Overland track 15 April 2008

[chiki26]

Starting the overland track on 15th April - North to South. Looking for a walking buddy - or advise from someone who has walked the trail thats it is not an entirely crazy idea for a single girl to do track alone...

Oh - I want to keep my pack as light as possible - is it a smart idea to avoid carrying a tent - esp since its mid april and the number of walkers will be significally reduced?

Thanks in advance!

[corvus]

G'day chiki26,
Welcome to the forum, Its not unusual to have solo walkers on the Overland as it is usual that you will link up with others even b4 you get to Waterfall Valley.
Ditching the Tent at any time is not prudent unless you are useing a Bivvy Bag because you will always have the what if factor and I believe we were getting some Snow up there in the last couple of days.
To lighten you load check and double check that you wont be taking too many clothes(dry gear at night and put wet/damp stuff back on in the morning ) its better to hang you wet/damp clothes under the Hut verandas than to attempt to dry over heaters . Also consider your food intake ,if you can afford them the freeze dried meals that just require boiling water are well balanced and light as.
Tasadam has a thread on this site where his wife did the Overland and the food requirements are set out in some detail (I suspect you will get directed to it soon) hope this helps and enjoy the trip.
corvus

[Joe]

its a big risk not taking a tent on walk like that. not only are you reliant on the huts having available beds...but you are reliant on actually finding the huts. if anything goes ar5e up and you miss a hut you are out in the cold.

[chiki26]

thanks both - will add a tent to my ever increasing load

for basic meals - i was thinking of carrying uncooked rice and pulses - that should give me all the carbs and protein i need - only issue would be that i would need several tins of gas for the entire period. But given that about 2kg of rice + pulses would keep me going for the 7-8 days - and about 1.5 kg of gas ought to be sufficient to cook it - would this land up being lighter than the freezer food? - never seen dried out frezeer food tho - we dont get that stuff here in singapore!

also - any idea if there is cell phone coverage

[corvus]

http://frankinoz.blogspot.com/ check this out for tasadams wife menu for her solo walks

[tasadam]

http://frankinoz.blogspot.com/ check this out for tasadams wife menu for her solo walks

Why go off-shore?

http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=219&p=1183#p1183

A number of other suggestions here too.
I don't think I would take uncooked rice - takes too long to cook. There's a number of other options, including Cous Cous.

As for phone coverage, there's a growing list HERE.
Not much for the Overland track yet. Perhaps you'd like to report back?

Cheers!

[corvus]

I knew someone else would post this

[Damien]

chiki26,

My girlfriend and I start the track on the same day.
Just look out for a young couple with blue Macpac packs and a large green tunnel tent.

Damien

[Son of a Beach]

sheesh... if you guys had got organised in time, you could have got yourselves some Bushwalk Tasmania hats for the walk. Then you've have no trouble recognising each other on the track.

[chiki26]

brilliant! will look out for you guys....

& oh, I'll have a bright red pack protector.... and sadly, no Bushwalk hat

[frank_in_oz]

Wife finished it yesterday solo. Had an absolute ball. Met some great people. Met LOTS of great people. Had some ordinary weather rain, sleet, hail and snow. Passed about 20 people which makes me wonder, I always thought she was the slow one....

Shopping in Hobart today which is probably more dangerous than the walk.

Posted on our blog about her preparation. Might be helpful.

[chiki26]

Thanks frank....This leads me to one more question - i live in singapore - most of my past hiking has been in the region - i.e. no snow!

I have a comfortable pair of hiking boots - water resistant only. Will these suffice with gaiters? Or should i get a new pair and risk shoe bites? Any recommendations on a good pair i can pick up in Launceston?

Also, can you guys recommend a good store in Launceston to buy jackets and other trek supplies?

[Son of a Beach]

Don't go buying new boots if waterproofing is your only concern. You're likely to walk with wet feet no matter what boots you get (at least some days). Just put your dry socks (and dry shoes/sandals?) on when you get to your camp sites and put your wet socks back on in the morning before you start walking (to keep your dry socks dry for the next camp site). It's a way of life you just have to get used to sometimes.

The bushwalking shops that I know of currently in Launceston are, in order of age:

Allgoods (Bush Hut) - St John Street
Paddy Pallin - George Street
Mountain Designs - Charles Street
Kathmandu - Kings Way
Snow Gum - St John Street (new)

As advertising is against the forum rules, I can't especially recommend any of them above the others. But I can say that I've purchased from 3 of them in the past and had good service from the other two also. So they've all been good.

[chiki26]

well waterproofing was the first concern that came to mind, but generally - i dont know if normal trek shoes are good for snow..... my shoes have served me well in dry weather on both rocky and muddy terrrain, but thats all the testing they have had - and me too - just dont know what to expect - would shoes that generally have a good grip go slipping all over the place in snow/sleet/hail?

I do stick to the keep dry clothes dry and wet ones wet phylosophy - iky as it feels

& oh - dont answer this if its against avertising rules - but which of those shops is the cheapest (quality staying constant)?

[corvus]

All of the shops mentioned have competitive pricing however you may just be lucky to strike one with a Sale on ,if not you should be able to negotiate at least a 10% discount on any larger purchases.
As to your Boots it wont matter what you do if it rains/sleet/snow you will get wet feet,if they are really wet when you get to the hut remember to sit them upside down and like I mentioned b4 leave on the veranda not near the heater.
Have a great trip and it is nice that you will have the possibility of companionship as I suggested may happen from day one