South Picton Saddle | Twenty-fourth & final day ! Southwest Tasmania Traverse.
The second & final stage of the Southwest Tasmania Traverse, was a six day stretch between Scotts Peak Dam and Farmhouse Creek via the rugged Arthur Range.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, the Arthurs are notorious for their exposed terrain and unpredictable weather. High winds, driving rain and temps that hover around freezing, are pretty much par for the meteorological course.
Notes
- After the first stage of the traverse, I picked up my resupply boxes in the town of Maydena. Transitioning from a coastal to mountain environment, I’d mailed myself a few extra items in expectation of colder temps (i.e. extra insulation layer, warmer socks, mittens).
- The gear I carried in the Arthurs is similar to what I would take for extended shoulder season journeys in other cold & wet environments, such as northern Scotland, Fiordland (New Zealand), the Pacific Northwest and Tierra del Fuego.
| ITEM | WT (oz) | SUB (oz) | SUB (kg) | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BACKPACK | ||||
| Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Southwest Pack | 28.6 | Due to the heavy food carry on the West Coast stage, I went with an internal frame over a frameless model / Very impressed by the HMG pack / Good load distribution, extremely durable / Double thumbs up. | ||
| Pack Liner (Trash Compactor Bag) | 2 | |||
| 30.8 | 0.87 | |||
| SHELTER | ||||
| MLD Solomid XL | 11.5 | Very quick set up / Holds up well in a storm / Ideal amount of space for 6'1" guy. | ||
| Guylines - Kelty Triptease 3mm | 1 | 3mm -Little heavier, but easier to handle than thinner cords | ||
| Stakes - Titan.(2); Y & Long - Alumin.(6) | 2.7 | Mix of sizes & styles | Mostly longer models for mud & harsh conditions | ||
| Tyvek Groundsheet | 1.5 | |||
| 16.7 | 0.47 | |||
| SLEEPING SYSTEM | ||||
| Mat - Pad - Thermarest NeoAir XLite (Sm) | 8 | Very comfy / Doubled as makeshift framesheet for pack and paddling device for river crossings during the West Coast stage. | ||
| Pad - Gossamer Gear Thinlite 1/8 | 2.4 | |||
| Quilt - Katabatic Palisade | 18.4 | Conservatively rated 30°F / Best quilts/bags I have used. | ||
| Bivy - MLD Superlight Bivy | 7 | Bivy/quilt combo was perfect for the Arthurs / Due to the warmer temps & bugs, an Innernet would have been better for the coast. |
||
| 35.8 | 1.01 | |||
| KITCHEN / HYDRATION | ||||
| LokSak 20x12 (Food Bag) | 1.2 | Holds about 10 lbs of food. | ||
| Toaks Spork | 0.4 | For the first time ever I carried a Titanium spork. Nice knowing it wasn't going to snap. I put some orange tape on the handle so I wouldn't lose it. | ||
| Gatorade 20 oz Bottles (2) | 2 | Fit well in side pockets / Easy access | ||
| Platypus (2 Lt) | 1.3 | Only used a couple of times / Lots of water. | ||
| Toaks Titanium Alcohol Stove | 0.7 | Double thumbs up / Primes quickly, burns efficiently / Definite upgrade over homemade Pepsi can model. | ||
| Wire Frame / Windscreen / Fuel Bottle (8 oz/Plasic) | 2 | |||
| Anti Gravity Aluminium pot + Pot Cozy | 5 | Same pot since 2006. | ||
| 12.6 | 0.36 | |||
| FIRST AID / HYGIENE | ||||
| Sunscreen (repackaged in tiny btle.) | ||||
| Hand Sanitizer (repackaged in dropper btle.) | ||||
| Aquamira (repackaged in tiny dropper bottles) | Never used / Water was fine to drink as is. | |||
| Mini Toothbrush | ||||
| Toothpaste (mini tube) | ||||
| Dental Floss | Doubles as sewing thread | |||
| Antiseptic Wipes (2) | Clean cuts / wounds | |||
| Gauze | ||||
| Triple Antibiotic Cream (tiny tube) | ||||
| 3M Micropore Medical Tape | Breathable, paper tape / Adheres well | |||
| Ibuprofun (8) | Vitamin "I" | |||
| Toilet Paper | ||||
| Sewing Needle | I am arguably the worst sewer in history | |||
| Duct Tape - 2 ft | Multi-purpose; compensates for lack of sewing skills | |||
| Emergency Fire Starter (2) | Cotton wool balls in Vaseline | |||
| 9 | 0.26 | |||
| CLOTHES | ||||
| Rain Pants - Montbell Versalites | 3.6 | Ripped to shreds on the Coastal stage / Held together with dental floss, duct tape & prayer the rest of the way. | ||
| Patagonia Capilene 2 Thermal Bottoms | 5.8 | Long johns of choice since the 90's. | ||
| Rain Jacket - Montbell Peak Shell | 9 | I like this jacket a lot, in fact I prefer it over Montbell's Gore-tex model, the Torrent Flier. | ||
| Windshirt - Montbell Tachyon Anorak | 1.9 | Now on my third model; the first two lasted about 10,000 miles each / Great warmth to weight ratio and surprisingly durable for something so light. | ||
| Insulation Layer - Patagonia R1 Hoodie | 10.9 | Added this for the Arthurs / Hood, balaclava, zip for ventilation / Cold & wet weather staple. | ||
| Insulation Layer - Montbell Thermawrap Jacket | 9 | Long-time favourite synthetic insulation layer / Preferable over down in high precipitation areas such as SW Tassie. | ||
| Extra Socks - REI Merino Wool Liners | 1.6 | |||
| Extra SocksDarn Tough Hiker Micro Crew | 2.6 | |||
| MLD LightSnow gaiters | 1.3 | |||
| Bandana (1) | 0.5 | Towel, neck/face protection, condensation wipe. | ||
| Smartwool Cozy Mittens | 2.3 | Added for the Arthurs. | ||
| Montbell Merino Wool Inner Gloves | 1 | |||
| MLD eVent Rain Mitts | 1 | |||
| Warm Hat - Montbell Chameece Beanie | 1.3 | Excellent / Very stretchy and not too warm. | ||
| 51.8 | 1.47 | |||
| MISCELLANEOUS | ||||
| Phone - Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini | 3.8 | Trip notes / Decent photos & video | ||
| Stuff sacks - Cuben Fiber/Silnylon (3) | 0.5 | |||
| Extra Ziploc bags | 1 | |||
| Headlamp - Black Diamond Spot | 3.1 | Died at trip's end after 4 years of heavy use / Solid headlamp. Good value for money. | ||
| Wallet/Credit Cards/Drivers License | 0.7 | Used thin plastic card holder as Wallet | ||
| Swiss Army Classic Knife | 1.3 | All you need for backpacking purposes | ||
| Suunto M-2D Compass | 1.2 | Adjustable Declination | Compass of choice for years (Note: No longer made; when needed I will replace with Suunto M-3G Global | ||
| Camera - Panasonic Lumix ZS25 | 6.9 | Great zoom, HD Video / Decent battery life | ||
| Extra Camera Battery | 0.7 | |||
| Small pen | 0.3 | |||
| Small LokSaks for Valuables (2) | 1 | Protection for phone, charger, wallet, camera, battery | ||
| 20.5 | 0.58 | |||
| BASE WEIGHT | TOTAL | 11.08 lbs | 5.03 kg | |
| ITEMS WORN | ||||
| Macpac Cross Terrain Shorts | 6 | Shorts of choice since early 2000's / Unfortunately, Macpac have "done a Montrail", and no longer make this model. / Shame, because they were the best hiking shorts I've used. | ||
| Icebreaker 150 Short Sleeve TShirt | 5.6 | Swapped out base layer, after the long sleeve model I took on the West Coast was shredded. Good decision putting this in the resupply box. 🙂 | ||
| Socks - REI Merino Wool Liners | 1.6 | |||
| Hat - Baseball cap | 2 | |||
| Merrell Moab Ventilators | 30 | A bit heavier than trail runners, but needed the extra durability / Standard trail runners wouldn't have held up on this trip. | ||
| Fizan Compact - Hiking Pole (2) | 11.2 | Brought 2 for insurance in case one broke or was damaged. Fortuitous decision, as that's exactly what happened. | ||
| Timex Ironman Watch | 1.5 | Cheap, durable, light, multiple alarms. | ||
| Sunglasses | 2 | Polarized lenses / 100% UV Protection / Wrap around | ||
| 59.9 | 1.7kg | |||
| TOTAL WEIGHT | 14.8 lbs | 6.7 kg |
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Hi Cam – what size cook pot do you carry, and what style of cooking do you do on such trips? I’m guessing that as you have a cosy on the list then you ‘cosy cook’ and eat from the pot.
Hi Peter,
I use a an aluminium pot from Anti gravity gear that I’ve had since 2006. I think it’s the 3 Cup model and has a capacity of about 0.85 L.
On most three season trips I don’t cook at all, but because of the harsh weather conditions in Tassie, I decided to take an alcohol stove along. I used it about half the nights in total.
Yes, I eat straight from the pot.
Cheers,
Cam
What do you pack out your TP in? Do you have a digging tool? Which of the gear is your rain/outer layer? How tough are those lightweight gaiters? Could they go through alder thickets, talus fields, and survive? Does the crinkling of the Neoair not drive you nuts? Those old Patagonia capilenes last forever! I have had mine since the early 90s and wear them every winter for skiing. No holes yet, just a little loosening around the cuffs. I love gear like that!
Hi Karen,
That’s a lot of questions in the space of six lines!! Ok….here we go:
– On shorter trips I pack out my TP in a ziploc. During the 17 day first stage of this trip I buried it.
– I own a Deuce of Spades potty trowel, but on the SW Tassie Traverse I used one of the snow stakes I was carrying.
– The rain jacket is the Montbell Peak Shell.
– The lightweight gaiters are reasonably tough. Should suffice for alder thickets and talus fields. That being said, the bushwhacking on the west coast of Tassie is another animal entirely, and by trip’s end I was in dire need of a new pair.
– I’ve never had an issue with the Neoair’s crinkling.
Cheers,
Cam
Hi Cam, Thanks for sharing. What food did you eat? Do you dehydrate your own or buy?
THanks
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the message. Regarding your questions:
1. I went with my usual first-world-long-distance trip items (e.g. muesli/granola and powdered milk for breakfast, a variety of (semi)healthy bars, dehydrated beans, natural corn chips, chocolate, and some noodles to add to the beans).
2. I bought everything. I’ve never owned a dehydrator (though I have more than a few hiker mates who swear by them).
Cheers,
Cam