Camping as permanent accomodation

[north-north-west]

This morning I was reading the Tasmanian Country Newspaper.
There is an add in the Classifieds for a caretaker for a 3 bedroom farm cottage, near Campbelltown, animal lover essential for old farm house inc 2 dogs, 3 horses & chooks, drivers license required, no pets (plenty here) some light work including house keeping, gardening / handy person. Hand written application, references required.
Regards Overlandman

If only it was a bit further south.
How does one get ones hands on that paper regularly?

[Overlandman]

Tasmanian Country Newspaper is available from News Agencies for $1
I get mine from the local Australia Post, Mail Delivery Centre at Ulverstone, Friday mornings for $0

[Myself]

Is that acailable on the mainland too?

[north-north-west]

Is that acailable on the mainland too?

Digitally, it is available wherever your computer/smartphone/tablet is. In fact, it's just a weekly supplement to the Mockery.

[Myself]

Update: packweight is up to 25kgs. I'll have to shave some off, I'm 5'11" and weight 72kgs, so either shave weight off the pack or start eating butter with a spoon till I pack-on some fat.

Edit: That's 25kgs without a stove, fuel, water or filter/steripen/whatever, OR any electronics or batteries.

Can't see any way - really - to get this down much more than it is. Even with just the tent, pack and SBag it's 15kgs. The tent and pack are probably the heaviest items, but together they're still only 6kgs. Sleeping bag is 1kg. Clothes weight a surprising amount, and I can get away with just one change of clothes but still, 25kgs was my goal, and I've prematurly reached it already, so aomething's gotta go.

Or, like I said, I have to get fat fast.

[icefest]

Update: packweight is up to 25kgs. I'll have to shave some off, I'm 5'11" and weight 72kgs, so either shave weight off the pack or start eating butter with a spoon till I pack-on some fat.

Edit: That's 25kgs without a stove, fuel, water or filter/steripen/whatever, OR any electronics or batteries.

Can't see any way - really - to get this down much more than it is. Even with just the tent, pack and SBag it's 15kgs. The tent and pack are probably the heaviest items, but together they're still only 6kgs. Sleeping bag is 1kg. Clothes weight a surprising amount, and I can get away with just one change of clothes but still, 25kgs was my goal, and I've prematurly reached it already, so aomething's gotta go.

Or, like I said, I have to get fat fast.

Wow that's heavy.
Can you just walk twice to get to your basecamp?

[Myself]

Yeah it is. I didn't think 15 was bad - it didn't sound like much - till I strapped the pack on. 25kgs is not impossible, but not exactly comfortable.

I haven't sorted-out my routes yet of course, just the places I want to hike to, but there'll be nobody else there with me so leaving my stuff unattended while I go back for the rest isn't ideal. I could hide my stuff once I'm out there, and add an averaged-waypoint to find it again, but it'd be an awefully long walk back and forward to town if I split the load.

[Myself]

I could leave one of the PowerMonkeys behind, that's an extra kilo, and most of the cords and electronics. The ipad can FO by the look of it too, that's an extra kg. But the 25kg it's at now is already without any electronics at all, so talking about what extras I can NOT pack doesn't shave-off any weight at all.

Mm. There're probably little things inside bags in the pack I have already forgotten about, ..I'll have a look now and see.

Edit: Took the bag of clothes and bag of adapters/cords out: down to a feather-light 24kg

Pain in the *&%$#!. I figure I'll take a large free promo Tooheys bag for food, maybe with a dry sac inside, so that'll add however much weight the food ends-up weighing, but I never planned to pack the food in the main pack anyhoo. Maybe I can stuff th daypack with food and wear it strapped to my front, for balance .. Like they do with donkeys

[Moondog55]

Take heart, my packing for a 3 month stay at the snow looks like taking up7 cubic meters and weighing almost a tonne, firewood NOT included

[Myself]

Well the good news is I've been misreading the scales, it's actually 24lbs! The bad news - conversely - is it's still not like it's so light I don't even notice I'm carrying the load, but it *does* feel strangely lighter, now I know it's only half what I thought the weight was

11kgs, so I spose I can stuff lots of crap in there now

[Myself]

Take heart, my packing for a 3 month stay at the snow looks like taking up7 cubic meters and weighing almost a tonne, firewood NOT included

I assume that'll be moved about the place with some manner of vehicular assistance?

[Myself]

I'm actually stuck at where to put the tent poles. I had the tent wrapped around them inside the tents stuffsack, but didn't like having the tent vertical in the pack, which was the only way the poles would fit, because they're in two-foot-ish segments.

When I take the poles out, the tent scrunches-up sideways which makes stacking much easier, but then I have the poles that still have to either go verically in the pack, or horizontally on top of the pack. Spose thst could work if I tie em down tight enough.

[icefest]

11kgs, so I spose I can stuff lots of crap in there now

My worst trip was just over 30kg. That wasn't fun. 

[Myself]

Did you get paranoid the straps on your pack would tear-off?

[icefest]

No, but I did trip and get pinned on my face in the snow, with my feet tangled in snowshoes and my hand in the hiking poles under me.

[Myself]

So a bit of embarrassment in that moment

[Myself]

So at 72kgs, I should aim for a max load of 24kgs/30%, or is this just one these numbers some old wife pulled out herself one day? ..it seems to be generally accepted that 1/3 your bodyweight is the max, but I assume most people would want to carry as little as possible, yet *can* carry half their bodyweight if they really have to.

Cos already at 11kgs, I'd be quite happy if it were half that, but I'll have to take what I need regardless.

[Myself]

Okay so here's a few random info bubbles about where I'm at with progress, since a few things have changed since those first few posts:

* Time-frame is about where it was, maybe shoved back a little to mid winter.
* *&%$#! I live with is haggimg cos her ex-boyfriend is visiting and - because he's so effeminate and reminds me off my Grandmother, I refuse to acknowledge his existance - she's nagging me to fo sooner.
* I have decided upon a Greyhound 24-hourish bus ride to Sydney, mainly because I just can't be f'ed trying to explain everything in my pack to te Nazis in airport security.
* I will stay overnight at my Mothers place, to avoid being dropped-off at 2am in Katoomba or whatnot, and allow myself more time the next day to get out early.
* I was pretty keen to have my ipad with me originally - as it can serve many functions - but having tested out the solar charging unit I have, I have shifted on this: there's just no way I'll be able to keep the ipad juiced, so even if I take it with me it'll stay OFF.
* For navigation I have topo 25k maps of Katoomba, Jamison and Bimlow, as well as an Oregon 650 with TOPO Aus/NZ v4 and a Suunto MC-2(?) mirror compass as backup and/or to save on GPSr batteries where appropriate.
* For Shelter I have one of Kathmandu's 4-season tents, a Boreas v2 geodesic, and tarp for a groundsheet.
* Sleeping Bag's a 0oC mummy-bag
* Solar-power device is a pair of 9000mAh PowerMonkey Extreme 12V's that charges anything thst can use the UsB port, including the *&%$#! Varta AA/AAA cradle I got. I wish i had've researched a bit more and ordered a super-efficient USB charger actually, cos the bright blue screen on the Varta is just a power-drain, really, but it works.
* The PME12V though, is enough to keep my GPS and phone charged, and will be used for that.

Mm coffee/tea break. I'll continue when I get back...

[walk2wineries]

Yes, I was going to suggest woofers. If you want to walk and travel...

and/or have you considered being at host at National Parks campgrounds? I was at Cape Le Grand a couple of years ago; during the summer season when its busy the Dept Environment has "hosts" at popular campgrounds who are allowed to stay longer, don't pay but do have some minimum duties - maybe attending the ablution blocks, calling the rangers if there's a problem.

I wonder if its worth exploring caravan parks - some that need only a site manager most of the year need casuals during peak times - which will vary - and/or need someone to take their place if they need to get away. You say that a low-rent option such as a van park would take a lot of your income - but if you go to a peripheral one and offer to help with the work you might be able to negotiate something?

There are also organisations which arrange house-sitting for people on holidays - its not always the superrich, one need only have a cat and a dog to decide its better to get someone to stay than to pay for kennels. If you know any gray nomads, see if they are CMCA members and borrow the club magazine which sometimes advertises house or property sitting arrangements. You don't really sound like you are ready to settle down yet! Another option if you are committed to camping might be to consider hiring a storage unit so that if you have limited space in your car you don't need to have everything with you all the time - but it could be cheaper to go to a peripheral van park and put down an old caravan (you can get a temp reg to allow them to be towed to final resting place) or even a container.

But ... if you do go feral, please go with the stealth. I associate long-term free campers with toilet paper in the bushes, smells, rubbish, spoilt views, washing hung up everywhere

[Myself]

The cow has one of her ex-bf's staying here - an effeminate wallflower a foot shorter and 20 years older than me - and has told me to get out next week. [obscenity removed]

[Myself]

This at a time where I'm a few weeks away from being geared and ready. It's taken me a few months to orepare to this point, and just when I'm almost there she tries to royally [obscenity removed] me.

[walk2wineries]

Off-track. Sorry "Myself" hadn't realised when I clicked "reply" that there was a third page, so I was responding to an earlier post. Comments hold good though. Just noticed you were labelled as "SA" - my guess is that WWOF might be available; LOTS of short term free/minimal fee camping in the Mt Crawford forests, Lofty Ranges, Fleurieu etc but you'd have to go some distance for long term. Eyre Peninsula, Coonawarra.... Gawler Ranges, Flinders... If you haven't ties to NSW and Blue Mountains turns out too cool you might consider Northern Rivers region. Lots of bushwalking; do the Yuragir & take extra time to suss out potential living!
Got to know Greyhound and SKinners (worse) well when I was a student and there was a much bigger difference between bus fares and airfares - yes, it was years ago. Some advantages, they will take off even when its raining, I don't recall a drivers strike; you can order what you want at the truck stops and go to a real toilet. Enjoy your trip.
BTW I suppose you know these sites http://www.australiancampsites.com.au/

[Myself]

Is there any way around having to order the directory/book for woofers? When I went to the site, they seemed to insist on the purchase of a directory that contained the listings, as your "membership" starter. I didn't know at the time how legit this was, but it looks like I do indeed have one week till I'm out.

[Edit by moderator, obscenity removed]

[Myself]

Either way, if I ordered the book and it took a few days to arrive, I'd still struggle to find a farm in time.

Next Thursday, I'll be homeless *without* what I need to head into the bush, so I'll simply be homeless.

[Myself]

The orignal time frame was mid-winter, I'll add.

The sole reason that's changed is to shove me out so her ex and her can go at it, since he's already here. Every time the [obscenity removed] walks near me I have to really fight the urge to grab his head and slam it in the wall. Calling it quits and moving oit is one thing, but having the new dick move in before I've [obscenity removed] moves out, [obscenity removed] me I've never known a woman go that low.

[geoskid]

Either way, if I ordered the book and it took a few days to arrive, I'd still struggle to find a farm in time.

Next Thursday, I'll be homeless *without* what I need to head into the bush, so I'll simply be homeless.

Maaate, Come here, to Tassie, I'll sort us out. Cancel that bus to Sydney and come to Tassie.

I will put you up until you are sorted, your current situation is bending you out of shape.
BTW - I am 50 and am certainly no wallflower.
Myself - come to tassie. Stop Friggin around with your life. PM me, please!

[Myself]

Geez you sound pretty keen to get me there

Sad thing is that's the best lead I've currently got. Like, the Blue Mountains is just a few more gear items off, and she knows that, so just when I'm almost ready to live the dream, she [obscenity removed] me, just so she can [obscenity removed] this crumpled little man.

[geoskid]

Geez you sound pretty keen to get me there
Yes, Myself, I am keen. I have form. If it helps at all, I am an atheist.

Sad thing is that's the best lead I've currently got. Like, the Blue Mountains is just a few more gear items off, and she knows that, so just when I'm almost ready to live the dream, she *&%$#! me, just so she can *&%$#! this crumpled little man.

[andrewa]

"Myself", this has been a fascinating thread to read...

I'm still not getting why you would decide to move from urban SA to somewhere in the middle of nowhere in another state, and in doing so still think about take electrical gadgetry. Are you doing a psychosocial project about something??

Maybe I'm not just getting it, but if I was living in a share house, which wasn't working, and had camping gear, and wanted to move out, and camp out, I'd just move to the nearest camp ground/state forest/National park, that would provide me with useful access to being able to work. I wouldn't be bothered with electrical stuff if I wanted to hermit myself, but if I really wanted to use my iPhone/ipad etc, I'd just stay close enough to town to charge it when there...eg chuck a charger in a socket when doing the supermarket shopping, and it might be charged when finished, but why do you need the electrical stuff in the first place, if you want to live far away from everyone?

Your agenda sounds a little quirky to me....

A

[Myself]

I thought I updated the change in plans regarding electrical gadgets a few posts ago, but I'll update it again for - you, since you appeared to miss it.

The ipad cannot be kept charged, and is now irrelevant, the phone can be kept charged, but off, so the only electrical gadetry I'll be using now is the GPSr and the solar battery charger to keep that going.

As for the moving: I have been in SA for a decade, and am just sick of it. NSW is my home state, so I want to return there, and of the places worth doing a pilgrimage in, the Blue Mountains is the most suitable, and one of the more beautiful locales. No point going somewhere ugly is there?

The over-riding reason for actually going out there, is I'm sick of cramped auburban living and all the poo... goes with it: the noise, the crowds, the soul-eroding comfort-on-tap, the shops on every corner. I have to get out of it, and feel an urge to be amongst nature.

Simple really.