Bushwalk Australia

Can I use a BioLite on the Overland Track?

Only if you BYO fuel and carry out the ash would be my understanding.

Nup - it's a fuel-stove-only area. Here's the legal definition of a fuel stove in Tassie:

"Fuel stove means a device for cooking that does not –
(a) affect, or interact with, in any way, soil or vegetation; or
(b) use or burn coal, wood, plant material or any other solid fuel."

Part (b) would rule out a BioLite anywhere in many parts of Tassie, which are fuel-stove-only areas. A gas cooker is probably your best option. You can get some cheap ones if you don't want to invest in one long term,

cheers

Peter

Thank you very much for the information.

That b) definition would tend to rule out using hexamine tablets?

I gather you can use metho stoves?

eggs wrote:That b) definition would tend to rule out using hexamine tablets?

Not necessarily a bad thing. They stink and who knows what they're releasing into the atmosphere.

Phillipsart wrote:I gather you can use metho stoves?

Yes, very common.

Phillipsart wrote:I gather you can use metho stoves?

Yes, metho, gas and shellite cookers are all fine, and very common in Tassie.

And part (b) does appear to rule out hexamine.

cheers

Peter

Thanks for letting me know, that's good to hear I can take my Trail Designs Sidewinder Cooking kit. I might be tempted to take my backpacker Oven with me, when I'm down that way, I can imagine the looks on the other hikers as I'm baking fresh pizza. I'll be testing this theory out over easter. I'm taking my Oven with me and baking pizza for tea and muffins for lunch. Will be interesting to see what response I get from other hikers.

Well, unless there is a period of total fire ban in which case liquid fuel is out too. Is shellite in practice a gas fuel? Meh the driving concept is just don't start a bushfire. I have seen a rhino stomp a stick caldera stove out there once, not pretty all that incredulousness in a wilderness setting. I'm sure if it wouldn't just upset a minority then gas stoves should be out too.

Next thing you know, we are not allowed to cook our food in National Parks? I know there trying to look after our land and environment, but *&%$#!, if there that keen on looking after the environment, why don't they look into the big players of this world polluting the environment for there lavish lifestyles , more than what a stick would do in the bush.

For *&%$#! sake, Aborigines used to burn often to protect there environment. Yes, Burn. I can't see what disaster will be caused if someone takes a few pieces of dead timber to cook there meals.

Phillipsart wrote:For *&%$#! sake, Aborigines used to burn often to protect there environment. Yes, Burn. I can't see what disaster will be caused if someone takes a few pieces of dead timber to cook there meals.

The central plateau is full of areas that have been devastated by fire, some caused from escaped camp fires. The restrictions are there for a reason. The burning of button grass plains is abit different to pencil pine forests

frenchy_84 wrote:

Phillipsart wrote:For *&%$#! sake, Aborigines used to burn often to protect there environment. Yes, Burn. I can't see what disaster will be caused if someone takes a few pieces of dead timber to cook there meals.

The central plateau is full of areas that have been devastated by fire, some caused from escaped camp fires. The restrictions are there for a reason. The burning of button grass plains is abit different to pencil pine forests

Yes, because of the stupidity of some, they spoil it for all. People need to use more common sense. That's the problem today, you have all these idiots that don't care, and just leave there fires burn unattended.

Attended or not, fires on peat are a very, very bad idea.

I really suggest those who want to use fires examine the historical record, especially the photos from the early 1900's and compare those to the scenery today (there are a couple of interesting ones in Ducane hut). On my OLT walk in January I really noticed the increased amount of vegetation along most of the OLT compared to the many trips I have done in the area from the late 1960's to 1980's. As NNW and others comment - peat soils and fire do not mix whether the fire is attended or unattended, small or large. Tasmania has lost far too much through the inappropriate use of fire and that affects all of us.

No question, rules are rules. In fairness though Phil wasn't talking about 'lighting a fire on peat'.

Many walkers wouldn't know if they were on peat soil or not. As for Aboriginals burning to "protect" their environment - sorry, Aboriginals burnt to manage the land for their benefit and changed it considerably. In this I am not saying the burning was good or bad just the motive for burning was not environmental protection as we understand it.

NO

Phillipsart wrote:

frenchy_84 wrote:

Phillipsart wrote:For *&%$#! sake, Aborigines used to burn often to protect there environment. Yes, Burn. I can't see what disaster will be caused if someone takes a few pieces of dead timber to cook there meals.

The central plateau is full of areas that have been devastated by fire, some caused from escaped camp fires. The restrictions are there for a reason. The burning of button grass plains is abit different to pencil pine forests

Yes, because of the stupidity of some, they spoil it for all. People need to use more common sense. That's the problem today, you have all these idiots that don't care, and just leave there fires burn unattended.

So...... Lets do away with speed limits because people need to use more common sense. The people that don't know how to drive fast safety spoil it for all of us! Excuse my sarcasm but this is the kind of attitude that I really dislike.

People read theses forum posts and think that is might be ok to light a sneaky fire on the OLT.
Maybe it is the fact that people think it rains a lot in Tas therefore it's ok to light a fire??? If you live in Qld. then maybe you shouldn't be giving advice on fires on the OLT in Tas.??? I walked past the Lake Ball hut recently and there seems to be a camp fire place being regularly used, why?

The rules are there for reasons, they have all been covered in tis forum and others before regularly. It isn't that hard, FUEL STOVES ONLY
Scotty

Phillipsart wrote:Yes, because of the stupidity of some, they spoil it for all. People need to use more common sense. That's the problem today, you have all these idiots that don't care, and just leave there fires burn unattended.

Every fire in Tasmanian wilderness area is stupid. There is no exception to this.

Strider wrote:Every fire in Tasmanian wilderness area is stupid. There is no exception to this.

+1

It is not a matter of some spoiling it for everyone else. No one should have every deliberately introduced fire into these areas that are so vulnerable. Those who did/still do are stupid. As many have already said, too much has been lost already. Just imagine no Fagus and no native pine in Tasmania.

There is a nice little piece on the Parks website > http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6525. I'll quote the important bit, "Since the arrival of Europeans, roughly one third of the
Tasmanian highlands have been damaged by fire. ...The unique deciduous beech is just one species that can be lost from an area for thousands of years as a result of a single fire...."

And then there is the Parks page on Native Conifers > http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=3240. "...In certain areas of the state, extensive stands of dead 'stags' give testimony to the ravages of previous fires. ...indeed, one-third of the State's King Billy pines have been eliminated by fire."

If you would like a longer read and are really interested in the whole story, try this > http://www.forestrytas.com.au/assets/0000/0418/tf_2_issue_2_article_12_1-8.pdf

walkinTas wrote:

Strider wrote:Every fire in Tasmanian wilderness area is stupid. There is no exception to this.

+2 then. I put out a peat fire caused by a fuel stove I agree, cooking should be banned.

The skeletons of trees between Vera and Tahune were very, very depressing in 2011 when I was there - and were caused by a fire in the 1960s.

Fires in most parts of Australia will see full recovery within five years, however the fragility of alpine areas in Tasmania can not be understated.

They should be protected, and people should follow the rules.

Where huts with cooking areas are provided (such as Frenchmans/OT etc.), it should be mandatory for people to cook inside the huts on the stainless steel benches.