Silver River, Endless Sky
Yesterday I canoed the Macalister Gorge (from Basin Flat to Cheyne’s Bridge). This is probably my favourite section of this wonderful river, and I confess I have completed it many, many times. One of the best bits about this section … Continued
Nooramunga
On Sunday we spent a few hours in preliminary exploration between Port Albert and Welshpool. It seems like it will be possible to walk from Welshpool to the track at the edge of the private land which runs down from … Continued
Moose versus Wolf.
Who wins?
Ultralight Saws:
Particularly when track hiking (which I mostly avoid) I have found that I sometimes need to clear a small spot to erect my tent. Often the track times do not suit such retired folks as ourselves (and many other much … Continued
Firefly – The Ultimate Swiss Army Knife Accessory
Firefly is a tailor made fire starter for your Swiss Army Knife https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/740457940/firefly-the-ultimate-swiss-army-knife-accessory What is the Firefly? The Firefly is a custom sparking-steel fire starting tool designed to work seamlessly with a large variety of Swiss Army knives. The Firefly … Continued
Topo Terraventure Shoes:
We bought a pair each of these remarkable shoes about six weeks ago. I guess we have by now worn them a few hundred kilometres including in our ascent of Mt Bartle Frere in Qld back on 1st September, and … Continued
Rusty the Dusky Lorikeet:
Della: ‘‘Death, that hath suck’d the honey of thy breath Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty’ (Romeo and Juliet). Welcome home to our Rusty, the dusky lorikeet! You were our special, devoted clown, and have earned your ‘Forever … Continued
Willow Kayak
This is a really neat boat: a kayak made from willow and poly tarp: http://www.shelter-systems.com/kayak.html I am thinking one might be able to make this or a coracle with withes (other than willow) a tarp and some cable ties which I … Continued
1000th Post:
This is quite a milestone here at TheUltraLightHiker. I never imagined when I started this blog just over two years ago that I would be so loquacious, but there you go! There are over 5,000 pages about hiking and hunting … Continued
Sewn-free construction:
Or welded fabric construction. You too may not have encountered this newish method. My new shoes, the Topo Terraventure are made this way, and let me say they are excellent. There is not a seam in them to come undone … Continued
Mount Bartle Frere
We climbed this iconic peak back on 1st September. It is Qld’s highest mountain a little over 1600 metres situated just North of Innisfail approximately an hour South of Cairns. 1622 metres might not sound like much but you are … Continued
Trail Pea and Ham Soup:
I am always thinking about ways to avoid depending on simple carbs on the trail (and get some veggies in there too) yet also have recipes which can be made up from products readily and cheaply available in supermarkets such … Continued
Ultralight Shorts: 28 grams:
This is probably a problem all of us have faced at some time – what to wear when needing to wash our trail clothes (or go for a swim when there are others around). At just 28 grams, Luke Stegner … Continued
The Isthmus
We spent the afternoon poking around on the Wilsons Prom Isthmus, an area easily ignored as you roar down from Foster to the National Park, but in many ways it is scenically superior to the park itself. We had time … Continued
Ultralight Windscreen:
And, here is the titanium windscreen to go with your esbit stove – or maybe your egg-ring stove and your ultralight cookpot to complete your (60 gram) ultralight cookset. Windscreen: Weight: 0.5oz (14g) Dimensions: 22 7/8″ (580mm) x 4 3/4″ … Continued
Ultralight Esbit Stove:
In case you want an ultralight stove (including pot stand) to go with your ultralight pot you should try this mini titanium esbit stove which weighs a mere 11.5 grams. Esbit is the gram cracker’s fuel of choice containing more … Continued
MLD Supermid:
We have owned this excellent large tent for quite a few years now. We bought it for our cross-Tasmania walk in 2011 way down in the Roaring 40s, the often awful conditions of wind and rain of which it stood … Continued
Best Hunting Daypack:
If your day or overnight hunting pack weighs more than 400 grams you are carrying too much. The pack below is a great option (in Wasabi Green would be my choice). Remember this: every unnecessary gram you carry makes it … Continued
Ultralight Cookpot:
Mountain Laurel Designs’ Titanium Mug has to come close to winning the prize at 39 grams for a 475 ml mug which is at least sturdy enough to carry around without its crushing. I would recommend this for ultralight overnight … Continued
Ultralight Chair: the Litesmith Qwikback:
I don’t know which came first, the ‘Jerry Chair’ I posted about here or this 75 gram one. Whichever, this is an interesting idea for an ultralight chair for the trail if you are not handy enough to make your … Continued