Hi, I’m looking for a 30-35 L women’s or unisex backpack for an upcoming 35 day Camino walk in which I’ll sleep in albergues. I have a 65L Osprey for multi day hikes but won’t need this size as I don’t need to carry camping gear. I’ve had this pack for years and love it so I bought the 34L Osprey Sirrus but couldn’t make it work for me. The belt pockets rubbed my inner lower arms raw on walks longer than 10kms. I covered the waist belt pockets with elasticised bandage which solved the issue and then found the plastic shoulder strap buckle did the same on my inner lower arms! Clearly I walk with my arms close to my body! Has anyone else had this type of issue and can any one suggest packs that don’t have protruding waist belt pockets or shoulder strap buckles? TIA.

Hi,

My 10yo son will be going on hiking weekends with his school hiking club. And needs his own backpack, sleeping bag, tent, cooking gear, mat.

We've been watching youtube videos but it is all american gear.

What total backpack weight do you think would be okay for an active 10 year old? I've heard 10kgs (1kg per year of age) but that seems like a lot.

Any recommendations for gear that is entry price? What do you think of these choices...

- sleeping bag - looking at Kelty cosmos 20 around $350 - 1kg

- tent - thinking Big Agnes Copper Spur HV Ultralight 2 person hiking tent 1.42kgs

- Osprey for kids 50L 0.76kgs

- mat?

Any tips would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

Currently take 6 msr groundhogs, and make up the difference with the mont bolt stakes supplied with my tent. Keen to add some very hard ground options into the mix. I've seen the msr carbon core and mont bora stakes.

What combos do you like to carry when you will have variable site conditions?

Anyone have suggestions on the best way to carry glasses? I wear regular glasses and sunglasses, so one pair will always be in a case while hiking.

The standard specsavers hard cases feel excessively bulky and heavy at 100+ grams.

Open to creative solutions too. I know that Americans use a plastic container from a drink mix (Crystal Light), but that brand doesn’t seem to be available here.

Always been confused about how to set up this part of the 3F Lanshan 1.

This related to the guy that comes from the vent below the apex where the tent pole is, on the opening side.

Specifically I’m unsure about how to return the guy rope with the black clip that retains the outer door corners. The pitch looks ok but I can never get this part very close to the ground.

Hello,
Looking to get into some bivvy camping. I currently own the titular sleeping pad due to being a 6'4 stomach sleeper who cannot sleep for shit, but found this gives pretty good comfort. Due to it being quite large and not tapered, I've struggled to find a bivvy that it will fit inside and was wondering if you knowledgeable people would have any recommendations. If not ill just cop it and go back to a CSF pad.

Only askings is that it has a way to elevate the sack off your head like the OR Helium and bonus if it has an inbuilt headnet, also like the OR Helium.

Cheers

Did anyone else have issues sending messages with a Garmin Inreach yesterday (27/01/2025)?

I'm wondering if there's some problem with my device or if there was an issue with the network.

I'm seeking recommendations for socks for hiking. I'm after something made of mostly merino, thin, lightweight, quarter height, loose top.

Hello Guys! In March this year I am going to the Jungles of Borneo for a 2 week dream holiday. I'm going to be doing a 5D4N Maliu basin loop so we'll trekking 6-10km a day and doing a few small river crossings in a really hot humid environment. I would love some suggestions for a 45-50L pack that's lightweight, breathable but wont cost any more than $350 AUD MAX. Thanks so much! have a great day

I was looking at getting a Waratah -8C in 5' 6" and had one in my cart from both Ultralight Hiker and direct through Neve Gear, hoping maybe I'd get a discount code if I let it sit a few days.

Well unfortunately it's backfired and now sites are listed as sold out. I've checked other sellers in Australia and they're also all sold out. I emailed Neve Gear to see if there will be stock soon, still waiting on a reply, but I'm hoping it's not something they'll stop making.

Does anyone have any leads on similar quilts in Australia that are ready to ship now or could be received by end of February for a similar price point?

Doing the snowies alpine track in Feb! Flying into Canberra and getting the bus to jindabyne. Not doing accommodation. We are allowed to wild camp etc.

Does anyone know of an affordable route from jindabyne to either perisher, Charlotte's, or thredbo?

Spoke with snowlink and $190 from jindabyne to charlotte pass is a bit rich....

I understand it's off season for these guys but yeah surely there's transport from jindabyne to mt kosciuszko?

Might be a stretch. Me and some mates are going up to Thredbo for some skiing this winter (we're all beginners at skiing and are looking for the experience). I myself am a total outdoors enthusiast and we all grew up in Tasmania and go hiking regularly in all seasons.

I was looking to involve some hiking for the trip as we love hiking, saw the new snowy alpines multi day walk but I don't think it's suitable as I believe you need to book lodges and we are trying to travel cheap as we're already spending a bit on renting skis and good accommodation, as well as the website saying that it is not suitable for winter hiking. Was wondering if there's any other multiday or overnight hikes in that area. Or at the very least, a nice day walk (which I can always appreciate).

This might be a stretch because it will be winter, and while I'm confident in winter hiking in tasmania and Victoria, I have to admit I don't know the area in New South Wales well. As well as that even when hiking in winter in tasmania I am still very wary as no matter how much experience I have, I still respect the mountain, and things do go wrong. However I would still say I'm mildly experienced, done a few climbs in winter myself and sometimes with others and have been hiking all my life.

On a lighter note, I would love recommendations, I came here first and I will research for myself as well later when I have time. Thanks all.

I think I’m going to use my long service leave on crossing the Pyrenees.

Should I stop overthinking this and just get the Durston X-mid?

I’m 193cm and currently have the Lanshan Pro 2 and like it but feel like I should invest in something better for such a big trip.

Should I get the 1 or 2 person version given I’m tall?

Any better options?

I have a Vango tent that weighs 1.05kg, is really compact and has lasted well over the last 10 years.

We would like to start hiking more with our children so now seeking a second 2 person tent that weighs under 1.5 (preferably under 1.2kg) and is compact to fit in a backpack.

Vango doesn’t seem to be stocked in Australia and am struggling to decide on the best option, opinions on the following brands?

• Naturehike
• Big Agnes
• Zpacks

Any others we should consider?

Hi everyone,

We’re planning our first overnight hiking and camping trip and would love some advice or suggestions for routes around Sydney (well outside the city itself).

Being new to camping, we’re feeling a bit anxious, so our plan involves some logistical juggling:

1. Drive to the campsite: Drop off a vehicle there for easy access in case we need to exit early.
2. Start the hike: Drive to the end point of the hike, then use public transport, Uber, or a friend to drop us off at the hike’s starting point.

We realise this sounds a bit complex, but having a car at the campsite provides a safety net for our first experience. We’re confident we won’t need it but prefer to have the option!

About us:

• We’re both keen hikers who regularly do 10–20 km day hikes.
• We’ve borrowed all the necessary camping equipment from friends.

Looking for recommendations:
We’re after a hike that works with this setup. Ideally, it would:

• Around 10-40 km in total.
• Have a car-accessible campsite.

Here are a few ideas we’re considering. If you’ve done these or have better suggestions, we’d love your thoughts:

1. Bouddi Ridge and Coastal Walk This looks stunning but is booked out until March. Still, it’s on our radar. Link: Bouddi Ridge and Coastal Walk
2. Hornsby to Mount Ku-ring-gai This one seems doable with our plan:
   • Hornsby to Galston Gorge
   • Galston Gorge to Mount Ku-ring-gai
3. The Coast Track (Royal National Park) We’d love to do this iconic hike, but some sections are closed, and I’m not sure if car access would work here. Link: The Coast Track

Does anyone have experience with these hikes or know of others that might fit our criteria? We’d appreciate any advice or insights to help us plan!

Thanks in advance

Hey, my partner and I are starting the walk this weekend, planning for 6 nights 7 days.

Everything is pretty sweet, except for water.

Has anybody has completed the walk recently, what was the status of the water tanks, any of them empty?

Are there any fresh water locations that we can reliably filter from?

If we have to do water drop offs, what are the best locations that aren’t super far from the track?

Any other key tips for beginners?

Thanks so much, really looking forward to our first multi-night hike.

I apologize in advance if this post violates any rules (I read them beforehand but didn’t see any potential issue).

I’m a student living in Melbourne who loves going out for walks and hikes, but I’m very very concerned about the UV index. I religiously apply sunscreen every two hours, but sometimes it would be nice to just not feel sticky and shiny, plus the best protection is still a physical layer of clothing. I’m a on very tight budget, and I found a sun hoodie on Amazon from a brand called Willit for 30 dollars, which is made 100% from polyester … all the reviews I could find are from people who do not live in Australia. Do you have any experience with this product? Will I swim in my own sweat on 30+ degrees days? I also found a Kathmandu sun hoodie for 60 dollars, but on this sub I read conflicting reviews about Kathmandu’s sun hoodies. I’d like something that is cheap and breathable.

Mind that I’m not going to walk from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m under the sun, with or without the hoodie: I’m still going to look for shade for most of the time.

Like the title says. Looking for a non synthetic/polyester sun hoody. Ive seen some merino but I have no experience with merino and Im unsure if itll suffice at keeping me cool in West Aus heat. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks

Is the “Walk into history” closed just above Big Pats Creek? There’s orange netting across the path but no information.

I get that a weight penalty comes with a stove set up, but do you find it easy to forgo the simple pleasure of a brew in the morning? I'm not sure it's something I would like to do without.

Just noticed a Talenti style jar at coles for the first time, personally never seen this type of container locally (WA) so figured it may be of interest to any cold soak gang here.

So my second Exped mat has had a baffle failure. This was a synmat, manufactured in 2017, after they had supposedly fixed the problem. Had only used it on about a dozen trips (didn't get any use during covid).

Anyways, I'm looking for another brand of mat, one that will last more that 5 years. Any recommendations? 7cm+ thickness, 3-4 season

Looking to get out a bit more in the warmer months in SEQ, and as part of that I'm keen to leave the shell jacket and rain pants at home and take a poncho.

How do the S2S options stack up? Any reason to go nylon over ultrasil? Are the poncho tarps just a gimmick? Is the coverage good enough for a average height guy with a overnight pack?

Keen to hear any experiences or alternatives (although wouldn't go much more price wise). TIA

I haven't tried poor bags yet, but deep down the old 'leave no trace' ethos does mean that I probably really shouldn't be shittin' in the woods. TBH the logistics of carrying poo around kind of creeps me out. What say you?

Anyone here ultralighting in a 'yak? Or is there a more appropriate group.

NSW based but have some travel planned to FNQ this year

Team

I have a Tasmanian Tiger Raid MKIII

Never really cared about Ultralight but going overseas in a couple months and really want/need to get my weight down as I'm taking everything with me for the 35+days hiking, wild camping.

As it stands, my current sleep system weighs 5kg(cheap 2 person Tent and a Alton Swag) cooking around 3kg + clothes etc

What I am asking is if there is any suggestions for packs able to carry a fair bit whilst also being able to be abused in checked in luggage

Cheers

Hey everyone, me and a group of 4 booked this trip awhile back, but now looking at the forecast, it seems pretty bad up there. Anyone who has experienced hiking in bad weather, would you recommend rescheduling? Or is it still safe to do the hike.

Thanks!

I'm looking for some camp pants, ideally for some added warmth to my sleep system and around camp.

Currently use merino long john's but the next to skin fit isn't that comfortable. I really like the idea of alpha pants, but if my nitro top is anything to go by the snagging is a durability issue, especially if it's for something ill sit on things like tree roots or wooden platforms.

Any ultralight options that fit the bill? A pants version of macpacs nitro hybrid line would be absolutely perfect, but looks like it's tops only right now.

TIA