Will Wood (Zpacks) is off to the OT soon

[warnabrother]

Will Wood from Zpacks is off to the OLT any day now..

Keep an eye out for him if you're walking..

I wonder what some will think of his setup/gearlist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9xU9_BTS6o

[headwerkn]

Heheh, sounds like he'll be still on the track Saturday, when 60 of us come running through for the Cradle Ultra

I like the look of the prototype tent, though I take exception to using disposable mini dental brushes over just a regular, shortened toothbrush like you're s'posed too....

[warnabrother]

I'm pretty sure he packs them out, but yes, not exactly sustainable thinking !

[bobcrusader]

Video is up...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0yqw4IkMto

[emma_melbourne]

Just today a 1 hour video went up on Youtube by Will Wood of Zpacks, who make the cuban fibre tents and packs.

I thought some of you might be interested to know.

It means a whole bunch of Americans will be watching and hearing about the Overland Track.

The link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0yqw4IkMto

(I have no affinity to Zpacks - I should add. I don't own any of their equipment and no agenda in posting this, and it's on the Overland Track.)

Best,

Emma

[Rick]

Thanks for sharing Emma!

[philm]

A quick trip - 3 nights including night 2 on top of Ossa. Looks like excellent weather all the way. Good promotion of the track but others overseas may think it's always great weather!

[GPSGuided]

They did it in 3 nights? What a rush!

[DaveNoble]

Yes - lots of ponds, overlooks at the prairie outside New Pelion. Paranoid about snakes for the first day or two. 12 days away and only 4 in the park! A race to get out at the end for the burgers...... sad. Joe at least went on a side trip to Pine Valley. So much wildlife - but they saw so little.

[emma_melbourne]

Yes I hear ya. I think those guys are so used to doing thru-hikes such as the Appalachian Trail where you're pulling 20 mile a day hikes. And they were wanting to test our their tents - which they have a vested interest to also promote, and not use the huts.

I haven't watched the whole thing but what I did watch they weren't using the tent platforms. (Which actually their tents don't suit so well in my view.) Is that normal on the Overland Track to pitch tent wherever? For some reason I had it in my head that you were meant to use the platforms, but maybe that was just that it's convenient to do so in bad weather with a muddy trail, and as many places are not suited to pitching a tent? And take advantage of hut and water supply, etc.

[philm]

Yes they used the platforms at Windermere Hut - Day 1. Once you are past the day walk area you can camp anywhere - most stick to the huts and around the area but there are disadvantages in doing so - see note about possums around the huts and food. Not sure they did the track justice in the speed record but then if their goal was to promote the products perhaps the weather was too kind. I'm sure overall it will further increase the exposure of the track to people.

[CasualNerd]

I haven't watched the whole thing but what I did watch they weren't using the tent platforms. (Which actually their tents don't suit so well in my view.)

They did show how easy it was to setup their tents on the platforms, basically said the platforms were great.

[warnabrother]

They did it in 3 nights? What a rush!

they had mega time restraints and like to cover lots of km's a day..

[philm]

Not sure about the mega time constraints as they spent at least 1 night possibly 2 at a cabin in Lake St Clair!

[GPSGuided]

Or was it to demonstrate their ultra fast UL style? Because they can!


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[Orion]

I talked to the woman and she made it sound like it was mainly due to the very short total time they had. Although it does sound like they might have fit in an extra day or two on the OLT if they'd planned their trip differently. Maybe they just didn't really know what to expect. I was sort of surprised that they did two sections the first day but walked right past Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff in perfect weather.

She seemed pretty happy though. And on the far end of the spectrum there were all of those runners doing the whole trail in just so many hours.

[GPSGuided]

Yes, I waited and waited in the video to see when they would summit Cradle Mtn or name the peak, but they just sailed by, utter surprise. Very little if any comment on Dove Lake either.

Obviously how people schedule the walk is their business and their enjoyment, but looking from the side, it reminded me of the old discussion on styles of walking. Some walk for the sake of walking while others walk slowly to enjoy the surroundings and views in detail. To me, they seemed to be in the camp of 'just do it' and big miles is the primary reward. Based on their commentaries, I didn't get a sense that they studied the maps much and was pretty nonchalant on the names of various landmarks as they followed the track markers. Quite a different style of bushwalking to what we typically discuss here.

[Warin]

Think one of them may know a good deal more about the features than the commentary lets on, after all someone did the organization for the trip, and targeted climbing Mt Ossa.. and 2 went into Pine valley... so I think someone at least knew where they were going.
The commentary is by this one person, who also takes the film. I do like the comment that he did not look at youtube videos so things would be new to him, I think that reflects the 'research' of this person, rather than the group.

The runners have probably 'done' the OLT before, possibly many times. So for them the sights may be familiar, and they are there for the run in minimum time rather than a walk to see the sights.

[DaveNoble]

There are no tent platforms on the summit Plateau of My Ossa (night 2), nor at the Narcissus River before the hut (night 3), nor at Echo Point - where they set up their tents, then got the phone call that there were burgers at the end so dismantled and headed south.

[GPSGuided]

What's clear is that they certainly have enjoyed it. Fantastic weather!

[GPSGuided]

Is there mobile coverage at Echo Point? I can't remember from our trip there.

[FootTrack]

Is that normal on the Overland Track to pitch tent wherever?

Walkers should be using the tent platforms and allocated camping areas wherever possible, in my opinion. Designated campsites help to minimise our collective impact on the environment. They’re also better suited for camping in terms of having shelter, toilets and water available.

[Neo]

There are no tent platforms on the summit Plateau of My Ossa (night 2), nor at the Narcissus River before the hut (night 3), nor at Echo Point - where they set up their tents, then got the phone call that there were burgers at the end so dismantled and headed south.

!

[Neo]

Is that normal on the Overland Track to pitch tent wherever?

Walkers should be using the tent platforms and allocated camping areas wherever possible, in my opinion. Designated campsites help to minimise our collective impact on the environment. They’re also better suited for camping in terms of having shelter, toilets and water available.

Yep for sure on high traffic tourist bush tracks.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Unbelievable weather.

Great video, thoroughly enjoyed it. Wish I was there rather than here!

Thanks for sharing.

[WendyC]

We started our hike on the 5th of Feb. The weather was still perfect. How did they know they could camp on top of Mt Ossa? I spent months researching this hike and didn't have any idea you could camp up there. That would have been awesome.

[FootTrack]

We started our hike on the 5th of Feb. The weather was still perfect. How did they know they could camp on top of Mt Ossa? I spent months researching this hike and didn't have any idea you could camp up there. That would have been awesome.

Hey Wendy.

I wrote a response to Emma's similar question in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=27324

In short, I think it's generally frowned upon. The following quote is from the Parks Tasmania "Leave No Trace" Guidelines...

WALK AND CAMP ON DURABLE SURFACES
Durable camping surfaces include established campsites, tent platforms, rock, gravel and sand.
Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary. If you use rocks to secure tents, return them to their place when you leave.
Protect water sources – camp at least 50 metres from lakes and streams.
Protect plant life – avoid spread of phytophthora and other soil-borne diseases by keeping boots, camping equipment and vehicle tyres clean.

Unless you camped on top of a rock (which from memory, there weren't any suitable), you'd be going against a number of these guidelines...

Glad to hear you had a great trip, it's certainly an awesome part of Australia. I can't wait to get down that way again soon myself

[alvd]

++you'd be breaching a number of these guidelines.++
Then why did Will lay out this video if he violates the rules there?
He certainly knows rules.
It seems there are no sufficiant violation in this camp.

[FootTrack]

++you'd be breaching a number of these guidelines.++
Then why did Will lay out this video if he violates the rules there?
He certainly knows rules.
It seems there are no sufficiant violation in this camp.

Hi alvd,

My reply was meant to be informative to others rather than inflammatory. Please do not misinterpret my comments as being a criticism towards this group. They were directed more generally.

Camping on top of Mt Ossa is not illegal. However, walkers should be mindful that the environment up there is highly sensitive. For example, I wasn't aware until after my first trip how easily the cushion plants that grow on the summit can be damaged. Their low, tightly-knit, dome-like structure creates a unique microclimate that is significantly warmer and moister than the surrounding environment. For the many species that cohabitate with cushionplants, the alpine environment is too harsh for them to be able to survive on their own. As such, cushionplants are widely considered a keystone species. If a bushwalker damages a cushionplant (by trampling or otherwise), the inside of the plant can be exposed to the elements leading to a loss of microclimate and the possible demise of the plant and ecosystem. There are a number of other examples that are pertinent to the alpine environment of Mt Ossa. I would certainly never camp on the summit myself.

I think it is important that we have constructive discussions about these issues. Between 8000-9000 people walk the Overland Track each year. If everyone camped willy-nilly, you could imagine the sort of impact that we would have on the environment. The beauty that draws people to the place could easily be lost. I believe for most people it's a case of not knowing, rather than lack of care. For a route like the Overland Track this is probably especially so given its popularity with less experienced walkers that may not yet be aware of the importance of minimal impact camping. Likewise, a large number of international visitors take the trip each year who understandably may not be familiar with the local environment. Talking about these problems has to be a positive step forward...

[Nuts]

Maybe this topic needs to merge with this one : viewtopic.php?f=25&t=27204

I don't believe you could research camping sites and still think Mt Ossa is ok. do we really need signs and guns?
And now a whole bunch of Americans to follow... with the one saving grace that we are increasing (exposure to and) protection of this wild remote place

Negligent And Irresponsible. Don't be like Will.