Ultralight Hiking 2017:
See also:
NEW
Della & I (combined age then 120) heading
off from Freney Lagoon on the second day of our walk across
All about light weight, ultra light hiking, backpacking, bushwalking, hunting, tracks, trails, adventures, gear, reviews…
I have been hiking/hunting now for over sixty years, a little more slowly
than I once did, walking in the Victorian
This is a ‘work in progress’. I will be adding to it on a regular basis adding new photos, adventures, product/ideas, suggestions, etc. You should also look at HIKING ADVICE also a section of gear advice for my son written in 2011 WORLD TRAVEL KIT FOR SON. You can also see my older posts here. Hope you find something interesting.
PS: UPPER YARRA TRACK: I have recently created this site The
Upper Yarra Walking Track Australia’s oldest (& best), an
approx. 10-14 day walk with numerous resupply points, plentiful water and
camping spots now extending from Moe railway Station @ 150 kilometres up the
Latrobe, Tyers & Thomson River valleys, via Yallourn North, Erica &
Walhalla, across the Baw Baw Plateau, along the Upper Thomson River, past the
Yarra Falls & Mt Horsefall, along the Little Ada, Ada and Yarra valleys via
Warburton to Lilydale Railway Station. Now, complete with Track
Instructions
31/12/2017: All You Ever Need to Know About Tarps: As you probably know I eschew (conventional) tents. I like to be able to see out, to catch the breeze, to enjoy a warm fire out the front in cold weather, etc. I favour a tarp which keeps the weather out on three sides yet offers a sheltering verandah on the fourth such as my Siligloo and Deer Hunters Tent and Pocket Poncho Tent.
The simplest version of this though, as I have said many times is a simple 8' x 8' square of silnylon or cuben which can be erected a number of different ways depending on circumstances, number of occupants, etc. In fact 7' x 7' is the minimum, but 8' is better. This need only weigh around 150 grams, and can also be used as a hammock tarp, as here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-camping-double-bunking/.
Mine has served me well for many years and kept me dry and snug in all sorts of horrible weather, weather in which sometimes other died for the want of such a simple shelter: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/raincoat-shelter/. See Also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/
This guy has an interesting blog post about tarps which you might enjoy: Here is an archived version as the website is down just now: https://web.archive.org/web/20170206200801/http://caseyfiedler.com:80/2017/01/best-silnylon-tarp-backpacking/
One of my favourite DIY tarps is Ray Jardine’s http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Tarp-Kit/index.htm & http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Tarp-Kit/index.htm?g_page=2 Ray also has just about the best detailed explanation of why you should choose a tarp over a tent you will see anywhere. One of Ray (and Jenny’s) tarps will weigh 338 grams (11.89 oz) and cost from US$79.35 (Dec 2017) plus an enjoyable evening's evening's sewing..
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-hands-free-umbrella/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-rain-jackets/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/weather-lore/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-ultralight-survival-shelter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-in-the-rain/
29/12/2017: What a fascinating
article; I have noticed the 'terminator' wind, but I confess regretfully I
have not been outdoors enough on warm full-moon nights to notice the moon wind:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/12/24/sailing-on-the-moon-wind/#more-76322
28/12/2017: Ultralight Sleeping Bag: Some folk like to lug around a lead sleeping bag. Might be useful in the event of a nuclear attack I guess. The bag I use is the Montbell Ultralight Superstretch Down Hugger #3 (-1C) which weighs about 600 grams. My wife has a Zpacks -7C sleeping bag which weighs even less than mine (400 grams)! The thing I particularly like about the Montbell ‘Stretch’ range is their roominess. There are lots of other light ‘mummy’ down bags (around a pound (500 grams) but most are so narrow you have trouble even doing them up let laone having a con=mfy night’s sleep in them. The Montbell have enough stretch so you can sit up in them with your legs crossed! But they still ‘shrink’ to fit so there is no (wasted) air space your body has to heat up.
A down bag will weigh around half the weight of a synthetic bag of the same rating. Some folk worry about getting cold in them as they have the (undeserved) reputation of losing their insulative ability when wet. This is not true: Anyway, work at keeping your sleeping bag dry. You will be much more comfortable that way!
We use wool thermals & Montbell down clothes to increase the rating of our bags. A liner bag will increase the rating of your bag by 8C for only 248 grams weight penalty http://seatosummit.com/product/reactor-thermolite-mummy-liner/ . This is less than half the weight penalty you would pay for buying a bag with an 8C lower rating – and you only need the one sleeping bag.
I always have an open shelter with a fire out the front. By the same token I usually sleep along the valleys rather than on the tops. This post might also be helpful: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ultralight-deer-hunter/
I added a lot of down to my bag to increase its rating to -20C for my Everest trip http://www.theultralighthiker.com/adding-down-to-a-sleeping-bag/ . It still only weighed approx 850 grams something like Montbell’s #1/2 – but mostly in Vic you are unlikely to encounter temps of less than -10C. I sleep out in the winter all the time and find that my #3 bag is fine with the additions I mentioned above.
I think the Montbell down trousers weigh 239 grams ( I have never needed them), then I have a vest at 150 and a coat at 200 as well as the wool, but I can wear the clothes at other times as well. I just don't get lugging the single use sleeping bag weight around all the time.
You can wash down bags in the washing machine and dry them in a tumble drier.
26/12/2017: The plumbus – you need
one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGaBU5cKluU&feature=youtu.be
23/12/2017: Over the Baw Baws to Walhalla 1922: These over 70 fascinating photos of a memorable historic trip on the Upper Yarra Track illuminate a journey by John Jensen in 1922. The photos are held by the Melbourne Walking Club and are available here: http://www.melbournewalkingclub.org/photo-gallery/archives The photos were sent to me once again by Thomas Osburg of Yarra Ranges Bush Camp.
I have tidied them up a bit so they can be viewed individually. I think they are splendid. The captions are Jensen's originals. (No doubt better quality scans could be obtained if I had access to the originals, but these still give some idea of the treasures which exist 'out there'). I think the most wonderful thing about them is that they are in sequence and the captions allow us to locate the points where the photos were taken so that we can really relive this delightful expedition. One of the most enchanting things about this series of photos is that (for Jensen) it was a 'sentimental journey' reliving an earlier trip he undertook in 1907, 110 years ago today!
If you do not know the Upper
Yarra Track, it is one of the world's oldest and greatest walking tracks.
It predates all of the
In my Track Instructions I have supplied photographs of much of the route 'today' though in the other direction. You should have a look at them for comparison. Of course the part of the route which is under the Upper Yarra Dam can no longer be traversed and that part which is in the closed dam catchment area may not be (on pain of hefty fines) - though over the years a number of people have traveled parts of it (eg to the Falls and Shelter House) in defiance of such unnecessary and onerous restrictions.
Presumably Jensen and his companions set out from Warburton, and had:
Breakfast at McMahon's Creek:
An Abandoned Farmhouse:
The Yarra:
A Relic of Other Days:
A Halt for Repairs:
Upper Yarra Hotel Walsh's Creek:
The Starting Place:
At Aldermans Creek 3 Miles
The Lusty Young Yarra:
On the Track:
A Glimpse of the River:
Lunch at Contention Gully:
Old Mining Camp at Contention Gully:
Ferns and Flowers:
Our pack Horse:
A Halt 11 Miles:
Dinner in the Shelter Hut 15 Miles:
Near the Upper Falls:
The
The
Full Equipment:
In the
Left Fork Source of Yarra:
Right Fork Source of Yarra:
A Fallen Monarch:
The Thomson Bridge 20 1/2 Miles
Last View of the Yarra:
On the Divide:
Mountain Ash and Fern
Whitelaw Shelter Hut 29 Miles:
Our unstable Residence Also called 'Lizardville'
Photographing the Clouds:
Mountain Tops:
Snow on the Track:
Above the Clouds:
A Lookout:
Mount Baw Baw 5130 feet.
On Mt St Phillack - Highest Peak.
Lunch on Mt St Phillack 5140 Feet.
A Watery Track.
Desolation.
A Morass
Snow Gums
Above the Clouds
Cloud Scenes
Where We Slept in 1907
Mount Erica Shelter Hut 37 Miles
Mount Useful in the Distance
Leaving Mt Erica
Granite Rocks 
The Track Down Erica
The Granite Rocks
A Rough Track
A
A Fern Gully on Erica
On the Rocks
A Timber Winch
A Log Being Hoisted
The Winchman's Hut
The Thomson Bridge 48.5 Miles
Entrance to the Town
Walhalla At Last
How We Entered
The 'Star' Hotel Walhalla 57 Miles
A Glimpse of the Town
Left Branch Stringers Creek
Remains of the Long Tunnel Mine
Right Branch Stringers Creek
The Modern Dick Turpin
Leaving Walhalla
Walhalla Station
From Watson Station
Moe Station
Yarragon Butter factory
Back at Work
They were following this route: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-1925-tourist-brochure-map/ (NB. I need to update this post. Somehow the images have shrunk) Whereas today we would be following this one: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-map/
PS: A search in the facility on the upper right hand side of this page will reveal lots of other Upper Yarra Track treasures...there are many other interesting historic photos as well as the fascinating books by Annie Hoffa and Robert Croll.
I hope you enjoyed this post. it has taken me five hours!
See Also, eg:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-summary-cumulative-distancestimes/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-baw-baw-to-newlands-rd/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-sidetrip-baw-baw-to-mt-st-phillack/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-osheas-mill/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-section-five-erica-to-walhalla/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-st-gwinear-track-junction-to-whitelaws-hut/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-section-nine-phillack-saddle-to-block-10-road/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-side-trip-poverty-point/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls-3/
22/12/2017:
And: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/shadowland-fiordland-video/
21/12/2017: Hike Naked Day:
Now, you can’t get more ‘ultralight’ than that! However, don’t expect to see me there – I have to work! or something…
19/12/2017: Wilderness Siligloo:
Nearly 6" of rain had fallen in the
At Eaglevale I park under a shady tree and wait for a lift to Hernes Spur (9 hours) or Wombat Spur (11 hours). NB: Better to get there on Friday night. Some folk will go in then, others first thing on Saturday morning. If you arrive late morning Saturday you may miss a lift altogether. Fortunately kindly couple Kay & Ron Locke from Lake Munmora NSW gave me a lift. I grew up in the 1960s within 5 km of their house.
I put in at Hernes Spur. There was plenty of water.Ron and Kay sent me this photo of me setting out - and I took this photo of them. This was their first visit to the station, but I doubt it will be their last!
A
couple of hours down the river I made camp pretty much in the same spot as last
time. It was a splendid serene spot with oodles of birdsong. Also, last time a
dozen deer came grazing along on the other side of the river just on dusk so I
was hoping to see them again. Too late for a photo that time. A couple of
quickly cut bush poles and my home away from home is ready for me.This is my Siligloo: It proved
to be everything I had hoped for. I had a wonderful refreshing sleep in it. You
can see the clothesline worked fine too. I regret my wife Della pulled up lame
on the morning we were leaving and missed this trip. She will have to wait for
a bit more rain and for the next one. There will be one - or many! She has canoed
sections of this trip before.
You have to admit it is a pleasant place to camp. How green it still is (for December) after the 4-6" of rain we had last week. This 'dark olive' is a good colour for a tent: the deer do not seem troubled by it at all. A number came up quite close and honked at me.
My washing up spot (blue cup, etc). Deer had been wallowing right on the river's edge.
Like this:
All packed up and ready to go.
You have heard of 'parallel evolution'. Nature sometime emulates art. These
could be 'Cyclopean Walls such as those at
Talk about 'serendipity'. Last trip I had lost my 'Airbeam Pad' (a pity
as they no longer make them, alas). My photos showed me around about where it
must have come adrift of my pack, but there had been over 2 metres of water
down the river since then, so I figured it to be in
It reminds me of Cherry-Gallard's
story ('The Worst Journey in the World') of the midwinter expedition to the
Emperor Penguiins in 1912. They went to the windiest place on earth 500 lies
from base in
Farmers have been planting some kind of 'camel thorn' (at least a very prickly acacia) to consolidate the banks now that the willows are outlawed. They are not doing a bad job either.
I just love synclines.
Of course I saw a few of these on my voyage. I just love watching the does playing with their fawns.
PS: The trip down from Hernes Spur took 8 hours this time. The river height
was 1.94 - 1.97 metres (at the
A couple of little video snippets for you...
Again, the morning chorus when I woke at about 5:30 am was magnificent. The view out the front door of my tent.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171217060805.mp4"][/video]
I do so love being alone in the wilderness:
[video width="1440" height="1080" mp4="http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/201712170700261.mp4"][/video]
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-remote-wonnangatta/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/remote-wonnangatta-day-two/
19/12/2017: The Singing Mice: A fascinating article http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/The-Mystery-of-the-Singing-Mice.html#ixzz1Jw33OqiH (and please pursue it to other articles by the amazing Rob Dunn: http://www.robrdunn.com/)
15/12/2017: A Hands Free Umbrella: What a good idea that would be, especially if you need to use both hands for trekking poles on rough or steep terrain. When the weather is really humid, you really need a roof to keep you dry (and warm). A raincoat in such circumstances will just see you soaked and frozen.
See: The Importance of a Roof Hiking in the Rain and Raincoat Shelter
In such circumstances my Pocket Poncho Tent may save your life.
There are several possibilities. For example Antigravity Gear has a model featuring clips which attach your trekking umbrella to your back pack. https://www.antigravitygear.com/shop/rain-gear/swing-handsfree-backpack-umbrella/
There are several other possibilities, such as:
A search for ‘hands free umbrellas’ will provide you with lots of fun and amusement!
One I particularly like is the Ufocap: http://ufocap.tradekorea.com/product/detail/P280367/UFOCAP---Innovative-Umbrella.html?minisiteprodgroupno=32229 These little guys cost about $10 on eBay and weigh about 170 grams. Even if they look a bit silly they should do the job. The ones with transparent panels (at least at the front) would help you see where you were going.
Best of all: A reader recommends this excellent DIY solution to attaching your umbrella to your pack here:https://ramblinghemlock.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/umbrella-rigging.html
I think I would caption this one, 'Fun with Umbrellas'. Well done 'Rambling Hemlock'.
If you are thinking of carrying an emergency hiking umbrella you might choose this one at 128 grams or this one at a mere 86!
14/12/2017: The Siligloo: Here is my new ultralight 'Sil-igloo' tent at 379 grams. As you can see it is huge: big enough to stand up in - I guess it is over 100 square feet (9-10 square metres) of cover. There is plenty of room for two large adults and two small dogs , and to spread out gear all over the place. For scale that groundsheet is 5' by 8' (150 x 240 cm & 100 grams)
It requires 10-12 Shepherd's Hook stakes to erect it.
The tent has a lovely airy feel to it. I am going to love this tent. Particularly I will love carrying it!
By the way, that is a 3/4 length (4') Thermarest Neoair mat for scale.
It goes up really quickly and simply, but it does not want to come down the same way - unlike so many tents. It will also keep you plenty dry in all sorts of weather, and you can have a warming fire out the front on cold nights without the risk of it raining inside the tent. I have solved a whole bundle of tenting problems right here.
It also has a 6' (1.8 metre) internal clothesline for drying your stuff and five other internal gear hanging points. I made the tent out of a new 1.1 oz/yd 2 'Xenon' silnylon purchased from these guys (I have recommended them before) for A$11.95/metre (Dec 2017).
I could have wasted more material and done less sewing, but my money doesn't grow on trees even if yours does. I made the Pocket Poncho tent out of the same material, and it works splendidly.The material is extremely light and slippery and has a soft feel like silk. I have sewn very few things this delicate, so I am still learning techniques (as you can no doubt see - I also had a problem with my bobbin). No doubt someone else could do a better job, but at least the tent will work, which is the main thing.
I have been working on this tent for some time. I nearly finished it before we went to walk Mt Bartle Frere back in late August when I did this post then I set it aside as I had other things to do - and no need for it. I want it now for a pack rafting expedition Della and I are about to head off on, so we finished it.
Many of you will recognise its evolution from this, to this. Some of you will also have noticed my Pocket Poncho Tent which I thought was quite an achievement at 185 grams and which I intended to be a floor for this tent..
I have now to finish my Deer Hunter's Tent and make a silnylon and perhaps a cuben fibre version of it. It will be an even lighter two person tent than this one. In cuben fire (top) and silnylon (bottom) it will probably be under 300 grams - quite an achievement for a two person tent you can stand up in and warm with a fire! Using the Pocket Poncho Tent for a floor, and with a silnylon roof it should still only weigh around 400 grams - not bad for a two person tent and a raincoat for one!
We
have camped out lots of times in the prototypes of these three tents. For
example, here
we are in the Deer Hunter's Tent. Here
in the prototype of the Siligloo. And here
I am in the Pocket Poncho tent - so they work fine. And, Yes, I am planning to
sell them, some time - but I am old (and still busy about the farm and such)
and things just don't get done as quickly as they once did. Please be patient.
Next year
Tiny isn't it? .
And 379 grams, as you can see.
But plenty of room for two adults and two dogs.
Front view.
Side view.
Rear
view - you can see I have sewn a tie-out at the top to brace the top into
strong winds.
Some folks might worry about a tent which is always open on one side. In the prototype I sewed in a couple of flaps so I could close this, but I have not found it necessary so I have not included them yet in this model. I guess they would only add about half an ounce (15 grams). If a really bad storm comes you can take out the side pole and space out the pegs so the tent becomes a closed tipi which you would crawl into.
I may sew a couple of vents into the peak so that I don't get condensation in this or the closed configuration. Erected as a tipi it is nearly 10' across! I guess in an emergency you could shelter nearly a dozen people sitting up.
I have not sealed the seams. I doubt they will need it. They are all flat-felled. The Tyvek versions never needed it. The tie-outs would add a bit more but I doubt it is 400 grams with them - plus about 70 grams for the pegs. I will make a couple of small bags too: one for the tent and one for the stakes.
I will probably also make a floor for it - of course it was intended that I would use my Pocket Poncho tent for a floor, but I would wear it out pretty quickly if I used it all the time for that purpose. I will use it sometimes though - particularly on long trips with my wife, Della when we will also benefit from having a spare raincoat if needed.
The guy lines are the glow in the dark kind as are the micro line locks, as explained here. More about stakes.
Here it is in the bag with the stakes and the groundsheet:
PS: I always carry my tent in the side pocket of my pack. I attach the tent to the pack with the carabiner so I don't lose it.
07/12/2017: Kokoda Track Memorial
Walk: This delightful track is located right on the
The Japanese onslaught on Australia included the bombing of Darwin and Broome and attacks in many other places in Australia - famously in Sydney Harbour, but less well-known was an assault by a plane flown off a submarine in Bass Strait on the Yallourn Power Station here in the Latrobe Valley, the plane being shot down and crashing in the bush not five kilometers from our house!
The Japanese invasion came within about 20 kms of
You can spend a couple of delightful hours exploring this lovely spot, and soaking up some of the history which ought never to be forgotten. Much of it is intelligently displayed in monuments, billboards and brass informational plaques so it it readily accessible.
The entrance: the lush
A spectacular information board area is worth an hour of closer study. Here you will learn eg about Kingsbury VC who charged the Japanese with a Bren machine gun under his arm, killing many of them - until he himself was killed.
I was particularly impressed by this photo of the Highlanders (the so-called 'Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels') carrying a wounded 'digger' (who has clearly lost a leg - his composure in that circumstance is astonishing!). I was impressed by the elegance of the improvised litter: It would not have occurred to me that the weight of the patient on the ends of the blanket would be enough to secure it in place, as it is clearly doing.
You follow a winding path and are plunged immediately into the forest primeval.
Some very big timber still exists - this is a giant mountain ash. The largest of these were the largest trees which have ever existed on earth.
You pass the remnants of some of these giants which have fallen amongst the ferns.
The track follows a fern gully up the hill. The stream tinkles away only a few metres from the path.
The path is also called 'the 1,000 steps' though I did not count them. Along
the way, approximating major points of 'interest' on the real Kokoda track
there are brass plaques explaining what occurred at each point. My uncle fought
in the
Here is the last one when you reach the
A statue and Honour Board to the fallen serve as a permanent reminder of what we owe to these brave soldiers and New Guineans.
06/12/2017: Voyager 1 fires its engines for the first time in 37 years. If only they built machinery like that nowadays: https://www.space.com/38967-voyager-1-fires-backup-thrusters-after-37-years.html
04/12/2017: Ultralight Pen #2:
Valiant Concepts Titanium Keychain Pen: Designed to live on your keychain and go anywhere you go, The Valiant Concepts Keychain Pen is there when you need it, and practically disappears when you don’t.
Featuring a pressurized Fisher ink cartridge and operated simply by twisting the tail to expose the writing tip, this is the highest quality, most compact keychain pen on the market.
Diameter: 0.240"
Length: 2.50"
Weight: 0.235oz (6.7 grams)
Materials: Titanium
US$53.99 Dec 2017)
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-pen/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/miniature-pens/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tactical-pens/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/waterproof-notepads/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pen-fishing-rods/
04/12/2017: Credit Card Knives:
Boker Plus Credit Card Knife: A unique design from
Specs
Boker Plus
Blade: 440C stainless steel
Handle: Stainless steel
Titanium liner
Removable pocket clip
Blade length: 2.25 in (5.7 cm)
Closed length: 2.8 in (7.1)
Overall length: 5 in (12.7 cm)
Weight: 1.1 oz (31 g)
Included (2) Ball chains - 1 original, 1 extra
Available: https://www.bokerusa.com/pocketknives/boker-plus/tactical-knives/credit-card-knife-black-01bo011 US$39.95 (Dec 2017)
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/small-thin-pocket-knives/
http://www.iainsinclair.com/en/cardsharp4-natural.html
Below: the Cardsharp Knife:
03/12/2017: Away with the birds: http://www.neatorama.com/2017/11/25/Brazen-Bird-Theft/
03/12/2017: Supermoon: the moon is at apogee so it will be 16% brighter, but I doubt you will see it. PS: It’s all because of ‘global warming’: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/12/01/supermoon-this-weekend-will-be-biggest-full-moon-of-the-year/
02/12/2017: If you thought jumping out of a plane was bad enough, watch these two guys jump into one: https://laughingsquid.com/wingsuit-pilots-jump-into-passing-plane/
02/12/2017: Waterproof Hearing Aids:
(Pictured above Signia Motion – they also take the ultra-thin ‘Life Tubes’)
If you are pretty deaf like me you can’t do much well in the outdoors without waterproof hearing aids. Unfortunately Siemens (now Signia) have stopped production of the Aquaris model of waterproof hearing aids, so I can no longer buy a spare (though I will be looking out on eBay – Gumtree is better for this)
They have two new models which are mildly water proof 1P67: the Motion and the Cellion. These new models also have updated hearing technology, so if you are after a new pair of hearing aids you will be hearing better than ever with them! They even claim you will hear better than folk with normal hearing!
However, I have spoken to Signia/Siemens at length and they say neither of these products will stand being submerged (particularly the receiver in canal (RIC) of the Cellion, so I can’t imagine what this rating is all about, The Motion is likely to fare better than the Cellion – and should withstand sweat and some light rain, but will not stand being submerged, they say – though it will probably dry out and start working again (and would be covered by a warranty) There is nothing now which is suitable for swimming or canoeing (ie when you fall out, which you always do sometime!) The best you can do is maybe source a pair of second – hand Aquaris. Good luck with that. You will have competition.
Below is what the IP stuff is (supposed to be) all about:
IP (Ingress Protection) ratings IP67 & IP68:
First digit: Solid particle protection:
|
6 |
Dust tight |
No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact (dust tight). A vacuum must be applied. Test duration of up to 8 hours based on air flow. |
Second digit: Liquid ingress protection:
|
7 |
Immersion, up to 1 m depth |
Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 m of submersion). |
Test duration: 30 minutes - ref IEC 60529, table 8. Tested with the lowest point of the enclosure 1000 mm below the surface of the water, or the highest point 150 mm below the surface, whichever is deeper. |
|
8 |
Immersion, 1 m or more depth |
The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects. The test depth and/or duration is expected to be greater than the requirements for IPx7, and other environmental effects may be added, such as temperature cycling before immersion. |
Test duration: Agreement with Manufacturer Depth specified by manufacturer, generally up to 3 m |
The rechargeable nature of the Cellion (and the ‘soluble RIC!) means that I would have to carry a charger and a power source (as compared with two spare hearing aid batteries - perhaps), so they would increase my pack weight by perhaps 200 grams or more. Unacceptable. I will be going with the IP67 ‘Motion’ model when the time comes to update my Aquatris ones – unless I can find something better! They are available here from US$1195 ea –Nov 2017: http://www.thehearingclub.com/SiemensSignia-MOTION-and-Orion-2-BTE-Models_c_121.html
Siemens claimed their Motion binax was IP67 waterproof to 1 metre for 30 minutes: https://www.bestsoundtechnology.com/pro/siemens-hearing-product-portfolio/binax/motion/
PS: I managed to buy a second hand model of the Motion Binax on Gumtree for A$250. This is wonderful news for me.
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/zenni-the-hearing-company/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/securing-hearing-aids/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code
02/12/2017: Weight-training essential to prevent muscle loss over age 40-50: https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/15/well/move/to-maintain-muscle-and-lose-fat-as-you-age-add-weights.html?_r=&referer=
28/11/2017:
An Excursion to the Upper
Yarra Falls
This was a three part article in the Leader Melbourne, Vic, Saturday 15, 22 & 29 November 1884, The Contributor: ‘By G’ kindly provided by Thomas Osburg of Yarra Ranges Bush Camp. Much of it is incredible, to say the least. The author has explained the value of solitude and the preservation of wilderness so well – his conclusion: ‘It would seem well, therefore, that some steps should be taken permanently to preserve these forests in their present state,’ might have been written yesterday! I think it should also be useful to today’s ‘explorers’ keen to retrace these earlier delights of the ‘Upper Yarra Track’ See also: Track Instructions. You will find that the going to the falls is just as difficult as described here, but that the views of the falls are worth every bit of the difficulty of the trip.
Part 1:
No poet has yet
sung the beauties of the Yarra.
It may be asked,
Where are the
There were several difficulties to overcome. There was a party to get together, neither too large nor too small, that is, not less than three nor more than four. There was the question of accurate information as to the route. I reflected that the track having been cut by a Government party, there would probably be a plan of it somewhere in the archives of the Government department. I will not detain my readers with a narrative of my adventures in the Government offices in search of this plan. I received every assistance from the officers of the various departments concerned, and finally obtained a tracing of it on a scale of forty chains to the inch. I found that the track went from Reefton to Mount Lookout, on the road from Jericho to Walhalla; that the distance was about 17 miles; that it crossed the Yarra about 20 miles from Reefton, and about a mile and a quarter below the crossing were the falls.
The last and
most important point was the party. There are always many things to be
considered before men of various vocations can arrange to take a holiday
together. Finally my companions of the previous year agreed to go, and at the
last moment I enlisted a fourth man, whom I shall describe as R., who had been
with me on a somewhat similar trip to Mount Baw Baw. This I thought a great
accession of strength, and I will explain why. Of my companions of the previous
year, one is a man of extensive scientific and professional acquirements,
which, though intended for exercise in a larger sphere, are not successful for
finding a way through difficult country. To him we were indebted for the
aeromatic measurement of the heights, but, like myself, he is a man approaching
middle age, living in
The remaining member of the party to notice is the horse who was to carry the pack. He is an old bush horse (some people may call him a pony), well adapted for rough ground. He had been out at grass some time before the start, and came home, to my great disgust, in by no means good condition. However, we determined that there was nothing for it but to start with him, as another horse that we might obtain for the occasion would probably turn out altogether unfit for the work.
Our equipment amounted to about 2 cwt., when the water tins were empty. It consisted of a calico tent, 6 feet by 8, with a fly, a rug or blanket each, a piece of waterproof to put on the ground, a change of clothes each, captain’s sea biscuits, tinned meats, cold boiled corned beef and bacon, tea, sugar, cocoa, cheese, brandy, lime juice, &c., and oats. The last item may puzzle some readers, but it is absolutely necessary. In the dense forests which cover the ranges one may travel for miles without meeting with a blade of grass or anything else that a horse can eat.
We made our start shortly after the new year. Three of us, with the pack, took the coach from Lillydale to Warburton. The fourth rode the horse. We had dinner at Warburton, loaded the horse, and commenced our tramp. Warburton is situated on Yankee Jim’s Creek, about 3 miles from the Yarra in a little valley shaped like a punch bowl, where several creeks unite. Considerable gold workings have been carried on there, and water has been brought there by races for the purpose of sluicing, which has much increased the natural volume of Yankee Jim, and at the same time giving him a chocolate tint unusual on a mountain stream. There is at Warburton a store and house of accommodation, kept by Mr. Bullen, a State school, and one or two other brick houses. At Warburton we made some inquiries as to the track. We were told it had been cleared to a width of 12 feet right through, and we could have no difficulty in keeping it, and that the water in the Ten Mile hole was permanent. We were able to test the accuracy of the first part of this information by our experience of last year. It was inaccurate in a way information as to a bush track will often be. The informant will have travelled the track when open, and will have omitted to allow for the changes by falling timber and growth of scrub, which in a few years will nigh obliterate an unused track.
From Warburton
the track passes through a saddle beneath a lofty plume of timber on to the
waters of Scotchman’s Creek. It then becomes a sideling, following the course
of a tributary of Scotchman’s, winding in and out with the contour of the
hills, and crossing minor tributary creeks or gullies by log bridges or
crossings. After a time it crosses Scotchman’s Creek, then crosses the spur on
the opposite side on to the waters of Four Mile Creek, near the mouth of which
it makes the Yarra. This locality from Warburton is the prettiest to be found
in
On reaching the Yarra the road again becomes a dray track, recently cut along the river, round the spurs of Warburton Hill. Not long after crossing Four Mile Creek we determined to camp before leaving the selections. The selector’s clover which had strayed on to the road would give our horse a good supper. A place was selected for the tent be-tween two live trees which were growing beside the river, near which we u-loaded the trap. We then set about to camp, one lighting the fire, another tethering the horse, another pitching the tent and another cutting ferns for a bed. When all was done we had our evening meal. R. went down to the Yarra and caught several fine black fish. The flying squirrels flew from tree to tree, and screeched a little. After dark we turned in. During the night we heard another fall of timber not far off. The next morning we were up at four a.m. After bathing in the Yarra we breakfasted on the blackfish caught the night before, which were cooked on the embers. We then packed up and started for M’Mahon’s.
Shortly after
starting we crossed
We were particularly anxious to identify on our tracing the position of the ten-mile water hole, which we had failed to make the previous year. We learned that it was about a mile beyond the finger post; that the road went up hill to the finger post, and then a gentle slope down to the ten mile water. I showed Mr. Ridgell our tracing, on which the creek which crossed the track before it reached the Yarra was made to run from right to left. He appeared somewhat staggered by this, but I remembered that the year before he had told me distinctly that the creek ran from left to right, and, inwardly determined not to be put out, I found the arrow head upon the tracing, notwithstanding that it did so. Mr. Ridgell here gave us a piece of information, which proved useful, that the track went down to this creek on a sidling. We had determined to go on to Reefton and get some more provisions and horse feed at the store, but we changed our minds, and had dinner at Ridgell’s. This took a little time getting ready, and it was consequently a quarter to four before we were off. Instead, therefore, of keeping along the Yarra we turned up the spur immediately after crossing M’Mahon’s Creek, This would take us by a different road to our camp of the year before at the little water holes. The ascent was longer, and therefore not quite so steep, but this was some what compensated by the track being a good deal overgrown with scrub. We found that the main spur between M’Mahon’s Creek and Alderman’s Creek divided into three spurs at this point, that to the west being the one from M’Mahon’s, by which we had come, the middle being that from Reefton, and there being another to the east.
Turning therefore down the middle spur towards Reefton we soon came to our camp of the year before. This we reached at six p.m. It was much as we had left it— the heap of ferns which had made our bed; the tent pegs and logs we laid at the bottom of the tent; the empty tins, the ashes of our fire. We at once unloaded, and set to work to camp. Next morning we arose at six o’clock, but when going to fill our billies for breakfast were annoyed to find that our consumption of the previous evening had nearly exhausted the little holes. The result was that after we had breakfasted and watered the horse, there was only enough water left to half fill one of our water tins. This was a disappointment; we accordingly loaded up, and moved off at about half-past nine.
At about 5 miles from our camp was marked on the tracing the old shaft of the Excelsior reef. We found the track not so plain as it had been the previous year, and shortly after starting we had some difficulty about it; but our experience enabled us to avoid the branch tracks on to which we had then wandered. We had also the advantage of the pioneering of R. It was a hot day, with a north wind. At about half-past one we came upon the heap of mullock which marked the Excelsior shaft. This was satisfactory. It enabled us to tell our precise position on the track and consequently our rate of progress. We determined to have lunch, so unloaded the horse and sat down in the shade of the scrub. During lunch we discussed our position. We had taken four hours to come 5 miles; our rate of travel, therefore, was one mile and a quarter per hour. Supposing that we proceeded at the same rate or, allowing for the road being probably worse, at a mile an hour, we ought to reach the finger post in two hours, and the ten mile water in three hours. On a clear road we could have traveled 3 miles an hour and upwards without difficulty. But on the sort of track we had come by it was different. In the first place one has every step to look to, so as to avoid slipping upon the sticks and bark with which the ground is strewn. Then one has to see that one is on the track, and for this purpose keep a good look out for blazes, cut timber and other indications. By wandering a little off it the ground becomes much rougher, and traveling proportionately slower. Then one has to step over or go round fallen logs, and also to keep an eye to the general features of the country and attend to the direction in which one is going, either by the compass or the shadows, to be assured that the track one is following is the right one, for a short distance before reaching the shaft we had had to pass through rather dense scrub. All these causes combined reduced our rate of travel from the regular 3 miles an hour to a mile and a quarter. So soon as we reached the old shaft I was convinced that we had passed it the previous year, and upon going forward it now became evident that there had been in the interval a great growth of scrub, obliterating every trace of the track. As we went on matters grew worse. In the hollows
the scrub was high over our heads, the stems close together as thick as a man’s wrist, and matted with wire grass, and continually covering fallen logs, Through this we struggled, hot and panting. A portion of the scrub had a white flower upon it, the pollen from which made us cough and sneeze. The horse came on steadily, pushing aside the scrub and stepping, sliding or jumping over the logs, as the case might require. Mixed with the live scrub and rising above it were tall, dead sticks of considerable weight, which had been killed by fire. These the horse knocked down right and left with his packs, and some of us got nasty knocks from them. Whenever we could see about us we had to keep a good look out for spurs coming in on our left, lest we should miss the finger post and wander on towards the Crossover. One such spur we noticed and spent a little time in ascertaining that our track did not go along it. Our line of march was as follows: R. went ahead to look out for tracks, and the horse was never led out of sight of the last blaze or cut log, until he had struck another blaze or cut log ahead. When this was not for some distance the others would spread out, so that one kept in sight of the horse and one again of him. The signal to come on could then be passed as soon as the track was again struck. In this way the party was never off the track. As we went we made blazes to guide us on our return. Our progress was, of course, slow and toil-some. We were, therefore, not surprised that at half-past four we had not yet seen the finger post, but by five o’clock we were anxiously looking out for it; and about this time a change came over the character of the track. We had been passing through country which had been burnt since the track had been cut, and upon which a growth of scrub had taken place, completely obliterating it. We now came to a place where the original 12 feet clearing could often be seen. It was obstructed by fallen logs, sticks and wire grass, but not by scrub. The scrubs on each side were old, with slender stems and leaves at the top. The ground, moreover, became a black mould in place of the stony surface we had before met with. There was an appearance of musk and tree ferns, and the timber was increasing in size, the prevailing tints becoming a mixture of black and pale green. All this was an indication that we had reached, or were approaching, the crest of the south dividing range of the Yarra, where we ought to see the finger post, but the finger post we saw not, so we went on from five to half-past five, and from half-past five to seven, when we camped.
Part 2:
We struck camp next morning at half-past nine. Just after starting we noticed a tree marked W. From this we understood that we had been encamped on the two mile water. This made our march of the previous day a little over 8 miIes, The height of our camp measured by the barometer was 1700 feet above McMahon’s, We proceeded along the south watershed of the Yarra in a general easterly direction.
The prevailing charactor of the country was the same as on the evening before, The track was often perceptible as a sort of avenue through the scrub, though in the clearest places knee deep in ferns and wire grass and obstructed by logs. We passed through several saddles separated by small sills, At about twelve o’clock we could see a great spur coming in to join the ridge we were following from the north – that is on our left, This could be nothing else than the right watershed of Alderman’s Creek. We were, therefore, making good progress, and might hope to reach the Yarra that night. So we went on for another half hour, when our horse, in getting over a log, slipped and fell; he could not rise again with the pack and we had to unload him, but he was none the worse. As we began to ascend the hill we found the sides and top of it covered with huge logs hundreds of foot long, as if it had been cleared by a survey party, The interstices between them were filled with tall bracken and scrub with white flowers, and the track seemed altogether obliterated. We made our way very slowly round and over the logs, and presently the horse got another fall, and we had to unload and reload again, There was a good look out from many places down the valley of Alderman’s Creek and of the ranges across the Yarra,
We found the top
of this mountain was 1200 feet above our camp of the previous night, or about
4000 feet above the sea level. It is unnamed on the maps. We christened it
We pitched the
tent under two beech trees, whose thick foliage would protect us from any
sticks that might be blown off from the gums, and made our bed of fronds cut
from the ferns. When we got up the next morning a strong north wind was
blowing, shaking the tall, white ferns like corn stalks, bending them as if to
break with a great roaring noise. We did not make a start until about half-past
ten, when we at once began to ascend out of the saddle, and soon came out into
the sunshine on to a hill covered with fallen timber and sword grass, and from
which there was a good view of the opposite ranges. The logs had rotted and
broken into fragments, and were therefore not the obstacle they had been on
After about a couple of miles gum trees again appeared mixed with the beech trees, and we were again troubled by fallen tlmber. About the same time we found growing in the track tall solitary stalks of grass like oats which shot up with a stem as thick as one’s finger, seven or eight feet high. Finding the horse would eat the two gathered bundles of it, as we went along. A little after twelve o’clock the horse got another fall getting over a log. We had to unload, and determined to have lunch, When we again made a start we found it had been raining heavily, and that the scrub was very wet. In a little while we got out of the beech forest, and began to ascend a hill covered with tall standing gums and thick bracken up to our shoulders. Through this we pushed our way, getting drenched through. When we gained the top of the hill we found our track appeared to leave the rldge, and turn down the sideling to the north-east. After turnlng down on the sideling we were soon again in a beech forest, and out of the high wet bracken.
In about half a mlle we came to tho creek, which was broad and shallow, scarcely covering the ground. It crossed the track from left to right- not from right to left, as marked in our tracing. The descent from the ridge to this creek was not more than 200 or 300 feet, and not at all steep, consldering it was on a sideling. We crossed the creek and ascended to tho ridge on the opposite side. Crossing it we descended on a sldeling to the Yarra, which we at once passed over. It was a much smaller stream than that we have left at M’Mahon’s, being about 30 feet wide and about up to our ankles, with, however, a good current. The scene was a peculiar one. It was still raining hard. Heavy clouds rested on the tops of the beech trees from 50 to 70 feet above us, which lined the river banks and covered the slopes, and hung in festoons between them, but below it was clear. We had no time to stand and watch it, however, being wet through.
We had to get to work and camp at once. In about twenty minutes we had a fire big enough to roast an ox. Having pitched our tent we looked about for something to make a bed of, and the best thing we could find was a heap of bark at the foot of a neighboring messmate. This we dragged in front of the fire and dried, after which we had our evening meal round the fire. We stood up round it for some time drying clothes, while the horse stood warming his nose on the opposite side of the fire. Finally we turned in.
We were up at
six the next morning. There was still a slight rain, We had breakfast, and at
half-past eight we started in search of the falls. Our camp was shown by the
barometer to be 2100 foot above M’Mahon’s or only 500 feet lower than the top
of
We accordingly descended as rapidly as a regard for our necks would permit several hundred feet, and made our way on to a Iedge down to the water. From this point we could see the water fa!ling above and below us over a faoe of dark rocks in a series of steps. The fall was shaded by ti-tree, with occasional tree ferns on the ledges. The spray fell like rain. We were too close to the face of the fall, and tho ledge we were on would not permit us getting further out. We were not the first persons who had viewed the Yarra falls from this spot, for we saw a tree with a blaze on it, on which was a name, partly overgrown with bark, whioh we made out to be A. Burns. We then crossed over, scrambled along the face of the cliff and made our way down an other hundred feet or two, and got another vlew of tho falls, with, however, the disadvantage that we were too close to see far up or down. This point was by the barometer 550 feet below the top of tho fall. We could see the fall for about 50 feet below it. It was a continuous fall all the way, interrupted only by small ledges. There is, however, no reason to suppose that the lowest point to which we could see was anywhere near the bottom of the fall. Judging from the appearance of the valley it was far from being so. The total height of the fall therefore, can scarcely be less than 700 feet or 900 feet; it is probably 1000 feet.
We had not seen
by any means as much of the falls as we should have liked, but we were
compelled to return. It was Tuesday, and R. had to be In a distant part of
By half-past one we had regained our camp. We then bathed in the Yarra, had lunch, struck our camp, and started for the Thompson, where we hoped to camp that night. It was shown by our tracing to be 4 miles distant. The track in the first instance followed the ridge of the very low spur between the main arm of the Yarra and tho tributary that joined it just below our camp. After a little the track forked; we took, the left fork, which took us down to the tributary at a point where two creeks united to form it; beyond this the track was not apparent. After a little we found a place where a tent bad been pitched, with a rude platform of round timber to raise it off the ground. We had evidently come upon an old surveyor’s camp. That explained how it was that the track ran out. We accordingly returned and took tho right hand fork of the track. After we had gone about three quarters of a mile the track turned down to and crossed the creek on our left, and shortly afterwards began to ascend a ridge on a sideling. The top of this ridge was not. more than 100 feet or so above our camp. On it we found white gum timber.
The rldge was narrow, and the track immediately descended on a sideling on the other side, about 300 feet Into a narrow valley containing a fine stream of water. The sides of the valley were lined with beech trees, with a few tree ferns. This creek must form the right fork of the Yarra as laid down on the maps; and as its level appeared lower than the top of the falls, must join, the left fork below them. Crossing the creek we ascended on a steep sideling on the other side to a height somewhat greater than that from which we had descended, and found ourselves in a forest of white gums mixed with beech trees, with a good deal of undergrowth. The creek, however, continued tolerably clear. We were now upon the crest of the dividing range, between the waters of the Yarra and the Thompson, marked on the maps as Wright’s range. A little before seven o’clock the track began to descend gently, and we reached a fine stream of water crossing the track from north to south, spanned by a good log bridge.
This stream,
which was much larger than either fork of the Yarra, or, I should say, than
both of them together, we made out to be the Thompson. Here we determined to
camp. A little way up from the river, to the right of the track we had come by
we found an open glade carpeted with good grass. On this were the remains of an
old survey camp, consisting of log platforms, similar to that we had noticed on
the Yarra. There appeared to be a succession of rich glades along the river,
divided only by low scrub, tall timber not being found till some little way up
the slopes on either side. There was, therefore, a clear view up and down tho
river for some way over the top of the scrub. We could see the sky, too,
overhead and in front of us. All this was a change after the dense grass
through which we had been traveling for the last four days, The edge of the
other valley was lined with large white gums, say 100 foot high, with straight,
thick limbs tapering to the top, and wide spreading arms a little more than
half way up. The slopes behind were covered with a mass of plants of different
kinds. Every here and there above this rose to a great height huge logs, white
with age and black with fire, without limbs, broken at the top. Though
generally impressed by the view, there was a feeling of solitude connected with
this camp not experienced elsewhere in the course of this trip. The height of
this camp was 2300 feet above M’Mahon’s, or only 100 feet lower than our camp
on the Yarra. We were still, however, above a high plateau, as high or higher
than the top of
Part 3:
‘After bathing in the Thompson, which we found about up to our waists, and very cold, we had breakfast, and made another start. We crossed the bridge and ascended the opposite hill. The track was good, and after a time we got among the green saplings and wattles. They were about 9 inches at the butt and about 30 feet high. They grew thickly on each side of the track, and were often fallen across it. So we continued for about 2 miles, apparently keeping near the ridge of a spur. At this point the track turned a little off the ridge to the right, crossing the head of a valley, which ran south, to join the Thompson.
Just as we got across this valley we came to a pile of huge granite holders, and from this spot we got a fine view down the valley, and up the Thompson, with Mount Baw Baw in the back ground. Just beyond there was a heavy fall of dead, timber, which we got past with some difficulty. The track was again clear for a little. It then crossed the ridge, and we got on to a sideling sloping to our left. Here we came to another heavy fall of dead timber. Some logs 100 feet long and several feet through at the butt had fallen across the track, bringing down with them great quantities of the sap-lings and wattles. The track was blocked in this way for 100 yards or more. We had to endeavor to carry our packs over the obstacle, and then find places where the horse would jump the logs, or they were sufficiently broken to enable him to scramble over them, and move the saplings for him to get there.
We loaded again,
and proceeded a few hundred yards. Here we came to a worse block, and extending
a long way ahead. It had taken us two hours hard work to traverse the eighth of
a mile. We were then 12 miles from
On our return to the granite knoll we admired the view at greater leisure. The undulating ridge of the plateau, covered with foliage of diverse tints; the red of the gum saplings contrasting with the deep green of the wattles and the huge black and white trunks that at intervals towered above it. In the back ground were Mt. Baw Baw appearing as an isolated group of rounded pyramids or conical domes rising to a great height above the plateau on the south-east, and that notwithstanding that the granite knoll was 2600 feet above M’Mahon’s, or between 3000 and 1000 feet above the sea, and the ground between us and Baw Baw was rising. We returned to the Thompson, and camped a second time upon the same spot.
The next day we
left our camp standing and walked to the Yarra to have another cooler at the
falls. We had a pleasant walk through the beech forest, the dark shade of which
was set off by the straggling gleams of bright sunlight which found their way
between the trees. We had lunch under a small fall. A little above this was a
great fall, which was shaded by the ferns, and very pretty. We then began to
descend the great fall from the top, keeping near the edge of the creek, and
saw a fine series of cascades. Still, we could see but a small por-tion at
once. After getting over 100 or 200 feet, we came to a high rock, jutting out
on the left bank of the stream. To the top of this we climbed, and were
rewarded with a magnificent view. The face of the fall was visible for 300 or
400 feet, the upper and lower portion gleaming through a pale green veil of
ti-tree. Looking outwards, we could see far down the
The next day we
struck our camp on the Thompson, and for the two succeeding days we proceeded
without difficulty till we got to
At tbe foot of
We were not a little glad when we again made the Excelsior shaft. After this the travelling was easy. On reaching the place where the old track turned off to Alderman’s Creek, we thought we would follow it and camp there. But finding the descent would be very great, we turned back and camped on the ridge, which the supply of water in the hut enabled us to do.
The next day we set out for Reefton. Not withstanding the rain which had taken place, the little water holes were quite dry. Going down the thick spur we had a fine view of a nameless mountain mass on the opposite side of the Yarra, whose steep and rugged sides were seamed with an irregular network of foliage. We descended the deep spur, and arrived at Reefton. We had eaten up all our provisions, our boots were nearly worn off our feet, our garments were ragged, but we were in good spirits, for we had seen the falls.
Here we met Mr.
Lewis, and were hospitably entertained by him and his wife, which we thoroughly
appreciated, and next day left for the metropolis. On reaching
When I arrived at the river, I saw cattle tracks along the bank and knew there must be somebody living not far off. After following it down for about three miles, I suddenly came upon a selector’s bark mansion. To my surprise there were some girls outside, more surprised than I was, not only as to my state of dress, but as to where I had come from, as there had not been anybody through this part for about five years. After regaling myself with a delicious glass of gooseberry wine, I passed on to the next crossing, where a miner lives, who kindly gave me a good tea and put me on the track to Mount Lookout a distance of two miles, uphill all the way (by the clock), where I arrived at eleven o’clock at night, and was refused a bed till I convinced the proprietor that I was not a sun-downer on the wallaby track.
… It would have taken at least a week to do the four miles after I left you with the pack horse.” We saw lyre birds at intervals all the way along the South Dividing Range of the Yarra, and thence as far as we went, and we also saw trace of wombats, and we killed a snake on Mount Horsefall, bnt we neither saw nor heard any other animals, whether birds or beasts. This absence of life made the part we passed through particularly silent, except for the sound of the wind among the trees, or of falling water when we were near the Yarra, Different members of the party drew com-parisons between the Yarra Falls and other waterfalls they had seen— the Stevenson, the Erskine, the Watts, the Eurobbin, the Wentworth, the Wannon.
In general
character the
I saw none of these slides on the Yarra, the fall being broken by short slopes only. While the Yarra falls over the edge of a precipitous and wooded declivity, the Watts rushes down the bottom of a vast and steep gorge between Mount Juliet and Mount Strickland, the wooded sides of which descend to the water’s edge in steep unbroken slopes of, I should say, at least 2000 feet. As compared with the Eurobbin Falls in Victoria and the Wentworth in New South Wales, the Yarra Falls were considered to contain more water, but do not present the feature of an unbroken fall of vast height which distinguishes the former. As compared with the Loutit Bay Falls, I do not think I saw on the Yarra any one cascade unbroken by steps as high as the Splitter’s Falls, or even as the falls of the Erskine. But both these latter falls are seen from valleys where the view is much shut in, and where consequently, the actual height is not liable to be dwarfed by comparison with greater heights or depths.
A further
question that may arise is how far the
There is a
certain pleasure to be derived from encountering and surmounting difficulties.
The mind is completely taken out of its accustomed train by the immediate
necessity of devoting the whole attention to the passing incidents of the
journey. The extent to which this is the case few people will conceive who have
never taken a trip of the kind. One appears to forget, for the time, everyday
life, as if he had been all his life a wanderer in the wilderness. To those who
look at things in this light I would recommend a trip to the
At the present time settlement is prevented by the inaccessible nature of the country, but this would not be a permanent obstacle ; a little engineering skill would no doubt carry a dray road on to the plateau, after which there would bo no further difficulty, except from vegetation. Some years hence, therefore, there may be a movement to take up this country. Since my return I have been questioned as to the character of the soil; I said it was good, but of course no grass would grow under the timber, “That,” the answer was, “is a small matter. If the soil is good it is easy to ring the trees.”
It is a matter, therefore, for consideration what ought to be done in anticipation of such a movement. It would add to the colony some square miles of summer pastures and perhaps of cornfields, but it would have other effects of a different character. The snow no longer shaded by the dark foliage of the beech trees would, melt more rapidly. The ground exposed to the summer sun would harden and absorb less water, and there would be a probable diminution of the rainfall, The result would be disastrous floods in the spring when the snow melted, followed by a quickly diminished pe-manent flow of the stream during the summer. It would seem well, therefore, that some steps should be taken permanently to preserve these forests in their present state. How far this is now done incidentally by reason of tbe country being included in auriferous reserves I do not know.’
Turns out there
is still more to find out about the
‘State Party Marooned. Trafalgar and Yarragon Times Friday 8th February 1918.
Tourist Hut Gives Shelter.
Under the above heading the Herald on Monday last says:-
When the storm broke on Saturday a Parliamentary and departmental party led by Mr. Barnes, M.L.A., which was returning on horseback from a trip to the head of the Yarra to inspect the district timber resources took shelter in the tourist hut near Yarra Falls.
“The rain fell in bucketsfull”, said one member of the party today in describing his experience.
”Men and horse soon looked as if they had been wading through a stream. Our boots were full of water. When we reached the tourist hut we had to strip off our clothes and dry them at a fire. While our clothes dried we had to be content with less raiment than is ordinarily worn in the busy haunts. We had a Railway Department photographer with us but he refrained from snapshoting us as we wore rags and other coverings, which are stored at the hut. We stayed all Saturday night at the hut, and left on Sunday morning.”
The party, in addition to Mr. Barnes consisted of Mr. M. Hannah, M.L.A. vice-chairman, and members of the New Industries Institute.’
Once again I am grateful to Thomas Osburg for finding and sharing these historic treasures.
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-trip-to-the-upper-yarra-in-1907-camping-near-mcveighs/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls-shelter-house/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/from-1925-the-baw-baw-track-notes-of-a-recent-visit/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/secrets-of-the-yarra-walshs-creek-yarra-falls/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls-3/
27/11/2017: Strange things…Dog-faced bat: Buettikofer’s epauletted fruit bat
27/11/2017: Weightless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oos4ojutOMM&feature=youtu.be
26/11/2017: Hummingbird Knife:
What a beautiful little keychain knife (what with Xmas coming up too!) The Rike
Knife
Specs
Blade: Damasteel
HRC: 58–59
Blade style: Drop-point
Grind: Flat
Handle: Titanium
Frame lock
Manual opening with flipper tab
Ceramic ball bearing washers
Pocket clip for right-handed tip-up carry
Lanyard hole
Handle thickness: 0.3 in (0.8 cm)
Blade thickness: 0.09 in (2.3 mm)
Blade length: 1.5 in (3.8 cm)
Closed length: 2.25 in (5.7 cm)
Overall length: 3.75 in (9.5 cm)
Weight: 0.6 oz (17 g)
http://www.rikeknife.com/page144.html?product_id=460
Available on Massdrop US$74.99(Nov 2017)
25/11/2017: The Remote Wonnangatta,
Day Two: Posted Monday night on Facebook: 'Listen to the birdsong: 6:30am
Monday morning in one of the most remote spots in Victoria, Wonnangatta River
Alpine Nat Park. From
[embed]https://youtu.be/zTwhka6fmQM[/embed]
I had to get out at this rapid (about half way between the Moroka and Eaglevale anyway, so I thought i would record it. The sound alone should kindle a desire in your heart to be there yourself:
[embed]https://youtu.be/hQw-WapWdg8[/embed]
As you can see my Pocket Poncho Tent (185 grams) worked a treat, though it did not rain actually. If it had I would have been snug and dry. There was ample room for myself and all my gear scattered around the edges. I could manage to not touch the top or sides so my sleeping bag stayed dry, though there was of course the normal condensation you get from the inside of the shelter being warmer than the outside.There is nothing to be done about 'dew point'. It is a physical reality - but you don't need a double skinned tent (or all the weight). A simple tarp like this (and a Polycro groundsheet - at 46 grams) is quite adequate: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-ground-sheet/)
My breakfast view. There is certainly plenty of firewood here - which I find very sad. The two big fires which came through here back about 2008-9 killed vast numbers of trees (and even vaster numbers of animals and birds). This fire-killed wood is now dropping everywhere (you have to be careful where you camp) and blocking up the river awfully in places. Curiously, it burns not unlike pine. All the goodness has been 'cooked' out of it somehow. A small pile of wood which used to last you overnight is now replaced with about a trailer load's worth (which does not). Morning and night the well-nigh deafening echoing valleys of morning and evensong are mostly silent. Along the rivers the birds are starting to come back, as the video - well the audio actually above illustrates.
About
to set out - looking up towards the top flat.
And
downstream.
And
off I go again!
Mt
von Guerard Creek confluence - notice the tiny waterfall. Just below here there
used to be a giant log jam I guess an acre tor two) which made for a very
difficult portage. It persisted for 30+ years I guess. Eventually the river
changed its course!
Looking
back at the beginning of the bottom flat.
Rounding
the bottom flat.
There
is a bit of a rocky run below the bottom flat (and below the small flat below
it). 
Looking
back up river in the deep pool above the small flat.
It's
a great pool isn't it? I have eaten a few trout out of this one, I can tell
you!
As
I said there is another rocky run below the small flat.
Lots
of dragons:
And
I am at Mt Darling Creek confluence.
Looking
downstream from Mt Darling Creek, looking upstream.
At
Mt Darling confluence: Look at this. I was there about six weeks ago and some
guy had purloined an old tent (and other things) I had wrapped in a garden bag
and hidden under a tree to shelter all his possessions with. He had also bagsed
my campsite which I had long ago cleared - and burned my gathered firewood. And
it it still just the same - but no-one around. This is apart from having made
use of the walking track I had cleared - to this point. Now it is just his
campsite alone apparently (and I will have to make another, a more discreet one
for myself). Usually I expect more civilised conduct in the bush, but yobbos
get everywhere nowadays! How many dozens of times I have camped here. I should
have left him a note, except I don't really want to know him.
There
is another rocky race below Mt Darling, then a nice little rapid.
The
Snowy Bluff looms on your right.
There
is a huge deep pool on a left hand corner. What monstrous fish it harbours. The
river does a big remote loop to the left then.
The
deer have been wallowing right in the river on this loop!
Coming
out of the loop into straighter, deeper sections.
And
soon I have come to the Moroka confluence! At about 4 1/2 hours from Hernes
Spur I am a bit over half way to Eaglevale.
Another view looking up the Moroka. What a splendid little river and an excellent trout stream it is...but that is for another day!
Looking upstream to Moroka Glen (road's end). I forgot to take a snap of it as I passed.
Time for a spot of lunch under a shady tree - actually there are not so many
of these since the parks vandals removed all the willows - and all but
destroyed the river. Given enough time they will destroy all our public lands!
There is going to be a lot of work for such as you and me replanting all those
willows and poplars!
Off again. Another tree down across the river.
And my signature finger again.
Look at this mighty granite extrusion. What awesome cataclysms there have
been in the past. I'm glad I wasn't standing here when this happened. It looks
like a mighty alien spaceship has crashed into the earth, and coalesced.
The view from behind it.
If you scan this bare hillside you will discern innumerable animal paths.
Della and I camped here once (see the lovely beach around the bend in the next
shot). This bare face was just opposite us. A deer honked at us loudly for
nearly an hour from right in the middle of this clear hillside, yet neither of
us was able to make it out at all. They are such geniuses at using the
slightest bit of cover to disguise themselves!
Great beach isn't it - and what a swimming hole!
I just love this wonderful syncline too. Earth in upheaval!
Another fine beach.
And another syncline.
And yet another log jam. Thank goodness the pack raft only weighs a bit over
2 kg.
looking back at the confluence of the Sugarloaf Creek. We are now adjacent
to private land all the way to Eaglevale (approx the last two hours).
Willows would once (not long ago) have held this bank together.
Now the farmer's brand new fence is being swept away every time the river
rises. You have to feel sorry for these mountain cattlemen. The statists and
bureaucrats have stolen their mountain grazing leases. Now they have stolen
their river banks and forced them to fence them off even though (with the
willows gone) that will most definitely not work. I do so love government! I
would love it to death actually. Perhaps like Oscar Wilde's Kings and Priests
(the last of one he hoped to live to see strangled with the gizzards of the
last of the other) I will live to see the last Government disappear from the
earth - 'not with a bang but a whimper' - as T.S.Elliot said in 'The Waste
Land'. Or maybe not. it is awfully triumphant everywhere just now!
The greenery here attests to the benefits of phosphorus.
The first swing bridge.
The old pump and the new. The new will not last a smidgeon that the old has.
Eventually the farmer will be reinstating the mill - when the solar gibberish
expires!
A delightful brace of spur-winged plovers takes flight.
Another great wall. And observe the contrail. Other folks are out and about exploring the world too - in their own way! I would rather be here.
At last, after another hour, the 
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-remote-wonnangatta/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/remote-wonnangatta-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnangatta-spring/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnangatta-spring-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnagatta-spring-day-three/
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/dawn-surprise-rapid-wonnangatta-river-australia-day-2017/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-one/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-three/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/canoe-wonnangatta-the-movie/
24/11/2017: Pack Rafting the Remote
Wonnangatta, Day 1: Suppose you didn't have two 4WDs, or a 4WD at
all...Nonetheless, could you hitch a 4WD ride to the Wonnangatta Station so you
could pack raft the
Given that the drive each way (Eaglevale-Hernes Spur) is 1 1/2 hours (and
you would normally need two 4WD vehicles, leaving one at the Wombat or Hernes
Spur and taking the other one in later to pick it up), this still saved hours
of driving for two drivers - and of course it meant I could do the trip by
myself. (Eaglevale is approximately 6 hours from
Two lovely young blokes from Traralgon graciously gave me a lift on their first (fishing) trip into the Wonnangatta. I doubt it will be their last. They were good company too - but my last company for the remainder of the trip, as I prefer it anyway. They headed down the Wombat Spur (Humffray Confluence), so I had two extra hours paddling - as it turned out (compared with putting in at the Hernes Spur). Still, I experienced the entire navigable section of the river.
And here they are (with their Jeep) at the Wombat Spur crossing. What a lovely day it is:
I will split the post in two - as there are lots of photographs - so you can imagine a night spent regaling yourself by the river, rocked to sleep by the murmur of the river on its bars - after dining on fresh-caught trout, lullabied by the returning evening chorus, etc. The photos are in order to give you an impression of the totality of the journey. Mostly I will just allow the photos to speak for themselves. There are zillions of spots where you can pull out and make a delightful camp. I have included a couple of video clips to give you a better 'feel' for the experience. These are not professional productions.
There are around seven road crossings of the Wonnangatta between the Wombat and Hernes Spurs. If you have made a mistake and there is just definitely not enough water you can pull out and hitch back from Hernes Spur. On the other hand, this section (though quite nice) takes about two hours, so if you are in a hurry, you might walk the distance in half that time and save yourself an hour by beginning at Hernes Spur (supposing you were dropped off at the Wombat Spur). If you were camped in the vicinity you could take turns doing trips between the two tracks Wombat/Hernes) and maybe doing a spot of fishing. I simply paddled on...
This is my rig. I have an Alpacka 'Fiord Explorer', an Aqua Bound paddle, my old Zpacks Blast pack with its Gossamer Gear Airbeam pad (they have been a lot of places with me). Inside is three days food, my Pocket Poncho Tent, my take-down .308 BLR - all the gear I need. Something like this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-gorilla-in-the-hand/ There would be plenty of room for a small dog (who remonstrated with me about being left out, I can assure you!), but you just can't count on hitch-hiking with a dog!
There does not look as if there is quite enough water at the crossing...
But, maybe...I will give it a 'go' anyway:
It soon gets better.
All along the trip you have to watch out for log jams and log overhangs.
The rapids are only ever Grade 1 - perhaps the odd Grade 2. But you need to watch out: there are lots of submerged rocks.
There are lots of great fishing spots - and zillions of tasty trout. Sorry about my finger in the snap below - a signature thing actually!
Lots of pretty beaches...
So much fire-killed timber. Be careful how you negotiate overhangs like this one.
Many 'welcome' little guys like this which nest under the bank overhangs along the river.
Be careful how you approach things like this. Plenty of folk have died under such logs.
Here is the Hernes Spur crossing. If you go past this point without intending to, you will have a long paddle (over 8 hours more) - or a very long walk back!
Plenty of dragons watch you pass.
You would have to get out for this one. This is where a pack raft comes into its own. Simply unclip the pack, swing it on, pick up the raft in one hand, the paddle in the other as a walking stick, and off you go:
This duck imagines she is hiding.
Great fishing hole!
Coming up to the top flat (right). One hour from Hernes Spur.
Looking upstream from the top flat.
Just a couple more bends. Say half an hour...
Here is a little video just to give you a feel for the sights and sounds of being on the river. This was taken between Wombat and Hernes Spur:
[embed]https://youtu.be/iHTlSW8Jpm8[/embed]
And I spot a pleasant camp on the true left bank just above Mt von Guerard Creek. Put yourself in this picture perhaps (my pocket poncho tent looks very nice in that scenario doesn't it?):
Like this:
Here is another little video to give you a feeling for the beauty/tranquillity of the spot I camped in and some idea of how the morning chorus has returned:
[embed]https://youtu.be/OTkP1KUOq7I[/embed]
As I did not launch until 1:30 pm, I had one short day (3 1/2 hours) and one longer one (7 hours). If you were at Eaglevale at 7:00 am, you would probably be putting in to the river by 9:30 am, so you might camp somewhere between Mt Darling Creek and the Moroka Confluence - to split the journey roughly in two. I camped about half way between the top and bottom flats, around about Mt Von Guerard Creek. If you were doing the trip over three days, this would be good. The second night you would camp say about an hour below the Moroka confluence/Moroka Glen.
View of the Snowy Bluff on the
Times: (please note this is with the minimum navigable gauge height and if you are nearly 70 - you may be quicker - or slower) but this will give you some idea. These are actual paddling times, not counting time spent being stargazy, eating, swimming, fishing, hunting etc. Humffray confluence/Wombat Spur track to Hernes Spur: two hours; Hernes Spur to top flat 1 hour; top flat to bottom flat 1 hour; bottom flat to Mt Darling Creek 1 hour; Mt Darling Creek to Moroka Confluence/Moroka Glen (add ten minutes) 1 1/2 hours; Moroka Glen to first swing bridge 3 hours; first swing bridge to (second) Eaglevale swing bridge 1 hour; thus Moroka Glen to Eaglevale 4 hours.Totals: Humffray River to Eaglevale: 10 1/2 hours; Hernes Spur to Eaglevale: 8 1/2 hours.
This trip can be done in two days, but would be better over three - or more! If the river heights are suitable and you drive to Eaglevale on Friday night and camp so that you go in with the first vehicles on Saturday morning - o9r even on the Friday night (you can pitch a tent on the true right bank below the Hernes Spur crossing - get well back between the trees so no-one runs over you in the dark), you can be back to Eaglevale on Sunday afternoon with enough time to drive home again! It is likely that someone else who is going in on Saturday morning will be camped at Eaglevale on a Friday night, so you can maybe arrange your lift over a couple of cold ones!
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-remote-wonnangatta/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/remote-wonnangatta-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnangatta-spring/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnangatta-spring-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnagatta-spring-day-three/
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/dawn-surprise-rapid-wonnangatta-river-australia-day-2017/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-one/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-three/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/canoe-wonnangatta-the-movie/
22/11/2017: Ultralight Ground Sheet: If you are sensible and don’t use a tent, but instead sleep under a nice airy tarp, you may nonetheless want to protect your bottom and other expensive equipment with a ground sheet. As I have mentioned before a mylar space blanket (at about 50 grams) is good enough for this and does double duty by keeping you warm in an emergency – also good for your day pack when you go for a stroll away from your camp to check out that waterfall, rare orchid or monstrous stag, etc.
Another leading contender is a Polycro ground sheet. This is much tougher stuff than 'normal' plastic film such as painter's drop cloths, etc. You can buy them from Gossamer Gear here: https://www.gossamergear.com/products/polycryo-tent-footprint-ground-cloths for US$8.46 for two (Nov 2017) or you can make your own with supplies from eg Bunnings, such as this: https://www.bunnings.co.nz/3m-window-insulator-kit-5-windows_p00167658 or this: 3M Indoor Window Insulator Kit, 5-Window You get a heap of sticky tape too which might come in handy for repairs of some sort.
As you can see
Gossamer Gear’s Specs (above) are as follows: Size 40 x 96 in / 102 x 244 cm 46 grams each. You can even make a transparent fly tarp (which might be cool) or tent out of this stuff if you want, as eg here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/transparent-tarp-instructions/ For a groundsheet the .75 mil material is adequate (and lighter). I like the see-through9Ness) of it actually. It really helps with finding those 'lost' small objects you dropped just now!
An equivalent piece of silpoly or silnylon, say the 1 oz/yd2 stuff would be under 4 ounces, say110 grams but would last much longer. I have been using a piece .8 oz/yd2 spinnaker cloth for a number of years, something like this: https://www.gossamergear.com/collections/shelters/products/groundsheet which weighs 2,7 ounces or 76 grams. Diminsions: 90" / 228.5 cm long by 40" / 101.5 cm wide and costs US$40 (Nov 2017).
You could purchase 2.1 metres of silpoly material (that's enough for a double sheet ie 7' x 5' - 2.1 x 1.5 metres). It does not need hemming (that's why it's called 'Ripstop') and will last you many years. The 'dark Olive' is a nice colour. http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/products/xenon-sil-11 It costs $A11.95/metre - so your groundsheet will cost $A25
PS: This is the fabric my Pocket Poncho tent is made from. It blends in very nicely in the woods, I think. Even the deer did not notice it! See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-remote-wonnangatta/
18/11/2017: A Wonnagatta Spring, Day
Three: From Neates Track down to the
Here we are once again setting out:
Once again it is a superb Spring morning.
The river fairly glows with vitality and beauty.
This is the kind of log which would flip you out. You might not get round the inside of it. A little later on a similar log, I did not - and the two dogs and myself had a pleasant swim!
Just as we were about to come out into a view of the large clear hill on the right where the old Telstra facility used to be, there was a tiny finger of bush between the road and the river - i guess no more than 1/2 an acre. Spot began barking, wanting to jump from one canoe to the other, jump into the river, onto the bank... Of course we were snapping back at him. Then two very large sambar hinds ran regally across our path not thirty yards ahead of us. Far too quickly unfortunately for me to get my camera out and get a snap of them. Worse luck! Bizarrely enough I had managed to flip myself out on a branch just up the river and I had managed to set my camera to video mode, so I have an audio record of him barking. I had even taken my camera out of my pocket just seconds before this, realised that it was recording switched it off and slipped it back into my pocket, just after this excerpt. If I had just kept videoing for another 20 seconds I would have had a beautiful piece of film...
[video width="1440" height="1080" mp4="http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171115094849.mp4"][/video]
Some more of that strange ochre staining just past the spot where the deer disappeared onto the left bank.
Even in death this old gum imparts a wanton beauty.
The murmur of immemorial elms:
Don't these beautiful European trees really dress a river up a treat. There
should definitely be many more of them. Bring back the willows!
The
Crooked River confluence.
Still the odd pleasant rapid.
A lovely beach just up ahead. Time for 'elevenses'.
What a fine little beach.
I guess that's Conways Track winding up the hill above the flock of wood ducks.
I guess this old guy will be in the river before long - worse luck. The willows had saved it for generations, but a couple of floods, and down it goes!
Just about the last rapid - Della is looking quite expert here.
Finally the
It was a lovely trip spoiled only by these two things: seeing that hoons had just about burned down Gee's Hut at the Black Snake Creek which had been lovingly restored only recently (only to be shot full of holes - as also was the public toilet there) within about two weeks. Really, a passport ought to be a required before they let such folks out of the cities!
And this: on the main road just out of Iguana Creek someone had shot a large stag in their car's headlights and cut off its head with a chainsaw. Such expert hunting. Mind you, it had made a fine meal for this other bush predator:
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnangatta-spring/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnangatta-spring-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnagatta-spring-day-three/
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/dawn-surprise-rapid-wonnangatta-river-australia-day-2017/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-one/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-three/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/canoe-wonnangatta-the-movie/
17/11/2017: A Wonnangatta Spring, Day Two: Very little rain was forecast for the three days - and very little fell. We were however treated during the night to that beautiful brooding, ominous rolling booming of thunderstorms clawing their way across the faces of the mountains, and to the mysterious comings and goings of the cervine denizens to their wallow not twenty yards away. I have picked out the best 40 or so of a couple of hundred snaps I took during the six lazy hours we were paddling on the second day. We ended up camped just below the twin bridges of Neates Track, again on a lovely grassy verge where a small stream entered the river on the true left bank. The snaps are in order, so mostly I will just allow them to reveal this wonderful river to you.
Leaving camp:
Lots of pebble races. We often had to get out at 1.75 metres. It would have been better at 1.8, but still possible at 1.70.
Duck Della.
Getting side on to a log like this would have you out too. Beware.
There were lots of these white moths feeding the many trout the river supports. Anglers take note. The river also supports carp near as big as your legs. Maybe there will be man-eaters here in the future?
The PC brigade cleared out the wonderful, beautiful willows which held the banks together. As a consequence they are falling in everywhere and the river is getting shallower and shallower - getting silted up. Replanting them will be a lot of work, but it must be done! Take a few green willow wands with you on every trip.
This little guy was in a desperate hurry to get out of sight!
Large gums are being undercut and falling - here blocking the river completely. Especially at higher levels you have to keep your eyes peeled. If you were stuck under one of these you would be a goner!
We had to climb out onto them (there were three altogether), heave the boats on top, then tumble back into them on the other side. Chose a slack bit of water for this maneuver.
Tiny waits patiently.
What a great sky!
There are lots of lovely beaches for lunch or a snack.
This was a pretty good spot too.
Everywhere you look: postcard perfect!
I couldn't resist posting these two snaps of a wood duck. I only wished the camera had focused a little better on its flight.
Who'd have thought though that s/he took three jumps off the water in the blink of an eye!
Visual porn.
A lovely old swing bridge at Neates Track. 
Apparently you are supposed to avoid this lens rainbowing - but I love it! What a great idea for a vehicular bridge. There definitively should be more of these.
Again, a lovely grassy camp on the left bank 100 metres downstream from the bridge.
Della found this interesting deer head. She will restore its flesh with felt. An interesting trophy it will become.
A beautiful spot to camp. Stay well clear of the large gums though.
See Also:http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnangatta-spring/
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/dawn-surprise-rapid-wonnangatta-river-australia-day-2017/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-one/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-three/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/canoe-wonnangatta-the-movie/
16/11/2017: A Wonnangatta Spring, Day One: Finding just the right conjunction of time, three days of delightful spring weather and enough water to make the river canoeable is harder now than it was before the bushfires years ago when the river height was over 1.8 metres on the Waterford gauge all summer. Now it rarely is. Last winter was quite dry so there have been few days when we had time, where the river has been at this height and the weather suitable - but the last three days looked auspicious, and even though there were only 1.75 metres on the gauge we thought we should try it before the opportunity was gone for yet another summer.
This section of river is Eagelevale around 25km down to the
Here we are ready to begin just before the swing bridge at Eaglevale. There is a vast (empty) camping area here (even with a toilet).
There is the bridge just upriver. The ford across the Wonnangatta is just
below it. That is where you cross if you are driving in to the Station (which
we have done many times). I would not recommend crossing if the water is (much)
above 1.8 metres on the
And off we go. Spot in the lead as usual:
But old Tiny is still going too at 17 1/2! Both dogs look like they are going to enjoy the trip.
I love the granite outcrops, and this evergreen lady.
Mostly this section of the river is just pebble races,so it is quite suitable for children so long as you look out for snags such as log jams and walk around them on the inside edge.
Spot decides we can fit under that one.
This sky is what Della described as 'tenebrous'. What a wonderful vocabulary!
Some places the river is a magical mirror.
Paddling it is great fun though.
Lots of ducks along the river this year. As you paddle along, (you will have to imagine this) the air is just full of birdsong. A hundred different voices raised in a wonderful musical medley. Along this section there are lots of clear private paddocks, (mainly on the true right bank - though you cannot see them from the river, so that it feels like you are enclosed by wilderness) which received some protection from the worst excesses of the terrible wildfires, so that the birdlife in this section is something like what it was before the fires.
Just cruisin'
This shag was so replete s/he could barely fly. It waited always until the very last minute before it lumbered off looking something like 'The Spruce Goose'. I always try to get a snap of a bird taking off. It is awfully hard to do (especially when you are canoeing the river with both hands too) but sometimes you succeed.
And, how good is that:
There are lots of logs you have to watch out for. Sometimes they will occasion a portage.
You do not want to get stuck under one! Tiny agrees.
More of that tenebrous sky!
From where we live (10 km from Morwell) it is approximately a 3 1/2 hour
drive (safely) to get to Eaglevale. You turn off just after you cross the
What this means is that was we were dawdling getting ready and didn't leave Churchill until around midday. It was after three before we were on the river. We spent a leisurely hour and a half paddling. There were lots of other grassy flats where you could camp. We chose this one on the true left bank just before a large granite outcrop. There was a small stream entering on the left which made a little bay or anchorage for our boats - but we pulled them well up on the bank - as I have been caught out by flash-floods before.
What a delightful little grassy spot amongst the black wattles. Behind Della and Spot is the small stream I mentioned. It had quite a number of deer wallows in it.
We washed our breakfast dishes about 100 yards above our camp just above this interesting feature. We saw two places on the river like this where iron compounds were staining the rocks with ochre.
Spot
inspects the cleanliness of our dishes.
There is our tent way along there. Plenty of room for a dozen tents, but we would have been somewhere else in that event!
Here is Della checking out the wallows for cast antlers. She has lots of crafty projects to use them on.
And here she is next morning setting out again from our little harbour.
See Also:
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/dawn-surprise-rapid-wonnangatta-river-australia-day-2017/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-one/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-three/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/canoe-wonnangatta-the-movie/
13/11/2017: Moose Hunting Pack: Just in case you really need an indestructible 93 litre pack which will carry 40 kg (100lb) plus a moose and weigh only 1.25 kg. Personally I couldn’t resist the photo. That (by the way) is an Alpacka pack raft, most likely the Fiord Explorer model, their 'moose boat'! If you haven’t got one, you are seriously deprived.
Here for example are Della and I canoeing the Wonnagatta in ours: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
In a similar
vein, if you are interested in moose hunting (in the
It does look a nice pack, doesn't it?
Details here: https://seekoutside.com/divide-4500-ultralight-backpack/ usually US349 (Nov 2017) You need a Xmas present, surely?
Available on Massdrop this morning )12/11/2017) for US299 https://www.massdrop.com/buy/seek-outside-unaweep-divide?1=1&utm_placement=0&referer=EJ89BQ&mode=guest_open&utm_campaign=Automated%20Daily%20Promotional%202017-11-11&utm_source=SparkPost&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Daily%20Promotional&utm_content=1510397336979.968917496224031815359828
And Della really looks to be enjoying herself on the Wonnangatta, doesn't she? We will do this again very soon:
See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
11/11/2017: The Big Sky: I loved
the classic novel of the same name about the American West by A.B.Guthrie, and
I love the tent! You can download the ebook here: https://archive.org/details/TheBigSky_epub
but you will have to buy the ultralight tent. Their ‘Wisp’ model recently fell
into my hands so I could have a closer look at it – and a play in the garden
with Spot and grandson,
As it came into my hands it weighed 619 grams bare (including the short rear pole). I guess it is expected you will use a hiking pole or a bush pole for the other main support. In fact I found you could use a second (third) pole to create quite a satisfactory verandah, which gives you lots of room to spread out in hot, wet weather, for example - or maybe to sit and watch the fire in colder more inclement times. If it is seriously raining and blowing it will shut down into an impregnable watertight mode.
I added all the extra guys you could ever need. The tent comes with lots of extra tie-out points. It can be erected with just 8 shepherd’s hook pegs but can be secured against the “Roaring Forties’ with a total of 17, if you wish. With the added guys and the micro line locks it now weighs 650 grams (probably with a bit of grass and dirt from my boots still attached), and is as you can see a bit smaller than a large soft drink bottle.
It goes up very easily with no fiddling around adjusting things, and is immediately taut. Once it is up (if it is secured with all those extra guys), nothing is going to shift it. Of course it has an excellent bathtub floor big enough for your mattress, pack and lots of spreading out - and commodious insect netting.
Plenty of room to stretch out with all your gear - and a dog. There is a largish net pocket to stow your overnight necessities such as glasses, torch, hearing aids, ebook, etc. Above my head (below) you can see a loop of yellow spectra I would hang my torch from so i could see to cook, read etc.
There is even room for a couple of friends to come sit and visit.
Spot thinks it is swell anyway, and can't wait to get away up the bush.
Plenty of tie-outs for the roughest weather.
It has two triangular vents at the peak which are held open with short light props secured with velcro - a top idea, which I will copy!
The short end pole slips into a hidden channel and is secured by a piece of webbing and velcro.
This will be an excellent one person hiking, fishing, hunting tent. It is intelligently thought out and extremely well-made. I would not hesitate to recommend it. I would mark two arrows with a texta, perhaps on the doorway so that I could set up my hiking pole exactly the right length (or break a bush stick) so that the tent just goes up: Snap! The tent is also available in cuben if you have a large wallet. In that material it only weighs 300 grams: http://bigskyproducts.com/big-sky-wisp-1p-trekking-pole-tent-lightest-weight.aspx
It is available in
PS: 'Big Sky' is also a classic 1952 film starring Kirk Douglas - one of my
favourites! There are five books altogether in Guthrie's sequence (the Big Sky
deals with the Mountain Men): next is The Way West, then
11/11/2017: Keep on Hiking: https://www.outsideonline.com/2255056/82-year-old-broke-appalachian-trail-age-record
09/11/2017: Never Lose Your Hearing Aids Again: After playing around for some time with some Dyneema fishing line and a micro cord lock to secure my hearing aids when I am in the bush or canoeing (which by the way worked well) I am delighted to learn there is a commercial alternative which whilst not so secure, is a lot simpler. These devices are called: Hearing Aid Oto Clips A couple of examples: https://adcohearing.com/categories/clips-and-loss-prevention and https://www.amazon.com/OtoClips-BTE-ITE-Hearing-Aids/dp/B00YCK55E0 Try an Ebay search for ‘hearing aid clips’. They are usually less then $10.
As you can see these devices only attach the two aids together, which certainly makes them harder to lose – but easier to lose both. For added secrity you could tie a length of dyneema fishing line (or the like) to the two loops with a micro cord lock attached so that you can shorten the line which you would run around your neck.
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/securing-hearing-aids/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/zenni-the-hearing-company/
08/11/2017: Adjustable Hammock Ridgeline: A Great Idea: It adds 6 grams to my hammock set-up but improves comfort much more than that by allowing a flatter ‘hang’ – and it allows for somewhere to hang your gear. It works on the same principle as the Whoopie Sling. Genius. I bought mine from this guy for A$16.95 (Nov 2017). http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/products/adjustable-hammock-ridgeline
Mine was red. Here it is in action in the garden with Spot supervising:
A variety of Ridgeline Gear Organisers exist to stow various overnight items in (eg phone, glasses, drink bottle, head torch, hearing aids). For example: http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/products/hammock-storage-systemsand http://www.hammockgear.com/hammock-gear-ridgeline-organizer/
These little guys are very handy too. Just add a mini carabiner: http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/products/prussik-loops-pair
Some other ideas here: https://hennessyhammock.com/pages/tips-from-users-1#
Instructions for DIY here: http://www.tiergear.com.au/25/diy-hammock-ridgeline-organiser
Some other good ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqlCvHtSDAM (better if you place the cordlock inside the loop) & here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2-rfD-VA6s
Shown is my Hummingbird
Hammock which weighs a mere 147 grams, and which kept me safe in one of the
wettest places on the planet the Dusky Track,
Fiordland
You could use either tarp as an on-ground shelter and the hammock as a groundsheet if you wanted to – as I explained here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ultralight-deer-hunter/
See Also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-hunting-till-dark/
I have many other posts about hammocking, as a search at the top of the page will reveal.
04/11/2017: Ultralight Compact Hiking Pole: We have used GG’s LT4 poles for many years. In just the last year mine have been to Everest and back, and many other places besides, such as the Dusky Track, and Mt Bartle Frère for example. The LT4s are a little long to fit in your pack when you are not using them, though GG packs have attachment points on the outside they can be lashed to. I have a pair of shortened (2’) two section poles which will fit in my pack, but these LT5s will do so right from the store. These would make a great Xmas present for your hiking other if you order them now. https://www.gossamergear.com/products/lt5-three-piece-carbon-trekking-poles-pair US$195 per pair.
The collapsed poles have a short profile
Weight
Pole with strap and basket - 5.3 oz / 150 g
Pole - 4.6 oz / 130 g
Strap and screw - .4 oz / 12 g
Basket - .3 oz / 8 g
Adjust from
23.5" / 60 cm when closed to 51" 130 cm when fully extended for hiking
Section Lengths
Top section 19.5" / 49.53 cm
Middle section 19.25" / 48.98 cm
Tip section 18.75" / 47.62 cm
(Sections are replaceable separately should you break one - unlikely, though I have managed to cut one of my LT4s in half with a machete - don't ask!)
03/11/2017: Ultralight Rain Jackets: I am looking around for a new rain jacket of both of us. People’s raincoats often weigh as much as 500 grams. Try weighing yours. So there is nearly a day’s worth of food (weight) to be saved in exploring a change to this item alone.
For many years I hunted deer in winter in the Victorian mountains carrying only a bum-bag or one of those poacher’s vests to keep all my gear down to a minimum. If it was not raining when I started out so that I was wearing my raincoat (which I would tie around my waist - as you do) if it stopped, all I ever carried was one of those 50 gram emergency ponchos (orange is a good colour in case you need to be found!). Often it rained all day. Admittedly I shredded them completely in the rough bush, but they even then they did keep me substantially dry. If you are track walking only, (and are careful with them - and have a bit of emergency repair tape besides) you can keep one going for several days. The best part is they cost only $1-3! You would be even better carrying one of Coghlans Emergency Survival Ponchos (mylar) at 88 grams and approx $10 as they will also keep you warm – even overnight in an emergency.
PS: Waterproofness and Breathability: I doubt very much of a raincoat ever needs to be over 1500mm of waterproofness. What this means ois that the fabric will support a column of water 1500mmm height (That’s 5’ in English!) before it begins to leak. Unless you are planning to use your raincoat as a boat, that will be quite enough. I doubt it can ver rain hard enough to exceed the weight of 5’ of water pressing onto it. Mind you, where there is also other pressure (eg your shoulder straps, that will have to be added to the waterproofness, so maybe, just maybe. Most every raincoat is over 10,000mmm of waterproofness, so I think you can probably ignore any figure over this. They will all keep out the rain!
As to breathability. I admit I was awestruck when Goretex first came along and wasted lots of good money on their rain jackets. I never found they were any better than my old oiled or waxed japaras. Under the right (or wrong) conditions of humidity you would get soaked to the skin in either! I have thought Event was a little better, but I have since been utterly drenched in that too – so I don’t know. A girl reviewing the Arcteyx below claims utterly superior breathability – perhaps I need to try that out!
We have a number of reasonably lightweight raincoats, some of which have
done us sterling service in pretty wet places like Fiordland or
Naturally I would want a raincoat Mens Size (eg Large) which is at least under 200 grams and preferably under 150, and one in Womens Size (eg Small) for Della which is under 150 and preferably under 120. Available colour can be a problem for some people. For example, I have a white raincoat, which is fine except I want it to be green. Probably neither of us wants to own another blue one – and so on. Price can also be an important factor. I have been looking at some possible choices:
Zpacks Vertice Rain Jacket 176 grams (Mens Medium) US$299 http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/wpb_jacket.shtml The white raincoat I have is one of Joe’s. I accidentally ordered it in the wrong lengths (sleeves and coat) so that it doesn’t quite suit me, though it keeps me quite dry enough (and weighs under 150 grams in Men’s Large). This (white) material is his old material which is clearly lighter than his new one. I personally don’t like the ‘sticky’ feel of it, though there is nothing wrong with it. I dislike running my fingernails over felt too, but I can’t explain why. We both have rain pants in his new fabric and they feel fine and work excellently. You may want something cheaper though…
Montane Minimus 230 grams (Mens) grams: https://www.montane.co.uk/mens-c1/minimus-jacket-p57 Della has a Montane jacket in Event which she just loves. This one would be a lightweight replacement for it. They used to make a jacket known as the H2O which would have been even lighter (around 150 grams) but it is no longer available. I am seeing this jacket from around A$170 which is pretty good value for a well-made product.
Montbell Versalite Jacket. I really like this one in Green, my favourite colour! We have lots of Montbell products which are lightweight and very functional, so this one has to be a likely candidate for me. It is good value for money from a well-known brand: https://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=25013&p_id=2328167&gen_cd=2 189 grams (Mens M) A$189
Arcteryx Norvan: This Arcteryx jacket has to be worthy of consideration. This lady has given it an impressive review here. https://www.switchbacktravel.com/reviews/arcteryx-norvan-sl-hoody $299 (215 grams in Mens large - 100grams (XS Womens?) US$299
Lukes Micro 10 Jacket 4.1 oz (Large) US$179: https://lukesultralite.com/products/raingear I really like the sound of this jacket. I just received a pair of Luke’s shorts. They actually weighed less tha his listed weight (25/28 grams). The legs are quite long too, so I will probably hem them up a bit shorter so that they come in at about 22 grams which would be hard to beat for an item of clothing to wear when mixed bathing or doing the laundry on the trail. Luke’s jacket seems to be the lightest and relatively the cheapest. I am tempted to order one and see how it goes. A sub 120 gram jacket in my size (Men’s Large) is pretty awesome.
Two others I should mention:
DriDucks: These are both ultralight and ultra-cheap (as well as being probably the most breathable available. if you are very careful with them, they will keep you quite dry. They also feel beautiful. The jacket alone is (from memory under 150 grams. The jacket plus pants costs around US$25! https://www.froggtoggsraingear.com/DriDucks.shtm
DIY Tyvek: As usual, you can make your own out of Tyvek. We are talking 150 grams and around US$10 here: Here is the link to do so: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultra-cheap-ultralight-rain-gear/
Good Luck and Happy Shopping!
PS: Looking at the pics above I am reminded of Henry Ford's comment: You can have any colour you like as long as it's black!'
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ultralight-deer-hunter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/raincoat-shelter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-in-the-rain/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/rain-skirt/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-avoid-being-wet-cold-while-camping/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-light-a-fire-in-the-wet/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/vapor-barrier/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-jack-russell-rain-coat-13-grams/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-shorts-28-grams/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-jack-russell-rain-coat-13-grams/
30/10/2017: The Ultralight Deer Hunter: You will definitely see more deer if you spend longer deep in the bush where they live, and especially if you can spend the night out with them. I prefer to 'get away from it all' and camp out far from anyone else rather than hunting the fringes of private land where I admit there are lots of deer.
Here are some suggestions for an ultralight deer hunter’s ‘Gear List’. In any case it is worthwhile reducing your overall hunting pack weight as it will mean you can walk further (and more quietly). The further you walk, and the harder you look, listen and smell, the more deer you will encounter. See Also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-hunting-till-dark/
Pack: First of all, as I suggested here (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/best-hunting-daypack/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-daypack/), you need to reduce your pack weight. The ‘MLD Burn’ is an excellent choice for a rugged hunting overnight or day pack at 370 grams. You might also consider Zpacks’ 38 litre Nero at 309 grams: http://www.zpacks.com/backpacks/nero.shtml though the fabric is a little lighter. It may nonetheless be just as strong - or even stronger. It is adjustable.
What would I put in it for an overnight stop?
Tent: Of course I would have my ‘Pocket Poncho Tent’ (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-pocket-poncho-tent/)
at 185 grams – and you may be lucky to have one too if I can manage to organize
manufacturing them in
If you prefer a tent, you could either make your own as I do, perhaps starting with this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/poly-tent-by-the-ultralight-hiker-on-the-cheap/ for approx $10 (try a search for 'Tent' above) eg the Forester Tent (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-tyvek-forestertent-design/), or there are quite a few 500 gram (ish) tents now available, such as this one: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/500-gram-tents/, or Six Moon Designs eg https://www.sixmoondesigns.com/collections/tarps/products/gatewood-capen at 340 grams, or Mountain Laurel Designs eg:
https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/trailstar/ from 340 grams, or Zpacks eg http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/solplex.shtml 439 grams (this one includes floor/bug net), etc.
Pegs/Guys: Of course you will need some pegs (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tent-stakes-and-tricks/ )and guys (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-perfect-guy-line-for-a-hiking-tenttarp/), say about 70-80 grams worth..
Groundsheet: I might use a space blanket as a ground sheet if I thought I needed one; I usually carry one anyway for safety/first aid (50 grams) – but I will soon have my Bathtub Groundsheet Chair (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bathtub-groundsheet-chair/) when I get around to making it - at approx 85 grams (I estimate). A little comfort never went astray! There are lots of ultralight options including polycryo: https://www.gossamergear.com/products/polycryo-tent-footprint-ground-cloths which would work out at 23 grams. If you yearn for something a little tougher, I guess you could opt for a piece of sinylon, eg http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/products/xenon-sil-11 which will still likely be under 50 grams depending on size (eg 2' X 7'). You can drape the edges over some fallen timber to create a bathtub floor effect if it is raining heavily and you anticipate flooding.
Mat: You could use a 4’ Thermarest Neoair X-Lite (ie Small https://www.thermarest.com/mattresses/neoair-xlite-2 ) as a mat, and put your feet on your pack for a bit of insulation – 230 grams. For more comfort I usually opt for the ‘Womens’ size at 340 grams and 5'6" http://www.theultralighthiker.com/womens-are-great-in-bed/.
If/when it becomes available I would try the Big Agnes AXL Air: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/big-agnes-axl-air-pad/ (300 grams for the 6’ long by 3” thick model which I would shorten by about 6” – 270 grams - as I am somewhat vertically challenged! Anyway I usually sleep on my side curled up a bit so I can fit comfortably on a 5' mat).
Sleeping Bag: My favourite sleeping bag is the Montbell UL Super Spiral Down Hugger #3 now at 624 grams http://www.theultralighthiker.com/montbell/ though my own older model is lighter (<600). I would also carry some other Montbell clothes (See ‘Clothes’ below) for warmth such as the ‘Superior Down’ coat (200 grams) and vest (150 grams). If it is a particularly cold night I put the coat on my upper body and the vest on my lower. This reduces the temperature of the down bag from -1c to approx -10C.
Zpacks makes an even lighter model (which Della has). Her 5'9" bag warm to -7C weighs 499 grams inc compression sack: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-zpacks-sleeping-bag/
Pillow: You should try this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/exped-ultralight-pillow/ at 45 grams or this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-super-ultralight-pillow/ . Say 10 grams.
Of course Bonnie Prince Charlie (somewhat effeminately) used just a stone as a pillow when he was camping out in the snow in a Scottish winter in just his kilt and cloak. Those Scots are/were tough!
Dry Socks & Shoes: If you suffer from cold feet, you might consider a pair of Goosefeet Gear down sox https://goosefeetgear.com/products/down-socks/ – 50 grams (and of course I carry my home-made Dyneema slippers for a dry change of shoes: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/19-gram-dyneema-camp-shoes/ - 24 grams.
Another option is a pair of Sealskin Socks https://www.sealskinz.com/walking-thin-ankle-socks-dark-grey-black.htm (mine weigh approx 80 grams but they may not be the lightest model) which enable you to wear wet shoes - or just carry dry socks and maybe some Crocs.
Cookset: I outlined my minimum cookset here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-windscreen/ 60 grams. A slightly larger model here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cookset-woes/ Of course you will need a 9 gram (12 long) spoon to go with that: http://www.seatosummit.com.au/products/kitchen/alpha-light/ and maybe some Esbits - or you could be carrying your egg-ring stove (as I do) and just burn some twigs: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-egg-ring-ultralight-wood-burner-stove/
Rainwear: Try to keep the weight of this down. If you weigh your raincoat don’t be surprised if it is over 500 grams. Choice here is a bit more difficult for hunting where significant abrasion might be a factor. (Much moreso if you are a hound hunter rather than a stalker). Raincoats range down to around 150 grams or less, (Luke's Ultralight/Zpacks) - again see Montbell’s range.
If you are careful with a lightweight coat it will serve you well. If you are trying to be very quiet it is unlikely you will tear your raincoat; besides it isn't always raining.
Soon (I hope) you will be able to take advantage of my Pocket Poncho tent which will keep you dry both during the day and at night (with a minimum weight of about 185 grams.
Raincoat: Lightest and best value for money are probably Montbell’s offerings, eg the Versalite https://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=25013&p_id=2328276&gen_cd=1 at 189 grams.
The cheapest fully breathable waterproof jacket (not very durable – but very light) is the DriDucks by Frogg Toggs. I personally like an ‘Event’ Raincoat; I have two which have kept me very dry in trying conditions. I also like Zpack’s new raincoat.
Hat: If you really want to have a warm head of a night, I have one of Ray Jardine’s ‘Bomber’ hats my wife Della made for me years ago at 30 grams. I doubt she will make one for you. A number of people offer down balaclavas, eg: http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/goosehood.shtml at 37 grams or https://goosefeetgear.com/products/down-balaclava/.
I also use a ‘Buff’ http://www.theultralighthiker.com/are-you-beautiful-in-the-buff/ to keep my neck and particularly my nose warm (37.5 grams) This is the very acme of luxury! During the day I have my Icebreaker wool cap (now alas, deleted): http://www.theultralighthiker.com/best-deer-hunters-cap-best-ultralight-cap/ fortunately I have a number of them!
Gloves: If it is really freezing, I have the MLD Rain Mittens http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-mitts-and-gaiters/ 42 grams. (I also have their ultralight gaiters – I find they work wonderfully to keep rubbish out of your shoes). The mittens work really well on very cold wet days when otherwise your hands would freeze – of course they do interfere just a bit with your trigger finger!
Under the mitts I can wear a pair of ultralight polypropylene or wool gloves, such as Icebreaker’s Oasis Glove Liners http://au.icebreaker.com/en/accessories/oasis-glove-liners/IBM207.html?dwvar_IBM207_color=001 at 24 grams.
Dry Clothes: Dry clothes (and a raincoat) are options if it is likely to rain. (Otherwise you might just carry a disposable poncho and risk having to dry your clothes out with your body heat). Keep these as light as possible. Again Montbell are hard to beat with their windpants 53/75 grams and windshirts 55 grams https://www.montbell.us/products/list.php?cat_id=25048&gen_cd=1, or you could just take some Icebreaker of Kathmandu wool thermals as your dry change – and for extra night insulation.
Clothes: Start from the skin out. Weigh your clothes. Most of those proprietary ‘hunting’ clothes and shoes are heavy as lead, particularly when wet. I always wear wool socks. The lightweight Holeproof Heroes (now rebadged as Bonds) in summer, and Explorers in winter have been long-term stand-bys for me, durable and cheap.
Wigwam are, arguably better but much more expensive. I have not tried them yet, but these folk guarantee their (hunting) socks for life: https://darntough.com Unbelievable! http://www.theultralighthiker.com/warranties-on-outdoor-gear/
Then I would wear lightweight trousers such as the Columbia Silver Ridge. (I have yet to find anything as light and as durable for their weight). To counter the smelliness which can develop in nylon clothing I recommend wearing Icebreaker wool knickers such as these underneath: http://au.icebreaker.com/en/mens-layering-underwear/anatomica-briefs/103031.html?dwvar_103031_color=401
Since you will normally be hunting in the winter months wear a long sleeve
wool shirt such as the Tomar from
Anyway always wool if you don't want to stink - and remember if you stink the deer will smell you too! . For layering, I also recommend wool: an Icebreaker/Kathmandu tee, long top and/or longjohns. I also wear an Icebreaker wool cap: which unfortunately for you are no longer available.
NB: These folk now have wool camo hunting clothes: https://www.firstlite.com/products.html just as Icebreaker used to have: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/camo-merino-wool-for-deer-hunting/
For insulated layers in really cold weather and of a night, I choose Montbell again. Their Thermawrap series are one of the lightest synthetic insulated garments. You might chose a vest in this material for an extra layer if needed in the daytime (when it might get wet) and a Montbell down coat of a night. I own their Superior Down coat (and vest, as well as the Thermawrap vest). I see they now have a 1000 fill power down (Plasma) jacket – but it is much more expensive.
Larry Adler is the Australian supplier: https://www.montbelloutdoor.com.au/
There are some items which they do not stock, but they might get them in...Ask
them. If it is still unavailable it is possible to order it from the
Shoes: I suggest some ultralight shoes such as the Topos I reviewed here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/topo-terraventure-shoes/ or some Keens: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/keen-shoes/ If you have wide feet like me. There are other lightweight options such as Inov-8s if you have narrower feet.
Guns and Knives: I have posted about the lightest effective knife I have found (at 16 grams ea) here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultimate-blades-for-the-ultralight-hunter/
Another heavier choice which might interest you (if you don't fancy sharpening your knife) is here:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/never-have-to-sharpen-your-knife-again/
If you do like to sharpen it, you might still want an ultralight sharpener: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-knife-sharpener/
You probably know I use a lever action .308 in take-down (so I can put it in my canoe bag or pack): http://www.theultralighthiker.com/308s/. You probably also know that the short action round makes for a lighter gun than the long action. I realise a lever action (and a take-down) both outweigh a standard bolt action, but I have my reasons.
Also, sambar are not really 'big game' animal. A .308 is quite adequate to stop them. If you want something 'bigger' try the WSM. Obviously iron sights (which I chose for ethical reasons) are much lighter too than telescopic sights.
There are people who specialise in 'sporterising' rifles to make them lighter (as everyone, including me), used to do with their old .303s! You could probably get your deer rifle down to perhaps 2.5kg, so still it is clearly the single heaviest thing you are carrying.
Electronics:
Torch: I use a AAA torch. I confess I am outrageous and often carry two of them (one for use as a lantern and one as a headlamp), but they only weigh at most 14-16 grams each (inc some string a micro cord lock and a couple of O-rings to turn them into a head torch): http://www.theultralighthiker.com/lighter-brighter-better/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/11-gram-rechargeable-head-torch/ Clearly you also need a few spare batteries at 10 grams each.
Phone: I take my Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini phone with me (at 120 grams inc battery) as (in Flight Mode) I can get nearly a week's use out of it just every now and then using the mapping App, or reading a book, listening to music, etc. It also makes a good back-up camera.
Camera: The camera I am using at the moment is this one: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-camera/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/camera-glassing/ at 160 grams inc battery/card (and it has taken some good shots - I'm sure you'll agree!), but I know there are now models with better optics (eg 30-40 X zoom) and programming which are not a lot heavier, and which will secure some better long-distance/poor light etc shots. The Sony XXX is a case in point.
PLB: I think you should carry some safety equipment (apart from your First Aid kit). If you are on a budget the Spot Messenger http://www.theultralighthiker.com/get-lost-get-found-plbepirb/ at 114 grams is the way to go. If you are a bit better heeled then you might go for an Inreach http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-poor-mans-satellite-phone/ at 191 grams or even an Iridium Extreme Sat Phone at 247 grams: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-not-so-poor-mans-sat-phone/
Saw: You will need something perhaps to get those antlers off (or you may choose to carry out the whole head and cape out if you are very strong). You can make an ultralight bow saw (eg using a 15" bone saw blade) as discussed here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-saws/ The lightest thing I know for this purpose is a length of embryo wire (available from veterinarians).
First Aid: You certainly should carry a small kit. It is a matter of personal taste what you carry really. I carried an elastic bandage and a sling (for example) for over twenty years and never needed them - but when I did (della dislocated her shoulder) I needed them in the worst way! I carry a number of drugs: Panadeine Forte, some anti-inflammatories, anti-nausea, Imodium, antihistamine, band-aids, bandages, blister pads... I would allow at least 100 grams for this vital component.
Essentials Tally (Gun and Ammo + worn clothing plus):
Pack:370 grams
Tent: 340 grams
Pegs/Guys: 80 grams
Groundsheet: 50 grams
Mat: 340 grams
Pillow: 45 grams
Sealskin Socks: 80 grams
Cookset: 69 grams
Dry top/bottom: 108 grams
Insulated vest & coat: 156 + 208
Knife: 32 grams
Saw: 20 grams
Phone: 120 grams
PLB: 114 grams
Torch and batteries: 56 grams
First Aid, say 100 grams
Cumulative Total:2218 grams
Add Food: approx 500 grams/ day.
I'm sure you can see that my total is probably less than the weight of your day pack (empty).
PS: I have usually gone for a higher number here than I actually carry (eg so that it is something you can currently buy), so that for example my tent weighs 185 grams, my current pack 230 grams...so, I could probably shave 300+ grams off this total, say to a max of 1.9kg!
Spot and I stop for lunch by the river. That small pack has everything I need for over a week's hunting - including Spot's bed and rations, and he is a bigger eater than I am! And you can see I had brought my machete along in case I needed to do some clearing, and my hiking poles in case my knees or back gave trouble - which fortunately they did not.
If you would like to get an encyclopedic idea of my multi-day hiking list, you might find this interesting: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-gorilla-in-the-hand/
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/sambar-stalking-101/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-lure-of-the-moose/
29/10/2017: The Fast Hiker: I know I certainly don't look it (and I confess I am not), but the site had been dreadfully slow. Didn't bother me - I am in no hurry to meet my maker. But I know many of you have better things to do than waiting for pages to load...so i am working on speeding things up.
As I work on it some speed problems are intermitently getting worse, but I/we are tackling the issue, and it will get enormously better!
So far the Home Page has shrunk from over 16 megabytes to 1.3 (mainly by removing photos. I compressed all 14,500 photographs (by 69%!) with Short Pixel Optimiser. This saves people a lot of data! I updated PHP to version 7.1 which sped things up by about 50%. I have updated teh Cron job -whatever that is! I also installed WP Super Cache which stores pages which have already been accessed and so speeds up loading them.
The speed to load a page should already have come down from something like 10 seconds (Sorry!) to something like 2 seconds. I hope I can get it under 1 second without any loss of functionality/quality, etc. Of course I am no computer expert. i am a retired farmer (who still has a lot of thistles to spray and other odd jobs) and who would like to be off hiking/canoeing, etc.
These were the easy fixes. Getting down from around 2 seconds to under 1 second will involve a whole lot of quite cunning computer programming wrinkles where I will no doubt need some professional help, but I will keep hammering away at it over the next few weeks until i achieve that goal. The list is incredibly long and complicated! Thanks for being patient!
28/10/2017: The Lure of the Moose:
Oh,
the enchantments of Fiordland: Again and again I have returned to this lush green
Eden searching for one of these surviving giants of the Pleistocene, which
though deported from their ancient homeland in the vast Boreal forests of the
North, yet linger there today. For me it is a tale which began when I picked up
a copy of Australian Deer back in the 1990s on whose cover this wonderful
grainy image gazed out at me:
Instantly I wanted to put myself in that picture. My daughter Merrin even Photoshopped me into it as a birthday present! The article which accompanied it introduced me to this man, Eddie Herrick whose quest for this gentle giant in the vastness of Fiordland with his guide Jim Muir consumed so much of his life. Every year for thirty years he spent three months there, searching for them: ten whole years of their lives! Even more of Muir's. On three occasions he was rewarded with such an experience as the photo above shows: two bulls and a three-legged cow!
The one above was the bull moose he took in 1934 in what is now eponymously Herrick Creek in Wet Jacket Arm, Dusky Sound. I guess it is about the top of the small lake in the lower section of the creek. You can see he was about the age (50-ish) I was when I began my search, so I had no feeling that what I was to undertake was impossible. Though I have found that it is very nearly so, and anyway supremely difficult, every year a powerful magnetism draws me thither.
Jim Macintosh's cow moose 1950s:
Shortly after I read the article I acquired Ken Tustin’s wonderful book and video ‘A Wild Moose Chase’, Max Curtis’ ‘Beyond the River’s Bend’ and Ray Tinsley’s ‘Call of the Moose,’ each being about NZ’s famous or fantastic moose herd - and all of which I devoured eagerly. I was hooked.
At the same time I read several other books about moose in general. I was
soon becoming an armchair expert on these giant creatures. Of course I wanted
to journey to
My fiftieth birthday came and went. My wife, Della purchased me the first brand new deer caliber rifle I had ever owned, a Browning Lever Action (BLR) in .308 calibre. What a wife! She also encouraged me to make the trip as soon as I could before I was too old to do so. Hang the expense! I planned to go in the New Year 2000; it ended up getting pushed out to nearly the end of February. Still an excellent time to be in Fiordland. Two sambar hunting mates, Brett and Michael got wind that I was going (originally by myself) and decided they needed to chaperone me!
Lots of planning, particularly of gear ensued. You would think we were C18th
century explorers heading off for darkest
Cow moose snapped by Max Curtis, Herrick Creek, Wet Jacket Arm, Dusky Sound 1950s
We
landed in
We had organised to fly in with the 'Wings on Water' float plane to Supper Cove and so begin our search from there. This was the first time Michael or I had ever been in a small plane. As I have a problem with heights (even to changing lightbulbs!) I felt that I would have to close my eyes, grit my teeth and endure, but as it turned out I loved it, and would pay to do it again and again!
The high flight over Lakes Te Anau and then Manapouroi, glimpses into icy sunless valleys to the north, a panorama of Doubtful Sound, then the plunge through Centre Pass and a slow descent down the mighty Seaforth valley over towering Tripod Hill and the perched Lochs (Gair & Maree), past the southern home of the moose (the Henry Burn) and on to the glittering expanse of the vast Dusky fiord is a journey worth a million dollars (but only costs NZ$330 - 2017!)
Percy Lyes NZ bull moose 1950s
We
had all been hunting sambar deer in (what we thought of as) rough country in
Gippsland for years, so reckoned we could tour the Fiordland forests in much
the same way. For example, It is just a handful of kilometres ('as the bird
flies') from Supper Cove over the range to the mouth of Herrick Creek. We
foresaw that as a day hunt. In fact it is an arduous trip of at least four days
return which I am yet to complete. Being just shy of 70 now, I am doubtful I
ever will, but next autumn I know I will feel differently once more!
Supper Cove is at the head of Dusky Sound, the largest fiord in NZ. It was discovered and named by the same Captain Cook as the East Coast of Australia. The first European structures in NZ were built there - even the first house, surprisingly by the shipwrecked crew of another ship also (like Cook's) called the 'Endeavour'.
The Supper Cove hut is adjacent to a lovely little beach where the Hilda Burn flows into the top of the fiord just South of Supper Cove itself - which is formed by the mighty Seaforth River flowing into the head of the fiord, creating a shallow semicircular cove perfect for flatfish. You can walk across this cove at low tide from the northern end of this little beach just past the helipad, but there is a deep gut formed by the Hilda Burn flowing in, so if you want a drier crossing you are better to walk up the track past the Hilda Burn before you cross.
Brett walking across Supper Cove on a low-ish tide:
If you wish to look for moose (or red deer eg during the Roar) along the Seaforth the three huts (Supper Cove, Loch Maree and Kintail) are good bases from which you can make daily forays up the many 'Burns' and onto the slips searching for these elusive monsters which (especially in the warmest days of summer) I believe often lie cooling themselves in the deeper pools. At other times they are likely to be too widely dispersed for you to ever encounter one, but they do particularly like the fuchsia regrowth on slips. If you are there at the end of February as we were on this occasion, you might even hear a bull moose call (as we did on the last day of February 2000), or perhaps even a cow answer him.
Initially at least Michael decided he would make the Henry Burn his own, whilst Brett and I focused our attentions on the Hilda and 'Waterfall' Burns. We arrived around lunchtime and reckoned impetuously we had enough time to check out the Hilda Burn quite thoroughly that afternoon. Of course we had not gone more than 300 metres before we realised that our times/distances would be very different than we had imagined.
If you try to follow the Hilda Burn upwards you realise quite soon that your way is blocked by a vast angry cataract that it is impossible to pass or climb. You have to go up one side or the other. The first afternoon we ascended on the true right bank (looking downstream - that is the convention). About 200 yards above the existing hut there is the ruins of an earlier hut. The first thing I knew about it was that I had tripped over a barbed wire 'fence' hiding in the undergrowth badly tearing my shin- something which you most certainly are not expecting in the enormous wilderness of Fiordland. No-one I have encountered seems to know anything at all about this ruin, but there is some wire, netting and sheets of iron there which might come in handy sometime if you know they exist.
The cataract in the Hilda Burn
Here are the remains of the old hut.
Even only traveling this far up the ridge you need to be alert to keeping the position in mind of the roar of the water falling in the Burn, as when you turn to descend you will swiftly realise that the country fissures and falls away in all directions with very steep, narrow guts which it is well-nigh impossible to traverse laterally, something which the deliberate focusing on ascent is likely to lead you to ignore. It is incredibly easy to become 'bluffed out' in Fiordland - meaning that you may relatively easily ascend but when descending not be able to find or see a way down at all. You have to pay incredibly close attention to the route you took on the way up.
We climbed above the second hut, hauling ourselves over rocks and tree roots
through vastly wet, dense terrain until the roar of the water diminished so we
judged we could safely descend into the upper Hilda Burn. As we angled down
into it at one point we had to climb a monstrous fallen log about the height of
my nose (say about 5'), so that I could not actually see the top of it. When I
had clambered my way up onto it, I was astonished to find right on top of it
fresh moose droppings! Boy, they are big beasts! It was completely obvious what
they were, as everywhere in the forest there were
The enormous moose droppings centre and normal sized
These moose droppings were nearly as large as my thumb in comparison. Brett
picked up some
Above is a photo of those fewmets. My apologies for the quality of the photos in this post. In 2000 I had the latest 'Advantix' film camera, but technology sure marches on. I thought the snaps I took back then were just brilliant, but I am embarrassed by their poor quality now, as I am also becoming embarrassed by the present quality of my digital camera compared with the results from Della's Samsung Galaxy 7's. Mind you the forests are so dark, it is very difficult indeed to get good photos. Maybe if you are an expert (and can afford to lug along a few kilos of photography kit), as I am neither...
We beat our way down towards the river following the tracks I guess of a
large
The clearing on the true left side of the Hilda Burn.
Eddie Herrick shot an ancient three-legged cow moose (I think) in the Hilda Burn in the 1930s. She was likely the one who clearly broke its leg when they were tipped out off the boat in Supper Cove. You can see that one has a broken leg in the photo of the herd standing in Supper Cove looking mournful - poor things had been raised on lucerne and such! Amazingly, though she must have lost the leg (to gangrene?), she had survived in that most moose inhospitable terrain for nigh on thirty years. Knowing that they were that tough I had many doubts that they had somehow mysteriously died out sometime after 1950. Here was one who had walked across this clearing in the last day or two, clearly making this valley and its surrounds its home!
Brett in the Hilda Burn.
Also on this clearing there was a small tree or sapling (I suppose 3" in diameter) which had clearly been pushed over and stripped by something, the bark on the top also having been chewed away. I remember wondering why the tree had 'fallen' at such a strange angle, as if an immense wind had pushed it over, so that its top was no more than a metre above the ground. I guess it was nearly twenty years before I was informed by (Ken Tustin) that this behaviour of walking trees down is a favourite moose feeding strategy. On this trip I saw it again and again - and I have seen it many more times since. It is unmistakable moose 'sign'.
By the time we had descended to the stream it was becoming sufficiently dark that we needed to turn right round and head back unless we wanted to spend our first night in Fiordland sitting around in our raincoats in cold, wet bush. For advice about that, see: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/raincoat-shelter/ You should definitely avoid that situation. My advice is to carry a hammock and tarp so you can spend a dry night in the bush.
Looking down from the Hilda Burn.
I guess it was the next day we decided, (it having been too difficult scrambling up the true right bank) that we would find a way up the true left bank. Let me tell you, it was no better, if not worse. There is some very steep going, a huge tangle of fallen trees, at least one waterfall to traverse - just to get above the cataract. And you had better remember just how you got there, as when you are coming back down you will find that the way up was the only way! Just that happened to us. It was only that when we became 'bluffed' we sat down for a smoke or a bite to eat, to 'study' on our dilemma, and when we sat down that we realised that the last little bit we had had to crawl up - a reality which became apparent when we got low enough to see where we had come. A cup of tea or a smoke (or sleep on it) are always good strategies if in doubt.
We saw a few
On this or another occasion Brett was walking up the true right bank as I walked up the true left. At one point I wanted to attract his attention, so I whistled. No response. Then I blew a blast on my ultra loud Fox 40 whistle which the manufacturers reckon you can hear up to a mile away! No response. He was perhaps 40 metres away. The sound was just soaked up by the forest. And he is not deaf like I am. You can see how, the folks who have shot a moose in Fiordland pretty much universally just stumbled on it (usually very close to a creek) when it stood up, they went, 'Crack!' and down it went. End of hunting story.
Walking high up in the Hilda Burn:
There is a section of morass to cross (on the true left bank). It is quite difficult going, and remains so. These morasses are ubiquitous in Fiordland and very dangerous. I can well believe you can get stuck in them and be unable to extricate yourself. You can very suddenly plunge (right on the edge) up to your hips - as I have done many times. If you can throw yourself backwards as you fall in it is easier to get out. Another grave danger of walking in the Fiordland bush is that all these large gullies are actually the moraines of ancient glaciers. Underneath they are boulder fields. And in many places not very far underneath. You need to test each step before you put your weight on it to ensure that you are not going to plunge downwards into a huge crevasse - as I did on the fourth day trying to ascend the 'Waterfall Burn'. Downwards over my head in an instant. Fortunately I did not break anything except my dignity and I was able to climb back out again. Probably the gullies are worst for this than the ridges.
I cannot now remember whether on the particular day I am relating I was alone in the valley - as I have been several times since - or if Brett was somewhere else in the valley. Anyway, I had dropped down into the stream by myself and was wading along in it - as that was the easiest going, Every now and then getting out, then getting back in again. I'm sure you know what thick difficult going is like. There came a point where as I was rounding a bend in the stream, (the banks being nearly as high as I am) something very large and dark surged up and thundered off in a cloud of spray further up the stream, giving me just the barest glimpse of it. All I could say was that it was not a bull, as I would have been able to see its antlers above the banks of the stream.
I followed it (as quietly as I could - spooked things will often halt to look back and see what it was which frightened them) when shortly the stream split in two. Where the two streams joined there was a large patch of sand, and clear as day in the sand were the unmistakable prints of a moose. They were very nearly as large as a cow's prints, and they had the 'signature' dew claw marks a couple of inches behind the main hoof prints such as only moose amongst deer kind have. I would have a photo of them only when I was coming back down again some time later, the rain had all but blurred them clear away - it does rain lots in Fiordland. Expect to get very, very wet, even in Goretex such as I was wearing.
It had crept off upwards into a large swampy area lying between the two streams which did not show up on the topographic map. It must have been very difficult to get good (and accurately interpret) aerial photography in Fiordland. I followed the beast around in this swampy area for I guess about an hour, each circling the other trying to get a look, sometimes seeing a bit of leg perhaps. The water was ankle to knee deep, and there were many small islands each with a vast tree protruding from its centre and surrounded by lowish bushes. The cloud cover came half-way down the trunks of the trees. A prehistoric landscape for a prehistoric creature. I could have taken a shot at it through vegetation - it was often clear just where it was - but I never (nor should you) ever do such a thing. A deer missed is one thing; a dead mate is missed a long time!
Alas, once again light was going to beat me. I had to break off the chase or I would be spending a terrible night out in this saturated forest. There is just no way you could make your way down in failing light or darkness. Having had so little trouble 'putting up' a moose, I was also optimistic that I might do it again. There is no end to human folly!
It disappeared somewhere up there into the head of the burn, and it is no doubt there yet!
After breakfast next morning we were all standing on the edge of the
verandah of the hut looking up the Cove, enjoying a smoke or a cup of coffee when
a large animal started calling. I thought it sounded something like a cross
between a koala bear and a camel. It was definitely not a
Even though we had been there then for a couple of days, we had still not
(instinctively) adjusted our hearing's ability to pinpoint where a sound came
from to Fiordland's conditions (I have already mentioned the episode of the
whistle). It takes a while for perception to adjust. Another example is one's
ability to actually focus on these NZ mountains. They are so much steeper than
ours in
So I guess we can be forgiven for being unable to work out exactly where the moose was (we were quite sure that was what it must be - and we were right). Our Australian senses made us overlook a flat area near the mouth of the Hilda Burn nearby (too close). It was clearly coming from the next valley over, what we called the 'Waterfall Burn' both because of the waterfall at the bottom, and the even larger one at the top of it. Here is a photo of the lower one, which you can see would be very difficult and dangerous to climb, and which would be death to descend if the stream rose very much in heavy rain. I do not have a photograph, though I have 'seen' the upper one: It is 160 metres, falling straight down from the clouds the day I was there so that one could not see the top. It was as if it just fell from the sky, and so impossible to photograph! There are lots of things like that in the world. I have a fine collection of snaps where you can't make anything out at all!
The Waterfall Burn:
We decided we would somehow climb the Waterfall Burn to find the calling moose. Now, as this was the only time we heard the call (on our second or third day there I think) I might conclude that this was the end of the moose 'Roar' rather than the beginning. You should know that wherever they be in the world, the 'roar' (or mating) of the moose lasts only one week - but it is the very same week each year. Anyway it was the last day of February.
When we returned we searched the net for moose calls. The first one we played was (unknowingly) the sound of a cow moose. When we played that we were disappointed. Fooled again. you know the sort of thing. Then we played the call of the bull moose. Kapow! That was what we heard all right. So, there had been a cow moose in the Hilda Burn and a bull moose just a kilometre from it - clearly a breeding pair. There must be a few more of them even by now!
The first day we tried to ascend the Waterfall Burn we crossed the stream and tried (all day as it turned out) to beat our way up the true left side of the stream. Utterly unsuccessfully. I doubt it was possible, so don't even try! As we were crossing the stream in the morning (just between the waterfall and the walk wire), we were able to wade across, the stream it being only about mid-calf deep. I was not particularly conscious that it was raining heavily all day, but it was certainly raining. It often does in Fiordland you know. Every year at least ten metres of rain, sometimes several times that!
On this occasion when we returned to the crossing about 4:00pm in the
afternoon, the stream had swollen monstrously. The walk wire was very nearly
submerged. My memory is that we waited for a large tree to roll along under it
before we (very trepidatiously) crossed. There is a lesson here: Never expect
to be able to get to your destination when walking in Fiordland - or anywhere
else for that matter. 'Be Prepared' is actually a good motto. Thanks
The Waterfall Burn in flood:
Some of the trees which came thundering down the waterfall.
It does rain a lot and streams can easily rise so much (or morasses expand - you get the picture), that movement either way becomes impossible. You will just have to stop and wait it out. Fortunately as soon as it does stop raining, because of the steepness of the terrain, the streams etc drop as quickly as they rose. The Seaforth for example is reputed to be able to rise 16 metres in a single day! Eddie Herrick himself relates a story wherein he and Jim Muir his guide almost lost their lives because of their inability to return to camp down the Seaforth, or to cross the Henry Burn.
Next day we tried again walking up a little gully between the Hilda and the Waterfall Burn. It was mostly really dreadful going through thick tree fern, boulders etc and with much broken ground underfoot. This is where/when I fell down the moraine hole. When we finally broke out onto the Burn above the waterfall we immediately tied something (a shopping bag I think) to a tree so we could find our way back down again. We were quite anxious. It had been a trying trip of...maybe a kilometre! Then we walked up the stream as far as we could get before we would have to turn around so we would be back at Supper Cove before dark.
In the top of the Waterfall Burn (You can see the shopping bag tied to the tree):
It is quite a large stream, still two-three metres wide up there I guess, and very pretty, though dark. I have been there on a later occasion, perhaps 2006, 2012 or 2013 (I know I was alone; I usually am) and walked as far as the top waterfall. There had been a moose in this valley recently. There were fresh-ish footprints - given the amount of rain the day before they had to have been no more than a day old, and there was quite a lot of browse. We did not see a moose, or any deer but after all, the hunt is what it's all about. That and seeing fresh sights, some of which maybe no man has seen before, or will again!
A morass in the Waterfall Burn.
I can remember seeing sign there again on a subsequent trip, but what exactly I cannot remember. Browse, marks, droppings...they all blur a bit with time. This year (2017) I realised I had seldom (if ever) actually photographed the browse so I could point it out to people later on (I did not have this blog before, so I had no reason!) There was plenty of old browse in the Hauroko (which I snapped some examples of), then a little barking as I descended into Loch Maree (which I forgot to snap). After that again along the Seaforth there was browse, but by then I had forgotten to take pictures altogether. You just get to enjoying the experience, thinking about other things etc. Last year I walked almost all the way back down from Everest without taking a single photo, though I saw many things I had not noticed on the way up. I had pneumonia is my excuse, but I doubt I will be going back to capture those missing snaps.
For example, in 2006 I took this snap of a couple of ducks. Look behind them though and you can see the height of the browse line on the shiny leaved tree on the right.
We walked back towards the Hilda Burn. The walk wire was out when we were there in 2000 so we had to walk down along the stream to the bottom, cross there and walk along the beach to the hut if the tide was high. If it was a bit lower, we would cross as much of Supper Cove as we could, then cut inland towards the mouth of the Hilda Burn, so our route was a bit different each time, always walking off-track. And that afternoon, in the fading light we found where the bull had been when we heard him call! And he had clearly been camped there for a couple of days, pretty much in sight of the hut - so much closer than we had estimated. But he was not there now. Probably he had gone up to join the cow at the head of the Burn! So much country. And it is utterly impossible to 'track' anything in that country. All you ever see is the odd print. The eternal moss swallows everything up, including sound.
There is this, though. That was 17 years ago now: a pair of moose within a
stone's throw of the Supper Cove hut. If you imagine that they managed to breed
every year, even if the mortality rate is very high or the fertility rate very
low there have to still be a number of moose within cooee of the mouth of the
Seaforth. There is still food for them there, and every time I go I can see
browse I did not see the time before. Every time I go, I find 'fresh' moose
tracks. Conditions in Fiordland are such that you just won't see prints that
are a week old. There are just so many places they can easily travel with their
long legs and wonderfully constructed feet where no man could possibly go.
Because they are so tall they can reach food on precipitously steep slopes
where
I think it was not until the second day on that first trip that I began to
notice the moose browse, despite having found moose droppings and spied some
moose footprints - and having been looking hard. It was not until I came down
with an itchy back probably from a sandfly my shirt had failed to stop, and had
sidled up to a tree to scratch the middle of my back that, as I did so, my neck
craned up and I began to see this characteristic branch breaking and snapping,
oh - so far up! Being used to sambar or
Brett pointing out some moose browse:
Another day on that trip (there were not many more, worse luck) I walked around the point of land on the other side of Supper Cove against the river before the Waterfall Burn. Many of the coprosma trees on the point had been snapped off at just the height moose love to browse 8+ feet. There was no other sign. I thought at the time maybe they were driven lower down like this in the coldest weather as sambar can be somewhat in our mountains, (There are even times that Supper Cove freezes over!) but I have since found plenty of fresh browse lower down and misdoubt now that moose suffer at all from cold. It was just a silly thought really. With moose the opposite is the case, I suspect. They suffer more from hotter weather. NZ summers of 24C or the like can perhaps be quite uncomfortable for a large Arctic animal. It is then, I suspect they spend a greater part of the day lying up in cool deep pools in the burns where the few that have been shot over the years were invariably taken.
That day we continued up as far as the ladder just above the McFarlane Burn looking for Michael who had stayed out overnight without explaining himself, so we were a bit worried - but he is an old bushman. He had a small tent (we knew) and his sleeping bag. So, of course he was fine. He had even managed to light a small fire. Well done indeed. On the way up in the middle of the track we saw an old mark we thought might have been a moose, but it could have been just several deer prints over each other some time past.
In just about the same spot quite near the Old Supper Cove hut site (which is where the track rejoins the Seaforth above the Henry Burn) I have on a number of occasions seen a relatively fresh moose track: once I would say that morning's - if it had been a sambar we would have tried to start the hounds on it once - and on another occasion about a day old, I guess. So the moose do still hang around their old haunt, the Henry Burn, or 'Moose Creek' as Herrick and the other old-time hunters used to call it.
Brett and Michael meet near the McFarlane Burn:
Old Supper Cove Hut site - you can still see the tree fern trunks which formed its floor. A pity they did not leave it standing as it was an important survival shelter - and of historical interest!
I was quite hooked by Fiordland and the Dusky after this trip and vowed to
return as often as I could, an ambition with which Della fortunately concurred.
It is not every man who has such a splendid wife, I know. What I have done to
deserve such good fortune is a mystery to me - may it long be so. Well, it has.
But circumstances (and finances) intervened to mean that it would be six years
before I could make the trip again. I had returned from the first trip with a
reasonable 8-point
In 2006, I decided I could get away for a short trip (a week - if you are a farmer, a week away is an eternity). I decided I would fly in to Supper Cove, stay a couple of days then walk out. I had no idea even if I could do this at all at the grand old age of 56! The track brochures warned how hard it would be, and recommended only fit young folk should try it, & etc. Some of them even die. Fortunately I am young at heart, as I was still able to complete the trip this year at 68!
This was to be my introduction to 'ultralight hiking'. I knew that the weather could make a short trip much longer. Also I did not know whether at my age I would be able to make the distances between the huts, and might have to camp out most nights if I was going to be safe. I had already reasoned that a hammock and tarp would be the safest thing to camp in in Fiordland, so we had been busy making prototypes and had come up with a home-made 2 oz/yd2 hammock and a 1.3 oz'yd2 silnylon tarp to go with it. This arrangement then weighed around 7-800 grams altogether, less than half the weight of any tent I owned or could have bought I must say, and much lighter than anything then commercially available as well - even if they did look a bit amateurish. I had camped out in it lots of times in the Gippsland bush, so i was quite confident in it.
This is the wonderful ultralight hammock I am now using, a Hummingbird: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-hummingbird-in-the-hand/ Photo is on the beach between the boat shed and the helipad, Supper Cove. You see what I mean about being able to just camp anywhere (If there are trees) with a hammock!
I bought a Gossamer Gear G4 pack at 450 grams (which I still use sometimes), and I think back then I was still using a Snugpack or Vango synthetic bag which weighed around 8-900 grams (not my sub 600 gram Montbell I use now). I had discovered metho stoves by then, so that was down to a 7 gram model from Minibull plus home-made aluminium flashing windscreen. Back then I used to make fried bread (or Johnny Cakes) every night for lunch on the trail the next day, so I had figured a way to make the stove simmer though I can't remember now what it was! Though quite tasty, it is a bit of a tedious process making 'bread' which I have since then largely abandoned. I will do a post about it in the future though, as it is an important skill. I had moved up to a new digital camera, a Pentax Optio S40 with a 3X zoom which only weighed about 100 grams (saving at least 400 grams on my old film camera).
Back then I was still wearing either Redback Alpine Hiker leather boots (or
their Blundstone equivalent) which weighed 600-650 grams dry and about another
50-100 wet, so actually much better than most boots folk still wear today. They
are a good, tough boot and if you want a leather boot, I swear by them. I had
earlier moved down from ex-army wool shirts and trousers to
When the weather is sufficiently cool (which it almost always is in NZ), I would now wear either an Icebreaker of a Kathmandu light woolen shirt which you can wear for a week without washing (yourself or it) and never mind getting downwind of yourself, though others may disagree! I think back then I still used my lovely Snugpack synthetic coat which probably weighed as much as 600 grams. I was stronger then. I was probably using one of Big Agnes excellent inflatable mats which weighed just under 600 grams from memory, but I might ave skimped and taken a Thermarest self-inflater I suppose which weighed a little less - and was a lot less comfortable besides. And a lot colder in colder weather I might add. I have a lighter, better kit now I think. See eg: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-gorilla-in-the-hand/
On the first day up from Supper Cove to Loch Maree, just as I was about to pass opposite the Roa Stream which is on the other side of the river heading upriver (ie on the true left bank), I heard something in the water like a deer clattering across (going I'm not sure which way) and which given the prevalence of red deer there it often is. I have rarely managed to get a photo of them as they usually make off pretty smartly just like sambar in the dense bush. By the same token a hundred metres or so later on at about the point that the noise in the river was, there were very fresh prints of a huge animal crossing the track. It had clearly come out of the Roa stream, and crossed the river and passed just in front of me, and gone very obviously around the edge of the swampy bit on the true right bank (not a bad place to camp actually) and then up into the bush on my left. And not very long ago.
You might think a swampy bit like this would be attractive to a moose, but they are a forest creature. This one skirted this particular swamp opposite the Roa Stream.
I could not really tell whether the splashing and the tracks were one and the same. I did have a bit of a look around for it for maybe an hour, but as I could not be sure whether the tracks might have been made earlier that morning or just as I approached, I did not spend a lot of time on it. It wasn't just standing around waiting for me to take a pic of it at any rate. It is a seven hours plus walk for me (then) to Loch Maree, so I pressed on, still arriving after dark in fact, as I have done on a couple of occasions.
It is a long walk, particularly if the tide is in and you can't take the 'short-cut' across the Cove. Later on I was talking to Ken Tustin on the phone. He told me that he and his wife Marg were on that very day high in the Roa stream finding lots of fresh moose browse, so I think it is very likely they pushed this guy out the bottom of the valley and across the track in front of me. This suggests a strategy to me of how a couple of very fit young people might get a snap of a moose - but it would be a pretty wild chance, I guess - and depend on there being more moose there than may be the case.
My purpose on this trip was merely to see if I could walk the Supper Cove to Manapouri 'leg' of the Dusky Track which I was very pleased to have managed in four long days when I finished, even managing a cold beer (and a much needed shower) on the evening of the fourth day! I saw no-one the whole trip, something which I always find very pleasant!
I really enjoyed the trip and purposed to take my oldest daughter Irralee with me the following year, which I did. In 2007, when we arrived at the Supper Cove hut we found that we had missed the resident moose by about a week. There was an awful lot of moose browse all around the hut, trees snapped over all around and some barking behind the hut, just in back of the toilet. Another hunter who had arrived the day before in fact pointed the barking out to us. We had no need to have the other browse pointed out. It was right in front of the hut. The tracks were all washed away and the droppings were falling apart - which is how I arrived at the conclusion of being a week late.
Some of the moose browse in front of the hut: Can you spot the twigs which have been bitten right off 8-9' up?
It would be truly awesome to wake up at the Supper Cove hut and be greeted by a moose outside the window whilst you were eating your muesli for breakfast! That year there was also quite a bit of moose browse on the fuchsia coming down from the slip above the Kenneth Burn to the Gair Loch (on the second day out from Supper Cove), but again it was over a week old.
Irralee is pointing out some Fuchsia browse near the Gair Loch.
Some old barking encountered on the way: 
I again walked the track with my son, Bryn in 2008. There were a couple of spots where we found old tracks ('old' in Fiordland probably means at most a day) - anyway the animal wasn't standing in them. From memory again they were near the Old Supper Cove Hut site (ie near the Henry Burn) and near the Kintail Hut as we were crossing the walk wire over the Seaforth there - quite fresh tracks on the sand there, probably from that morning.
Of course you are always on the lookout for whatever made them, and you make forays off into the bush in the direction they appear to be heading, but the bush is so vast (and so thick) and the moose so sparse that it is a hopeless task, really. All that I can say is that you won't see a moose standing in the main street in town back home. if you want to see a Fiordland moose, you will have to be tramping around in the vastness of that wonderful forest. I would hope you shoot one only with a camera really. I have grown quite fond of them - from a distance anyway!
A couple of examples of some barking we found.
This looks like it is probably only a week old at most. Usually/oftenthe barking is much higher, 7 or 8 feet.
The browse around the Supper Cove hut (and the barking) from the year before were still clearly visible (and identifiable) a year later, by the way. In fact two years later, as my daughter was able to point it out to me on our second trip there together in 2009.
You can still see it here in 2009 with a fantail sitting on it.
Bryn and I watched this
I canoed
the Seaforth in 2009, probably one of the silliest things I have ever done.
As I was portaging around the shores of Loch Maree - I was walking along the
shoreline so I might see any prints rather than walking the track; the water
level was low enough to do so that year - they were having a drought in
Fiordland. It didn't rain for the whole 13 days we were in the
I was at Supper Cove again in 2011 with Della, but we had to leave precipitously only about an hour after we arrived as Della managed to dislocate her shoulder slipping off a rock. Ouch! Thank goodness for helicopters! No moose that year!
I walked the track again in 2012 in company with a young American, Steve Hutcheson I met at Supper Cove and an Israeli, named Renan Tsorin. Steve and I had about five days at Supper Cove, him fishing and me tramping around in the bush looking for moose. I remember I found some old tracks on the ridge above the Supper Cove hut and in the Hilda Burn - and obviously some browse. I found the same thing along the Henry Burn. I guess I walked nearly half way up it to the fork you must follow if you are to walk over into Herrick Creek - so probably to about the place a couple of the Fiordland moose were shot, long ago. No sign of them now of course.
Here is a (very) old print (the triangular indentation above the glasses case) all filled in with leaves. This would have to be about as old as you are going to be able to see a print in Fiordland - say over a week. This one was over a kilometre up on the ridge behind the hut
Looking down towards the fiord coming down from way up there. The going is pretty steep:
Particularly above Loch Maree along the river on the true left bank there was a lot of moose sign, mainly older browse - say up to a year old. I walked along the river for about three kilometres by myself above the Loch Maree hut and up the Deadwood Stream a bit before crossing over to the track. The young fellows following the track were quite surprised at how I managed to get ahead of them! The river level that year was again very low, so I could do this (and avoid a slow, nasty section of track for the first hour upriver out of Loch Maree). I figured this moose was a resident of the Deadwood Stream which looks big enough to hold a number of them! There was old browse here and there along the river that year - but no tracks.
However as we walked up through the huge slip above the Kenneth Burn, a moose had walked along ahead of us barking the trees quite obviously. I remember pointing this out to Renan, using my fingernails to mimic the action of his giant teeth, and angling my head to indicate how he must have made the bites. I must look a circus sometimes. I wish I had taken photographs! Then, just about where the saddle is before you start to go down again to the Gair Loch, there was a patch of fuchsia on our right which had been the home of a moose for I'd say the best part of a week. S/he had had a really good feed on I guess and acre or two of fuchsia. Anyone who doubted the continued existence of moose in Fiordland would be hard put to explain the extent of its high foraging activity there. I remember a couple of days later I was walking with Steve in the Upper Spey and also pointing out to him some very old moose browse there - in the vicinity of the Dashwood Stream.
This is part of the huge Fuchsia filled slip above the Kenneth Burn where a moose had been browsing for days in 2012. Plenty of food here.
It is a huge area of Fuchsia. There are many such in Fiordland - few as easy of access though.
I had a back operation in 2013 so any Fiordland trips were out that year.
I spent a few days by myself at Supper Cove in 2014 (flying both in and out on that occasion). It was lovely to have the hut to myself for a few days, to go out in the morning exploring the bush around about and in the afternoon catching myself some blue cod for my supper. The most delicious fish anywhere, trust me. Do bring a hand line and a fry pan if you venture that way. I was going to walk out, but on the very last night before the day I would have to leave the next morning of, a party of twelve young people arrived even though none had been there for a month! Of course I tried to persuade them to stay a day and do some fishing (even offering them my line, etc), but they insisted on starting out the next day as well.
All alone in the Supper Cove Hut
I could spread out.
And enjoy some tasty blue cod for tea.
Well one night in a crowded hut with people whose heads were filled with the usual certain certainties of the young was enough for me, so I called up Alan from Wings on Water (who had brought me in) and flew out again. I used the couple of spare days so gained to go have a look at the start of the South Coast Track (out of Tuatapere) walking out to Port Craig and back whilst I was there. I confess I was hurrying along this section - and even walked the beach 'track' all the way from the Hoka Stream. I was not looking for moose sign as I thought this was too far from their 'normal' haunts. I was just checking out the track thinking it was probably easy enough to take Della on the next year. (it was). I was surprised therefore when I spied (on the return trip of course) a small example of moose browse quite close the the shore after the Track Burn - before you begin the climb up the innumerable steps to the Rowallan.
Della and I attempted to walk out to Westies Hut along the South Coast Track
in 2015, but got only as far as the
We headed back out on the
When we were walking out from the Wairaurahiri with Pete Baldwin from the wonderful Waitutu Lodge at the Wairaurahiri Mouth, I was explaining to him what he should look for if he ever had the chance to get 'into' the Seaforth country. Right near the Edwin Burn trestle crossing there was an obvious patch of old moose browse, the branches snapped over and stripped in their characteristic way about 8' up, but maybe 1-2 years old. Nothing else could possibly do such a thing. So, there are moose that far East in Fiordland yet.
I have now realised that I smelled a moose in the Hauroko Burn last trip
(back in April 2017) and I am really kicking myself for not having stopped,
camped and investigated See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/follow-your-nose/).
As I said there: 'I have a confession (of stupidity) to make.
Somewhere during this section between the two upper walk wires on the Hauroko
Burn, Fiordland, NZ (You can imagine it is in the photo below) I encountered
quite a strong ‘animal’ smell not unlike a goat. I thought to myself at
the time, ‘Well, it’s not a deer’. Then I thought, ‘Could it be a plant?’ You
know how Dogwood in
There is a sweet cloying honey-like smell you sometimes encounter in these Fiordland forests I have never been able to identify, nor has anyone else I have spoken to been able to pick it for me. (it is not the flower of the ubiquitous tiny epiphytic orchid). It was not that though. I am pretty good on scents having been a hunter all my life. I instantly galvanise to a whiff of fox, roo, wombat, stag, goat, etc.
I scanned the forest about. Saw nothing. Thought to myself, ‘I do not want
to arrive at
There was a moose not 200 metres upwind from me, and I walked on. Despite having a tarp and hammock and more than a week of food, so that I could have spent days hunting it! And I would have doubtless ‘put it up’ withing ten minutes! Dream on! Despite the fact that one of the important reasons I go there is to see a moose. Despite the fact that I had photographed fairly fresh moose barking just back there a little (as you can see below). Despite the fact there is a $100,000 reward for a photo of a NZ moose, I walked on! Lesson: Trust your nose!’
My knee is still not right from an injury in the Hilda Burn on that trip which brought an early end to my off-track explorations then (there was still old browse in the Hilda), so I am wondering about my future ability to do so again, but I am working on it – an hour every morning in the gym and an hour every afternoon walking - on top of my normal farming activities, but at just shy of 70 it takes longer to heal and to get fitter again. Every day though I feel stronger, and have just completed a six day off-trail hike in the Vic mountains, and climbed Qld's tallest mountain, so there is hope!
It was interesting that the Hauroko was nearly eaten out, but with lots of
old sign (and clearly a resident moose!) And that there was a 'bloom' of new
plants coming up I had not seen in Fiordland before) Yet coming down from Lake
Roe to Loch Marie for example, there was oodles of moose plants without much
moose sign at all - though some barking. Clearly the moose are fairly light on
the ground. Each likely has an enormous territory, perhaps 2-500 hectares, but
that still adds up to a lot of moose in
I had this note about the moose on the first of my posts about my 2017 trip: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/from-dawn-to-dusky/
The Elusive Fiordland Moose: Along the way there is sporadic moose sign if you are alert and keen eyed. Nothing else could reach up 2.5-2.7 metres (8-9'), break off branches as thick as your thumb and strip them, or devour all the lower vegetation of their favourite broadleaf plants, or systematically bark trees, or leave footprints as big as a cow's.These solitary leviathans yet roam these forests unseen. I took these shots in an arbitrary few hundred yards walking up the Hauroko.
This coprosma has been systematically broken off about 2.5 metres up.
And this.
Broadleafs have commonly been stripped to this height.
They like to snack on nutritious bark as they amble along.
Leaving footprints as long as my glasses case. Like this:
Or this.
Someday someone will stumble round a corner onto one and snap its pic. A
girl from
I don't know at this stage whether I will be doing a lot more 'moose hunting' in Fiordland. Mostly these days we go there for the walk anyway and because it is just so beautiful. Any moose we see would no doubt be a bonus - and we surely won't see them elsewhere! I do have a couple of 'new' ideas on how we might find further proof of the continued existence of the NZ moose herd. More about that later.
And oh, I have been thinking about Ken Tustin's theory that the
I have noticed that in the areas which appear more eaten out (by moose and everything) that the moose browse seems to consist of more branches actually broken off completely whereas in the less eaten out areas, they tend to be just broken over. I need to spend more time there to confirm this, something which may not happen in this lifetime.
I realise I do not know how this 'boom and crash' population dynamics works (with any creature) though, so maybe I am wrong. I am not a wildlife biologist, but I have been a farmer and hunter for a long while. Some places look very eaten out by deer, particularly along river banks and near huts and other clearings, yet in other steeper places there is little sign of any grazing animals. Another interesting observation: along the Hauroko for example, there is this shiny leaf tree which moose obviously like. In many places it was browsed lower from the river bottom than it was from the river bank (but in each case as high as a moose could reach ie 8'+ up) giving it a lopsided appearance. I had not noticed this before. No doubt there are lots of other ‘signs’ which escape one’s attention for years.
Here is a tree moose quite like, (I don't know what it is called). You can
see that this one which is hanging out over a precipice (in the Hauroko) has
still been browsed ( a long time ago) as far as a moose can reach out, and
certainty further than anything else could.
Here the moose has been walking along in the stream reaching up and has mown
these trees to a precise height. They have even managed to strip some of the
branches hanging down. You see this everywhere. We went down the
In 17 years I have not been able to get back to Fiordland in the summer. By the time we have been able to stop watering our garden and watching out for the 'bushfires' that a ratbag collection of maniacs have taken to lighting every summer in our part of the world it is at best late March, usually April, sometimes May. And of course I am often there when the 'Roar' is on so every moose has been scared well away from the valley bottoms by ubiquitous deer hunters. It's like always going sambar stalking on a full moon, or in early Spring when the deer have moved back from the valley bottoms (as fresh feed pops out from under the snow - and the young are born. Not such a good time for hunting.
I do always find old sign though, sometimes not that old even. I am convinced if i could spend several summers walking along in the streams there I would put up another moose. I'm not sure whether at my age I can do such hard work in hot, steamy weather, and I don't know whether I will ever be able to get away at such a time or not.
Perhaps!
PS: I wrote this article at Ken Tustin's request, as he is preparing a new edition of his book/a new book about the Fiiordland moose. He and he wife are the true moose experts and heroes of this interesting saga. More about them here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/nz-moose/
PS: The 'Cover' photo was sent to me from
23/10/2017: Hein’s Taxidermy: Della
just loves stuffed animals which is maybe why she has kept this particular
stuffed old animal around for nearly fifty years! It may be a family trait. We
have this wonderful family photo circa 1903 of her grandfather as an apprentice
hairdresser in
If you need fine taxidermy services in
Some of Hein’s many interesting pieces:
And finally our dear little Rusty the Dusky Lorikeet:
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/rusty-the-dusky-lorikeet/
While you are at Port Albert you should check out the Old Port Walking trail too, as well as its many other attractions: caravan park, hotel, restaurant, fish and chip shop, fishing charter, boat hire, etc: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/there-is-simply-nothing-like-an-old-port-walking-trail/ We had a brilliant (cheap) meal in the Customs Inn hotel while we were there – best fish’nchips I’ve had in a long while.
20/10/2017:
Basin Flat is 20 minutes by road above
I have included a lot of photos to give you a reasonable idea of what the whole trip looks like. Yesterday it took me 5 3/4 hours (at age 68) but with frequent stops to take photos, have a look around , meal beaks etc. I used to be able to do the trip in under 4 hours - but that was before the fires and floods made the river wider and shallower, as well as stealing most of its summer water, so that it is difficult now to get a 30C day with enough water (above say 1.63 on the Licola gauge - yesterday it was 1.72 = perfect).
The river is canoeable (at least) from the Caledonoia Confluence downstream
though the section down to the Barkly (4 hours of Grade 2 and 3) would best
suit packrafts (locked gate.) From the
Ready to begin at Basin Flat:
This trip is a great canoe training trip as it begins with a long flat section with just a few pebble races, gradually you encounter the odd grade 2 rapid. After Burgoynes track there are two grade 3 rapids and quite a number of Grade 2 as well. The last hour is once again on reasonable flat water with mainly just pebble races. There are many, many wonderful spots to camp, swim etc along the way. It is really ideal as a very leisurely 2-4 day canoeing/fishing/hunting trip.
Pebble race
The first Grade 2 rapid at just about the end of the flat (after nearly 1/2 an hour has an overhanging tree at the moment. You could chance being able to duck under it I suppose. I didn't.
About 3/4 of an hour from the start (on the true left bank - at the end of a large flat) there is an old pioneer hut which someone has lovingly restored lately
They have done such an excellent job. I particularly admired their bush ladder.
About an hour in the river splits. I took the right fork with this entertaining drop. The left fork used to have a fun chute, but there may not be enough water going down it now. At the bottom of this drop there is a vast swimming hole on a right hand bend (complete with this turtle). A lovely spot to camp.
Swimming hole: this is the spot whee someone stole my paddle many years ago: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-macalister/
If you are going to camp overnight I suggest you bring all your gear up off
the river and out of sight. Strange people sometimes camp at
There are lots of grassy flats along the way.
The one on the left bank after the large hole is quite vast. There used to be the remains of an old shepherd's hut underneath an ancient quince. Since the fires it is no more. I came down the river just after the dreadful fires. At this spot there was an old doe who had given her life to save her twin fauns who were lying by her side under the quince where her body was quite mummified; they had so dehydrated her. They ran away as I approached, but quietly crept back again. I hope they survived.
I usually stop for lunch (after about 1 1/2 hours) opposite it at a place I used to call 'The Willows' where you could sit in the shade and enjoy your lunch plus a cold beer or two.
Yesterday I had to chase half a dozen sambar deer off the sandbank before I could sit down, the descendants of that old doe perhaps. They did not stay long enough for a photo though I did see them.
Dingoes had been busy here having killed a black wallaby.
Lunch over, I am off again.
You have to watch out for snags (and rocks). Stick to the inside curves. If in any doubt, get out and walk. Lots of people have died on this section of river over the years. Do not get side on to a log (this can easily mean death), or to the current in general. Generally follow the centre course in rapids, but on bends try to stay on the inside of curves so you do not get forced onto the outside edge and overturned. Rocks will often try to tip you out; you often have to lean in towards them to prevent this.
The
straight just above Burgoynes, and a lovely valley on your right. 
Burgoynes
Track off the 
Just below Burgoynes you come to the first Grade 3 rapid. it has had a log stuck in it for some time making it even more dangerous. i portaged it on the right hand side.
There are a number of lovely campsites below Burgoynes (if you are vehicle camping). If you are canoeing you have many other choices - and greater privacy.
Another spot: you can drive right down to the beach.
Just below is an entertaining one metre drop on a right hand bend. Many folk have had an impromptu swim here.
This is the 'Morning Glory' Hut - quite a palatial establishment, even boasting a bar and hut book!
This beautiful cliff on the right bank follows soon after. This is about half way through your trip. Keep an eye out here. A Grade 3 rapid is just around the left hand corner. Stay on the left hand side to check it out or portage it if you have any doubts about your ability:
You can see it needs to be approached cautiously. I once fell out here and lost my 30:06 in the rapid. It must have taken me an hour to retrieve it from where it was lodged amongst the rocks in the bottom of the rapid.
This goes on for a long way. If you fall out here you can be swimming for a while particularly if the river is higher.
Shortly after the Mt Useful Creek comes in on your right. It is a very large, steep valley rising on the eastern side of Mt Useful
There are some pleasant Grade 2 rapids along here.
A couple of promising gullies come in from the
There are fine beaches and lovely swimming holes.
And the odd entertaining drop.
The locals peer out at you as you drift past.
Somewhere along here I stopped for a snack and a spell yesterday. And to admire the view upstream.
And downstream. No-one else in sight for 10 km either way. That suits me just fine.
This is the last straight (and beautiful valley on your right) before Warabinda (a 'wilderness' youth camp). There are two dwellings here built with the help of the street kids being helped here: the first on your left just around the far bend, the second on your right.
I saw lots of ducks and shags. The river has many giant carp. You often see a sea eagle eating them. But also it has excellent trout, eels as long as your legs and the occasional redfin perch.
The Warabinda 'Flying Fox'. It is 45 minutes from here to the bridge, mainly on flattish water.
One of the last rapids.
You are into cattle country now.
This is the very last rapid. Surprisingly I have fallen out more often here than anywhere else!
And the very last straight
Then here you are at
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-macalister/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-macalister/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-macalister-river/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-macalister-2/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/silver-river-endless-sky/
19/10/2017:
Nooramunga: On Sunday we spent a few
hours in preliminary exploration between Port Albert and Welshpool. It seems
like it will be possible to walk from Welshpool to the track at the edge of the
private land which runs down from
You could either walk along the high tide 'track' or make use of the many sand tracks in the park itself. If you have a look first on Google Earth, you will see what I mean. The 'high tide track' is blocked off (poorly as it turns out) by large concrete obstacles to (ineffectively) stop the many hog deer poachers. There is a lot of evidence of these beautiful little deer (and we saw three of them in broad daylight), so no doubt the poachers have a wonderful time of a night.
If, rather than their ineffective attempts to close off the area, the relevant department were to sell very expensive access permits, they would have a ready supply of persons very willing to police these illegal elements. This would work well in many similar situations, as well as raising funds for park maintenance, etc.
This walk would form part of this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-great-gippsland-circuit/
Wilsons Prom rising above the sea mist:
Gulls and shear-waters hunting the littoral:
And a cormorant spearing a tiddler:
And drifting with the tide:
It is a pleasant walk along the high tide line, millions of tiny crabs.
But in many places churned up by the many poachers; Spot 'points' a hog deer:
18/10/2017: And I am off white water canoeing on the Macalister for the day: See post here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/silver-river-endless-sky/
17/10/2017: Moose versus Wolf. Who wins? https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=34&v=akGWOpcWfrQ
15/10/2017: Ultralight Saws: Particularly when track hiking (which I mostly avoid) I have found that I need to clear a small spot to erect my tent. Often the track times do not suit such retired folks as ourselves (and many other much younger people!) so that you find yourself needing to camp where there is no campsite, or this can happen for some other reason (flooded river, injury, etc. No doubt sometimes this is illegal, but on our recent Bartle Frère walk for example, it was not – and we did.
Nonetheless, it is often necessary, eg if you are walking the South Coast Track in Tasmania where there are far too few ‘official’ camp sites. Usually it is just a matter of removing a couple of very small branches or saplings to fit the tent in, surely something which should not trouble anyone. Of course I often carry a machete, and I have recommended these tools for eg canoe clearing, but on long hikes where I am really trying to shave weight I need something lighter which will still do this job when necessary.
Here is a selsection of ideas ranked from heaviest to lightest:
160 grams: Felco 600 160mm Folding Saw: 160mm straight blade folding saw. Rust resistant hard chromed blade made from high quality steel. Impulse hardened teeth for long life. Comfortable non-slip handle. Cuts on pull stroke. Weight 161g: https://www.forestrytools.com.au/index.php?id=23
The 120 grams:
110 grams: The 15” ‘Little Buck’ is a folding ultalight buck saw which also take a bone saw blade if you are a hunter. It folds up into a small enough packjage to fit in your back pocket: .http://www.qiwiz.net/saws.html
71 grams: This guy has found a drywall saw with a plastic handle which weighs 71 grams (without blade protector): https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/drywall-saw-as-a-cheap-ultralight-wood-saw/
30-100 grams: In this post I talk about making an improvised bow saw which weighs from a saw blad and a couple of split rings. You would need to add a blade protector: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/improvised-bow-saw/
48 grams: Buck saw blade cut down with light wooden handle (no blade protection): https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/84465/
18 grams: This guy has cut a pruning saw blade down. No handle, no blade protection: https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/58401/
34 grams: This is a darlac mini folding prinung saw with a 3 ½” blade capable of cutting wood to approx 2” http://darlac.com/?product=dp818-mini-pocket-folding-saw
8 grams: The Dermasafe ultralight saw at 8 grams is the lightest saw I have found, and might work in an emergency: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dermasafe-ultralight-knives-and-saws/ You can replace the blade with a jig saw blade better suited to wood cutting as shown in the second photo:
I notice that the plastic clip from a stationery folder makes a near-perfect saw protector. The photos show a 1’ buck saw blade. A couple of rubber bands would secure this saw in yor pack for speedy efabrication with a length of green wood.
I already own the Dermasafe but I will switch it. I am going to be buying the Darlac saw at 34 grams. I figure it as an ‘everyday carry’. The saving in weight by switching to the ultralight containers I wrote about recenty will cover 8 grams of its weight. I am only ‘off’ about 18 grams once I subtract the Dermasafe. I’m sure I can find that saving somewhere.
The Darlac was recently on eBay for
14/10/2017: Firefly - The Ultimate Swiss Army Knife Accessory
Firefly is a tailor made fire starter for your Swiss Army Knife https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/740457940/firefly-the-ultimate-swiss-army-knife-accessory
What is the Firefly?
The Firefly is a custom sparking-steel fire starting tool designed to work seamlessly with a large variety of Swiss Army knives.
The Firefly is tailor made to replace the toothpick in a Swiss Army knife or tool, it is plug-and-play, and no knife modifications are required.
14/10/2017: Suppose you had some time on yor hands, a pair of scissors and some paper – could you do this: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/10/miniature-paper-plants-by-raya-sader-bujana/
12/10/2017: Topo Terraventure Shoes: We bought a pair each of these remarkable shoes about six weeks ago. I guess we have by now worn them a few hundred kilometres including in our ascent of Mt Bartle Frere in Qld back on 1st September, and of course we have been wearing them around the farm on our steep wet slippery slopes. We have never fallen over once. These are just about the grippiest, most comfortable and certainly the lightest shoes we have ever owned. Mine weigh 290 grams and Della's were under 230 grams.
They need a good wash but are completely unmarked and have no sign of wear at all. I was a little worried about their 'flimsiness' in rough going, but they make you so light on your feet it is so much easier to put your feet where they should go, you do not hurt your feet at all. Heavy boots need all that cushioning because you have so much less control when wearing them. As a hunting shoe they are excellent because you can walk so softly and quietly in light shoes.
Probably one of the best features of these shoes for us is that they are a wide fit. Pretty much the only other shoes I can wear are Keens in a half size. These Topos are if anything even more comfortable for our wide feet than the Keens. They are particularly gentle on our feet when going downhill when you suffer the most damage to your toes in poorly fitting shoes.
These shoes have a fully welded construction such as I discuss here. In
the case of these shoes it works out much better than sewn construction. So far
these shoes are bulletproof. You must understand this: I have a huge box of
completely unsatisfactory shoes I have bought over the years and have been able
to wear approximately once. These shoes are so vastly different I extremely
doubt that you will be wasting your money on a pair. If you are in
We bought them from Injinji (below), whose delivery and customer relations are unsurpassed. Highly recommended. We chose shoes size exactly the same as we would have worn in Keen and they fitted perfectly. The thinner material of these shoes mean they have more give than the majority of shoes, so they are dramatically comfortable.
Specs:
'The Terraventure pushes the limits of lightweight performance and rugged durability. This platform features an aggressive lug design providing better traction and mid-foot stability. A flexible ESS forefoot rock plate protects the foot from stone-bruising while the ghillie lacing system insures a secure midfoot fit.
The Terraventure runs true to size, so you can select your normal running shoe size.
Technology/Specifications
- // 6 mm rubber outsole
- // 14 mm (heel) // 11 mm (ball) midsole
- // 5 mm footbed
- // Total stack height 25 mm x 22 mm (3 mm drop)
- // Weight: 294g. (size 9)'
If you really ‘need’ a waterproof shoe, Topo have such a model: https://www.injinjiperformanceshop.com.au/collections/topo-athletic-footwear/products/topo-hydroventure-mens
- and it only weighs275 grams (Mens
PS: I have tried a couple of other brands of ultralight shoes, for example a pair of Inov8s which weighed less than 200 grams. They were incredibly grippy but did not give the same amount of cushioning as my Topos. They may work quite well for you but they were much too narrow for me. My feet overlapped them which caused considerable discomfort so I had to abandon them.
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-shoes/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/foot-care/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/why-you-should-get-your-feet-wet-when-hiking/
11/10/2017: Rusty the Dusky Lorikeet: Della:
'‘Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty’ (Romeo and Juliet).
Welcome home to our Rusty, the dusky lorikeet! You were our special, devoted clown, and have earned your 'Forever Home' with us. We will never again hear your voice saying ‘I love you’ and ‘Kiss Kiss’ or your trilling imitation of the sound of water from a tap, but your beauty has been wonderfully preserved by the skillful art of Hein’s Taxidermy, Port Albert. I know that resting in peace would not have suited you, so you are back with us, watching majestically over our daily chaos.’
Hein has done a beautiful job with him. We can recommend his services if you need some skillful taxidermy done: https://www.facebook.com/Heins-Taxidermy-port-albert-1549231728642024/
He was such a wonderful companion in life though he was so fast-moving I regret we haven’t got more beautiful photographs of him. He is survived by his wife Goldy and his son, Rufus both of whom learned much of his repertoire from him. Every morning when we walk out the front door we are greeted by, ‘Hello. How are you?’ from their aviary on the verandah.
A Toast to Rusty:
Water play. You will have to imagine his cheerful water noise: ‘Diddle. Diddle Diddle.’
Celebrating the birth of his son, Rufus.
Enjoying a ‘Cupatea’ with Della.
Lord of all he surveyed.
Whispering ‘I love you’ in my ear.
Hein’s taxidermy, Port Albert.
PS: While you are in Port Albert take a walk on the Old Port Trail and enjoy some delicious fish and chips at the end of your walk: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/there-is-simply-nothing-like-an-old-port-walking-trail/
10/10/2017:
I am thinking one might be able to make this or a coracle with withes (other than willow) a tarp and some cable ties which I could leave in a drum at one of my hunting camps upriver so that I could float down stream if I wanted/needed to.
PS: They also have these really excellent tarp clips: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/best-tarp-clips-link/
06/10/2017: 1000th Post: This is quite a milestone here at http://www.theultralighthiker.com/. I never imagined when I started this blog just over two years ago that I would be so loquacious, but there you go! There are over 5,000 pages about hiking and hunting etc here now for (I hope) your enjoyment!
When I wrote my 900th post back in May I was just back from my walk on the fabulous Dusky Track in Fiordland, New Zealand http://www.theultralighthiker.com/from-dawn-to-dusky/, something which you must put on your ‘bucket list’ – and don’t wait until you are well over 50 before you do it for the first time as I did, as I don’t doubt you will want to repeat the experience as I have (at just under 70!)
Most
of the things which I planned to do since then have not been finished, but a
number of others have been begun or achieved. Such is the nature of making
plans really. For example, I have not completed the final version of my Deer
Hunter’s Tent (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-deer-hunters-tent/
) yet, but I was working on it yesterday and have calculated its final ‘roof’
weight at 200 grams material only in silnylon (100 in cuben!) – which is
outstanding for a two person tent!
I am sure it will be complete before the end of the year, as will my final version of my Mini-Decagon tent which is probably a three person tent (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/come-with-old-khayyam/). I only have a bit over an hour’s work to go on it really, so you can expect a post about it soon. I am pleased that the roof section weighs 375 grams!
However, I have pretty much completed my Pocket Poncho Tent which (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-pocket-poncho-tent/) came in at 185 grams in silnylon. I have a little more work to do on the hood and on the storm flap. I also have an idea for converting it into a two person tent. I hope to finish the Bathtub Groundsheet Chair (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bathtub-groundsheet-chair/) for it (and the Mini decagon) in the near future and to make them available to be purchased.
I think my Fire Umbrella should be a useful addition to dry, warm stress-free camping: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fire-umbrella/
We have had a few ‘adventures’ in the meantime, including some hunting trips eg http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wild-river-stag/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-spot-of-solitude/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-silence-of-the-deer/
And some interesting walks, eg: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/east-tyers-walking-track/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-walk-on-the-wild-side/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/on-the-tip-of-the-tongue-2/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/avon-river-walking-track/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/you-can-do-it/ - a journey up Qld’s highest mountain, Mt Bartle Frere.
I have come up with some fishing ideas (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hand-line-fly-fishing/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ultralight-fisherman/), and some fine recipes, such as: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-coconut-fish-curry/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-simple-backpacking-dahl/.
As usual there have been some good survival ideas and practical advice: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/raincoat-shelter/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/man-is-the-measure-of-all-things-pythagoras-some-handy-estimation-tricks/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/naismiths-rule/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/weather-lore/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/follow-your-nose/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-long-till-sundown/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/walking-the-line/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-lie-of-the-land/.
And heaps of ideas for ultralight gear and reviews, such as: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/best-hunting-daypack/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/big-agnes-axl-air-pad/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-shoes/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultimate-blades-for-the-ultralight-hunter/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/black-diamond-storm-waterproof-headlamp/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/lighter-brighter-better/, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-thumbtack-reflectors/
I put all my food idea into a single post: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-hiking-food-compendium/ and my gear ‘inventions' in a similar one: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/60-diy-ultralight-hiker-ideas/
Around the farm we have made some progress. The bottom dam is fixed, and the new pump house is up and working but still needs some finishing off. We have nearly a kilometer of new vermin-proof fence (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/vermin-proof-fence/) along our Northern boundary which is keeping a veritable plague of eastern grey kangaroos and common wombats at bay. Our neighbours are close to not being able to run any livestock at all due to the depredations of these ubiquitous pests. We have planted a lot of new trees and hope that there will be better than a hundred new ones growing before the end of the spring planting season. As usual we have concentrated solely on the useful and the beautiful. There will be plenty more food here for native birds, possums etc in the future though few of the trees we plant are themselves natives. We hope to complete the renewal of the boundary fence with fox-proof fencing over the next two years as we are tired of seeing our lambs go down the ravenous gullets of these vulpine marauders.
Over the next 100 posts I hope to be able to report on a canoe trip down the
Wonnangatta from the Humffray to the
06/10/2017: Sewn-free construction: Or welded fabric construction. My new shoes, the Topo Terraventure are made this way, and let me say they are excellent. There is not a seam in them to come undone or fray. I have only recently learned that this method of construction is in fact readily available to the hobbyist, though it will be a little more difficult for most projects to get a good finish as compared with the trusty sewing machine.
This excellent video explains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne2J01h1tZ0&spfreload=10
The tape makes it very easy to do. It is double sided, so you just pull off the backing and stick it to one side of the material to be joined, then you pull off the other backing and lay the other piece of material in place. T The tape is mildly sticky both sides to allow this to be done, but it can be repositioned. Then you position the teflon sheet over the section to be welded (to prevent harming the material), get the iron up to the right temperature, then press firmly as you iron, and Voila! You have fully welded seam.
This would be a very good method for people to use who want to eg make one of my Tyvek tents but don't have a sewing machine.
You need three things: a Custom Sealing Iron,Teflon Ironing Sheets and E-Z Steam 2 Tape.
I have ordered all three. I have a number of projects in mind which I had long ago conceived but did not have the ability to make, for example my inflatable ground sheet, inflatable mylar quilt and mylar vest. (I was minded to try contact adhesive (messy and perhaps not air/watertight) but I had put them in abeyance. Now I will be having a crack at them, so you can expect to see some posts soonish...
04/10/2017: Trail Pea and Ham Soup: I am always thinking about ways to avoid depending on simple carbs on the trail (and get some veggies in there) yet have recipes which can be made up from products readily available in supermarkets such as you might be able to put together eg into snap-lock bags at resupply points. This one uses just four ingredients:
To a litre of water add:
I x 40 gram packet Contintental Spring vegetable Simmer Soup 460 kj (112 calories)
1 x 100 gram packet Continental Surprise Peas 1200 kj (288 calories)
Approx 42 grams Hormel Real Bacon Pieces 656 KJ (157 calories)
Approx 8 Teaspoons Continental Deb Mashed Potato (for thickening at the end) 133 kj (32 calories)
Total 2449 kj (589 calories)
Bring the first four above to the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes then add enough mashed potato to thicken.
If you have access to a food processor you may be able to smash up the peas a little which will make them cook more quickly and make the soup thicker, otherwise cook longer and smash them up with your spoon in the pot when they are cooked.
Remark: This makes a surprisingly tasty faux pea and ham soup, and a welcome change from pasta dishes! I made it just for a side dish for my main meal last night, so I had all this left over for Della to try when she comes back from her craft conference on Saturday.
02/10/2017: Ultralight Shorts: 28 grams: This is probably a problem all of us have faced at some time - what to wear when needing to wash our trail clothes (or go for a swim when there are others around). At just 28 grams, Luke Stegner has come up with a solution, his ultralight laundry Shorts at US$ 34.99 (Oct 2017)
He also has a lot of other interesting ultralight gear, including practically the lightest raincoat around. Check out his website:
https://lukesultralite.com/thru-hiker-laundry-shorts
See Also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-pants/ at 75 grams
29/09/2017: Listen to the oldest melody in the world — 3400 years old. ‘The hymn was discovered on a clay tablet in Ugarit, now part of modern-day Syria, and is dedicated the Hurrians’ goddess of the orchards Nikkal...The clay tablet text, which was discovered alongside around 30 other tablet fragments, specifies 9 lyre strings and the intervals between those strings – kind of like an ancient guitar tab..... The notation here is essentially a set of instructions for intervals and tuning based around a heptatonic diatonic scale’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx6v0t5I5SM
24/09/2017: The Isthmus: We spent
the afternoon poking around on the Wilsons Prom Isthmus, an area easily ignored
as you roar down from Foster to the National Park, but in many ways it is
scenically superior to the park itself. We had time only to drive down four
roads to the sea, and take a peek:
A view from
Red Billed Shearwaters amongst the mangroves
Mangrove crab
A close up of the above - so easy and pleasant walking along most of Corner Inlet particularly at low tide.
Close up of the above. Red Bluffs centre.
Della beachcombing
There are plenty of spots you can do a bit of beach camping along here, as
someone has near the stream below. You can also easily walk from here along the
beach all the way to the
This is the view towards the Shallow Inlet entrance. There is plenty of firewood here.
Close up of the same view. Wilsons Prom in the background. There are many freshwater streams such as this one. Perhaps filter the water with your Sawyer Mini filter as there is run-off from paddocks containing stock such as sheep. Mind you, I never have.
A gull enjoys the sunset
Until Spot scares him off
Leaving the sunset over Shallow Inlet for us alone to enjoy
I think there will be some places on this long walk where a packraft such as
the Klymit LWD (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-packraft/)
will be needed, eg for crossing Shallow Inlet. The same apples at Andersons
Inlet (Inverloch),
See Also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/advanced-elements-ultralight-paddle/
23/09/2017: Ultralight Windscreen: And,
here is the titanium windscreen to go with your esbit stove http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-esbit-stove/
– or maybe your egg-ring stove (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-egg-ring-ultralight-wood-burner-stove/)
and your ultralight cookpot (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-cookpot/)
to complete your ultralight cookset. Weight: 0.5oz (14g) Dimensions: 22 7/8" (580mm) x 4
3/4" (120mm) https://www.toaksoutdoor.com/products/wsc
Cookpot 39 grams, Esbit stove 11.5 grams, windscreen much less than (you would cut it down) 14 grams = total weight < 64.5, or say 60 grams! Not a lot of weight for a warm meal or a cuppa in the wilds.
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-esbit-stove/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-egg-ring-ultralight-wood-burner-stove/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-cookpot/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hot-lips/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-windscreen/
22/09/2017: Ultralight Esbit Stove: In case you want an ultralight stove (including pot stand) to go with your ultralight pot (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-cookpot/) you should try this mini titanium esbit stove which weighs a mere 11.5 grams. Esbit is the gram cracker’s fuel of choice containing more BTUs per gram than any other fuel (and needing no container). It also makes a great fire starter. It burns at approx 1300C, but it is a little slow. A windscreen is a good idea. Available eg here: http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/esbit_stove.shtml or https://www.amazon.com/Esbit-Ultralight-Folding-Titanium-Tablets/dp/B002AQET2C From US$11.64 (September 2017)
21/09/2017: MLD Supermid: We have owned this excellent large tent for quite a few years now. We bought it for our cross-Tasmania walk in 2011 (See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/south-west-track-tasmania/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tasmanias-south-coast-track-hells-holiday/) way down in the Roaring 40s, the often awful conditions of wind and rain of which it stood up to admirably. We needed a three person (plus lots of gear) tent for that trip which it was more than roomy enough for. The tent is 9’ x 9’ and over 6’ high at the centre. We could have squeezed another very good friend in too, if pressed.
Here we are with it at Freeney Lagoon on Cox’s Bight, enjoying a cuppa:
And at the
In the photo above you will notice Della is wearing a pair of MLD waterproof chaps (https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/rain-chaps/) which weigh a mere 65 grams. We also carried (and used) MLD ultralight gaiters and event mittens (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-mitts-and-gaiters/) which we also highly recommend:
I double-waterproofed the floor using this method (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/waterproofing-tent-floors-and-ground-sheets/), which worked well, but was probably overkill. (It also no doubt added some additional weight). We also carried a lot more pegs and tie-outs than you would normally ever need, but winds down there are only too often hurricane force and can flatten a tent or blow it clean away!
Even in terrifying wind and torrential rain the tent never looked like
letting us down. Erin McKittrick & Bretwood Higman (http://groundtruthtrekking.org/)
used this tent on their 4,000 mile journey along the Pacidfiic rim from
Here are some of its specs:
- 70+ sq/ft of usable floor
space perfect for four or a palace for two or three
• ONE oversized peak vent design is best: pitch the rear of the SuperMid into the wind to prevent rain and snow from blowing into the vent and to create a mini Venturi Effect, pulling condensation out the oversize vent on the downwind side
• Oversized peak vent that can be easily closed during hard wind, blowing rain, and snow, by pulling out the wand and Velcro-ing the vent tightly shut
• Plenty of room to stand up
• Side walls shed snow well
• Main seams are triple rolled, stitched, and flat felled (an MLD Exclusive.)
• Interior Apex hang loop
• Apex/Peak reinforced with Dyneema X
• 2 Doors: Both doors roll open and tie back
• Mid-height zipper door snaps allow doors to be partially opened
• A total of 17 tie-outs!
• 8 ground level perimeter tie-outs with LineLocks for easy adjustment: LineLocks make cold weather and winter use (buried snow anchors) MUCH easier. LineLocks can be removed to save about 1.0 oz
• Extra center side panel tie-outs on all sides for really high winds.
• Use a short length of guyline to tie two trek poles together for center pole support
And the floor’s:
- Waterproof Pro SilNylon
and Cuben Fiber- Very High Hydrostatic Rating
• Cuben Version is made with Ultimate Lightweight .75 oz Cuben Fiber
• 5 in | 12.7 cm bathtub walls
• Corner Struts keep the floor upright and tight
• Center Pole Floor Reinforcement of Dyneema X (Silnylon Version) or Thick Cuben Fiber (Cuben Version) on Duo + Super Floors
• Extra center tie-outs on the long sides
• Same size as the floors of the Pyramid InnerNets
• Use four separate stakes, or use the supplied 3/32″ bungee cord to connect to the Pyramids corner tie-outs or to the same stakes as your Mid Pyramid Shelter
• SILNYLON VERSION: Use SilNet silicone seam sealer on the inside corner seams and on any floor stitching for maximum waterproofness
•CUBEN VERSION: is seam taped and does not need any additional seam sealing
Such a large tent makes an excellent base camp in cold, wet weather such as
you are likely to encounter in Southern Tasmania or Fiordland New
20/09/2017: Best Hunting Daypack: If your day or overnight hunting pack weighs more than 400 grams you are carrying too much. The pack below is a great option (in Wasabi Green would be my choice). Remember this: every unnecessary gram you carry makes it just that much harder to make your footfalls quiet. It would make a really great weekend hiking pack too.
If you really want to have your quarry hear you clomping around from a couple of hundred metres away, go ahead: wear those immense waterproof (what?) ‘hunting’ boots (which almost certainly weigh over a kilogram each wet – you thought you could have dry feet hunting? Get real!) instead of something really light and comfy such as Topo’s Terraventure at 290 grams (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-shoes/), a shoe which you can float over the ground in without ever breaking a single twig!
Being able to hunt energetically (and inconspicuously – no, I don’t mean wearing camo: that is unfair chase) begins at your feet and continues on to your pack and the contents of your pack. I imagine I could swap your current pack for the above one, include a sleeping bag (600 grams), mat (230 grams), shelter (250 grams) and cookset (100 grams) and have all these items weigh no more than your current pack does empty (1550 grams)! Am I right? This means you can plan to stay out overnight – which is what you really need to do if you are going to take advantage of twilight’s best hunting opportunities!
I have bought a number of items from Ron at Mountain Laurel Designs over the years. They have all been extremely intelligently thought out, very carefully and expertly made (by him) and enormously functional. This pack will be no different. The fact that it will sit right in the small of your back will also make it the most comfy pack you have ever worn too I don’t doubt.
Check it out here: https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/burn-38l/
‘WEIGHT: 13 oz | 370 gm
CAPACITY: 38L | 2300 CI
FEATURES
- NEW FOR 2017: Curved Side Panels: A slight curve from the waist to the shoulders moves the load closer to the upper back for more comfort. This also creates a slightly larger main compartment higher in the pack that helps load control by moving the heavier and higher packed gear higher to reduces shoulder stress.
- S-shaped unisex comfort shoulder straps are 2.5″ wide X 0.8″ thick and are SuperWick mesh lined with full-length highest quality 1/2″ thick EVA foam padding. Our shoulder straps are thicker and wider than most lightweight packs. Half length daisy chain saves weight and accepts all Shoulder Strap Pouches.
- Hybrid Mesh/Dyneema X Side and Rear Pockets. The leading edge of the side pockets are Dyneema X to prevent snagging when moving through the bush. The lower 5″ of the rear pocket is Dyneema X to prevent abrasion from sharp contents or butt sliding accidents. The 4 oz sq/yd open hole non-stretch water and drains fast to allow contents to dry faster than a tight stretch mesh or solid fabric. Dyneema X elastic top sleeves for long term Durability and elastic replacement.
- Large un-padded lightweight Dyneema X hip-belt wings with 3/4″ webbing and ultra lightweight buckle. Optional removable Hip Pocket can be attached.
- Large, slanted mesh side pockets are deep enough for a 2 L Platypus. Top bungee sleeves of Dyneema X for long term durability vs. cheaper style wrapped tops of uncovered elastic bands. Pocket adjusts by pulling the bungee closed through the cord lock. Bungee is 1/8″ thick 40 below rated elastic in a nylon sheath style bungee. Many lower priced packs simply bind over the top of the raw mesh with regular garment type elastic that loses it’s stretch in a few years and does not do well in deep cold weather.
- 12 bungee attachment web loops with 7 mm glide rings for multiple attachment points for load compression and gear lashing. A short loop of 3 mm line can be attached to the lower loops for trekking pole and ice ax attachment
- Left shoulder hydration ports
- Internal hang clip loops for Optional .75 Hydration Sleeve or Stow Pouch. The Hydration Sleeve also converts to a 1.1 oz summit day pack.
- Removable Multi-position “Most Awesome Sternum Strap In The World” with Black Whistle-Lock Buckle 0.5 oz (not included in base pack weight)
- Dry Bag roll top closure with V-top compression strap.
- Long shoulder straps terminate in hand/finger rest loops.
INCLUDES
- 10″ of black 1/8″ bungee cord
- 2 mini cord clips and 3 cord locks’
19/09/2017: Ultralight Cookpot: Mountain Laurel Designs’ Titanium Mug (https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/titanium-mug/) has to come close to winning the prize at 39 grams for a 475 ml mug which is at least sturdy enough to carry around without its crushing. I would recommend this for ultralight overnight trips such as an ultralight hunter might undertake, for example. You could cook a simple meal in it such as two minute noodles combined with a cup-a-soup.
You might combine it with an egg-ring stove (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-egg-ring-ultralight-wood-burner-stove/) from 12.5 grams, and a titanium windscreen (https://www.toaksoutdoor.com/products/wsc) 14 grams for a total cookset weight of 65.5 grams.
I have boiled a cup of water (on a 13 gram esbit stove), made coffee and drunk it from a 375 ml beer can I had cut the lid out of with a can opener. You need something to insulate it, perhaps a large rubber band fashioned from a cycle inner tube, but it works and is extraordinarily light.
Trail Designs offer a Caldera set-up which utilizes a large Heineken can as the cookpot, but again it needs a plastic jar to protect it from crushing, so you have to be very careful: https://www.traildesigns.com/products/caldera-keg-f-stove-system The weight of the pot + cone + stove is 77 grams!
If you want to cook a substantial meal and have a set-up which is pretty near indestructible in your pack, this Toaks pot at 146 grams including the frypan lid is hard to beat: https://www.traildesigns.com/products/toaks-titanium-1100ml-pot-ckw1100 I have a one piece titanium cone (also from Trail Designs) which fits inside it perfectly so that I can cook with an alcohol stove or esbit or with a small wood fire. It also works with the Evernew 900 ml pot at 123 grams includuing frypan lid: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cookset-woes/
18/09/2017: Ultralight Crockery
I have found it impossible to find a lighter serviceable dish than this one at 15 grams which comes free eg with a packet of Sirena Tuna & Rice. It holds just over 250 ml making it just big enough for my (hiking) cereal in the mornings, or can be used when you are sharing a meal. It is well nigh indestructible - I always carry a couple for Spot (the dog's) food and water too!
I always use a pot with a frypan lid (such as this one http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-cookware/) so I have two cookpots or a pot and a plate. Sometimes it is handy to have another plate such as the one above (eg if you are cooking two dishes (such as fried sausages and mashed potato, or: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/he-hiked-with-a-falafel-in-his-hand/)
The blue cup on the scales below is one that I bought several of from a $1 store years' ago. It weighs 29 grams. I am yet to find a better. It has been with me now for 18 years, and has done great service! The other blue one is a 'Neverrfail' water cup I took home from the doctor's surgery the other day. It seems very flexible and not at all inclined to break. It weighs 5 grams. I think you would have to be careful drinking coffee out of it, but it would be possible. It would be fine for the traditional hiking drink of Bacardi 151 and water though!
18/09/2017: CRKT PDK Replacement Blades
Ultimate Blades for the Ultralight Hunter #2: You can buy #60 scalpel blades on eBay from US$23.95 per 100 (eg here) and you can change the blades on these CRKT PDKs with a locking forceps as shown (which weigh 24 grams - as the photo shows)
You change them just the same as any other scalpel blade (Carefully!) and using eg the tool above, by lifting up the handle end slightly then sliding the blade forward. Reinstalling the new one is the reverse of the process. Dispose of the spent blades safely eg in a hard container with a screw lid.
I know this is a somewhat stingy option given that the knives only cost about $7 each (and weigh 16 grams each including the sheath) when you buy the set of four, but it might be a useful tip. A friend who works in surgery gave me the forceps - as they dispose of thousands of them every year to waste. Astonishing - such a useful tool for fishing too! Well, they both are!
PS: I would imagine you could change the blades in the field with this too ie a Leatherman Squirt: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/leatherman_squirt/
See Also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultimate-blades-for-the-ultralight-hunter/
17/09/2017: Ultralight Chair: the Litesmith Qwikback: I don’t know which came first, the ‘Jerry Chair’ I posted about here http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-chairgrounsheet/ or this one. Whichever, this is an interesting idea for an ultralight chair for the trail if you are not handy enough to make your own. I don’t think it would be as comfy as the Big Agnes Cyclone, but at 75 grams it is less than half the weight, so might be an option. http://www.litesmith.com/qwikback-ul-chair/
It also makes a very small package. I imagine you could substitute bush sticks for the carbon fibre rods to further reduce the weight. US$59.95 (September 2017) It can be coupled with a closed cell foan pad for extra comfort.
- ‘Ultralight - just 2.65 oz (75 g)
- Durable ripstop nylon seat
- Strong yet light carbon fiber poles
- Integrated pole storage
- Folds into a compact, self-contained package
After several days of hiking, one thing we miss in the backcountry is a chair. But most are too heavy and bulky to even consider carrying as a luxury item. The QwikBack™ UL Chair changed our thinking and made backpacking more relaxing. At just 2.65 oz (75 g), it's hard to leave at home. "What's wrong with a log?", you say. Well, nothing, but after a long day of hiking or even at a lunch stop, something comfortable to lean back on just makes life more enjoyable.
The QwikBack UL Chair is made of durable materials - ripstop nylon seat and twill carbon fiber poles - for years of backcountry enjoyment. Heck, you could even take it with you to the park or outdoor concert.
The design is super simple but it takes a little getting used to because unlike most chairs, this one doesn't stand on its own. First you insert the poles in the reinforced pockets on the chair back, crossing them in an X pattern. Next you sit on the wide end of the seat on the ground with the poles under the fabric. Then prop up the poles behind you and lean back on the chair. Large diameter rubber feet keep the poles from sinking into the ground. To make adjustments, just reach back and grab the poles, lean forward a little, and move them to a better position. Now lean back and relax.’
When its time to pack up, the chair folds into a compact, self-contained package. Simply remove the poles from the seat and fold them in half. The poles are shockcorded and connected in an assembly so they're easy to pack without loosing any pieces. Starting at the top with the dirty side in, roll the poles inside the seat. When you reach the bottom, tuck the roll into the integrated pouch. No extra bag to keep track of.’
Litesmith also have some other really neat gear, such as orifice reducers (you will have to click on that one): http://www.litesmith.com/orifice-reducers/, Tottles: http://www.litesmith.com/tottles-hdpe/, Alien Cord Winders (Yes!): http://www.litesmith.com/alien-cord-winders/, Whoopies Slings, etc. Check them out!
17/09/2017: Prehistory has so much yet to teach us: http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/evolution/footprint-find-on-crete-may-push-back-date-humans-began-to-walk-upright/news-story/2e60cbd7386573dd2a45c5cc9d79297d
16/09/2017: Fire Umbrella: How to prevent the rain from putting out your fire? I have been toying with this idea for some time. This week I decided to try out an 'ultralight' method. I constructed this 1 metre x 1 metre square of tyvek for that purpose, sewing gross grain ribbon tie outs on each of four corners. It weighed less than 2 ounces (60 grams) including the 1mm (pink!) dyneema suspension 'rope'. This is not much weight to carry for the benefit of a warm fire out the front of your tyvek tent or shelter.
Before:
The 'apprentice' seems very pleased with the arrangement.
When I was up the bush on a training trip this week with a new 'apprentice' (you can expect a future post 'The Deer Hunter's Apprentice') some decent (?) rain set in so I thought I would give it a try. To begin with it worked a treat, so the 'proof of concept' is definitely 'in'. After a little while someone became a little enthusiastic about putting too much wood on the fire (and ignoring it) so that the flames were actually 'licking' the tyvek (well 'devouring' might be a better word), which didn't like that so much. Clearly naked flame exceeds the melting point of the tyvek so that it now has a large hole melted in its centre. This could have been prevented by having it suspended about two feet higher and/or not building the fire up so much. The tyvek did not ignite! An important point. Also importantly, the 'string did not melt, only the hottest centre bit of the 'umbrella'. I belatedly shifted it higher and left it there and it melted no more, yet still prevented the fire from going out - which it probably otherwise would have.
The other strategy to use would be to source some more fireproof (though heavier) material. The stuff that 'fire blankets' are made of would be very good, though also very heavy 427 grams. The fire blanket must be made of approx 13 oz cloth. I see that they (https://www.auburnmfg.com/product-category/mro/heat-resistant-cloth/) also make a 9 oz product which would bring the weight down under 300 grams (still too heavy for my liking). Of course both heavier materials would be fine for car-based camping. More to come...
After:
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fire-tent/
A reader responds: ‘Interesting idea. I'll warn you that the column of hot air -- hot enough air to melt synthetic fabrics -- extends an alarming height from any fire large enough to keep you "warm" without having to sit so close to it that the embers won't make you and your stuff Swiss cheese. I see many possible failure modes for this plan, and most of them involve picking molten plastic off of yourself and/or your gear. The current conditions including wind, etc. are going to make the performance of what that hot air is doing extremely unpredictable, as well. It wouldn't take much of a breeze for the heat to be shifted enough to take out one of your guylines. You are also in a catch-22 situation: The higher you hang the tarp to keep it away from the heat the less effective it is versus rain blowing in from the sides. So the bigger you make it to mitigate this the more heat it captures, so the higher you have to hang it, so the bigger you have to make it... et cetera.
Flame retardant fabric is an idea, but you also need flame retardant suspension lines. And the fire canopy, if it's not designed to just be disposable, is going to be just covered in soot after the first time you use it. So you probably also want something to stuff it into when you're done using it.
If you really need to keep a small fire going in the rain it's probably easier to just stick a half-pyramid of aluminum foil over it. Then you don't need any suspension lines or anything of that ilk. Keeping the tinder and kindling dry when you're getting started is the important part. A good bed of coals can survive a pretty substantial downpour all by itself. And if the prevailing conditions mean that you can't get your hands on dry kindling in the first place then you're probably not having a fire tonight, mini-canopy or not.
(I would further propose that if you are relying on a fire for warmth in your shelter outside of an emergency survival situation you are, in fact, doing it wrong. That's what your shelter and insulation are for. A fire is nice to have [and those marshmallows ain't going to toast themselves], but it should by no means be essential to your safety or comfort -- especially when rain is in the forecast.)’
And my response: Thank you for your input. I camp out mostly in the e colder months, so I usually have a fire for warmth, but you are right – one should not rely on it. I have been doing this for nearly 60 years. These days I usually use one of my tyvek shelters which embers don't affect. The 'fire canopy' (good term - thank you for that) worked very well in the rain except I had it too low. Most of the wind-driven rain is moderated by the structure of the shelter itself, and the wind is kept away from the fire, and of course the embers blow away from the shelter as well. I had it only about 4' above the fire, then someone made the fire too large. It needed to be 6-7' above the fire and the fire needed to be kept small enough so flames never went 4' into the air. This is actually quite easy to do. I would recommend that others use a fireproof material such as the blankets are made of, or the lighter one I provided the link for (which would weigh about 300 grams). I will have yet another go with the tyvek because I have lots of it and am careful, and just see how I go. I never walk tracks or trails, so I hardly ever toast marshmallows. The track walking brigade probably have little bush sense and should definitely be guided by your advice. I am thinking of this idea mostly for backpacking deer hunters - which is what we were doing in the photographs. Thank you also for the idea about the aluminium foil shelter idea for a small fire. I usually recommend people carry some aluminium foil (though not that much) for roasting fish, but your idea is another good option.
16/09/2017: So, the Sumerians discovered trigonometry a thousand years before anyone else and in a better form which had not yet been rediscovered: http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/48604 & http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0315086017300691
07/09/2017: Man punches a bear trap! Don’t try this at home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4fznINyU-U
07/09/2017: Holy Cow! SSDs are the way to go. Take a look at these results: http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/30372-Docs-Computin-Tips-The-solid-state-drive.html#extended
06/09/2017:
Della: Winging home to chilly
05/09/2017: The soul of the octopus: a truly fascinating read: https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n17/amia-srinivasan/the-sucker-the-sucker
04/09/2017: Della always gets to print way before
me, but here are some of the things I
found interesting about the last couple of days wandering around what folks
would normally consider the less picturesque places in far
The native kapok tree is quite a stunner.
What a beautiful little guy this agile wallaby was.
You do have to watch out for these guys - and the immense dust cloud they trail.
The light in this Mungana cave was delicious.
According to the locals you should never buy termite country because it is low in phosphorus - this patch must be particularly low!
Many grand spider's webs around Chillago
And this interesting paper wasp's nest.
So many wonderful pigeons up here. Della is in seventh heaven.
Love these dry riverbeds - they look like great spots to camp, particularly if you love birdlife.
These wonderful Qld cows seem to love them too.
A prosaic farm dam can be a thing of great beauty.
Don't you wish you loved a bath as much as this?
I really liked the
04/09/2017: Della: So we have spent the last 3 days exploring from Atherton across to the old mining towns on the edge of the savannah lands: Innot Hot Springs, Herberton, Chillagoe and Mungana. The land changes so quickly from rainforest to savannah and the old mining towns were well worth a look! With Steve Jones.
So many dry creek beds on the way.
Dry creek bed on the road from Herberton. Cows, brumbies...lots of road hazards with unfenced stations.
Inside one of the limestone caves at
Chillagoe Creek - quite a respite from the heat of the day.
Remnants of the old Chillagoe copper smelter.
Snapped this guy inside a very dry cave!
View from old Chillagoe copper smelter across the savannah.
Steve inside the Archways,
03/09/2017: A tale of 2 waterfalls: The first one,
03/09/2017: You Can Do It: If we
have been quiet it is because we are busy doing. The last two days we spent
climbing Mt Bartle Frere, the tallest mountain in
Up we go
A beautiful cloud forest
Our trusty deer hunter's tent in the clouds near the summit .
Morning view from our front door
One of the boulder fields we had to traverse
A view from near the summit
The helipad at the summit.
More to follow. Be patient.
01/09/2017: Della: Victory! Mount Bartle Frere done and dusted. In a motel in Innisfail tonight too tired to even contemplate a champagne....Tomorrow night may be a different story! We reached the top in cloud forest mist this morning after an amazingly challenging climb. The approach to the top involved negotiating a formidable boulder field that felt like a mountain climber's nightmare. Some of the leg ups were far wider than my short limbs could possibly reach so I was very grateful for Steve's assistance in hauling me over the yawning chasms! The view from the top was non-existent, due to the heavy mist, but Bartle Frere was all about the journey rather than the destination. The steep descent that took us all of today was cruel on our overstretched leg muscles so I may be hobbling for a day or two! With Steve Jones
Cloud forest this morning
Last night's camp: Tent in the mist!
Hanging out with some bracket fungi this morning.
The boulder field begins.
Half way up the boulder field, looking down the route. No pictures can quite capture the steepness of the climb!
View, such as it was, from the top.
31/08/2017: Della: Tonight we are
camped just near the summit of
One of the stream crossings.
Delightful bracket fungi!
Lots of tree-root ladder work...in fact most of the track has been constantly vertical.
31/08/2017:
30/08/2017:
Della: A lovely day acclimatising to
sunny
Stony Creek Weir Track
Croc
basking on the bank of
Kim Henry - Stony Creek Weir Track
Cattana wetlands
Cattana wetlands
29/08/2017:
28/08/2017: I am in the mood for poetry today. This is one of my favourites too:
Waiting for the Barbarians C.P Cavafy
(Translated by
Why are we all assembled and waiting in the market place?
It is the barbarians; they will be here today.
Why is there nothing being done in the senate
house?
Why are the senators in session but are not
passing laws?
Because the barbarians are coming today.
Why should the senators make laws any more?
The barbarians will make the laws when they get
here.
Why has our emperor got up so early
and sits there at the biggest gate of the city
high on his throne, in state, and with his crown
on?
Because the barbarians are coming today
and the emperor is waiting to receive them
and their general. And he has even made ready
a parchment to present them, and thereon
he has written many names and many titles.
Why have our two consuls and our praetors
Come out today in their red embroidered togas?
Why have they put on their bracelets with all
those amethysts
and rings shining with the glitter of emeralds?
Why will they carry their precious staves today
which are decorated with figures of gold and
silver?
Because the barbarians are coming today
And things like that impress the barbarians.
Why do our good orators not put in any appearance
and make public speeches, and do what they
generally do?
Because the barbarians are coming today
and they get bored with eloquent public speeches.
Why is everybody beginning to be so uneasy?
Why so disordered? (See how grave all the faces
have
become!) Why do the streets and the squares empty
so quickly,
and they are all anxiously going home to their
houses?
Because it is night, and the barbarians have not
got here,
and some people have come in from the frontier
and say that there aren’t any more barbarians.
What are we going to do now without the
barbarians?
In a way, those people were a solution.
28/08/2017: Oh Come With Old Khayyam
Oh, come with old Khayyám, and leave the Wise
To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies;
One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies...
Khayyam too was a tentmaker from Nishapur
My Pocket Poncho tent http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-pocket-poncho-tent/ will make an adequate floor for it (at 185 grams). To that I will have to add about a dozen shepherd's crook titanium stakes and a couple of guys with line locks, say 75 grams together, making the vast quantity of 635 grams in toto. There is nothing quite like it anywhere. I simply do not know what today's tentmakers are doing, any more than Khayyam would have done.
Perhaps (sadly) you do not know Khayyam or this magnificent poem at all? My favourite really. The 'Bible of Scepticism' folks used to call it, but there is nothing at all wrong with scepticism (the converse is the case).
He goes on:
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it...
And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die,
Lift not thy hands to It for help—for It
Rolls impotently on as Thou or I....
Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse—and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness—
And Wilderness is
You like that taste, I hope? Here is the complete first 1859 edition of Fitzgerald's translation of the Rubaiyat, (in my opinion the best - footnotes at bottom):
The Rubayyat of Omar Khayyam Translated into English in 1859 by Edward FitzGerald
[page 1]
RUBÁIYÁT OF OMAR KHAYYÁM OF NAISHÁPÚR.
———————
I.
AWAKE! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:{1}
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught
The Sultán's Turret in a Noose of Light.
II.
Dreaming when Dawn's Left Hand was in the Sky{2}
I heard a Voice within the Tavern cry,
"Awake, my Little ones, and fill the Cup
"Before Life's Liquor in its Cup be dry."
III.
And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before
The Tavern shouted—"Open then the Door!
"You know how little while we have to stay,
"And, once departed, may return no more."
[page 2]
IV.
Now the New Year{3} reviving old Desires,
The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires,
Where the WHITE HAND OF MOSES on the Bough
Puts out,{4} and Jesus from the Ground suspires.
V.
Irám indeed is gone with all its Rose,{5}
And Jamshýd's Sev'n-ring'd Cup where no one knows;
But still the Vine her ancient Ruby yields,
And still a Garden by the Water blows.
VI.
And David's Lips are lock't; but in divine
High piping Péhlevi,{6} with "Wine! Wine! Wine!
"Red Wine!"—the Nightingale cries to the Rose
That yellow Cheek{7} of her's to'incarnadine.
VII.
Come, fill the Cup, and in the Fire of Spring
The Winter Garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To fly—and Lo! the Bird is on the Wing.
VIII.
And look—a thousand Blossoms with the Day
Woke—and a thousand scatter'd into Clay:
And this first Summer Month that brings the Rose
Shall take Jamshýd and Kaikobád away.
[page 3]
IX.
But come with old Khayyám, and leave the
Of Kaikobád and Kaikhosrú forgot:
Let Rustum lay about him as he will,{8}
Or Hátim Tai cry Supper—heed them not.
X.
With me along some Strip of Herbage strown
That just divides the desert from the sown,
Where name of Slave and Sultán scarce is known,
And pity Sultán Mahmúd on his Throne.
XI.
Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse—and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness—
And Wilderness is
XII.
"How sweet is mortal Sovranty!"—think some:
Others—"How blest the
Ah, take the Cash in hand and wave the Rest;
Oh, the brave Music of a distant Drum!{9}
XIII.
Look to the Rose that blows about us—"Lo,
"Laughing," she says, "into the World I blow:
"At once the silken Tassel of my Purse
"Tear, and its Treasure{10} on the Garden throw."
[page 4]
XIV.
The Worldly Hope men set their Hearts upon
Turns Ashes—or it prospers; and anon,
Like Snow upon the Desert's dusty Face
Lighting a little Hour or two—is gone.
XV.
And those who husbanded the Golden Grain,
And those who flung it to the Winds like Rain,
Alike to no such aureate Earth are turn'd
As, buried once, Men want dug up again.
XVI.
Think, in this batter'd Caravanserai
Whose Doorways are alternate Night and Day,
How Sultán after Sultán with his Pomp
Abode his Hour or two, and went his way.
XVII.
They say the Lion and the Lizard keep
The Courts where Jamshýd gloried and drank deep:{11}
And Bahrám, that great Hunter—the Wild Ass
Stamps o'er his Head, and he lies fast asleep.
XVIII.
I sometimes think that never blows so red
The Rose as where some buried Cæsar bled;
That every Hyacinth the Garden wears
Dropt in its Lap from some once lovely Head.
[page 5]
XIX.
And this delightful Herb whose tender Green
Fledges the River's Lip on which we lean—
Ah, lean upon it lightly! for who knows
From what once lovely Lip it springs unseen!
XX.
Ah! my Belovéd, fill the Cup that clears
TO-DAY of past Regrets and future Fears—
To-morrow?—Why, To-morrow I may be
Myself with Yesterday's Sev'n Thousand Years.{12}
XXI.
Lo! some we loved, the loveliest and the best
That Time and Fate of all their Vintage prest,
Have drunk their Cup a Round or two before,
And one by one crept silently to Rest.
XXII.
And we, that now make merry in the Room
They left, and Summer dresses in new Bloom,
Ourselves must we beneath the Couch of Earth
Descend, ourselves to make a Couch—for whom?
XXIII.
Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend,
Before we too into the Dust Descend;
Dust into Dust, and under Dust, to lie,
Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer and—sans End!
[page 6]
XXIV.
Alike for those who for TO-DAY prepare,
And those that after a TO-MORROW stare,
A Muezzín from the
"Fools! your Reward is neither Here nor There."
XXV.
Why, all the Saints and Sages who discuss'd
Of the Two Worlds so learnedly, are thrust
Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn
Are scatter'd, and their Mouths are stopt with Dust.
XXVI.
Oh, come with old Khayyám, and leave the Wise
To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies;
One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.
XXVII.
Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out by the same Door as in I went.
XXVIII.
With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with my own hand labour'd it to grow:
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd—
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go."
[page 7]
XXIX.
Into this Universe, and why not knowing,
Nor whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing:
And out of it, as Wind along the Waste,
I know not whither, willy-nilly blowing.
XXX.
What, without asking, hither hurried whence?
And, without asking, whither hurried hence!
Another and another Cup to drown
The Memory of this Impertinence!
XXXI.
Up from Earth's Centre through the Seventh Gate
I rose, and on the Throne of Saturn sate,{13}
And many Knots unravel'd by the Road;
But not the Knot of Human Death and Fate.
XXXII.
There was a Door to which I found no Key:
There was a Veil past which I could not see:
Some little Talk awhile of ME and THEE
There seemed—and then no more of THEE and ME.{15}
XXXIII.
Then to the rolling Heav'n itself I cried,
Asking, "What Lamp had Destiny to guide
"Her little Children stumbling in the Dark?"
And—"A blind understanding!" Heav'n replied.
[page 8]
XXXIV.
Then to this earthen Bowl did I adjourn
My Lip the secret Well of Life to learn:
And Lip to Lip it murmur'd—"While you live,
"Drink!—for once dead you never shall return."
XXXV.
I think the Vessel, that with fugitive
Articulation answer'd, once did live,
And merry-make; and the cold Lip I kiss'd
How many Kisses might it take—and give.
XXXVI.
For in the Market-place, one Dusk of Day,
I watch'd the Potter thumping his wet Clay:
And with its all obliterated Tongue
It murmur'd—"Gently, Brother, gently, pray!"
XXXVII.
Ah, fill the Cup:—what boots it to repeat
How Time is slipping underneath our Feet:
Unborn TO-MORROW and dead YESTERDAY,
Why fret about them if TO-DAY be sweet!
XXXVIII.
One Moment in Annihilation's Waste,
One moment, of the Well of Life to taste—
The Stars are setting, and the Caravan
Starts for the dawn of Nothing{16}—Oh, make haste!
[page 9]
XXXIX.
How long, how long, in infinite Pursuit
Of This and That endeavour and dispute?
Better be merry with the fruitful Grape
Than sadden after none, or bitter, Fruit.
XL.
You know, my Friends, how long since in my House
For a new Marriage I did make Carouse:
Divorced old barren Reason from my Bed,
And took the Daughter of the Vine to Spouse.
XLI.
For "IS" and "IS-NOT" though with Rule and Line,
And, "UP-AND-DOWN" without, I could define,{14}
I yet in all I only cared to know,
Was never deep in anything but—Wine.
XLII.
And lately, by the Tavern Door agape,
Came stealing through the Dusk an Angel Shape,
Bearing a vessel on his Shoulder; and
He bid me taste of it; and 'twas—the Grape!
XLIII.
The Grape that can with Logic absolute
The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects{17} confute:
The subtle Alchemist that in a Trice
Life's leaden Metal into Gold transmute.
[page 10]
XLIV.
The mighty Mahmúd, the victorious Lord,
That all the misbelieving and black Horde{18}
Of Fears and Sorrows that infest the Soul
Scatters and slays with his enchanted Sword.
XLV.
But leave the Wise to wrangle, and with me
The Quarrel of the Universe let be:
And, in some corner of the Hubbub coucht,
Make Game of that which makes as much of Thee.
XLVI.
For in and out, above, about, below,
'Tis nothing but a Magic Shadow-show,
Play'd in a Box whose Candle is the Sun,
Round which we Phantom Figures come and go.{19}
XLVII.
And if the Wine you drink, the Lip you press,
End in the Nothing all Things end in—Yes—
Then fancy while Thou art, Thou art but what
Thou shalt be—Nothing—Thou shalt not be less.
XLVIII.
While the Rose blows along the River Brink,
With old Khayyám the Ruby Vintage drink:
And when the Angel with his darker Draught
Draws up to thee—take that, and do not shrink.
[page 11]
XLVIX.
'Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days
Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays:
Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays,
And one by one back in the Closet lays.
L.
The Ball no Question makes of Ayes and Noes,
But Right or Left as strikes the Player goes;
And He that toss'd Thee down into the Field,
He knows about it all—HE knows—HE knows!{20}
LI.
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
LII.
And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die,
Lift not thy hands to It for help—for It
Rolls impotently on as Thou or I.
LIII.
With Earth's first Clay They did the Last Man's knead,
And then of the Last Harvest sow'd the Seed:
Yea, the first Morning of Creation wrote
What the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall read.
[page 12]
LIV.
I tell Thee this—When, starting from the Goal,
Over the shoulders of the flaming Foal
Of Heav'n Parwín and Mushtara they flung,{21}
In my predestin'd Plot of Dust and Soul
The Vine had struck a Fibre; which about
If clings my Being—let the Súfi flout;
Of my Base Metal may be filed a Key,
That shall unlock the Door he howls without.
LVI.
And this I know: whether the one True Light,
Kindle to Love, or Wrathconsume me quite,
One Glimpse of It within the Tavern caught
Better than in the
LVII.
Oh Thou who didst with Pitfall and with Gin
Beset the Road I was to wander in,
Thou wilt not with Predestination round
Enmesh me, and impute my Fall to Sin?
LVIII.
Oh Thou, who Man of baser Earth didst make,
And who with
For all the Sin wherewith the Face of Man
Is blacken'd, Man's Forgiveness give—and take!
* * * * * * * * *
[page 13]
KÚZA-NÁMA.
LIX.
Listen again. One Evening at the Close
Of Ramazán, ere the better Moon arose,
In that old Potter's Shop I stood alone
With the clay Population round in Rows.
LX.
And strange to tell, among that Earthen
Some could articulate, while others not:
And suddenly one more impatient cried—
"Who is the Potter, pray, and who the Pot?"
LXI.
Then said another—"Surely not in vain
"My substance from the common Earth was ta'en,
"That He who subtly wrought me into Shape
"Should stamp me back to common Earth again."
LXII.
Another said—"Why, ne'er a peevish Boy
"Would break the Bowl from which he drank in Joy;
"Shall He that made the Vessel in pure Love
"And Fansy, in an after Rage destroy!"
[page 14]
LXIII.
None answer'd this; but after Silence spake
A Vessel of a more ungainly Make:
"They sneer at me for leaning all awry;
"What? did the Hand then of the Potter shake?"
LXIV.
Said one—"Folks of a surly Tapster tell,
"And daub his Visage with the Smoke of Hell;
"They talk of some strict Testing of us—Pish!
"He's a Good Fellow, and 'twill all be well."
LXV.
Then said another with a long-drawn Sigh,
"My Clay with long oblivion is gone dry:
"But, fill me with the old familiar Juice,
"Methinks I might recover by-and-bye!"
LXVI.
So, while the Vessels one by one were speaking,
One spied the little Crescent all were seeking:
And then they jogg'd each other, "Brother! Brother!
"Hark to the Porter's Shoulder-knot a-creaking!"
* * * * * * * * *
[page 15]
LXVII.
Ah, with the Grape my fading Life provide,
And wash my Body whence the life has died,
And in a Windingsheet of Vine-leaf wrapt,
So bury me by some sweet Gardenside.
LXVIII.
That ev'n my buried Ashes such a Snare
Of Perfume shall fling up into the Air,
As not a True Believer passing by
But shall be overtaken unaware.
LXIX.
Indeed the Idols I have loved so long
Have done my Credit in Men's Eye much wrong:
Have drown'd my Honour in a shallow Cup,
And sold my Reputation for a Song.
LXX.
Indeed, indeed, Repentance oft before
I swore—but was I sober when I swore?
And then and then came Spring, and Rose-in-hand
My thread-bare Penitence a-pieces tore.
LXXI.
And much as Wine has play'd the Infidel,
And robb'd me of my Robe of Honour—well,
I often wonder what the Vintners buy
One half so precious as the Goods they sell.
[page 16]
LXXII.
Alas, that Spring should vanish with the Rose!
That Youth's sweet-scented Manuscript should close!
The Nightingale that in the Branches sang,
Ah, whence, and whither flown again, who knows!
LXXIII.
Ah, Love! could thou and I with Fate conspire
To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire,
Would not we shatter it to bits—and then
Re-mould it nearer to the Heart's Desire!
LXXIV.
Ah, Moon of my Delight who know'st no wane,
The Moon of Heav'n is rising once again:
How oft hereafter rising shall she look
Through this same Garden after me—in vain!
LXXV.
And when Thyself with shining Foot shall pass
Among the Guests Star-scatter'd on The Grass,
And in Thy joyous Errand reach the Spot
Where I made one—turn down an empty Glass!
TAMÁM SHUD.
[page 17]
NOTES
———
{1} Flinging a Stone into the Cup was the Signal for "To
Horse!" in the Desert.
{2} The "False Dawn;" Subhi Kházib, a transient Light
on the Horizon about an hour before the Subhi sâdhik, or
True Dawn; a well known Phenomenon in the East. The
Persians call the Morning Gray, or Dusk, "Wolf-and-Sheep-
While." "Almost at odds with, which is which."
{3} New Year. Beginning with the Vernal Equinox, it
must be remembered; and (howsoever the old Solar Year is
practically superseded by the clumsy Lunar Year that dates
from the Mohammedan Hijra) still commemorated by a
Festival that is said to have been appointed by the very
Jamshyd whom Omar so often talks of, and whose yearly
Calendar he helped to rectify.
"The sudden approach and rapid advance of the Spring,"
(says a late Traveller in
the Snow is well off the Ground, the Trees burst into Blos-
som, and the Flowers start from the Soil. At Now Rooz
(their New Year's Day) the Snow was lying in patches on
the Hills and in the shaded Vallies, while the Fruit-trees in
the Garden were budding beautifully, and green Plants and
Flowers springing upon the Plains on every side—
'And on old Hyem's Chin and icy Crown
'An odorous Chaplet of sweet Summer buds
'Is, as in mockery, set — ' —
[page 18]
Among the Plants newly appear'd I recognized some old
Acquaintances I had not seen for many a Year: among these,
two varieties of the Thistle; a coarse species of the Daisy,
like the Horse-gowan; red and white Clover; the Dock; the
blue Corn-flower; and that vulgar Herb the Dandelion rear-
ing its yellow crest on the Banks of the Watercourses." The
Nightingale was not yet heard, for the Rose was not
yet blown: but an almost identical Blackbird and Wood-
pecker helped to make up something of a North-country
Spring.
{4} Exodus iv. 6; where Moses draws forth his Hand—not,
according to the Persians, "leprous as Snow,"—but white
as
our May-Blossom in Spring perhaps! According to them
also the Healing Power of Jesus resided in his Breath.
{5} Irám, planted by King Schedad, and now sunk some-
where in the Sands of Arabia. Jamshyd's Seven-ring'd Cup
was typical of the Seven Heavens, 7 Planets, 7 Seas, &c.
and was a Divining Cup.
{6} Péhlevi, the old Heroic Sanskrit of
speaks of the Nightingale's Pehlevi, which did not change
with the People's.
{7} I am not sure if this refers to the Red Rose looking
sickly, or the Yellow Rose that ought to be Red; Red,
White, and Yellow Roses all common in
{8} Rustum, the "Hercules" of
among the most celebrated in the Shah-náma. Hátim Tai,
a well-known Type of Oriental Generosity.
{9} A Drum—beaten outside a Palace.
{10} That is, the Rose's Golden Centre.
[page 19]
{11} Persepolis: call'd also Takht'i Jamshyd—THE THRONE
OF JAMSHYD, "King-Splendid," of the mythical Peeshdádian
Dynasty, and supposed (with Shah-náma Authority) to
have been founded and built by him, though others refer it
to the Work of the Genie King, Ján Ibn Jann, who also
built the Pyramids before the time of Adam. It is also
called Chehl-minar— Forty-column; which is Persian, pro-
bably, for Column-countless; the Hall they adorned or
supported with their Lotus Base and taurine Capital
indicating double that Number, though now counted down
to less than half by Earthquake and other Inroad. By
whomsoever built, unquestionably the Monument of a long
extinguished Dynasty and Mythology; its Halls, Chambers
and Galleries, inscribed with Arrow-head Characters, and
sculptured with colossal, wing'd, half human Figures like
those of Nimroud; Processions of Priests and Warriors
—(doubtful if any where a Woman)—and Kings sitting on
Thrones or in Chariots, Staff or Lotus-flower in hand, and the
Ferooher—Symbol of Existence—with his wing'd Globe,
common also to Assyria and Ægypt—over their heads. All
this, together with Aqueduct and Cistern, and other Appur-
tenance of a Royal Palace, upon a Terrace-platform, ascended
by a double Flight of Stairs that may be gallop'd up, and
cut out of and into the Rock-side of the Koh'i Ráhmet,
Mountain of Mercy, where the old Fire-worshiping Sove-
reigns are buried, and overlooking the Plain of Merdasht.
Persians, like some other People, it seems, love to
write their own Names, with sometimes a Verse or two, on
their Country's Monuments. Mr. Binning (from whose
sensible Travels the foregoing Account is mainly condens't)
[page 20]
found several such in
of Háfiz: in another "an original, no doubt," he says, "by
no great Poet," however "right in his Sentiment." The
Words somehow looked to us, and the "halting metre"
sounded, familiar; and on looking back at last among the
500 Rubáiyát of the Calcutta Omar MS.—there it is: old
Omar quoted by one of his Countrymen, and here turned
into hasty Rhyme, at any rate—
"This Palace that its Top to Heaven threw,
And Kings their Forehead on its Threshold drew—
I saw a Ring-dove sitting there alone.
And 'Coo, Coo, Coo,' she cried, and ' Coo, Coo, Coo.' "
So as it seems the Persian speaks the English Ring-dove's
Péhlevi, which is also articulate Persian for "Where?"
BAHRÁM GÚR— Bahrám of the Wild Ass, from his Fame
in hunting it— a Sassanian Sovereign, had also his Seven
Castles (like the King of Bohemia!) each of a different Colour;
each with a Royal Mistress within side; each of whom
recounts to Bahrám a Romance, according to one of the
most famous Poems of Persia, written by Amír Khusraw:
these Sevens also figuring (according to Eastern Mysticism)
the Seven Heavens, and perhaps the Book itself that
Eighth, into which the mystical Seven transcend, and
within which they revolve. The Ruins of Three of these
Towers are yet shown by the Peasantry; as also the Swamp
in which Bahrám sunk, like the Master of Ravenswood,
while pursuing his Gúr.
{12} A Thousand Years to each Planet.
{13} Saturn, Lord of the Seventh Heaven.
{14} A Laugh at his Mathematics perhaps.
[page 21]
{15} ME AND THEE; that is, some Dividual Existence or
Personality apart from the Whole.
{16} The Caravan travelling by Night (after their New
Year's Day of the Vernal Equinox) by command of Mo-
hammed, I believe.
{17} The 72 Sects into which Islamism so soon split.
{18} This alludes to Mahmúd's Conquest of India and its
swarthy Idolaters.
{19} Fanúsi khiyál, a Magic-lanthorn still used in India;
the cylindrical Interior being painted with various Figures,
and so lightly poised and ventilated as to revolve round the
Candle lighted within.
{20} A very mysterious Line in the original;
U dánad u dánad u dánad u —
breaking off something like our Wood-pigeon's Note, which
she is said to take up just where she left off.
{21} Parwín and Mushtara—The Pleiads and Jupiter.
{22} At the Close of the Fasting Month, Ramazán (which
makes the Musulman unhealthy and unamiable), the first
Glimpse of the New Moon (who rules their Division of the
Year) is looked for with the utmost Anxiety, and hailed
with all Acclamation. Then it is that the Porter's Knot
may be heard toward the Cellar, perhaps. Old Omar has
elsewhere a pretty Quatrain about this same Moon—
"Be of Good Cheer—the sullen Month will die,
"And a young Moon requite us by and bye:
"Look how the Old one meagre, bent, and wan
"With Age and Fast, is fainting from the Sky!"
FINIS.
OMAR KHAYYÁM was born at Naishápúr in Khorassán
in the latter half of our Eleventh, and died within the First
Quarter of our Twelfth, Century. The slender Story of his
Life is curiously twined about that of two others very consi-
derable Figures in their Time and Country: one of them,
Hasan al Sabbáh, whose very Name has lengthen'd down to
us a terrible Synonym for Murder: and the other (who
also tells the Story of all Three) Nizám al Mulk, Vizyr to
Alp the Lion and Malik Shah, Son and Grandson of Tog-
hrul Beg the Tartar, who had wrested Persia from the fee-
ble Successor of Mahmúd the Great, and founded that Sel-
jukian Dynasty which finally roused Europe into the Cru-
sades. This Nizám al Mulk, in his Wasýat—or Testament
—which he wrote and left as a Memorial for future States-
men—relates the following, as quoted in the Calcutta Review,
No. 59, from Mirkhond's History of the Assassins.
[page iv]
" 'One of the greatest of the wise men of Khorassan was
'the Imám Mowaffak of Naishápur, a man highly honoured
'and reverenced,—may God rejoice his soul; his illustrious
'years exceeded eighty-five, and it was the universal belief
'that every boy who read the Koran or studied the tradi-
'tions in his presence, would assuredly attain to honour
'and happiness. For this cause did my father send me from
'Tús to Naishápur with Abd-u-samad, the doctor of law,
'that I might employ myself in study and learning under
'the guidance of that illustrious teacher. Towards me he
'ever turned an eye of favour and kindness, and as his pupil
'I felt for him extreme affection and devotion, so that I
'passed four years in his service. When I first came there,
'I found two other pupils of mine own age newly arrived,
'Hakim Omar Khayyám, and the ill- fated Ben Sabbáh.
'Both were endowed with sharpness of wit and the highest
'natural powers; and we three formed a close friendship
'together. When the Imám rose from his lectures, they
'used to join me, and we repeated to each other the lessons
'we had heard. Now Omar was a native of Naishápur,
'while Hasan Ben Sabbah's father was one Ali, a man of
'austere life and practise, but heretical in his creed and
'doctrine. One day Hasan said to me and to Khayyám, 'It
'is a universal belief that the pupils of the Imám Mowaffak
'will attain to fortune. Now, even if we all do not attain
'thereto, without doubt one of us will; what then shall be
'our mutual pledge and bond?' We answered 'Be it
'what you please.' 'Well,' he said, 'let us make a vow,
'that to whomsoever this fortune falls, he shall share it
'equally with the rest, and reserve no pre-eminence for him-
[page v]
'self.' 'Be it so,' we both replied, and on those terms we
'mutually pledged our words. Years rolled on, and I went
'from Khorassan to Transoxiana, and wandered to Ghazni
'and Cabul; and when I returned, I was invested with
'office, and rose to be administrator of affairs during the
'Sultanate of Sultan Alp Arslan.' "
"He goes on to state, that years passed by, and both his
old school- friends found him out, and came and claimed a
share in his good fortune, according to the school-day vow.
The Vizier was generous and kept his word. Hasan de-
manded a place in the government, which the Sultan granted
at the Vizier's request; but discontented with a gradual
rise, he plunged into the maze of intrigue of an oriental
court, and, failing in a base attempt to supplant his bene-
factor, he was disgraced and fell. After many mishaps and
wanderings, Hasan became the head of the Persian sect of
the Ismailians,—a party of fanatics who had long murmured
in obscurity, but rose to an evil eminence under the guidance
of his strong and evil will. In A.B. 1090, he seized the
castle of Alamút, in the province of Rúdbar, which lies in
the mountainous tract, south of the Caspian Sea; and it was
from this mountain home he obtained that evil celebrity
among the Crusaders as the OLD MAN OF THE MOUN-
TAINS, and spread terror through the Mohammedan world;
and it is yet disputed where the word Assassin, which
they have left in the language of modern Europe as their
dark memorial, is derived from the hashish, or opiate of
hemp-leaves (the Indian bhang,) with which they maddened
themselves to the sullen pitch of oriental desperation, or from
the name of the founder of the dynasty, whom we have seen
[page vi]
in his quiet collegiate days, at Naishápur. One of the count-
less victims of the Assassin's dagger was Nizám-ul-Mulk
himself, the old school-boy friend."
"Omar Khayyám also came to the Vizier to claim his
share; but not to ask for title or office. 'The greatest boon
'you can confer on me,' he said, 'is to let me live in a
'corner under the shadow of your fortune, to spread wide
'the advantages of Science, and pray for your long life and
'prosperity.' The Vizier tells us, that, when he found
Omar was really sincere in his refusal, he pressed him no
further, but granted him a yearly pension of 1,200 mithkals
of gold, from the treasury of Naishápur."
"At Naishápur thus lived and died Omar Khayyám,
'busied,' adds the Vizier, 'in winning knowledge of every
'kind, and especially in Astronomy, wherein he attained to a
'very high pre-eminence. Under the Sultanate of Malik
'Shah, he came to Merv, and obtained great praise for his
'proficiency in science, and the Sultan showered favours
'upon him.' "
"When the Malik Shah determined to reform the calendar,
Omar was one of the eight learned men employed to do it;
the result was the Jaláli era, (so called from Jalal-ul-din,
one of the king's names,)—'a computation of time,' says
Gibbon, 'which surpasses the Julian, and approaches the
accuracy of the Gregorian style.' He is also the author
of some astronomical tables, entitled Ziji-Malikshahi," and
the French have lately republished and translated an Arabic
Treatise of his on Algebra.
These severer Studies, and his Verses, which, though hap-
pily fewer than any Persian Poet's, and, though perhaps
[page vii]
fugitively composed, the Result of no fugitive Emotion or
Thought, are probably the Work and Event of his Life,
leaving little else to record. Perhaps he liked a little Farm-
ing too, so often as he speaks of the "Edge of the Tilth"
on which he loved to rest with his Diwán of Verse, his Loaf
—and his wine.
"His Takhallus or poetical name (Khayyám) signifies a
Tent-maker, and he is said to have at one time exercised
that trade, perhaps before Nizám-ul-Mulk's generosity raised
him to independence. Many Persian poets similarly derive
their names from their occupations; thus we have Attár, "a
druggist," Assar, "an oil presser," &c. (Though all these,
like our Smiths, Archers, Millers, Fletchers, &c. may simply
retain the Sirname of an hereditary calling.) "Omar him-
self alludes to his name in the following whimsical lines:—
'Khayyám, who stitched the tents of science,
has fallen in grief's furnace and been suddenly burned;
The shears of Fate have cut the tent ropes of his life,
And the broker of Hope has sold him for nothing!'
"We have only one more anecdote to give of his Life, and
that relates to the close; it is told in the anonymous preface
which is sometimes prefixed to his poems; it has been printed
in the Persian in the appendix to Hyde's Veterum Persarum
Religio, p. 499; and D'Herbelot alludes to it in his Biblio-
théque, under Khiam:— *
* Though he attributes the story to a Khiam, "Philosophe
Musulman
qui a vecu en Odeur de Sainteté dans la Fin du premier et le Commence-
ment du second Siècle," no part of which, except the
"Philosophe," can
apply to our Khayyám, who, however, may claim the story as his,
on the
[footnote continues on p. viii, bottom:]
Score of Rubáiyát, 77 and 78 of the present Version. The Rashness
of the Words, according to D'Herbelot, consisted in being so op-
posed to those in the Koran: "No Man knows where he shall
die."
[page viii]
'It is written in the chronicles of the ancients that this
'King of the Wise, Omar Khayyám, died at Naishápur in
'the year of the Hegira, 517 (A.D. 1123); in science he was
'unrivaled,—the very paragon of his age. Khwájah Nizámi
'of Samarcand, who was one of his pupils, relates the follow-
'ing story: 'I often used to hold conversations with my
'teacher, Omar Khayyám, in a garden; and one day he said
'to me, 'my tomb shall be in a spot, where the north wind
'may scatter roses over it.' I wondered at the words he
'spake, but I knew that his were no idle words. Years after,
'when I chanced to revisit Naishápur, I went to his final
'resting-place, and lo! it was just outside a garden, and trees
'laden with fruit stretched their boughs over the garden
'wall, and dropped their flowers upon his tomb, so that the
'stone was hidden under them.' "
Thus far—without fear of Trespass—from the
Review.
Though the Sultan "shower'd Favours upon him," Omar's
Epicurean Audacity of Thought and Speech caused him to
be regarded askance in his own Time and Country. He is
said to have been especially hated and dreaded by the Súfis,
whose Practise he ridiculed, and whose Faith amounts to
little more than his own when stript of the Mysticism aud
formal Compliment to Islamism which Omar would not
hide under. Their Poets, including Hafiz, who are (with
[page ix]
the exception of Firdúsi) the most considerable in Persia,
borrowed largely, indeed, of Omar's material, but turning
it to a mystical Use more convenient to Themselves
and the People they address'd; a People quite as quick
of Doubt as of Belief; quite as keen of Bodily Senses as
of the Intellectual; and delighting in a cloudy Element com-
pounded of all, in which they could float luxuriously between
Heaven and Earth, and this World and the Next, on the wings
of a poetical expression, that could be recited indifferently
whether at the Mosque or the Tavern. Omar was too honest
of Heart as well of Head for this. Having failed
(however mistakenly) of finding any Providence but Destiny,
and any World but This, he set about making the most of it;
preferring rather to soothe the Soul through the Senses into
Acquiescence with Things as they were, than to perplex it
with vain mortification after what they might be. It has
been seen that his Worldly Desires, however, were not exor-
bitant; and he very likely takes a humorous pleasure in
exaggerating them above that Intellect in whose exercise he
must have found great pleasure, though not in a Theological
direction. However this may be, his Worldly Pleasures are
what they profess to be without any Pretence at divine Alle-
gory: his Wine is the veritable Juice of the Grape: his
Tavern, where it was to be had: his Sáki, the Flesh and
Blood that poured it out for him: all which, and where the
Roses were in Bloom, was all he profess'd to want of this
World or to expect of Paradise.
The Mathematic Faculty, too, which regulated his Fansy,
and condensed his Verse to a Quality and Quantity un-
known in Persian, perhaps in Oriental, Poetry, help'd
[page x]
by its very virtue perhaps to render him less popular with
his countrymen. If the Greeks were Children in Gossip,
what does Persian Literature imply by a Second Childishness
of Garrulity? And certainly if no ungeometric Greek was
to enter Plato's
Persian should enter on the Race of Persian Verse, with its
"fatal Facility" of running on long after Thought is winded!
But Omar was not only the single Mathematician of his
Country's Poets; he was also of that older Time and stouter
Temper, before the native Soul of Persia was quite broke by
a foreign Creed as well as foreign Conquest. Like his great
Predecessor Firdúsi, who was as little of a Mystic; who
scorned to use even a Word of the very language in which the
New Faith came clothed; and who was suspected, not of
Omar's Irreligion indeed, but of secretly clinging to the
ancient Fire-Religion of Zerdusht, of which so many of the
Kings he sang were worshippers.
For whatever Reason, however, Omar, as before said, has
never been popular in his own Country, and therefore has
been but scantily transmitted abroad. The MSS. of his
Poems, mutilated beyond the average Casualties of Oriental
Transcription, are so rare in the East as scarce to have
reacht Westward at all, in spite of all that Arms and Science
have brought us. There is none at the India House, none
at the Bibliothêque Imperiále of
in
written at
báiyát. One in the Asiatic Society's Library at
(of which we have a Copy) contains (and yet incomplete)
516, though swelled to that by all kinds of Repetition and
[page xi]
Corruption. So Von Hammer speaks of his Copy as contain-
ing about 200, while Dr. Sprenger catalogues the Lucknow
MS. at double that Number. The Scribes, too, of the Oxford
and Calcutta MSS. seem to do their Work under a sort of
Protest; each beginning with a Tetrastich (whether genuine
or not) taken out of its alphabetic order; the Oxford with
one of Apology; the Calcutta with one of Execration too
stupid for Omar's, even had Omar been stupid enough to
execrate himself. *
The Reviewer, to whom I owe the foregoing Particulars of
Omar's Life, and some of his Verse into Prose, concludes
by comparing him with Lucretius, both in natural Temper and
Genius, and as acted upon by the Circumstances in which he
lived. Both indeed were men of subtle Intellect and high Imagi-
nation, instructed in Learning beyond their day, and of Hearts
passionate for Truth and Justice; who justly revolted from
their Country's false Religion, and false, or foolish, Devotion
to it; but who yet fell short of replacing what they subverted
by any such better Hope as others, with no better Faith
had dawned, had yet made a Law to themselves. Lucretius,
indeed, with such material as Epicurus furnished, consoled
himself with the construction of a Machine that needed no
Constructor, and acting by a Law that implied no Lawgiver;
and so composing himself into a Stoical rather than Epicu-
rean severity of Attitude, sat down to contemplate the me-
chanical Drama of the Universe of which he was part Actor;
* "Since this Paper was written" (adds the Reviewer in a note),
"we
have met with a Copy of a very rare Edition, printed at
This contains 438 Tetrastichs, with an Appendix containing 54 others
not found in some MSS."
[page xii]
himself and all about him, (as in his own sublime Description
of the Roman Theater,) coloured with the lurid reflex of the
Curtain that was suspended between them and the outer
Sun. Omar, more desperate, or more careless, of any such
laborious System as resulted in nothing more than hopeless
Necessity, flung his own Genius and Learning with a bitter
jest into the general Ruin which their insufficient glimpses
only served to reveal; and, yielding his Senses to the actual
Rose and Vine, only diverted his thoughts by balancing ideal
possibilities of Fate, Freewill, Existence and Annihilation;
with an oscillation that so generally inclined to the negative
and lower side, as to make such Stanzas as the following ex-
ceptions to his general Philosophy—
Oh, if my Soul can fling his Dust aside,
And naked on the Air of Heaven ride,
It's not a Shame, it's not a Shame for Him
So long in this Clay Suburb to abide!
Or is that but a Tent, where rests anon
A Sultán to his Kingdom passing on,
And which the swarthy Chamberlain shall strike
Then when the Sultán rises to be gone?
With regard to the present Translation. The original
Rubáiyát (as, missing an Arabic Guttural, these Tetrastichs
are more musically called), are independent Stanzas, con-
sisting each of four Lines of equal, though varied, Prosody.
sometimes all rhyming, but oftener (as here attampted)
the third line suspending the Cadence by which the last
atones with the former Two. Something as in the Greek
Alcaic, where the third line seems to lift and suspend the
[page xiii]
Wave that falls over in the last. As usual with such kind of
Oriental Verse, the Rubáiyát follow one another according
to Alphabetic Rhyme—a strange Farrago of Grave and Gay.
Those here selected are strung into something of an Eclogue,
with perhaps a less than equal proportion of the "Drink and
make-merry," which (genuine or not) recurs over-frequently
in the Original. For Lucretian as Omar's Genius might be,
he cross'd that darker Mood with much of Oliver de Basselin
Humour. Any way, the Result is sad enough: saddest per-
haps when most ostentatiously merry: any way, fitter to
move Sorrow than Anger toward the old Tentmaker, who,
after vainly endeavoring to unshackle his Steps from Des-
tiny, and to catch some authentic Glimpse of TO-MORROW,
fell back upon TO-DAY (which has outlasted so many To-
morrows!) as the only Ground he had got to stand upon, how-
ever momentarily slipping from under his Feet.
27/08/2017: Back in 1941 Ford could REALLY cut it: The B-24 ‘Liberator’ heavy bomber – built in 55 minutes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKlt6rNciTo#t=131 Interesting fact: more than half of US bomber casualties/deaths were other than in combat eg crashes etc. Maybe Ford didn’t build them so well after all! I refuse to enter into any discussion of whether they are superior to Holdens!
26/08/2017: DIY Super Ultralight Pillow: These approx17 grams (small) & 27 gram (large) Graham Medical Flexair Pillows are excellent for hiking and backpacking. The two sizes measure 14.5″x10.5″ & 19″x12.5″ They cost pennies: US $35.16 for the small & $43.41 for the large per box of 50! 70 cents each. Seriously!
Unmodified large pillow and glue heat gun top, two chamber version middle and cut-down two chamber version bottom:
It is possible to modify them with scissors and a with eg a hot glue gun (without squeezing the glue trigger – very carefully with a soldering iron). You can cut one down and re-seal it, or make it into a double or multi-chamber pillow, eg something like Klymit’s ultralight pillow http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-ultralight-pillow/ (which weighs 48 grams). My own modified ones weigh about 15 grams. With a strategic ‘valley’ moulded into them they will be much more comfortable. You will get a superb (and cheap) night’s sleep.
I am also going to cut two down and use each of them for side insulation and arm support for my (too narrow) sleeping pad. I will make sleeves (as I have mentioned before) in this http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bathtub-groundsheet-chair/ to fit them in. Each side cushion will weigh about 10 grams. They should work just perfectly, keeping my arms both warm and at the correct height from the ground for when sleeping on my back, and effectively widening my sleeping mat by approx 8” (20cm).
They store flat for easy transport and space-saving. They save on laundry costs being disposable products which only cost about $1 each. They have an adjustable valve for ease of use and comfort – but do not lose the straw which inflates/deflates them. They are made from a soft and quiet material which is pleasant to the touch and does not ‘strike cold’.
Available here: https://www.grahammedical.com/product/pillows/
If you only want a small number, they are also available from Jacksrbetter for US2 each in large size: http://www.jacksrbetter.com/shop/graham-flexair-pillow/
I used to use these pillows all the time when they came in a dual chamber version like the one in the centre, but when I could only purchase the single chamber ones I found them not so comfy so I opted for a heavier pillow such as the exped here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/exped-ultralight-pillow/ but I may well go back to these little guys which (in the cut-down form bottom) will save me an whole ounce 30 grams. A saving not to be sneezed at
25/08/2017: Transparent Tarp Instructions: David Gardner over at Backpackinglight has these excellent instructions for building a see through tent from polycryo window insulation film which is freely and cheaply available for winterising your home. It is such a great idea. I hope he does not mind my sharing it here. The complete instructions are available here: https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/how-to-make-a-polycryo-a-frame-tarp/ It may not be the lightest or the most durable tent in existence, but it is one of the most interesting, and excellent for voyeurs. It is also a genius idea. Some of these techniques are excellent and imaginative – and would also work with cuben fibre which would enable you to make a ‘no-sew’ tent/tarp out of that material which might weigh under 100 grams!
Here is all you need:
I’ve been making and selling “polycro” (cross-linked polyolefin heat-shrink plastic) tarps/tents for a few years now and have learned a lot in the process about what works well and how to construct them, so I thought I would share what I have learned.
Materials & Tools:
Duck Double-Thick Patio Door Insulation Kit
Uline double-sided tape
Scotch “Tough” Transparent Duct Tape (their glow-in-the-dark duct tape works
well too)
150 lb. 1 mm Spectra cord from http://www.ultralightdesigns.com
Ten 7/8″ nylon washers (1″ works well too)
1/8″ shock cord
Blue masking tape
X-acto or utility knife
Sharpie pen
Measuring tape
Scissors
1/8″ steel rod or tent stake
Propane or butane torch or stove
I use Duck’s double-thick patio door insulation kits because as far as I know Duck is the only manufacturer which makes it in 1.5 mil thickness instead of .75 mil.
I use Uline double-sided tape to “hem” the edges because it has far better adhesion and durability than the double-sided tape that comes with the kits.
I use Scotch “Tough” transparent duct tape because it has excellent adhesion and weather resistance. Colored tapes, especially dark colored tape, get hot in the sun and “creep.” In the past I used ripstop nylon sail repair tape, which is lighter and stronger than duct tape, but it doesn’t adhere well enough over the long run.
I use Ultralight Design’s 150 lb. Spectra-core cord because it is bright yellow, knots well, and is plenty strong enough. I attached a fishing scale to the end of the ridge line cord of a tarp I had set up, pulled harder than I usually do to pitch the tarp, and it measured 25 lbs. of tension.
Step 1 is to clear a large, hard floor area to work on and vacuum it thoroughly. The polycro is static-y out of the box and attracts the smallest motes of dust and pet hair. Then unpack the Duck kit, unfold the polycryo, and spread it carefully on the floor. Use blue masking tape to tape down the corners. You will want to put the tape about 1.5″ from the edge and parallel to the direction of the long edge, to hold the polycryo firmly while you “hem” the edge with double-sided tape.
Next apply the double-sided tape as close to the edge as you can get it. The Uline tape comes with one side covered, so you can press down firmly to make it adhere fully while laying it down. I start about an inch past the edge of the tarp so that the edge will stay put as you pull while laying down the tape. When I’m done applying the tape to the edge I trim off the extra inch.
The next photo shows the polycryo spread out and taped down to the floor, with about half of one long edge taped.
Next peel the cover off the first couple of inches of tape and fold the edge over so the tape is sandwiched between. I like to work from right to left while making the hem.
Start pulling the cover strip off with your left hand while following closely with your right hand. You should peel the cover strip straight off so that you get a running fold. Plant your right pinkie, ring finger and middle finger firmly on the folded portion to hold it in place while following the fold with your index finger and pushing down firmly to adhere the tape. When your fingers are spread as wide as they will go, move your right hand closer to the peeling/folding point, as shown in the next three photos:
When you’re finished with one long edge do the other. When both long edges are done, move the blue masking tape holding down the corners so they are parallel to the end. Proceed to apply tape and hem the ends of the tarp.
When all four edges are hemmed you’re ready to start putting on the tie-outs. Use a tape measure and Sharpie pen to mark the middle of the ends, and to mark the long sides in 1/3 intervals (about 40″). Take 8 of the 7/8″ nylon washers and use the scissors to cut one side of each to make a flat edge that will go into the fold of the tape for the tie-outs, to spread out the forces. Smooth the cut edge with a file or sand paper. The remaining two washers will be used at the ridge line tie-outs and don’t need to be trimmed.
I like to do the corner tie-outs first, then the ones on the long edges. Cut about 10″ of duct tape for each corner and side tie-out. Lift the polycryo and insert the tape sticky side up under the tarp, then press down firmly on the polycryo and rub and smooth it to get good adhesion and eliminate bubbles. Place a washer on the tape right by the corner or edge, with the flat side of the washer away from the tarp, then fold the tape back over on top of the polycryo:
The technique is the same for all the corner and side tie-outs. Once all the corner and side tie-outs are done you’re ready to do the ridge line tie-outs.
The ridge line tie-outs are built up from several layers of overlapping and crossing duct tape because they are more highly stressed than the corners and sides. Start by cutting two 14″ pieces of duct tape. Lift the center of the tarp and insert the tape sticky side up about half its length under the tarp, press firmly on the tarp and adhere it to the tape and remove any bubbles.
Now it gets a little tricky. You’ll need to take one of the two round washers and tie one end of the Spectra cord around the washer, then place the washer on the tape at the edge of the tarp while placing the cord straight down the center of the tape under the tarp:
Finally, fold the tape back over the washer and on top of the tape underneath. Press and rub to adhere the tape and eliminate bubbles. Now place blue masking tape on the tie out so it will be held firmly while you construct the ridge line tie-out at the other end.
At the other end of the cord you’ll need to trim it and tie on the last round washer at just the right length. The right length is a hair shorter than the length of the tarp, so that when tension is applied to the ridge line tie-outs they will pull the tarp taut. Cut another 14″ piece of tape, lift the tarp, and insert the tape sticky side up about half its length under the tarp. Press and smooth. Then place the washer on the tape at the edge of the tarp while pulling gently on the cord. After the washer is in place fold the tape back over the washer on top of the tape underneath.
Once the two ridge line tie-outs are fabricated, you are done with the underside of the tarp. Turn the whole thing over so the ridge line cord is now underneath. Cut two 10″ pieces of duct tape and place them cross-wise centered over the ridge line tie outs you have just made. Press and smooth.
Next cut four 8″ pieces of tape, two for each end. Lift the ridge line tie out, place two tape pieces sticky side up under the tarp on either side of the tie out:
Finally, fold the two pieces of tape back over the tarp on top of the tape below.
With the tie-outs all done you are now ready to melt holes through the tape in the center of the washers. Heat the 1/8″ steel rod/tent stake with a torch or stove, and carefully push it through the center of the washers in the tie-outs:
In the pictures the tie outs are sitting on the floor because I had my camera in the other hand. In practice, lift the tie outs up and hold while pushing the hot steel rod through.
Finally, cut eight 10″ pieces of shock cord and knot them in little circles through the corner and side tie outs. The shock cord loops give a nice tight pitch, but also act as a shock absorbers in windy conditions.
Final weight: 11.2 ounces.
You’ll need to tie another 10 feet or so of the Spectra cord to the ridge line tie outs so you can pitch the tarp. Also, since I often camp in the high Sierra on flat rocks or shallow sand where tent stakes are useless, I also attach about 3 feet of Spectra cord at each corner and side tie out with a little knotted loop at the end, so I can make big adjustable loops to put around rock anchors that I have collected.
The finished product (an earlier version with different tape) pitched:
It is truly amazing to be able to fall asleep while looking up through your shelter at the starry sky. It’s also nice to know whether that critter sniffing around your shelter in the middle of the night is a bear or just something small like a skunk.
Total cost: About $30-$40, depending on where you get your materials.
Total time to construct (including taking pictures): Two hours
23/08/2017: Advanced Elements Ultralight Paddle
Check this out on Massdrop this morning for US$29.99 each (08/2018). You would be foolish not to buy a couple. I bought two. It will go very well with the Klymit packraft you should have bought from them some time back for US$99 (I bought two as well): http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-packraft/
Here's
me and Spot trying it out on the farm dam: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-best-laid-schemes/
4-Piece Breakdown Paddle
Designed for maximum portability, the Advanced Elements Ultralight Pack Paddle weighs 23.6 ounces, measures 88.2 inches when assembled, and breaks down to a travel-ready 23.6 inches. The durable aluminum shaft features a four-part construction with drip rings on either end that prevent the water on your paddle blades from reaching your hands or lap. For an even more compact setup that’ll cut 3.6 ounces off your pack weight, use only one middle shaft section between the two blades. A great pairing for the Advanced Elements PackLite or Klymit Lite Water Dinghy, this is among the most affordable solutions for light packrafting.
Specs
- Advanced Elements
- Material, shaft: Aluminum
- Assembled length, full setup: 88.2 in (224 cm)
- Packed length, full setup: 23.6 in (60 cm)
- Weight, full setup: 23.6 oz (669 g)
- Assembled length, minimalist setup: 66.5 in (169 cm)
- Packed length, minimalist setup: 23.6 in (60 cm)
- Weight, minimalist setup: 20 oz (567 g)
Because sometimes an ultralight paddle and an ultralight packraft (such as Klymit's) are just what you need -eg for river/lake crossings on long hikes. You can put the two things together for just over 1.5kg! A great paddle for the kids. If nothing else these would make a great backup paddle for remote trips. They could just save your bacon should you find your primary paddle floating downstream or worse.
http://www.advancedelements.com/accessories/paddles/?b=12935
23/08/2017: Hope you enjoy this easy cheap delicious meal: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-simple-backpacking-dahl/. I also have a Facebook page with has a lot of info about hiking and hiking gear as well as canoeing, hunting, gardening…which might be of interest. If you 'like' it, Facebook will let you know whenever I do a fresh post. Cheers: https://www.facebook.com/theultralighthiker/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
22/08/2017: A Simple Backpacking Dahl: This simple dahl uses only dry ingredients you can buy very cheaply from any supermarket and store in a snaplock bag. It will make a litre of tasty nutritious dahl which will probably be more than you can eat. You should try this at home tonight before you head out to the backcountry. Simply delicious!
Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils 2730kj
3 ½ cups water
20 grams Hormel dried bacon pieces 300kj
1 table milk powder 250 kj
½ packet Tasty Tomato CupaSoup 230 kj
1/2 pack Continental French Onion Simmer soup (Salt Reduced) 270 kj
3 or 4 teas curry powder (to taste)
Optional: Add 1 table Surprise Peas to taste say 6 teas 100 kj
Total 3880 kj = 1000 calories.
Instructions:
Soak lentils 10 + minutes - the longer you soak the less you have toi simmer.
Add ingredients
Bring to boil, then simmer 15-20 minutes.
This makes up to approx 1 litre of quite thick soup. It was delicious, much preferable to any bought hiking meal you have ever eaten. The quantity would definitely have been enough for Della and me both for a main meal.
22/08/2017: One of the greatest poems of the C20th: Dylan Thomas: The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees
Is my destroyer.
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.
The force that drives the water through the rocks
Drives my red blood; that dries the mouthing streams
Turns mine to wax.
And I am dumb to mouth unto my veins
How at the mountain spring the same mouth sucks.
The hand that whirls the water in the pool
Stirs the quicksand; that ropes the blowing wind
Hauls my shroud sail.
And I am dumb to tell the hanging man
How of my clay is made the hangman's lime.
The lips of time leech to the fountain head;
Love drips and gathers, but the fallen blood
Shall calm her sores.
And I am dumb to tell a weather's wind
How time has ticked a heaven round the stars.
And I am dumb to tell the lover's tomb
How at my sheet goes the same crooked worm.
21/08/2017: DIY Dry Back Hiking Pack: Yes, you can have a dry back when hiking (and for pennies!) I saw this genius idea posted by AnticitizenPrime on the Reddit forum MYOG back in July. I have to admit I scrolled right past it then , but I had a little more time to kill in the shop this afternoon so I paid a bit more attention. I thank him/her very much for the idea. It will work.
You can use one of those cheap lumbar support devices (for car seats etc) you see everywhere (I bought mine for A$4 from Cheap as Chips Morwell) as a back cushioning device for your back pack which keeps the pack comfortably off your back on a mesh panel, thus keeping it dry. It weighed about 155 grams out of the bag (left) and about 110 after I cut a few bits off it (right). You could delete the two pieces of webbing which create the tension and thus the curve and replace them with eg 1mm Dyneema twine, which you could then tension to your exact specifications with two clam cleats http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-perfect-guy-line-for-a-hiking-tenttarp/. This would save approx 8 grams, making the device weigh about 100 grams. I use a Sitlight or an Airbeam pad at the moment for the same purpose, so this device will add perhaps 30 grams to my current pack weight, not much of a price for a dry back.
I would simply tie the frame of the cushion to my backpack. I may have to sew four-six loops of gross grain ribbon to it to effect this. No doubt you could tie it vertically with four more clam cleats (the smallest only weigh approx 1 gram each) so that you could adjust its position up/down till it's just right. I know the mesh on the back panel will eventually wear out, but you can replace the whole thing easily in just a couple of minutes.
In the photo below I have simply slipped it in behind my new Montane pack (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-stout-hikers-pack-2/), but I will be adding a more permanent setup:
I think this is the single best idea I have seen in years!
See Also:http://www.theultralighthiker.com/60-diy-ultralight-hiker-ideas/
19/08/2017:
Raincoat Shelter: How
to make your raincoat into a shelter. I realise this is important as people die
because they keep on wearing their raincoat instead of sheltering under it.
For example, there was this European guy who died on the Dusky a few years ago when I was there. It rained and rained as it does. The river came up, flooding the track. He couldn't go forward or back and had no shelter other than his raincoat.
He also clearly had no idea how to refind the track if he once left it, so he was stuck down on the flats with the river coming up when he could easily have walked up a ridge a bit to a drier spot. Pleasant enough spot to camp too! But he died. Loss of body heat. Water strips heat 25 times quicker than air. You must have a roof. See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-in-the-rain/
Not far away hanging under a tarp in my hammock (total weight of both and including the weight of my raincoat, say 450 grams) probably less than his raincoat, I was having a good enough time high and dry watching and listening to the rain and admiring the wet bush, cooking meals and having hot cuppas, reading a book, listening to some music, talking to my wife on my sat phone, etc unaware of his plight!
If he had been with me, he could have sheltered under my tarp and been quite comfortable, instead of dead! Still we might have had a political disagreement and I would have donged him on the head with a rock. Who knows?
I have been thinking about ways sheltering under your raincoat even if/when you don't have a length of string. I know if you don't, you don't deserve to live - but still. I think there is a way, probably several. You can look forward to a number of silly photos of an old man huddling under a bright yellow raincoat, perhaps!
Well, as it turned out it was a green raincoat, and my camera wasn't working well. I had to lean forward to take the photo so it is not clear just how much shelter is provided (enough!). However, you get the idea. A piece of string can often save your life. As Sam Gamgee says, don't leave home without one: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/rope-dont-leave-home-without-it/
I have often come across cold, wet people. Some I have even saved their lives by bundling them into my dry clothes - which they mostly went away in, and never returned! Such folks may not deserve to live!
I can remember a time in my youth when I was a surf life saver. You were always pulling people out of the waves who were in trouble, some needing resuscitation. More often than not you got no thanks from them – which shows how much they valued their lives I guess. One chap, who also needed resuscitating even king hit me after he had recovered, then stalked off. Lord knows why!
Anyway, the easiest way to shelter under your raincoat is definitely if there is a tree. I guess if there are no trees it is less likely to be raining, but you may have to do something else in that eventuality. Try to build a sort of wall I guess. If you can get your back to the lee side of a tree that is at least as wide as your shoulders half your problems are already solved.
The next thing is that most every raincoat has a draw cord at the waist and the neck. If you don’t have that piece of string you may have to break this out to tie one end of the coat to the tree. Or you may be able to tie the arms around the rtree if it is small enough. Then you will probably have to hold the other two ends of the coat out over your knees. I have measured my raincoat and I can assure you that your own will be big enough to keep you completely dry when erected over your head as a shelter. Try tying yours to the back of one of the kitchen chairs as I did to reassure yourself just how to do this if even you need to.
I know you are probably going to be sitting cross-legged under that raincoat all night while the rain spills off it. You might want to place a piece of bark or similar on your head (and behind your back) to insulate yourself from the cold water on the other face of the raincoat. When you first take the raincoat off it is going to be just a bit colder (because it is no longer stopping wind chill), but after a while as you shiver yourself dry, you will be warmer without the rainwater stripping your body heat. Even if it falls below zero you will survive, just as this unprepared guy did: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/thrilling-tales-37-days-of-peril/ If you stay in your raincoat you will probably die of hypothermia just like the European guy on the Dusky Track I talked about earlier.
Of course you won't have a bit of blue poly tarp as I have in the photo to keep your bum warm. Find as much bark and other debris as you can, say 18" (or 40 cm) high, as you can. The further your bum is off the ground the closer to the tree you are going to be and the warmer and drier you will be. Enjoy!
You can have an even comfier night in the wild if you can build a debris shelter of some sort. I have done this a number of times. You do not need any tools or materials other than what you find in the bush, but you need at least a couple of hours to build a decent shelter, so it needs preparation. I will have a future post about this. Whatever type of debris shelter you build, you will need at least 40cm of debris both over you and under you if you are going to be half decently warm!
The reason for posting about using your raincoat as a shelter is that folks always think they have enough time to do something else – get to the hut, find help, divine intervention…So, they wander on and on until it is too late to do anything else than shelter under their raincoat, or sit there wearing it in the rain and maybe die. Some folks haven’t even got sense enough to seek shelter, eg in/under a log or in a hollow tree when they realise they are going to be in trouble. I have spent at least one night in each – lots of critters, but dry, and I am still here! Not having enough bush skills to go off trail is a serious impediment. People ought really to understand how to find their way with their senses they were born with before they venture into the wilds. Some tips below:
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-light-a-fire-in-the-wet/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/rope-dont-leave-home-without-it/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/finding-your-way/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-lie-of-the-land/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/carry-a-knife/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/if-you-could-only-carry-two-things-in-the-bush-what-would-they-be/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-poncho-tent/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-pocket-poncho-tent/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/naismiths-rule/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/weather-lore/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/walking-the-line/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/follow-your-nose/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-long-till-sundown/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-avoid-being-wet-cold-while-camping/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fire-on-the-snow/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/river-crossings/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/an-open-shelter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/raincoat-shelter/
19/08/2017: How to avoid site blocking: https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/bypass-vpn-blocks-with-ease/ & https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2016/12/how-to-bypass-isp-blocking-of-the-pirate-bay-and-other-torrent-sites-for-free/
17/08/2017: On the Tip of the Tongue:
A magical 20C winter's day yesterday, so time to try out Della's new heart and
my new pack http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-stout-hikers-pack-2/ with
a walk in Wilson's Prom NP, Gippsland, Victoria. I will let her begin: 'Return
to fitness #2: Beautiful winter day and further heart progress - Steve and I
did a 10 km walk at Wilson's Prom, Darby River to Tongue Point, including a
side trip to the delightful Fairy Cove. Daily workouts of an hour's fitness
class plus an hour of walking have boosted my heart stamina. More progress
planned: Perhaps a trip to
NB: The walk from
PS: Pack update on a 10km walk yesterday (14/07/2017) with a load (5-7kg). It was brilliant. See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-stout-hikers-pack-2/ Did not need the chest strap at all. The shoulder straps had zero inclination to slide off my shoulders. Also with the waist belt done up quite loosely, the load still just wanted to rest in the small of my back. There was no weight at all on my shoulders. I could slip my fingers in the behind the shoulder straps any time. There was no load pressure there at all. I did get a wet back (expected) – it was a warm day (approx 20C. I will be trying a Sitlight pad attached like this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/sleeping-pad-pack-frame/ . I will also try taking a wad cutter to the Sitlight pad and filling it with holes (eg on every dent) so that water vapor has somewhere to go. I will report back about this innovation later. With the addition of some sewn on pockets, I think this is going to be a great pack!
View of
It is a well-formed track. Mostly sand and gravel with walkways over any wet sectiions
Plenty of hog deer sign
Many interesting menhirs along the way
View south Fairy Cove, Tongue Point,
Fairy Cove, Tongue Point
View North along the coast to Shallow Inlet
Tongue Point,
Steps down to Fairy Cove
Fairy Cove,
View north past
A funnel mermaid
Fairy Cove
Island in Fairy Cove
Fairy Cove monolith
Seagulls Fairy Cove
Tongue Point
Painted rocks Tongue Point
Tongue Point
Monolith Tongue Point
Steve Tongue Point
Tongue Point
Wildflowers along the way
And wildlife: swamp wallaby
Spur winged plover
14/08/2017: Big Agnes AXL Air Pad. Big Agnes were showcasing a new pad at the Outdoor Retailer show recently. The one on show was a full-length pad (20x72x3 inches thick – 50 x 180 x 7.5cm) weighing only 9 ounces (270 grams). It will be available in uninsulated (US$140) and insulated with Primaloft Silver (10 ounces- 300 grams, US$180) versions. The fabric is 20 denier with random ripstop, and the pad has a large inflation valve that seals as you blow.
There is no information about it on the Big Agnes site as yet, but it will no doubt be available soon. If it is available in their usual size choices, then one should be able to get it in 5’6‘ length (me) at approx 270 grams, and 5’ length (Della) at approx 250 grams and 4’ length at approx 200 grams, a real game changer. This will shave 160 grams off our combined pack weight with Thermarest’s excellent Neoair Womens http://www.theultralighthiker.com/womens-are-great-in-bed/ (2 at 340 grams each). (given the savings I have been making lately with tents, our packs will soon be carrying themselves! In any case you would be able to cut it down yourself to these dimensions: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/modifyingshortening-hiking-mats/.
I have always been a big supporter of Big Agnes’ excellent products, so I can’t wait really to get my hands (back) on one: http://www.bigagnes.com/Gear/Sleeping-Pads
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/sleeping-pad-reinvented-big-agnes-q-core-slx/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cyclone-chair/
14/08/2017: The Windhover: No danger to pigeons or lambs from this beautiful little guy spotted yesterday in the paddock. A knave’s bird, Gerald Manley Hopkins 1844-89
I CAUGHT this morning morning’s minion, king-
dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing, 5
As a skate’s heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,—the achieve of; the mastery of the thing!
Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion 10
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!
No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion.
14/08/2017: ‘To see ourselves as others see us’ (Burns, ‘To a Louse’) There is an amazing trick you can do (with mirrors, of course) which allows one to do just that, or even more…It is this: ‘A simple experiment can show how. Try looking at yourself in a double-reflecting mirror – two mirrors facing each other such that the second reflects the image in the first. Then raise your right arm. The first reflection is a normal mirror image, but the second is inversed, which we are not used to seeing. “So when you raise your right hand, it raises its right hand. It’s a doppelgänger, miming your behaviour, Keep looking and something odd can happen to your sense of self. “You start experiencing that you are out there. What’s more, if you watch your arm moving in the second mirror, you may see a slight delay...it’s slowed down as if your hand is moving through treacle. Exactly why this happens is something he and his team are working on, but we know that neurons in your brain telling your hand to move fire milliseconds before you consciously decide to move it. To avoid the sensation of being a puppet, your brain smoothes things out so that everything feels simultaneous. Ramachandran suspects that when you see this doppelgänger in the mirror, your brain doesn’t compute it as you – so the correction isn’t applied. In essence, you are seeing the unconscious machinery of the brain laid bare.’ https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23531360-600-the-fragility-of-you-and-what-it-says-about-consciousness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS
13/08/2017: Thrilling Tales: 37 Days of Peril : You can survive:
Truly alone in the wilderness: Lost in
Available here: https://archive.org/stream/thirtysevendayso30924gut/pg30924.txt Free downloads: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30924.mobile
10/08/2017: The Pocket Poncho Tent: I have completed my poncho tent in 1 oz/yd2 silnylon. It weighs a mere 185 grams - as you can see, and fits in my pocket - as the name suggests and the pictures show! This may be the smallest tent in the world unless I make it out of .32oz/yd2 cuben fibre, in which case it will weigh about 75 grams and probably fit in my fob pocket! It requires 9 pegs (54 grams) and two guys to set it up in front of a warm fire. I will be making the zip-in front door soon which will allow it to be shut down for storm mode (approx 50 grams), and I will be making my Bathtub Groundsheet Lounger Chair for it which will weigh under 100 grams http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bathtub-groundsheet-chair/. This complete shelter/groundsheet/chair will then weigh approx 380 grams (but will also double as your raincoat) making it probably the lightest tent in existence. I still have a bit of work to do around the hood, hood reinforcing and some pockets to hold the pegs, a mylar poncho and maybe a couple of space blankets.
This will clearly keep me dry in the heaviest of rain:
The mylar poncho will weigh about 25 grams but you will want one so that you can go to the toilet or put some wood on the fire when it is raining. The prototype is here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/more-fun-with-sticky-tape-ultralight-mylar-vest/
I will be having the tent and chair made in
Fits in a pocket as I said:
Or the front one:
185 grams as you can see:
Fits in the palm of your hand - hard to believe it is a tent, isn't it?
But here it is, much to Spot's delight! Plenty of room for someone 6'6" plus, and a dog!
And with room to sit up in front of a toasty winter fire. And lots of room for gear.
The prototype was here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-poncho-tent/ & here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/poncho-tent-update/ and this was the original which we made for my first visit to Fiordland (moose hunting) in 2000: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hole-less-ponchoshelter/
09/08/2017: Dual Action Survival Fish Hooks: Fishing in a hiking or survival situation is more about getting something to eat than fishing ethics or legality so you may want to make quite sure you do secure that piscine repast. These dual action fish hooks lock onto the fish with a pincer action once it has taken the bait.
https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Janders-Inc-Utilizing-mechanism/dp/B01GT3Z3GM
http://www.shomer-tec.com/product/survival-fish-hooks-1660.cfm
The Speedhooks can catch a fish for you even when you are resting or asleep - so you can wake up to regale yourself with a wondrous fish breakfast, or an excellent fish soup.
See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bcb-fishing-kit/
Both would be good to use with this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ultralight-fisherman/
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/steves-ultralight-fish-chowder/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hand-line-fly-fishing
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-crayfish-bisque/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-coconut-fish-curry/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hand-line-fly-fishing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-ball-of-string-and-a-feed-of-cray/
08/08/2017: Humping Your Bluey: This post comes from Richard Graves, Australian Bushcraft: ‘The swag is the proverbial means of carrying a load and it is one of the best methods in existence. It has the advantage of being extremely well balanced, two-thirds of the weight being carried behind the body and about one-third in front. The result of this balance is that the carrier walks completely upright: Clothes, tent, bedding and the gear not wanted for the day's walk are carried in the swag at the back, while the food and cooking utensils and the day's needs are in the 'dilly' bag in front. Because of this the swag is not opened during the day but the dilly bag attached to the front is immediately accessible.
The only materials necessary to make a swag are a strap, two binding straps and the dilly bag. The swag strap, preferably of soft leather or light webbing, should be about 1 metre long and about 5 cm or more wide. The two binding strips The rolled swag, containing bedding and other gear, is carried on the back while the dilly bag, containing the day's needs, is carried on the front.
The
swag is
Half the knack of carrying a swag consists in knowing how to swing it. Lay the roll, with the dilly bag extended, in front of you. Put the arm farthest away from the dilly bag through the swag strap. Heave the roll towards your back and swing the body towards the swag, so that the dilly bag flies up and out. Duck the opposite shoulder and catch the dilly bag on it. The strap will then lie over one shoulder and the dilly bag over the other with the swag roll carried at an angle across the back.
An alternative method of carrying the swag is to use two straps, one about 1 metre long and the other about 2 metres. Both straps should be about 3 cm wide and made of strong material, although it should be soft. The roll is made for the swag and the long strap tied securely about 15 cm from one end of the roll. Fifteen cm from the other end of the roll the other strap is fastened, with the dilly bag held in position by this binding. The swag is lifted to the left shoulder with the dilly bag in front and the roll at the back, the neck of the dilly bag hanging over the left shoulder. The long strap is passed on top of the right shoulder and then under the armpit and around the back. Then it is tied to a loop at the bottom corner of the dilly bag. This type of swag prevents the dilly bag from swaying.
To pack and roll the swag itself, lay your groundsheet or swag cover (traditionally a blanket) on the ground and then fold your other blankets to a width of about 80 cm. Lay spare clothes lengthways on top with your other gear. Fold in the sides of the groundsheet and roll the whole from the blanket end to the free side so that it is tight. If a tent is being carried, this 'inner swag' is then rolled in it. The two binding cords are passed through the swag strap to stop slipping. The dilly bag is then attached to one of the binding straps at its junction with the swag strap.’
Recommended reading: Diary of a Welsh Swagman, Joseph Jenkins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Jenkins
A couple of poems about swagmen will not go awry:
C.J. Dennis
Oh,
he was old and he was spare;
His bushy whiskers and his hair
Were all fussed up and very grey
He said he'd come a long, long way
And had a long, long way to go.
Each boot was broken at the toe,
And he'd a swag upon his back.
His billy-can, as black as black,
Was just the thing for making tea
At picnics, so it seemed to
He told me. Then he shook his head,
And all the little corks that hung
Around his hat-brim danced and swung
And bobbed about his face; and when
I laughed he made them dance again.
He said they were for keeping flies -
"The pesky varmints" - from his eyes.
He called me "Codger". . . "Now you see
The best days of your life," said he.
"But days will come to bend your back,
And, when they come, keep off the track.
Keep off, young codger, if you can.
He seemed a funny sort of man.He told me that he wanted work,
But jobs were scarce this side of Bourke,
And he supposed he'd have to go
Another fifty mile or so.
"Nigh all my life the track I've walked,"
He said. I liked the way he talked.
And oh, the places he had seen!
I don't know where he had not been -
On every road, in every town,
All through the country, up and down.
"Young codger, shun the track," he said.
And put his hand upon my head.
I noticed, then, that his old eyes
Were very blue and very wise.
"Ay, once I was a little lad,"
He said, and seemed to grow quite sad.
I
sometimes think: When I'm a man,
I'll get a good black billy-can
And hang some corks around my hat,
And lead a jolly life like that.
Waltzing Matilda
Once
a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
He sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
Waltzing
Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
He sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled,
you'll
come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
Down
came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
he
sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
you'll
come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
Waltzing
Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
you'll
come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
he
sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
Up
rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Up rode the troopers, one, two, three,
With the jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
You'll
come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
Waltzing
Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
With the jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, you scoundrel with me.
Up
jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,
You'll never catch me alive, said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
you'll
come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
Waltzing
Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
his
ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
Oh, you'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
07/08/2017: Ultralight Shoes: I have been trying out a pair of Topo brand trail shoes. The ones I wanted were the Terraventure but the shop did not have them in my size so I bought a pair of Athletic Mountain MT2s for A$130. The Terraventures would have been 290 grams. These guys are 230 grams which sounds like an insane weight for something you are going to venture into the backcountry in, I know.
I have been going around the lambs in them of a morning. We have a really steep hill behind the house (over 30 degrees - too steep for any vehicle or tractor). At this time of the year the frost, wet grass and clay soils are very slippery, so I often slide or fall over. I have to say that these shoes are hanging on to the surface better than anything else I have ever worn. Some days I do ten kilometres on this hillside!
They are also very comfortable. I have been wearing them all week on our evening walks. They handle rough gravel tracks fine. I think they exercise the foot a bit more than heavier shoes. You feel as if your foot is flexing and gripping in them more. They are also a lot easier to walk in though, being so light. It feels like being barefoot, only with more grip actually. This may contribute to my feeling of confidence in my grip and balance when wearing them.
Apparently the main difference between them and the Terraventures is that the sole has about 2mm more tread and a little more cushion in the insole. That is about it. They also have a waterproof model theTtopo Hydroventure which is much the same as the ones I have except for the waterproof layer. They weigh around 275 grams. I generally don't favour waterproof shoes. You are going to get your feet wet anyway. The waterproof layer is just going to make them dry out more slowly.
I
really like the laces. They are oval in shape and seem to hold a knot better
than just about any laces I have ever used. You may remember I discovered some
other laces when I was looking for a vendor in
I also really like the no-sew construction and the wide foot box. I have a very wide foot - the result of never wearing shoes until I left school pretty much. I used to take an 8E through G when I could get them, so I am pretty hard to fit shoes to. They are also very kind and soft on the toes. I notice this particularly with all the hillsiding and downhilling I am doing with the lambs.
As
it turns out I was able to try them on and buy them from my favourite
I may yet buy a pair of the Terraventures. I have discovered that Will Rietveld thinks very highly of them for both on and off trail use, and he seems to be a pretty genuine guy. He has a useful review here: http://ultralightinsights.blogspot.com.au/2017/04/gear-review-topo-terraventure-trail-shoe.html He has a very interesting website there actually, so you will probably be staying quite some time.
He recently wore a pair on the trail for 48 days (which I doubt was a lot less than a couple of thousand kilometres!) I have 'borrowed his photo of what they looked like at the end of that trip. Thanks Will. He says: 'the uppers look like new and the outsoles are only lightly worn. The only evidence of use is some scuffing on the edges of the outsole.'
Most other much heavier shoes would probably be starting to come apart after such punishment. Why not try a pair next time your need a new pair of shoes. I will keep you posted on how well these 230 gram shoes last me. I am petty happy with them so far.
PS: They do come in different colours than in the photos.
05/08/2017: A Fair Chase: I see it is two years since I first posted this. As a result of my experiences of the last two weeks (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-silence-of-the-deer/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/avon-river-walking-track/), I feel that it needs a revisit:
Moose
Country, Fiordland NZ: Looking down over the Jane Burn into the
Seems to me too many hunters long since crossed the boundary between hunting and vermin eradication/culling. In many cases the latter is what is called for (eg with foxes at lambing time) but with game animals we move to such behaviour with the risk that they will thereby lose their status as game animals, resulting in the Government legislating for their extermination. Then poisoning might prove to be more efficient than shooting. Think on that!
More importantly still, from an ethical perspective, we lose all respect for them as an animal worthy of our endeavours. The hunter’s prey should have these rights: to be able effectively to employ its senses, intelligence and ability to flee from danger. If we degrade them to the extent that they no longer have these rights then we are not hunting them; we are culling. Sometimes culling may have to be done – but there is no honour in it. It is an (unpleasant) job! Unfortunately much of what many hunters do is simply that.
Long-range shooting with a telescopic sight deprives the animal of any opportunity to see, hear, smell or flee the hunter. It is culling. It is no different from spotlighting, which has the same effect as well as paralysing the prey. Similarly employing trail cameras (a wildlife biologist’s research tool surely?) to locate, monitor and predict an animal, then to await it camouflaged or perched in a tree above it is not hunting. No deer has camouflaged natural predators which it could expect to strike it from a distance from high above. A deer is not camouflaged, yet it is a master of blending into its surrounding and using cover and topography, and moving silently. So should the hunter try to be.
The possession and display of a vast array of clearly ‘unfair’ gadgets and pieces of equipment which inform the passer-by only that you intend to control and dominate your prey, only advises those who don’t like hunting already that they should act to prevent your hunting. It would be far better for the sport if all hunters wore a tweed jacket and tie (as they used to do in the past), as this would at least indicate you were not rednecks and yobbos! At least ditch the awful camo. It sends the wrong message. A wool check shirt is far better, and more comfortable.
There are any number of technological means I can imagine of killing animals, but neither would they be hunting. Employing drones, for example. Traps and deadfalls. Poisoned baits and waterholes. Helicopter shooting. Shooting from vehicles or horseback. Why not go ‘whole hog’ as ‘hunters’ and employ helicopter gunships, machine guns, bombs and napalm? People need to wake up to themselves and what they are doing. To be able to hunt is a privilege too easily lost for us to tolerate the macho antics of such a ‘hunting brigade’ with all their showy appurtenances.
Having been evicted from a number of hunting groups for expressing the opinion that hunters need to behave more ethically here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/sambar-deer-stalking-103/, I may put this idea on Kickstarter: I call it the Trophy Acquisition System. It is designed for the time poor but well-heeled, overweight sportsman. The idea is that a trail cam will be connected to a small PC which has a Target Identification System. You will be able to programme it: eg Sambar Stag. When the target comes in view the camera will begin filming, then a .30 calibre rifle will cleanly shoot it through the heart. More photos of the trophy will follow of it in its chosen death pose. Then the system will communicate with the remote hunter, sending him SMS messages, co-ordinates, snapshots, etc.
The system can even be programmed to Photoshop the hunter into the scene, eg with the dead deer. If the absent hunter does not wish to retrieve the trophy, he can purchase the optional Carcass Disposal System which will tow it away into the bushes somewhere, at which point the Trophy Acquisition System will re-set itself to await the next trophy.
For the price of a stamped return-addressed envelope I will be offering a ‘hack’ for the system which allows the target ‘trophy’ to be re-set to an image of the person who purchased and deployed the system.
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/sambar-deer-stalking-103/
and http://www.theultralighthiker.com/thrilling-tales-sir-samuel-baker/
04/08/2017: Wonnangatta-Moroka Trip Cut Short: Orinally posted 2/08/2011: 'Back early from three days' hunting/hiking in Wonnangatta-Moroka NP due to sore toes (Have to do more research into boots) and accidentally taking the three-quarter length Neoair mat which was a bit harsh on my bad back. However saw lots of deer, some of whom visited me during the night.' (This is all I wrote back then)
Sore feet can spoil a trip ( http://www.theultralighthiker.com/foot-care/). I had clearly not trimmed my toenails well beforehand, but unless you can get the correct size boot (for me a half size = 8 1/2) and especially if you are doing a lot of hill-siding or down-hilling this is likely to happen. Preparation is all.
I am now better able to use a 3/4 length mat, having had a back operation in 2013 though I usually use the Neoair Women's (340 grams - http://www.theultralighthiker.com/womens-are-great-in-bed/) which did not exist then. They had also not then trimmed the extra 30 grams from their 3/4 length model back then so it weighed 260 grams instead of the current 230. You can put something under your feet to lift them a little. I would now use my Airbeam Pad (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/air-beam-pad/), or a Graham Medical pillow (watch for future post) with my http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bathtub-groundsheet-chair/.
My camera choice has improved since then. I had only a 4 megapixel camera with 3X zoom back then - and was still not in the habit of taking many photos - having grown up with film cameras which were so expensive, and made one positively stingy. I have found some snaps I took however, and have added them to this update. My current camera has 20x zoom ( http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-camera/) and there are even better (though not lighter) ones available. Sony now have a pocket camera which weighs 245 grams and has a 30X zoom https://www.dpreview.com/products/sony/compacts/sony_dschx80. Another great choice is the Canon SX730 with 40x zoom though it weighs 300 grams: https://www.dpreview.com/products/canon/compacts/canon_sx730hs Coupled with eg this http://www.theultralighthiker.com/4-gram-string-reverse-tripod/,
These were about as good a photo as you could get with my old camera. I told you I saw 'lots of deer'!
Top: A doe and fawn crossing the river at dusk. Below a very nice stag thrashing just to the right of the centre. He is just to the left of the 'vee' of the twig from the tree on the right.
They do not compare well to the photo of the doe I took last Saturday ( http://www.theultralighthiker.com/avon-river-walking-track/):
Or this one: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ethical-hunter/
Back then I see I was still using my ancient 7'x7' (210x210cm) 2oz/yd2 home-made polyester-nylon tarp as a shelter. I have made some improvements since then, but it did keep me warm and dry, and was the inspiration for many better models. I used to have to drop this one down when I wanted to go to sleep, and sleep diagonally - but it did use to work. In the new 1 oz/yd2 Membrane Silpoly it would have weighed about 160 grams including tie-outs. An 8' x 8' (240x240cm) tarp would work a bit better. It would weigh about 210 grams. I am thinking of making a larger version of my poncho tarp ( http://www.theultralighthiker.com/poncho-tent-update/) in these dimensions. To be announced. It would then also be great as a hammock tarp.
Here is my old 7x7 tarp.
And here is my 8'x8' cuben tarp (weight <150 grams):
Mind you there were some good stags about:
You will note that you can walk up and shoot a quite satisfactory stag wearing a blue tee shirt!
Of course in future I will be using this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/poncho-tent-update/
In silnylon it will be a tent which fits in a breast pocket and which weighs
under 180 grams! I will be calling it The Pocket Poncho Tent. I may be selling
them. I am investigating manufacturing in
I have long since worn out my original 53 litre cuben fibre zpacks Zero/Blast pack you can see in the photo. I replaced it with a 4.8 oz/yd2 Dyneema model. The latter is still under 400 grams instead of 230 grams, but is much much more durable. I hope I do wear it out actually! I am still using the same Big Agnes Cyclone Chair (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cyclone-chair/ - since 2006!) My blue $1 5 and 10 store cup has been going for over 20 years now. I am yet to find a lighter one
I only wish I was still as young now as I was in 2011 - but I am still going, which is the main thing!
03/08/2017: Fizan Compact Trekking Poles: These
are not the lightest trekking poles, but they are amongst the shortest when
folded which can be important when you want to fit them inside luggage or
inside your pack. At US$59.99 (July 2017) they are one of the cheapest.Add
shipping to
Founded
in 1947 by Domenico Fincati, Fizan pioneered the use of aluminum in ski poles
when the rest of world was still using steel or bamboo. Since then, the company
has become a leader in the market, widely known in
Features
- 7001 aluminum construction
- Proprietary Flexy internal locking system
- Ergonomic EVA foam grip with rounded plastic top
- 1.35” (3.4 cm) wide nylon straps
- Replaceable carbide tips
- Metal-reinforced rubber tip covers
- 3 sets of removable baskets: 35, 50, and 95 mm
- Made in
Specs
Massdrop x Fizan Compact 3
- Sections: 3
- Adjustable length: 22.8–52 in (58–132 cm)
- Pole section diameters: 17, 16, and 14 mm
- Weight per pole: 5.6 oz (158 g)
Massdrop x Fizan Compact 4
- Sections: 4
- Adjustable length: 19.3–49.2 in (49–125 cm)
- Pole section diameters: 17, 16, 14, and 12 mm
- Weight per pole: 6 oz (169 g)
Straps, Tips & Baskets
- Weight per strap: 0.4 oz (10 g)
- Weight per hiking tip: 0.4 oz (12 g)
- Weight per 35mm basket: 0.07 oz (2 g)
- Weight per 50mm basket: 0.1 oz (4 g)
- Weight per 95mm basket: 0.5 oz (14 g)
Included
- Pair of poles
- Pair of straps
- Pair of hiking tip covers
- 3 sets of hiking baskets
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-fizan-compact?mode=guest_open
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-poles-2/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-poles/
01/08/2017: Massdrop Shipping
Some time ago the shipping calculator disappeared from the main page of this wonderful site, so I have not been game to make a purchase because I did not know how much I would be charged for shipping. Eventually I contacted them and received this useful reply: 'At this time the site is only able to show the Shipping cost through the Payment/Shipping information page on a drop. Having said this, you do not have to agree to buy in order to see the shipping cost. Once you hit the green "Join Drop" button on a drop, you will be directed to the Payment/Shipping information page. From here, need only input your shipping information and the site will automatically update to show the shipping cost before you confirm payment or even input payment information.' I have checked and this works, as you will see from my post about the excellent Fizan Trekking Poles this morning: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fizan-compact-trekking-poles/ These poles will fit entirely inside your pack available there for river crossings, use as tent poles or for heavy carry-outs etc.
I have recommended purchases from these folks again and again. I suggest you
bookmark them too. It will be a little more advantageous if you happen to live
in the
Some of my other Massdrop recommendations:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/massdrop/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fizan-compact-trekking-poles/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-packraft/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/500-gram-tents/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-umbrella-redesigned/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-vorso-mark-ii-spinning-top/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-ultralight-survival-shelter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-insulated-static-v-lite-sleeping-pad/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/miniature-weapons-the-toothpick-crossbow/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/black-diamond-storm-waterproof-headlamp/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/vargo-titanium-knives/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/super-aaa-torch-145-lumens/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/miniature-pens/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-inertia-o-zone-ultralight/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-rolls-royce-of-back-country-trowels/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-ultralight-pillow/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/smallest-rechargeable-flashlight/
31/07/2017: A Hiking Food Compendium: Folks are always asking me, 'What do you eat on the trail?' I have posted about this again and again, but I just thought I would bring all my posts about this together as one compendium. When you get tired of eating all these you could just quit life or hiking I guess.
A couple of these are to enjoy at home, but most are dry ingredients which make the meal as light as possible )calories per gram is all!) and use supermarket bought rather than specialty hiking meals as they are both cheaper and tastier in my opinion.
Enjoy:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dellas-coconut-rice-hiking-food/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/lunch-on-the-trail/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/steves-nepali-dahl-soup/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-2/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tasty-hiking-meals/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/porridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/steves-ultralight-fish-chowder/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/mckenzies-quick-cook-minestrone-soup/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-cup-a-soup/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-customs-gestapo/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/food-dehydration/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hormel-real-bacon-pieces/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wintulichs-beer-sticks-on-the-trail-animal-protein-is-a-must/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/he-hiked-with-a-falafel-in-his-hand/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/more-hiking-food-dorsogna-mild-twiggy-sticks/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-yoghurt/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-french-onion-soup-plus/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/super-simple-trail-meal/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-meals-continental-hearty-italian-minestrone/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-mckenzie-quick-cook-soups-180-grams-per-packet/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-protein/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hardtack/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/first-bag-your-omelet/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/out-of-the-frying-pan/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-crayfish-bisque/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-coconut-fish-curry/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/steves-ultralight-fish-chowder/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/steves-pasta-e-fagioli/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cauliflower-rice/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/backcountry-meat/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/calories-per-gram/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/mckenzies-country-chicken-soup-with-lemon-black-pepper-tuna/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-continental-spring-vegetable-simmer-soup/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/soylent/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-recipes/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/more-hiking-food-low-gi/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/carmens-great-hiking-food/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/miso-soup/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-peasant-bread/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-bulgar-wheat/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-soup/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/steves-mulligatawny/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/steves-lamb-stew/
30/07/2017: Avon River Walking Track: Good News: Della: 'My steady return to fitness: After 5 weeks of cardiac rehab and a couple of weeks of mainstream fitness training (on top of our usual daily walks), today I tackled my first real bushwalk in 5 months. We checked out part of the Avon River Walking Track in the balmy, albeit blustery weather. Not a long walk, only about a three hour round trip; a bit of a goat track with some gentle uphill climbs, so a mild test for the angina. Once my heart warmed up it was pretty plain sailing, I am pleased to report. The scenery was lovely and we will return to do the whole walk on another occasion. Lots more exercising in front of me before I get back to my previous fitness, but I am now convinced that it is achievable. Feeling heartened!'
The sun was just in the right place to cast lots of golden reflection off the river. I took dozens of snaps especially from high up, but you know how you are supposed to never take photos into the sun but you do anyway because sometimes they turn pout spectacularly? Well, pretty much all but this one were duds!
And this one of Della with the beautiful silver mirror of the river snaking behind her. In the distance you can see Mt Ben Cruachan.
And here am I taking the photograph above.
There are some interesting rock formations.
Beautiful beetling pink cliffs.
And then around a corner this doe came swimming and wading in the river.
She nearly came right up to us!
But I suspect she detected this rascal!
There
is oodles of camping at Huggets Crossing on the
Here
are the times. You can camp at Dermody's or Wombat Crossing and walk back (or
vice versa). There are also lots of places along the way where you can camp.
You have to be careful of the
The trip was spoiled somewhat by encountering not one but two teams of knuckleheaded hound hunters (the reason the deer was walkingand swimming up the middle of the stream after all)! It is illegal to hunt in the vicinity of roads and walking tracks, because of the danger to the public, to use illegal radio channels and radio tracking during the hunt yet these idiots were (offences which would lose them their licences if apprehended - Huggets is regularly patrolled). Then, they proceeded to camp at Huggets just to disgust other campers with their vast numbers of dogs some of them illegal, public display of deer carcasses and so on.
Anyone
could see that each team was operating many more than the allowable legal
numbers of hounds, and that the bloodhound crosses were just that, not pure
bloodhounds! At the end of the hunt they were still waiting for more hounds
than they are legally allowed to let out in the first place - why the deer we
saw looked so harried, and had been savaged on the right flank some time during
the day, as you can see from its photo. People witnessing such crimes needs to
file a report (with photos) to the Game Management Unit, DEPI,
28/07/2017:
If you haven't yet walked this wonderful track, think about doing so soon. Being winter at present you will want to follow the 'Winter Route' I have outlined in the track Instructions: http://www.finnsheep.com/Track%20Instructions.htm
as the route across the Baw Baw Plateau will be too dangerous because of snow and cold - though very experienced people with snowshoes and skis have done it.
PS: Thanks to Thomas Osburg for the map. It is available here: http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/media/2059/slv-county-of-evelyn-map.jpg I had to copy it with Paint. From the website, or with Paint you can zoom in and see the detail. Perhaps there is a another way of getting better copy.
28/07/2017: Ultimate camo: Just washed my camo hunting gear... now waiting for it to dry.
26/07/2017: The Silence of the Deer: Sambar deer do not have a voice. When they are wantonly murdered en masse with no regard to ethics or the law, the survivors cannot speak out. We have to be their voice.
Understand this, I am not some namby-pamby greenie do-gooder. I have hunted deer in the Gippsland mountains for nigh on forty years, and many other creatures before that for another twenty plus years besides. I suppose the last twenty years whilst others took another path I have become naïve.
Because I have been busy farming and when I get away choose to hunt and travel the bush by myself, and during the week, and go almost always to places which have no vehicle access - because I deeply love the wildest places - I had not experienced the rogue element that has taken over too much of the hunting community.
These people have developed and practised techniques and methods which will see hunting banned outright if they are not stopped in their tracks post haste. We will all be the losers for that. We cannot choose to ignore them because we don’t want to get involved, or because we fear what they will do to us in revenge for urging that what they do should be outlawed and punished. I have no doubt what such vile people would do to me if they caught me (or my vehicle) alone in the bush after they realise I have spoken out against them and am their enemy. But, 'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing' as Edmund Bourke said. I refuse to be cowed.
Hunters should understand that the great bulk of people do not share their desire to practise this sport. Indeed many find it at best distasteful, if not mean, evil and disgusting. They are the majority. We cannot afford to have them proven right by such louts and villains as are roaming the bush unchecked at present.
I rarely ever go up the bush on a weekend but I did again on Saturday as I wanted to have a look around before the sheep lambed. They have now started, so that will be that for me for a while. Plenty of jobs around the farm to do anyway, particularly tree planting. I returned to a location quite near this place: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-spot-of-solitude/ and wandered a little further along the river than I had ever been before.
As we set out Spot and I watched this swamp wallaby trying to get across this fording point for a while. He had three sterling goes at it but the snow and rain the night before had put the river up about 4" (100mm) and he kept on getting swept away. Eventually he decided that the grass was just as green on his side of the river and gave up.
Spot surveyed the crossing with some trepidation after that, but nonetheless we managed to get across without mishap, him riding as always on my back.
There had been a cold wind off the snow earlier, but as it warmed up the wind dropped and it turned into quite a nice day. The kookaburras were in full cry alerting all and sundry that we were afoot in their territory. Likewise there were a lot of currawongs about with their joyful cries. The wood swallows and bee eaters have recovered somewhat from the awful fires of a few years back, and are everywhere, cutting delightful arcs across the sky. A lone azure kingfisher drew lines on the pallid waters of the river. 'Wally' wombat has also bred up again and is out and about, even in broad daylight. I do so love the sights and sounds of the bush.
We came to a huge patch of solanums of some sort (a relative of tomatoes and potatoes). Frequently the leaves of such plants are poisonous to stock or at least bitter, so nothing much was eating them. Dogs just love to practise their balancing. There was an excellent dry wallow right in the midst of this patch - a fine and private place. It contained no cast antlers - as they often do. It was also a haven for wombats.
Something had been eating the fruit however. Frequently members of this family have palatable fruit, but I did not know about this particular one, so did not try it.
You can easily see what is beautiful but inedible, can't you?
Lunch and time for a cuddle. You can see that what is edible has been well munched down.
A poor attempt at a selfie, Spot getting in on the act! This
is the clothing I think hunters should be wearing. An Icebreaker wool cap. This
is a Tomar merino wool shirt from
What a beautiful valley it is.
Right on top of that stone ridge (above left) I came across this chair, which Spot just had to sit in. I guess it had been a good place to wait for a deer crossing down to the river in the fading afternoon light some time back, or maybe someone just wanted to sit and watch the golden river gliding slowly by. A quite reasonable pastime.
Then, unexpectedly, on the next flat downstream I came upon this horror. A true shambles. A charnel house of deer which had clearly taken place within the last week. I hesitate to say how many there were just like this - more than twenty though! Look at this beautiful little doe, last year's drop, savaged by dogs, shot and left to rot. Why would you do this?
And here is another just twenty yards away with her throat torn out. Again you can see where the dogs have savaged her flanks. This wasn't the work of any beagle I have ever seen or owned. Any normal scent trailing hound for that matter. What sort of evil mongrels such folks are using is beyond me. As is 'Why?'
A few yards further on this fine young stag, again savaged
by the dogs, antlers hewn off at least. Still, a total waste by my
reckoning. 
Another few steps and there was another, and another and another. Not an ounce of venison had been taken.
And there were wallabies just like the one we watched earlier also torn to pieces by the dogs.
Such barbaric behaviour is not hunting. It is just wanton rapaciousness. What other base things are such sub-human creatures as perpetrated this outrage capable of? In order to simultaneously kill a half dozen large deer in a circle probably fifty yards in radius, how many dogs had been let out on this hunt? Certainly not the five beagles allowed by law!
These guys are doing everything they can wrong. Everything they can to ensure our sport is banned. You could not blame members of the public who stumbled upon such horror (canoeists for example - this is a lovely river to canoe), or heaven help them if they had become mixed up in it, if they then demanded that hound hunting, yea deer hunting entirely be banned forthwith. And they would be right!
If we cannot stamp out this sort of behavior, we deserve to lose our sport. There are people who are reading this who know who the people are who do such things. Some of you witnessed it, or were in the bush thereabouts on the day it happened which I was not (else the police would have all their number plates I can assure you!) and have a pretty good idea who was involved.
Week after week such vile idiots as this come home with a swag of antlers and an awesome tally of dead deer to boast about, having spent the weekend practising the vilest animal cruelty. Young yahoos edging each other on to acts of greater barbarism. People who would do this are capable of anything - or nothing! One thing I have heard about is folk who cruelly wound a deer, eg gut shooting it and breaking its legs so that they can drive the poor agonised creature back to their car rather than carrying the meat out! I have heard a vile thug boasting at his skill at this unbelievable abhorrent practice. God alone knows what further despicable acts of animal cruelty they are capable of.
And, they are slaughtering deer with vast packs of slavering dogs in our National Parks too. They have absolutely no respect for law or morality. They have no human values. Tiny and I were hunted by a pack of just such feral dogs which had been left behind by such a crew as this a few years ago. I could not believe they were baying on our trail. Dingoes certainly never bark on trail, or hunt in packs. I have now put two and two together after seeing this slaughterhouse. A client of mine, near Omeo years ago lost 800 sheep in a single night to such packs of wild dogs. A pack of feral dogs left behind by such hunters will tear some hiker or camper to pieces one day. If they can rip the throat out of a full-grown deer what chance do you think an unarmed person would have? I certainly never camp in the forest since that experience without a weapon handy.
(PS: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-the-wonnangatta-moroka/ Tiny is my older Jack Russell - she is still going at 17 1/2, but she is too deaf and poorly sighted to be taken into the wilderness now. I would lose her, but she would still dearly love to come. She gets a five km walk in the forest behind us every afternoon though, and gets to smell lots of interesting things there, and can come home afterwards and sleep in her basket next to a warm fire. It is not a bad evening to her long life during which she spent a great deal of time in the bush ‘hunting’ and never laid a tooth on anything).
Here she is in retirement in front of her fire:
I will outline what has apparently become the normal modus operandi of too many hound hunters today. I have no idea what percentage but it may well be the majority. Most if not all practise some of the illegal or unethical things I will go on to explain. I was myself a hound hunter for over thirty years. My father, his father and his father too all hunted with hounds in the Australian bush. 175 years of hound hunting. But we never did anything like this. First of all we had a small number of hounds, often only one or two - what need large numbers anyway? One good dog with a superb nose and a good voice is enough actually - ah, but getting such a dog is hard! . For many years I had Harpoon, Belle, Poono, Mike and Marsh. They were foxhound-bloodhound crosses. What a dog Harpoon was. Better than most packs of dogs. Many people will have encountered them or me in the bush in years past. A young reader recently wrote to me that he could still just about hear my call on the wind, 'Harpoon, Come!' They are just a part of the earth of my orchard and of my memories today, after the dreadful foxhound ban - which alas, did no good!
I spent more time hunting for the hounds than I did hunting for deer. My friend the late Arthur Meyers used to call us 'the last of the hound hunters', and maybe that was about right. We hunted always on foot, without the benefit of a vehicle (as the law mandates). For much of that time we never owned a 4WD. We had feet. Two of them each usually, though a mate of mine, Jock had only one and used to get about in the bush pretty well besides. Still does actually.
Aside: We were going to walk into the Wonnangatta together this winter for a week or ten days, two silly septuagenarians, a spot of fishing and hunting and yarning by the fire, but he eventually could not make it, and I have not yet either. Still, eventually the sheep will finish lambing and I can get away again, so maybe yet...I do so adore the Wonnangatta valley in winter. On the horizon you are ringed with majestic snow-capped peaks. The frost crunches under foot in the morning as you go to do the dishes, the river fringed with ice crystals. Still the trout come to the lure and taste specially sweet straight from the coals. I see many deer coming down to drink of an evening and admire them quietly. They have little to fear from me in such a place. The air is clear and cold. Birdsong hangs bright and far on such frigid air. A Tyvek shelter and a cheery fire at day's end bring such a wondrous sense of peace and serenity.
We talked on the radio only at the end of the hunt or to locate each other as the law also mandates. The dogs never attacked wildlife. We carried out every morsel of the deer we harvested (not many). Some of these louts today are individually killing as many deer in a day as our team of 3-5 took in a whole year. These young blokes are the worst sort of tally hunters. They expect to shoot twenty or thirty deer apiece each year. Some would like to do so each week. What is the point? We never left a dog in the bush - if we had, it would have starved to death. We treated the deer and other bush users with respect.
So what is different about the 'modern' hound hunter? First the huge number of dogs. Each member of the 'team' might have the legal five dogs and three pups in training in the dog box on the back of their ubiquitous 4WD utes . A typical 'team' is well in excess of the mandated maximum of ten. So there are likely to be as many as 100 dogs present on a given day! Each has a vehicle and the vehicle is used extensively in the hunt to get in front of the deer, being moved again and again during the hunt. Often there are multiple hunts going on actually, because of the vast numbers of dogs. They hunt on roads, not in the bush. Each member has a radio operating on an illegal channel affixed to their breast. This alone invites a fine of $20,000 - but these clowns think they are invulnerable. Right next to it is a GPS tracker which they use constantly to follow the hunt and get a wickedly unfair advantage over the deer. Many of their dogs do not voice.
I have witnessed packs of 30-40 hounds just let out higgly-piggly in a valley (not after walking them in on a leash as we used to do on fresh sign until they began to bay, not releasing them until they did) and these whole vast packs were making far less noise than my old foxhound, Harpoon would have been making all by himself. This is because largely such folks are not using scent trailing hounds, though they might mostly have a superficial resemblance to them. It matters not to them whether their dogs have a 'good voice' because they are simply tracking the hunt in real time with their GPS units. When such electronic devices (including CB radios) became legal it was understood that they would not be used in the actual hunt. Nor is it ethical to do so. Having a team of up to 10 hunters with guns and five dogs is advantage enough! But of course they almost never restrict themselves like that. With such a vast amount of pressure on them, the deer are soon forced to 'bail' and if a hunter does not arrive swiftly to dispatch them, the dogs will harry them until they fall, or pull them down and kill them.
In over thirty years of hound hunting I walked in on hundreds of bail-ups. Mostly I arrived too late, if at all. The dogs had become bored that the deer was no longer moving, and had wandered away. Sometimes (not often) if I was lucky I arrived when the dogs were still 'holding' the deer. Sometimes I shot it, and sometimes I did not. Does with young were usually spared, for example. I never witnessed a dog harrying a deer. My scent trailing hounds would just stand around howling at it from a safe distance. I never had a dog injured by a deer as they never came close enough. I never found hair floating on the river water which would have indicated harrying activity. Owning such dogs as attack wildlife was illegal and unethical and properly remains so. If you had owned a dog which showed any sign of such aggression you would have put it down straightaway no matter how attached you were to it. You should always be able to shoot your own dog. Straight away. You just cannot trust a dog which attacks things. We all have loved ones. Imagine what might happen if a pack of such dogs came across a couple of women and children innocently playing (perhaps near their canoes) in the forest! It really is only a matter of time before such large, dangerous, poorly controlled packs kill domestic stock, companion animals or human beings.
There are other elements of the deer hunting scene I also disagree with, and have mentioned before. For example I abhor the practice of glassing the opposite slope and shooting deer long range with telescopic sights. Such conduct is appropriate only for cullers, not hunters. The quarry should have something like 'fair chase'. It should at least be able to use its senses to escape the hunter. I would prefer to see every hunter required to use only iron sights. They would have to have a lot more skill for one thing, and learn to get much closer to their quarry as bow hunters do. Again, I would rather that only cullers and perhaps bow hunters were allowed to use camo. This would give the deer a better chance and make it safer for everyone. I am not in favour of being an ambush predator, especially if the ambush has been informed by trail cameras which are properly a scientific tool. Deer are creatures of habit, and such means are really quite unfair. I think hunters should just have to 'walk them up. This is really the only fair way of taking them ie bush stalking.
Deer are sentient creatures. It is our privilege to be able to humanely harvest them to prevent their breeding out of control and becoming a menace. They deserve our respect and understanding. I think the worst aspect (for me) about the nightmare display I witnessed on Saturday was that when I first spied the first little doe, her mother and younger sister were standing over her, their noses still touching her. I thought at first she was asleep. I was initially quite enchanted, and far too slow to get my camera out. I guess they saw Spot move and they left (as you can imagine) in an almighty hurry. They were grieving - as well they might be. I am grieving too. I really do not know whether I will ever shoot another deer after seeing this.
It will not keep me out of the bush that I love though, but I will be heading for more remote areas - and I guess I will need my gun to defend myself against those awful feral dogs these 'hound hunters' have left behind and allowed to breed up. Thankfully the Government conducts annual baiting (including aerial baiting) in many areas to try and reduce their numbers. This is very annoying when you want to take your Jack Russell for a walk in the bush. You need to check very carefully beforehand that there are no viable baits in the area you are heading for. Fortunately Spot is such a fussy eater he will touch practically nothing, but I would sorely hate to lose him and his companionship in the wilderness: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/not-quite-alone-in-the-wilderness/
Yes! Of course I reported this matter to the Game Management Unit DPI Traralgon as I would encourage all to do who know of similar awful deeds by evil clowns who claim to be hunters. We need to get these vile cretins out of the bush before their actions drive us all from our chosen recreation. Unsurprisingly the officer I spoke to had numerous similar dreadful incidents on his desk. I think the most chilling thing he said to me was, 'You would not believe the cruelty'...Game Management may be understaffed and work slowly, but they are coming for you. And good riddance!
Post Script: I remember folks used to claim they could 'sex' a deer by its footprints. Here are two sets of deer feet. One is a stag, the other a doe. They look just the same to me. I agree that older, heavier animals may have worn their toes down at the front, but those rounded toes definitely do not indicate a stag - whereas a rub line certainly does!
26/07/2017: Miniature Weapons – The Toothpick Crossbow: Miniature weapons are great fun for young and old. You might start your collection with this delightful ‘toothpick crossbow’ which is bound to annoy your friends and fellow workers: https://www.thisiswhyimbroke.com/toothpick-crossbow/ Also avaailable Massdrop now (July 2017 https://www.massdrop.com/buy/bowman-toothpick-crossbow?utm_source=Iterable&iterableCampaignId=144137&iterableTemplateId=208034&utm_campaign=cco_fresh_finds_2&mode=guest_open&referer=EJ89BQ&utm_medium=email).
You might also like this: Micro BB Crossbow: http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/gear/gadgets/micro-bb-crossbow.asp
Or this: Marshmallow Crossbow: http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/gear/gadgets/marshmallow-crossbow.asp
Or this: Micro Blaster Q-Tip X-Bow: http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/gear/gadgets/micro-blaster-q-tip-x-bow.asp
Then of course there are the many rubber band guns such as this: http://www.rubberbandguns.com/pistols/western-pistols/colt-derringer-pistol
25/07/2017: EyeQue Personal Vision Tracker: This great little device is available here http://www.eyeque.com/home from US$29.99 (July 2017)
You can use this device to ascertain your correct eyeglass prescription. Repeated self-tests will make you more and more accurate. Users report it gives as good or better result than their optometrist. It is very handy for on-line ordering eg from http://www.zennioptical.com/ where you can buy a pair of flexible titanium progressive glasses for $US50 or less.
I have been buying my glasses from Zenni for years. The only time I have had a bad result is when the prescription was wrong. This device should allow me to check my optometrist’s prescription before I order. I will still be having a regular eye check up to make sure I am not developing any other eye problems – such as glaucoma, which blinds you before you are aware of it unless you have a regular visual field test and use it to keep track of your visual field index. Be warned. My wife lost more than half her eyesight before her glaucoma was diagnosed.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=fDGBQ1lN_aA[/embed]
I have ordered one of these devices and will download the App to go with it.
PS: You can do the same thing with your hearing aids to save even more money.
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/zenni-the-hearing-company/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-glasses-case/
Here is a good way to prevent you losing your hearing aids in the bush. It has saved me thousands: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/securing-hearing-aids/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=fDGBQ1lN_aA
24/07/2017: Pocket Slingshot: The Pocket Shot might be a good choice if you want to add a bunny, pigeon or duck to your hiking menu and you have found perfecting your skill with a conventional sling too hard (See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-make-a-sling/)
'With up to 350 feet per second, equals 350 km/h, double to triple the airspeed of conventional slingshots
With 12 Joule by using the original Pocket-Shot Ammo of hardened carbon steel six times the penetration power than with a conventional slingshot. Also much stronger than almost all Airsoft, Paintball or Air-Rifles
High Precision and high rate of fire. Allows quick aiming and shooting
Minimum weight of just 55 grams and extremely compact at 6cm x 2 cm'
I might not be 'legal' in your particular locale, so you should check I guess.
It can also fire arrows and/or be used to take fish. I would say it might also be useful for driving away dingoes which might be following you and thinking about you as a snack.
From around $A40 (July 2017)
http://www.thepocketshot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
http://www.thepocketshot.com/store/p66/The_Pocket_HAMMER_%28Full_Kit%29.html
https://www.outdoorswarehouse.com.au/pocket-shot-quick-load-slingshot/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEYmpE4b7Ik
17/07/2017: A Hands Free Umbrella: What a good idea that would be, especially if you need to use both hands for trekking poles on rough or steep terrain. When the weather is really humid, you really need a roof to keep you dry (and warm). A raincoat in such circumstances will just see you soaked and frozen.
See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/?s=rain)
In such circumstances my ultralight poncho tent may save your life: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-poncho-tent/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/poncho-tent-update/
There are several possibilities. For example Antigravity Gear has a model featuring clips which attach your trekking umbrella to your back pack. https://www.antigravitygear.com/shop/rain-gear/swing-handsfree-backpack-umbrella/
There are several other possibilities, such as:
A search for ‘hands free umbrellas’ will provide you with lots of fun and amusement!
One I particularly like is the Ufocap: http://ufocap.tradekorea.com/product/detail/P280367/UFOCAP---Innovative-Umbrella.html?minisiteprodgroupno=32229 These little guys cost about $10 on eBay and weigh about 170 grams. Even if they look a bit silly they should do the job. The ones with transparent panels (at least at the front) would help you see where you were going.
16/07/2017: Naismith's Rule
'Is a rule of thumb that helps in the planning of a walking or hiking expedition by calculating how long it will take to walk the route, including the extra time taken when walking uphill. It was devised by William W. Naismith, a Scottish mountaineer, in 1892. A modern version of this rule can be formulated i.e. as follows: Allow 1 hour for every 3 mi (5 km) forward, plus 1 hour for every 2000 ft (600 m) of ascent.' Clearly the 'rule' is about young, fit people walking on clear flat terrain. If you are older or 'bush-bashing' you will have to apply some corrections.
'It does not account for delays, such as extended breaks for rest or sightseeing, or for navigational obstacles...Over the years several adjustments have been formulated in an attempt to make the rule more accurate. The simplest correction is to add 25 or 50% to the time predicted using Naismith's rule.' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naismith%27s_rule
I think the rule is a reasonable guide for 'track walkers'. Those of us who prefer more remote places will no doubt have worked out other ways of estimating. Doubling the time in much of the Victorian bush is reasonable. In off-track walks in Fiordland, forget it. There it will take you longer than you can believe to traverse a couple of kilometres!
The most important consideration is life is not a race. I have often encountered folks hurrying to their destination (ultimately death) who take no time to observe the wonders along the way. One of the advantages of being old is that it imposes a restraint such that you do have time 'to smell the roses'.
15/07/2017: 60 DIY Ultralight Hiker Ideas: I have been posting my DIY things for quite some time now. Thought you might like to see a collection of my ‘creations’. http://www.theultralighthiker.com/60-diy-ultralight-hiker-ideas/
09/07/2017: Bathtub Groundsheet Chair: As you can see I have completed the first prototype of this project which I have long threatened. I learned a lot in the process, so that there will be substantial changes between where it is at now and the completed project. Still, you can see that it works. I created four ‘sleeves’ along the sides of the chair, back and seat) which you can slip lengths of dead sticks in for stiffening. I used some slats I had lying around from a broken door. You can see the end of one sticking up on the top right of the third photo.
There are three horizontal pieces of fabric which hold the infated pad in the two positions, one at each end and one (nearly) in the centre. I sewed the centre one at each end but I think I will unpick one line of stitching (as it might not be necessary, then when I want to configure the chair as a bed I can slip the mattress underneath it which will pull the sides up more to create a bathtub effect. If I make the two webbing straps a little longer they can also be clicked together criss-crossed to accentuate this effect. I think I will need a piece of elastic around about where my knees are in the second photo to firm up the ‘bathtub’ effect there.
I am thinking 3.5 oz Dyneema for the sleeves and triangular tie-outs the webbing is attached to. A lighter Robic material might work well here. The bottoms of the back sleeves may need some reinforcing as that seems to be where the most stress occurs. I am thinking 1.3 oz silnylon for the floor. I know that this will wear through over time, but should last for many nights until then. You can also re-waterproof the silicon side as explained here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/waterproofing-tent-floors-and-ground-sheets/ I am thinking that the completed chair will weigh perhaps less then 90 grams! As you can see the prototype weighs 138 (but that is with 1.85 oz/yd2 Tyvek and 3/4″ buckles and webbing instead of 1/2″).
Ready for bed:
Detailed view:
Prototype size and weight:
You can see how unpicking the middle horizontal (which made
no difference to the performance of the chair) pulls the sides up in
groundsheet mode. Clipping the webbing diagonally will also help. 
It’s quite comfy too if you configure it as a lounger like this. The Klymit Ultralight Pillow (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-ultralight-pillow/) can be used as a seat to boost height if required:
PS: Only the back sticks seem to be necessary, though the bottom sticks may add some minimal comfort. I will experiment with this. If so, I can reduce the weight by omitting the bottom sleeves.
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/inflatable-bathtub-groundsheet/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-chairgrounsheet/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tarp-bathtub-groundsheet/
08/07/2017: Leatherman Juice B2: Leatherman just keep coming up with entrancing products to separate us from our hard-earned. Here's a nice example, the Leatherman Juice B2:
'Sometimes, all you need is a knife. The Juice B2 has one serrated and one straight-edge knife made from high quality steel and backed by our 25 year warranty.
- Closed Length 3.2 in | 8.2 cm
- Weight 1.3 oz | 36.8 g
- Blade Length 2.2 in | 5.6 cm'
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/leatherman-micra-multitool/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/leatherman_squirt/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/my-top-five-knives/
08/07/2017: Never buy clothes again! These folks are making garments they reckon you can’t wear out (from Kevlar). For example their 100 Year Hoodie: They’ve taken aramid fibres with a strength to weight ratio five times stronger than steel and spun them into a super soft knit to make the most indestructible hoodie you’ve ever worn.
They also sell undergarments: https://www.vollebak.com/product/100-year-hoodie-raw/
Pair them with these dyneema jeans and you will never need to buy clothes again: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/791166183/backcountry-denim-cotm-most-durable-jeans-ever-mad
07/07/2017: Poncho Tent Update: Today my waterproof zippers arrived so I sewed them on (and they work a treat!) I also made up the small extra piece which can be used to close the tent up completely. This piece will weigh just less than 30 grams in silnylon on the completed tent bringing its total weight to approx 180 grams or about 240 grams with titanium stakes, guys etc. You have to admit that this is pretty good for a tent which is also a raincoat! With the extra piece sewn in and zipped up the tent would make emergency accommodation for two (lying down) or probably four sitting up, so it could certainly save lives in unexpected bad weather.
Spot helping me measure and cut out the extra door piece:
And here it is with the almost invisible #3 waterproof zips sewn on:
And zipped in:
Della sitting in the tent - to give you some idea of how roomy it is:
The tent is plenty big enough for her to sit up with legs stretched out.
I admit I could have pitched it a bit tauter. I may put large ribber bands on each of the tie-outs to facilitate this. My sole concern with a tent actually is that it goes up easily, stays up and keeps you dry. prettiness is not part of my lexicon:
You can stake the door flap out like this to create even more space:
And it works as a raincoat:
It is 8' long at the widest point, so a large person can sleep in it without touching any of the sides - and you can have a fire out the front to warm it. Dogs love it!
Now to move on to the silnylon version - and complete my <100 gram bathtub-groundsheet-chair to use with it.
See Also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-poncho-tent/
04/07/2017: Black Diamond Storm Waterproof Headlamp: A year ago I though this was the greatest head torch ever: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/let-there-be-light-great-new-head-torch/
Now, Black Diamond has a new model which blows it out of the water literally – being waterproof! their new model boasts an incredible 350 lumens though it uses an extra AAA battery (4 rather than 3). It still has superb run time and functionality though. This should be a good head torch for a bit of nighttime bunny busting (with a range on High of 80 metres). It lasts on High for 22 hours, and on Low for 160 – a full week, and weighs 110 grams including batteries! It is available on Massdrop at the moment for US$35.95 and I have found it on eBay this morning for US$39.95 (free shipping) which is about the same. Isn’t it ‘Xmas in July’ just now?
'Specs
- Black Diamond
- Lumens: 350
- LED types: 1 QuadPower, 2 DoublePower, 3 SinglePower
- Settings: Full strength in proximity and distance modes; dimming; strobe; red, green, and blue night vision; lock mode
- Rated IPX67: Tested to operate up to 3.3 ft (1 m) underwater for 30 mins
- Maximum distance, high: 262.5 ft (80 m)
- Maximum distance, low: 36 ft (11 m)
- Maximum burn time, high: 22 hrs
- Maximum burn time, low: 160 hrs
- Batteries: 4 AAA (included)
- PowerTap technology
- Brightness Memory
- Waterproof and dustproof
- Weight with batteries: 3.9 oz (110 g)’
03/07/2017: Hardtack: A recipe for folks who want to experience just how hard life was in the past. I think you should try it. I used to eat it with relish when I was a kid, but back then kids were always hungry and would eat just about anything. You only have to notice how much taller youths are today than the average height of folks over 60 to see that this was true! The virtue that it certainly has is that it lasts in storage for years as the photo below amply illustrates.
If you want to eat flour based food (which is quite economic weight and space wise), maybe ‘Johnny Cakes’ (or fried scones) a traditional Australian favourite is more ‘for you’. I used to make these all the time when I was hiking, but I have come up with so many other recipes over the years that I usually don’t bother any more, mostly as they were a bit fiddly. You need to carry some fat for the frying for one thing. Once this had leaked all over my pack once or twice it put me off. Using dripping or tallow (as explained in yesterday’s post) would obviate this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/out-of-the-frying-pan/ I developed a recipe wihich was a bit more interesting than the traditional water, flour, salt one. The addition of eg some milk powder, some desiccated cocnut, a little sugar, some slivered almonds – even a few sultanas – makes the cakes into something quite pleasant and entertaining to enjoy. Here are a couple of recipes you might try from: http://thesurvivalmom.com/hardtack/ & http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Hardtack
02/07/2017: First Bag Your Omelet: Long ago I
noticed that powdered eggs are once again available in
It’s a bit like noticing that dehydrated French Onion Soup ought to be a great resource and meal base but then never getting around to inventing a meal which uses it. Well I did with the onion soup, see for example: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-crayfish-bisque/
Now it is the powdered eggs’ turn. Of course I have already tried them out as reconstituted scrambled eggs and they make a fine breakfast, particularly if you fry some Chinese sausage with them (it doesn’t require refrigeration until after the packet is opened, so you have to eat itall. Oh Dear! It comes in approx 155 gram packets, so it’s not too much) The sausage also gives you the oil to cook the eggs in. A little bit of powdered milk in with the powdered eggs makes them fluffier and tastier, just like with fresh ingredients at home!
You can bring along some tallow to fry your omelet in (as described here http://www.theultralighthiker.com/out-of-the-frying-pan/) or you can bring along the omelet ingredients mixed together in a ziplock bag, add enough water to reconstitute them then simmer the bag in your cookpot - which means you don’t need oil, and you don’t have to wash up either!
I would definitely want some onion and garlic powder in my omelet, and some bacon pieces. If you have brought some dried tomatoes, they would go well too. There are a number of other interesting dried herbs you might add, eg thyme, basil, oregano. Salt and pepper to taste. I also enjoy curried eggs. I’m sure you have your own favourite omelet recipes. Oh, I always have some cheese along (for lunches). A little bit of shaved cheese always goes nicely on an omelet. As I have some salami (also for lunch) ditto!
Some
other recipes from folks who find it easier to find dehydrated vegies than we
do in
http://honeyvillefarms.blogspot.com/2012/04/omelet-in-bag-recipe.html#.WVh_oVFLfcs
http://www.carolinafoodstorage.com/2012/02/powdered-egg-omelet.html
https://atablespoonofoil.wordpress.com/2010/09/19/dried-herb-omelet/
Or you can cook your at home then dehydrate it, eg: http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/homesteading-gardening/146087-dehydrated-omelette.html
30/06/2017: Multiple Use: There is no doubt that one of the best ways to achieve ultralight hiking weight savings is if gear you carry serves several purposes. Thus for example, the Poncho tent I am working on (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-poncho-tent/ and likewise the bathtub floor groundsheet/chair I am also working on below (coming soon).
However, I finished these 12 gram (ea) shoes way back in April. They worked wonderfully well for my Fiordland Moose Hunting expedition on this year's Dusky Track walk (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/from-dawn-to-dusky/ & ff), and I had already posted a photo of what they weighed with and without the shoe inserts, yet somehow it had not occurred to me that I need not carry inserts specially for them when I could use the inserts from my shoes which I had definitely tested to make sure they absorbed no water after last year's shoe disaster on the South Coast track walk with Della: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/westies-hut/.
Clearly though, all I need to do is dry my shoes' inserts put them inside my hut booties and I have saved an ounce! Twice as much as I could save by switching to the lighter containers I wrote about in my last post: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/small-is-beautiful/ Still, every gram makes a difference.
PS: You will notice that in the second photo the draw string tightens only around the heel. The reason for this is to allow maximum air flow out the top of the shoe so that it doesn't get clammy. I chose waterproof material so that I could walk through wet grass (as you need to do in camp, eg to put wood on the fire). It is really nice to have dry feet at the end of a day's walking, but you don't need to carry a brick around to make it so.
Weight of the shoe bare:
With blue foam inserts. (Not very serviceable):
With proprietary urethane inserts:
The shoe in the photo has been used for over a week on the trail so that you can see how tough the material is. You could make them last longer by painting some liquid latex on the sole (for wear) every so often, but this would increase the weight too.
See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/19-gram-dyneema-camp-shoes/
PS: I know I haven't finished posting the patterns, instructions, etc. Please be patient. I am busy. I still have kilometres of fencing to build (another awful section through a dreadful slip completed yesterday) - and it is cold and wet, and I am old!
29/06/2017: I
have trouble finding my glasses yet Mars Rover
27/06/2017: A Spot of Solitude: My back and knee are still giving me trouble but the Meniers which has plagued me for the last fortnight seems to have taken a holiday, so I wanted to get away for a couple of days to see whether I was still up to some gentler country. I may need another back operation and I don't look forward to that. The knee I hurt looking for moose back in April in the Henry Burn near Supper Cove, Dusky Sound Fiordland NZ (See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/from-dawn-to-dusky/ & ff. The tyranny of aging really.
This is a new spot for me, so I did not know what to expect, for example would there be few deer as it had been badly burned out a few years ago? It might have been too thick or would it be impossibly crowded being relatively easy to access, and only gentle walking? Usually I would need my pack raft to get across this river to where I intended to camp and hunt but it has been so dry this winter I could simply walk across with Spot the Jack Russell riding on my pack, of course! I guess most people don't do much canoe hunting (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/you-take-the-high-road-and-ill-take-the-low/) and don't pay attention to the BOM's River Heights http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDV60154.html as there was no-one at all about, even though it was a lovely sunny weekend in the High Country. Suits me!
I was surprised at once by how chewed out the bush was along the river. All the available grass and forbs were chewed right down to the ground, and they had been gnawing at this nasty prickly wattle.
And the many stags are smashing them to bits! Good riddance!
This tiny gully had been thoroughly scoured. There are too many deer here actually. It is wonderful though how the large herbivores create the clearings, isn't it? Did you realise that tens of millions of years ago grass made an alliance with the herbivores and declared war on the forests? The result is the pattern of great plains and receding forests we see on the planet today. Once the word for world was 'forest'. Now it is 'earth'. Grasslands store several times as much carbon (in their soil) per acre as forests do in total. They do this to prevent the trees from having it. They feed the herbivores and the herbivores keep the forest at bay and nourish the grasslands with their dung and dead bodies. A tiny part of that great battle is what we see in this small valley.
I only had a little time to look around as I needed to make camp and gather some firewood. This trip had been a 'spur of the moment' decision. I had not decided to go until well after breakfast or started out much before lunch - and I needed to be back tomorrow night! Still, little trips are sweet! I very hastily erected my tent, as it was getting dark. No great wind was expected so I did not peg it out properly. It would still keep what little rain was expected off me. A large tree had fallen and shattered so I had more than a ute load of firewood ready in no time - and I needed it. The night was cold! Spot chased a stag away through the wattles as I was gathering wood. I could hear his antlers clattering against the saplings.
Spot enjoys the fire, and my sleeping bag. Always hard to get him off/out of it and into his own at bedtime.
A fire is such a lovely thing!
It's
certainly warm enough inside though in that lovely warm yellow glow. I hope you
like my new Deerhunter's Shirt.
Spledid to just stretch your feet out towards the fire and watch the greatest show in town:
Isn't it grand?
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/DSCN4685.mp4"][/video]
I
also finished the fourteenth volume of Poul Anderson's 'Flandry' ebooks on my
phone while listening to some soothing music. What a cracker of a read they all
are. So long as you love Sci-Fi as I do, anyway.
In the morning Spot's bowl was quite iced up. It is the container of one of those Sirena Tuna meals, probably the Mexican Beans which are my favourite. It makes for a good ultralight cereal bowl, if you are looking for one! You will have to fight the dog for this one!
I just love watching the mist rising from the river in the dawn when I am doing the dishes:
Like this. Just so magical!
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/DSCN4705.mp4"][/video]
Looking
back at my peaceful camp among the wattles. What an idyllic scene! In other
countries you would have to pay thousands to find such peace and tranquility.
So far in
But, time to take a look around...It is easy and instructive to follow a game trail like this:
It will lead you past preaching trees such as this and deer bedding areas, sometimes a wallow. As you can see, as soon as you get away from the river, the fire regrowth is pretty thick - and already starting to die from overmuch competition. You will not be able to see a deer far off in this sort of country. A telescopic site, (a culler's tool really) would be no use here. This is the sort of country where the lever action comes into its own. You can carry it unloaded (as you should any gun) but you can quickly throw it to your shoulder as you load for a quick snap shot at a fleeing deer. You must always be aware of what is behind the deer though. There must be solid earth or else you must not fire. A .30 calibre round can easily kill someone a couple of kms away!
This deer path up this small valley is pretty easy to follow. 'They went thataway' says Spot. Well, actually they came from thataway. I am hoping they circled around back to where they came from, and will be looking the other way! Sometimes this is a better strategy than following them. There is a cold wind blowing from that way, and the sun is shining from this way, so they will be bedded in a warm spot out of the wind over there.
You can see it gets quite thick. Plenty of private bedding areas, but you will not see a deer faraway. Very chewed out - both a good and bad sign.
Here are a couple of nice fresh rubs. The path between them marks the edge of this stag's territory. He will prowl this regularly scent marking and thrashing like this to warn others off his hinds. I will follow his line and see where it leads. He is along it somewhere.
And it leads into very thick stuff indeed with just the occasional small clearing and bedding spot. This old doe had just lain down here and never got back up. She might have starved, died from old age - or worse still carried a bullet all the way from the road perhaps. On this occasion a herd of other deer (doubtless her relatives) had been sleeping contentedly beside her remains. I have seen this before. I canoed down the Macalister after the devastating fires there a few years ago when the river was still full of dead eels as thick as your legs and as long as you are, and the banks still strewn with the carcasses of innumerable wallabies etc which had starved.The place reeked and the river water was nearly one-half mud by volume. I filled an empty drink bottle which stood on our window ledge for many years to illustrate this. It's no wonder all the fish died.
There is a spot in the bush there (on the true left bank) where there is an ancient quince tree, a reminder folks lived there once long ago - during the gold rushes perhaps. Such wonderfully productive trees can live for 800 years and produce over a tonne of fruit each year. How much better than gum trees is that? Right under the tree was the mummified body of a hind, and camping right next to her were her twins who yelped an raced off as I approached. She had died trying to keep them alive and they had stayed with her body for weeks. I noticed that a few minutes after they thought the coast was clear they crept back to be by her side. And 'they' say that animals don't have souls or (human) feelings! I hoped they would survive to carry on her legacy.
The deer had even been chewing at this inedible stuff, doing a good job of clearing it perhaps, but getting little nutrition. A group of deer was bedded here. One honked at me and several others exploded off in all directions. It was just too thick to see any of them.
This drier ridge downhill provides a little further viewing than the thick stuff. This particular trail is incredibly well traveled. It has a raised edge nearly six inches high! A deer highway!
I wanted to get a good photo of Spot, the rubs and the pronounced deer trail. I was concentrating on that, whilst Spot was looking at something else. I guess you could see about thirty metres through this stuff.
What he could see was a young stag's legs. After a while I saw them too. By this time unfortunately my back was starting to kill me again (not to mention my knee) so I was not wanting to carry out a mess of dead deer anyway. I thought I would just sling my gun and see if I could get a photo of the bit of the deer you could see for illustrative purposes. If you are looking for a whole deer, you will likely not see one in such thick bush. An ankle, an ear, a nose, a bright eye, a tail going up (How the eye is attracted to movement!). That is what you see.
Unfortunately, as I moved the gun, he saw that movement, and giving me a very loud 'Hello' or 'Goodbye' he was off. I could have knocked him over with a snap shot chancing that the bullet would not be deflected by such whippy undergrowth, but that is certainly the way to produce a wounded deer such as the skeleton I had found before. He would be there (and bigger) another day. Mostly, for me, deer hunting is an excuse to be wandering around in our wonderful bush. I certainly don't need the meat - I have a flock of sheep, and I prefer lamb anyway.
I walked back down to the river. I was probably less than 200 yards from it. The deer in this place are not retreating very far at night from their favourite feeding grounds, but they are having to travel more and more each night for a feed. Along the river the going is flatter and it is generally much clearer. Most places you would get a shot up to 100 yards. Ideal country for hammock hunting really: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-hunting-till-dark/ You could wander along the river flats until just before dark, noting spots where there are two suitable trees (or a flat enough spot for your tent) and plenty of firewood (and access to the river for water for your billy). Or, if you were hunting it regularly, you could mark a route along the river back to your pre-chosen camping spots with these sweet little thumbtack reflectors which would allow you to find your way easily with your head torch in the total darkness: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-thumbtack-reflectors/
I have all these fences to build at home, so I headed home. Unfortunately, on my way, I saw the butchered carcass of a deer not ten foot off the main road, a road which hundreds of tourist vehicles traveled each day. Obviously shot in the lights! So completely unnecessary. The country is crawling with deer. But how many photos have you seen of guys with whole deer carcasses on the back of their trucks in hunting magazines? How far do you think they could have carried a whole sambar? Of course I was disgusted, and of course I moved it further back into the bush. But you see this sort of thing too often. You have to think what folks who aren't hunters will think. 'Expletive deleted Hunters!' is what. And right after that that 'hunting' should be banned! Despite the fact that then there would be a plague of deer, and tens of thousands of them would starve, and the bush be wholly devastated by their presence. We have to eliminate the rogue element.
As hunters we need to be much more careful about the ethics of what we do, or we will lose our sport. People do not need to see hunters wearing lots of camo, carrying great big guns. You can wear much more suitable wool clothing as I do, which will attract no attention. You can carry a take down gun which is in your pack when you leave and arrive at your car so that people will not be the least alarmed. Any bits of deer you bring back can be discreetly inside your pack. And you can give the deer a chance by not using telescopic sights or shooting deer which cannot see you. Your quarry ought to be able to use the senses nature provided it with to avoid being killed. You have all the unfair advantage you need by being able to use a gun instead of a spear or knife. You need to use just your own senses and knowledge (plus hard work) to harvest the deer you take. You should not be relying on any electronic aids such as deer finders, radios or trail cameras. Just your eyes and ears, especially your nose - and your strong legs and back - which I wish mine were at the moment! Still I have had nearly seventy quite good years, and I imagine the neurologist will be able to tweak my back a bit so I can have a few more years wandering around the bush. I must ring him this morning.
27/06/2017: Small is Beautiful: Tiny Containers: The search for small receptacles to stow various necessities is ongoing. My friend Meg loaned me these lovely aluminium ‘tins’ to evaluate. She uses them for some of her tiny art works such as her fabulous ear-rings & etc. The smallest one here is perhaps a 10 ml model (and weighs less than 2 grams). There is a 5 ml model which no doubt weighs even less, probably not much more than 1 gram. Either of these would be very good for small quantities of cream such as heel balm, hand cream, sunblock, etc – or for fish hooks, swivels, sinkers, etc. You can find them for sale on eBay if you do a search such as ‘5 ml cosmetic containers’ priced from probably about 50 cents each.
I usually carry about four similar small Coghlans plastic containers which weigh 6 grams each, so I have a saving of 8 grams (or half an ounce) in switching to these ones. Every little bit helps.
The three pictured Sizes are: 1. 3.7 wide x 1.6 = 17 ml, 2. 5 x 1.8 = 35ml, 3. 7.1 x3.65 = 150 ml. They weigh 2, 5 and 13 grams respectively. Various sizes are available apart from those shown above: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40 50, 100, 150, 250 etc. There may even be one big enough to use as a cook pot!
Of course they look better with Meg’s hand-made ear-rings in them:
I have tried using drinking straws as containers (as here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/single-use-antibiotic-packs/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-further-use-for-drinking-straws/ - an even better use!) but have not found them very satisfactory, especially if you need to reseal them. They probably do suit for one-offs such as single doses of iodine.
‘Micro dropper bottles’ such as eye drops come in are handy for all sorts of things – a small quantity of ‘wilderness wash’ type soap for example. You will find plenty available for sale from about 3 ml up to say 20 ml if you search. They weigh from about 3 grams.
One of these vials is ideal for your sewing needle. You can wind some thread around them. They weigh about 2 grams. I am still searching for lighter - meanwhile my needle lives in my fishing hand line bottle.
https://www.survivalresources.com/3-mini-plastic-vials.html?category_id=133 They have many other useful containers – as well as other neat stuff!
If you wear glasses (as I do), you could slip a needle into your eyeglass repair kit: https://www.survivalresources.com/eyeglass-repair-kit.html?category_id=139
PS: These are the best needles: https://www.survivalresources.com/eyeglass-repair-kit.html?category_id=139 And this is the most useful thread http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dyneema-braid/ (just last weekend I affected a repair on my daypack somewhere in the Gippsland forest with some). If you wind some onto a small plastic (medicine) bottle you will have a handy ultralight (fly) fishing kit: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ultralight-fisherman/ Of course you always need a blade too. It doesn’t get much better than this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-ultra-sharp-knives-3-grams/
See Meg: For fancy ear-rings and other beaut stuff: https://www.facebook.com/madebyemegbye/ & https://www.instagram.com/p/BVd48naHWex/
26/06/2017: Fire from a Can of Coke and a Chocolate Bar: This is just about my favourite fire starting tip: It is surprising the out of the way places you can find a humble aluminium can and beleive it or not, you can polish the bottom brightly enough that it will focus the sun’s rays hot enough to ignite combustible material. Full instructions here (and many other interesting things): http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/cokeandchocolatebar/
22/06/2017: Adventures in Stoving: I really liked the title of this guy's website, apart from the interesting information it contains. Two selections: the world's smallest, lightest gas stove, and how to refill hiking gas canisters:
World’s Lightest Gas Stove – 25 grams: You can find this little guy available in a variety of places under different pseudonyms. I don't know whether they are all the same. it has had mixed reviews. Folks who haven't stressed it out too much seem satisfied it will do the job.
https://www.amazon.com/Ubens-Ultralight-Camping-Outdoor-Cooking/dp/B00NNMF70U
https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/the-brs-3000t-worlds-lightest-stove.html
Refilling gas canisters: https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/the-g-works-r1-gas-saver-refilling.html
The
gadget which will do this is probably illegal in
For most trips the weight of teh emty gas canister, (and not knowing how much fuel it has left) precludes using them at all. Esbit is the most weight efficient system (and I have pointed out a way to simmer with it here: ). My personal choice is meths (aka alcohol stoves). If you are only boiling then Minibull's 'Elite' stove is impossible to beat. Mine weighs <7 grams (https://www.minibulldesign.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=195&idcategory=2 ). Otherwise you can try the 'Supercat stove ( ). The advantage of meths is that you can calculate (before you leave exactly how much fuel you will need to cook all the things you are taking and only take that amount of fuel (I usually carry it in a small platypus bottle).
Minibull Elite Stove
Supercat
Stove
Also worth considering is a wood fuelled stove. I have both the Bushbuddy and the Suluk (as you will see here http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bushbuddy-stove/ and here http://www.theultralighthiker.com/suluk-stove/. I also have a Caldera Cone: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cookset-woes/
You could try making my Egg-Ring Stove http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-egg-ring-ultralight-wood-burner-stove/as it only weighs 7 grams and makes a stable emergency stove in case you ever run out of fuel (or your jet blocks up if you are using a canister stove).
Bushbuddy Stove:
Caldera Cone:
Suluk Stove:
Egg Ring Stove:
22/06/2017: DIY Glasses. You don’t even need an eye test! http://optifocus.ecommroad.com/
21/06/2017: World's tallest tree: who would have believed that this 154 metre mountain ash felled at Healesville in 1872 was 40 metres taller than the largest Californian redwood ever recorded: http://baddevelopers.nfshost.com/Docs/talltrees.htm
20/06/2017: Weather Lore: An infallible weather forecast, if a change of weather is coming up:
'Wind then rain. No pain.
Rain then wind, stay in!'
In plain words this says that when rain comes first without wind then expect a long period of bad weather with high winds and heavy rain. But when wind comes first and is followed immediately by rain, then fine weather will follow at short notice.
Many people are trapped by bad weather in the bush every year, and if they but knew of this simple weather sign they could be prepared, and get out to a position of safety before really bad weather sets in.
Another infallible weather signal is the appearance of cumulus nimbus cloud, a foreteller of thunderstorms. While a greenish light in the sky preceding a thunderstorm is an almost certain sign of heavy hail. Halos (or circles) around the sun or moon also almost invariably mean rain is on its way.
Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.
Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning.
A red sky - in the morning or evening, is a result of high pressure air in the atmosphere trapping particles of dust or soot. Air molecules scatter the shorter blue wavelengths of sunlight, but particles of dust, soot and other aerosols scatter the longer red wavelength of sunlight in a process called Rayleigh scattering. At sunrise and sunset, the sun is lower in the sky causing the sunlight to travel through more of the atmosphere so scattering more light.This effect is further enhanced when there are at least some high level clouds to reflect this light back to the ground.
When weather systems predominantly move from west to east. A red sky at night indicates that the high pressure air (and better weather) is westwards. In the morning the light is eastwards, and so a red sky then indicates the high pressure (and better weather) has already passed, and an area of low pressure is following behind.
Clouds
And Their Reading
Cirrus: This is the "mare's tail" sky of the landsman, shows as long threads or wisps of cloud. This is the highest of all cloud formations, and is a sign of a "high" barometric pressure, which means fine weather.
Cirro Stratus, and Cirro Cumulus: In these clouds the former is long wispy, cloud, and in the latter rounded small cloud the typical "mackerel" sky. Both are indicators of a high barometric pressure, and fine weather.
Cumulus and Cumulus Nimbus: Cumulus is the high white piled-up masses of cloud seen in summer. When streaked with horizontal bands it is Cumulus Nimbus, or thunder cloud, a sign of coming storms, which may be of short duration, or may indicate a change in the weather generally.
Nimbus: This is the grey ragged cloud which uniformly covers the sky. It is the true rain cloud, and an indication of low barometric pressure and rainy weather.
Storm Scud: This is formless masses of very low cloud driven fast before the wind. It is a sign of very low barometric pressure, and continuing bad weather.
A light-weight radio (such as this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/backcountry-radio/) might be a good way to keep up with the weather forecast as well as providing other entertainment. I have not been able to find a better than this one at 91 grams.
Tip: When heading up the bush it is particularly important to check the wind forecast. You need to know which way the prevailing wind is going to be coming from (You can't just rely on the observation that it 'always' comes from the West - no matter that this is true most of the time). A sudden change to0 the east will mean your tent is pitched the wrong way around. This is particularly important if the wind change is going to occur in the middle of the night in which case you need to pitch it so that it suits both wind directions - if possible. (it usually is!)
19/06/2017: Working on my next ultralight project. This time it is a bathtub goundsheet which doubles as a chair. In Tyvek this will weigh around 120 grams. I am hopeful I can duplicate it in a lighter material at around 80 grams. Add this to my poncho tent at 160 grams and you have a wonderful camping combo!
19/06/2017:
Maher's Landing:
You
will see more birds than you thought was possible anywhere in
Straw Necked Ibis hunt the shallows
There are more bait worms and bivalves in these mud flats than you can imagine!
The inlet is also a great fishing spot. Key species are Australian salmon and garfish.
Tarwin Lower Jetty:
Fishermans
Rd Boat ramp
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/george-bass-coastal-walk/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/george-bass-coastal-walk-2/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-walk-on-the-wild-side/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/venus-bay-no-4-beach-gippsland-victoria/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/to-the-lighthouse/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/blond-bay-roseneath-reserve-hollands-landing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/there-is-simply-nothing-like-an-old-port-walking-trail/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/sale-common/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/blond-bay-lake-tyers/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/beautiful-east-gippsland/
18/06/2017: Lighter, Brighter, Better: Three great new Maratac flashlights:
Anodized Aluminium Tactical Personal Flood TPF AAA Light by Maratac 160 lumens - US$40.95 (June 2017).
A 14-15 gram head torch which produces 160 lumens will be hard to beat!
'The Maratac™ AAA Stainless Steel flashlight was so popular, we had it made in a right angle varient. The same great light in a right angle form factor, featuring a 105 degree beam of projected light for increased field of use and a glow in the dark reflector. Checkout this AAA powerhouse now with many new upgrades:
The reflector glows after the light turns off so it's easy to find in the night.
Specifications:
- Length: 2.65"
- Diameter: .57"
- Weight 14 Grams / .35 Ounces without battery ( Incredibly lightweight )
- Stainless Steel Pocket Clip ( Easy to clip onto a hat, MOLLE gear or shirt pocket )
- Glow In the Dark Built In reflector ( Easy to find in the dark )
- LED Type: Cree G2 Emitter ( High Output ) with a life span up to 50,000 hours.
- Flashlight body is made of Aircraft Grade Aluminum
- Stainless Steel ring around the dome lens for added durability
- The dome lens has been treated with an AR (Anti-Reflective) coating.
- Proprietary circuit design features reverse polarity protection and runs off of one AAA battery that provides 3 levels of brightness ( Low /Medium / High).
Using a single Duracell AAA battery we got the following results:
- Low Mode, 5 lumen output for up to 60 Hours ( Diffused Light )
- Medium Mode, 48 lumen output for up to 4 Hours
- High Mode, 160 lumen output for up to 75 Minutes'
Inspection : AAAx2 Extreme - Tactical Light by Maratac 385 lumens - US$ 42.50 June 2917)
'The Maratac™ Inspection AAAx2 Extreme LED flashlight is made to be both tactical and practical. The light is straightforward to use and has friendly ergonomics. The Maratac AAAx2 Extreme features an advance Cree XP-G2(R5) LED for greater brightness and efficiency.
- Medium 45 Lumens / Low 5 lumens / High 385 lumens mode brightness control (Simple 3 mode switching)
- Operation:
- Press and click the back thumb switch to turn on the light into Medium mode. Lightly press again for Low mode and once more for High. Press and click anytime to turn the light off.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- 22.8 grams or .8 oz (without battery)
- 5.0" O.A.L. x .58" inch width
- Type 3 Military Grade Anodizing ( Matte Finish )
- Utilizes 2 Standard AA Batteries ( 1.2-1.7 Volts each )
- Standard Modes ( Pressing Tail Cap Through Modes )
·
- Medium ( 6 Hours )
- Low ( 90 hours )
- High ( 1.65 hours )'
Anodized Aluminum AAA Flashlight by Maratac™ Rev 4 now 145 lumens - US$41.50
'Worlds
first production LED
Check out this AAA powerhouse.
After thousands of Request ( Medium / Low / High )
Specifications:
- Premier Series
- Glow in the dark Diffuser ( New for Rev 4 )
- Glow in the Dark front o-ring around reflector ( New for Rev 4 )
- Each light is hand finished.
- Length: 2.6" ( Smaller than Rev 1 )
- Diameter: .5"
- Weight with battery is 37.3 grams ( 28.1 grams without battery )
- LED Type: Cree XP-G2 S4 with a life span up to 50,000 hours. ( Newest & Brightest Emitter REV 4 )
- with a life span up to 50,000 hours. ( Newest & Brightest Emitter )
- The New Orange Peel Reflector is aluminum alloy.
- Flashlight body is machined of Aircraft Grade Aluminum
- The lens has been treated with an AR (anti-reflective) coating.
- Its proprietary circuit design features reverse polarity protection and runs off of one AAA battery that provides
- Now with 3 levels of brightness ( Medium / Low / High ).
- Comes with clip & o-rings
- Clip installed from factory to preserve finish
- New Stronger Clip
Using a single Duracell AAA battery we got the following results:
- Medium mode, 40 lumens output for up to 7 hours
- Low mode, 1.5 lumens output for up to 55 hours
- High mode, 145 lumens output for up to 70 minutes
- ( Rev 1 model was 80 Lumens and 48 minutes) ( Rev 2 model was 115 Lumens and 60 minutes)'
Of course each of them can easily be made into a head torch with two o rings, a bit of cord and a micro cord lock:
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/11-gram-rechargeable-head-torch/
15/06/2017: NZ Moose: Ken & Marg Tustin have been hunting these beasts in Fiordland's forests since the 1970s. The creatures are enormously elusive. Of course there are lots of browse, prints, droppings but so far they have managed to come up with a single cast antler, two positive DNA samples and a couple of (unfortunately) poor quality photos of them. Not much return for a lifetime of hard work, but an enormous, 'Well Done Ken & Marg!' for such a Herculean effort. They must have spent literally years of their lives living in these remote sodden forests!
For example, when I talked to them in Te Anau in April 2017, Ken had just come back from a six week stint in Herrick Creek, Wet Jacket Arm, Dusky Sound. Like me, Ken is nearly 70! No-one who has never ventured into these wet, cold, dense, dangerous forests (as I have - though much more briefly) has any idea of the effort involved. They could be literally swarming with moose yet it would be unlikely you would ever find one.
Here
is a link to an interesting article about them, and the
I
suspect the moose are quite widespread throughout
Books
by Ken Tustin: 'A Wild Moose Chas'e & 'A Nearly Complete History of the
Moose in
Other
books about Fiordland Moose: Ken Tinsley 'Call of the Moose'. Max Curtis
'Around the River's
This is Jim Mackintosh beside a female moose he shot at Herrick Creek in 1951. Other moose were shot and photographed in the area in 1952, the last certain sightings. Only about a dozen moose have ever been taken in NZ, three of them by the 'legendary' Eddie Herrick who spent nearly ten years of his life in toto hunting them!
PS: The type of river flat forest Jim has shot this moose in is quite rare in Fiordland. There is some (for example) across Supper Cove from the hut, at the mouth of the Seaforth River and then along the river to the Henry Burn and here and there all the way up to the Kintail, but it was mostly all well eaten out by moose a long time ago. All the same you can see old broken branches about 8-9' up where they have been, and they may still use such patches for shelter in dreadful weather. I have stalked through some of it many times. Sometimes you even find a recent print. Considering that it rains on average over 25mm (1") per day in Fiordland, a print does not last long!
Mostly you would be looking for them in much worse terrain than this, up the steep valleys and along the incredibly precipitous forested sides. PS: Even in this sort of country you would have to be very watchful for the dangers of morasses! PPS: 'Normally' when moose hunting you are looking for their 'signature' branch breaking at that 8-9' height, but you should also make yourself aware of their 'browse line' at that height - where they have eaten practically every leaf they can eat of their favourite food plants. This is far more ubiquitous, but perhaps less obvious.
PPS: AS I say in the first link below, I believe I had a close encounter with a moose back in April 2017 in the upper Hauroko Burn, yet there was very little available moose browse in the Hauroko, (but plentiful old moose sign), whereas coming down the slope from Lake Roe to Loch Marie for example there were lots of 'moose plants', but much less moose sign. Moose are where you find them!
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/follow-your-nose/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-moose/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/moose-hunting/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/eddie-herrick-moose-hunting-at-dusky-sound/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-moose-2/
15/06/2017: Shoelace Reinvented: I went to this site looking for a new pair of shoes. The Men's Topo Terradventure has been recommended to me as a wide-fit ultralight shoe with superior grip and wear characteristics weighing 294 grams. I am keen to try out a pair, but I need to see whether they fit first. However I was struck by the offer on the site of a new, superior lacing system. Also note they sell Aloksak waterproof bags: https://www.injinjiperformanceshop.com.au/collections/topo-athletic-footwear
'The Terraventure pushes the limits of lightweight performance and rugged durability. This platform features an aggressive lug design providing better traction and mid-foot stability. A flexible ESS forefoot rock plate protects the foot from stone-bruising while the ghillie lacing system insures a secure midfoot fit.
The Terraventure runs half a size small, so we recommend sizing up half a size from your current running shoe fit. ~15mm of room around the outside of the toebox is a perfect fit, allowing your foot to splay naturally. A full size chart is available below.
Technology/Specifications
- // 6 mm rubber outsole
- // 14 mm (heel) // 11 mm (ball) midsole
- // 5 mm footbed
- // Total stack height 25 mm x 22 mm (3 mm drop)
- // Weight: 294g. (size 9)
Slacklaces are flat elastic shoelaces that you truly have to try to believe. You will feel the difference with your very first step. Slacklaces are perfectly designed to eliminate any tight spots, banding, and pressure points that can improve circulation, comfort and performance . They are flat, wide, very light and have the perfect combination of stretch and stability. SLACKLACES are so simple to use and are great for triathletes, kids, elderly and even more useful for individuals with disabilities. SLACKLACES are designed with the ability to change with the constantly changing contours of your feet and they look as good as they feel! Slacklaces come in a variety of bright colors, and lengths to fit every shoe and every style! https://www.injinjiperformanceshop.com.au/collections/yankz/products/yankz-slacklace
Surelace
System: A Better Fit that You Never Have to Tie Again Yankz! Sure Lace
System is the most comfortable and innovative lacing system available.
The unique design is ideal for walking, running, hiking, gym class, biking and
other athletic activities.
Expandable cords provide an unsurpassed level of fit and comfort. No more tying, retying, double knots or frazzled dirty laces. Slip on your shoe with Yankz!
Many important factors make the Yankz! Sure Lace distinct:
- A personalized fit with two different points of adjustment on the shoe, creating the most comfortable fit.
- Expandable lace cords form to your foot and reduce blistering and bruising.
- Available in many color combinations, including reflective colors for early morning and night activity.
- Uniquely designed for many different sports such as walking, running, aerobics, biking and other sports.
- And finally, you never tie laces again https://www.injinjiperformanceshop.com.au/collections/yankz/products/yankz-surelace-system?variant=6051490947
14/06/2017: Drop
Bear: Found this poor little fellow dead in the paddock this morning. Looks
to be a victim of the dread Chlamydia (They also call it, 'Wet Bum') which is
so prevalent amongst them, though s/he had also been fighting and had a number
of nasty scratches - unsurprising when you see the size of their claws. I had
noticed it roaming from blue gum to blue gum just the other day but had
taken no notice as they are quite prevalent here, though not in epidemic
proportions yet as they are in so many places, poor things. It is horrific to
see them starving to death en masse, as they are/were eg at
Rear claw - quite a thumb:
Front claw - imagine being slashed by that. Those claws are over an inch (2.5cm) long!:
If
you catch one that is in distress (eg after being hit by a car) it is quite
difficult to handle them (you need a thick blanket or coat which you have no
further use for!) as they will attach themselves firmly to your arm, those
claws penetrating quite clear through your biceps etc, so that very soon you
will be sorry you had picked it up. I saw a man in this state one day at Tarwin
Lower one Sunday when we were out fox hunting along the
I do prefer seeing them alive, like this one, though he has pretty much eaten out his tree too, as you can see. Apparently once you start to see them, they are already too numerous for the good of the forest, like the little guy above. It was nearly thirty years before anyone first saw one after the First Fleet!
Curiously the foxes had not touched him. They must not taste anywhere near as good as sheep. A dead sheep would be scattered all over the paddock by the next day! This guy had been there about three days. He was a bit too far gone for me to try! I am not 'Bear' Grylls! No doubt so named because he usually eats them!
Interestingly enough, we used to skin all the foxes we shot, (we usually had a few dozen after a day's hunt - the proceeds paid for everyone's family's Xmas presents) and throw their skun corpses into the blackberry patches. Nothing ever ate a fox. I am certainly never going to start if even crows eschew them. They are vilely malodourous - as are koalas actually!
Apparently long ago there was a marsupial lion very much larger than these little guys. Thylacoleo Carnifex (http://www.megafauna.com.au/view/megafauna/thylacoleo-carnifex & http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/scratch-marks-in-a-wa-cave-show-the-drop-bear-thylacoleo-carnifex-could-climb-particularly-well/news-story/5f6af36d077aa792e55239c41a814ecd). Some cryptozoolgical types (or not so logical types) avow that these critters were arboreal (indeed that they still exist!) and that there is some danger of them dropping from trees and devouring you. I have spent a lot of time under trees and it has not happened to me yet. Neither is irt stopping me from heading 'up the bush' this week - though some much needed fencing is, Alas!
13/06/2017:
A Walk on the Wild Side: You can set off from
Of course I was lucky enough to be accompanied by this beautiful lady (as I have been for 47 wonderful years) and her astonishing dog:
Here is that outstanding dog, Spot again. How he loves the beach!
A blue crane was busy fishing in the lagoon:
A pair of delightful sandpipers let us get very close to them:
As did this red-billed shearwater:
Even on a holiday weekend the deserted beach stretched on and on towards
Looking back into the sunset towards Kilcunda:
Della managed to take an even better photograph:
And again:
So many enchanting skerries:
And other beauties bathed in the golden light of dusk:
And here is another beauty - as my mother used to say, 'A frog's pretty in a cat's eye'!
Twilight combs the skerries:
The last blush of day to the east:
After Screw Creek you need to get across or around Andersons Inlet (I am
working on that - I hunted foxes all around the inlet back in the 1980s - but I
need to check again ) whence you can walk all the way along Venus Bay Beach to
Cape Liptrap. It is possible to climb around the lighthouse and descend again
on the other side whence you can walk along to Bear Gully (a truly magical
camping spot), Walkerville South, Walkerville,
11/06/2017: Interesting DIY 3D Printing Project:
https://i.redd.it/zgnriuut23ny.gif
https://laughingsquid.com/3d-printed-open-closed-sign/
10/06/2017: Walking in a Straight Line: You have one leg slightly shorter than the other. Therefore if you are blindfolded you will walk in a circle. Clearly you need some other clue to stop yourself from doing this in the wild. There are a number of ‘tricks’ to learn. I have already mentioned how to use your observations of the ‘lie of the land’ to find your way: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-lie-of-the-land/.
I have mentioned before many times how you should train the tools you were born with (which you can count on having with you, hopefully in a working condition) whereas artificial aids (such as GPS, PLB and etc) can all too easily fail. Using the outstanding features of the landscape as a guide to your location is an obvious and necessary skill to develop.
I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked by a person with a GPS in their hand where they are (were), to which my reply has always been (simply looking around), ‘Isn’t it obvious?’
As I have mentioned before it is especially important every time you stop for a breather (at least every fifteen minutes let’s say) to spend that time looking behind you so as to memorise the prominent features of the landscape in your return direction.
Of course there are times when the prominent features of the landscape are not visible (or there simply aren’t many). This can happen in flatter terrain (even on plateaus, in heavily wooded areas, in fog or cloud, etc. Then you need to keep s a sequence of smaller features in mind in order to keep to a chosen route (eg I want to continue in a generally North-Easterly direction until I hit the ‘Divide’).
The most common method used to keep to a straight course is to note a particular tree in the correct direction of travel, and head towards this (Below, top left).
When it is reached a new tree is selected, and so on (above top right).
Although this will lead to a straight line between the trees sighted, it can also lead to a wrong course as shown in figure A
Having arrived at the first tree it is possible for the traveler to sight the next tree incorrectly and so gradually proceed to lose your correct direction.
You can avoid this error as shown in figure B. Moving from point 1 you sight tree 2 and head for it. However before reaching it you line up tree 3. Similarly you sight up tree 4 when you is part way between points 2 and 3, and in this way your line is always correct.
This method is good for open forest country, but does not work on featureless plains. There are two systems that have been common eg among the Aborigines for centuries.
In the first method, one person would always go ahead of the others, heading in the direction of travel indicated. No matter how featureless the country might appear to be, there would always be some small feature, perhaps just a particular clump of grass, beyond the leading person, and as soon as he appeared to be veering off course it would become obvious to those following and they would then signal him back to the correct line.
Many
‘primitive’ people (such as those from the eponymous ‘Canary’
It is interesting is it not, that ever since the invention of farming (approx 9,000 years ago) the average human brain has been shrinking. The less intelligent can be feather-bedded by the food surplus, whereas in a hunting culture they would simply have failed to reproduce. As they would have starved to death!
The second method could be used by a lone traveler, and consisted of lighting two small fires which would give off a quantity of smoke for some time. The first would be lit at the camp site and you would set out in the required direction. After a short time, and before there was any chance of having altered direction, you would select a clearing and light another fire.
You could now proceed with confidence, knowing that as long as you kept the two smokes in line then you were going in a straight line. If you had a long way to travel you might light more fires as you went on, so that as the original smoke died down you would be able to continue with the directions maintained by the newer ones. Lots of early Australian explorers observed such lines of fires - then began to implement the strategy themselves.
You should also read:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/finding-your-way/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fire-on-the-snow/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-light-a-fire-in-the-wet/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/carry-a-knife/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/river-crossings/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/an-open-shelter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-long-till-sundown/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-avoid-being-wet-cold-while-camping/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-ultralight-survival-shelter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/survival-still/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/collecting-water/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dehydrated-water/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-twelve-woodlores-ray-mears/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/if-you-could-only-carry-two-things-in-the-bush-what-would-they-be/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/inflatable-insulated-clothing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pitching-the-poncho-warning-this-may-save-your-life/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fun-with-sticky-tape-mylar-poncho/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/worlds-lightest-tarp-clip/
09/06/2017: Ultralight Poncho Tent: This is going to be a 160 gram poncho which is also an excellent single person tent. It doesn't get much better than that. This is my second prototype of this wonderful piece of equipment. I have altered the dimensions slightly and changed the taper so it is long enough to lie out in without touching the sides. It is (usually) open at the front so you can enjoy a warming fire. There is plenty enough overhang so you are going to stay dry in a heavy downpour. Its dimensions are approximately 5' x 8'.
All the sides are catenary cut so it pitches tight and easily, and stands up to any weather. I have added a hood which centres the single pole (which can be a bush stick) and which acts as verandah and vent. There will be a small reinforcing patch inside it which will double as a pocket to take the two guys when not in use. There will be a couple of breast pockets to take the tent stake bag (11 stakes will make it well-nigh impregnable) and a couple of emergency mylar space blankets and a mini bic lighter in case you have no other preparation for your night outdoors.
My prototype is made of Tyvek as usual. I will be replacing the zips with waterproof ones as soon as they arrive. I will be adding another (optional) triangle of silnylon material which will zip in to completely close the front in the event of extreme wet weather - adding about 50 grams to the weight. I will be creating a groundsheet with a bathtub floor which can be modified with an inflatable mat and four short sticks to make a comfy chair from which you can watch your campfire. At a pinch you could shelter two people so there is ample room for one plus all gear and a dog (as you can see)!
The final model may be a couple more weeks in the making, likewise the chair. When I have completed these two projects I will be offering to sell patterns. There will also be an alternative model which has an extra approx 3' x 8' added which will add 75 grams. Though it can still be worn as a poncho it will be big enough for a shelter for two. Its dimensions are approximately 8' x 8'. It can also double as a hammock tarp.
This poncho will also form the floor of either/both of my final models of my Deer Hunter's tent and my 'Honey I Shrank' Tent or for the double model of this tent. If a couple carry one of these each they will have two raincoats plus a tent and a groundsheet for a total weight of 472 grams. Also coming soon!
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-deer-hunters-tent/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-last-of-the-mountain-men/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/honey-i-shrank-the-tent/
298 grams in Tyvek, smaller than a shoe or box of tissues. The silnylon model will be about the size of a small bottle of coke.
It may be an ungainly looking poncho but it will keep you and your pack completely dry. Spot thinks it will keep him dry too if he stays close.
This was my first attempt at pitching it before i added the hood. I hastily put it up in the dark the night before. It rained and blew all night but it was taut and sound the following morning.
Side view.
You can see all the ridges stay taut.
Plenty of room to stretch out.
And room for a dog or two!
I will be making this out of 1 oz/yd2 silnylon with a 4,000mm head. It will weigh 160 grams plus 77 grams for the tent stakes, so a total tent and raincoat combo of 237 grams. If I made it out of .35oz/yd2 cuben fibre and used 1 gram pegs for every second one, it would sneak in at 100 grams total weight! To my mind it would be too fragile then, but might interest some people. I will opt for the more durable model which (with the addition of a bit of Tenacious tape in case of emergencies should last me many years.
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hole-less-ponchoshelter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pitching-the-poncho-warning-this-may-save-your-life/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-chairgrounsheet/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gear-repairs-tape/
05/06/2017: Tier Gear Catenary Cut Hex Tarp: Thanks to Aussie Outfitter and hammock maker Tier Gear http://www.tiergear.com.au/ for allowing me to repost DIY instructions for this excellent tarp. You can purchase all the items you need to build it and the 'Netless Hammock' http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-netless-hammock/ from them at a very good price with excellent service and speedy delivery. These instructions detail one way to make a light weight hex shaped tarp with catenary cut sides. It incorporates a ridge line which is sewn using polyester binding tape. The binding tape ridge line is strong, should not need seam sealing, and adds very little extra weight. If you cannot sew you can buy the tarp ready-made from them for a very reasonable A$160 (2017): http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/products/torrent-hammock-tarps
Length of ridgeline is 335cm
Weight is 324grams
Fabric used: Xenon Sil fabric - 7 metres needed
Hardware used: Split rings (4), and Silkworms (4).
Ridgeline binding: 25mm Polyester binding tape - approx 4 metres needed
Tie outs: 13mm grosgrain ribbon and Silkworms.
Thread used: Serafil 60 continuous filament polyester thread but most good
quality outdoor threads will do the job.
Needle: Size 12
Step
1:
Lay out your fabric on a large flat surface, measure and cut two pieces 3460mm
long.
Step
2:
On bottom long edge measure in 900mm at either end, and mark. Draw a line from
these marks to the top corner. Repeat at both ends of each piece of fabric.
Step
3:
Now we are going to mark out the catenary cuts. On the lines you have just
drawn, measure and mark the mid-point. Also do this on the bottom edge.
Step
4:
Using a set square measure from the mid-point up 100mm and draw a line. Repeat
on all sides and bottom edge.
Step
5:
Now using a length of 6mm dowel (or some other equivalent), and some heavy weights
to keep it in place position the dowel so that it intersects the two corners
and the mid catenary cut mark, and draw a line along the dowel. Repeat on all
sides
Step
6:
Cut out the catenary cuts.
Step
7:
Sew a rolled hem along 3 sides of each piece of fabric but not the ridgeline.
Pin where needed. Double stitched is preferable so a sew another line of
stitching on the outer edge of the hem. Due to the cat cuts you will find the
material will want to twist in places but work carefully and manipulate it as
best you can. It won't be perfect.
The width of my rolled hem is about 12-13mm which is needed due to my tie out configuration. If you choose to go with a different tie out configuration you may use a narrower hem width.
Step
8:
Now take both pieces and pin the ridgeline together, making sure that the ends
line up, and the sewn rolled hem is oriented to the inside.
Step
9:
Sew one line of stitching about 6mm from the edge along the length of the
ridgeline. This is used just to hold the fabric prior to binding the ridgeline.
Step
10:
Using the polyester binding tape bind the ridgeline either by hand folding or
utilising a binding attachment suited to your machine. Make sure you leave
about 100mm at either end, though I recommend cutting it longer than needed now
and you can trim to size later. You can also double stitch the ridgeline if you
choose - which is what I did.
Step
11:
Fold the ends of the binding tape over, and stitch back onto itself on the
ridgeline, leaving a loop of about 25-30mm at each end. I use a basic straight
stitch bar tack with a z pattern which I have found to be more than strong
enough. I measure and mark 10mm lines for the bar tacks, and sew a few times
back and forth with a shorter stitch length than used on the tarp hem.
Also make sure you melt the ends of the binding tape to prevent it from fraying later on.
I use 2 split rings but you can use whichever hardware you like, or none at all.
Step
12:
For the tie outs I chose a minimal lightweight design which incorporates no
extra reinforcing as the stitching is kept within the hemmed edge of the tarp
material only.
Firstly I folded back a small section of the corner and stitched it down with a
basting stitch - just to hold it in place.
Step
13:
I then used 13mm grosgrain which was cut to a length of 120mm, and sewn to each
corner using the same bar tack z stitch pattern as used on the ridgeline with
10mm spacing. These were sewn on the inside of the tarp, and a loop left in the
middle which your hardware is attached to or you can tie your guylines straight
to this loop. Repeat on all 4 corners.
In this instance I used Silkworm hardware which are extremely lightweight but again you can use what ever you choose or nothing at all.
Step
14:
Once both sides of the tie out are sewn, its important to lay down a
reinforcing stitch along edge of the corner. Flip the material over, with the
grosgrain situated on the bottom and make sure you capture the grosgrain on the
under side. A few stitches back and forth should do it. Repeat on all 4 corners
and you are done.
Step
15:
Go hang it and admire your handy work.
04/06/2017: Continuous
The hook you see in the photo is a 3.4 gram 'whoopie hook' another genius idea for simplified hammock set-up. Also available from Tier Gear: http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/products/whoopie-hooks
The continuous loop should be used in conjunction with the 'whoopie slings: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/whoopie-slings-what-a-great-idea/
See also: Titanium Dutch Hook for attaching your tarp ridgeline: http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/products/titanium-dutch-hook
03/06/2017: Whoopie Slings - Great Hammock Idea! Hummingbird Hammocks have one of the lightest suspension systems around (2.3 oz - 66 grams per hammock). The genius idea about them is the whoopie sling tension adjustment system. Here's a little video I took showing how they work. Setting up your hammock just perfectly is literally a breeze and the work of a minute: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/whoopie-slings-what-a-great-idea/
It is a little hard to see how they work, but basically the end of the rope is passed up through the hollow centre of itself, forming a loop at one end) so that it can slide fairly freely through when there is no tension but as the tension increases the outside of the rope (tube) holds on harder and harder to the length that is passing through it. It is an ingenious idea (probably familiar to riggers), and would also work well for tent guys. In the pictured example there is a handy knot at one end to hold on to whilst pulling the end through and so tightening up the 'hang' of the hammock. These would work with any kind of hammock, and can be bought separately from them (see below)
Tier gear also a make an adjustable centre line (using the whoopie sling principle) which helps your hammock to hang flat. They certainly do that, and only add 6 grams to the weight of your set up Well worth it as it also gives you somewhere to hang a few things. You can make a small silnylon bag (like a miniature saddle bag) to hang from the centre line so that you can easily reach things like your glasses or head torch in the middle of the night.
I usually add a gear hook at each end of my hammock(s) so I can attach things out of the weather at the ends of my hammock.This only adds a couple of grams too.
Available here:
https://hummingbirdhammocks.com/tree-straps/
http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/products/adjustable-hammock-ridgeline
see Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-hummingbird-in-the-hand/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/australian-outfitter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/make-your-own-tarp-or-hammock/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-netless-hammock/
02/06/2017: The Lie of the Land:
If you want to move around in the bush with confidence without getting lost (and without artificial aids (except for noting the general northerly direction from the sun (or its shadow - eg on your thumbnail: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/finding-your-way/) You should always take note of the 'fall' of the country. The fall is the slope of the country; if you follows this slope, however slight, you will come to a watercourse in time, even if it is only a small dry gully. This in turn will lead down, getting larger as it is joined by other gullies and creeks until it reaches the river, and the fall of the land will continue until the sea is reached.
So as you move about you always have this fall as a reference point in the back of you mind. You might say you are on the 'southern fall of Rocky Creek' or the 'west fall of Little Sandy'. Starting from a known point you will move about quite freely,confident that all the little gullies and creeks that you may cross lead back to the river system that you are using as a reference.
Whichever way you move, whether up or down, or in any direction, you are always conscious of being in a sort of bowl, and at the very bottom of the bowl is the river.
If you move on to higher ground, when you reach the highest point you will look for a change in the fall of the land. The next slope will lead to a different creek, and this may join the earlier river that you are using as a point of reference, or it may run into a totally different river system. If you can deduce this information then you can move around this basin with the same confidence that you used to traverse the first.
Suppose you are travelling from A to C below
While you are moving around A you should be conscious of the fact that all the fall of the land is towards creek A, and know that this will eventually join the main river.
As you move up to the highest point, you should realise that as this is the highest point it must be the divide between area A and area B. Usually this is called simply the 'divide'. You should then try and establish a mental picture of the new system which you have to cross. Is the fall in the same general direction? If so then it may well be a creek system that will in turn join back to the main river. If not then what is its general direction?
Having established the general direction of the fall, the you will be able to proceed with confidence. In this case you will have noted that the general direction of the main creek is the same as the previous one, and will therefore assume that they are both tributaries of the same river.
As you proceed you will also be taking into account the fact that the small gullies feeding into the main creek do so at an angle to that creek, and you will also use this to help you keep your directions. Because you have formed a mental picture of the creek system A and have related this to the new creek system B, you can now move across this new creek system with confidence, secure in the knowledge that as long as you continue to keep the fall of the land to your right side, then you will be travelling in the correct general direction.
In time you begins to climb, and once more reaches a new divide. Before moving on you establishe that in this case the new creek system is running at an angle to the previous one, and in order to keep to the correct course you must travel in the same direction as the small tributaries of this creek. In this way yoou will arrive at the general position of your objective.
Usually you only attempt to travel in such a straight line if the country is gently undulating. If you encounters steep gullies and deep creeks you would simply follow the divide itself, following the course indicated by the heavy dotted line. You would still locate yourself mentally by comparing the direction of the creek A with creek B, and in turn their relation to creek C, but will have the added advantage of being able to keep two creek systems in sight all the time, thus allowing greater precision in your pathfinding.
Notice
how the early explorers used this system to move with confidence over unknown
territory. Kennedy for instance made constant reference to the ‘Divide’ when he
explored
NB: So that your return jouney will be easy and you will not ‘get bushed’ you should fall into the habit of taking a brief spell every few minutes and turn and face your rstarting point while you ‘catch your breath’ observing carefull what the country looks like from that direction and particularly how your route proceeded in comparison to the lie of the land. This way you will easily be able to make your way back. This is even the case if you do not return by the same route, but usually walk a circuit (as I normally do when hunting in order to cover the most country). If you have looked back and noted where your starting point was and how you got where you are you should have no difficulty returning to your starting point even by a different route. Usually following the ridges (or the divides) is the easiest route.
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/finding-your-way/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fire-on-the-snow/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-light-a-fire-in-the-wet/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/carry-a-knife/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-ultralight-survival-shelter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/survival-still/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/collecting-water/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-twelve-woodlores-ray-mears/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/if-you-could-only-carry-two-things-in-the-bush-what-would-they-be/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/inflatable-insulated-clothing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pitching-the-poncho-warning-this-may-save-your-life/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fun-with-sticky-tape-mylar-poncho/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/worlds-lightest-tarp-clip/
02/06/2017: Astonishing light show: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/05/light-barrier-kimchi-and-chips/
31/05/2017: Things that keep you from hiking, hunting…
I am really keen to return to my beloved Gippsland mountains for some hiking, fishing, hunting but I still have so many jobs to do around the farm. We have been 'fixing' two dams damaged by last year's floods (hopefully they will hold now); we have a new boundary fence with two neighbours to construct in a terribly difficult situation; we have had sheep to sell and transport; we have hundreds more trees to plant; sometimes we have a bit of baby-sitting to do, and we have done a 'Spot' of burning off (just like this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/repurposing-camping-gear/) as you can see. Life is such a serious business! Must stock that dam behind me with some fish at least!
30/05/2017: A
I live two hours from the city, yet I had had over four hours of comfortable driving in the old Land Rover Defender and then a couple more of rough 4WD scrambling to arrive at the end of the track where a relatively popular vehicle hunter's camp was to be found. There would be no point in hunting anywhere within half a day's walk of it if I wanted to see undisturbed deer. There was no-one there - one of the advantages of being a shift worker, farmer or retired is that you can hunt during the week when pretty much no-one else is about. It takes the deer a couple of days to settle down after they have been quite stirred up by the weekend warriors - even longer now that so many are wearing the dreadful camo clothing which is so impractical, unnecessary, even dangerous unless it is blaze orange, which looks just as silly though.
Other folk had pretty much pushed and broken a path up along the river through the predominantly black wattle regrowth to the intersection with a small river flowing in on the true right bank where most had turned off. I was enlarging this with my machete in case I wanted to bring my wife with me on a future expedition as she is partially sighted, so needing a pretty clear path to follow. I had this small river to cross on the first day and a number of side gullies. The little river looked promising, and was clearly where most people go to hunt, as their paths led that way - but I was heading up the main one.
This is what the side river looked like a little further up after you had cleared the thicker stuff. Worth some exploration on another occasion perhaps, except that was where most folk were going. The lie of the land tells me there are some good flats up there somewhere, mostly where those big side gullies you can see come in. It is much more gentle country than where I was going. I have always preferred the harder country because of the lack of company you can enjoy there. 'No company is better than bad company,' I always say. And there are so many good books still to read - which are so light now that the e-book has been invented! I now read them on my phone.
Those bluffs you can see mean you would have to cross and recross the river or climb deer paths over them. Of course, this is a very easy river to cross. (See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/river-crossings/) Still, a lesson is in order: Can you see where you should cross this river? No, you don't try boulder hopping eg top centre. Forget about having dry feet if you are hiking, fishing or deer hunting. You can make a pair of ultralight camp shoes so you will have dry feet of a night (such as these: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/19-gram-dyneema-camp-shoes/); that is all you need. Or a pair of Crocs if you aren't handy.
Boulder hopping or log walking will just get you a nasty fall sometime far from help, perhaps a broken leg or fractured skull, or even death if you get swept away under a log jam. You should cross where the current is least (not necessarily where it is shallowest - do not worry about getting your thermometer wet; it will still work!), and where the bottom is not rock, but sand and gravel so you don't slip - so step between the two large boulders centre left and work your way across above the two small rocks centre. That is where the water is slowest and you can see soft bottom between the rocks. You should try to cross facing upriver or downriver to minimise being knocked off your feet by the current. I find upriver best.
A stout stick (or hiking poles) will provide you with a third or fourth leg to help with balance. Many people say you should hold the pole upstream, but I favour downstream. Always undo your chest and hip belt, no matter how small the crossing. It is a good habit which will one day save your life. If you are swept away with your pack cinched up, you are in dire trouble. If the current is clearly such that you will likely be swept off your feet, either don't cross at all or find a very long straight section where you can paddle across using your inflated sleeping mat as a kick board with your pack tied on top. You may have to walk quite a ways up or down a river to find such a spot. I have sometimes spent most of a day about finding just such a suitable crossing point in swollen rivers. And I have camped out for the better part of a week, waiting. So, don't you be impatient with your life! You may not get another! Certainly you would be lucky to get another half so good as the one we have!
After the crossing there were a number of flats and bluffy ridges to cross, an interesting anabranch with numerous wallows, one containing a large stag which fled noisily and precipitously, his klaxon on full volume. It was a fine warm day in late autumn and I was walking into the westering sun so that the sun winked endless reflections off the rippling water. I do love the echoic roar of fast white water. There were numerous rapids but nothing above Grade 2 and there was plenty of water for a future packrafting trip, which I have subsequently made. Delightful. I wish I had had my Klymit pack raft with me on this occasion: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-packraft/ (but...'If wishes were fishes...')
The autumn break had long since arrived, so there was feed aplenty in the bush, such that any game was like to be in good condition. The wombats and wallabies were fat enough you had nearly to kick them out of the way. The air was alive with the beat of bronze-wing pigeon's wings, wood swallows' curving flight, currawongs calling. Wrens and sitellas crept along every branch rattling the bark. The tree fern gullies rang with lyrebird song... Below, a honeyeater taking the sun:
And above, a wood swallow, such a lambent grey:
As you push along a river, you scatter the riverfolk before you. Time and again a blue crane croaks and rises awkwardly to claw his way pterodactyl-like upstream. Black and wood ducks scatter or loudly clap away around a bend. Every so often there is the soft dipping graceful flight of a blue jay, my favourite. And then I hear the whistle and click and I see the painted beauty of a bee-eater scything through the sky. Water dragons flop into the river; every so often a water rat glides off a wet bank otter-like. You can sometimes see the painted shards on the shingle where they have feasted on molluscs or small crustaceans.
This first trip here I only got about as far the first day as you could get in a half day if you were vehicle camping (way back there) and the track was already clear. I camped the night on the ground under my old home made 7' by 7' two ounce weight nylon tarp (below), as I was tired and there just weren't any suitable trees in the only suitable spot close to water. This is sometimes the case with hammock camping, so you should be flexible enough that you can camp on the ground. See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-hunting-till-dark/. This tarp cost me $7 a metre to make many years ago, so it cost less than $30 intoto , and I have had about a thousand dollars use out of it!
A tarp of these dimensions is pretty much the minimum for shelter for one person. For two you need something slightly bigger, such as my 8' x 8' 'winged' 200 gram cuben tarp I have mentioned many times. You can sleep sideways in it under the overhang and stay quite dry unless the weather circles the compass, in which case you will have to swing it round too - but that just about never happens. You worry too much!. You can have a nice cheery fire out the front, like this. You can instead use it as a hammock tarp and it will still keep you quite dry. In silnylon it would weigh about 220 grams. In cuben even less. I am going to make up my poncho in this 7'x7' configuration soon, as it will be even handier if it is your raincoat too: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hole-less-ponchoshelter/. The waterproof zios now available are quite magical.
I cooked my meal on the Bushbuddy stove (shown): http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bushbuddy-stove/, some Chinese sausage with mash and Surprise peas. A fair meal, but I have better. (Try a search above for 'Food')
The cuben tarp with one 'wing' closed. You can see it again here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-camping-double-bunking/
I can tell you are thinking I haven't got enough gear for a few night's camping in the bush when temperatures may fall to freezing. That (230 gram cuben fibre) pack looks just too small to contain a change of (warm) clothes, a raincoat, sleeping bag, food, etc. However, I can see that I even had enough space for a small quantity of Bacardi 151 rum in case the nights got just too cold! You take too much! By the time I was sitting down to tea in the tarp (as you see me) the temperature was already falling down to 5C or less, but I am still in my shirtsleeves. This is what having a warm open shelter with a fire out the front is all about! You really need one of those Big Agnes Cyclone chairs I have got (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cyclone-chair/) and the Thermarest Neoair mat if you haven't already got one to be really comfy. I see from the photo that this was before they came up with the women's model (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/womens-are-great-in-bed/), or perhaps I took the one with the rectangular corners as it is more suitable for hammock camping. I have not bothered with a ground sheet as the ground was nice and dry after that warm sunny day. I had an emergency space blanket I could use ( 50 grams - as above) if it rained. If you want an idea of what I carry for a fair expedition, have a look at the list here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-gorilla-in-the-hand/
I had stopped at this spot where a tree-choked blackberry gully entered the river because the way ahead was closed by bluffs on each side of the river and a hugely dense blackberry thicket. There were good numbers of deer up the side gully and a dozen or so came down just after dusk to serenade me as I cooked my supper. You could see their eyes winking like fireflies in the light of my head torch just outside the circle of the firelight. They usually vent their disapproval like busy traffic for five minutes or so, then move on about their own cervine business.
It looked too thick to hunt up the side gully though. Perhaps it opens up further up. On the map it is many kilometres long, and carries a lot of water in a wet season judging by the debris where it joins the river. This is sometimes the case. I still haven't checked it out. There are many such stream bends to peer around whose surprises I may never see. The far horizon retreats just as quickly as your footsteps advance. And time waits for no man.
In
the morning I put off work long enough to snag a trout for my breakfast on a
hand line (See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ultralight-fisherman/)
Alfoil grilled trout with muesli might not be everyone's view of ambrosia, but
I felt they were pretty good. These
The next day I had nearly 200 metres of blackberry regrowth to hack a tunnel through almost straightaway. In places it was 12' high and thick as your wrist, so it was hard going., and as a result I did not get very far the second day. Not even a deer had penetrated this thicket. It was a narrow gorgy section both sides of the river at this point so it was clear no-one had penetrated further for some years either. Of course I was using this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-worlds-greatest-machete/ You should get one(or two). Up to this point, the first day and a half's hacking had seemed pretty unpromising. Sure, there were deer about. I had several honk at me and a few others crash away into the bush. One had even ploughed across the swollen river, unseen because of the thick regrowth, but you have to be able to actually see them if you are going to take one home.
The bush is sprinkled with scenes of great beauty, yet it can be improved: here a bower bird has scoured the bush to find blue coloured objects (as they do). No other colour stands out quite so well in our forests. He has made a pretty spot for himself underneath the blackberry and dogwood fronds and amongst the wild marshmallow. You hope his efforts were rewarded with a doting mate!
I guess other people had expected that the thick stuff would go on forever and had given up on this particular valley which is why I had it pretty much to myself. I was beginning to think so too, I must confess but once clear of this horror patch of blackberries the river flats on both sides started to open up a bit. Sometimes you could see a hundred yards through the trees, plenty enough to encourage me further on. Also, the deer I was beginning to see were now much less spooky. Instead of honking and crashing off, I was at least getting to see them for a bit. After lunch (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/lunch-on-the-trail/) I watched a doe with twin poddies (very unusual) for a few minutes before she grazed off around the corner of a side gully.
If you are watching deer, or any other animal never look them in the eye. Indeed, when they look at you, lower your gaze, or even bend double as if grazing. If you continue to ignore them in this way, they will usually ignore you too so long as you don't move quickly. Just watch one of Attenborough's documentaries how slowly a tiger for example stalks his prey even though he is always in broad daylight. You can stalk right up to a black wallaby, for example like this without spooking them. I have often demonstrated this to disbelievers, usually concluding the demonstration by snatching the startled hopper up by his tail, something which I do not recommend with a full size kangaroo - or a sambar deer! I have tried - both!
I love to watch the does gliding with their young, and the young gamboling like little lambs, running in circles, climbing and jumping from anthills, while the does move.ever.so.slowly - almost like wind-up deer, always with a front hoof poised quivering in the air, ready for a warning stomp telling the small flock: 'Fly. Danger! And, in the wink of an eye they all disappear into the hushed silence of the bush.
Kookaburras delight in warning you that deer are moving just ahead: 'Up this side gully. Quickly!' Their raucous cries echo off the ridges. Of course they have their dawn and evening chorus. That's not what I mean. How often have they alerted me to a big doe or stag just out of sight, but which I can then stalk. When I am chain-sawing firewood at home they will swoop between my face and the saw, their wings almost beating against my nose to snatch a grub or a wood roach my sawing has just revealed. Maybe they have feasted oft enough on venison, they are encouraging us onwards, 'Feed me' they call. Anyway, their daytime chorus ought not be ignored. I have followed their advice successfully many times.
As dusk swiftly approached the clearings on the other side of the river at this point were becoming a little more interesting, whereas I was walking along a narrow strip beside the river on mine, with just a thin string of spindly bushes along the river bank. I admit I was concentrating on the other side (though I had no intention of shooting something on the far side) as it seemed there was no cover to hide a deer on mine - only a bit of tussock and the low bushes. Yet suddenly this lovely stag stood right up from among the tussock, appearing as if from nowhere under the overhanging branches of a large bedraggled gum. There he stood glowing with robust health in his glory, framed by the westering sun and the succulent native willow. There was no skillful stalk or triumph of trick shooting in this encounter. It was just a second's effort to throw my lever action up and send a bullet into his chest.
Somehow, no matter how many times you do this, you always expect that the loud report will drop them like a stone - and perhaps half the time this is so, but this guy just steamed off through the river like a locomotive. The water was shoulder high, yet he must have made a bow-wave three feet high as he clove the torrent. I drove another round into his chest as he crossed the river, but he showed no slackening. When he hit the other bank he turned 90 degrees and ran up it at a gallop, quickly disappearing from sight round a slight bend through the thick undergrowth. You always think, 'Damn. Another miss', but your confidence in your practiced skill tells you that both those rounds went soundly home, and this big guy has to be lying dead just around the corner very soon.
It doesn't pay to rush ahead to check though, as likely this will just spook him further if he has any puff left at all, making him just that much harder to find if he manages to run off further, maybe into an acre or two of thick man-ferns. If you give him a spell, he will stop to try and understand what all the noise was, but when he stops he will just lie down quietly and die. So, that's how I found him, just around the corner: he had crashed through that thick stuff behind him, and as soon as he was free and clear he paused an instant, crumpled and was gone. I always feel a terrible sense of loss when I kill anything. I will probably just stop someday when the pain of spoiled beauty becomes too great. But it was not this day!
And there he lies, still. In the photo the river doesn't look all that deep,or the current very great, but it is and it was. It was getting along at quite a fast walking pace here, so would have bowled me over like a straw man had I tried to cross, and swept me over rapids and what I would describe as 'an entertaining drop' if I was white water canoeing! And of course the water was icy. I had also seen nowhere I could have crossed safely either the previous day or this. And there was only a little over an hour of daylight left, as there usually is.
I
headed upriver, hoping for a crossing, but I soon concluded I would have to
camp and find a way across on the next day. I found a couple of suitable
saplings to swing my hammock right next to a splendid sandy beach on the
riverbank. Here it is in the morning light. Nothing better than this on the
If you have not tried hammock camping, you should. I was using a homemade hammock back then made of the same 2 oz stuff (coated ripstop nylon) as the tarp. It weighed around 350 grams including the dyneema suspension 'ropes'. I am currently trialing one of these: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-hummingbird-in-the-hand/ which weighs less than 150. They are truly splendid hammocks.
Here is a snap of me taking the sun in one on the shores of Dusky Sound Fiordland last month (April, 2017) while I watched some miniature (Hector's) dolphins playing and frolicking in the limpid waters of the fiord. If you have not yet been there, put it on your 'bucket list'. See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/from-dawn-to-dusky/ BTW: I have now realised that I just missed a moose in the Hauroko Burn on my second day out. A photo would have been rewarded by a $100,000 prize, but would have been worth far more in achievement and memory than any money. Whether I will live to have another such opportunity, who can tell? Never ignore your sense of smell! - see Dusky 2.
The moving light-play over the embers in the fire, the soft roar of the river, the mournful note of the mopoke and the moonlight creeping low over the frosty mountains are better than any entertainment on TV. What need is there of other company? You can safely give your heart to the mountains, knowing you will need no other friend. The awesome stillness of solitude is all the balm the troubled soul hearkens for. You can still fairly feel the warmth glowing out at you from the colas of my modest campfire. It was a colder night than my first and quickly fell to freezing, yet I was warm, sheltered in my hammock by the tarp, listening to some pleasant music and enjoying a quiet tipple of rum, some macadamias, beef jerky - and a hearty trail soup, such as this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-coconut-fish-curry/
I always sleep on my back in the hammock (insulated by my Neoair sleeping mat and a couple of small pieces of closed cell foam for my elbows. I have a small pillow which I put under my knees, not under my head; this is necessary: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/exped-ultralight-pillow/. It is more comfortable than any bed. There are no lumps or sticks to poke at you, and no creepy-crawlies running over your face as sometimes happens on the ground. A gentle, rhythmic sway quickly eases you to sleep, and you wake free of aches and pains which hard ground sometimes brings. There is also no danger your bed will get inundated if it rains in torrents, and you don't need a flat spot. There is also no danger of being struck by lightning!
I was moving in the dawn after a breakfast just of muesli chased down with a cup of black coffee next morning. Not long afterwards I tripped over this heavy hunting stand in the long tussocks. It had clearly lain there these twenty years or more. What an incredible thing to have lugged so far through the wild bush! The placid bend where I had camped had it seems many times before been the camp of others - as it will doubtless be in future when I too am dust. In Fiordland, moose hunting I had tripped over a barbed wire fence deep in the near impenetrable jungle. There are few places others have not trod before, yet it is the feeling of solitude, of being the first, of being quite alone in the wilderness which leads us back again and again to push on and explore the wild places by ourselves.
There were plenty of other deer about in the dawn, as indeed there had been in the gathering dusk the night before. I had watched a pair of does with their young frolicking and grazing not 200 yards from where I had shot the stag, and not half an hour afterwards! This is quite normal in undisturbed country. I passed a much better stag busy in a wallow right out in the open on the river margin next morning, again something you frequently see in undisturbed habitat, but not so much elsewhere. I had pretty much walked right by him (no more than twenty metres away) before he deigned to abandon his joyful smelly excesses, let forth a desultory bugle at me and rush off into the whippy undergrowth. Soon I discovered a truly beautiful flat, and clearly an old route once 'properly' blazed. Look at that feed! Note also the coprosma have been stripped of berries, yet it is fruit time! A promising sign. Deer do love mast.
Many
wild fruits are edible (some even palatable). Both prickly (shown here) and
sweet coprosma are quite pleasant. Also lillypilly, pittosporum and wild cherry.
(I doubt deer get many wild cherry as they usually browse it as high as they
can reach - if you are ever in Fiordland 'moose hunting' as I am fond of doing,
you will notice the browse line is nearly 3' higher. Those guys really are
monsters!). Contrary to popular belief plants which ooze white sap are not
universally poisonous (though the sap may be) . Figs are a case in point,
though there are not many wild figs in
These fruits are fine (providing you have correctly identified them), but if you are tempted to try an unfamiliar fruit, you should first split it and touch the damp flesh to your lip, then wait five minutes. If nothing untoward happens, then touch it to your tongue and wait again. Next chew it a couple of times, then spit it out. If nothing at all has happened it is almost certainly fine to eat, though some things can make you scour especially in large doses. Interestingly enough, we know a lot about the edibility of many Australian plants from the likes of Sir Joseph Banks who was always keen to try eating new things. Again, the colony nearly starved a number of times (particularly 1791), so lots of plants were tried perforce, sea purslane and pigface for example. Europeans rapidly discovered just about as many edible plants in a decade as the previous inhabitants had in a much longer time. The latter were masters though at extracting poisons from otherwise inedible things, like cycads. Don't even try.
As the morning wore on, the river continued deep and swift with nothing in the way of a single safe crossing. The flats on the other side were truly beautiful though. Like a manicured park sprinkled with ash and peppermint gums. They would make good hunting once I discovered the fords the deer used. Fords are one of the best spots to lie in wait for them actually (if you are an ambush predator, which I am not; I get bored waiting, ever eager for new sights and sounds, and not much worried whether I ever take another deer). You can use the westering sun as a kind of spotlight to get a clear shot at the deer as they tiptoe across. This way you can (legally) take them quite close to dark. You need to position yourself though so that your shot will impact a river bank upstream and not skate along the river perhaps endangering someone else kilometres away. And, ideally you need to have already established a campsite quite close by. At least there will be plenty of water for your billy. There is also plenty of fallen timber for your campfire opposite. You could camp there for a year without using it all up, by the looks. Notice the animal drinking spot, centre. That would be a great side gully beyond. I bet there are many adventures to be had there.
Look at this beautiful wallow I found. You can see how the stag has been using the trunks of the trees as his towel. They are well coated with malodourous mud. Here would be a good spot to search for a cast antler, or to wait for him to return as dusk or dawn. You should drag a branch through the bottom if you want to find one,as they are usually found rolled into it. If you find one it will give you a good indication of the size of the resident stag.
Finally I found just such a crossing: the water is slower and shallower here, but still waist deep. You can just make out a deer path on the opposite bank. The bracken flats opposite would make a sheltered 'nursery' area. It had taken nearly half a day to find a suitable crossing. I still needed a stout branch as a prop to prevent myself from being toppled over. I took another three hours to walk back to 'my' stag by which time I was long dry. Unfortunately he had now been lying there for a full twenty-four hours, all day in quite hot sun. His skin would 'slip' and I could not trust the meat would not have begun to spoil since he had not even been gutted. A sad waste really.
I deeply regretted my precipitate action in shooting him in the first place now. So often it is just much better to admire and wonder. I have done so many times since. Deer hunting is mostly an excuse for me to get out hiking and camping (sometimes into places you otherwise could not go, such as our 'National Parks' which are being saved for future generations, rather than ourselves).
And here he is, lying as he fell (with my gun tangled in his rack!) I know the river looks as if you might cross there, but I can assure you I would have been swept away - and there were some particularly nasty rapids downstream. You just can't take such a chance particularly when you are all alone in the wilderness. He was, as you can see, as fat as mud!
On another trip I found these (two) beautiful crossing points a further hour's walk up the river. If only they had been a bit closer to where the stag had fallen, I could have had his meat and cape in the cold water of the river overnight, and back to my car before mid-day the next day if I had hurried - or if I had had my pack raft with me. Life is replete with 'what-ifs'. You just can't let them trouble you. The dice falls as it falls. That is all. You should have 'no regrets', as Edith Piaf said so mellifluously. We are just passing quietly through life. We arrive with nothing, and leave with nothing. Hopefully, you accumulate a few special memories along the way, such as the photo below, taken by my lovely wife Della on my next trip.
And mine of her: There she is, taking her ease on the riverbank opposite me. While we were camping there, a platypus swam around and around this huge pool for half an hour i guess. Such an enchanting sight.
On an even later trip, the river came down in an awesome torrent, and did this whilst I was there. This was just around the corner from the photo above. I just had to wait it out. It pays to have a cache of food in a canoe drum (or similar) against such eventualities; anyway to have enough spare tucker. Tie it under a log well out of reach of any potential floodwaters, so the wombats and possums don't p[lay games with it! You can easily see you could be trapped by floodwaters for a week or more. Half the forest must have ended up at this spot. I know the roar and grinding of the river overnight and sounds like gunshots as vast logs snapped like kindling when this happened was ominous in the extreme
We have explored much further up the river since on a number of trips - and of course, now we can take the dogs. There are many splendors further up. We have gone five more days up. I know most folks find one day's walk away from their vehicle quite enough, mainly because they carry too much, but the further you go the more fascinating things you see. Always, the Victorian bush is a riot of wildflowers, even in winter when I most love to enjoy ot. That's why we have so many honeyeaters such that our State bird is one - I have even seen a little 'helmeted' guy here, though I never tell 'the powers that be' anything they don't need to know! On this occasion every gully was bedecked with snowy clematis, and there were any number of parti-coloured wild peas in bloom.
We have found a truly splendid flat on a magnificent sweeping bend. It must be close to 100 hectares (as square kilometre) where we love to camp. the fishing and swimming is even good in summer. It resembles one of those beauteous English parks, the deer have done such a fine job manicuring it. Further on there is a wonderful hidden valley which you would just about step across without even noticing, but a day's exploration up it will bring many delights: waterfalls, orchids, postcard-perfect clearings...Further on a second small river joins this one. It has a small plain a kilometre or so up which in the summer is a riot of everlasting daisies.
The best part is that when we want to head back to the car we can just blow up the packrafts and enjoy a delightful day or two (like Huck and Tom - or Ratty and Mole) just drifting and 'mucking about' on the river.
Of course this was not the end even of this trip. I was in no hurry to get back and had two days' walk in any case, so I took my ease for a couple or three of delightful days lying about in my hammock in the sun, fishing, nosing up a side gully or two... Just in general really enjoying our beautiful Australian bush - and my solitude!
Alas, this is pretty much all I managed to recover from the stag. This was also just about the only time I have left meat in the bush. I had forgotten to pack my 'embryo wire' or even a folding meat saw, so I had to take the antlers off one at a time (I could not even remove the skull cap whole). I only managed to do this by standing back a ways and putting a couple of shots into his skull so I could recover each antler with a shard of broken bone. Sometimes I am not so well organised either! Still, at least I have the antlers, arranged decoratively in a vase by Della as a reminder of a mountain adventure years ago. Hopefully, even at 68 there will yet be many more...
Unfortunately others have followed our trail, though most only travel one day upriver camping approximately where I crossed on this occasion, so that the deer thereabouts are much more skittish nowadays. Sometimes I venture a further five days upriver (as I said) where in winter there is never anyone about, and the deer are as common as rabbits!
27/05/2017: Hunting Thumbtack Reflectors: Thumbtack reflectors such as ‘Fire Tacks’ are a great way to mark any route you may need to travel after dark – eg after sitting up over a wallow or game trail for a sambar deer until the light fades and then wanting to get back safely and quickly to your camp. NB the Stealth ones visible only at night or in UV light. A search for ‘hunting relectors’ or ‘reflective thumbtacks’ will find you quite a range. They are usually only a few dollars for a pack of 25, so you can economically mark quite a long trail. Of course they have a million and one uses other than for hunting. See eg: https://www.firetacks.com/
At night they look like this. You shouldn't have any trouble following them!
26/05/2017: Happy Birthday Ultralight Hiker: My blog is two years old today. Many thanks to my daughter, Merrin for helping create and maintain it, and to my many readers and supporters for enjoying it. There are now 924 posts here, so plenty of things to enjoy! My post about canoeing the Seaforth River Fiordland is also two today, so I have moved it up the list so you could enjoy it again: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-canoeing-the-seaforth/
I also could not resist reposting two of my most popular photos, this wilderness river stag:
and
this snap of us on Cox's Bight from our 2011 trans
26/05/2017:
Dusky Track: Canoeing the Seaforth:
Some folks are just downright suicidal, and sometimes I am one of them! In 2009
I had conceived a plan to be the first person (I think) to canoe the mighty
remote
That
year I walked in from
Most of the river is deep and wide and consists of pebble races or Grade 1-2 rapids at most. Unfortunately, there are 2-3 rapids which come up on you pretty quickly, which it would be death to attempt, and which are quite difficult to portage. The worst was in the general vicinity of the old Supper Cove Hut. Suddenly on a left-hand bend, there it was: with perpendicular river banks both sides, but no other option but to grasp a tree root on the right bank and hang on for dear life! I did manage to climb 5 metres up that vertical bank pulling myself up by the tree root, then haul up my pack and the raft (both of which I had tied to a line) after me. There was one other nasty rapid below this - which I had never seen even though I had walked that section near the mouth of the Henry Burn (Moose Creek) extensively.
Once I was in the flat water below I thought I was home safe. By then it was getting pretty cold and daylight was fading. I had realised that there were oodles of sharks in the Fiord but I thought to avoid them by paddling the shallows on the margins of Supper Cove. I had forgotten the 2-3 kilometres of tidal deep river above the Fiord, which teemed with them! They were mighty curious too, repeatedly cruising underneath the raft, gently lifting it as they rubbed underneath. It was a little unnerving!
Steve
must not have been on their menu that day! I had this experience about twenty
times before I made Supper Cove where you can be sure I hugged its margins like
a drunken sailor! However, as you can see I made it – much to the astonishment
of the (few) onlookers, including my daughter Irralee, who had been anxiously
awaiting me there for three days! The
I have been back for other looks though, as recently as a month ago. See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/from-dawn-to-dusky/ & ff.
Thousands
of beautiful tarns on the way across from
A very steep descent to Loch Marie
First
view of the Seaforth coming across from
Putting in to cross Loch Marie
Some beautiful serene stretches of river along the way
Some awesome views
One of those vertical banks I had to climb
Quite a few log jams along the way
Some beautiful views along the river
One of those 'killer' rapids i avoided
Sunset over Supper Cove Hut
My daughter Irralee waiting for me on the Boat Shed beach at Supper Cove
Supper Cove Hut loomed a welcome sight after such a river journey
Packraft and Big Agnes mattress/floor inside Supper Cove Hut
Great fishing for Blue Cod at Supper Cove
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-canoeing-the-seaforth/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-adventures-1/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/eddie-herrick-moose-hunting-at-dusky-sound/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-friend-i-met-on-the-dusky-track-fiordland-nz/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-south-coast-tracks/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dreaming-of-the-dusky-track/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-dusky/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/moose-hunting/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-moose/
25/05/2017: How Long Till Sundown? Here is another neat trick. If you hold your hand out at arm's length, the width of your fingers approximates to 15 minutes. You can use this to judge how long it is till sundown (and remember you have approx half to an hour of usable light after sundown). Using this you can judge whether you will likely make your destination, or whether you need to make camp sooner.
25/05/2017: I Love to Go A’Wandering: Hiking Songs: Songs to maintain your walking tempo, if your spirits begin to flag or when hiking with children.
Since time immemorial people have walked (and marched) to the accompaniment of songs, and oft with fife and drum, so I when I took my infant grandson for a walk around to the weir the other day (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/invisible-worlds-the-weir/) and we needed to jolly him along a bit, we quickly ran through our rather short repertoire of readily remembered tunes.
When we got home I naturally thought I would try the internet for some more suggestions but Google drew (relatively) a blank on this one, no matter how I searched. Yet I am sure that when Alexander crossed the Hellespont or Caesar the Rubicon, or Napoleon marched on Marengo or Washington on Valley Forge (& etc) it seems vanishingly unlikely that the troops did not swing along with a rousing chorus on their lips – maybe their last words: ‘Once more into the valley of death…’ & so on.
The secret of (winning) infantry is to move large numbers of men (often along a narrow course) quickly and unexpectedly. The ‘Little Drummer Boy’ had several tempos in his repertoire: the slow march (often reserved today for ceremonial occasions – but more normally a resting beat), normal time and double time for example. As hikers we can add a few more to this list: skipping and polka for example, which might look a bit silly with a column of troops in full accoutrements!
Here are just a few which come to mind. You might use the first letter of the last word to 'trigger' the memory of which song to sing next. The first one is particularly evocative: it was sung by our brave First AIF as they went into battle at Gallipoli, Frommelles & etc.
A
Long Way to
Be Kind to Your Web Footed Friends
Clip Clop My little Horse
Down
by the
Five Hundred Miles
Found a Peanut
Frere Jacques
Grand
Old Duke of
Hey Let's Go
Hi Ho It’s Off to Work We Go
I Want to Go Home
If I Had A Hammer
If You're Happy And You Know It
Irene Goodnight
John Browns Body
Kum Ba Yah
Mares Eat oats and Does Eat Oats
My Grandfather's Clock
Pack up your Troubles
Popeye
The Ants Go Marching
The British Grenadiers,
The Happy Wanderer
There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor
When Johnny Comes marching Home Again
When the Saints Go Marching In
You are My Sunshine
24/05/2017: Man is the Measure of All Things (Protagoras) Some handy estimation tricks.
This astonishing Pre-Socratic was a brilliant mind. I guess everyone knows his 'Theorem" about right angle triangles. The saying above might not be quite so well known (or his enjoiner, 'Eschew beans'! I think I know why!), but we can use some of the proportions of the human body and the a property of an Isosceles Triangle (ie one with two equal sides) to do some pretty handy estimations.
You hold a stick at arm's length as shown in the drawing on the left so that the top of the branch exactly aligns with the top of the object whose height you want to measure. You can do one of two things: drop the stick over as in the drawing on the right, or pace the distance between you and the object. The height of the tree will be exactly the same as the distance from you to the object (Isosceles triangle, you see) Or the point on the ground where the stick on the right indicates.
You have formed a little isosceles triangle with your eye, your arm and the stick This triangle projects forward to the larger isosceles triangle formed by your feet, the distance to the base of the tree and the height of the tree itself, so the height of the tree is always exactly the distance from you to the tree..
Here is an interesting proportion. The distance between your eyes is almost exactly 1/9th of the length of your arm to the tip of your thumb (as shown below). By alternatively closing one eye and then the other, and estimating how far the object aimed at with your thumb 'jumps' sideways, then multiplying that estimated distance by 9 (it might be easier to multiply by ten which is close enough really) you can get a pretty good estimate of the distance to that remote object (ie it will be distant roughly ten times the distance your thumb jumps!) Neat eh?
This can be useful if you are taking a long shot (eg at a deer) with a rest, or eg if the object is your destination and you wish to know how far away it is, or if you need to cross a river and you want to know how wide it is so that you can judge how far upstream you need to start swimming or paddling (on your Thermarest Neoair mat) to safely get across. Always cross at the deepest, slowest straightest spot. You will already have measured the speed of the current by throwing s floating twig in and timing it.
If you dropped the stick to the side as in the right hand drawing in the first illustration, you can use the approximate number of tree lengths to estimate how far your thumb has jumped. If you assume that a similar tree near you which you measured by pacing is the same height as the one on the far bank, you will have a very clear idea of the distance to the remote object in tree lengths. From then on, it’s only a matter of simple multiplication.
The featured image is Da Vinci's famous 'Vitruvian Man' where Da Vinci sets out his ideas of the ideal human proportion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man
23/05/2017: Epirbs are not Taxi Hailers: Lots of people are misusing these tiny devices. I guess because they are (relatively) cheap, but really if you want to spend time in the wilds, spend some money to get a decent communication system eg either a satellite messenger or a satellite phone – or both.
So many people are pressing the panic button because they have a sniffle or ran out of Oreos occasioning hugely expensive search and rescue operations for them that eventually governments are going to have to charge everyone for the thoughtlessness of the few. Mostly people just want a specific thing eg a helicopter pick-up from a specific point (which will be an extra for a search and rescue operation) but which is relatively inexpensive (say $1-2,000) and ought to come out of your own pocket. Often such a pick-up is non-urgent as well.
Val from Hauroko Tours related to me an example from a few years back. He had dropped a group off at the Hauroko Hut to begin the Dusky Track (See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/from-dawn-to-dusky/). Later the very same day they hit their Epirb. Within an hour of starting out on the Dusky, they found the Hauroko Burn flooded. In my opinion they could have proceeded, but in any case it would likely have gone down by the next day (and they had a lovely dry hut to stay in whilst waiting it out).
Any walk on the Dusky is likely to encounter flooding/ waiting etc. Such is wilderness experience. Also, Val would have been back in three days, so they only had to wait. Clearly they had food for 8-10 days if walking the Dusky. Instead they hit the Epirb occasioning an urgent and expensive search which in my opinion they should have been charged for! Such ‘Crying Wolf’ behaviour is likely to cause the authorities to become less interested in launching into such wasteful exercises. The public purse is not infinite.
PS: Over reliance on electronic knick-knacks is problematic at best. before folks venture into the wild, they ought first have properly equipped themselves with a functioning set of the equipment they were born with: brain, eyes, ears, hand feet, back etc. The first of these needs some training. I will be posting some ideas about this soon, but in the meantime you might review this http://finnsheep.com/HIKING.htm
20/05/2017: Ultralight Ultra-Sharp Knives: Ceramic knives are sharper than metal ones and their edge can last 10 times longer. They can also be lighter. I have been thinking that this ‘ceramic escape knife’ would fit well in an ultralight fishing kit such as this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ultralight-fisherman/ This little guy weighs only 3 grams, has a blade 1.25” (3.175cm) and is 1.75” long x .4” wide (4.445 cm x 1.016 cm) It may be illegal to import or sell this product in Australia. There is a metal version which weighs a colossal 8 grams: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dermasafe-ultralight-knives-and-saws/
Some options:
http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/outdoors/tools/ceramic-escape-knife.asp
http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/outdoors/tools/covert-non-dulling-razor-blade.asp
http://www.derma-safe.com/product/the-derma-safe-folding-utility-knife/
This guy has an enchanting range of ceramic knives: http://ceramicknife.org/
19/05/2017:
Antarctic Flights from $1199: Well
$1999 if you want a better view, but really not bad for the visual feast of a
lifetime. I know it’s a lot of money to spend for a 12 hour flight where you
end up right back in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=9qS_ShexHd0
18/05/2017:
Wings and Water: My favourite
airline operates out of Te Anau Fiordland,
Their pilot, Kylie ready to take you on the flight of your life at the lake’s edge, Te Anau.
Here is their plane at beautiful Supper Cove, Dusky Sound. The DOC hut is just a few steps up the path behind the plane.
And here it is taking off at Supper Cove
View of the Fiord
How steep the edges of the fiords are - notice all the fuschia regrowth (light green): this is a favourite moose food.
View of supper Cove Hut from the air.
Me at Supper Cove.
Leaving Supper Cove - view down the fiord.
A little further down the fiord.
Wet Jacket Arm.
Tarns in one of the passes probably Pillans.
Just look at this patch of fuschia regrowth - how many moose could such feed support? And how hard would it be to ever see one?
Pass.
Probably Doubtful Sound.
These new slips will regrow with Fuschia. Moose can travel around these steep sides, but I doubt you or I can!
Look at this wonderful perched lake. So many beautiful secret spots in Fiordland where no man's foot has ever trod.
Fiord after fiord after fiord.
Those mountains are certainly steep.
Looking up the
Trampers Transport : Supper Cove - Dusky Track. Take the easy way to the Dusky Track at 9am daily. Fly from Te Anau to Supper Cove or return. They can also ferry stores to and from Supper Cove. Duration: 30 Minutes flight time approximately - $330.00 per person (2017).
They
also do a range of wonderful ‘joy’ or scenic flights. There are numerous places
they can take you into the
Here are just some of their destinations: Blanket Bay (Doubtful Sound), Bligh Sound, Breaksea Sound, Caswell Sound, Chalky Inlet, Charles Sound, Charles Sound – Helipad, Dagg Sound, Deep Cove, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound / Supper Cove, Dusky Sound / Cascade / Luncheon, Earshell Cove, George Sound, Glade House, Te Anau Downs to Glade House, Glasinoch River, Gorge Burn, Junction Burn Hut, Lake Alabaster, Lake Hakapoua, Lake Hankinson, Lake Hauroko, Lake McIvor, Lake McKerrow, Lake Manapouri, Lake Marchant, Lake Mavora, Lake Monowai, Lake Poteriteri, Lake Rakatu, Lake Wapiti, Lake Wilmot, Long Sound, Martins Bay, Milford Sound, Nancy Sound, Preservation Inlet, Stewart Island, Sutherland Sound,Te Anau Downs, West Arm, Wet Jacket Arm, Worsley Arm,,Queenstown.
17/05/2017: Water from thin air: A New Dehumidifier: This device pulls water from dry air, powered only by the sun. It is still a long way off being available, but it may someday make long desert journeys much more possible: ‘Imagine a future in which every home has an appliance that pulls all the water the household needs out of the air, even in dry or desert climates, using only the power of the sun...
The prototype, under conditions of 20-30 percent humidity, was able to pull 2.8 liters (3 quarts) of water from the air over a 12-hour period, using one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of MOF. Rooftop tests at MIT confirmed that the device works in real-world conditions.'
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-04-device-air-powered-sun.html
16/05/2017: Hiking Crayfish Bisque
First catch your crayfish...Once again here's a delicious soup to cook in the wild after you have been doing a spot of fishing. Naturally it uses only dried, concentrated and lightweight ingredients. I based it on a traditional bisque recipe we have eaten for years but with ultralight ingredients. My tastes run to peppery and my wife is a lover of tomato flavour, so at just these proportions the dish may be a little intense for you (or not enough), so you can play with the proportions a bit until you get it just right. I hope you enjoy it.
To 1 Litre of water add:
10 teaspoons of milk powder (add cold and stir in - it mixes better)
1 x 40 gram packet Continental French Onion Soup (NB low salt is good)
1-2 50 gram sachets of tomato puree (to taste)
1-2 small cubes or teaspoons of chicken stock
1/2 Teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)
1 Teaspoon (to taste) of sweet paprika.
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Bring to the boil. Simmer 3-4 minutes Stir oiccasionally. Add:
200 gram can of shrimp (if you don't have a cray) A 100 gram can of tuna will do in a pinch!
1 x 85 gram packet of Magi 2 minute noodles well broken up (into 1 cm lengths)
Simmer a further 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Enjoy.
For other hiking food ideas, try a search for 'food' in the search bar at the top right hand corner of the page.
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/steves-ultralight-fish-chowder/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hand-line-fly-fishing
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-crayfish-bisque/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ultralight-fisherman/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-coconut-fish-curry/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hand-line-fly-fishing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-ball-of-string-and-a-feed-of-cray/
If you enjoyed this post and would like to make a small donation to the upkeep of this page, you can do so by clicking the PayPal button below. Even a small amount would be appreciated.
Other Posts:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/lightweight-fishing-rods-reels/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pen-fishing-rods/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/3d-fishing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/four-gram-fishing-handlines/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fishing-with-floss/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bcb-fishing-kit/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bcb-fishing-kit-as-good-as-it-gets/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/lightweight-fishing-rods-reels/
07/05/2017:
From Dawn to Dusky # 8:
The mountain which hangs over Upper Spey resembles
one of the
The colours are beautiful.
Leaving
Detail of the orbs and fruit.
Lots of duckboards at the beginning. This used to be quite swampy patch in years past.
All day is just a gentle incline following the
With some hobbity bits.
The Spey is a pretty little river. You can walk along in it for kilometres instead of on the track when the level is low. Good trout fishing too!
Bryn just could not resist the temptation to revel in some Fiordland mud one last time!
Eventually I tire of walkwires. There are three this day. The very last one over the Dashwood Stream I chose to wade.
But as I have said before, Bryn just loves them! That stream is really steaming...
A light in the forest.
Still a few muddy patches.
Spey river scene.
Lunch by the
Easy fishing.
The very last walkwire over the Dashwood Stream.
One last glimpse of the Spey River
And we are out on the
Bryn 2008.
An enigmatic Kiwi sign on the
Just in time to catch the Doubtful Sound bus - you wish!
View of Doubtful Sound from
The Mica Burn.
Likewise.
Here we are at West Arm. Methinks they have cold beer on that 'real journeys' boat.
Inside the Manapouri Power Station hundreds of metres underground at West Arm. Unfortunately you can no longer see this.
I was right: A well-earned beer on the boat across
Heading back to 'civilisation'.
It is a beautiful lake.
Hitching back to Te Anau from Manapouri 2012.
Fiordland Birds: An Aside: If you thought it
was quiet (and peaceful) walking the Dusky track and that you don not see
anything but a handful of birds as you traversed it, that's because New Zealand
has lost 99% of 99% of its birds. Most were eaten by stoats or possums. This is
a stoat trap along the
You are lucky to get snaps of more than a handful of birds, such as these:
It is such an awful change from what I am used to in the Gippsland bush, Victoria where you are likely to see up to 500 bird species, and at any time walking =in the bush there are probably fifty birds visible and audible of probably upwards of a dozen species - almost more than you are likely to see in a lifetime in Fiordland. They have a plan t recover their bird life. I hope they succeed with it.
02/05/2017:
From Dawn to Dusky #7: You have a
big climb and descent today: over a kilometre up and then down again from the
Kintail Hut to the Upper Spey Hut. You don't have to worry. Though it takes me
longer now, I did this section in 2006 when I was a mere 58, the first time I
walked over
Resting in the Kintail Hut with Steve Hutcheson 2012.
Crossing the Seaforth: I usually walk across the river at this point, but Bryn actually prefers walk wires!
My turn.
Beautiful flat stalking to begin with: one of the denizens seems to have lost something.
The
track follows the Kintail stream upwards towards
The Kintail Stream is quite gorgey. There are many beautiful views of water crashing down.
Like this.
The walkwire across the Kintail Stream. I find this the most frightening of the trip. It is so long, such a long way down and car sized rocks below with water torrenting over them should you fall. Bryn just finds it fun! If the stream is low you can cross in the stream below.
High on the face overlooking Tripod Hill and the Gair Loch there is a huge 'new' slip. You can see plants are beginning to colonise it. look out for moose browse on fuchsia here in 20 years' time!
You would not want to be here when this slip formed.
Unfortunately (or fortunately if you are a moose - due to the edible regrowth)
slips in Fiordland are very frequent. The '
The track becomes steeper.
A bit of a scramble in places.
And steeper. Some places it is so steep you have to
climb up a chain for support. Bryn Jones. But it is nowhere near so bad
as the descent from
The mountains tower over you. There are many beautiful views back down along the Seaforth whence you came. if you are like me you will wonder whether you will ever see this view again . In 2006 oI thought I would never see it again, yet as it turns out it has become almost routine. Still i wonder whether I will ever gaze down upon Tripod Hill and the Seaforth ever again - or hear a lonely moose call. As I am quite old now, and ought to go places where Della can accompany me, this may be my last Dusky trip.
The awesome view back down the Seaforth somewhat spoiled by Bryn And me. Tripod Hill on my left shoulder.
Here it is without us. You have followed the Seaforth up from Loch Marie which you can just make out left of centre behind the Tripod Hill to the right of the Gair Loch (at the right base of the hill, then pretty much straight up to where you are now.
Finally you break free of the leatherwoods and have
a view of
The cliffs certainly beetle overhead.
There are many strange plants in these high alpine meadows.
The last pinch is a bit of a climb - you wonder
whether you will ever make it!
Time for a drink. You will miss that beautiful
cystal clear
Now you have all that way down again to go to the Spey.
In Centre Pass in 2008 Bryn and I were visited by a pair of Kea who entertained us for quite some time with their many tricks.
I suspect they would have eaten out of our hands - or nipped our fingers off!
Again the cliffs beetle overhead.
You feel quite small in this grand scenery.
Just before you enter the leatherwoods you can turn
back and view
There is a substantial slip to cross. You may
not be able to see the markers on the other side - look out for the
Finally you are down to flat going along the
The Dusky still has the odd muddy patch awaiting you.
Finally you arrive at the
02/05/2017: From Dawn
to Dusky #6: Loch Marie to Kintail is another long section much like coming
up from Supper Cove. It takes me 7-8 hours, but I am not a racer. Much of the
trip is walking along pleasant river flats. Some of the clearings are so big
you have to look out for the (large) triangles on the other side. There would
be pleasant camping along this section, as in similar parts of the trip up from
Supper Cove. I have seen fish in the river above Loch Marie, and there is a
mounted photo on the wall of the Loch Marie hut of one such caught in the upper
reaches of the
The first approx 3/4 of an hour are not so pleasant, hillsiding, rocks and tree roots, etc. this can be avoided if the river is low. You can walk up along the other side (or in the river) and cross once it flattens out on the true right bank as I have done here:
Looking
back towards the
You can avoid this bit of difficult going at the start when the river is low.There are a couple of bits of hobbit country where you climb over tree roots for about an hour I guess, but it is very pretty, and not too bad.
This new bridge is a pleasant spot for a breather. It was not so nice wading across here up to your neck in the past.
There are some quite big clearings (more on the other side of the river - usually easily crossed in this section). this one complete with waterfall.
Hobbit country.
Some places you have to hang on so you don't fall in the river.
This debris gully is a good spot for a morning break.
And to check your map - you should have it laminated (as shown) for Fiordland weather.
You wouldn't want to be here when it was really raining though!
Lunch stop about half way you can get down onto these boulders and have lunch in the sunshine on a nice day.
Tripod Hill and waterfall.
We often stop for a break at the Kenneth Burn walk wire. Bryn taking it easy. Bryn and Irralee are both immune to sandflies. that would be nice!
Kenneth Burn.
After the Kenneth Burn there is a bit of a rocky climb around a giant slip and a bit of tree-root hopping going down to the head of the Gair Loch (which can be quite unpleasantly swampy when it is wet). After that it is easy river flat going to the Kintail Hut which is off the track a bit to the left. It is a very damp spot, so you probably won't be having a fire. You also have to walk back about fifty metres to get a sat phone signal.
The Kenneth Burn 'slip' has regrown with hundreds of acres of fuschia. This is a favourite food plant of the NZ moose, and you will see many examples (mostly old) of moose browse and barking if you keep an eye out. If you are very quiet and lucky you might even snap a photo of one -- there is reputed to still be a $100,000 prize! When I was walking out in 2012 there was one spot in particular to the right of the track just about the top where a moose had obviously stayed and grazed the tops of every plant for several days - just days before I passed, worse luck!
This is the Fuchsia slip I have been talking about. Hundreds of acres. You can imagine thousands such throughout the moose range in Fiordland.
Irralee pointing out some moose browse about 2.5 metres up a fuchsia on the Kenneth Burn slip.
Detail: You can see they have bitten through twigs between 1-2 cm in diameter and broken them off. Nothing else could do this 2.4-2.7 metres (8'-9')off the ground.
A bit of rougher going heading down to the Gair Loch.
A bit of swampy going near the Gair Loch.
Easy to go down to your hips!
Looking
down on the Gair Loch from near Centre Pass. The track has circled
behind the Tripod Hill(from left to right in the photo) then come along the
right hand side of the
And then pleasant walking for an hour or so until you come to the Seaforth walk wire and the Kintail Hut.
Like this.
Seaforth Walk Wire. The hut is a little further along about 200 metres back from the river on the true right bank
Kintail Hut.
28/04/2017: From Dawn to Dusky # 4 & 5: The trip to Supper Cove is a side trip taking two days - but really worth it! The walk up/down from Loch Marie to Supper Cove takes me 7-8 hours. I know you may be younger and in more of a hurry - who know why? Most of the distance is very pleasant, flat walking along a river/lake. There are two exceptions: the hour you have to spend climbing around the giant slip which created Loch Marie until after the Bishop Burn (which is not too bad actually), and the last hour if you cannot cross Supper Cove at low tide before you reach the Supper Cove Hut. It is one of the nastiest tree/rock hopping bits on the whole track, seeming doubly worse as it comes at the end of a long day. Many folks have turned their knee or ankle on this section (including me), so leave early enough you are not hurrying at the end of the day when you are tired.
Supper Cove itself is one of the pleasantest spots on earth, and you should plan to spend a few days there. It has likely got the very best toilet view in the world too! You might be able to prearrange (as I sometimes have) a helicopter or the float plane to leave some supplies tied up in a bag in the rafters of the boat shed so you can extend your stay. You will be able to have fresh fish three times a day if you have a hand line, some sinkers and hooks - or you may be lucky enough to find some there that the DOC has not confiscated. You should plan on this and have some oil/Alfoil (and a little salt to taste) to cook the fish with. The Blue Cod particularly, easily caught in the deeper water off the rocks behind the hut are perhaps the best eating fish in the world. Maybe include a cheap frying pan in that bag.
In 2009 I paddled this section with my Alpacka 'Fiord Explorer'. I am not going to do so again!
There
it is on the shores of
I even paddled across the lake itself though I can't imagine why now.
First the track follows the old miner's track along the edge of the lake. A few rocks, but easy going.
The
loch is beautiful in the dawn.
Everywhere there is the beauty of water moving.
My son Bryn crossing the first walk wire in 2008.
Some
beautiful views of the lake through the ancient trees.
Sometimes when the lake is very low it is easier to walk along the edge of the lake. Look out fro moose tracks in the soft mud and sand. Such tracks have often been seen here.
At one point as you climb around the slip listening to the roar of the water as it crashes over the giant boulders and wondering that trout can find their way past it, you will come upon the remains of the iron tools C19th miners used to make this section of the track. What hardships they must have endured.
Lots of places DOC have put in new steel or wooden bridges (even a new walk wire) since I first walked it nearly twenty years ago. It certainly cuts out some difficult scrambling up and down.
Eventually
you meet up with the
Mind you there were some rapids to avoid!
Real 'Huck Finn' stuff this.
The flat going is split by an unexpected ladder.
Crossing the Mcfarlane Burn 2008.
The Old Supper Cove Hut site. Just before you leave/join the river you will see (if you look carefully) the remains of the old hut. Right in the centre of the photo you can just make out the parallel lines of the tree fern trunks which formed its floor. It was the last point you could get to by boat. It would have been a useful shelter if the river and particularly the Henry Burn swamps were flooded. It would have been a cold, wet camp to have lived in whilst you were building the track in the C19th though!
My son Bryn demonstrating just how swampy it gets between the two arms of the Henry Burn in 2008.
My daughter Irralee crossing the 'Waterfall Burn' in 2007.
The Waterfall Burn. There is a 160 metre waterfall at the top of this unnamed stream. You can climb up with difficulty by following the next gully (ie on the true right down Fiord). in 2000 the top of this higher waterfall was shrouded in mist and it appear4ed to simply fall from the clouds. It was pouring with rain and photography was impossible/disappointing. There was fresh moose sign (tracks/droppings) up this burn then too.
Easy
walking, as you can see. If the tide is not so full you can still cut
off a fair bit of nasty stuff. The track is usually not far from the shore
(after crossing) the first ridge. If you are looking across the Cove facing the
hut you will see some white rocks on the other side. if you aim for the right
hand end of those rocks, you might still see a taped trail leading up to the
main track when you get near. This is the view looking from the hut side
towards the 'Waterfall Burn' side. The low tide at Supper Cove is approximately
2 1/2 hours earlier than Port Craig (so, if Port Craig's low was at 1:30 pm for
example (as it was on 21/04/2017), Supper Cove's was at approximately 11:00 am..
You can check the tide info at the Met Service NZ before you start on the track
to see whether you will be able to cross Supper Cove.
If the tide is fully low you can walk all the way across the cove. You can just walk out past the boat shed and helipad, cross the Hilda Burn, then head straight across the Supper Cove flats. Only 'thermometer deep' as you can see Bryn crossing in 2008.
This is the first view of Supper Cove looking towards the hut (unfortunately at high tide). The hut (invisible) would be almost exactly centre. See the white rocks on the shore opposite. You would aim just to the right of them if you were walking across at a lowish tide, then walk up (approx 50-100 metres to the true left bank of the Hilda Burn) to intersect with the track. I did mark the low tide trail in 2014 with tape and a buoy hung from a tree on the shore. You might still spot them.
First view of the hut from the air (with Della 2011: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/10-days-in-fiordland/)
My daughter Irralee crossing the Hilda Burn 2009.
Arriving at the Supper Cove Hut.
This is the beautiful view from the verandah looking up the Seaforth. The moose were released on that sandbar (centre) in 1905. Many delights await at Supper Cove.
Such as fishing off the rocks for blue cod: my son Bryn demonstrates.
A Hummingbird hammock comes in handy at Supper Cove 2017: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-hummingbird-in-the-hand/
It is becoming a busy switch over point for tour boat operators.
You can often 'catch a lift' to/from Supper Cove from a a helicopter:
Or a float plane.
About 100 metres behind the Supper Cove Hut there are the remains of another 'mystery' hut guarded by a fantail. You can continue up that ridge (past the cataract) and drop down into the Hilda Burn upstream (if you are intrepid/foolhardy). Just after where the Burn splits in two I glimpsed a cow moose in 2000.
27/04/2017: From Dawn to Dusky # 3: It will take you slightly longer to walk from Lake Roe to Loch Marie than it did from Halfway Hut, though this will come as a surprise when you seem to have walked 3/4 of the way there over pleasant snow-grass tops sprinkled with myriad jewel lakes and you are gazing down on the Loch and its tree trunks just a kilometre below you. That last kilometre is a doozy!
Looking
back towards the hut from
Looking down from the climb in the previous photo.
Last
view of
A myriad jewel lakes.
Mist magic.
Looking up the Seaforth towards Centre Pass.
First view of the Fiord and the sea faraway.
The last tarn before the perilous descent.
But it is not without its beauty.
It is horrendously steep. Not a track at all, but more like some horrific ladder mostly made of tree roots and rocks. Here and there a chain for support.
It is a nightmare descent which seems as if it will go on forever.
But finally it does come to an end (after 3+ hours!)
There is an emergency shelter in case the river is too high.
A very long, high walk wire if it is not quite so high, or you can cross below the walk wire if it is low, like this,
A very pretty waterfall to look at.
The lake of course with its many tree trunks.
And
just a quarter hour's stroll from the walk wire the cosy
27/04/2017: From Dawn to Dusky #2: If it took a little over 6 hours to walk from Hauroko to the Halfway Hut (as it did me this year - I was quicker seven years ago, no surprise), then it will take slightly longer to walk to Lake Roe Hut. Do not time yourself to arrive after dark. The hut would be very difficult to find in poor light as it is off-track to the right.
The view ahead out the front door of the Halfway Hut on a fine sunny Fiordland morning. Deer have kept the lawn well mown.
The same view from the air. It is a large valley. Room for a few moose there.
The trail begins: most of the day is tree root hopping (but it is not bad going) save between the two walk wires and after yoiu break out onto the snow grass tops for the last half hour or so.
Beautiful vistas.
Pretty views of the Hauroko Burn below.
Very
roughly it is about one-third of the journey to the first walk wire, one third
to the next, and the last third to
You could walk along the river fishing between the two walk wires. The track is almost always close by and in sight on the true right bank in this section.
Lunch at the first walk wire. I was in no hurry. My new Icebreaker 'Departure 2' wool shirt (http://au.icebreaker.com/en/midlayers/-departure-ii-long-sleeve-shirt-plaid/103036.html?dwvar_103036_color=301) worked wonderfully in Fiordland. It was soft and comfortable and protected me from sandflies. The breast pocket was just the right size for my pocket camera (Nikon Coolpix S7000). It was a beautiful temperature for the days' walking (about 15C) and had no unpleasant smell to it even after more than a week of wear without washing (it did get wet a couple of times though - as when I fell over in the Jane Burn for example). Once wet it did not strike cold after less than a minute, and dried out completely (from soaking) on my back in less than an hour. Highly recommended. It now comes in a beautiful green and black plaid - something for my Xmas list!
A note on sandflies: Generally they do not bother you when moving or of a night but some places especially near water they can be terrible. It is easy to believe that folks have been driven to suicide by them. Some places they will cover every exposed piece of skin in the blink of an eye. Most folks are allergic to their bites and come up like the surface of the moon in an agony of itching. There is a solution: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/insects-can-ruin-a-camping-trip/ Come prepared. I always carry extra repellent and ointment as it is easy to lose one from your pockets.
It is relatively easy flat going between the two walk wires; time for a spot of fly-fishing perhaps.
Through a serene and peaceful forest.
Until you come to the second walk wire.
After which the track starts to gradually rise until it eventually breaks out onto the snow grass tops. You know you are about there by the strong smell of deer in the leatherwood forests near this boundary.
You climb up the Hauroko Burn which becomes quite steep in places, falling in small cascades.
You begin to get views of the tops ahead and to the sides.
And the view behind down the valley is quite spectacular.
It is a pleasure though to at last start to break out into snow grass country.
The way ahead is now clear (if not well marked). it is straight over that hill in the centre.
Finally
you come to
First view of the hut.
Just in front of the hut a comfy seat has been provided.
The view in front of the seat is quite spectacular.
You
can walk up the hill behind the hut and get some spectacular views of
25/04/2017: From Dawn
to Dusky #1: Regular readers will know I have just returned once more from
hiking the Dusky Track, Fiordland New Zealand - probably NZ's toughest and most
beautiful. I have now been on the Dusky nine times. For most of its length it
is more a route than a track. Take away the track markers and it would
disappear completely. So many places too it goes where no sane route would take
you: straight down a drop-off in the section from
You
need to beware of kea in the
Most sections take all day, so it pays to get started early (at dawn - as you will need to do on the first day if you are to catch the bus and boat) as many places it would be extremely dangerous to be walking in poor light or at night. Also, being one of the wettest places in the world and with lethal changes of weather, it is essential you have some kind of shelter as you may easily find yourself caught out at night. Rain strips heat from your body 25 times faster than dry air. See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/ I chose a hammock and tarp as the often torrential rain may mean that it is impossible to find anywhere dry on the ground. At very least take a hiking umbrella: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-in-the-rain/ It might be even more desirable and less tiring to slow your pace and plan to camp put some nights instead of staying in the huts (if the weather is pleasant). Most places, except when journeying across the tops, there are plenty of trees to swing a hammock - and if you are near a stream, there is the likelihood of fresh fish for supper - or breakfast!
Dawn breaks through clouds over Lake Hauroko
I find the Backcountry Navigator App and the NZ Topo maps which are free, really useful for keeping track of just where you are: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/nz-topo-maps-app-for-hiking-in-nz/ You can switch the GPS on on your phone to check this from time to time, leaving it usually in the default GPS off and Flight mode to conserve batteries. This way you would not walk past the hut, and might have a feed of fish as well. The Halfway Hut may be the last hut in NZ which has the old-style open fire places which were so warming and efficient. The new 'green' stoves are absolutely hopeless. I am not convinced they put out any warmth at all for a large expense of effort and fuel. You certainly cannot cook anything on top of them, or even warm it.
You should also download (to your phone) the map here: http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/fiordland/places/fiordland-national-park/things-to-do/tracks/dusky-track/ and the brochure here: http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/southland/dusky-track-brochure.pdf so that you can study them beforehand and refer to them as you go along.
Especially
in autumn there are often long periods of high pressure where you can walk for
days without taking your raincoat out of your pack. I have found Elders 28 day
Rainfall forecast for the bottom of
Finally a beautiful clear day as we chug North towards the Hauroko Hut and the beginning of the Dusky Track.
Most
folk walk from South to North, ie from
Johan & Namu tied up at the mouth of the Hauroko Burn
It
is also possible to do shorter sections of the track by availing oneself of
‘back loads’ on helicopters or the ‘Wings and Water’ float plane (http://www.wingsandwater.co.nz/ )
which operates a ‘regular’ service to Supper Cove at the head of the Fiord. It
can land in many other places in Fiordland too, such as
The Hauroko Hut, a comfortable hut a minute's walk from the lake and the burn.
Boat transport to the Hauroko Hut is usually organised with Johan and Joyce at Lake Haoroko Tours https://www.wjet.co.nz/pages/lake-hauroko-tours/ and bus transport to meet with them at the Clifden suspension bridge with Trips and Tramps https://tripsandtramps.com/product-detail/dusky-track-transport Johna & Joyce also operate a jet boat on the Wairaurahiri River (as does another operator) which has to be just about the best jet boat ride in the world (and a convenient way to begin or end the wonderful South Coast Track (see eg: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/south-coast-track-fiordland-nz-dellas-version/) You would probably leave your car at the long-term car-park at View St, Pearl Harbour, Manapouri, or you can catch a bus back to Te Anau from there.
The Track begins.
Track
times are pretty fluid as with many NZ tracks. For reasonable fit people of my
age (68) it is rare for a section to take less than six hours, and some will
take more than 8. If you have a late start here, it might be better to wait
until next morning so you won't have to hurry. That way you could also do some
trout fishing in the Burn which the track parallels for many hours. It is
possible to walk along in the stream in many places, then rejoin the track - if
the water levels are low. The sign on leaving the
The Hauroko is a beautiful little trout stream.
With more delights around every corner.
The first 3/4 of an hour after leaving the hut you are walking along on basically river flats quite by the true right bank of the Burn more or less until you come to a walk wire on a side burn. After that the track climbs and the tree hopping begins. Nonetheless it is fairly easy going until you arrive at the walk wire near the junction of the Gardner Burn. After that the track climbs around a gorge and the going gets pretty rough for an hour or so until you come out onto the flats along the Burn again (now the true left). You have nearly two hours walking along here until you come to the hut, set back a little from the stream so that you might not see it if you were walking in the stream fishing, for example.
The track begins to climb after you cross this pretty side burn.
There are some lovely views still down to the river.
And it is not without beautiful 'ents'.
It is a magical path.
Then
you come to the
After
the
Once you break out onto the flats again you could easily walk along in the stream fishing for your tea.
Bracket fungi make excellent fire starters when dry: some fine examples.
My daughter Irralee at the Halfway Hut 2009.
A note on getting lost: From time to time you will lose the track markers. probably about twice a day! There are many deer paths, and many wrong turnings others have taken to follow. As soon as you realise you have lost sight of the markers, Stop. Before ever thinking of panicking, have a cup of tea. My mother Marie always advised this, and it is damned good advice. Spending s a little time doing something else, then being warmed by a refreshing 'cuppa' does wonders to allay fears and settle your thinking. Consult your map. Try to work out where the track must be. Often the track follows one side of a stream or another. Try to remember when you were last on track, and how far back you think you went wrong. Try to remember the last little bit of your path. Mark your current position so you can find it again, eg by a small cairn, breaking branches, etc. Backtrack to where you think you went wrong, marking or at least noting your route as you go (so you don't get even more lost). You shouldn't ever be more than a hundred metres from where the last marker was unless you were really wool gathering and there was a very pronounced deer path (or etc) you have followed.
Sometimes it will be the way ahead that is unclear (even if you have the markers behind you.) Again, try to work out (from your map and the lay of the land) where the track must go. Make little forays forward and back to your marked position along obvious routes until you find the path ahead. If this does not work, try forays (back and forth) a little further off what you thought was the 'line' of the track until you find it. If you are starting to panic, have another cuppa! Unfortunately the 'obvious routes' are not always correct There are a couple of places (eg one below Loch Marie as the track skirts the huge slip which created the Loch) where the track switchbacks unexpectedly, and the markers are missing or hard to see, yet lots of folks have forged straight ahead making a very pronounced path where the real path is just about impossible to see. Remember that whoever fixed the markers ensured that you could always see one before or behind when they nailed them to the trees. I know many will have fallen off, but if you are 'lost' and careful, you should after less than 100 metres find one leading one way or another. You should by now have refound the track.
If you really find it impossible to follow the track in one direction, then follow it in the other. It is better to give up the idea of completing the track than to die! In the (very) unlikely event that you cannot find the track in either direction, go back to the map and try to work out where the track must be (eg it is roughly following the true right bank of a stream. If you follow the stream you will find it again (eg at a walk wire where it crosses). Be very careful walking off-track as the ground often has large holes which can open up beneath you. This whole area is an ancient moraine. You are much better carefully trying to find your own way out of a situation like this than immediately setting off an Epirb/Plb which might not work from the location you find yourself in - or the batteries might be flat! I carry both a satellite phone and a satellite messenger/Epirb hybrid (such as this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-poor-mans-satellite-phone/). However both may fail, whilst you should always have your wits about you! You should in any case have let someone know your intentions and when/where to start looking for you. If you have a shelter and warm clothing, and do not stray even further from the general position of the track, you will be found alive, or you will find your own way out.
Perhaps
the worst places to get lost are on the tops (which are often not as well
marked as they might be). Frequently you cannot see the way ahead (especially in
heavy rain, fog or cloud). You need to take extra care in those sections as it
is colder, windier and harder to find shelter. Some folks decide they will walk
all the way from
The Elusive Fiordland Moose: Along the way there is sporadic moose sign if you are alert and keen eyed. Nothing else could reach up 2.5-2.7 metres (8-9'), break off branches as thick as your thumb and strip them, or devour all the lower vegetation of their favourite broadleaf plants, or systematically bark trees, or leave footprints as big as a cow's.These solitary leviathans yet roam these forests unseen.
This coprosma has been systematically broken off about 2.5 metres up.
And this.
Broadleafs have commonly been stripped to this height.
They like to snack on nutritious bark as they amble along.
Leaving footprints as long as my glasses case. Like this:
Or this.
Someday someone will stumble round a corner onto one and snap its pic. Already two confirmed C21st DNA samples have been collected, and one indistinct photo. It is only a matter of time...
You are now one seventh of the way - More installments to come...
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/insects-can-ruin-a-camping-trip/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-canoeing-the-seaforth/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-adventures-1/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/eddie-herrick-moose-hunting-at-dusky-sound/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/eddie-herrick-moose-hunting-at-dusky-sound/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-friend-i-met-on-the-dusky-track-fiordland-nz/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-south-coast-tracks/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dreaming-of-the-dusky-track/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-dusky/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/moose-hunting/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-moose/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-moose-2/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-in-fiordland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/off-to-fiordland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/shadowland-fiordland-video/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-best-toilet-view-in-the-world/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/10-days-in-fiordland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-2009/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-nz-with-bryn/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-april-2007/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/weather-for-fiordland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/more-dusky-adventures/
05/05/2017: Jelly, The Smallest 4G Smartphone. This is a neat little phone – fits in your fob pocket, but has all the functionality of your regular smart phone. Only 60 grams, less than $100. It would be excellent for ultralight hiking. You might also consider it as a spare phone – if only you could have duplicate sim cards. Well, you can illegally, actually. Try Google. Personally, I am tired of phones being too big, and getting lost, broken or in the way. This is the solution: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jellyphone/jelly-the-smallest-4g-smartphone?_ga=2.148572213.380118193.1493830329-1204359062.1493816838
15/04/2017: A Hummingbird in the Hand: I just took delivery of these fabulous new ultralight hammocks. One, (the lightest of course -147 grams) will be coming with me on my upcoming Dusky Track adventure. I would not be ‘betting my life’ on one for ten days in the wilderness unless I had every confidence they are a superior product.
These
are the cleverest and best engineered hammocks I have seen – and I’ve seen (and
made!) a lot of hammocks. They are made from reserve grade parachute
nylon and are designed, engineered and built to rigging specifications -
meaning you can be confident their weight ratings will not fail you.
Button
End.
The suspension system and button-link connectors are brilliant. The suspension system weighs just two ounces (60 grams) and is easily attached with the button-links. I know I could probably reduce the weight a fraction (maybe 20 grams) by replacing the ultra-light webbing with dyneema, but as this would harm the trees more, I hardly think it is worth it. Chris & Kathy have worked out the design and parameters of these hammocks just about perfectly. They have also ensured that everything packs down into the smallest imaginable packages for stowing in your ultralight pack.
Ultralight Whoopie Sling.
However, you know I can’t stop tinkering: I have already added dyneema gear loops to each end of mine so I can attach bits and pieces there instead of leaving them on the ground overnight – and I have added an adjustable centre line (these added 8 grams) to a see if I can achieve ‘the perfect hang’, though I am pretty sure the folks at ‘Hummingbird’ have so designed the hammock that you lie pretty flat in it, and the sides don’t press in too much – more about that later.
Ultralight Tree Strap Suspension System - 30 grams/1 oz each end!
They have three sizes of ultralight hammocks: Single 147 grams/5.2 oz - weight rated: 136 kg/300lb, Single + 210 grams/7.6oz – weight rated: 158kg/350lb, and Double 289 grams/10.2oz weight rated: 181kg/400lb. I will be using their Single ultralight hammock as emergency sleeping quarters in Fiordland (in case of flooding), and I might do some off-trail camps as well, as I usually do. It will also be excellent (along with my cuben tarp) for eating lunch on those (inevitable) wet days. Look out for a full(er) review on my return home.
Chris & Kathy also sell many hammock accessories (such as tarps eg ‘Heron’ from 243 grams/8.6oz) to complete your hammock home. All their gear is competitively priced given the high quality of their products.
'Heron' tarp.
Check out their page here: https://hummingbirdhammocks.com/
15/04/2017: 19 Gram Dyneema Camp Shoes: I just finished making this pair of ultralight camp shoes for my Dusky track walk which I start on Monday. They are made from 3.6oz/yd2 Dyneema fabric. Paired with a pair of down socks from https://goosefeetgear.com/products/down-socks/ (approx 50 grams per pair), I should have nice dry, warm feet at the end of what is usually a fairly wet slog each day. I will post the pattern and instructions when I get back (promise).
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fifteen-gram-blue-foam-flip-flop/
14/04/2017: Camper Crane: As you know we have a slide on camper for our Defender. These usually come with detachable wind-up legs which are quite awkward to operate. I decided to instead suspend the camper on this crane arrangement in the old dairy for easy installation/removal. In addition, I bolted some 4”x4”s to the floor so that the truck would be forced into exactly the right position when I wanted to place the camper on it, then it is a quick and simple matter to bolt it to the deck. A couple of minutes and we are off on our next trip . See you!
Camper suspended above tray height. There is a crane (red above) at each of four corners.
The camper is connected to the crane with eye bolts and chain.
Detail from above.
This is quite a simple arrangement and really makes it enormously easier to fit the camper to the truck. I recommend you do something similar. I bought these cranes from eBay for about $150 each.
12/04/2017:
The chimney. The blue and white "Gentlemen" sign was found in the debris on the concrete slab and is fired enamel on steel.
The Fireplace.
Tag inside chimney.
Evidence of split timber formwork in chimney construction. Fireplace.
Henry Short and Robert Hoddles oil and water colour paintings
of
Main fall
11/04/2017: More
Dusky Adventures: I start on the track on Monday for ten days. As you
travel to work on Monday, you can imagine me at the same time standing on the deck
of a small boat (Nimu) chugging across beautiful
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/insects-can-ruin-a-camping-trip/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-canoeing-the-seaforth/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-adventures-1/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/eddie-herrick-moose-hunting-at-dusky-sound/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/eddie-herrick-moose-hunting-at-dusky-sound/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-friend-i-met-on-the-dusky-track-fiordland-nz/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-south-coast-tracks/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dreaming-of-the-dusky-track/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-dusky/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/moose-hunting/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-moose/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-moose-2/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-in-fiordland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/off-to-fiordland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/shadowland-fiordland-video/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-best-toilet-view-in-the-world/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/10-days-in-fiordland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-2009/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-nz-with-bryn/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-april-2007/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/weather-for-fiordland/
11/04/2017: Ultralight Travel Toothbrush: Not an ultralight hiking toothbrush perhaps. For that most folks cut their standard toothbrush in half, but this one is really good for travel, being very slim, compact and light and giving very nearly as good a result as a rechargeable such as the Braun or OralB, but without needing a power socket or all that extra space/weight. It is also very comfortable and non-slippery to the hand. Colgate® 360°® Optic White™ Battery-Powered Toothbrush: 36 grams inc battery, comes in Soft and Medium. I have tried a heap of battery powered toothbrushes over the years: this one is by far the best, smallest and lightest. At that weight too I have no doubt some people will take it (and some floss) hiking too. The floss can come in handy for repairs, or for fishing: http://www.colgate.com.au/en/au/oc/products/toothbrush/colgate-360-optic-white-battery-powered-toothbrush
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/self-threading-needles/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fishing-with-floss/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/four-gram-fishing-handlines/
10/04/2017: You may want to get a pet raccoon after this: https://laughingsquid.com/two-raccoons-hilariously-playing-with-soap-bubbles/
10/04/2017: Guy Builds Water Cooled, 72,000 Lumen LED Flashlight and Takes it for a Nighttime Stroll: http://twistedsifter.com/videos/water-cooled-72000-lumen-led-flashlight/
09/04/2017: Super Simple Trail Meal: Take one packet of Ainsley Harriot's Spice Sensation Cous Cous (100 grams) 1492 kj (352 calories) plus ½ packet (65 grams) Craisins Fruit & Nut Trail Mix 1389 kj(332 calories) Totals (165 grams) 2881 kj (684 calories) = 4.14 calories per gram. Just boil 2/3 of a cup of water (approx 6 mls meths) and add to the couscous, stir and wait a couple of minutes for it to fluff up, toss through the trail mix. Eat. Delicious!
08/04/2017: The
Thylacine Returns: Here’s hoping that ‘Tassie’ follows the Night Parrot and
other such ‘beasties’ back from extinction. We once tried to hunt ‘The
Inverloch Tiger’ with hounds, but the hounds just would not give chase, and
only behaved very strangely. Perhaps this was because it really was something
different (from the foxes and deer they were used to trailing) - as I
understand hounds have to be specially trained eg to hunt big cats such as
mountain lions in the
06/04/2017: Catching Your Breath - Walking Uphill: I am often gob-smacked by just how bright Willis Eschenbach is, but THIS observation was astonishing. Could breathing OUT more combat the breathlessness you get by strenuous walking uphill. I tried this out on my recent hunting trip, and it’s TRUE. I was able to walk in one go to the top of hills I normally have to pause several times to ascend and arrive completely NOT out of breath. Try it yourself: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/09/23/catching-my-breath/
The 'Road' to Lobuche.
'He said “You’re not breathing out enough.”
He explained that particularly when we’re swimming, but also with any exercise, people usually end up panting, taking very rapid, shallow breaths. We focus on breathing in, on forcing more air into our lungs. He said that the way to break that habit was simple—when you start running short of air, don’t mess with the in-breath, just breathe out for one count longer.
He pointed out that when we swim or run, we usually fall into a pattern. With me, when I swam I breathed out and then took an in-breath with every alternate stroke of my arms. He said when I ran short of air, there was no need to mess with the in-breath—what I had to do was just add one more beat to the out-breath. So for example, if I was running, I was in the habit of breathing in for two steps and out for two steps. When I started running out of breath, I needed to lengthen my out-breath to three steps … and then if that wasn’t enough, lengthen the out-breath to four steps, and so on.
And that was it. There’s no need to make any alteration to the in-breath, we’re all really good at that part. Filling up the lungs isn’t the problem, it’s emptying the lungs.'
Another useful breathing technique: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/breathing-trick-that-puts-you-to-sleep-in-seconds/
First Published on: Sep 29, 2013
06/04/2017: Breathes
There The
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
'This is my own, my native land!'
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned,
As home his footsteps he hath turned,
From wandering on a foreign strand!
If such there breathe, go, mark him well;
For him no Minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonoured, and unsung.
05/04/2017: Breathing Trick That Puts You to Sleep in Seconds: I always go straight to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, but I know some people toss and turn, especially in the wilds. Here's how to go out to it just like flicking a switch:
1. Before you begin, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth just above your teeth and keep it there throughout the exercise.
2. Exhale completely through your mouth quite forcefully so you make a "whoosh" sound.
3. Close your mouth and inhale quietly and softly through your nose for a mental count of four.
4. Hold your breath and count to seven.
5. Next, exhale completely through your mouth, making another whoosh sound for eight seconds in one large breath.
6. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three times for a total of four breaths.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a15524/sleep-breathing-technique/
A good pillow is a big help. here's one I use:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/exped-ultralight-pillow/
Another useful breathing technique: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/catching-your-breath-walking-uphill/
03/04/2017: An early morning reflection:
02/04/2017: Saw my
first waterspout today! It was only a small one, about a metre high, and it
appeared suddenly while we were gazing at the
01/04/2017:
Spot is mesmerised by it too.
Pelican at
Gulls scour the surface watching for minnows rising.
Then drop and pounce.
A family of divers on their morning swim.
A gull combs the surface: So many birds.
31/03/2017: More Gippsland Secrets: Here are another half dozen beautiful Gippsland places that I love
Macailster
Gorge: You will have to canoe down the Macalister from Basin Flat to
Snowy
Bluff: Again this is a walk into one of our fabled 'wilderness areas'. The Mt
Darling-Snowy Bluff Wilderness was set aside by Joan Kirner back in the 1980s.
Few people visit. You walk in from Dimmock's Lookout on the
Wingan
Inlet: Little Cormorants make their home right at the inlet's mouth. You access
this trip (on good gravel roads) from
Combienbar:
In
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gippslands-hidden-secrets/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-great-gippsland-circuit/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gippsland-pack-rafting-routes/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/beautiful-east-gippsland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-thomson-river-gippsland-victoria/
30/03/2017: Cooking for men? Or you could try Steve's Nepali Dahl Soup. Now with Della’s ‘seal of approval’!
29/03/2017: From Shirt To Puffy: Imagine a light shirt that automatically puffs out into a jacket when the temperatures drop. A textile lab is working on a fabric to do just that. This is a step upwards from the inflatable clothing I have written about before. I think it still has a way to go before it replaces wonderful down garmens such as Montbell’s, but it sure is an interesting development: https://gearjunkie.com/watch-fabric-transform-t-shirt-puffy
Like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-shuegwsrI
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/unbearable-lightness-of-being/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/inflatable-insulated-clothing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/montbell/
29/03/2017: Some good news: Brownie The Town Dog's Grave.
Owned by no one but beloved by all, Brownie was a good dog: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/brownie-the-town-dog-grave
28/03/2017: New Ultralight Survival Shelter: Terra Nova Superlite Bothy Bags. There are occasions when you just may not survive unless you have a roof, even when you are planning to arrive at a hut or paid accommodation (See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/) If you are not carrying a tent (or even an umbrella See eg http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-in-the-rain/ or http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-umbrella-redesigned/) you should think about one off these. This new model from Terra Nova weighs only 253 grams, shaving 100 grams off the one I own. I carried this one: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/survival-shelter/ on my Everest Base Camp walk (see eg: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/i-saw-below-me-that-golden-valley/)
It weighed 350 grams which may seem a lot to haul 5 ½ kilometers into the sky when I didn’t need it! Then again, I haven’t needed a funeral plan yet either, and I’m not complaining! http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tarps-bivis-bothies/all-bothies-bothy-bags/superlite-bothy-2/
Available at Massdrop right now for US$79.99: Superlite Bothy Bag
Superlite Bothy 2
For 2 people
Fabric: 70gsm polyester with PU coating
Silicone-coated fabrics
Dimensions, packed: 5.1 x 4.3 in (13 x 11 cm)
Weight: 8.9 oz (253 g)
If you were sitting on your Neoair Xlite Women's in there on your CycloneChair you should survive the night in warm clothes even if it gets down well below freezing, and the rain is pouring down - otherwise you would die!
Superlite Bothy 4
For 4 people
Dimensions, packed: 7.9 x 4.7 in (20 x 12 cm)
Weight: 14.1 oz (400 g)
28/03/2017: Snow Goose is Good food: Absolutely. I’m sure there are many interesting ‘bush meats’ might be added to that cornucopia too here in Oz. Throw for koala, echidna, platypus…on the barbie: http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/29657-A-Snow-Goose-is-good-food.html Includes recipes!
27/03/2017: Astronaut who walked on the moon: ‘why I know aliens haven’t visited Earth’. I thought it was a great headline too. I really liked his argument. But there is much more to Alan bean than that. He is also a gifted artist who encompasses real moon dust in his works: http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/astronaut-who-walked-on-the-moon-why-i-know-aliens-havent-visited-earth/news-story/cf021030a1a1b21d712512eb118d6b61
27/03/2017: Ultralight Keyboard Warriors: I took a side-trip to Reddit to re-post some of my ideas/adventures thinking ‘like minded’ people there might be interested, people at such sub-reddits as Bushcraft, Ultralight, Wilderness Backpacking, Camping and Hiking for example. You would think so, wouldn’t you? There was considerable interest from the readership, as you might imagine.
Unfortunately, like much of the media, these ‘sub-reddits’ are controlled by a small clique of control-freaks and extremists – by and large very rude people as well! Even though I sought (and gained) prior approval to share these posts from their ‘moderators’, nonetheless they were universally condemned and/or removed by the moderators and their extremist allies even though clearly the great majority of Reddit readers (ie 19 out of every 20) just came over for a look and most stayed for a much longer visit –and I thank them for it! The clique staged a massed campaign of ‘down-voting’ as well as frivolous, rude and contemptuous commenting – this from folk who have not a shadow of our bush experience - and much of it carried on in secret (from the 'community') in that it occurred after my posts were taken down in contravention of an expressed promise otherwise. I should mention that neither the moderator at MYOG or Trail Meals acted like this, indeed quite the contrary (and thank you) - but there are many negative commentators nonetheless who serve only to alienate people like me from engaging with Reddit.
If such social media is to persist, the 95% need to wrest control from the 5%, else it will ultimately fail, or society itself will fail. This extremist ‘cell’ revolutionary method has ever been the means by which democracy has been overthrown by fascists, communists and other enemies of society. Evidently much the same behaviour applies also at Twitter. Facebook (with its emphasis on ‘liking’) seems much friendlier. Pinterest and Instagram even moreso.
Needless to say, I will be abandoning Reddit. It is (at least as presently constituted) a quite anti-social ‘social medium’, and I suggest you also avoid it, as it is likely only to upset you, as it has me. I will concentrate on improving the acessability of my site.
I noticed, whilst this was going on, that for some mysterious reason Word Press has shrunk nearly all my photos (some so that they are almost impossible to make out). It is a mysterious vehicle. Apparently you can click on them to see a larger version, but I’m sure people would like a larger, clearer image at the outset – so, I will work my way gradually through the nearly 900 posts and enlarge all the photos, many thousands of them. This may take some time, and naturally posting will be a bit lighter while I get this done.
I also noticed that the meta tags (at the bottom of each post -
which is what helps the search engine find the post when you do a search for a
particular topic) are missing on most of my posts. A search engine therefore
might not find some of my ‘camp shoe’ or
‘
Oh, and thank you for your continuing support (including many messages of such) here at ‘The Ultralight Hiker’. So far I have only ever had one slightly negative comment which was down to poor wording rather than malice – which is nice. As I’m sure you understand, this blog is ‘a labour of love’. Such support is appreciated.
Meanwhile, my wonderful new NBN interent connection is playing up again (as always) and is just so slow. I need to see if I can negotiate with the ISP/NBN to get this improved. The ‘information super highway’ is just crawling along here…No doubt others have the same problem.
23/03/2017: Breakfast
this morning: Growlers on the
The river is just outside the window:
View upstream:
View downstream:
23/03/2017: Ultralight Glasses Case: 12 grams: If you have got to my age (or had other bad luck) you no doubt need glasses. I now wear progressive frameless titanium glasses (14 grams) all the time, but I also need a spare pair in case I lose or break them. The quite lightweight case they came in from Zenni weighs 47 grams (blue below). I knew I could do better. Like this:
As you can see I have also managed to fit in a pair of clip on sunglasses, Weight 4.5 grams eg to prevent snow blindness!
This is 350 ml (12 oz) PET drink bottle I cut down with a craft knife (I should have left a tiny bit more of the neck) and some bubble wrap = 12 grams, a saving over over an ounce ie more than the weight of a muesli bar on the trail, or more than enough weight of fuel (metho) to cook a meal. Every little bit of weight saved helps lighten the load and means you can go a little bit further, easier. I could have even cut down on the (used) bubble wrap a little more.
Here it is compared with my old glasses case.
Indeed switching to these frameless glasses (two pairs) also saved me over an ounce (28.5 grams)! I have simply rolled the glasses up in the bubble wrap and squeezed them through the neck. These flexible titanium frames are quite difficult to break anyway: you can just about stand on them, so they will be fine in the ‘possibles’ bag in my pack.
This ultralight glasses case has been safely stowed (without any due care) in my pack now for over a year and maybe a thousand miles. All its contents came out perfectly for a photo this morning.
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-spare-glasses/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/zenni-the-hearing-company/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/securing-hearing-aids/
22/03/2017: O’Shanessy Aquaduct Trail:
It starts/ends at the original weir built in 1914 just below the current large dam which is probably 20 times the original size. Then continues for about 40 km until it meets up with the aqueduct from Badger weir Healesville. You can now walk along the decommissioned section. There is an internet page about the story. http://oshannassyaqueduct.weebly.com/
‘The trail runs in parallel with the Warburton Rail Trail,
however, the O’Shannassy Trail is set into the mountain ranges, and therefore
provides a different perspective to the environment. Surrounded by tall trees,
and ferns, the trail follows the historic open channelled O’Shannassy Aqueduct,
and allows for spectacular views of the
Warburton is in the middle of the trail. The trail is on the north
side of the Yarra. About 700 metres from the Yarra to the aqueduct on a well
marked path. It's a good alternative to the rail trail and you can also access
the weir from the Warburton -
If you finished the Upper Yarra Track at Big Pats Creek, you could
walk into Warburton, then cross the Yarra and go up hill on
If you are exiting the Upper Yarra Track from Big Pat's Creek Road you could instead of walking towards Warburton turn right and head upriver for a couple of kilometres to Cement Creek road and that takes you to the aqueduct via a place called Redwood Forest that has become really popular and has a huge cleared area for camping plus the clear cement creek. Map available here: http://www.visitwarburton.com.au/activity/oshannassy-aqueduct-trail ’
20/03/2017: The Ultralight Trail Baker: You can make a baking stand (‘the Flashbaker’) out of aluminium flashing. You just need to cut a circle a little smaller than your pot and leave three approx 1 ½” ‘legs’ on the outside of the disc which you fold down to support whatever you are cooking. (OK, this one has four legs!) This works well with a thick dough. I have often made ‘damper’ in my cook pot with such an arrangement. My original flashing ‘baker’ weighs 13.5 grams.
L to R: Snowpeak 1400 ml Titanium Cook pot Frypan Lid, Brasslite Turbo 1D Stove, Brasslite Traillbaker, ‘Flashbaker’, Evernew Titanium Sierra Cup, Snowpeak 1400 ml Titanium Cook Pot
Or you can also buy Brasslite’s excellent ‘Trailbaker’ here: http://brasslite.com/products/brasslite-trailbaker/ which weighs 50.5 grams. It would be possible to make a suspension system for an Evernew Titanium Sierra Cup (Weight 63.5 grams) which does the same thing – and doubles as a cup (Remember the ‘Hot Lips’ though: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hot-lips/). Some titanium windscreen material (if it had enough holes in it) or lightweight weldmesh rolled into a cylinder ends joined with a paper clip would probably ‘do the trick’ or a circle of thin wire with three attached hooks for suspension from the top of the billy.
I gave up cooking 'bread' on the trail maybe ten years ago - just got so many other recipes happening I guess, and was finding it a bit tedious, especially due to advancing arthritis. I find these good for: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/lunch-on-the-trail/ Of course another alternative is 'Johnny Cakes' or 'fried scones' - a great colonial Australian favourite, and a favourite with me for many years too!
The ‘Flashbaker’ just goes in your normal cook pot. This is all you need (except for a simmer stove. I use these: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/alcohol-simmer-stoves/) You don't need two pots at all, one inside the other. Of course this only worked with a stiff dough which sits on the baking disc or stand. If you want to bake a cake, or something with a runny dough, you will need something like the Trailbaker or Sierra Cup (above)
PS: Use a wad punch to make the baking disc even lighter. I figure you could take off at least 1/3 of its weight to bring it down to say 8 grams! Or you could make the baking disc (The Meshbaker') out of 1 cm stainless steel weld mesh. The holes would distribute the heat better too when baking bread.
I only ever baked bread (or 'damper' usually) usually to use for my lunch the next day, along with eg a sachet of tuna or some peanut butter. It is actually just as easy (and quicker) to make 'Johnny Cakes' or ‘Bannock’, maybe in the traditional way: on a stick! More about them, later…and my damper recipe!
19/03/2017: 2WD Folding Motorbike: Here’s just the thing to cut up those bush tracks even more – or you could think about walking, and saving both your money and the bush! http://www.moto2x2.com/en/ & http://newatlas.com/taurus-2x2-2wd-fat-wheel-motorcycle/44616/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
See also; http://www.theultralighthiker.com/rokon-scout-a-2wd-motorbike/
18/03/2017: Steve’s Nepali Dahl Soup: I made this dahl entirely with dried ingredients so I could make it on the trail. It made over a litre. I had trouble eating half. Very filling, tasty and nutritious. Do try it at home first. I would put the lentils in one small snap-lock bag and all the other dried ingredients in another. This soup will make a welcome change from whatever you are eating now and is very light and cheap to make.
Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils
3 ½ cups water
20 grams Hormel dried bacon pieces
1 table milk powder
2 teaas powdered/dried onion
½ packet Tomato cupasoup
½ teas turmeric
1 teas ground gunger
½ teas hot paprika
½ teas garam masala
½ teas coriander
Pinch groundblack papper
2 teas dried chives
1 teas garlic powder
1 teas cumin
Instructions:
Soak lentils 10 + minutes
Add ingredients
Bring to boil, then simmer 20 minutes.
Salt/pepper &/or curry powder (not needed) to taste
Thicken continental deb mash (not needed)
Comment: Delicious!
17/03/2017: Hoons: Recently we were up near Toorongo trying to work out a hiking route from Noojee to Tanjil Bren &/or to Mt Horsefall. (More about that soon!) We walked along this ‘closed’ road from the Toorongo No 3 Bridge to ‘Rabbit Flat’ (an interesting part of the world). The road had been ruined by dozens of these huge bog holes caused jointly by folks not owning a shovel (with which to drain them), no maintenance by the DOC, and sub-human 4WD ‘hoons’ entertaining themselves with plowing the road. The puddles were so deep poor Tiny had to swim them.
This kind of madness has to end. So does the policy of the DOC closing roads rather than maintaining them – a situation caused by their employing an army of university ‘educated’ bludgers who want to spend all day in offices having meetings or playing at computer screens or driving round in Hiluxes. Instead they should employ folks who actually want to do (physical) work (the only kind really) such as driving 4WD tractors and actually fixing the roads and/or creating and maintaining firebreaks (we have an out of control fire near Caringal this morning in an area where the tracks have also become impassable) also spraying noxious weeds and eradicating pest animals.
Neither the ‘hoons’ behaviour, nor the DOC’s strikes me as ‘conservation’ – if the greenies have not made that a dirty word for you too!
There was also some Himalayan Honeysuckle fringing parts of this track, a beautiful invasive plant much to be preferred to the ‘usual’ blackberries (also present):
16/03/2017: Weird and wonderful: the Strandbeest, a new life form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPbWSx_FW9E & www.strandbeest.com
15/03/2017:
14/03/2017: Upper
Yarra Track Map: Here is a map showing the whole of the (Extended) Upper
Yarra Track from Lilydale all the way to Moe, approximately 250 km and 8-10
days:
14/03/2017: Canoe/ Motorbike Trailer: I modified our ancient 6’ x 4’ ‘box’ trailer to carry our two Old Town Pack Angler canoes and my 225 cc Yamaha Serow motorcycle. I achieved this with three simple ‘drop-in’ welded steel sections which come out/in in a minute when you need the trailer for something else - such as transporting sheep. It may not be apparent that I have welded four pieces of box section to the corners of the trailer so that the two end steel pieces simply slide in (and hold down the motorcycle track). It is a simple and effective arrangement.
I can tie the second canoe right side up on top of the first one (shown). This arrangement proved perfectly sound even on rough 4WD tracks such as we often frequent. It gives us single car access to sections of river which we want to canoe together. I realise some aspects of it could be done much better (and the whole arrangement could be finished (and painted), but I don’t need to ‘get a life’. I already have one!
It was all done somewhat hastily so we could complete our Wonnangatta canoe trip – whilst there was water. See eg: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-one/
13/03/2017: Killer Bees: Yesterday afternoon we took a drive to Yanakie just doing some research for an idea of mind which I will call ‘The Great Gippsland Circuit’, a hiking trail which ‘circumnavigates Gippsland.
We drove down Red Bluffs Road to the beginning of the Marine & Coastal Park, took the track to the right, parked the car at a turning circle about 100 metres in.and got out. We were instantly attacked by these vicious black bees which we at first mistook for March flies. They just wanted to sting and sting for no reason at all. We desperately leapt back into the car. If we had been on foot I hate to think what would have happened – we probably wouldn’t be here to tell the tale!
Not a pretty sight (at best)!
My parents were apiarists, so I have had a lot to do with bees, but I have never encountered anything like this before. They just attacked and attacked – even though we were nowhere near their hive. At least it was not in clear sight of the car. It was just like when you knock a paper wasps’ nest down accidentally and they all go for you – but these were not wasps. They were bees. They left black stings in the bites. I did not notice any gold colour to them at all.
I will report this tomorrow to Parks Victoria. If this is some new type of bee, they need to be curtailed before they spread more widely.
Our bee attack wasn’t quite as bad as this one though: Dangerous Swarms - 'Africanized Bees Attack and Kill Man': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkkUYvn0VPs&spfreload=10
13/03/2017: The Great Gippsland Circuit: A hiking trail which ‘circumnavigates Gippsland. This is an idea I have been turning over in my mind for some time. Much of it is already in place, but someone (me?) needs to ‘join the dots’, work out connection water and resupply points, camping spots, track instructions, times and a map. It will take some time – and may be revised a number of times.
Gippsland
is unquestionable the most beautiful area in
The
Alpine Walking Track (Kosciosko to Mt Whitelaw) and Upper Yarra Track (Mt
Whitelaw to lilydale) constitute one long leg of the trail. Other ‘bits’ in
place include the Bundian Way (Bega to Kosciosko), the Wilderness Coast
Walk (Bemm River to Eden), the Bruthen to Orbost Rail Trail, the Traralgon to
Maffra Rail trail, The Grand Strzelecki Track, The Great Southern and Tarra
Rail Trail (eg Fish Creek to Yarram), the Old Port Walking Track (Port Albert),
various hiking circuits in Wilsons Prom (eg Tidal River to Sealers Cove, Sealers
Cove to Five Mile Beach? Five Mile Beach to Johnny Souey to Tin Mine Cove,
etc), existing beach walks (eg
Clearly
the walk will be over 1,000 km long and will take 2-3 months. There will be
many resupply points and many (public transport) connection points, so that
shorter sections of the track can obviously be undertaken. There will be many
places you can find paid accommodation, restaurants etc as well as camping
spots. It will take some time to work this all out but you will survive and
enjoy even if you just begin tomorrow and carry on following your nose (and a
map of
08/03/2017: Hiking With Dogs #1: I am heading up the bush for a week soon with the two JRs, Spot and Tiny. Tiny is now 17, has slowed down a fair bit and has failing eyesight and hearing, so that she gets left behind a bit. She still has a good nose, so she is not going to get lost permanently. As she cannot hear me call, she can be a bit hard to find, so I decided I would buy one (actually three – for US$59!) of these: https://buy.thetrackr.com/ to help me find her.
They work off Bluetooth and are connected via an App to your phone, so that you can make them sound a beep when you are looking for them &/or your phone can also indicate direction/distance. If you are somewhere the phone will actually work, they also have many other useful features too numerous to mention. They can utilize the SMS service, for example. They would also be great for keeping track of small children, motor cars, keys, etc.
At the moment they only have a range of 30-50 metres, but that is better than nothing (especially when I am deaf too!) Soon there will be a new Bluetooth Standard: Bluetooth 5 will have four times the range and twice the speed of Bluetooth 4.2: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/606609/faster-longer-range-bluetooth-5-reach-devices-soon/ which will have a working range of 120 metres and a maximum range of 400. This will make such devices really useful.
Of course the dogs have their own Tyvek raincoats (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-jack-russell-rain-coat-13-grams/), down beds, groundsheets, ultra light bowls, dehydrated mince, Smackos & etc, etc. So far they have not been called upon to carry any of this gear (They are busy pointing out the deer!), but I could construct little packs for them I suppose. These ;little guys are so small I have to portage them across rivers as they would be swept away. I carry Tiny in an ultralight day pack worn pack to front (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/osprey-ultralight-stuff-pack/), Spot has mastered a trick of riding on my shoulders, like this:
07/03/2017: Side Insulation: Gossamer Gear’s Sitlight Pads are just great for this if you cut them in half lengthwise. They can be still used in your pack’s pad sleeve but when it comes time to make your bed, either on the ground or in your hammock, these little fellows will keep your elbows and shoulders toasty warm.
You lay them egg-crate side down to get maximum insulation. The egg-carton shape makes them effectively 2 cm or nearly an inch of foam, and all those little hills and hollows makes them ‘stick’ to your groundsheet or hammock so they don’t move around.
There are three sizes available now. Mine don’t seem to be any of those. Mine are 9 ¾ x 18 ¾ ( 25 x 48 cm) and weigh 34.5 grams. This is a pretty small weight penalty for the comfort they bring – and they still do double duty as a pack frame and a trail seat! Mine are also used as my dog’s mattresses, but you pretty much need to have a JR(as you should) if this is going to work for you.
See also:
http://gossamergear.com/sitlight-sit-pad-group.html
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/womens-are-great-in-bed/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/does-spot-like-to-hunt-deer/
05/03/2017: Womens Are Great in Bed: You have probably noticed before how much I have extolled the virtues of Thermarest’s wonderful sleeping pads. I particularly adore this one (the Noeair XLite Womens) as it as light as a feather (340 grams), ‘fits’ me perfectly at 20” x 66” (51 x 168 cm) and is superbly comfortable (moreso I think than my own bed) at 2.5” thick (6.3 cm) and warm enough to sleep on a block of ice (I have) with an R-rating of 3.9! https://www.thermarest.com/mattresses/womens-neoair-xlite
You will probably have glimpsed this little piece of yellow in many of my hiking photos, often folded up into a chair, eg here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-last-of-the-mountain-men/
I am about 5’8” so my heels just hang over the edge, and the rest of my body fits its mummy shape just about perfectly – which is what you want to make an inflatable pad super-comfy. I also think the horizontal tubes have an edge comfort wise over longitudinal ones but this may well be a subjective thing.
The first point is the most important one anyway: If you have surplus mat at the ends, sides or corners your weight will drive the air there and you will sink further into the mat. This means that the mat has to be inflated more to support your weight from sinking to the ground (usually your buttocks or hips) at the heaviest point.
To me a tightly inflated mat is less comfortable than one that is less so. I prefer a softer bed. I realise this may not be so for everyone, just most people, but if you are like me you will want to chose a mummy shaped pad and cut it to just 2” shorter than your actual height (as I explain how to do here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/modifyingshortening-hiking-mats/) so that it is both exquisitely comfortable and the minimum weight!
From Thermarest’s page:
‘Product Details
The women’s NeoAir XLite mattress delivers more warmth and comfort per ounce than any other three-season air mattress available. Cold sleepers will appreciate our Women’s version, featuring an added layer of our reflective ThermaCapture™ technology for added warmth. New softer fabrics bring better next-to-skin comfort and boost in durability with no added weight. For the discerning alpinist, thru-hiker or backcountry minimalist who’s counting every ounce, there is simply no better choice to assure the kind of rest you need to get done what you’ve got planned for tomorrow. Stuff sack and repair kit included.
Ultralight: Advanced fabrics and a tapered design make this the lightest 3-season backpacking air mattresses available, with no peer in its warmth-to-weight ratio.
Warm: Multiple ThermaCapture™ layers trap extra radiant heat for cold sleepers, without the bulk, weight or durability issues of down and synthetic fills.
Comfortable: 2.5” (6 cm)-thickness, soft-touch fabrics and baffled Triangular Core Matrix™ structure provide unrivaled stability and support.
Ultra-Packable: Low-bulk materials make the XLite mattress the most compact NeoAir mattress ever – as packable as a water bottle.’
PS: Repairs: Though they are quite tough you will inevitably manage to puncture your pad. Mine was punctured within a day of my having bought it by a certain puppy (you will have met Spot if you have been here before) grabbing it in his needle teeth and dragging it backwards out the dog door onto the front lawn where he engaged in a full-blown mock battle with it until I intervened. I have found that nothing beats cuben tape (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cuben-tape/) for patching holes in them, The cure is instantaneous, efficacious and has not had to be repeated (Spot is now four years old). This tape is also excellent for a wide range of other repairs (raincoats, tents etc) and should always be carried!
PPS: Thermarest also have a chair which will do this but I own the Big Agnes Cyclone Chair ( I think slightly lighter) which has served me as furniture for many years in many wild places: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cyclone-chair/
PPPS: Another feature of inflatable mats is that you can get yourself and your pack (dry) across swollen rivers relatively safely with them by using them as a kick board. I have had to do this numerous times. Usually it is winter, so it’s not much fun, but if you need to cross...I usually take all my clothes and my shoes off first and put them inside my pack liner.
PPPPS:The RRP for this pad is US$159.95 if you buy it from the States and use (eg) Shipito (https://www.shipito.com/en/?id_affiliate=5249&countrycode=AU) to get it to Oz (Recommended).
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-soft-pillow-and-a-warm-bed-under-the-stars/
05/03/2017: I know I probably shouldn’t like this, but I do: William Wordsworth:
‘The World Is Too Much With
Us’
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.
05/03/2017: Fire Tent:
Further to my post about being able to light a fire in the rain, (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-light-a-fire-in-the-wet/) I have also long toyed with the idea of carrying/constructing a fire rain hat or raincoat so that heavy rain doesn’t put out your fire.
The two occasions when it is really important to be able to light a fire are when it is very wet and cold and when there is a bushfire approaching (so that you can create burned ground as a refuge!) On such occasions if you don’t have a lighter, or can’t light a fire you’re a dead duck. Smokers clearly have an advantage here over more sanctimonious folk, and even though I gave up smoking more than a generation ago (! – there is an interesting method of measuring time) I still always carry a ‘Mini-Bic’).
Above: Steve Hutcheson and myself Wonnangatta-Moroka Winter 2012
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fire-on-the-snow/
We always camp in a shelter which allows a fire outside. A tent is a cold, creeping thing to have to retreat to when you can sit/stand in a warm open shelter, drink rum, play games, read etc in front of a cheery fire – and with a warm back! If you pitch any rectangular tarp high you can have a (small) fire at one end (though the wind tends to catch the tarp if it isn’t pegged to the ground on at least 2/3 sides).
I think it should be possible to suspend over the fire (eg a 1 metre square) diamond of eg ‘Tyvek’ @ 1.75 ounces /square yard and a melting point of 800C. You need to be careful that the fire can’t ignite its ‘roof’ or use it as a wick to ignite your tent, but this shouldn’t be much of a problem in the rain. Set-up obviously needs to be when furled (a couple of rubber bands should achieve this) so you can pitch it over the fire when it is already lit. Weight should be able to be kept to less than 3 ounces (90 grams) including stakes and guys. Tyvek, with its 800C melting point should make a good material for this ‘rain hat’. It might be better to use the material that fire blankets are made from for this purpose.
A ‘Standard’ Australian Fire Blanket (cost approx A$20 such as has lived in our kitchen for 20+ years) appears to be made of woven fibreglass and measures exactly 1 metre by one metre and weighs 427 grams, so it will (pitched diagonally - like the tyvek shelter in the photo) make an excellent small waterproof shelter for a fire. The fact that it will reflect otherwise wasted heat straight back into your tent will also mean you use much less fuel and can have a much smaller, safer fire. I would use a stainless steel fishing ‘leader’ as the guy on that side of the tent (with a ring at an appropriate point on it to secure the top corner of the blanket) and pitch the fire tent over it and pegged to th ground on the other three sides.
I see now that someone is selling just such an idea, the Fire Defender (They even have an 'ultralight' version):
http://theupscout.com/gear/campfire-defender/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4RRYM5?m=A2CWO6R96322MU&ref_=v_sp_widget_detail_page
Above, their 'ultralight' version
You might be interested in buying some flame resistant fabric to make your own. You could look eg here; http://www.auburnmfg.com/product-category/mro/heat-resistant-cloth/
Tyvek
Fire Tent’: We always camp in an open shelter (something like the one above in
he photo) with an open fire out the front. So warm and cozy even on cold,wet
days. This shelter is very easy to make. It consists of a
I have a more compact model (shorter wings) made out of .48oz/yd2 cuben fibre which weighs 200 grams (as seen here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-camping-double-bunking/)! This is my ‘always’ emergency tent which goes with me everywhere – even on day walks: so often these can turn into an overnight trip
I have spent a night sitting (on a piece of thick bark) in front of a fire in the open on frozen ground, in a light snowstorm wrapped only in one of those mylar ‘space blankets which fit inside your breast pocket (Never be without one!). It wasn’t very comfortable, and I didn’t get a lot of sleep – but I am still here to tell the tale. Expect things like this to happen to you, and be prepared!
Two of those ‘blankets’ can make quite a serviceable tent and a sleeping bag. You will need some dental floss or similar to make tie-outs: simply lasso (& capture with the material) a rolled up ball of earth or a gum nut etc with the floss and you can tie out to trees, rocks or sticks driven into the ground. I always carry some dental floss/Dyneema fishing line in my first aid kit (and a self-threading needle – old eyes, you see) for making repairs to my clothes, (hounds sometimes!) – or myself! See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pitching-the-poncho-warning-this-may-save-your-life/
03/03/2017: Backcountry Radio: Most radios on offer will just not cut it at all once you get a few miles from the broadcast tower. This little gem has amazing sensitivity and will pull in stations from all over the world. I have owned this little guy for over 10 years (and it looks like it). It has been everywhere with me, provided me with countless hours of listening pleasure (I’m not sure whether I have ever changed the two Duracell batteries) and kept me in touch with world affairs, weather & etc. it is the Grundig Mini 300 World band Receiver at 127 grams bare and takes two AA batteries.
It has now been replaced by the 400 mini weighing 91 grams using two AAA batteries, a significant weight saving. Here is its Amazon listing: Pricey at US$129.99 but it works, is durable, so it is worth it. https://www.amazon.com/Grundig-Compact-Shortwave-Digital-Display/dp/B001QTXKFG
Grundig Mini GM400 Super Compact AM/FM Shortwave Radio with Digital Display (NGM400B)
- More details: AM/FM-stereo and shortwave bands
- Analog tuner, with digital display
- Digital display shows frequency, time, and alarm activation
- Clock and alarm function
Product Description
The ETON Mini GM400 Super Compact AM/FM shortwave radio features AM/FM-stereo and shortwave bands and an analog tuner with digital display. The digital display shows frequency, time, and alarm activation.Clock and alarm functions are also included. It runs on two AAA batteries (not included). Other features include: 3.5 mm headphone output; telescopic antenna for FM and SW reception; internal ferrite bar antenna for AM reception; DC input (5V). Includes: owner’s manual, warranty card, carrying case, and earphones. Dimensions: 2.75 inches x 4.3 inches x .472 inches.
From the Manufacturer
Grundig Super Compact AM/FM Shortwave Radio with Digital Display M400
A powerful shortwave radio with awesome features!
Super compact and light weight, the Mini 400 features AM/FM and shortwave radio frequencies. The analog tuner and easy-to-read digital display completes the simplicity of enjoying shortwave listening. Extend the telescopic antenna for better FM and SW reception and plug in a pair of headphones (included) to get a personal experience. It even has a clock and alarm function.
It's portable and versatile
The Mini 400 is a super compact radio that is perfect for all your adventures. Small enough to slip into a shirt pocket or backpack you can take it on your world travels or your daily hike. It keeps you informed and entertained with Shortwave as well as AM/FM and includes a sleep timer with alarm so you can wake to your favorite radio station. Digital display shows frequency, time and alarm activation. It even includes a telescopic antenna for FM and SW reception.
Anywhere is your playground with the MINI 400
It has an internal ferrite bar antenna for crisp and clear AM reception, anytime, anywhere. It has dual power sources: 2 AAA batteries (not included) and included DC input (5V). So the MINI 400 is the perfect companion for wild adventures or simple use at home.
Features:
- AM/FM-stereo and shortwave bands
- Analog tuner, with digital display
- Digital display shows frequency, time, and alarm activation
- Clock and alarm function
- 3.5 mm headphone output
- Telescopic antenna for FM and SW reception
- Internal ferrite bar antenna for AM reception
- Power source: 2 AAA batteries (not included)
- DC input (5V)
- Includes: owner's manual, warranty card, carrying case, earphones
- Another offering: https://countycomm.com/collections/radio/products/countycomm-gp-5-ssb-general-purpose-radio 85 grams plus 3 AA batteries.
02/03/2017: My Top Five Knives
1.
Gerber: 'LST Ultralight'
2. Outdoor Edge: 'Razor Blaze'
3. Deejo: '27g Minimalist 3in'
4. Leatherman: 'Micra'
5. Spyderco 'Honeybee'
I've
purchased and tested numerous pocket knives over the years. This is my current
top five that I use day to day (as you can see from the photo these aren't
brand new and have been used a countless number of times). Each has it's own
advantages depending on your need. You can read more about each of these knives
on my blog by following the links below. All are modesty priced workaday tools
which have served me very well...
1.
Gerber: 'LST Ultralight'
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gerber-knives-light-cheap/
2.
Outdoor Edge: 'Razor Blaze'
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/never-have-to-sharpen-yo…/
3.
Deejo: '27g Minimalist 3in'
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/deejo-minimalist-3in-fol…/
4.
Leatherman: 'Micra'
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/leatherman-micra-multito…/
5.
Spyderco 'Honeybee'
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-perfect-keychain-kni…/
02/03/2017: Deejo Minimalist 3in Folder 27grams
This is the Deejo Minimalist 3 inch Folder weighing 27 grams (as configured). You could probably shave 3-5 grams off that by deleting the pocket clip, but you might also just ruin the knife, so don't. The pocket clip comes in handy anyway as it allows the knife to be worn on the outside of your clothing or pack where it is always ready for immediate use.
There is a bit of a story behind this particular knife. When Della and I traveled to NZ to walk the South Coast Track back in April 2016 (see: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-walk-in-fiordland/ and etc: Oh, Wow, It was so good!) when I went through the scanner I had forgotten that I had a credit card knife in my wallet, (one of these: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/small-thin-pocket-knives/ and they picked up on it - something which had not happened the last 2-3 times I had flown!
I always carry a knife - i have been a farmer for 40 years). It is just such a normal part of my life, of course I forget that I am carrying it. I just automatically put it on with my trousers every morning. I probably use a knife over ten times a day! When this has happened to me before (twice) they just let me check in my carry on luggage. This time I encountered the Gestapo. The airport police were called and they decided I had a concealed and prohibited weapon and were going to charge me. They kept me stressed out and on tenterhooks for three months over it despite my pointing out to them that they had mistaken a nearly 70 year old retired farmer for someone else entirely: a young thug or a potential terrorist perhaps. I suspect they are afraid to challenge these types and that I was an easy target.
Anyway, I found myself in NZ in the market for an ultralight knife to replace the wonderful Clive Sinclair Cardsharp (recommended, but maybe not legal!) so I just happened to buy the Deejo, and it has been in my pocket ever since. Its only disadvantage is that it is so small and light I sometimes have trouble finding it, but it works really well, and holds an edge brilliantly. Get one.
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/my-top-five-knives/
Some more details:
'Light as a feather with the strength of a pocket sword, the Deejo is wildly efficient in action, in weight, in use and in portability. It's the pleasure of a perfect fit and performance in the service of utility. Select one to suit your specific needs, taste or personality.
The Deejo Naked is the famous ultra-light design in its purest form. Three exclusive weights, 15g, 27g and 37g, in mirror-finished steel or in tinted shades of matte titanium, in three ranges of varying materials. The Deejo Wood comes in 3 species of precious wood with beautiful grain designs. From the deep black of the grenadilla to russet hues of rosewood and the curves of juniper wood, subtly peppery in scent. The Deejo Colors comes in 8 eye-catching hues, one for every style or occasion. Dress the Deejo in bright color and sharp flashes, get it in its minimalist version with the Naked, or it's most luxurious with the Wood.
Ultra-light, ultra-flat, with a 420 stainless steel blade with titanium finish. It has a comfortable Polycarbonate handle, secure liner lock system, belt clip, and ample sized chisel ground blade. Polycarbonate is a thermal-resistant plastic with excellent mechanical properties and able to withstand temperatures of -135° to 135°C. It has a high degree of transparency which filters light better than glass for deep, vibrant colors. Safely slips into any bag or pocket with ease.
Specifications
- Blade Length: 3.0" (7.6 cm)
- Closed Length: 3.5" (8.9 cm)
- Blade Steel: 420 Stainless
- Overall Length: 6.5" (16.5 cm)
- Handle Material: 420 Stainless Steel and Black Polycarbonate
- Weight: 0.95 oz. (27 g)'
- Available: https://www.knifecenter.com/item/DEE9AP001/deejo-knives-color-white-polycarbonate-27g-folding-knife-satin-plain-blade-minimalist-design
27/02/2017: Adventure Unlimited: https://gearjunkie.com/mike-horne-pole2pole-expediton
26/02/2017: Inflatable Bathtub Groundsheet: The lack of a bathtub floor is one of the chiefest comparative drawbacks of tarp camping vs tenting. I have been toying with this idea for some time. I used to usually collect some suitably lengthed dead branches and drape the edges of the tarp over them on the appropriate uphill side if rain threatened to inundate the ground.
I played with various means of suspending the edges of the tarp with mitten hooks attached to the tarp. This works but is awkward and slow with my arthritic fingers, then I thought, what if I made an inflatable tube which circumnavigates the tarp? I thought this was a genius idea till I Googled it and found someone else had already been there before me. https://www.esvocampingshop.com/en/air-barrier-tent-ground-sheet-inflatable/ Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I did come up with the idea independently though. Theirs is quite heavy and only really suited to car camping not hiking.
Before I ever looked to see if there was such a thing I was thinking mylar or silnylon (both possibilities still – further experimentation needed), then I hit on the DIY packraft site I posted about here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-diy-pack-raft/ and realised they could supply the materials for the tube and valve and that I could simply sew this to the edge of my 1.3 oz/yd2 silnylon tarp then seam seal the join.
Unfortunately the lightest heat sealable material (eg from http://www.seattlefabrics.com/nylons.html) is (I believe) 3 oz/yd2. I would need a tube 22’ long to circle double (7’ x4’) groundsheet. If I wanted the tube to be 2” in diameter, this would mean the tube would be in excess of 11ft2 or 1.3yds x 3 = 4 oz plus the 1.3 oz/yd2 silnylon 3yds x 1.3 = 3.9 Total 7.9oz or approx 240 grams. Good, but too heavy. If I can make the whole thing out of silnylon the first figure will become (1.3 x 1.3) 1.69 oz giving a total of 5.6 oz – or approx 160 grams. Much better.
A silnylon dry bag seems to hold air quite well though it is not designed to, so I suspect that if I glue up a tube of silnylon it will serve quite well, even if I have to add additional silicon as in this post: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/waterproofing-tent-floors-and-ground-sheets/
Why not try it yourself, and get back to me?
PS: This groundsheet will go very well with this tarp:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/poly-tent-by-the-ultralight-hiker-on-the-cheap/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/make-your-own-tarp-or-hammock/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/henrys-original-tarptent-tarptent-for-2/
I realise this inflatable tube could be added to my Holeless poncho to make it into a better groundsheet: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hole-less-ponchoshelter/ eg for my http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-deer-hunters-tent/
PS: As with my other design ideas, feel free to make one yourself but if you want to manufacture them I would appreciate some credit.
26/02/2017: Waterproofing Tent Floors and Ground Sheets: I have mentioned this brilliant idea before but apparently I had not done a post about it. Jim Woods has this great treatment which dramatically increases the waterproofness of silnylon (or other) tent floors or groundsheets. It simply involves mixing some (tube) silicon with odourless turpentine (ratio approx 1:3), painting it on and waiting for it to dry. I have done this myself and it works well. Simple, but highly effective. More details here: A Treatment for Silnylon Floors: http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Silnylon1/index.html as mentioned here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/trapped-by-flood-waters/
26/02/2017: The Silverback: This is the new Gossamer Gear 58 litre pack. Total weight (Medium) 1060 grams with removable options, ie bare = 595 grams (ie without lid, hipbelt pad and frame).
This new pack is the ‘Big Daddy’ of the Gossamer Gear Gorilla (48 litre total) pack which I reviewed some time ago eg here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-gorilla-in-the-bush/ I also pointed out here http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pimping-a-gorilla/ that you could leave the aluminium pack frame at home and attach a much simpler hip belt and switch in the Air Beam pad for the Sitlight pad to reduce the weight to 644 grams, a very acceptable weight for a 48 litre pack.
If you performed the same mod on the Silverback you would have a 58 litre pack (and left the lid at home which weighed 651 grams, meaning the extra approx ten litres has cost you just 10 grams, not very much for all that space! If the Silverback lives up to the wonderful standards of past Gossamer gear packs – I started many years ago with their redoubtable G4 – and I’m sure it will, you will have an outstandingly robust and comfortable ultralight pack at a very reasonable price (from US$215) http://gossamergear.com/silverback.html
If you add some tie outs to this pack (as I did with my Gorilla: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/attaching-tie-downs-to-your-pack/) and you utilise some compression bags ( http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-tardis-folding-space/) this pack will suit you for the longest expedition. I would be able to carry all my gear and supplies for an unsupported month with this pack.
More good news: Gossamer Gear have listened to my suggestion (above) about lowering the weight of the hipbelt and now offer a much lighter, simpler hipbelt with pockets http://gossamergear.com/fast-belt.html at 82 grams and US$21. It looks something like this:
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-hiking-gear/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-canoeing-the-seaforth/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hip-belts/
PS: If you find some discrepancy between Gossamer Gear’s stated volumes for this pack and mine, note that GG do not state the volume any of its packs above the extension collar ( approx 8 litres) or in some cases the volumes of the pockets (my estimate: 13 litres).
25/02/2017: Ultralight Hiking USB cables, etc: This is my tiny bag of cables and other electronic goodies. The cable (17 grams) is only 6″ (15 cm) long and comes with interchangeable tips (5 grams each). Shown USB, micro USB (x2) and Sat Phone charger plug (comes with, so total = 27 grams) – this will get all my hiking devices charged on the trail: phone, camera, torches http://www.theultralighthiker.com/11-gram-rechargeable-head-torch/, sat phone, sat messenger, or etc). Also see below it a 5 gram white USB/Micro USB SD (& micro SD) card reader – great for sharing files on the trail (eg someone else’s photos. Also a couple of spare micro SD cards and adapter/s and a 3 gram case for extra photo etc storage – just in case I get the opportunity to make a movie about Fiordland moose! Note to self: I can save 4 grams here! The solar set-up below can recharge a couple of AA/AAA batteries and all these devices as I walk along.
NB: Solar charging http://www.theultralighthiker.com/powerfilm-usb-aa-solar-charger/ (well charging in general) did not work at all well at high altitude (as on my Everest Base Camp trip), though it works fine at home in the Victorian mountains (never above 2,000 metres), and usually much less – there will be a future post about this, but to cut a long story short; everyone’s batteries discharged (even when not in use) at at least twice the normal rate in Nepal, eg: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/i-saw-below-me-that-golden-valley/
Weights:
Cable inc sat phone tip 17 grams
2 x micro USB tips 5 grams ea
USB/Micro USB reader 5 grams
3 micros SD cards, adapter, case 5 grams
Cuben stuff sack 2 grams
Total 39 grams.
Solar pack setup. See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/attaching-tie-downs-to-your-pack/
I bought the cable and adapter tips from these folk: http://www.tekkeon.com/products.html
Some other Tekkeon tips: Adapter Tips: http://www.tekkeon.com/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=15
They
also sell this interesting AA charger: http://www.tekkeon.com/products-tekcharge1580.html
125 grams Uses AA alkaline or rechargeable batteries TekCharge MP1580
doubles as a battery charger, so you can charge your rechargeable NiMH or
lithium batteries as needed.
They
also have a number of power banks such as this one: http://www.tekkeon.com/products-tekcharge1820-specs.html
125 grams for 4800 mAh
This is a reasonable weight for a power bank (I will also have a later post about them), but my spare battery for my Samsung Galaxy S4 camera weighs 35 grams for 2900 mAh, so about 15 grams per each amp hour. At that rate of conversion a 4800 mAh power bank should weigh less than 90 grams! I need to walk around the city sometime with an electonic scales in my posket weighing these ubiquitous little guys. I have done very poorly searching eg for ‘lightest power bank’ on the net. Good luck with that! But, if you have better information, please let me know.
I figure you need a minimum of approx. twice the capacity of your phone, so likely over 6000mAh. This would need to weigh (much) less than the above solar setup or this lighter version, the Bushnell Solarwrap Mini: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/charging/ which can be cut down by about 7 grams and still attach to your pack (as above) so will weigh < 80 grams for 1,000 mAh, plus whatever the sun delivers!
25/02/2017:
18/02/2017: Found Space: Underneath our caravan sink was a mess of plumbing. As you can see a large fitting and poorly routed hose stole most of our already limited storage space. I purchased the much shorter and more compact fitting online and installed it myself (rerouting the drain hose in the process) and now have space for another storage box.
Before:
A comparison of the two fittings. The white one is nearly 120 mm tall and the one on the right is 35 mm.
Lots more space now:
The plumbing which remains still leaves much to be desired but it would be lots of work now for little gain (save neatness) but when the caravan was being manufactured it would have been (relatively) easy to install the plumbing in a workmanlike and tidy fashion and to have the caravan delivered with storage containers which actually fitted the space. Every caravan whose cupboards I have opened seems to have just the same issues – yet many folk paid tens of thousands of dollars (more) for their vans than we have.
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/girard-tankless-water-heater/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/staircase-for-camper/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tray-top-camper/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tray-back-campers-and-other-heavy-loads/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/twin-shock-absorbers/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/second-air-bead-locks/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/mobile-phone-antennae/
17/02/2017: Vargo Titanium Knives: Vargo now have a 2.7” (68mm) fixed blade knife which weighs 28 grams (inc sheath) and a 2 ¼” (57mm) folder at 30 grams. https://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-wharn-clip-knife.html & https://www.vargooutdoors.com/ti-carbon-folding-knife.html The RRP on these beauties is US$59.95 (though they are available on Massdrop for US$44.99). These knives would be hard to beat for the ultralight hiker.
PS: I always carry a fixed blade knife for its ability to split wet wood for emergency fire lighting. See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-light-a-fire-in-the-wet/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fire-on-the-snow/
Some more specs:
Fixed Blade:
- Material, blade: Japanese titanium alloy
- Single-bevel grind
- Wharncliffe point
- Integrated carrying clip
- Hardness: Rockwell C 50
- Sheath: Kydex
- Blade length: 2.7 in (69 mm)
- Blade thickness: 0.1 in (3 mm)
- Overall length:: 5.4 in (138 mm)
- Knife weight: 0.7 oz (20 g)
- Overall weight: 1 oz (28 g)
Folder:
- Material, blade: Japanese titanium alloy
- Material, handle: Carbon fiber
- Wharncliffe point
- Double-bevel grind
- Liner lock
- Lanyard hole
- Hardness: Rockwell C 50
- Blade length: 2.25 in (5.7 cm)
- Blade thickness: 0.1 in (0.25 cm)
- Total length, opened: 5.5 in (14 cm)
- Total length, closed: 3.3 in (8.4 cm)
- Weight: 1 oz (30 g)
16/02/2017: Henry Shires’ Tarptent: This is one of the best and cheapest DIY tents around. With Henry’s permission I am reprinting his full instructions here: ‘The following document has appeared in print since 1999 and details plans for making your own tarptent. While neither is as easy to set up, nor is as storm and wind resistant as the next generation Tarptents, these tents are excellent do-it-yourself projects for even the first-time sewer. We will be happy to offer tips and suggestions should you decide to make one.
The Tarptent sleeps 1+ (me, gear, +) and weighs 18 ounces complete with poles, stakes, tie lines etc. The Tarptent-for-2 sleeps 2 (or huge for one), weighs 24 ounces complete including generous beak, and has some additional room for gear. Both tents are floor-less, completely screened with zipper opening door and made from 1.1 oz silicone-coated nylon. Here's everything you need to know to make your own. https://www.tarptent.com/tarpdesign.html
|
IntroductionA goal of every ultralight backpacker is to carry a comfortable shelter that offers maximum protection from wet weather and bugs, while minimizing weight, difficulty of setup, and cost. The Tarptent is my solution to the problem.
Shelter ComparisonThere are three traditional shelter types. Here is a summary of their relative performance. My rankings are subjective.
Each shelter type excels in certain categories. The tarp is at or near the top in all categories except bugs. My goal was to create a modified tarp that eliminated the bugs while maintaining excellence in all other categories. The Tarptent weighs about 18 ounces, sleeps one person plus gear, and costs about $60 to make. The Tarptent-for-2 costs costs a few dolllars more. Disclaimer: Snowy, winter conditions create additional shelter needs. The Tarptent will be fine in light snowstorms but is NOT intended for winter use. All in the FabricWhile researching tents for myPacific Crest Trail thru-hike, I found and subsequently purchased a tent from Stephenson (603-293-7016), a producer of very light, high quality, but expensive tents. This bug-tight, 4-season tent weighs just over 3 pounds (less if you don't get the extra window screening), sleeps 2 very comfortably, and offers easy setup. It would rate a "4" in nearly all categories except cost. At 1.5 lbs/person, it's hard to beat, except if you're hiking solo. What really got me thinking about making my own tent was the Stephenson tent material. Stephenson tents are able to achieve their remarkable lightness because they use 1.4 oz./sq. yd. silicone coated ripstop nylon. Urethane coated nylons weigh well over 2 oz./sq. yd, some approaching 3 oz/sq. yd. While this may not sound like much of a savings, it really starts to add up when your tent contains 10+ sq. yds of material. The Stephenson catalog offers the 1.4 oz. fabric for sale. It also references the material that was used in previous model years but discontinued because of an apparent problem with the supplier's ability to meet demand. This material is 1.1-ounce silicone-coated nylon (silnylon). Silnylon is available now from several mail order suppliers, and it is the material I used to make my Tarptent. It is very strong, extremely lightweight and must, of course, be protected from abrasion to withstand extended use. Update 9/5/01: "1.1-ounce" refers to the fabric weight before the coating is applied. Actual fabric weight is variable, depending on manufacturer, and can range from 1.3 to 1.5 ounces/ sq. yd. This variability will impact the final Tarptent weight by up to 1 ounce. Recently I have begun using a silicone-coated, "zero-porosity, high performance rip stop nylon fabric" from Aerodyne Research Corp that is used for parachutes. It's called Zero Porosity Fabric (ZPF) and the company claims that it weighs 1.3 ounces/ sq. yd. On my scale it weighed 1.5 ounces/sq yd. My last batch of "1.1-ounce" silnylon from Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics also weighed 1.5 ounces/sq yd. so either my scale is off or the variability is just to be expected. What's great about the ZPF fabric is that it has a smooth, rather than slippery, finish and is MUCH easier to sew than standard 1.1-ounce silnylon. Sort of like the difference between matte and glossy photographic paper. This fabric is extremely strong--you wouldn't want your parachute to be weak--but seems to have a bit more elasticity than standard silnylon. The 3-point rear pullout on the Tarptent-for-2 is designed to eliminate the small amount of extra sag caused by the increased elasticity. Your mileage will vary. Anatomy of a DesignWhen I started working on this design, I began with an Integral Designs 8'x5' 1.1-ounce silicone coated tarp. It weighed about 6 oz, cost $50, and came with all the guyline pullouts already installed. I created a simple a-frame design, using 26" straight poles (I-poles) in the front and back. I sealed the triangular open ends with coated nylon doors, bounded at the apex by small mosquito netting vents for ventilation. I sewed one door edge to the tarp and used Velcro to attach the other edge for easy opening and closing . A groundcloth formed the floor of the enclosure. I attached guylines to the front and back and staked all 4 corners to the ground. There was just enough room to wriggle in and out of the tent and it kept the bugs out. Serviceable, cheap, lightweight, no view and no fun. It also suffered from condensation and showered on me when I brushed the material while exiting the tent. Next I decided to raise one long side of the tent and add mosquito netting along the entire length. This increased ventilation and provided a bit of a view. It also dramatically increased floor space while extending the drip line away from the interior. Original Design Raised Side Modification
I modified the door and added guylines along the edge of the raised side at the corners and in the middle. While testing this tent I discovered that the netting actually blocks most of the driven rain. Small spray that gets through the netting will not reach more than a foot or so into the interior so as long as you keep the groundcloth/sleeping bag away from the netting you will stay dry. Subsequently I changed the front and back doors to all netting to increase ventilation and views with minimal increase to rain exposure. The original 8' x 5' tarp was then transformed into something like this:
I field tested this tent on a '98 JMT hike and it performed quite well. I still got a few drips of condensation when exiting the tent and I couldn't sit up to move around, eat, or put on a shirt. I yearned for more freedom of movement. This time I needed my calculator and a little help from simple trigonometry. I wanted to maintain the floor space but increase the headroom without adding much to the overall weight. By raising the front and lowering the rear I added less than 7 sq. ft. (less than 1 ounce) but increased headroom by 1 foot. I'm 5'11" and can just sit up in the Tarptent. So without further ado, here's how to make your very own 18-ounce Tarptent™.
Materials1.1-ounce, silicone-coated nylon (silnylon) - 6 yds. No-see-um mosquito netting. Tarptent: 4 yds; Tarptent-for-2: 4 1/2 yds 3/4" nylon tape/webbing - 2 yds. 3/4" or 1" Velcro tape (both halves) - 7" (4" if not including beak) Grommet kit - size 1. If you plan to use trekking poles, make sure the grommet diameter fits your pole tips (and you may need 1" or wider webbing for a wider grommet). 6-8 stakes. In the absence of trees, rocks, or other tie off points you will probably want all 8 stakes to pull out the midpoints on both long sides. I recommend titanium stakes as they are incredibly strong and weigh only 12 grams/stake (3.4 ounces/8 stakes). #3 or #5 coil zipper w/double tab for opening from inside and out. Tarptent: 42"; Tarptent-for-2: 50". Nylon cord for guylines. I recommend The Kelty "Triptease" ultralight spectra cord - 15'. Not only is it exceptionally strong and light but it's highly reflective and very easy to see. Burn the cut ends to prevent unravelling. GE Silicone II Clear Sealer. Mix with some mineral spirits and paint on the seams, especially the outside (top side) of the main roof seam. Scrap nylon for reinforcing pullouts. Use scrap from 1.1 oz. nylon or whatever else you have but uncoated ripstop is probably better to prevent water from getting trapped between the layers. Be sure to heat seal uncoated fabric with a match or soldering iron. Home or industrial sewing machine. Be sure to use 100% polyester or spun nylon thread--I use polyester thread made by Guterman--and use a small needle size. Do NOT use heavy duty thread. Pins for marking seams. Measuring tape, yardstick, and scissors. Optional but very useful is a rotary fabric cutter and mat. A good place to order materials is Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics (1-800-693-7467). Poles can be assembled from sections available at REI and other sources. My local REI did not have the grommet tips when I inquired so I had my poles custom made by TA Enterprises (1-800-266-9527) for about $10. Pole Notes: Adjustable Trekking poles can also be used. If you turn the poles over you should be able to insert the pole tips into the existing grommets. Adjust the poles to match the specs for the front and rear heights (though most trekking poles will not collapse down to 20" and you'll have to get creative to use one for the rear). For those using Glen
Van Peski's G4 pack, the 18" or 20" The PlansThe following designs are intended for 1 person and gear (Tarptent) or 2 people and some gear (Tarptent-for-2). The Tarptent can sleep two in a pinch but the Tarptent-for-2 is intended for extended 2-person use or as a more luxurious shelter for one.
Fabric Dimensions: Cut 2 identical pieces of silnylon. Click here for printable pattern.
Cut 4 pieces of no-see-um netting. Click here for printable pattern. Left Side (raised side)
Right Side (low side)
Front Door
Rear Door
Cut 8 identical pieces of nylon tape or webbing for pullouts.
Cut 1 piece of Velcro tape (both sides) for netting tie or 2 pieces if you're adding a beak.
Some Assembly RequiredPlace the two identical pieces of silicone-coated nylon together and stitch along the long horizontal side. Use a 0.5" inch seam allowance. The Tarptent should now look like this:
Now fold over each edge 3/4" and stitch to form a border. The Tarptent should now look like this:
The PulloutsPullouts are used to attach the Tarptent to the ground, via a stake or guyline.
The areas around the pullouts will be subject to stress and it is imperative that these areas be reinforced to spread the load. Cut scrap nylon and reinforce as shown :
You will need to cut scrap nylon to fit each corner and the midway point of each parallel side (the ridgeline pullouts). You can also add reinforcing patches along the midway point of each long side though those points do not experience much stress. Make each piece several inches wide/long and stitch along the direction of stress.
Front and Rear PulloutsThe front and pullouts are grommeted to support the Tarptent poles. Adjustable Trekking poles can also be used but be sure the grommet and associated webbing is large enough or just affix the trekking pole to the webbing loop and leave out the grommet.
Make two identical grommet loops as follows: Fold a piece of nylon tape in half. Insert a #1 grommet near the end of the loop, through both pieces of tape, and spread the free ends as shown:
Repeat with a second piece of tape. Now, attach the grommet loops to the middle of the front and rear parallel sides. Be sure to spread out the tape so that there is more surface area to sew.
Side pulloutsNow attach the remaining webbing strips to the 4 corners and the two remaining midpoints. Fold each piece in half, turn it so it faces you edge on and then open it like a book to form a loop that looks like this:
Attach the loops to the remaining areas in the same manner as the grommet loops. Your Tarptent should now look like this:
Out, Damned MosquitoesBlessed be the ones inside the netting for they shall remain sane... Before you attach the netting you should determine which long side of your Tarptent you want to raise up. If you sleep on your left side as I do you will want to raise up the left side (as viewed from the front) of the Tarptent so you can see out the side of the tent while lying down. Reverse the instructions for a "right-sided" design. A Velcro closure is nice so that you can prop open the door when the bugs are low. Peel apart the two halves of the Velcro and stick them together again so that they form one long piece with about 1/2" overlap.
Sew the overlap area to the edge of the tarp, about 1/3 of the way up the fabric, so that it forms a right angle to the tarp. Be sure to attach the Velcro to the left side of the Tarptent before you sew the netting. When the netting is held open by the Velcro it will look like this:
Now, sew each of the long pieces of netting to the edges of the Tarptent roof as shown below. Be sure to center each piece of netting so that there is enough material on both ends to overlap with the adjoining netting. For now, do not sew past the center of each corner.
Tip: The netting/nylon interface is slippery. You will want to use a short stitch length to prevent seam puckering. Practice with scrap before you proceed or you will have to rip out your first attempts. I also recommend cutting each long side netting in half and sewing each half separately. Once the tent is set up, pin and re-sew the break in the vertical wall. This will help eliminate the stretch in the netting. You are now ready to set up the Tarptent and adjust the netting for good fit and finish. Be sure the Tarptent is taut before proceeding. Walk to the back of the Tarptent and pull the back window netting flap across until it's taut.
Pin the netting to the edge of the roof Specificationsline. Now go the front of the Tarptent and repeat the sequence with the front door flap but leave a little slack to compensate for the zipper. Draw a line along the netting corresponding to the pins. This is the zipper line and you will need to trim the netting back to this line. Take down the Tarptent and sew the zipper to the right side of the Tarptent You will need to sew one side to the right edge of the roof and the other side to the edge of the netting.
Be sure to block the top of the zipper to prevent complete separation by sewing an extra piece of nylon tape across the zipper. Stitch over the area a few times. Do the same thing to the bottom of the zipper by separately taping each bottom edge and stitch to prevent unraveling. Finish sewing the rear window along the pin line. Set up the tent again and pin the corners of the netting so that they hang straight and slightly inward. Each corner should form a pocket (for placing rocks/shoes/etc. to hold the netting) and the netting should fold to the inside. There should be about 7 inches of netting to the inside of the tent. Trim the netting as desired. In the field, place objects along the netting border, as needed, to complete the bug seal. When you have finished pinning the material, take the Tarptent down and sew the netting along the pin lines. Options (Why? Because we got 'em.)Sorry no moon roofs or 4-speaker stereos. But if it's beaks or floors you want, you came to the right place. Adding a Beak
A beak is an awning that partially covers the front of the tent. I have made it a standard part of the Tarptent-for-2 and consider it optional for the original Tarptent. It adds about 1 ounce to the overall weight of the finished product. In either case, it will not be needed except when the tent front is aimed into the blowing rain. A beak will, however, allow the front netting to be left open during most storms--a benefit for increasing airflow in wet weather--and allow you to scootch up toward the front. Like the door netting, the beak is designed to be rolled up and stored with velcro when not needed. Click here for printable pattern
Adding a FloorThe Tarptent is designed to have an open floor with netting border. Typically a groundcloth forms the interior. I always carry a groundcloth made of Tyvek Housewrap--a very tough and highly water resistant fabric used in building construction--and center it inside the Tarptent. My groundcloth measures 3 x 6 1/2 feet and weighs about 5 ounces.
Another option is to fill the space with a full netting, Tyvek, Silnylon, or combination floor.
A removable floor is the best of all worlds because it gives you flexibility to sleep out or in without having to carry an extra groundcloth. Here's how to make one. Determine the dimensions of your groundcloth. Now cut or piece together a netting floor insert to match the interior dimensions of the "hole" in the Tarptent or Tarptent-for-2 (see above) and create a another hole in the middle of the netting insert that is an inch or two smaller than your groundcloth. Sew velcro to the corners and middle of the long sides as shown.
Sew corresponding velcro patches to your groundcloth as shown.
Sew the netting insert to the netting flaps on the tarptent (except the front door) and press the groundcloth velcro patches onto the netting insert. Your completed floor should now look like this,
A combination netting/removable floor should add 1-1.5 ounces to the overall Tarptent weight (not including the weight of the groundcloth). A full netting floor would add about 4 ounces. Finishing TouchesSet up the Tarptent again and seam seal the main ridge seam and, if you wish, the seams around the pullouts. You may also wish to sew small loops at the front of ridgeline and about 1 foot toward the rear for use as a small clothesline or flashlight holder. An additional benefit of these two loops is that they double as a ridgeline tightener. Click here for additional Tarptent-for-2 finishing touches. But Do I Really Want to Make One...Since I first published this document, many people have asked me if I have any original Tarptents to sell. The answer is no because the new, next generation Tarptents are so much better. If you'd still like an original Tarptent, I've authorized Moonbowgear to produce them. Five Months on the PCT
I put the Tarptent through an extensive field test during my hike. For nearly 5 months on the trail, the Tarptent was truly my home. Overall, it performed like a champ and I stayed exceptionally dry and warm during my walk. I do, however, have a few comments and suggestions for future Tarptent users. Over time, thin poles will sink into wet or loose soil. To solve the problem, place small, flat rocks under each pole during set-up. The original
design called for 6" netting flaps around the perimeter. Despite
security measures, there were still times when a few mosquitoes managed to
evade the defenses. If you plan to camp in very buggy conditions I suggest
another inch or two to the netting width. The key to whatever width you
choose is to press the netting to the ground with rocks, sticks, shoes,
overlapping ground cloth, etc. Properly pinned, the netting will stop all
flying insects from entering. Ants are a bit more clever and a few will find
their way in no matter what you do. If you must stop ants, a full netting floor will add about 4 ounces to
the tent weight and is a reasonable ultralight solution. A full tyvek floor
is only slightly heavier. I sewed small
velcro patches to the inside of the front door, two along each seam. Since I
carried a poncho, I also sewed matching patches along the edges of the
poncho. During windy storms, when I had neglected to aim the low end of the
tent into the blowing rain, I attached the poncho to the velcro patches and
was able to stop the mist and droplets from entering. Any piece of fabric,
coated or otherwise, will accomplish the same thing. Another option would be
to add a beak to the front entry area. The Tarptent will be forever linked with the most incredible journey of my life. That's it! I hope you enjoy your original Tarptent or Tarptent-for-2 and please feel free to contact me with comments or suggestions.
Henry Shires info@tarptent.comTarptent is a trademark of Henry Shires. I assume no responsibility with regard to the Tarptent's performance or use. © 1999-2016 by Henry Shires. All rights reserved. |
16/02/2017: ‘It is
easy to forget that the memoirs of a little girl who watched Native Americans
on horseback and saw herds of buffalo on the plains happened within living
memory of my elders when I was born’.
14/02/2017: An Excursion to the
‘After bathing in the Thompson, which we found about up to our waists, and very cold, we had breakfast, and made another start. We crossed the bridge and ascended the opposite hill. The track was good, and after a time we got among the green saplings and wattles. They were about 9 inches at the butt and about 30 feet high. They grew thickly on each side of the track, and were often fallen across it. So we continued for about 2 miles, apparently keeping near the ridge of a spur. At this point the track turned a little off the ridge to the right, crossing the head of a valley, which ran south, to join the Thompson.
Just as we got across this valley we came to a pile of huge granite holders, and from this spot we got a fine view down the valley, and up the Thompson, with Mount Baw Baw in the back ground. Just beyond there was a heavy fall of dead, timber, which we got past with some difficulty. The track was again clear for a little. It then crossed the ridge, and we got on to a sideling sloping to our left. Here we came to another heavy fall of dead timber. Some logs 100 feet long and several feet through at the butt had fallen across the track, bringing down with them great quantities of the sap-lings and wattles. The track was blocked in this way for 100 yards or more. We had to endeavor to carry our packs over the obstacle, and then find places where the horse would jump the logs, or they were sufficiently broken to enable him to scramble over them, and move the saplings for him to get there.
We
loaded again, and proceeded a few hundred yards. Here we came to a worse block,
and extending a long way ahead. It had taken us two hours hard work to traverse
the eighth of a mile. We were then 12 miles from
On our return to the granite knoll we admired the view at greater leisure. The undulating ridge of the plateau, covered with foliage of diverse tints; the red of the gum saplings contrasting with the deep green of the wattles and the huge black and white trunks that at intervals towered above it. In the back ground were Mt. Baw Baw appearing as an isolated group of rounded pyramids or conical domes rising to a great height above the plateau on the south-east, and that notwithstanding that the granite knoll was 2600 feet above M'Mahon's, or between 3000 and 1000 feet above the sea, and the ground between us and Baw Baw was rising. We returned to the Thompson, and camped a second time upon the same spot.
The
next day we left our camp standing and walked to the Yarra to have another
cooler at the falls. We had a pleasant walk through the beech forest, the dark
shade of which was set off by the straggling gleams of bright sunlight which
found their way between the trees. We had lunch under a small fall. A little
above this was a great fall, which was shaded by the ferns, and very pretty. We
then began to descend the great fall from the top, keeping near the edge of the
creek, and saw a fine series of cascades. Still, we could see but a small
por-tion at once. After getting over 100 or 200 feet, we came to a high rock,
jutting out on the left bank of the stream. To the top of this we climbed, and
were rewarded with a magnificent view. The face of the fall was visible for 300
or 400 feet, the upper and lower portion gleaming through a pale green veil of
ti-tree. Looking outwards, we could see far down the
The
next day we struck our camp on the Thompson, and for the two succeeding days we
proceeded without difficulty till we got to
At
tbe foot of
We were not a little glad when we again made the Excelsior shaft. After this the travelling was easy. On reaching the place where the old track turned off to Alderman's Creek, we thought we would follow it and camp there. But finding the descent would be very great, we turned back and camped on the ridge, which the supply of water in the hut enabled us to do.
The next day we set out for Reefton. Not withstanding the rain which had taken place, the little water holes were quite dry. Going down the thick spur we had a fine view of a nameless mountain mass on the opposite side of the Yarra, whose steep and rugged sides were seamed with an irregular network of foliage. We descended the deep spur, and arrived at Reefton. We had eaten up all our provisions, our boots were nearly worn off our feet, our garments were ragged, but we were in good spirits, for we had seen the falls.
Here
we met Mr. Lewis, and were hospitably entertained by him and his wife, which we
thoroughly appreciated, and next day left for the metropolis. On reaching
When I arrived at the river, I saw cattle tracks along the bank and knew there must be somebody living not far off. After following it down for about three miles, I suddenly came upon a selector's bark mansion. To my surprise there were some girls outside, more surprised than I was, not only as to my state of dress, but as to where I had come from, as there had not been anybody through this part for about five years. After regaling myself with a delicious glass of gooseberry wine, I passed on to the next crossing, where a miner lives, who kindly gave me a good tea and put me on the track to Mount Lookout a distance of two miles, uphill all the way (by the clock), where I arrived at eleven o'clock at night, and was refused a bed till I convinced the proprietor that I was not a sun-downer on the wallaby track.
... It would have taken at least a week to do the four miles after I left you with the pack horse." We saw lyre birds at intervals all the way along the South Dividing Range of the Yarra, and thence as far as we went, and we also saw trace of wombats, and we killed a snake on Mount Horsefall, bnt we neither saw nor heard any other animals, whether birds or beasts. This absence of life made the part we passed through particularly silent, except for the sound of the wind among the trees, or of falling water when we were near the Yarra, Different members of the party drew com-parisons between the Yarra Falls and other waterfalls they had seen— the Stevenson, the Erskine, the Watts, the Eurobbin, the Wentworth, the Wannon.
In
general character the
I saw none of these slides on the Yarra, the fall being broken by short slopes only. While the Yarra falls over the edge of a precipitous and wooded declivity, the Watts rushes down the bottom of a vast and steep gorge between Mount Juliet and Mount Strickland, the wooded sides of which descend to the water's edge in steep unbroken slopes of, I should say, at least 2000 feet. As compared with the Eurobbin Falls in Victoria and the Wentworth in New South Wales, the Yarra Falls were considered to contain more water, but do not present the feature of an unbroken fall of vast height which distinguishes the former. As compared with the Loutit Bay Falls, I do not think I saw on the Yarra any one cascade unbroken by steps as high as the Splitter's Falls, or even as the falls of the Erskine. But both these latter falls are seen from valleys where the view is much shut in, and where consequently, the actual height is not liable to be dwarfed by comparison with greater heights or depths.
A
further question that may arise is how far the
There
is a certain pleasure to be derived from encountering and surmounting
difficulties. The mind is completely taken out of its accustomed train by the
immediate necessity of devoting the whole attention to the passing incidents of
the journey. The extent to which this is the case few people will conceive who
have never taken a trip of the kind. One appears to forget, for the time,
everyday life, as if he had been all his life a wanderer in the wilderness. To
those who look at things in this light I would recommend a trip to the
At the present time settlement is prevented by the inaccessible nature of the country, but this would not be a permanent obstacle ; a little engineering skill would no doubt carry a dray road on to the plateau, after which there would bo no further difficulty, except from vegetation. Some years hence, therefore, there may be a movement to take up this country. Since my return I have been questioned as to the character of the soil; I said it was good, but of course no grass would grow under the timber, "That," the answer was, "is a small matter. If the soil is good it is easy to ring the trees."
It is a matter, therefore, for consideration what ought to be done in anticipation of such a movement. It would add to the colony some square miles of summer pastures and perhaps of cornfields, but it would have other effects of a different character. The snow no longer shaded by the dark foliage of the beech trees would, melt more rapidly. The ground exposed to the summer sun would harden and absorb less water, and there would be a probable diminution of the rainfall, The result would be disastrous floods in the spring when the snow melted, followed by a quickly diminished pe-manent flow of the stream during the summer. It would seem well, therefore, that some steps should be taken permanently to preserve these forests in their present state. How far this is now done incidentally by reason of tbe country being included in auriferous reserves I do not know.’
Turns
out there is still more to find out about the
‘State Party Marooned. Trafalgar and Yarragon Times Friday 8th February 1918.
Tourist Hut Gives Shelter.
Under the above heading the Herald on Monday last says:-
When the storm broke on Saturday a Parliamentary and departmental party led by Mr. Barnes, M.L.A., which was returning on horseback from a trip to the head of the Yarra to inspect the district timber resources took shelter in the tourist hut near Yarra Falls.
"The rain fell in bucketsfull", said one member of the party today in describing his experience.
"Men and horse soon looked as if they had been wading through a stream. Our boots were full of water. When we reached the tourist hut we had to strip off our clothes and dry them at a fire. While our clothes dried we had to be content with less raiment than is ordinarily worn in the busy haunts. We had a Railway Department photographer with us but he refrained from snapshoting us as we wore rags and other coverings, which are stored at the hut. We stayed all Saturday night at the hut, and left on Sunday morning."
The party, in addition to Mr. Barnes consisted of Mr. M. Hannah, M.L.A. vice-chairman, and members of the New Industries Institute.’
Once again I am grateful to Thomas Osburg for finding and sharing these historic treasures.
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-trip-to-the-upper-yarra-in-1907-camping-near-mcveighs/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls-shelter-house/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/from-1925-the-baw-baw-track-notes-of-a-recent-visit/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/secrets-of-the-yarra-walshs-creek-yarra-falls/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls-3/
13/02/2017: Don’t like Google’s intrusiveness? You can get most Apps here without a Google account: http://en.uptodown.com/android If you go to their site you will see that each App has already been checked by perhaps 50 Anti Virus programmes to be safe – no doubt you can also run it past your own. This may be the next best thing to outright ‘jailbreaking’ your phone, which you might alos consider if yout are obsessed by privacy issues.
For example you can download the old version of ‘Pdf Maps’ which allows you to open an infinite number of maps. You have to uncheck 'Update' to continue its functionality. This is really good for opening GPS enabled Vicmaps on your mobile phone.
12/02/2017:
I
would estimate it to take at least three hours from Webbs Track to
You can also put in at the intermediate point Burns Track (just a km above the junction). This would be a good place to check the canoeability of the East branch before you try it from Webbs all the way down. Keep an eye on the river heights gauge http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDV60154.html to see if there is enough water. A decent summer shower should provide you with some fun!
View downstream.
View upstream.
A PS: I had not thought about canoeing the section of the Tanjil downstream from Blue Rock but apparently they let out 'Environmental Flows' from time to time which makes this possible. I will post when I know more.
12/02/2017: What a great poem! Especially the last stanza, and the last line:
Ulysses - Tennyson
It
little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match’d with an aged wife, I mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy’d
Greatly, have suffer’d greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
Thro’ scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honour’d of them all;
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’
Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!
As tho’ to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
This is my son, mine own Telemachus,
To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—
Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil
This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
A rugged people, and thro’ soft degrees
Subdue them to the useful and the good.
Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere
Of common duties, decent not to fail
In offices of tenderness, and pay
Meet adoration to my household gods,
When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil’d, and wrought, and thought with me—
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
’Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
11/02/2017: Strange Stone Circles: I am sick to death of seeing these ubiquitous idiotic ‘structures’. They do nothing to contain the campfire – indeed they are likely to harbour smouldering embers which wind will later re-ignite into conflagrations. They are a tripping hazard responsible for many burns injuries. They are visual squalor. They are almost always in the wrong place. They are impossible to see once the grass has regrown. I hate to think how many times I have srubbed my toes on them or come close to damaging my vehicle with them. They make it almost impossible to slash the grass in summer to prevent bushfires and are annually responsible for thousands of dollars of damage to equipment. It is almost always better not to have the fire in the same place all the time. Individual small campfires cause interesting regrowth responsible for the propagation and preservation of many rare species, particularly orchids. Permanent campfires just sterilize that spot and create no renewal opportunities. In any case, they are almost always symptomatic of summer campers who should have no campfire at all given the likely enhanced wildfire danger, and that it is not cold enough to require a fire. You almost never see these structures erected by winter campers such as deer hunters. Let’s stamp them out, please!
10/02/2017: Escaping the Heat: Who needs an air
conditioner? Go up a thousand metres and you lose approx 8C. The Baw Baw
Plateau this week has been beautiful with maximums in the low twenties whilst
folks below in the
There
are lots of spots you can camp all along eg the Forty Mile Break Rd (North of
Noojee) which is mown to a width of nearly two chains all around the
magnificent mountain ash which form a broad avenue along it. Certainly one of
the five most beautiful (2WD) roads in
Here we are set up in a sheltered shady spot atop Mt Horsefall – with even a mobile and internet connection!
The view out our front door.
Spot
takes a closer look at that magnificent view over the
Of
course we were even able to cool off on the way with a quick trip to the
beautiful
Map:
See Rooftop’s ‘
08/02/2017: Hammock Pad Extender: Ed Speer hit on this lightweight way to ensure that you stay warm in your hammock many years ago. You could make this yourself in a lightweight nylon (eg .7 oz/yd2, such as this: http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/online-shop/argon-67) I don’t need the insulation for my knees as I always sleep on my bnack in a hammock, so mine would weigh half of the one shown in the photo ie less than a square yard of fabric plus two pieces of evazote 1 ½’ x 6”, so less tha 2 ounces anyway.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060115191541/http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/SPE.htm
08/02/2017: The secret of true happiness: Study, Majority Of Humans Happiest When Rest Of Family Still Asleep: http://www.theonion.com/article/study-majority-humans-happiest-when-rest-family-st-55243
07/02/2017: DIY Netless hammock: Over the years
we have made lots of hammocks, but we would have made a better job of we had
followed some expert instructions. The following instructions and photos were
kindly provided by Simon McGuire at Tier Gear,
Tier Gear: http://www.tiergear.com.au/
Above: the Goshawk hammock. This is what your completed hammock should look like (minus the insect netting).
‘Part 1 - Sewing the hammock body
Tools
required:
a. Sharp scissors or rotary cutter
b. Fabric marking pencil or similar
c. Measuring tape or ruler
d. Long straight edge
e. Sewing machine
Materials used:
A good quality polyester or nylon fabric. In this instance I used Argon 1.6 which is a ripstop nylon designed specifically for hammocks.
Good quality sewing thread. Gutermann's Mara 70 would be a popular choice for the DIYer as would Rasant 75.
Procedure
Cut your fabric to the length you require, taking into account the end channels and some loss of length when you gather the hammock. For a 3.3metres length hammock I start with 3.6 metres of fabric, as my end channels take up 100mm at each end and there is also some loss when the hammock is gathered. Fabric width is usually around 1500mm.
Sew a rolled hem
along both long sides. Start by folding the edge over once, and then over
again. My hems are usually around 10mm in width but you can go bigger or
smaller. Start by sewing along the inside edge of your hem. A single line of
stitching is adequate but a second line of stitching adds a professional touch,
and some extra reinforcement to your hem. The second line of stitching should
be just inside the outside edge of the fabric.
Repeat Step 2 on
the other side of your fabric. Once finished the hem on both sides it's time
for the end channels to be sewn on the short sides of the fabric.4. There are a
number of ways to sew the end channels. I measure down 100mm from the end of
the fabric and mark a line across the width of the fabric. I then take the end
of the fabric and fold it over so that it is a couple of mm before the marked
line. Now I fold the end of the fabric over again to just past the raw edge and
this time right on the marked line. This hides the raw edge inside the channel,
and gives you four layers of fabric making up your channel at a width of about
25mm. If you are going to use the end channels to run your suspension directly
through then this end channel may be made larger if required.5. Now you are
going to sew the end channel down. Depending on how you are going to gather the
hammock you will need to sew at least 2 lines of stitching, though 1 would be
adequate, or 3 if you are going to run the suspension through the channel and
hence making the stitching on the end channel weight bearing. I do not run the
suspension through the end channel so I only sew 2 lines of stitching.6. Sew
the first line of stitching along the inside edge of the end channel, and then
the second line of stitching 4-5mm inside of the this. This second line of
stitching ensure you capture the raw edge of the fabric inside the end channel.
Repeat steps 4-6 at the other end of the fabric.8. Congratulations that is your hammock body sewn. Basically I could have broken it down to: sew a rolled hem on both long sides, then sew a bigger rolled hem along the short sides and then gather - job done! It really is that simple.
Part 2: Gathering the hammock, and attaching the suspension
Once your hammock is sewn the next step is gathering the ends. There are numerous ways to do this, including methods which don't require the sewing of end channels in your fabric but I will leave those methods to people who have experience with them. These methods require the sewing of an end channel as detailed in part 1 of making a net-less camping hammock.
Essentially when gathering the ends of your hammock, you are simply inserting something through the channel and tightening it in order to essentially a ball of fabric.
Method 1:
The first method involves running your suspension directly through the channel e.g. your whoopie sling or continuous loop, and cinching tight. This produces a clean looking finish, and is the method probably most commonly used by camping hammock manufacturers. This method places stress on the end channel stitching so you want to ensure you lay down some solid stitches, and have at least 3 parallel rows using quality sewing thread. It is not recommended for lightweight fabrics, where failures have been known to occur. It also produces a consistent gather of the hammock without much fuss.
If attaching a whoopie sling insert the fixed loop through the end channel
Run the adjustable loop of the whoopie through the fixed loop
Cinch tight and you are done. (Note: in the photo below there is only 2 rows of stitches, 3 are recommended for this method)
Method 2:
This method involves running a cord, or some people use a cable (zip) tie, to gather the ends. Your suspension, e.g. whoopie sling or fixed loop, is then girth hitched over the hammock fabric below the gather you have just created. The gather prevents the suspension from slipping off the end of the hammock. This method does not place any stress on your end channel stitching, and is fine to use on lightweight fabrics as well as heavier fabrics. There is some minor fiddling required when attaching your suspension to ensure a consistent gather of the fabric. If you like being able to change out your suspension quickly or play with different setups this is the method for you.
Insert cord through end channel. In this instance I am using 2mm VB cord.
Next you can tie a knot as per Knotty's method on Hammock Forums, insert a cable (zip) tie, or use a small cord lock as I have done below.
The cord lock method leaves a length of cord, depending on how long you cut it, I use around 600-650mm, which you can attach a mitten hook to the end and this gives you an attachement point for a peak bag, pillow of whatever you want at the ends of the hammock.
Next you need to attach your suspension by girth hitching to the fabric below
the gather. If using a whoopie sling you simply run the adjustable loop of the
whoopie sling through the fixed loop of the whoopie, and cinch tight. You may need
to move the fabric around a little to ensure the fabric is gathered
consistently.
You can run the suspension over the top of the gather as per below,
or run your suspension through the middle of the gather as per the photo below
Rather than attach the whoopie sling directly to the hammock, another option is use a continuous loop which allows you to disconnect your whoopie sling from the hammock, or allows you to easily change between whoopie slings or webbing based suspensions. Another advantage is if the distance between your two anchor points is too close then the loops can be attached directly to your tree straps through the use of a marlin spike hitch.
Whoopie hook spliced onto whoopie sling adjustable bury and attached to
continuous loop.
There are many options when making hammocks, and those options listed above are but a few.
Happy hanging.’
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-netless-hammock/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/make-your-own-tarp-or-hammock/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-camping-double-bunking/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-hunting-till-dark/
06/02/2017: If Bernardi does quit tomorrow, will there be a spill?
05/02/2017: I just love the wild places, and have
long ago discovered Teddy’s various books about hunting too; I think I started
with a book about hound hunting mountain lions in what is now
The most memorable photo in the book was of a treed ‘lion’ maybe 100’ up a pinon pine with a huge hound baying at him from about 6’ below: "The encouragement of a proper hunting spirit, a proper love of sport, instead of being incompatible with a love of nature and wild things, offers the best guaranty of their preservation." Theodore Roosevelt. Yes! You might begin your ‘love affair’ with Teddy perhaps with this book, ‘The Wilderness Hunter’ https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Hunter-Classic-Reprint/dp/1332803369
04/02/2017: How to fall and not break your bones: ‘The other thing to avoid…is “foosh,” an acronym for “falling onto outstretched hands.” If you do that, all the force of impact will be concentrated there, raising the risk of breaking your wrist. You similarly don’t want to come crashing down on your knee so you break your kneecap or do that manoeuvre where you kind of pedal with your feet to catch yourself, which can lead to broken bones in your foot and ankle. Instead, if you feel yourself falling, experts said you should bend your elbows and knees and try to take the hit on the fleshiest parts of your body, like the side of your thigh, buttocks and shoulder. “Aim for the meat, not bone,” said Kevin Inouye, a stuntman and assistant professor of acting, movement and stage combat at the University of Wyoming…The key is to not fight the fall, but just to roll with it, as paratroopers do’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQtt2bCZdSU
03/02/2017: The Ethical Hunter: I really appreciate feedback such as this - and what a stunning photograph:
‘I recently read your sambar stalking articles and really appreciated your old school view point. I have been a hunter/bushy for most of my life, but what I haven’t taught myself I learnt from my old man, who is very much and old school bushy. I've mostly traveled the bush on my own (in a 4x4) all through the Vic high country.
Although new to sambar stalking as such, ever since I was a kid, I used to try and stalk rabbits, read their body language, anticipate their next move, practice moving slowly, quietly, etc. I still need to pull my finger out and get a decent deer gun, and my game license, but I had a bit of a stalk while away over the Xmas break, and managed to get this photo of a doe and fawn.
I don’t have the best camera gear yet so the longest focal length lens I have is 135mm. I stalked these two up to about 30 yards, got this one photo, and they bolted (I swear it was the sound of the shutter that set them off!) Had I had a 270 rather than a camera, I'd probably be butchering now rather than talking to you.
That said, its always been about the hunt for me, not the kill.
I've taken 50 odd rabbits in a night, and not had the same feeling of
accomplishment as I did after stalking these two deer. I couldn't agree more
with the points you make (camo clothes, trail cameras, 500 yard shots, scopes,
pretty much all of the points you make). I've
always loved the elusive sambar stag, I guess I kind of relate to them, to
their solidarity, the way everybody is gunning for them, the untamed country
they call home, reminds me a lot of myself a bit.
Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your articles. I have
bookmarked your website, and I will no doubt refer to it many times in the
future. I really appreciated your view, tips, tricks etc. Especially the iron
sights, and no camo. Thank you very much for
putting it out there, very much appreciated from a not so young bloke that’s
just getting into sambar, but trying to do it the right way, the respectful,
ethical way...
Thank you. Thanks heaps mate.
I've spent way more time than I should have reading your articles the past day or so. For me at least, its great to read the ethical hunter point of view, and without firing a shot, I’ve learnt more from reading your website than I have from years of listening to others talk crap about the latest and greatest camo gear, or trail cameras. I genuinely do appreciate the info you have put out for us all. Any ethical, respectful (of the animal) hunter would be well advised to take the advise of blokes like you. Thank you,’ Matt Elder. (And thank you, Matt Elder).
03/02/2017: Amazing Earth: a
lava ‘waterfall’ in
03/02/2017:
02/02/2017: Poly Tent by The Ultralight Hiker on the Cheap: As part of a series on economy backpacking, I bring you my new poly tent made from a ‘standard 8’ x 10’ poly tarp bought from the local Churchill $2 shop. This one cost me A$7.99 and took only minutes to make. Mark out the tie-out positions as shown. Use Tarp clips or polystyrene balls as tie outs - so actual tie out position will be about 2” inside the fabric edge. Tie Apex to an extended hiking pole (4’ height) as shown. Peg out Rear point, then two End points approx 6” forward. Then loosely toe out two Front points (as shown) then two Side points. Cut slit. Attach tie downs to Flaps for closure. Place ground sheet (and dog) inside. Enjoy.
As you can see, Spot is now an uncle.
Fully open.
Interior: inside 6’ x 4’ poly tarp ground sheet.
Fully open.
Storm mode.
Rear.
Made in minutes from one of these.
Plan.
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-egg-ring-ultralight-wood-burner-stove/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-side-burner-metho-stove/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/super-cat-metho-stove/
01/02/2017:
See: http://finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm
Early Trips to
Upper Yarra Falls: To the Editor of the Argus: Sir, Mr. Panton's letter on the discovery of Mount Donna Buang, that appeared in "the Argus" of the lst inst, brought back to me recollections of the time-half a century ago when I was one of the many hardy prospectors who penetrated the dense scrubs and steep mountain ranges of the Upper Yarra, in search of gold. I have still a vivid recollection of the night -a most uncomfortable one-I passed with Mr. Panton on Queen's Birthday Creek, on May 24, 1866; but I think that gentleman makes an error when he alludes to me as the discoverer of the falls near the head of the river.
I am under the impression that they were visited by a party of
surveyors in the year 1845. I certainly re-discovered them in 1867, and named
the waterfall (there are several) after Mr. Panton. It would be a graceful act
to abandon the present name (
Yarra Falls 1888. This is the middle part of a 3 part article. Leader (Melbourne, Vic. 1862 - 1918), Saturday 22 November 1884, page 16 The Contributor: An Excursion to the Upper Yarra Falls By G. No. II:
We struck camp next morning at half-past nine. Just after starting we noticed a tree marked W. From this we understood that we had been encamped on the two mile water. This made our march of the previous day a little over 8 miIes, The height of our camp measured by the barometer was 1700 feet above McMahon's, We proceeded along the south watershed of the Yarra in a general easterly direction. The prevailing character of the country was the same as on the evening before, The track was often perceptible as a sort of avenue through the scrub, though in the clearest places knee deep in ferns and wire grass and obstructed by logs.
We passed through several saddles separated by small rills. At about twelve o'clock we could see a great spur coming in to join the ridge we were following from the north - that is on our left, This could be nothing else than the right watershed of Alderman's Creek. We were, therefore, making good progress, and might hope to reach the Yarra that night. So we went on for another half hour, when our horse, in getting over a log, slipped and fell. He could not rise again with the pack and we had to unload him, but he was none the worse.
As we began to ascend the hill we found the sides and top of it covered with huge logs hundreds of foot long, as if it had been cleared by a survey party, The interstices between them were filled with tall bracken and scrub with white flowers, and the track seemed altogether obliterated. We made our way very slowly round and over the logs, and presently the horse got another fall, and we had to unload and reload again.
There was a good look out from many places down the
At about four o'clock we began to descend a little, and get into a forest, in which the beech tree was the prevailing timber, though largely mixed with tall gums and messmates. But little vegetation grows under a beech tree; what there was was the blue gum fern with the crimped frond I have noticed before. Moreover, the beech tree is seldom uprooted. It slowly decays as it stands and falls piecemeal, The ground in a beech forest is therefore encumbered by but little fallen timber.
As soon as we got under the beech trees the track improved very much. They were mingled, however, with very tall messmates, from which large quantities of dry bark in strips 4 or 5 inches across and 30 or 40 feet long or more had fallen to the ground, and lay in large coils. These continually tangled our feet, and it was difficult to get free of them, One would continually find one was dragging a tail behind many feet long. On getting under the beech trees the prevailing tints again changed. The black earth was bare, and varied shades of brown or dark green met the eye in every direction.
Towards the south and east the slope was so steep that we got a look out over Gippsland as far as the ranges in the neighbourhood of Baw Baw. The earth seemed everywhere moist; in places one could hear the water under one's feet. The track continued slowly to descend, and our view became shut in on all sides. About six o’clock we found ourselves in a saddle. This we identified upon our tracing as about 6 miles from our camp of the night before And 4 miles from the Yarra. It seemed a likely place to find water. There were a few beech trees and messmates on the saddle, and a forest of white gums, tall, slender poles like the mast of a ship, 300 feet high at the least, with a tuft of foliage at the top. There was a fern tree gully coming up to the saddle on each side. The earth was black and moist, and for the most part bare.
R. found a good stream of water a little way down on the south side
of the saddle, so we determined to camp. We pitched the tent under two beech
trees, whose thick foliage would protect us from any sticks that might be blown
off from the gums, and made our bed of fronds cut from the ferns. When we got
up the next morning a strong north wind was blowing, shaking the tall, white
ferns like corn stalks, bending them as if to break with a great roaring noise.
We did not make a start until about half-past ten, when we at once began to
ascend out of the saddle, and soon came out into the sunshine on to a hill
covered with fallen timber and sword grass, and from which there was a good
view of the opposite ranges. The logs had rotted and broken into fragments, and
were therefore not the obstacle they had been on
After a little we again descended into a beech forest. Here the track was clearer than we had yet found it. It was obstructed by little else than small sticks. There was a little of the usual green fern, but except for that the ground was clear of undergrowth on all sides. The dark foliage of the beech trees overhead shut out the sky. In order to keep the track it was necessary to keep a sharp look out for blazes.
After about a couple of miles gum trees again appeared mixed with the beech trees, and we were again troubled by fallen timber. About the same time we found growing in the track tall solitary stalks of grass like oats which shot up with a stem as thick as one's finger, seven or eight feet high. Finding the horse would eat the two gathered bundles of it, as we went along. A little after twelve o'clock the horse got another fall getting over a log. We had to unload, and determined to have lunch.
When we again made a start we found it had been raining heavily, and that the scrub was very wet. In a little while we got out of the beech forest, and began to ascend a hill covered with tall standing gums and thick bracken up to our shoulders. Through this we pushed our way, getting drenched through. When we gained the top of the hill we found our track appeared to leave the ridge, and turn down the sideling to the north-east. After turning down on the sideling we were soon again in a beech forest, and out of the high wet bracken.
In about half a mlle we came to tho creek, which was broad and shallow, scarcely covering the ground. It crossed the track from left to right- not from right to left, as marked in our tracing. The descent from the ridge to this creek was not more than 200 or 300 feet, and not at all steep, considering it was on a sideling. We crossed the creek and ascended to tho ridge on the opposite side. Crossing it we descended on a sideling to the Yarra, which we at once passed over. It was a much smaller stream than that we have left at McMahon’s, being about 30 feet wide and about up to our ankles, with, however, a good current.
The scene was a peculiar one. It was still raining hard. Heavy clouds rested on the tops of the beech trees from 50 to 70 feet above us, which lined the river banks and covered the slopes, and hung in festoons between them, but below it was clear. We had no time to stand and watch it, however, being wet through. We had to get to work and camp at once. In about twenty minutes we had a fire big enough to roast an ox. Having pitched our tent we looked about for something to make a bed of, and the best thing we could find was a heap of bark at the foot of a neighbouring messmate. This we dragged in front of the fire and dried, after which we had our evening meal round the fire. We stood up round it for some time drying clothes, while the horse stood warming his nose on the opposite side of the fire. Finally we turned in.
We were up at six the next morning. There was still a slight rain,
We had breakfast, and at half-past eight we started in search of the falls. Our
camp was shown by the barometer to be 2100 foot above McMahon’s or only 500
feet lower than the top of
We accordingly started down stream, crossing a considerable tributary on the right bank just below our camp, Tho river ran through a beech forest, and as nothing will grow under the beech trees, its banks were without that fringe of peculiar vegetation which is usually such a marked feature in an Australian river or creek. After a little we went over to the left bank, and crossed a small creek which joined the river on that bank, we then came upon a series of small hills, perhaps altogether fifty or sixty, There was, however, a good indication of something better. We could see a light through the trees ahead as from a largo clearing. This appearance could only be occasioned by the edge of an abrupt declivity.
We pushed on and soon began to get glimpses of a valley a long way below us, and to hear tho roar of a great fall. The beech forest ceased with the edge of that declivity, and the slopes below, when not too steep and bare for anything either to grow or stand on, were covered with undergrowth, mostly ti-tree. To see the fall we must get below it. We accordingly descended as rapidly as a regard for our necks would permit several hundred feet, and made our way on to a ledge down to the water. From this point we could see the water falling above and below us over a face of dark rocks in a series of steps. The fall was shaded by ti-tree, with occasional tree ferns on the ledges. The spray fell like rain. We were too close to the face of the fall, and tho ledge we were on would not permit us getting further out.
We were not the first persons who had viewed the Yarra falls from this spot, for we saw a tree with a blaze on it, on which was a name, partly overgrown with bark, which we mado out to be A. Burns. We then crossed over, scrambled along the face of the cliff and made our way down another hundred feet or two, and got another view of the falls, with, however, the disadvantage that we were too close to see far up or down. This point was by the barometer 550 feet below the top of tho fall. We could see the fall for about 50 feet below it. It was a continuous fall all the way, interrupted only by small ledges. There is, however, no reason to suppose that the lowest point to which we could see was anywhere near the bottom of the fall. Judging from the appearance of the valley it was far from being so. The total height of the fall therefore, can scarcely be less than 700 feet or 900 feet; it is probably 1000 feet.
We had not seen by any means as much of the falls as we should have
liked, but we were compelled to return. It was Tuesday, and R. had to be In a
distant part of
In returning we got a view of a great cascade, forming the top-most rip on the fall, which we had not seen going down. By half-past one we had regained our camp. We then bathed in the Yarra, had lunch, struck our camp, and started for the Thompson, where we hoped to camp that night. It was shown by our tracing to be 4 miles distant. The track in the first instance followed the ridge of the very low spur between the main arm of the Yarra and tho tributary that joined it just below our camp. After a little the track forked; we took, the left fork, which took us down to the tributary at a point where two creeks united to form it; beyond this the track was not apparent.
After a little we found a place where a tent had been pitched, with a rude platform of round timber to raise it off the ground. We had evidently come upon an old surveyor's camp. That explained how it was that the track ran out. We accordingly returned and took tho right hand fork of the track. After we had gone about three quarters of a mile the track turned down to and crossed the creek on our left, and shortly afterwards began to ascend a ridge on a sideling. The top of this ridge was not. more than 100 feet or so above our camp. On it we found white gum timber. The ridge was narrow, and the track immediately descended on a sideling on the other side, about 300 feet into a narrow valley containing a fine stream of water. The sides of the valley were lined with beech trees, with a few tree ferns. This creek must form the right fork of the Yarra as laid down on the maps; and as its level appeared lower than the top of the falls, must join, the left fork below them.
Crossing the creek we ascended on a steep sideling on the other side to a height somewhat greater than that from which we had descended, and found ourselves in a forest of white gums mixed with beech trees, with a good deal of undergrowth. The creek, however, continued tolerably clear. We were now upon the crest of the dividing range, between the waters of the Yarra and the Thompson, marked on the maps as Wright's Range. A little before seven o'clock the track began to descend gently, and we reached a fine stream of water crossing the track from north to south, spanned by a good log bridge. This stream, which was much larger than either fork of the Yarra, or, I should say, than both of them together, we made out to be the Thompson. Here we determined to camp.
A little way up from the river, to the right of the track we had come by we found an open glade carpeted with good grass. On this were the remains of an old survey camp, consisting of log platforms, similar to that we had noticed on the Yarra. There appeared to be a succession of rich glades along the river, divided only by low scrub, tall timber not being found till some little way up the slopes on either side. There was, therefore, a clear view up and down tho river for some way over the top of the scrub. We could see the sky, too, overhead and in front of us. All this was a change after the dense grass through which we had been travelling for the last four days, The edge of the other valley was lined with large white gums, say 100 foot high, with straight, thick limbs tapering to the top, and wide spreading arms a little more than half way up. The slopes behind were covered with a mass of plants of different kinds. Every here and there above this rose to a great height huge logs, white with age and black with fire, without limbs, broken at the top.
Though generally impressed by the view, there was a feeling of
solitude connected with this camp not experienced elsewhere in the course of
this trip. The height of this camp was 2300 feet above McMahon’s, or only 100
feet lower than our camp on the Yarra. We were still, however, above a high
plateau, as high or higher than the top of
01/02/2017: This is truly astonishing: Images of giant planets orbiting a star 129 light years away. I do so love progress: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/a-four-planet-system-in-orbit-directly-imaged-and-remarkable/
31/01/2017: Extreme kayaking: Watch Kayakers Take a Beating In 90-Foot Falls: https://gearjunkie.com/kayakers-take-beating-tomata-two
PS: This is not for me and Della!
If
you liked this you might also enjoy reading this book: Hell or High Water,
Surviving Tibet’s
30/01/2017: Restore Pdf Maps Functionality: I recommended this App back in Nov ’14: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gps-phone-apps-25k-vicmaps/ Many folks have probably noticed that their Pdf Maps App has updated to Avenza and that now they are only able to open three maps for free instead of an unlimited number of maps, and that Avenza would like them to pay over $30 per year to restore the functionality they had before!
As I understand it, Pdf Maps (version 1.7.3) is free software – indeed it seems that its functionality may well have been created by someone else ie TerraGo – see this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geospatial_PDF. In any case you can download it for free from a variety of sources, eg https://allfreeapk.com/avenza-maps,407396/
This Youtube (and others) tells you how to uninstall Avenza and put Pdf Maps in its place. You have to be sure to cancel the ‘Update’ function so this doesn’t happen to you again. Once again you will be able to open an unlimited number of Pdf maps for free - such as can be bought from: http://services.land.vic.gov.au/maps/imf/search/Topo30Front.jsp some of which you may need to walk The Upper Yarra Track, for example: http://finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm
Happy mapping!
29/01/2017: Wonnangatta:
The strange circle of foam...
And then, the dawn:
We just could not stop snapping away at it.
Della of course took the best photo with her new birthday Galaxy S7.
Then I looked upstream to try to understand where the foam had come from. There was a weird gyre at the head of the pool.
Here it is in detail.
Della also took this photo of Spot and me examining the gyre. The river was so reflective in the early morning light.
Then a small black diver swirled through the mist.
Upstream the pool had become a magic mirror.
Whilst downstream it was a dream of silver...
Then to check out the first rapid. Churning away in a tumult. I opined I could shoot it with each boat in turn as I had the last but one grade 2 rapid (we had portaged the last). Della urged caution as we were far from help. We checked out an old pack track on the true right bank and decided we could carry the boats the 100 metres around it. So we did.
Then we came to the second 'Surprise rapid. A somewhat shorter portage over mostly flattish rocks. This one would definitely have you out. One rock would hurl you one way whilst instantly another would hurl you the other. Paradoxically it might be better with more water. We portaged three times in all, then after a tricky Grade 2 rapid with a sharp right turn in it we were mostly safe on placid waters. We should have portaged it as well as it gave Della quite a fright.
The calm after the storm.
And so it (mostly) went on.
Past
these beautiful, interesting trees - the greenest, shadiest most luxuriant
native tree I have ever seen in
And these pretty sweet smelling yellow flowers - perhaps a reader can help me out. I would plant some.
Still half a dozen small rapids before Angusvale. Like this one...
And this.
A bee-eater (one of many we saw) atop this dead bush.
Della was still going strong even though she had quite a shock on the tricky Grade 2 rapid (which we ought have portaged)!
The dogs still showed a lot of interest in our progress...
These bushes are what we used to call 'native willow' They will not do such a good job of retaining the riverbanks though!
The second last rapid.
The last small drop (and Angusvale) are just around the bend. What a delightful three days' adventure. The Wonnangatta is certainly a river to dream of...
You can check the river heights here: http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDV67202/IDV67202.084118.tbl.shtml
Check suggested river heights below. If you are unsure whether there is sufficient water, you can canoe the short (half-hour) section from Meyers Flat to the Cobbanah Creek confluence to check it out.
Appropriate Vicmaps: Cobannah North T8322-4-N and Tabberabbera North T8322-1-N available here: http://services.land.vic.gov.au/maps/imf/search/Topo30Front.jsp Use Avenza App.
See Also:
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/dawn-surprise-rapid-wonnangatta-river-australia-day-2017/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-one/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-three/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/canoe-wonnangatta-the-movie/
28/01/2017: Wonnangatta: Waterford to Angusvale Day Two: The second day we ventured as far as the 'Surprise Rapid' which took us five hours (this is including brief halts for lunch, snacks, etc - and at retiree speeds), but mostly speed is related to water flow, and we are canoeing the Wonnangatta this summer with very low flows because of the effects of the bushfires years ago.
We had camped the first night just before the complete end of private property on the right bank. In most cases there is a public margin where you can camp even though there is private property along the river. It was not long before I spied an enormous stag (without antlers) running with two wild cows and calves which I thought an amazing thing. He was too quick for a photo though! Not long afterwards though our passage was blocked by a party of wild bulls which we waited to disburse - as they were not behaving in the most friendly manner! I judged all of these stock to be wild as they were running on public land/National park and had no eartags and they were clearly all sorts of crossbreeds.
They do look daunting, don't they. I was pretty keen to stop Spot barking and antagonising them!
There were a few more interesting rapids in this section.
And we finally came to the end of the dread willow blight! The riverbanks resumed their beauty.
Some of these rapids would disappear at a greater river height - or become more difficult!
Della is hiding behind that island before she comes down this one:
With a very professional style!
Spot
and Tiny look back towards her, most impressed.
After an hour or two a break for a snack.
And then onwards again!
The various herbivores are keeping this national park well mown. There is much more grass on various private properties across the river.
A wedge-tailed eagle combs the cloudy sky.
Another pleasant rapid.
The remains of an old swing bridge I guess.
And Spot investigates a bathtub which may come in handy in case we lose our canoes!
There are some fearsome predators as in these waters (river monsters perhaps - well there are giant carp anyway, nearly a metre long). No carp chewed open this freshwater mussel though.
Paddling on.
You can see the damage the absence of willows creates!
The river has become wider.
Towards the end of the trip there were a couple of Grade 2 rapids, which we checked out before we committed ourselves. This one was OK, but another we portaged. there is no sense in getting yourself injured so far from help - and we are here for a good time.
After five hours we came to the (first of) the Surprise rapids. There are several in quick succession. I reckoned I could get down this one safely. Della demurred, so next day we portaged all of them (there is an old pack track) on the right bank.
Thre is a long languorous deep pool upstream the 'Surprise', a pleasant harbour and a shady spot to rest. We pitched our tent on a little flat about three metres just behind me to my right.
The residents began to come to check us out. Here is a wood duck. Then a giant carp began to repeatedly broach in the deep pool. I tried for an hour to snap a photo of him but to no avail.
You can see how close our tent was to the water. It was a lovely camp. The water was warm enough for a bath (as on the first night). The ground was soft and flat. We enjoyed a pleasant night's rest in the wild.
I went for a little walk back along the river for a couple of kilometres (there are substantial clearings all along it). I saw two does and a stag - again they departed too quickly to get a photo. Della utilised part of one of their relatives to make a 'Clan of the Cave Bear Mask'. Here, she is one of the 'People of the Deer'. Well, she is a dear person anyway to come with me on these wild adventures!
27/01/2017: Wonnangatta:
This is our rig. We spent the first night in the camper. I have arranged a simple drop-in frame which carries the motorbike on one side of our 6 x 4 trailer and the two canoes on the other. I will perfect this and do a separate post about it
.
We begin the journey.
Many beautiful European trees in this first third.
The first two days were all just pebble races or Grade 1+ rapids. Really enjoyable. We never had to get out of the boats.
A heron watches us pass. The birdlife on the river is rich and varied. Unfortunately it is not possible to get very good photographs with a waterproof pocket camera.
Catleburn Creek confluence about half an hour in. It would be easy to put in here. there is also a lovely car camping spot. The dogs enjoy playing in the sand.
Leaving the Castleburn Creek confluence.
Just cruising.
A splendid long race.
Lots of fun Grade 1 rapids.
These wood ducks were playing 'hide the duckling'.
Some willows needed here.
Spot keeps a close check on Della's progress. Tiny is just' grocking'!
These relict brachychitons (kurrajongs) are a feature of the river (as are bee-eaters!)
Spot wondering whether Della is going to ever make it down this easy race. Here she comes.
The
Della powers along.
Spot surveys with distaste the kilometres of dead willows and wonders, 'Why?'
We usually approached complex rapids (eg this one with its many rocks) carefully, even getting out to check whether it was safe if necessary. This one is fine.
A pair of blue cranes sombrely watch us pass.
A dead tree kangaroo. Possibly a victim of the willow spray!
Just so many beautiful, easy sections of river. You could go to sleep. But don't!
This old-timer had a delightful garden. A good crop of prickly pears there. For the first 5-6 hours there are occasional patches of private land interspersed with bush on either side of the river.
Lichen has taken a lot of trouble to paint these cliffs. The deer are keeping the grass well mown.
I had stopped to look at something when Tiny (faintly) saw Della go past. Thinking she had been abandoned our 17 year old heroine Jack Russell (centre) swam clear across this mighty river to 'save' Della. Six hours in. Time to make camp, perhaps.
And what a delightful river bank camp it is. This is my 'Honey I Shrank' tent (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/honey-i-shrank-the-tent/). Della enjoys a well-deserved cuppa. Spot keeps her company. Tiny hits her bed. I quite agree with Ratty, 'There is simply nothing quite like messing about in boats'!
Right behind our camp (<20 yards away) there was this monstrous wallow, so you can be sure we were serenaded by sambar by moonlight! No cast antlers found unfortunately!
See Also:
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
27/01/2017: Dawn,
Surprise Rapid,
27/01/2017: A trip to the
‘On the morning of the 9th inst. a party of seven, consisting of a councillor (hereafter called " The General"), his two sons (" The Farrier" and "The Baker"), a local chemist (" Dr. Pills") and* his son (" Norme"), a contractor known as "The Champion" (tea drinker), and the son of one of Kew's oldest councillors (known as "Captain Moonlight"), left Kew at 8 P.m. with a caravan drawn by two small horses, and two bicycles, en route to the falls at the source of the Yarra River.
Brushy Creek (16 miles) was reached, and a halt was made for lunch, thence through Lilydale to Worri Yallock (32 miles), where the camp was pitched for the night. Fishing was indulged in at night and shooting in the morning.
January 10 -A start was made at 8.30, but at Oak Hill (a few miles further on) the hames broke, and a .new pair had to be purchased. Another start was proposed, but one of the horses objected; consequently, the services of a draught horse were called into requisition, and the whole caravan was safely towed up to the top of this steep hill. Launching Place was reached at 11.30, where the midday meal was disposed of. One thirty to 2 p.m. was occupied in covering the distance to Yarra Junction, where a halt was made until 4 30 p.m. There negotiations were made for the hire of a pair of heavier horses, which were secured at the exorbitant (save the mark !) fee of 10s per day for two horses, a driver, and the keep of the horses. The party then pushed on to the Little Yarra and camped for the night, and were joined at 9 p.m. by "The Measurer."
January
11 -We were met by the driver with the two hired horses, and a start was made
at 7.40 a.m., and we passed through Old Warburton, the new
Here and there bridges have been thrown across the river to connect the settlers on the far side of the river with civilisation on this. The whole scene is picturesque. The timber trade with this railway station is enormous - timber trains are sprung upon you at nearly every turn of the road, and the cartage from outlying districts by bullock wagons has cut the roads up terribly. For the past two years (so we were informed, and we could readily believe it) no attempt at repairs has been made. The consequence is that from this point onwards you have to keep your eyes open continuously for large holes and deep ruts. The balance of the roadway is covered inches deep in dust.
Having laid in a further supply of provisions, we pushed on to Sunnydale (3 miles), where we camped for dinner. This spot is as pleasant a one as the eye could rest upon. The river is almost horse-shoe shape, the soil is of a chocolate volcanic origin, planted with English grasses, and the cattle grazing thereon were in prime condition. The beautiful green tinge of the grass, contrasted very strongly with the brown, sunburnt, natural grasses hitherto met with. Having refreshed the inner man and consoled ourselves with a game of crib, we set out for Starvation Creek, where we purposed camping for the night.
Some three miles short of our destination we were overtaken by two young men on rather flash horses, from whom we made enquiries as to the distance yet to be covered. They were as deficient in knowledge of the locality (if not more so) as we were ourselves. At the conclusion of our inquiries our "corner man"- mounted on his white charger, wearing blue dungarees and leggings, minus a coat, shirt-sleeves rolled up, and hat well drawn down over his eyes - asked, in sonorous tones, " Have you got any money?" The elder youth laughed, but the younger lad's face blanched, and he edged his horse away quick and lively. Thereafter our corner man was known as "Captain Moonlight."
Starvation Creek was reached about 6 p.m., and immediately on passing over the bridge your eyes were drawn to a signboard affixed to a tree, bearing the name, "Starvation Creek" Fastened on to the sign-board was the dry thigh-bone of a bullock, indicative of miners' results in fossicking for gold at that place. We pitched our camp on the flat, and, after tea, went fishing.
At 10 30, when the last of us were retiring for the night, we were attracted by the sound of bullock teams approaching, and, shortly afterwards, two wagons, loaded with 1500 palings each, and drawn by 16 and 14 bullocks respectively, hove in sight. Here, also, the drivers camped for the night, the bullocks being let loose (each with a bell round its neck) to forage as best they may. The bullock drivers had been at work since 5 a.m. They made their bed on some dozen bags of chaff, under a tarpaulin covering, which had been left there by Mr Buller, of the store at McMahon's Creek, three miles further on. Mr Buller is accustomed to leaving half his load at this point on account of the steep hill between Starvation Creek and McMahon's Creek, and so great is the code of honesty in this part that he has never been known to lose a bag.
January
12 -Up at 5.30 a m., our usual hour, and after bathing, breakfast, and
repairing punctured bicycle tyres, the two cyclists covered the three miles to
McMahon's Creek in 25 minutes, notwithstanding the hills and dust. The
peculiarity of this dust, viz., powdered schist rock was that no matter, what
its depth you could always ride through it. A similar depth of dust around
By
12.30 we reached the old mining town of
McVeigh's hotel, at Walsh's Creek, was reached at 5 p.m., and our camp was pitched about a quarter of a mile beyond his house, at the junction of the Wood's Point and Clear Creek roads. Owing to the kindness of Mr McVeigh, five of our number (now increased to 11) were able to sleep in a tent he has had permanently erected on the roadside on a wooden floor, and under a bark roof instead of a fly. Here we met Jimmy Clark, the man who cut the track to the Falls, and received full instructions as to the route to be taken.
Here
two curious incidents were noted. The whole of this portion of the country has
been permanently reserved for future water supply purposes for
January 13 -After an early breakfast we started to pack our four horses in a peculiarly up-to-date style of our own, and just before starting, at 10.55, a photo was taken of the turnout. It will be interesting to see how they develop. From this point to the Falls Creek (16 miles) a pack track is followed, which for the most part skirts the Yarra. It is good solid plugging following this track up hill and down dale. At first the four horses were led, but "The General" soon became full of "Captain Moonlight's" charger, and practised his 'prentice hand at bullock driving, and was successful in soon reducing his steed to a worthy pack-horse.
At 2.10 (7 miles) we reached Contention Camp (Bromley's Reef Goldmine), but of this you shall hear more later on. After dinner we caught a few fish, and then pushed on with the intention of camping at Fall's Creek, but at Poverty Bend (3 miles short) we were blocked by fallen timber and had to camp for the night on the track. Bed was sought at 9 p.m. About 11.30 p m. one of our number was awakened by a crashing sound, and on investigation it was found that one of the horses had got loose and had fallen off the track. All hands turned out, and until 2 am axes and tomahawks were used in cutting away timber to free the poor brute, who was jammed between two saplings, with his feet hanging over the creek.
After two and a-half hours' solid graft we were able to pull the horse clear and roll him into the creek, about 2ft. deep. Then "The General" and "The Champion," with lantern and axe, proceeded to lead the horse along the bed of the creek to the crossing, about 200 yards up, but being blocked by fallen timber, tethered him on the further bank for the night, and repaired to the camp-fire to dry their boots and socks. A billy of tea was soon brewed, and bed once more sought.
January 14 -A stir was made at 5.15 a.m., and a reconnoitre being made, it was found necessary to cut a zig-zag track up which to lead the horse. The barometer gave the fall of 47ft. down a 1 in 1 slope. At 9.30 a start was made, the horses being left behind with the driver, as the track was blocked. Falls Creek was reached at 10.30, after passing through a forest of beautiful beech trees, the timber previously being black butt and stringy bark. Here we found the brand of Mr A. J. Campbell, of the Mines Department, on a sassafras tree.
Mr Campbell gave the height of the Falls Creek as 1760ft. above sea level. Our barometer gave only 1550ft. From this point there is a steady climb of two miles and a-half up the spur, rising over 1000ft. in that distance. Turning to the right we reached the top of the falls at midday, where we had lunch. Four different photos of the falls were taken. Owing to want of time and shortness of provisions we were unable to climb from the top to the bottom - a distance of 700ft in less than half-a-mile.
The sight was one of exceeding grandeur, double falls, single falls, and cascades following one another in quick succession. The country itself was disappointing-trees there certainly were in plenty, but small plant life was rare. Snow lies on these mountains (2800ft. above sea level) for about eight months of the year. The water which soaks into the schist rock, of which the whole of these mountains are composed, freezes, and, expanding, splits the surface stones along their cleavage planes, thus rendering it exceedingly dangerous when climbing in parties. Once a stone is loosened from its bedding, it thunders down the hill and over the precipices (many of them from 50 to 100ft.), and never ceases until the foot of the falls is reached. One should never die of thirst in this country, but animal and bird life are practically an unknown quantity. At 2.10 p.m. we set out on our return picked up our horses at Poverty Bend at 4.15, had afternoon tea, and pushed on to Bromley's Reef and pitched camp at 7.15.
January 15 - After breakfast, Mr Victor, the manager of the mine, which is the first opened up in this country, very kindly showed us all that there was to be seen. Two reefs have been discovered. No. 1 gave 4580z. from 130 tons; No. 2, about 150ft. west, 17oz from 15 tons. No. 2 is being worked at present. From the side of the hill a tunnel runs 160ft. west, and then the drive turns up north and south along the reef 130ft., which outcrops on the surface 60ft. above. The stone is run out on the trucks, and then sledged down to the 4-head battery worked by waterpower. The cost from first to last works out at 16s. per ton. From the battery a tunnel is being driven on a grade of 4ft. in 100ft. to intercept the No. 1 reef, which outcrops on the surface 670ft south, and has been opened out to a depth of 130ft, showing a reef 2ft. in thickness, carrying good gold the whole way. This tunnel has already been opened out 490ft., and it is expected that in nine weeks the shaft will be reached. Steel rails are being laid for the tram track in this tunnel, and it is the intention to tunnel across to No. reef, which will mean a considerable reduction in working expenses. The mine has been floated into a company of 30,000 shares at 5s. each, half paid up, and today are quoted on the market at 6s. 2d. The Hon. E. Miller is chairman of directors. I believe there is a big future before this district as regards mining. Our camp at McVeigh's was reached at 1.50 pm, and the rest of the day was devoted to fishing.
January
16 - At 10 a.m. a start on the return home was made. We camped for the night at
Big Pat's Creek, and reached Little Yarra at 1 pm. on the 17th. There half the
party returned by the night train, the remainder visited the
20/01/2017: A Mongolian Eagle Huntress: What a beautiful mini documentary. Do have a look: http://www.wimp.com/a-beautiful-documentary-about-the-life-of-an-eagle-huntress/
20/01/2017: Secrets of the Yarra: Walsh’s
And
this was McVeigh’s Hotel at the junction of the Yarra & Walsh’s Creek, a
transit stop on the way to the famous
And
this was what the (now forbidden)
Here is a more recent photo of the bottom fall:
This
may even be an 1845 painting by Hodddle of the
They
certaoinly are spectacular waterfalls, deserving to once again become one of
And this is an interesting shield of a cycling tour of the Yarra Track in bygone days:
19/01/2017: Wonnangatta: Hut Creek to
The
section begins with a long, deep race down to the Scorpion Track crossing.
Until closed, there used to be a couple of kilometers of lovely car camping on
grassy flats on both East and the West bank of the river here. Alas, our
masters have decreed, 'no more' - and no more fire access, or pest animal
management access, etc either. Canoe camping though is a different matter!
Outstanding swimming beaches.
Delicious long, placid pools.
Lovely pebble races.
Ducks. Well: birds, lots of birds. This section is a bird watcher's paradise. There were literally flocks of dozens of bee-eaters for example - and enough bell miners to almost deafen one!
And the water is as clear as crystal!
The Rock of Gibraltar looms overhead.
Lots of great Grade 1+ rapids.
A cool shady place to stop for lunch on a hot day.
Look at this wonderful long deep pool.
And this beach!
And
this one: what a majestic gum!
And another vast deep pool. There were giant fish along this section; carp which must have been nearly a metre long!
Spot caused me to sweep under a branch and the boat filled up with long-legged spiders - which had built webs in two minutes!
So that I had to get out on this delightful bar and foist them out.
One of the fords (Scrubby Creek Track) is in the background as Della negotiates this interesting rapid.
Then comes this enchanting labyrinth.
The westering sun is brilliantly glistening off this pebble race.
Suddenly you break out into Guys.
This appeared to be a sandpiper - a long way from the sea.
These spur-winged plovers just took off as I pressed the shutter.
Guys' giant walnuts were loaded with fruit nearly the size of tennis balls!
They, and the weeping willows transform the river into a European landscape.
The blue hills behind Della make a delightful backdrop.
She finishes the very last rapid in a halo of sunlight!
You can drag your boats out on the North-East side of the bridge - or you can go two kilometres downstream (another half an hour) and get them out more easily at Meyers Flat.
See Also:
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
18/01/2017: Wonnangatta: Black Snake to Hut Creek:
This is the second section downstream from the
Straightaway you are into a long right-curving chute which goes on for nearly a kilometre. Delightful.
With a couple of pebble races thrown in just for fun. Like this one:
And this:
About a kilometre in there is a splendid swimming hole with a beach on one side and a deep pool complete with diving rock on the other.
Another Grade 1 rapid.
A long deep section.
Spot
is on lookout. What a great swimming hole this is on a right hand bend. The
long flat on the true right bank below it has many possible grassy
campsites if you are planning a lazy, multi-day canoe odyssey from
The river is so clean and clear.
Some of these interesting trees have spring up here and there. I suspect they are weeds and are inedible - at least the birds have been ignoring them. Can anyone identify them? They are not loquats: the fruit have hundreds of tiny seeds like tomatoes.
Here is what the flowers looked like some months ago.
Maguires Flat is on the true left bank here. Scorpion Creek is on the right.
The last straight. At the end of Maguires Flat there is a pebble race (you go down the left hand side). Hut Creek is straight ahead of you on the left bank. It is easy to be swept past, particularly at high water (ie over 1.8 metres) so you should have checked this out before you started at Black Snake Creek when you were leaving your vehicle here. You have to drag your boats about fifty yards back along the bank of the creek to your car, but it is easy. Someone else could clear some of the fallen branches - after all what is the 'Dept of Many Names' for? Well, I wonder...
See Also:
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
17/01/2017: Wonnangatta:
Kingwell Bridge to Black Snake Creek
This
section and the next (to Hut Creek) are the best family canoeing opportunities
on the river. When our kids were little (just a quarter century ago) we must
have canoed them a hundred times. In the morning you can drop in at the
The photos that follow are of this first section. (I will post about the second section later). The photos are in sequence so I hope give some indication of what you will encounter (many delights) along the way. Both sections are just pebble races or Grade 1+ rapids. Of course you can fall out. Your kids should be wearing life jackets but I confess that once ours could swim we found it just about impossible to keep them on them.
Every
now and then you might encounter something (a tree down perhaps, or a log
sitting in a dangerous position) where you want to get out and walk the boats
around. Della does not see as well as she used to, so reverts to this strategy
more than I do. Also, sometimes she misses the deepest channel and has to get
out – but she has only 38% vision, so if she can still canoe this river, I’m
sure you can! You need about 1.70 metres at the
Setting
out just above the
There was some heavy roan traffic on the bridge that day!
Some majestic gums line the river.
Mostly, as you see, it is fun pebble races.
And pleasant deep sections just right for a swim. We could never go far before the kids wanted a dip!
A great little rapid.
And another deep section where you can ‘raft up’.
Hawkhurst’s sheep slumbering under their ancient poplars didn’t like the look of us – or our dogs!
What a lovely deep lead!
The gums and European trees get on together just fine.
Some wood ducks enjoying the river.
Della missed the channel here below the willows and poplars.
This gum tree though seems to be trying to avoid these poplars! Neighbours!
A great swimming hole.
And a lovely beach opposite.
Della always loves to have a fossick.
This time she has turned up a treasure!
She wanted to avoid this little rapid though she has canoed it scores of times before.
The dogs Tiny and Spot are all attention.
Some interesting cliffs for climbing.
And around the bend we go!
Another beautiful deep lead.
Looking back at the last little drop, the light catches the water splendidly.
As it does here.
Always some beautiful flowers to see.
This swing bridge is just above the Black Snake Creek. Time to start looking for the small landing beach (left) where the creek joins the river.
What a delightful trip! Hope you enjoy it too.
Nowadays there is a free camping ground (with fire pits, toilet, etc) at Black Snake Creek (which was a town with a PO etc during the Depression). The remaining hut is the home of its last inhabitant, Harry Gee who stayed on here alone for many years. His house used to have a huge walnut tree on the Downstream side and a vast loquat on the upstream side. There was a bridge spike in the walnut tree about 8′ up where he used to hang the carcass of a sheep, etc he was to eat.
The mine which was the purpose of the town lies further up the valley. There is a walking path. We used to park the camper under the deep shade of his walnut tree where the Gang Gangs and Major Mitchells rained down green walnuts on us! Before the kids could swim they would make a wading pool in the creek just behind his house. We had many lovely holidays there – I hope you do too!
17/01/2017: End the Misery
of Insect Bites: After a trip to NZ’s Fiordland all my exposed skin used to
resemble a very angry surface of the moon for weeks afterwards, but one
application of this wonderful cream on any troublesome bite makes it go away
completely (also works on leech bites). For some bizarre reason antihistamine
cream to treat insect bites is banned in
16/01/2017: Ten delightful hours so far canoeing the beautiful Wonnangatta River from Kingwell Bridge to Waterford Bridge, as ‘we catch the wave’ http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-wonnangatta…/ (See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnang…/) In this section the river journeys for many hours through the most serene and beautiful forest you can imagine – and full of beautiful camping spots! More photos to follow. Here is a foretaste. PS: Delightfully we have found a campsite here where our mobile phones and internet both work!
12/01/2017: Canoeing the Wonnangatta, Catching the Wave: Rainfall at Mt Hotham is a pretty good analogue for river flow on the Wonnangatta-Mitchell. The river flows at approx 4km/hr. Use that fact to time the canoeability of sections.
On Monday (9 Jan) it rained steadily all afternoon and there was 63 mm of rainfall at Mt Hotham by the time it stopped around 9pm. The whole valley got a good soaking. You can check this is happening by comparing eg rainfall at Dargo. You can see that it is raining by checking the radar.
By 2.52am on the 10th the river had started rising at
It rose to 1.84 metres at 21:17pm on the 10th, stayed
there until 8: 52am on the 11th and then began falling. By 19:17 on
the 11th the river had returned to 1.80 at
Since the bushfires summer flows have been deplorably low and will
likely remain that way for many years. You
have to catch the wave! If you started out from
If you anticipated the wave you would be able to start at
Saturday and Sunday the river should be canoeable anywhere from Eaglevale down and the weather should be fine and about 26C. This should be a good weekend on the Wonnangatta. Enjoy! I know I will!
Waterford Water Levels & Mt Hotham rainfall (below):
|
Station Date/Time |
Water Level |
|
07/01/2017 02:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 05:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 08:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 11:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 14:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 17:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 18:23 |
1.74 |
|
07/01/2017 20:53 |
1.74 |
|
07/01/2017 23:52 |
1.74 |
|
08/01/2017 02:18 |
1.75 |
|
08/01/2017 02:52 |
1.75 |
|
08/01/2017 05:52 |
1.75 |
|
08/01/2017 08:52 |
1.75 |
|
08/01/2017 09:32 |
1.74 |
|
08/01/2017 09:37 |
1.75 |
|
08/01/2017 10:22 |
1.74 |
|
08/01/2017 11:52 |
1.74 |
|
08/01/2017 14:52 |
1.74 |
|
08/01/2017 16:52 |
1.73 |
|
08/01/2017 17:52 |
1.73 |
|
08/01/2017 20:52 |
1.73 |
|
08/01/2017 23:52 |
1.73 |
|
09/01/2017 02:52 |
1.73 |
|
09/01/2017 05:52 |
1.73 |
|
09/01/2017 08:52 |
1.73 |
|
09/01/2017 11:52 |
1.73 |
|
09/01/2017 13:27 |
1.72 |
|
09/01/2017 14:52 |
1.72 |
|
09/01/2017 17:52 |
1.72 |
|
09/01/2017 20:52 |
1.72 |
|
09/01/2017 23:52 |
1.72 |
|
10/01/2017 02:52 |
1.72 |
|
10/01/2017 03:22 |
1.73 |
|
10/01/2017 05:52 |
1.73 |
|
10/01/2017 07:47 |
1.74 |
|
10/01/2017 08:52 |
1.74 |
|
10/01/2017 09:57 |
1.75 |
|
10/01/2017 11:42 |
1.76 |
|
10/01/2017 11:52 |
1.76 |
|
10/01/2017 12:52 |
1.77 |
|
10/01/2017 13:32 |
1.78 |
|
10/01/2017 14:02 |
1.79 |
|
10/01/2017 14:22 |
1.80 |
|
10/01/2017 14:47 |
1.81 |
|
10/01/2017 14:52 |
1.81 |
|
10/01/2017 15:02 |
1.82 |
|
10/01/2017 15:47 |
1.83 |
|
10/01/2017 17:52 |
1.83 |
|
10/01/2017 20:52 |
1.83 |
|
10/01/2017 21:17 |
1.84 |
|
10/01/2017 23:52 |
1.84 |
|
11/01/2017 02:52 |
1.84 |
|
11/01/2017 05:52 |
1.84 |
|
11/01/2017 08:52 |
1.84 |
|
11/01/2017 10:47 |
1.83 |
|
11/01/2017 11:52 |
1.83 |
|
11/01/2017 13:22 |
1.82 |
|
11/01/2017 14:52 |
1.82 |
|
11/01/2017 16:07 |
1.81 |
|
11/01/2017 17:52 |
1.81 |
|
11/01/2017 19:17 |
1.80 |
|
11/01/2017 20:52 |
1.80 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tue 00:00 EDT |
N |
31 |
41 |
12.3 |
- |
9.5 |
- |
- |
62.6 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 23:50 EDT |
N |
31 |
35 |
12.2 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
62.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 23:40 EDT |
N |
31 |
35 |
12.2 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
62.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 23:30 EDT |
N |
35 |
43 |
12.4 |
- |
9.4 |
- |
- |
62.6 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 23:20 EDT |
N |
33 |
37 |
12.4 |
- |
9.5 |
- |
- |
62.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 23:10 EDT |
N |
39 |
44 |
12.4 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
62.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 23:00 EDT |
N |
35 |
44 |
12.4 |
- |
9.4 |
- |
- |
62.4 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 22:50 EDT |
N |
33 |
37 |
12.4 |
- |
9.5 |
- |
- |
62.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 22:40 EDT |
N |
39 |
44 |
12.4 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
62.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 22:30 EDT |
N |
35 |
46 |
12.3 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
62.2 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 22:20 EDT |
N |
28 |
31 |
12.2 |
- |
9.6 |
- |
- |
62.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 22:10 EDT |
N |
33 |
41 |
12.1 |
- |
9.1 |
- |
- |
62.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 22:00 EDT |
N |
28 |
39 |
12.1 |
- |
9.4 |
- |
- |
62.2 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 21:50 EDT |
N |
37 |
43 |
11.9 |
- |
8.7 |
- |
- |
62.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 21:40 EDT |
- |
33 |
35 |
12.0 |
- |
9.0 |
- |
- |
62.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 21:30 EDT |
NNW |
31 |
39 |
12.0 |
- |
9.1 |
- |
- |
62.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 21:24 EDT |
N |
31 |
50 |
12.1 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
62.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 21:20 EDT |
N |
28 |
30 |
12.0 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
62.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 21:10 EDT |
N |
37 |
41 |
12.0 |
- |
8.8 |
- |
- |
62.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 21:00 EDT |
N |
30 |
37 |
12.1 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
61.8 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 20:50 EDT |
N |
20 |
30 |
12.1 |
- |
10.0 |
- |
- |
61.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 20:40 EDT |
NNE |
33 |
39 |
12.0 |
- |
9.0 |
- |
- |
61.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 20:30 EDT |
NNW |
26 |
37 |
12.1 |
- |
9.6 |
- |
- |
61.8 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 20:20 EDT |
N |
31 |
41 |
12.0 |
- |
9.1 |
- |
- |
61.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 20:10 EDT |
N |
35 |
39 |
12.0 |
- |
8.9 |
- |
- |
61.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 20:00 EDT |
N |
28 |
33 |
11.9 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
61.4 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 19:50 EDT |
N |
22 |
26 |
11.9 |
- |
9.6 |
- |
- |
61.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 19:40 EDT |
NNW |
17 |
22 |
11.6 |
- |
9.7 |
- |
- |
61.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 19:30 EDT |
N |
24 |
30 |
11.8 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
61.0 |
0.2 |
- |
|
Mon 19:20 EDT |
NNW |
22 |
24 |
11.8 |
- |
9.5 |
- |
- |
60.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 19:10 EDT |
N |
26 |
30 |
11.8 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
60.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 19:00 EDT |
NNW |
24 |
33 |
11.7 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
60.0 |
0.6 |
- |
|
Mon 18:50 EDT |
NNW |
22 |
28 |
11.4 |
- |
9.0 |
- |
- |
59.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 18:40 EDT |
NW |
24 |
28 |
11.0 |
- |
8.3 |
- |
- |
59.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 18:30 EDT |
NNW |
22 |
35 |
11.1 |
- |
8.6 |
- |
- |
58.8 |
0.4 |
- |
|
Mon 18:20 EDT |
NW |
22 |
24 |
11.4 |
- |
9.0 |
- |
- |
58.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 18:10 EDT |
NW |
28 |
31 |
11.6 |
- |
8.8 |
- |
- |
57.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 18:00 EDT |
NW |
26 |
33 |
11.7 |
- |
9.1 |
- |
- |
56.8 |
0.4 |
- |
|
Mon 17:50 EDT |
W |
28 |
33 |
11.4 |
- |
8.5 |
- |
- |
56.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 17:40 EDT |
W |
30 |
35 |
11.0 |
- |
7.9 |
- |
- |
55.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 17:30 EDT |
W |
28 |
41 |
10.7 |
- |
7.6 |
- |
- |
54.8 |
1.6 |
- |
|
Mon 17:20 EDT |
W |
35 |
39 |
10.4 |
- |
6.8 |
- |
- |
53.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 17:10 EDT |
W |
39 |
44 |
11.1 |
- |
7.5 |
- |
- |
50.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 17:00 EDT |
NNW |
22 |
31 |
12.0 |
- |
9.7 |
- |
- |
46.2 |
2.6 |
- |
|
Mon 16:50 EDT |
N |
22 |
28 |
12.2 |
- |
10.0 |
- |
- |
44.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 16:40 EDT |
N |
28 |
35 |
12.4 |
- |
9.8 |
- |
- |
43.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 16:30 EDT |
NNW |
28 |
39 |
12.7 |
- |
10.2 |
- |
- |
42.6 |
0.4 |
- |
|
Mon 16:20 EDT |
NW |
31 |
35 |
12.6 |
- |
9.8 |
- |
- |
42.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 16:10 EDT |
NW |
26 |
30 |
12.8 |
- |
10.5 |
- |
- |
41.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 16:00 EDT |
NW |
28 |
43 |
12.6 |
- |
10.1 |
- |
- |
41.4 |
0.6 |
- |
|
Mon 15:50 EDT |
NW |
28 |
35 |
12.7 |
- |
10.2 |
- |
- |
40.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 15:40 EDT |
NNW |
24 |
28 |
12.6 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
40.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 15:30 EDT |
NW |
26 |
39 |
12.4 |
- |
10.0 |
- |
- |
39.6 |
0.4 |
- |
|
Mon 15:20 EDT |
WSW |
17 |
20 |
12.9 |
- |
11.3 |
- |
- |
39.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 15:10 EDT |
NNW |
20 |
24 |
12.9 |
- |
11.0 |
- |
- |
38.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 15:00 EDT |
NW |
28 |
44 |
12.8 |
- |
10.4 |
- |
- |
37.6 |
0.2 |
- |
|
Mon 14:50 EDT |
NNW |
20 |
28 |
12.8 |
- |
10.9 |
- |
- |
37.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 14:40 EDT |
NNW |
30 |
35 |
12.9 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
36.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 14:30 EDT |
NW |
31 |
43 |
12.9 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
34.8 |
0.4 |
- |
|
Mon 14:20 EDT |
NW |
28 |
41 |
12.9 |
- |
10.5 |
- |
- |
34.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 14:10 EDT |
NW |
35 |
43 |
12.9 |
- |
10.1 |
- |
- |
31.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 14:00 EDT |
NW |
33 |
44 |
13.0 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
29.0 |
3.8 |
- |
|
Mon 13:50 EDT |
NW |
33 |
41 |
13.0 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
25.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 13:40 EDT |
N |
35 |
44 |
13.1 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
22.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 13:30 EDT |
N |
39 |
61 |
13.1 |
- |
10.2 |
- |
- |
20.0 |
1.4 |
- |
|
Mon 13:25 EDT |
N |
35 |
56 |
13.0 |
- |
10.2 |
- |
- |
19.2 |
1.8 |
- |
|
Mon 13:20 EDT |
NNW |
37 |
46 |
13.0 |
- |
10.1 |
- |
- |
18.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 13:10 EDT |
N |
19 |
24 |
13.0 |
- |
11.2 |
- |
- |
16.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 13:00 EDT |
N |
39 |
50 |
13.0 |
- |
10.0 |
- |
- |
12.4 |
1.8 |
- |
|
Mon 12:47 EDT |
NNE |
39 |
44 |
12.9 |
- |
9.9 |
- |
- |
10.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 12:37 EDT |
N |
43 |
63 |
12.8 |
- |
9.6 |
- |
- |
6.4 |
1.6 |
- |
|
Mon 12:30 EDT |
N |
37 |
50 |
12.7 |
- |
9.7 |
- |
- |
5.4 |
2.6 |
- |
|
Mon 12:20 EDT |
NNW |
35 |
41 |
12.6 |
- |
9.7 |
- |
- |
3.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 12:00 EDT |
N |
31 |
43 |
12.9 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
0.2 |
0.2 |
- |
|
Mon 11:50 EDT |
N |
33 |
39 |
13.0 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 11:30 EDT |
N |
26 |
33 |
13.3 |
- |
11.1 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 11:20 EDT |
- |
26 |
31 |
13.5 |
- |
11.4 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 11:10 EDT |
N |
37 |
41 |
13.7 |
- |
11.0 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 11:00 EDT |
N |
39 |
48 |
13.9 |
- |
11.2 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 10:50 EDT |
N |
39 |
43 |
13.7 |
- |
11.0 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 10:40 EDT |
N |
37 |
43 |
13.6 |
- |
10.9 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 10:34 EDT |
N |
33 |
52 |
13.7 |
- |
11.2 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 10:30 EDT |
N |
39 |
52 |
13.8 |
- |
11.1 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 10:20 EDT |
NNW |
35 |
48 |
14.9 |
- |
12.7 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 10:10 EDT |
N |
39 |
44 |
15.5 |
- |
15.5 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 10:00 EDT |
N |
33 |
44 |
15.3 |
- |
15.3 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 09:50 EDT |
N |
30 |
35 |
15.7 |
- |
15.7 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 09:36 EDT |
N |
33 |
52 |
16.0 |
- |
16.0 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 09:30 EDT |
N |
35 |
44 |
16.4 |
- |
16.4 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 09:20 EDT |
N |
33 |
39 |
16.4 |
- |
16.4 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 09:10 EDT |
N |
30 |
37 |
16.5 |
- |
16.5 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 09:00 EDT |
N |
33 |
44 |
16.1 |
- |
16.1 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
12/01/2017: Klymit Hammock
Pad:
This new pad from Klymit is definitely worth a look if you are planning on some hammock camping, hunting or fishing: https://www.klymit.com/hammock-v-1.html. Its design tackles the single biggest issue of hammock camping head on, ie how to keep your back, shoulders, elbows, arms & knees comfy and warm.
I find any insulated rectangular pad big enough to keep me warm, but if you are any wider than me, you might want a wider pad (as I have mentioned in earlier posts) or some ‘wings’ to warm up your arms etc where the sleeping bag’s insulation will be compressed against the hammock. Mind you at an R rating of 1.6 this pad would only keep you warm enough in summerish weather - though your sleeping bag insulation would drape into its valleys and add somewhat to its insulative ability.
Speer Hammocks used to make a Segmented Pad Extender which kept your arms and shoulder nice and warm. We made one of these too and it worked well. Here’s a link to making one yourself: http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearSPE.html
I recently posted a number of other hammock items you might also find of interest: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-camping-double-bunking/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/make-your-own-tarp-or-hammock/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-hunting-till-dark/
11/01/2017: Self-Balancing –
The New Way Forward (This is neat!): http://newatlas.com/honda-self-balancing-motorcycle/47257/
& http://newatlas.com/honda-new-uni-cub-personal-mobility-device/29771/
& http://newatlas.com/honda-u3-x-experimental-vehicle/13008/
09/01/2017:
Super AAA Torch 145 Lumens:
Maratac have upgraded the Cree emitter in their latest AAA flashlights so they now output a massive 145 lumens. This is one mighty little torch. Available from US$41.25 Special deals regularly on Massdrop: https://countycomm.com/collections/aaa-flashlights/products/aluminium-anodized-aaa-flashlight-by-maratac-rev-3 Also available in Titanium: https://countycomm.com/collections/aaa-flashlights/products/polished-titanium-maratac-aaa-flashlight-rev-4 You can also rig it as a head torch http://www.theultralighthiker.com/mini-super-torch-a-weeks-light-weighs-50-grams/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-head-torches/ The white rubber light diffuser (see photo) turns it into a superb tent lantern. The pocket clip weighs almost nothing and makes carrying and accessing it a breeze.
08/01/2017: A Mini Rechargeable Aqualung: At under 2 kg with enough air for 6-8 minutes to a recommended depth of 3 metres and rechargeable with a hand pump or car compressor this device is rather cute: https://www.minidive.com/minidive-pro/
07/01/2017: Making Small Things Smaller to save Weight and Space:
Diane Sioni has some fine advice here. http://gossamergear.com/wp/making-small-things-smaller-to-save-weight-and-space It pays to go through your gear again and again. It is always a game of ‘putting and taking’ (one of the first games we learn and still lots of fun at nearly 70!) What you take and what you leave is matter both of individual choice and dependent on the trip you are doing. Eg; How long. How long between resupply. Likely conditions…
Some time ago I posted about making containers out of straws. If you have tried this, you probably hate yourself, but lots of folks are still reposting it on Pinterest, so I guess it’s cute. My advice: try getting some really small snaplock bags from eBay instead. eBay is also an excellent source for small bottles, test tubes, atomisers, etc. A small plastic test tube can have some Dyneema fishing line wound on it (glue one end, snap the other with the lid). It can contain your needle (a self threader I think, Diane), a few fish hooks and sinkers and still weigh just a few grams. Some polystyrene balls for floats will double as spare tarp clips: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/worlds-lightest-tarp-clip/.A fish for tea one night will generously repay carrying that little extra weight - as will being able to repair gear, or yourself – and not stabbing yourself with that needle!
I did a little ‘show and tell’ a little while back of some of my gear here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-gorilla-in-the-hand/ Some things surprise: eg I would not have thought of taking a musical instrument – but then being deaf, I hate music. Then again, not being a woman I would not have considered a DIY ‘Lady J’, but I have also had my bottom attacked pretty ferociously eg by sandflies in Fiordland. The article is a good starting point for a review of your gear. You can always save a little – but do not jeopardise your safety!
Above: ‘Possibles’ bag contents: on green cuben bag: ulralight fishing kit, 2 handlines containing hooks, sinkers, bait, self threading needle (repairs), two springers, 4 polystyrene balls, alum foil for cooking fish; on green S to S bag, Iridium Sat Phone; on white cuben bag: spare glasses in plastic case, Kabar knife, Adventure Medical Kits space blanket bag (emergency day pack & ground sheet); snaploc with glasses cleaner; Bushnell mini solarwrap charger; on white cuben bag: cuben bag with charging connectors AAA to AA battery converters, in blue bag spare batteries = 6 Eneloop AAA, 2 camera, 2 phone, 2 Photon, 2 hearing aid; USB AA/AAA battery charger; first aid kit: Antisan (bites) ointment, Mylanta (indigestion), earbuds in snaploc, Leucotape on cuben bag containing variety of plasters and blister pads, triangular bandage (sling) below: elastic bandage, cuben bag with variety of tablets eg pain, inflammation, diarrhoea, allergy etc; Toiletries on white cuben bag: wet tissues, 2 pocket Kleenex (enough for a week!); below on small green cuben bag S to S ultralight head net (mozzies – sleep) and microdripper of insect repellent (Deet); magnifier on mirror; square of silnylon for repairs with 2 stickon tie outs on top; spare trekking pole basket; clip on glasses cleaner; bottom row: on snaplocc bag length Dyneema, glasses repair kit, various bits and pieces: 2 safety pins, 3 line locs, 2 tarp tie outs, I carabiner, I mitten hook, 1 cord loc, 1 spare mini compass; on cuben bag, cuben tape (repairs) rubber band, spare bottle cap; on white cuben bag: 2 lightload towels, comb, Aloksack (for camera); on blue cuben bag: microdripper bottles containing: handcream, suncream, deodorant, iodine, wash, anti fungal cream, tube anti inflammatory cream, tub toothpaste, tub heel balm; anti allergy cream.
Some of these things I have cut down substantially since then (eg for my Everest hike see eg here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/thatendlessskyway/ For example I have made an ultralight glasses case: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-glasses-case/ I have substituted these http://www.theultralighthiker.com/11-gram-rechargeable-head-torch/ for the Photons and reduced the number of batteries needed, and so on. The quest to be 'ultralight' goes ever on and on...
05/01.2017: Pack Rafting the Wonnagatta-Mitchell:
We took a day off today, it being 30C and there being enough water, to revisit one of our favourite spots when our kids were little over 20 years ago…Hot summers then (they were hotter) and there was plenty of water (before the ‘noughty’ fires) we used to camp at one particular spot and either spend the day drifting down to our camp, swimming and playing, or else start off from camp and drift down to another exit point way downriver.
Now most of the campsites are gone – locked off. Our public lands are progressively being stolen from us. Those that remain are crowded, and they now have toilets and ‘designated campsites – both represent the end of freedom! Yet there is no-one on the river. It is just as idyllic as ever…And you can still put in where we used to and get out nearly where we used to – there are tiny snippets of (hidden) public access. You have to look carefully for them, and there may be a little bush-bashing, but not much.
You
can canoe this wonderful river all the way from the Humffray confluence way
inside the Alpine National Park just below the Station, all the way to
Here we are, ready to set off.
As you can see we are one car plus one motorbike.
Della is away first, keen to start.
These two snaps are for the kids: remember this old abandoned orchard and its apricot tree where we used to feast those Xmases past
?
And this swimming hole where you wiled away so much long summertime…
Away we go! Just here the river is like a mirror!
Della prefers to follow because of her eyesight – she has less than 40% vision – and you think you have problems? Nonetheless even in just this last year she has followed me to many places those with two good eyes have seen; the South Coast Track & Westies Hut, NZ for example: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/westies-hut/
And remember this deep, cool swimming hole too?
Nonetheless, she is a champ!
Just to prove I was there too.
This, believe it or not, is a deer path on public land! This would be a good place to be at dusk with a .308 – if you were hungry!
Huck Finn, eat your heart out!
There be monsters here:
And interesting flotsam. This vast length of 1/2″ rope was caught up in a huge pile of flood-wrack. i souvenired it!
Look at that girl go!
Here near the wallows she shot ahead of me eager to find a great antler of her own just as our son did many years ago. All we found today was some very muddy sticks, alas!
Once more she is following faithfully behind down this entertaining little drop.
Here is an interesting historical curio, the cab of an old jinker – and Della!
I have the Alpacka Fiord Explorer, and Della has the Alpacka model, just perfect for someone who is just 5′. Hers has an airtight zip so you can stow your dry bags inside the craft’s tubes. What a clever idea. Or you can tie your packs etc on the bow and stern as I have done with my dry bag above.
And here is a dragon wondering what is going on.
Who we will leave to wait for our next trip to find out – a multi day one, I think. And soon!
PS:
Today there was exactly 1.80 metres on the
Even at this height there will be lots of lovely long deep sections, and anyway lots of beautiful camping spots and cool swimming holes. Have fun! Time was, there was water aplenty every day of the year. There used to be much more water summertime. The bushfires stole the river folks. It will not be back until the forest is all growed back again – by then I will be gone!
The section we canoed today was one which escaped the fires. The birdlife was beautiful and exhuberant. I must have spotted a hundred different species of birds; both the kinds of wood swallows, (very noisy) leather heads, scads of bell miners, many kinds of honey-eaters, many kinds of parrots including gang gangs, three kinds of ducks, two kinds of doves, wagtails, kingfishers, mutton birds, warblers, wrens, currrawongs, sitellas, beautiful purple cuckoo-shrikes with their graceful dipping flight, resplendent bee-eaters, the improbable blue eyes of bower birds…
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gippsland-pack-rafting-routes/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/more-about-diy-pfds/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-pack-rafting-life-vest/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-paddle/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-clearing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-gorilla-in-the-bush/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-packraft/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafts/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-canoeing-the-seaforth/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-gippslands-rivers/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/home-made-pack-raft/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/faux-packraft-vs-alpacka-raft/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-thompson-river/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-thomson-river-gippsland-victoria/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/thomson-river-canoe-trip/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tanjil-river-canoe-trip/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tanjil-river-canoe-trip/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tanjil-river-canoeing-update/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-macalister/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tin-canoes/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-macalister-river/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-macalister-2/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hornet-lite-pack-raft/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-raft-saves-the-day/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/packraft-video/
03/01/2017: New DIY Pack Raft: You have probably caught up with the price of a brand new Alpacka raft (http://www.alpackaraft.com/alpacka-raft-series/) and put your canoeing dreams on hold but there are cheaper options.
There is for example my home made pack raft (which costs less then A$40) that I posted about way back here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/home-made-pack-raft/ for example. I have since thought that it would be better to attach the reinforcing bottom with a circle of tarp clips (such as these: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/easyklip/) connected together with a thin rope. It can be easily taken off to dry and put back on again before you re-inflate. And it is easy to replace if it wears out.
I have also mentioned Klymit’s much cheaper rafts (from around US$100: eg here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-packraft/ & here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-best-laid-schemes/
Now there is an even better option: http://www.diypackraft.com/shop/ What a resource this is!
These folk offer a DIY kit from US$125! This
is a very good price for a real packraft able to canoe serious white
water! Their rafts start with an ultralight version815 grams!
Their page comes with every bit of useful advice you could possibly
want. The site is positively encyclopaedic. Their DIY seat plan is handy. Even
their blog http://www.diypackraft.com/blog/
is imnpressive. It even includes a DIY paddle! Check them out.
I may start with their fabric sample kit (US$5.99 – free
international shipping) and their http://www.diypackraft.com/2016/07/09/diy-heat-sealing-iron/
(I have some other projects in mind for heat sealable fabrics).
Their fabric prices are quite good. I compared them with a couple
of other suppliers such as Quest: http://www.questoutfitters.com/Coated_2.htm#HEAT%20SEALABLE
and Seattle: http://www.seattlefabrics.com/nylons.html
Of course you can get them cheaper if you buy in bulk, eg Rockywoods: http://www.rockywoods.com/Fabrics-Kits/Heat-Sealable-Nylon-Fabrics
You will still need a paddle: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-paddle/
See Also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/faux-packraft-vs-alpacka-raft/
http://blog.hillmap.com/2013/02/raft-valves-and-dreams-of-homemade.html
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gippsland-pack-rafting-routes/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-pack-rafting-life-vest/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/more-about-diy-pfds/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/you-take-the-high-road-and-ill-take-the-low/
PS: I have the Fiord Explorer pack raft from Alpacka, what they call their ‘Moose Boat’, because you can pack a whole moose carcass in it. You need to consider just how much you might carry before you purchase or make your first/next pack raft.
Happy
Paddling!
02/01.2017:
Make Your Own Tarp or Hammock: Tier Gear
DIY Guides: Aussie Outfitter Tier Gear has an absolutely wonderful page of
instructables here: http://www.tiergear.com.au/28/diy-guides which
show in profound detail how to eg make your own superb hammock &/or hammock
tarp - amongst other things. You can also buy all the materials from them. They
deliver incredibly fast Australia-wide from their home in
If you don’t feel up to making your own gear (yet) you can order the same item from them already craftsman manufactured right here in Oz! And at a good price. For example, the Torrent 3.3 tarp shown in the photo is currently A$160. It is obviously a wonderful tarp which you could use instead of a tent (with a groundsheet) or as a hammock tarp. Its specs are as follows:
Ridgeline length: 335cm
Width: 280cm
Distance
between bottom corners: 165cm
Panel pulls: None
Weight (in the stuff sack without cords or pegs):
Xenon
Sil 1.1 (1500mmHH): 334grams (basic)
You
might go on to make the same item later in .5 oz/yd2 perhaps in olive drab or
camo. Available eg here: http://www.zpacks.com/materials/waterproof-fabric.shtml
) at about half the weight. Also check out their great range of interesting
gear, eg suspension systems & etc For example: http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/online-shop/hammock-suspension-and-hardware
01/01.2017:
Hammock Camping - Double Bunking:
This is an 8’ x 8’ (2.4 x 2.4 metres) cuben tarp to which we sewed two 4’6” x 8’ (1.35 x 2.4 metres) ‘wings’ so we could close it off as a tarp shelter like this:
As you can see it will provide you with plenty of shelter from rain, and you can peg the downwind side up high enough that you can have a fire slightly to one side and enjoy the fire whilst relaxing on the hammock out of the wind and rain.
Della
is reclining on a Nano 7 hammock here (https://www.grandtrunk.com/products/nano-7-hammock)
which (with the caribiners removed and with dyneema ropes attached) weighs
187.5 grams. I would just throw one of our Thermarest Neoair Womens mats (340
grams) in it and a Montbell Ultralight Super Spiral #3 down sleeping bag (600
grams) for a perfect night’s sleep (Total: 1327.5 grams). Perhaps you would
like to compare that weight to your current tent, sleeping bag and mattress
combo! My arrangement is also much more comfortable, safer and drier.
We already know we can sleep in two Nano 7s pitched one above the other. You have to pitch the tarp slightly higher (4’6” instead of 4’). You have to boost the top person in, and then the bottom person (me) is closer to the ground than I would like (so far as getting in/out easily is concerned), but it works!
Now
to check out whether we can both sleep head to toe in a double hammock. Side by
side definitely doesn’t work! Here’s Della:
And
here’s me at the other end:
As you can see, Spot figures there is plenty of room for him too – and he’s comfy! This is a Trek Light Gear Double Hammock (https://www.treklightgear.com/double-hammock.html). We were playing around with mattresses here. Della is lying on a ¾ length Neoair. I am on a Neoair Womens. We are using the new Klymit Ultralight pillows (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-ultralight-pillow/ ) and the Airbeams (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/air-beam-pad/ ) from our packs (both of which we would be carrying anyway) for side insulation on the side where our sleeping bags will be compressed. It is comfy enough.
Hummingbird Hammocks (https://hummingbirdhammocks.com/shop/single/) have a double hammock which weighs 10.2 ounces (289 grams), and a single+ one which weighs 7. 6 ounces (210 grams) which could also be used for two. I should also mention their ultralight single here which weighs 5.2 ounces (146 grams) – even lower than the Nano 7! I need to try their products out!
I think a single wider (possibly longer) mattress would work better. The Klymit Ultralight I ordered from Massdrop is on its way. It is 23” wide. I am also eying some Exped mats which look really good.
So, what is our strategy here. What are we about doing? There are places we go where we may not need a shelter at all (because there are huts a day apart (Fiordland for example). However, you would be a damned fool to have no shelter as you can be very dead (as I have seen) if you don’t make it to a hut in torrential rain, for example. You must have a roof (see: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/) There, and other places it might be good to have the option to sleep on the ground, or if the ground is too wet/rough etc, to sleep in the trees.
We are looking at what is the minimum we can jointly take so we can do this. We are pretty close here to the solution. We will be looking into some wider pads which might better suit two people in a double hammock such as Big Agnes Q-core slx, and Exped Synmat UL7 MW & etc.
If you have a (wife or) youngster at home you want to start on camping/hiking/hunting, a double hammock plus tarp shelter such as I have explained here will mean s/he has to carry very little and will be safe in the tree with you - away from nasties such as spiders and snakes!
PS: I don’t know whether you noticed the eye bolts in the verandah posts to which I have attached two lengths of chain and some caribiners so I can quickly swing a hammock on the verandah if one of us wants to have a lazy day (Della actually went to sleep in the Nano 7 whilst I was off cleaning out a sheep trough!) I recommend this arrangement for your consideration.
PPS: If you are considering just a single hammock configuration you might want to know how light you can go with a tarp. This guy has been making cat curve tarps for ages: http://www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com/maccat_tarps.php His Mac Cat Standard is obviously all you would need. In 1.3 oz/yd2 silnylon it weighs 270 grams (and costs US$105) which means it would weigh above 104 grams in cuben (let’s say less than 120). For comparison Joe Valesko makes an asym one which weighs 136 grams. Add a hammock at 146 = 266, plus 30 grams dyneema suspension , some pegs and some guylines for the tarp. You are still looking at a hammock/tent at less than 350 grams!
My first homemade hammock and hammock tarp were both fashioned from some green 2.2oz/yd2 nylon ripstop from Spotlight (you can see what it looked like in the 'poncho shelter' link below). We simply cut the required length for the hammock (leaving the full width of the fabric 5' - 150 cm), folded it over and double hemmed it at the ends (to take the rope). The selvage was enough for the sides. For the tarp we used a 7' x 7' (210 x 210 cm) square flat felled at the join and hemmed all round, to which we sewed grossgrain tie-outs at the corners and halfway along the sides. This arrangement worked fine for years and in all kinds of weathers hunting sambar deer in the Victorian mountains. Indeed I have been bone dry under this minimalist tarp when a couple of fellow hunters were soaked to the skin inside a tent pitched under a tarp not ten yards away! I am talking a tarp of 49 square feet here - and some of that area is almos6t certainly superfluous! In cuben 49 ft2 would weigh 2.7 ox or78 grams! Now you see what my 300 gram 'limit' is about!
See
also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-hunting-till-dark/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/all-in-one-hammock-tent-poncho-backpack-at-1-2-kg/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/laybag/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hole-less-ponchoshelter/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammocks/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-camping/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/sleeping-pad-reinvented-big-agnes-q-core-slx/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-insulated-static-v-lite-sleeping-pad/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/modifyingshortening-hiking-mats/
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