With a market place full of outdoor gear manufacturing companies, it can be difficult to wade through the marketing claims to find gear that is really good. This page looks at the equipment that I choose to use and the reasoning behind those decisions.
We are all different shapes, sizes, we react differently to heat and cold, have different tolerances to comfort levels, so the gear we choose is always going to be a very individual choice. Buy it, try it and you will eventually work out what works best for you. I have changed gear regularly over the last 30 years, depending on what style of adventure travel/fishing I am doing at the given time. As technology changes so does gear, it pays to keep up. There is no such thing as the best gear for everyone; my opinions are relevant to my style of adventures in the climates that I travel in. I have no endorsements from any of the companies mentioned here, although I would welcome any.....
I work on the premise "Go light, go far" so always seek Ultra Light (UL) outdoor gear. When choosing UL outdoor equipment you must first understand Bontrangers Axions - Light; Strong; Cheap: Pick any two. With all UL outdoor gear there are 3 considerations; Weight, Strength and Cost. One is always compromised to achieve the required outcomes of the other two. Given that you can afford 'high cost', then high strength and low weight are achievable. With high strength/low weight gear you often need to tolerate compromised comfort level although, I find I actually gain a level of comfort through UL backpacking by way of easier walking/paddling, reduce fatigue, less injuries, etc, so it is a balance.
With basic UL backpacking the 5 big ones for weight consideration are,
- Backpack
- Shelter
- Sleeping gear
- Cooking/eating equipment
- Additional activity gear (ie fishing and rafting gear etc)
These 5 areas are where you lose the most grams for your $$.
Back packs
Most large (75L) backpacks come in at around 2 to 3 kgs. UL packs around are around 800 to 1100 grams in the 75L size. Keep in mind how much 'stuff' you are carrying and how much it will weigh, I carry fishing gear and a packraft which add about 4kgs to my total pack weight and a bit of bulk so I need a 75L pack for an average 5 day trip. I can easily get away with a 45L pack for a 5 day walk without fishing/rafting gear. As a rule you should not carry in excess of 25% of your own body weight in the pack (including water....).
I have a few backpacks but I generally end up using my Go-Lite Pinnacle for my walk in trips.
I also own a waterproof pack for longer packraft trips. The Pacific Outdoor Equipment Gobi is a great piece of equipment where it is likely that your pack will get wet . This pack is essentially a large dry sack with a harness attached, perfect for trips where portages etc are likely. Since I purchased this pack a few years ago they have stopped making them. There are some other similar packs out there that may be worth investigating.
Shelter
Shelter
The average single person 3 season tent weighs about 1.6 to 2 kgs, an UL shelter (single skin tents or a tarp/mozzie net arrangement) will weigh in at about 400 to 1100 grams. I am currently using a Tarptent Moment made in the US. When I purchased this tent I had only read about them but they had a very good reputation in the ultra light bush walking circles. It turned out to be one very funky ultra light tent. It weighs in at 810 grams, is fully floored and screened, adaptable ventilation, can bet set up with just 2 pegs and a single pole in about 1 minute or as a free standing tent with no pegs and 2 poles (as shown here).
These little tents are what I would consider to be quite affordable at around $300 landed in Australia. Having owned and used it for a few years not I am still very happy with it as a three season tent. There is a minor problem with condensation in extremely wet weather, the rain drops hitting the single skin causes misting of the condensation on the inside. If you are likely to spend a lot of time in wet weather then a double skin tent like the Taptent Scarp may be a better option.
Sleeping gear
Sleeping bags are a little complex. If your sleeping bag is for use in 'wet' places then a synthetic (ie Dacron, holofill type) is a better choice as they are still 'kinda warm' if they get wet. There are some lightweight synthetic bags about but they are bulky and not what I consider UL. If down fill gets wet it just clumps up and provide zero warmth, but a high quality down filled bag will weight half the grams (at least) of a synthetic fill bag of equivalent temperature rating. I like to use a bag that suits the season, i.e. a winter bag or a summer bag depending on when/where you will use it, no point carrying a winter bag in summer. I have a few sleeping bags for different trips but my main bag is now a Western Mountaineering SummerLite. The SummerLite is very light(600grams total) and using 850 loft goose down it is as warm as possible for the weight, rated down to 0 - degrees it's a good 3 season bag for the far south coast of NSW. Western Mountaineering bags are widely considered to be the best available. Such a quality bag is expensive but they will last at least 20 years of good use.
The average sleeping mat is about 800 to 1200 grams, an UL one is under half that at 300 to 500g (for a 4 season mat, lighter for a 3 season though). I would recommend you go a 4 season mat as they are more comfortable. I currently use a 4 season Exped SynMat UL This mat is light, comfortable, warm on cold ground and packs to the size of a 600ml water bottle .
Cooking and Eating equipment
I tend to eat pretty simple fare when out and about with only one cooked meal per day at night. Simple meals (UL dehydrated/freeze dried stuff) only require boiled water to be poured into the bag and left for 10 minutes, so a simple single burner stove with a disposable canister is the lightest way to go at about 250 to 300 grams total (considering fuel efficiency to weight ratio). My current stove is the MSR Pocket Rocket, a great bit of gear.
I am considering purchasing a Jetboil stove system, as they are more efficient on gas for longer trip.
Apart from the 4 big ones above I also look at clothing, boots, extreme weather clothing etc there are a lot of weight savings and efficiency gains to be had in this area (at a cost...) Ultimately the clothes you wear determine your overall comfort level 24 hours a day, so spend some dollars on good stuff as it will serve you well and last. Stuff like head torches can save a bit of weight, paring down 1st aid gear, a light weight PLB etc can save some weight but these things usually cost a lot per gram of saving... gram counting is endless but if you have the dollars you can get your pack weight very low depending on what level of comfort you will tolerate.
Alpacka Packraft
A large majority of my posts feature a small inflatable boat, the Alpacka Packraft.
I use an Alpacka for all walk in remote area fishing and general exploration travel. Since owning one I have clocked up some pretty X-Stream trips and have a great respect for them, they are the very best inflatable available without exception; light, small, super strong and very comfortable. I currently own a Denali Lama with the cruiser spray deck fitted but I have also owned the Unrigged Explorer model. My current paddle is a 4 piece Aqua Bound carbon shaft Splat. Total weight of raft and paddle is about 3.6 kg! This is less than half the weight of it's closet competitor but with an incredibly high degree of durability. They are only available through the Alpacka website but Alpacka are really good people to deal with and can do custom stuff if required. From order to delivery is often less than two weeks. I landed mine here for under $900 dollars (Aus) when they had their annual December sale and the Aussie dollar was high. These raft are not cheap but they are a specialist piece of extreme outdoor equipment of the highest quality that will last many many years, they are designed for serious outdoor activities. I have posted a few short clips featuring the usability of the Alpack Packrafts on my Video page here.
Weight on walk ins and on river portages etc is a limiting factor on trips, an Alpacka raft reduces that pain big time but in a super tough package.
Clothing
The cloths you wear on trip impact in a big way, they determine your overall comfort level 24 hours a day. Your clothing system keeps you warm or cool, provides sun protection, protection from insects and impacts (scrub etc). As with all my gear I aim for light weight but versatile, a layering system allows for this. The layers can be divided into;
I am constantly upgrading this page so check back.....
Clothing
The cloths you wear on trip impact in a big way, they determine your overall comfort level 24 hours a day. Your clothing system keeps you warm or cool, provides sun protection, protection from insects and impacts (scrub etc). As with all my gear I aim for light weight but versatile, a layering system allows for this. The layers can be divided into;
- Base layer - thin but efficient full length thermal underwear. This layer provides warmth without bulk. The Icebreaker range is excellent, a wool blend that offers the highest warmth to weight ratio. The wool blends stay warm when wet also.
- Mid layer - full length lightweight clothes that are quick drying and SPF50 material for sun protection. Zip off legs add versatility to the pants. Shirts with roll up arm fasteners and venting. I have used the Columbia fishing shirts for many years now and am yet to find better.
- Top layer - Down filled puffer style vest of jacket for warmth. I use a full Fairydown coat or a Mountain Designs vest, both are excellent.
- Wind and water layer - Surprisingly I don't often have need for a rain/wind coat but a good quality Gortex one is a useful addition if conditions dictate the need. I currently have a Columbia Titanium Omni Dry jacket and a Katmandu Gortex Rain coat, both are just OK considering they are 'budget' equipment.
Head Torch
For the last 8 years I have used a Petzl E+Lite for all my walking, camping, night fishing etc . As I do a lot of packrafting, it gets wet occasionly without a problem as they are water proof. The batteries last for 50 hours, they are lightweight (comfpotable to wear on your head), pack down to nothing and the red light setting is perfect for night fishing. Variable setting allow for adaptable use. Great bit of gear.
For the last 8 years I have used a Petzl E+Lite for all my walking, camping, night fishing etc . As I do a lot of packrafting, it gets wet occasionly without a problem as they are water proof. The batteries last for 50 hours, they are lightweight (comfpotable to wear on your head), pack down to nothing and the red light setting is perfect for night fishing. Variable setting allow for adaptable use. Great bit of gear.
I am constantly upgrading this page so check back.....
