Sleeping Mat - I use the foldable honeycomb foam Thermarest (non - inflatable) It's light and it can't get a puncture. Does take up more room however.
I've probably forgotten a few small things - will add them later if I have.
ps: I've walked most sections if the Bibbulman - just not the whole thing in one go - it's a great challenge and I'm sure you'll love it. :thumbup:
This was because we had to carry up to 14L of water on the long sections. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416208
The Bibbulman is guchi walking by comparison. A decent hut and water tank every 20k's. My basic gear list would be.
3 season sleeping bag
Thermolite bag liner
Bivvi sack (in case the hut is full) - check this one out, seems good value and is quite light.
http://kitbag.com.au/category6_1.htm
Pack - at least 70litres. Mine is a Lowe Cerro Torre - it served me well on the Larpinta. Mountain designs have a model that they call 'The Bibbulman' so it's probably well suited.
Clothes - 2 sets of shorts, 2 shirts, one pair of long trousers - all in lightweight wicking nylon (Columbia stuff is best I reckon). Some people despense with the change of clothes and just wear the same set the whole way - wash them when they can and stink the rest of the time. Me? I like a clean set each day or two.
2-3 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of underpants, 1 pair of bikeshorts (in case chaffing rears it's ugly head)
1 lightweight fleece, 1 goretex jacket, 1 set of polypro thermals.
Boots - any good quality walking boots. The bibbulman is not hard walking so heavy dury mountain boots aren't necessary. Scarpa Treck Pro's would be my choice.
Sandals - Teva or source or the like - to give your feet a break at camp and to walk on a swollen ankle if you happen to roll it a long way from help.
Walking Poles - I'm a convert. My right knee swelled up badly one day on the Larapinta and I was able to walk 16k's by favouring it, using the poles as crutches - next day it was fine.
Cookset - Snowpeak titanium.
Stove - Gas, petrol or metho - each has pro's and cons. I use an MSR Whisperlite - it fits ok into the potset and although it is a tad heavier than gas you save on fuel weight and it is guaranteed to work every time (as much as these things can be) in cold rainy conditions.
Water - 1 10 litre MSR dromedary (for water collection, emergency cariage and the like) 1 3 litre Camelback. 1, 1l army canteen (for back up and to drink out of/pour for cooking around camp)
Groundsheet
Sleeping Mat - I use the foldable honeycomb foam Thermarest (non - inflatable) It's light and it can't get a puncture. Does take up more room however.
I've probably forgotten a few small things - will add them later if I have.
ps: I've walked most sections if the Bibbulman - just not the whole thing in one go - it's a great challenge and I'm sure you'll love it. :thumbup:
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2006
- Messages
- 353
thats for the info Ming65
i had been looking to those "Bivvi sack" or an all in one swag was not sure which one suited aussie conditions best.
cheers every one for there feedback, this gives me the right info to get an shopping list sorted
what brand do people think is the best water filtration system please??
i had been looking to those "Bivvi sack" or an all in one swag was not sure which one suited aussie conditions best.
cheers every one for there feedback, this gives me the right info to get an shopping list sorted
what brand do people think is the best water filtration system please??
- Joined
- Jun 29, 1999
- Messages
- 10,122
Read Colin Fletcher's The Complete Walker. It's the hiker's Bible IMHO.
Codger_64
Moderator
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Messages
- 62,324
Forrie said:
http://backpacker.altrec.com/outdoo...CjC_zgL5zgLwyCjCW-CjCBAfpBBylgzF5czfwyCubkfwy
In fact, look over the whole site. Backpacker magazine is THE periodical, IMHO, on the sport and has been leading the way for years.
Codger