Bushwalk Australia

TOP 10 BEGINNER HIKER BLUNDERS

http://www.backpacker.com/prof_hike_beg ... ills/14472

bushwalking advice
http://www.backpacker.com/article/topic ... sor%20Hike

Great links Wayno. Even though these are American oriented there is always something new to learn. (I doubt if I could amputate my own arm with a pocket knife though. )

Add tins of food to that list too!

Strider wrote:Add tins of food to that list too!

especially tinned fruit and veges...

Stupidly just took.a tin of spam this weekend...argh. I dont mind spam lightly toasted on some toast but when you gotta get through a whole can in one sitting...yeah never again

Denim might not be appropriate clothing for bushwalking, but it can make a fancy enhancement to the landscape

Strider wrote:Add tins of food to that list too!

Yeah my very first hike I took tins of baked beans and tins of salmon. Was also carrying some other equipment that would have been more appropriate on the beaches of Normandy in 1944... Just... didn't think back then of what weight on your does to you over 15, 20 km of hiking.

I once found a very heavy, brand new in packaging 4 person tent underneath and behind the elevated toilet block at Bivouac Hut on Mt Bogong. The blunder was that presumably it was abandoned as it was so heavy. It is possibly still there.

Strider wrote:Add tins of food to that list too!

I went on a walk earlier this year with some (very slow!) people. When we were at our camp I noticed their food included about 1kg of muesli, a litre of milk and various other food items including canned food. Add to that what would have matched the quantity of my whole wardrobe and I realised why they were so slow and struggled up the last hill to the lake.

wayno wrote:TOP 10 BEGINNER HIKER BLUNDERS

http://www.backpacker.com/prof_hike_beg ... ills/14472

bushwalking advice
http://www.backpacker.com/article/topic ... sor%20Hike

I liked the idea of carry dessicated silica gels in your trash bag. Always new things to learn.

madmacca wrote:I liked the idea of carry dessicated silica gels in your trash bag. Always new things to learn.

I actually question if that's really needed.

GPSGuided wrote:

madmacca wrote:I liked the idea of carry dessicated silica gels in your trash bag. Always new things to learn.

I actually question if that's really needed.

Of course it's not 'needed' - we've all been doing perfectly well without them until now. But reducing the smell of your rubbish is probably still a good idea. But it's not as though you have to go and purchase them specially.

madmacca wrote:Of course it's not 'needed' - we've all been doing perfectly well without them until now. But reducing the smell of your rubbish is probably still a good idea. But it's not as though you have to go and purchase them specially.

There could be better alternatives I'd say. How about some baking soda instead? I'd think it'd be better for the environment too. How much desiccant would one have to carry to be truly effective? I doubt a tiny sachet would be enough.

Ifyour eating jerky for example you will have a bag there..whallah

perfectlydark wrote:Ifyour eating jerky for example you will have a bag there..whallah

Yes, but a tiny bag from a jerky packet will hardly be adequate to absorb all the moisture out of our typical wastes. As suggested, baking soda might be the better solution.

PS. I am shocked that under our UL ideal, people don't repackage their jerky into smaller and lighter packaging. Carrying desiccant is too much weight!

Not an ultralighter so no bother for me. Dont really wind up with "wet" rubbish myself (mainly just wrappers and misc stuff) so its no real biggie anyway