Author Topic: hiking  (Read 4119 times)

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Offline emuisme

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hiking
« on: Apr 9, 2006, 06:25PM »
I wasn't quite sure where to put this.

I'm just starting to get in to hiking, got a 3 day (3 night) hike over easter (if the weather is OK). 

What I'm after is tips on gear to use (food/what not to pack/what not to forget/gear that has multiple uses/new uses for the gear I do have) and some suggestions of places to go (would ultimately like to hike cradle mountain, but I'm going to do some others before that one).

I recently found out the hard way that skimping on boots is a very bad idea, sorted now - but it was a bloody way to learn my lesson.

here's what I've got so far:

propane stove (on board igniter, should have got one without - less weight)
Scarpa hiking boots
analogue EPERB (hoping it's dead weight, but I'd rather have it and not need it than be caught without it)
hi country explorer pack (yes, I know it's cheep, but I'm hoping it'll last me until I have a better idea of what I need)
heavy duty cloth tape (just in case)
Basic first aid kit (bandaids, roller bandage, couple of dressings, more bandaids, bettadine)
full length self inflating sleeping mat
1 L billy (thinking of getting another one, water is available where we are going, but it needs to be boiled)
Tent (I'd call it a 1 1/2 man tent, weighs just under 2 kg)
wind proof matches (just in case)
Space blanket and an emergency blanket (just trying to decide if the space blanket is worth carrying)

I'm yet to buy my food - but I do have some back country cuisine food (heard mixed reports about it)

Any tips/suggestions/advice/abuse with reasons given will be most appreciated.

Thanks!
I spent my money on sothern comfort and speeding fines, the rest I wasted.

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Offline Jono

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Re: hiking
« Reply #1 on: Apr 12, 2006, 09:48PM »
Make sure you break your new boots in before your hike ;)
#1 Post Wh0re
pringles was here!

Offline emuisme

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Re: hiking
« Reply #2 on: Apr 12, 2006, 11:58PM »
Thanks!  I've had them a little over a month and I go for a walk in them every night after work and wear them almost all weekend.
after the last pair I don't think I'll ever take a chance on a pair of boots again.

the last pair was literally a bloody lesson at a grand total of 40 min wearing time, and they cost half what my current pair did!

I guess at the lack of response (apart from Jono, thanks!) that the only way I'll get much info in here is to post it myself, so I might post my exploits and let everyone laugh at me.

catch you all in a few day's time, BTW I'm only out 2 nights, not 3, and with the way the weather's shaping up I might even pull the pin on that!
I spent my money on sothern comfort and speeding fines, the rest I wasted.

Born to drive, forced to work!

Offline Carbon-goodness

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Re: hiking
« Reply #3 on: Apr 13, 2006, 01:04AM »
I guess at the lack of response (apart from Jono, thanks!) that the only way I'll get much info in here is to post it myself, so I might post my exploits and let everyone laugh at me.

sorry, but ask me a question about cycling with mtb's being my speciality....

but as Jono said, it would be a good idea ot wear in ya boots a bit so u don't get those "new boots blisters"

also, i'd recommend getting urself several pairs of thick wool socks! "explorer" socks are super - used em in cadets at high skool (quite a few years ago now.... still got a few pairs!  ;D )  those socks saved me feet from coming off!  :P  nah seriously, they're just uber comfy!

u using mess tins to eat ur food outta? if so, then take some al-foil (just aluminium foil) to line ur mess tins with, then cook whatever food ur cookin. then once ur done, just throw out the foil and then u don't hav to clean ur mess tin (well, not much anyways! usually only requires a quick rinse!)

if ur only out for 2 nites, then just get urself those continental packet pasta and sauce. they easy as to cook with - only hav to add milk and butter/margarine and water. comes in plenty o' varieties, cheap n' tasty and actually fills u up a bit! tho they hav an uber high salt content, so u'll be wanting to drink lots o' water afterwards

ahhh.... take a few bags o' lollies. ie: snakes, "party mix's", pretty much any of the "natural confectionary jellies" variety.... oooo! milo bars! i love em! can tuna and crackers may be an option....

anyhow, that's just what i've quicly remembered i had bak when i did cadets.

good luck man! (not too sure u'll read this b4 u go, but meh....)
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Offline emuisme

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Re: hiking
« Reply #4 on: Apr 17, 2006, 04:57PM »
Thanks AznPmP.  What cadets were you in?

The foil is a good idea if there is no water to wash in, but seeing as I was only doing a little bit of the great south west walk (south western Vic) water wasn't much of an issue (water supply at each camp site) but the foil would have been as it's "carry in, carry out" for rubbish.

I had some of those packet mixes with me, and salt was a problem with them.  not too bad seeing as I only ate them at night, but still enough of a problem when you have to boil all the drinking water. one thing I did find with those packet mixes is that the foil packaging was about 1/3 of the entire weight of the packet!  used glad lock bags to reduce the weight and make it easier to carry.

any way, on with the run down.

Started off where the trail crosses T & W road.  got dropped off way later than I wanted (1:15 pm) so I used a different drop off point to the origanal plan.  hiked the 5 or so km from there to cut out camp and set up there (easy start, seeing as I had never hiked before and my pack was 23 kg!).

First thing I wish I had, a rag or a tea strainer.  The rainwater tank had wrigglers (mosquito larvae) in it.

set up camp, no worries. had tea and went to bed just after dark.  woke up during the night to a sort of ripping noise, and my feet seemed to be sitting on something.  turned out that the internal binding on my sleeping mat had let go (the ripping noise) and that end of the mat had blown up like a balloon. once again I fall victim to my "I'll just get something good enough to do the job, and if I keep doing it I'll buy something better" mentality.  I would have been better off buying better gear and then selling it if I hadn't planned to keep hiking.

the following morning I got up and started packing up while cooking breakfast.  separated the tent from the fly to try to dry them both out as rain was forcast for mid morning.  1/2 way through it rained, but no big drama as cut out camp had a sheltered area I could finish packing in.

it rained most of that day, on and off.  the cover I had for my pack was OK for a few light showers, but at a few points I had rain soaking through my hat -  more than just a light shower.  Got to cubby's camp at about 12:00, cooked lunch (originally was going to have a cold one) while I tried to decide if I would continue or not.  wound up deciding to go on because 6 hrs of sitting around while waiting for dark didn't appeal. looking back I'd say it was a bit of a silly decision as portland (the next stop - and planned pick up point) was about 18 1/2 km away and i could have spent the time drying my pack out. wound up organizing to be picked up from the Frank Lodge lookout just north of portland - cutting off about 6 or 8 km that I'll have to try to do later. (prob a day trip when I visit my brother).

here's a list of things I think I should have packed (in brackets is what they would have replaced - if anything)

poncho (raincoat and pack cover - would have been lighter and kept my pack dry, don't know how it would have handled wind)
imodium - diarrhea medication- didn't need, but that could easily cause a medical emergency.
decent sleeping mat (better night's sleep than my crap one)
a different stove arrangement/ another billy (found I was a bit limited in boiling water as I only had a 1.5 l billy).
tea strainer (see story - only an issue where rain water is used)
water purification tablets - (saves boiling - would have reduced the amount of stove fuel needed - less weight)
cut down and laminated maps as the one i was using got wet in the rain. (as things in the rain often have happen!)
lighter sleeping bag (I think some of my weight issues came from too heavy a sleeping bag)

I don't have a complete list of my gear here anywhere, but I've got holidays in a mounth's time so I might post up a list of the gear i take out for that (hoping to spend around 5 days out at a time)

oh and a final thought, pack your sleeping bag near the top, although it's usually the last thing you want, and the first thing to pack away, it weighs less.  so by having it near the top you improve the center of gravity of your pack, there by making it easier to carry.
I spent my money on sothern comfort and speeding fines, the rest I wasted.

Born to drive, forced to work!

Offline Carbon-goodness

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Re: hiking
« Reply #5 on: Apr 19, 2006, 02:29PM »
Thanks AznPmP.  What cadets were you in?

i did cadets at skool (mentone grammar). it was compulsory to do in yrs 9-11. but i look back at it now and was one of the funnest times i had at skool! i ended up being a "tech-ops" medical corporal in the second yr of cadets.... lots o' fun! then decided to slack off for the last yr and just be in q-store  :P

good to hear u survived ur little expedition, good luck with ur next one!
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Offline h4inf

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Re: hiking
« Reply #6 on: Jul 6, 2008, 10:51PM »
It has only been 2 yrs since the last post here but I thought I may as well bring it back to see if you have learned anything else to share with us? :-)

I do a bit of hiking and over the years have learned a few things the hard way too lol..

such as... Shellite is very volatile, do not pour it onto a hot surface :P

Usually for lunch we take pita breads and jam or dip - they are easy to squeeze into a tightly packed back pack plus you can chew on them for ages so they don't disappear too quickly. Plenty of museli bars and chocolate snacks are good too... fruit and nut mix.. or biltong (dried beef) goes down REALLY well!

Personally I use a 'Choofer' camping stove. I fill the base about a third with shellite, seal it, then pump it up to pressure before lighting it up. It's been very reliable, not to mention a great deal faster than a metho powered trangia! I recently acquired a tranjia kind of stove but it has a hose that you screw into a fuel bottle, then pump up the pressure... so kind of like the choofer except you use the fuel container as a reservoir directly feeding it, plus it is kind of self contained with all the pots and pans, whereas the choofer only has a cup sized pot- i haven't used it yet though.

Recently we went hiking and there was a warning that it MIGHT snow... we got there and everything was under snow lol. Always be prepared! :) If hiking in snow, you should have gaiters and snow pants... thermals are good too, plus a spare pair of pants because when you are wet and trying to dry them in your warm 5 degree cabin, you may not have success ! snow shoes would make walking a lot more efficient.. worth having in the car at least. Another thing for snow is you need to make sure your tent is able to cope with snow! Tents for snow use have steeper angled sides, so the snow will slide off rather than build up and sag in!

A quality sleeping bag (sealed up in a few plastic bags) is crucial too.. sucks to get somewhere and find your sleeping bag is wet !! :(

I don't have an EPIRB but do carry a GPS and mobile phone... doesn't always have coverage. I want to get an EPIRB, it could be worth having it one day - could be the difference between a great story and a tragic story!

If any one is interested this is the gps map from the hike we did in the snow (only showing the return trip - took a lot longer finding the track in the snow on day1 lol):
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/5692144

and photos: http://photos.pw.cx/lakemtnkeppelsmay08


Hoping to hear more on hiking! :)

Cheers!

Paul.