Western Arthurs 14.3kg total

[geoffmallo]

We recently did the full traverse of the WAs. Had great weather and got through in 9 days pretty easily. Unfortunately I was hoping to head down the eastern Arthurs to Feda but my mate got the worst blisters I've ever seen so we headed out with 4 days worth of food still in our packs!

Anyway for 13 days on the track without a food drop my pack was 14.3kg. This includes everything and is not my base weight. We could have lowered the weight by another 1-2 kg if we tried hard. Full gear list if you're interested at http://mycampgear.com/2009/03/03/hiking ... ght-weight

We didn't skimp on a strong tent (ok we went way overboard by taking a bombshelter as we were expecting to share this 3 ways), or other stuff like PLB etc.

The biggest part of this I think was dehydrating all of our own food. I have allergies so the bought stuff isn't an option. I'll be writing up some of that with some video to come soon.

Geoff

[Tony]

Hi Geoff,

We recently did the full traverse of the WAs. Had great weather and got through in 9 days pretty easily. Unfortunately I was hoping to head down the eastern Arthurs to Feda but my mate got the worst blisters I've ever seen so we headed out with 4 days worth of food still in our packs!

Anyway for 13 days on the track without a food drop my pack was 14.3kg. This includes everything and is not my base weight. We could have lowered the weight by another 1-2 kg if we tried hard. Full gear list if you're interested at http://mycampgear.com/2009/03/03/hiking ... ght-weight

We didn't skimp on a strong tent (ok we went way overboard by taking a bombshelter as we were expecting to share this 3 ways), or other stuff like PLB etc.

The biggest part of this I think was dehydrating all of our own food. I have allergies so the bought stuff isn't an option. I'll be writing up some of that with some video to come soon.

Geoff

Thanks for the trip report, it shows what can be done, I look forward to reading a full report and thanks for the link to your site, I would be interested as to how your MSR reactor stove went, as they are not considered a lightweight stove.

Tony

[geoffmallo]

I would be interested as to how your MSR reactor stove went, as they are not considered a lightweight stove.

Tony

Hi Tony. I do plan to write up more about the stove but here are my initial thoughts. The reactor went really well. While definitely not a light weight stove the reactor is very efficient on fuel. 1 Canister of fuel boils 22L of water which is enough for the 2 of us for 13 days. So the weight of only 1 canister for such a trip becomes apparent.

The fuel consumption and boil times are consistent in real world conditions. This stove does put out more carbon monoxide (from reports I've read) than it good. We did need to use it in the vestibule and were extremely careful with ventilation. Basically it was in the open doorway of the vestibule so the gases went mostly outside.

I really do like the stove and plan to work out just how long you need to go for the fuel weight savings to be worth it.

Geoff

[Tony]

Hi Geoff,

Hi Tony. I do plan to write up more about the stove but here are my initial thoughts. The reactor went really well. While definitely not a light weight stove the reactor is very efficient on fuel. 1 Canister of fuel boils 22L of water which is enough for the 2 of us for 13 days. So the weight of only 1 canister for such a trip becomes apparent.

The fuel consumption and boil times are consistent in real world conditions. This stove does put out more carbon monoxide (from reports I've read) than it good. We did need to use it in the vestibule and were extremely careful with ventilation. Basically it was in the open doorway of the vestibule so the gases went mostly outside.

I really do like the stove and plan to work out just how long you need to go for the fuel weight savings to be worth it.

Geoff

10.5g of gas per liter in real world conditions is very good and is very competitive to a much lighter stove pot system over a period of two weeks.

MSR Reactor stove and pot 530g
canister 355g
total = 885g

kovea Ti stove 60g
two canisters 355g each total 710g, 30g use per two persons per day (this amount is based on my experience and a few others including Roger Caffin)
windshield 30g
Ti pot approx 120g MSR titan kettle (depends on size)
Total = 920g

Tony

[corvus]

15g of gas per day on the Kovea Ti is about my average it tends to creep up on colder days at higher altitude (have not measured usage with the legs and windshield as yet) the Optimus Crux uses slightly less .
My coin tested scales read empty Kovea canisters 130g and full 365g (sample range at least five of each) but what is 10g in the overall scheme of things
Incidentally the legs and windshield which I can use with any screw on gas burner weigh 201g so my Kovea Ti /piezo burner 95g +Gas x 1 3650g + Ultra-Ti billy 550 ml 89g total 750g makes my LW system for one reasonably competitive and in an emergency I could use the billy on a very small fire .
If I were to cater for two, MSR titan Kettle 127g + extra gas 365g = 492g we would be over by 403g but twin shared this would be insignificant IMHO .
C

[alliecat]

Hi Geoff,

Sounds like a great trip apart from your friend's blisters. Thanks for putting your gear list up on your blog too - always interesting to see what others are using.

I have two questions/comments.

1. What was the tent you took (just out of curiosity)?

2. You list 13 days of dehy food at 5460g. That's only 420g/day which is pretty light, even for all dehydrated stuff. Most people need 600g/day or more to avoid serious weight loss. Did you have any other food than the dehy (breakfasts, snacks, ...)?

Congrats on the trip, look forward to seeing more on your blog.

Cheers,
Alliecat

[corvus]

just to

Hi Geoff,


2. You list 13 days of dehy food at 5460g. That's only 420g/day which is pretty light, even for all dehydrated stuff. Most people need 600g/day or more to avoid serious weight loss. Did you have any other food than the dehy (breakfasts, snacks, ...)?



Alliecat

I was thinking the same but did not want to look like I was being picky also you list a water bladder but dont include the weight of the water and what about a mug and plate or do you rehydrate in a bag and eat out of that (which I have done in the past)and you may not be into tea/coffee .
Despite your mates blisters ,sounds like a great trip and more so as I dont believe I could do it now (age arthritis gout etc) so my trips are contained to a maximum of 7 days (could not carry anymore) despite this I still have nice on/off track walks with my BWT Strollers mates and we are doing a three day two nighter over Cathedral Mt this coming weekend which is just hard enough for oldies and newbies.
c

[corvus]

Allicat remember that the 420g dehydrated food would require around 250 to 300 ml of water which would bring it up to the reccomended food intake
C

[geoffmallo]

Hi all,

Yes it was 420g per day of food total. I've been experimenting a lot with doing our own dehydrated food over the last year and have found a pretty good spot. I was never hungry on the trip but I did loose a small amount of weight (less than a couple of kgs). I'll be writing up the specifics of the food recipes in the next week but here's a quick note from memory. All my food was wheat free as I have an allergy so my options were limited.

Breakfasts - glueten free museli with some milk powder and sugar (60g)
lunch - ryveta, dehydrated hummus, cheese, dehyrated tomatoes
Dinner - various recipes (I rotated 4 different options). Can't remember the specific weights right now but will post them when I dig them up.
Snacks - chocolate, tang and home made trail mix

I didn't take a mug or plate. I used the pot from the MSR stove as both.

I didn't carry water in the bladder except in the dry sections on 2 days then only up to 500ml. I use a yabbie straw for drinking during the day.

The tent was a bibler bombshelter! Yikes a heavy tent (well not for 4 person winter). As noted in my blog we were going to be 3 hence the choice for this tent. This would have been 1.3kg per person for a bombproof (excuse the pun) tent. It turned out to be 1.9 kg each which is too much considering the other options but we opted for space over the other option which was a minaret (different 600g per person for double vestibules and probably 3 times the volume inside). I've also found the minaret a tad too short for me at 6' 1" with anyone else there, especially if sitting out weather or on extended trips.

[Son of a Beach]

I'll look forward to your dehydreated dinner recipes. I do a bit of this, myself, and really like it, but I've only come across a small number of options that I've had success with so far (eg, jerky, dahl, varous vegetables for cooking with other things later, tomatoes, mushrooms).

[alliecat]

Thanks Geoff. I look forward to seeing the recipes too. I've had mixed success with my own dehy but I'm keen to try more.

[corvus]

I love to start my day with a cup of Earl Grey tea black no sugar so the thought of sharing my mug with the remnant flavours of last nights dinner is abhorrentnt to me but my main BW partner no 1 son seems happy to have his coffee in the same mug in which he had COS on the previous night.
I also dehydrated meals in the past and will be looking to do so again in my penuriousis state as a self funded retiree so I look forward to your recipes
c

[corvus]

Lunch items really add weight please expand on your comments ,to really explain your pack weight you need to list everything snacks,drinks,how did you know where the water source was and with respect I really question your yabby hole source in that Mountious location , still I will be edified
c