Tracks that test equipment

[Penguin]

Many of the threads on equipment have talked about what will and won’t work in Tasmania. The implication is that Tasmania is a bit different to elsewhere in Australia.

Recently five of us (aged 45 to 69) did the Southern range track onto the South West track. This is a fantastic walk but is very demanding on walker and equipment. Between us we had walked many of the iconic walks in Tasmania. We found the track between Pinder’s Peak and prion beach very rough on our equipment. A combination of head high scaparia, narrow tracks, bogs, sharp limestone rocks, and finally a seven hour wade in waist deep water down New River Lagoon. While at Low Camp under the shadow of Precipitous Bluff we were hit by an electrical storm that dumped about 100mm of rain on us over a four hour period with gusty wind.

The damage was:
1. An older Fairydown pack had one of the rear straps ripped off
2. A new MacPac Torro ended up with a rip in the outer canvass layer of the bottom of the pack
3. A set of brand new Columbia light walking boots started falling apart after two days and just got worse
4. All gaiters started to fail: WE, MacPac and Sea to Summit. The press studs gummed up. The velcro on the tops stopped functioning. The various methods going under the boots frayed and broke.
5. Kathmandu and Mountain Design trousers ripped.


What surprised us was how well the tents stood up to the storm. All tents (two MacPac Microligths, a Mountain Designs Nurtino 1, a Mountain Designs Pass and a Big Agnes Sierra) are rated as three season. The 1992 Microlight and the Neutrino did leak a little. The other tents were dry inside. As one of the party said: “the tents really danced about that night”.

The three of us with leather/nubuck boots were happy with our footwear. No blisters etc. We did suffer sore soles of our feet once the boots became saturated. Still no definitive answer of light weight footwear

What track have people fond that pushed their equipment to the design limits?

Now we need to find a decent gaiter – any ideas?

Oh, and the people got a bit damaged too…..

[Son of a Beach]

yikes... sounds like an expensive and painful trip! Although I'm sure it was still an enjoyable adventure, eh?

It's a good reminder that even good quality gear can let us down from time to time, and you need to be prepared (at least mentally) for anything.

I don't believe anything that goes under the boots will hold gaiters down reliably for a long period on really rough rocky walks. For some people anything seems to last for ages, and for some people nothing will last very long. I don't actually strap my gaiters down with anything, but I seem to have got really lucky with a pair of gaiters that are so well designed (and cheap, and no longer available anywhere ), that they just never ride up, despite having nothing to hold them down. Well, nearly never. Walking in snow gets them riding up a little after a while, but still not too bad. I have had the press studs bent badly, but they were easily replace. The velcro is starting to come off now, so I don't know what I'm going to do for a new pair.

The Walk from the Irenabyss to the Raglan Range was the hardest scrub bash I've done (although the sections of scrub are not long, they're very slow and tough to get through). My T-shirt got torn to shreds, and so did my knees. I'll be wearing trousers next time I know there's seriour scrub-bashing required.

I've never really had any serious equipment failure. A tent got a bit ripped in a wind storm on Shelf Camp once (but I hear that's pretty common up there), and my old pack finally wore through the canvas on the bottom on my last big walk in the Arthurs, but it made it home without anything falling out the bottom.

[frank_in_oz]

Hi Penguin,
Sorry we missed you on the track last week but we bailed early so maybe next time.

Great pic, have one of my wife's bum and arm like that taken a couple of days after a fall on the South Coast Track 3 years ago. Must dig it out and post it!! (not)

I have always had problems with my Sea to Summit (or any) gaiters clogging up with mud. I just throw them in a puddle or river and wash them when I get an opportunity and then hang them up to "dry". This reduces the mud in the velcro and press stud.

btw, my mate did this at Lion Rock (on the South Coast Track) last week and left his hanging in a tree there somewhere. Anyone who finds them, he would love them back........

[loric]

I have always had problems with my Sea to Summit (or any) gaiters clogging up with mud. I just throw them in a puddle or river and wash them when I get an opportunity and then hang them up to "dry". This reduces the mud in the velcro and press stud.

I reckon this is the key - maintaining/repairing your equipment during the trip.
Granted, your pants and stuff will still tear, but if you fix em at least they won't fall off ya body.

I've used fishing wire trace as the under strap of gaiters. Doesn't wear hardly at all and coz it's so thin it tends to slip into the grooves of the flater soled shoes.
Fiddly to set up initially, but once done, lasts for ages.

[NickD]

As I guide I've been going through gear at ridicolous rates. Out of every track I've guided on this season, I think a gear levy should be in place for the South Coast Track. Not to say it is the roughest, its well marked and clear of scrub but your boots take a thrashing from mud and also time in salt water!! Gaiters too.

But nothing tests your gear though like an off-track venture. I remember seeing the last of my favourite Macpac Fast Eddy shorts after a short burst of scoporia bashing on the way to Macs Mountain.

I've also heard some horror stories about Southern Ranges destroying even the most bomber of tents. So when I visited the range I borrowed my mates mountaineering tent, but we had beaut weather and still nights