Theses people need to listen to your top advice about weighing everything and thinking about do you need all those clothes and equipment you might not use. Those big packs must slow them down.
We are now very light packers in Monton!
Your blog is very interesting. Please keep blogging.
Alan, If i say the internet here in the quieter parts of NZ is patchy then that's an over statement. At some places you can buy local access but it's a bit pricey for the time needed. I am trying my best not to get too frustrated by it but it's so weird being without the internet.
Byeways, That guy in the main picture steered a water taxi and he picked up and dropped of peoples bags at places along the Abel Tasman walkway. Some bags are absolutely ridiculous.
Without commenting on the person carrying things in their hands, I think you need to put the pictures in context. Some walking in NZ is remote with NO access to resupply for days or longer, e.g., Stewart Island 14 days at least before you get back to civilisation and no resupply in the meantime at all so you leave with four seasons of gear and 14 days of food.
It is hardly like the UK where you wander from one town to the next each day ... hardly serious tramping at all :)
Andrew, You comment perplexes me. I agree with you that some of NZ's treks are remote wilderness and therefore i am not detracting from that one bit. But this area is far from that. Also, i wouldn't carry this much gear if i was moving house let alone going for only 2 weeks without resupply. We have dehydrated food in the UK which hardly takes up any room. But to say the UK is hardly serious tramping at all i find bemusing. Have a look at/google the TGO challenge or the Cape Wrath trail just as an examples. I could recount many more but there is no need.
Alan, I bet he (the water taxi bloke) has a good chunter to himself about the merits of shedding a bit of pack weight when he's wading out against the tide. Hope the trip is going well; the weather certainly looks to be much improved.
Andrew, The water taxi guy was even more cynical than me. He came straight out and said what he thought in a nice way. Obviously he has to be a courteous in a P taking way. One group of 5 which i didn't manage to get a picture of said. Do you think we have brought too much! They had 80L sacks and they were only staying 1 night in the hut. He, the taxi guy offered to take the bags to the hut bay so that they didn't have to carry them but for some reason they said no, as though they didn't trust him. Strange.
There's a few of us light weight trampers in NZ. No need for a big pack on tramp like the Able Tasman. If you are going to do 14 days without resupply you are going to have a big pack regardless of where you are hiking.You do need to be prepared for very changeable weather in NZ, but light weight principles can still be applied. You just need to adapt for the conditions, same as every where else.
Hi Jephoto, I am well aware of the lightweight guys in NZ and some ultralight weight guys who would disagree with you about needing a "Big" pack even for 14 days. When you keep the weight down with tarps weighing 300gr and down gear weighing 250gr etc etc it's surprising how light you can end up with in total. OMM waterproof sets with 40,000 hydrostatic heads and good breathability only weigh 250gr and trousers 160gr and hardly take up any space. 46 -55L sacks that weigh max 1k are readily available. If cost is also not too much of an issue it's amazing the gear from the USA. You have a beautiful country by the way and i want to see much more of it.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteP'paps they don't have the internet over there... Oh. Hang on. Isn't that what you are using?
ReplyDelete:-)
Theses people need to listen to your top advice about weighing everything and thinking about do you need all those clothes and equipment you might not use. Those big packs must slow them down.
ReplyDeleteWe are now very light packers in Monton!
Your blog is very interesting. Please keep blogging.
Carolyn and Pete G
Is the one in the big picture carrying a beached whale back out to sea?
ReplyDeleteAlan,
ReplyDeleteIf i say the internet here in the quieter parts of NZ is patchy then that's an over statement. At some places you can buy local access but it's a bit pricey for the time needed.
I am trying my best not to get too frustrated by it but it's so weird being without the internet.
Carolyn and Pete,
ReplyDeleteWelcome and thanks for your comment. Very kind and glad you are enjoying my scrawlings.
Byeways,
ReplyDeleteThat guy in the main picture steered a water taxi and he picked up and dropped of peoples bags at places along the Abel Tasman walkway. Some bags are absolutely ridiculous.
Without commenting on the person carrying things in their hands, I think you need to put the pictures in context. Some walking in NZ is remote with NO access to resupply for days or longer, e.g., Stewart Island 14 days at least before you get back to civilisation and no resupply in the meantime at all so you leave with four seasons of gear and 14 days of food.
ReplyDeleteIt is hardly like the UK where you wander from one town to the next each day ... hardly serious tramping at all :)
Andrew
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteYou comment perplexes me. I agree with you that some of NZ's treks are remote wilderness and therefore i am not detracting from that one bit. But this area is far from that.
Also, i wouldn't carry this much gear if i was moving house let alone going for only 2 weeks without resupply.
We have dehydrated food in the UK which hardly takes up any room. But to say the UK is hardly serious tramping at all i find bemusing. Have a look at/google the TGO challenge or the Cape Wrath trail just as an examples. I could recount many more but there is no need.
Alan, I bet he (the water taxi bloke) has a good chunter to himself about the merits of shedding a bit of pack weight when he's wading out against the tide. Hope the trip is going well; the weather certainly looks to be much improved.
ReplyDeleteAndrew,
ReplyDeleteThe water taxi guy was even more cynical than me. He came straight out and said what he thought in a nice way. Obviously he has to be a courteous in a P taking way.
One group of 5 which i didn't manage to get a picture of said. Do you think we have brought too much! They had 80L sacks and they were only staying 1 night in the hut.
He, the taxi guy offered to take the bags to the hut bay so that they didn't have to carry them but for some reason they said no, as though they didn't trust him. Strange.
There's a few of us light weight trampers in NZ. No need for a big pack on tramp like the Able Tasman. If you are going to do 14 days without resupply you are going to have a big pack regardless of where you are hiking.You do need to be prepared for very changeable weather in NZ, but light weight principles can still be applied. You just need to adapt for the conditions, same as every where else.
ReplyDeleteHi Jephoto,
ReplyDeleteI am well aware of the lightweight guys in NZ and some ultralight weight guys who would disagree with you about needing a "Big" pack even for 14 days. When you keep the weight down with tarps weighing 300gr and down gear weighing 250gr etc etc it's surprising how light you can end up with in total.
OMM waterproof sets with 40,000 hydrostatic heads and good breathability only weigh 250gr and trousers 160gr and hardly take up any space. 46 -55L sacks that weigh max 1k are readily available. If cost is also not too much of an issue it's amazing the gear from the USA.
You have a beautiful country by the way and i want to see much more of it.