Welcome to my channel! I intend this channel to focus on my passions, such as ultralight hiking, photography, organic gardening and SCUBA diving. However we'll see how it develops. I'm certainly not new to talking to a crowd, creating podcasts or having (and expressing) my opinions. But certainly new to this medium. I've been a keen photographer since age 10 and into hiking, SCUBA diving and gardening since my teens. My background is as an educator in the university sector, teaching students about a range of challenging topic areas like statistics, computing, remote sensing and computer based mapping (GIS). I've also been heavily involved with a myriad of other pursuits, such as; research diving for a range of marine research projects, building a couple of aquaponics systems for the university, running trips and talks for high school students, doing seminars and media to raise awareness of marine plastics and other issues, etc.
G'day mate I found them at BCF in Perth and have worn it from Walpole to Albany on the Bibbulmun track. Without at doubt the best headwear I've had, its light and doesn't blow off in gale force winds. Thanks
@@michaelmcphee2930 sorry, have been hiking the Flinders Ranges last few weeks (Heysen Trail). The Adapta-Cap? I'm not sure where I bought it now (have had for a while). Perhaps online or in Lismore. Available at a lot of places.
great video, I agree I use a frameless pack and almost always prefer using it with a hipbelt because my shoulders start to hurt if I don’t. Which backpack is more comfortable for you? The MLD burn or cutaway?
That's Bushcraft gear, not Day Hiking Gear. My 50 plus years of day hiking did not include a full tang knife, multi tool or saw. Since I've transitioned to Bushcraft/Mountaineering these past five or so years I now carry a Mora Knife mounted horizontally on my belt and a DIY two saw blades ensconced in a heat reshaped & resized piece of plastic vacuum hose with bolt & wing nut locking with Wilson tennis wrap and a pair of glued webbing straps for horizontal mounting on my belt. One saw blade is used externally. I did that to reduce the eight ounce of handle weight. I have my Dad's micro milt-tool with flashlight. My primary survival device is a 2 inch x 3 inch DIY device with a retractable whistle, a container with water purification tablets with compass mounted on the lid. A removable 650 lumen flashlight, another container with tinder, a ferrocerium rod epoxied on a side of the substrate and a diamond knife/hook sharpener epoxied on another side of the substrate. The substrate is a survival mirror. I have a freznel lens, Victorinox device and a Boker folding knife secured with rubber bands on the face of the mirror. I have a removable lanyard for wearing the device around my neck or secured to a hand. I also have about 70 feet of 200 test strength Kevlar cordage on the side with the whistle, etc. The cordage is for supporting my DIY Dyneema 4.05 ounce floor less tent from above - tent sits in the palm of my hand, now a staple of my survival gear. I reserve my DIY alcohol aluminum lid stove along with my DIY perforated titanium three piece wood stove for overnight stays. My DIY heat reflective, breathable, wind & water resistant/proofed sleeping bag for 50 degree F temps and my DIY heat reflective, breathable, wind & water resistant/proofed Anorak and Over-Pants are also a staple of my survival gear for sleeping, cold and wet weather, combined weight of 6.5 ounces, providing excellent freedom of motion & warmth.
Very interesting gear choices, I have a very similar outlook as well. As someone who also has low back pain from time to time, I also prefer a hipbelt, carry weight in front, and have used a light internal aluminum frame as well (Hyperlite and custom Superior Wilderness Designs DCF packs). I am curious if you are still using the MLD Burn in DCF and whether you have found it to be comfortable for someone with low back pain as it lacks a frame?
I changed over to a Nashville Cutaway last year, for a bit more volume on longer food carries and to try out the a running vest style pack. I have it set up in a similar way though and still use the Burn for day hikes and camera gear. With either pack I try to keep the weight as low as possible. Definitely hurt my back around 12kg (which I might get to on a large section where carrying up to a week's food). Works for me in general. Nashville were making a framed pack for a while but haven't seen on their Web site recently. I use foam pads and other items to add rigidity and structure to the packs.
Thanks! I really appreciate the positive feedback. I don't get a chance to do videos very often unfortunately, or put the time in I'd like. There are a few Aussie channels around now, which is good to see.
Really enjoyed your video Simon. Thanks! As a fellow Aussie I appreciate the homemade ultralight hiking content. Please keep it coming! (The link to your detailed PackWizard page is brilliant too. Thanks 😊)
1) Roll packed items (vs folding or stuffing) and set them side-by-side to provide rigidity (and easy access without removing so many items to get at things). 2) Dense items as close to body and hips as possible. Food is normally densest. 3) Every inch of separation between pack and body adds 5% to shoulder-straps, due to torque. The pack itself doesn't get heavier, but the 'pull' on shoulders gets worse. (think, holding pack at arm's-length vs holding it close). Therefore, it is a losing battle to use lightweight pads as shown. Better to roll pad and put inside, as far from back as possible. That way, your GG 1/8" pad becomes much more vertically rigid, while moving dense items closer to body. (more...) 4) 'Boxy" packs don't allow as much rigidity as packs sewn the ∫-shape of one's back (e.g. LiteAF's "Curve" packs). The sewn shape of a pack is important to shift weight to hips because it moves weight as close to body as possible, while maintaining rigidity. 'Balloon'-shaped packs are the worst. ∫-shape are the best and 'Rectangular' Box-shapes (e.g. MLD's "Burn") are mediocre. Packing thusly can improve comfortable load-carrying capacity to at least 35lbs. Considering the downsides of frames (rubbing, uncomfortable, weight, maintenance, etc.), frameless becomes the clear winner below 30lbs.
Thanks for the video, cool analysis of what "felt" like was happening with my frameless pack. I also think the more compacted the stuff inside the pack is, will add some rigidity to the pack overall.
I made a diy Caldera like cone with a light cut down can for a burner. The burner is only about 2.5 cm tall so the space between the top of the burner and the pot is an inch. Used a 1 liter pot from my Trangia 27. It rolls up and fits like the Sidewinder. I have a cheap lid from another brand. Going to make one to fit a 900 ml wide TI pot soon.
So why not just be a little less of a weight weenie and just get a fairly light, fairly small backpack with some form of support or internal frame, and with hip belts and chest straps?
That's a fair question, and probably an option. But the next question would be exactly how much more weight would a framed pack transfer? Enough to make a noticeable difference in confort with an already light pack weight? I have owned a couple of light packs with frames in the past (Zpacks and Aarn) and I'd say I'm as comfortable with my current pack (OK with overall less weight). But it's all money, and buying yet more gear just to see if it works a little bit better is an expensive path to take. Plus not many packs have the other features I like (such as running vest style straps, bottom pocket, etc). I do have back problems (and currently some foot issues) and really I'd rather have less weight overall. There was a recent video on other reasons to use a frameless pack apart from weight. I think one might have been simplicity (less to go wrong). I have had the struts fail on a light framed pack. Another might have been the smaller volume, basically forcing you to reduce what you carry and be very mindful about your choices. If I can find the link I'll post.
Another variable to consider is shoulder strap tension. If you loosen the straps, even with a full pack with no frame-sheet with secured hip-belt, the pack weight will be transferred to the hips somewhat. The weight be pushing down into your hips, but instead, sagging from your hips.
Good point. Having a rigid pole to constrain the "shoulders" may help if looking at that sort of thing? I did consider doing that, but this was the simplest design just to show there was difference/effect.
Nice set up. I have the cutaway, and it’s a shame you’re using a waist pack with it. I have a waist pack collection and love the handiness of putting lots of things in it. But with the cutaway, I just put all those things in the bottom pouch and it’s easy to reach back (even with my short arms) to get stuff. Skullcap, phone, snacks (snack bag in a sturdy ziplock), gloves, AirPods, etc. Not having a waist pack is incredibly freeing, improves visibility, balance and therefore safety. Also just more fun. Yes, adding some weight to the front is a good idea, but not at the sacrifice of visibility and mobility. If you pick up the pace, the waist pack bounces around. If you scramble/climb, your knees go up and the thigh can bump into it. With a lightweight set up, adding more weight to your front in a waist pack isn’t doing that much - the water bottles on your chest are 90% of the weight you’ve transferred. I went to a no soaking when I got my Cutaway. Just made it my mission to find delicious and nutritious food that I like which is nutrient dense and hiker friendly. You could save about a pound in weight and go from over 11 lb base weight to under 10 lbs. another change I made after getting the cutaway, going to no-soaking, and ditching a waist pack, was getting good hiking pants and using those pockets (on sturdy hiking pants) for adding more of the small things that are comfortable to wear and won’t impede motion. Liner gloves, small packets of emergency medicine, small flashlight, etc. Just something to consider if you want to drop about 1 lb of weight and have a more comfortable ride. The hard part is researching food, but everybody likes a ton of no-soak food , they just don’t know it yet. Only hardcore coffee addicts need the stove. I like tea, but realized I can get matcha tea and brew it cold. Problem solved. Also- I’d move the poncho gorundsheet to the back pocket and put food/other stuff in the bottom pouch. That pouch is for what you need while hiking- snacks, phone, gloves, buff, hat, etc. I wouldn’t use that valuable real estate for a groundsheet tarp, even if I knew it would rain. Lastly, I’m skeptical that your improvised hip belt is accomplishing anything. There’s nothing to transfer load from the back/pack to the hip from that. You need a frame or some kind of rod, like zpacks uses. More importantly, just get a pack with a hip belt that’s designed to transfer the weight. But if you’re ultralight, you don’t need that. The cutaway, the way I wear it, I feel the pressure spread out around my chest from the running style . It’s amazing and comfortable. My back feels pressure mostly around the bottom. Perhaps toggle with the adjustments, but a lightweight load shouldn’t be at all uncomfortable or need a hip belt for you. You say you have some issue… if so, get a pack which actually is physically capable of transferring load to the hips. Your set up with the hip belt addition just seems redundant.
I'm glad you like the setup broadly. And thanks for the suggestions. I think a lot of points come down to how things work best for me with other constraints/choices/preferences (but always willing to consider alternatives). I'll just address some of the key points... I know most people don't use some sort of chest pouch (multipack). I don't find it obscures my view of the ground. If I felt it was unsafe I wouldn't use it. The Zpacks multipack is quite small (I see Treadlite gear has one now that looks interesting too, a bit narrower). Having said that, for some conditions (like steep climbs, or if I just want to travel on public transport with less dangles) I would move it into my packs. I know a lot of people use the bottom pocket for snacks, but I prefer having quick access to retrievee and stow my poncho, while keeping the pack on. Snacks are one thing, but I wouldn't trust a front facing pocket (that I access regularly) with small high value items that are easily lost. Maybe it has something to do with having a foam mat partly covering the entrance or perhaps just my lack of wrist mobility after breaks and surgery, but I find it difficult to use the bottom pocket. Large items like the poncho are OK, I can yank it out or ram back in. But small items I need to finess are a different matter. The pot? I have considered cold soaking and will look at the options you suggest. I'm not sure I'd go without some sort of pot though. As a survival item it's another way to purify water. For example. Heavy duty (or even light) pants or shorts give me a lot of grief with chafing and heat rash. I use the compression pants and running shorts because they've worked for me over thousands of kms. I find the hip belt makes a different in back and shoulder pain. Maybe how I load the pack or use a pad as a back panel? Either way I can transfer weight. I have lower back and neck/shoulder problems.
@@whatsimonsaysabout...6447 I have the zpacks multipack. It’s thin, but your pot set up must bulge out. It’s just odd you don’t get a pack with a hip belt, frame to transfer load to hips, and load lifters to adjust as you go. The zpacks arc haul with the extra wide hip would be perfect for you. OR… go no-soak, lighten the load, ditch what you can to relieve back stress. Physically, it seems impossible that your hip belt attachment is doing anything other than creating a placebo effect. There needs to be a sturdy structure, like a flexible metal rod, to transfer load to the hips. Even the 5,000 year old Iceman backpack had a wooden frame with a flexible piece of wood, not unlike what current lighter frames do. Just seems strange to use a backpack specifically designed for people who don’t need or want hip belts or hip belt pockets and then add a hip belt and a waist pack. Like ordering a veggie burger and then replacing the veggie patty with a beef patty, and the fake cheese with real cheese. Just order a regular cheeseburger, right? The wide pack hip belt is incredible at transferring weight, and with hip belt pockets, you can add more weight directly to your hip, since that’s your style. I think you like the idea of the cutaway… it’s a great pack. But it’s not suiting your needs as well as something like an arc haul would. I wouldn’t recommend a cutaway to anybody with a base weight above 10 lbs, or anybody who likes hip belts or even waist packs. You are all three. The cutaway is like a two door sports car, but what you need is a sedan.
@@RC-qf3mp We'll have to agree to disagree. When I bought the Cutaway, Nashville packs didn't produce a pack with a frame. They briefly made one but I haven't seen it on their website. I reviewed a wide range of packs and decided that was what I wanted to go for. Unless there's definitive research one way or the other I guess it's just a subjective assessment. I certainly feel a different when the hip belt is done up vs not (and can loosen shoulder straps right off without the pack slipping further down my back, suggesting it's doing something). Find the same with my other framless packs (which also have hip belts). I have owned UL packs with metal or carbon fibre frames (such as original Zpacks [whatever they called it?]). But have found the Cutaway does what I need now. If it was uncomfortable with the weight that would be a different story.
I never understood why people think that if you get lost while hiking that you be find your way out or be rescued in no more than a day or two . . How do you know that you'll be rescued in only a day or two . . . There's no guarantee that you'll be rescued in a day or two . . . I carry gear that will last at least a whole week or two. . . Because I don't have any guarantees that I would be rescued in a day or two . . . If your lost the longer you can survive the better chance you have of being rescued. . . . Isn't your life worth a little more effort to carry a little more gear that could help you last a little longer if you did get lost . . . remember there is no guarantee that you will be found in a day or two . . . A little more gear might be a little more inconvenient to carry . . But just imagine how inconvenience it would be not having the gear if you got lost for more than a day or two . . . That's just my thoughts . . . Better safe than sorry .
It worked well, I was glad to have it. I used the small size as the large was too big for me (too loose) and the slots didn't line up anyway for the multi-pack.
That's certainly an option to consider. Although I want to keep things as light and compact as possible (I usually carry camera gear on day hikes), and also not spend a lot on new gear if I don't need to. I've had a lot of terrific comments/suggestions and I was intending to revisit all this and post another video. But unfortunately I haven't had time to do it justice (with a heavy work load, carer duties and everything else that's been going on last few years).
I've got the Borah gear bivy. Here's the link. I went for a longer and wider bag with the side zipper. For maximum space and ease of use. borahgear.com/ultralightbivy.html
Good advice I once heard is to bring ground insulation for your lost/injured/stranded day pack survival kit. Personally I always take an extra full sleep pad for this in addition yo a sit pad. If sick or hurt you may not want to, or be able to, perch on a tiny pad. Also the survival ridk may not be your own but rather another person that you are assisting.. I consider the extra 17 oz. for the pad to be worth it. I still carry a couple of drum liners too. Two is one!
This is such a good video. I hiked my first thru hike in April this year in England. It was the South Downs Way - a 100 mile hike. After researching it all, I ended up using budget running leggings with quick-dry shorts (that had zipped pockets) on top. It worked very well for me - for all of the reasons you describe. Mobility was especially key. You feel very free, no snagging and no noise of material flapping or rubbing. I was wearing my leggings down to 0 degrees C so first thing in the morning after breaking camp they were briefly nippy! However it encouraged me to start off briskly and I soon built up warmth. I also noticed they dried pretty quickly in light showers. Sometimes I didn’t bother with stopping and putting on the waterproof trousers. Great video. ATB- Ben 🇬🇧
Mors Kochanski has a survival scarf, which was a handmade rip-stop nylon bag, that could be used for filling with leaf litter for insulation and worn around the neck during the day.I think just a sleeping bag liner would work just as well, and also against insects.
Your sleep kit represents Aussie temperature - not so realistic in colder climates in winter. Just so long as newcomers realise this. The sleep system you suggest obviously is for an absolute emergency and it's certainly better than nothing. But I would replace the bivi with an SOL bivi which is breathable. Mylo stuff won't necessarily keep one warm, it only reflects hear off a heat source, people get that mistaken. So one really needs a fire to rely on such a minimum kit in the winter. If fire is not possible - if being stealth, or in a blizzard, then there is more of a risk of hypothermia. It's a difficult one, as one's intent is not to camp out, just go for a hike. And the hike needs to enjoyable, hence only bring lightweight, non bulky gear. I would consider adding a compatible goose feather sleeping quilt, or at least a goose feather vest for core body temperature, along with a pack of hand warmers. But good video all the same. Clear and succinct.
Did you go for non cuben bivy and tarp from borah to reduce the volume? Or was cost a factor? I find my zpacks 7 x 9 tarp quite loud in the rain too, silpoly is much more subdued. Which Argon top material did you choose for the bivy? I use an MLD bug bivy at the moment, squashes to nothing weigh 180g and the tarp is 138g for 318 total. I think I want more splash/warmth protection though.
The volume was one consideration with both, also durability. I had a number of emails back and forth with John from Borah gear before making a decision, which was helpful for deciding on bivy size and materials. For the bivy, I don't remember exactly why I decided against a DCF floor but I think I found advice that suggested the woven fabric would handle the wear better and the weight difference was negligible. I believe the top was made with the lightest material offered. For the tarp, John had used DCF a while back but wasn't happy with durability. In my experience of DCF, I've had one Zpacks tarp (and a number of dry bags and other items) that delaminated and came apart in key areas (like ridgeline). On the other hand I have also DCF gear that has been really solid (like a MLD hammock tarp and my ground sheet poncho (both heavier grade DCF)). I'm reluctant to buy .55 ounce DCF but I might consider a heavier grade DCF tarp in future. I like how easy it is to add clips to attach my bivy to DCF (or for extra tie outs). But on the other hand the heavier grade of DCF used the less weight advantage you get and silpoly takes up a lot less space. I went with the 7x9 Borah tarp as a stop-gap measure and just out the material and size (fairly cheap).
Nice to see someone else combining ultralight with some good bushcraft 5Cs style approach for safety. Durston Kakwas have an internal frame too, my 55L pack is 880grams.
oh and youre not joking about getting that peppermint bronners in your eye, I did that once, luckily I was at home but my god it hurt. If it had happened on trail I wouldn't been in quite a lot of discomfort.
Onya mate, currently getting ready to tick off the northern section and might treat myself to some new gear. Definitely going to grab some compression pants, I’m sick of being bitten by ticks and mozzie 😕
I hope you have a fantastic walk. The pants work well against ticks I find, but mozzies and march flies can bite you thru them. Shouldn't be much of a problem at this time of year, but I put rain or wind pants over the top when I get to camp (for both warmth and insect protection). Haven't tried spraying with repellent? Certainly I would/do treat them with Permethrin (along with socks, shoes, etc).
