Gill Goes.... Trekking the Bibbulmun Track... Gear

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So, what did I take?

The following list (I have a fantastic spreadsheet but I can't work out how to cut/paste into this blog- nothing I try will work with the formatting, so..... I have very laboriously retyped everything). My original spreadsheet has all of the weights/totals/subtotals and links to the products. Below is just a list of items. The spreadsheet was a work of art- lots of colour coding.... There's a couple of snaps of the list with weights - suboptimal pics I know!

What worked?

I have star rated and made a few comments. I had a lot of confidence in what I had packed and on the whole was really pleased. I actually had a light fleece zip jacket added into my gear at Pemberton I think but sneakily I managed to offload it to Meg in Walpole as she needed another layer, as in "no Meg, you have my jacket, you need it more than me!", got to save about 250 precious grams in my pack!

What didn't work?

Not too much, apart from the Moroccan Beef (plus see comments below).

What were the best luxury items?

Undoubtedly my thermos and my umbrella (even with the issues as described below), but mostly my thermos. The thermos gave me a cup of tea or coffee through the day without having to boil water on the track, it saved me a couple of days at lunchtime with instant soup when I was really cold and hungry, and I generally saved a cup of hot water to get into the hut so that I could have a wash with it as soon as i got in- the restorative power of hot water can't be underestimated! I offset the thermos weight by not taking my proper water bottle and using a gatorade one. On to the umbrella- obviously it was great for rain, and it meant I didn't have to keep putting my jacket on and off, but it was also great for keeping the sun off. I've since seen the reflective ones that you can fix to your pack but I haven't tried them yet.



Items Taken

Pack

Pack- Osprey Ariel 65L Womens XS ******excellent, I could have gotten away with a 50 or 55L but the 65L has been good for o/s trips that I have trekked as well as needed to pack normal clothes. Paddy Pallin staff fit it for me and I only needed to readjust it once on Day 2. Love it.

Packliner- Macpac Ultralight M ****** initially thought it was too big until the really wet nights and water crossing when entire pack and shoes fit inside it. Some people use garbage bags as liners.

Pack cover- Osprey L *** leaked, had to buy it as an extra as Osprey don't have it built in to their packs, it got several small tears and punctures that I patched with Tenacious Tape.



Shelter

Tent- fly, inner, poles- MSR Hubba HP tent ****** love this tent! Fits me and my pack easily (I'm short though). I like the side opening and high dome.

Drybag- Ultralight MD 6L ***** used it to put inside the tent bag - great to contain the water when the tent was wet

Groundsheet- MSR Hubba HP Footprint ***** essential but expensive



Sleep Stuff

Sleeping Bag + silk liner- S2S Trek3 regular ****** well used since 2002 and kept me warm, didn't use the silk liner until the southern half

Pillow- S2S Aesos ultralight regular *** punctured within first week, patched with tenacious tape. Replaced at Dwellingup, 2nd one still going strong (2019).

Mattress- Thermarest Neo Air Xlite ***** Love it, as a side sleeper my hips didn't touch the ground.



Carrying in Pack, On Pack or On Person

Trekking Poles- Black Diamond Distance FLZ 105-125cm ***** essential, packable. Bent when I had a rock fall. Replaced by Black Diamond after the trek as the plastic inside the joints perished

Gaiters- Kathmandu Long NGX *** I'm a shorts and gaiters hiker- they were good but sawed through my salomon boot laces and the plastic stirrup broke on both about half way, I now use S2S Quagmires- way better.

Map/book- Bibb Track Map and relevant guide book *****it was handy having both

Water bottle- empty 1L gatorade bottle ***** really light

Thermos- Oasis brand 750ml************************************* > than 5* see above

travel tissues- generic

hand gel- generic- essential

Compass/whistle -Kathmandu- didn't use

Umbrella- Kathmandu mini *** it was good but disintegrated by the time I reached Balingup, bought a $5 one at the gen store that lasted until Albany

dry bag- Kathmandu stuff sack 4L*****



Cooking System

Fuel Canister- Fuel Canister 230g

Stove- Furno Stove *****

pot + lid- 365 degree Pots 850/350ml *****

Cup- Light my Fire Cup 260ml ******super compact and light

Spork- Light my Fire *** 1 tine broke just before completion but conceptually good

Plastic container + lid ***** generic screw top light weight one that cost about $2.50 for 3, I used it for b/f and dinner everyday to eat my rehydrated food out of, it's still in use!!!

mini lighter ***** better than matches

couple of fire lighters- don't mock me- used them when wood was wet to get a fire going!

washing liquid/scourer- S2S Wilderness wash *didn't use them- discarded early. As I only boil water in the pot they were superfluous

chux *****

micropur tabs ***** I don't mind the chlorine taste, used them up to Balingup then tended to just drink the water untreated. Added in a piece of stocking to filter the mosquito larvae. Didn't get sick at all.

pocketknife *****

dry bag for food- Kathmandu 8L dry bag*****although had to patch it due to the mice attack at Blackwood Hut



Clothing

Trek Shoes- Salomon ultra gtx titanium/ blue***** my preferred brand for a number of years

Hat- Knock off Northface cap*****although I didn't wear it that much it's useful

Sunglasses*****

Zip off pants- Kathmandu*****

LS merino T- icebreaker siren sweetheart*****

SS merino/coolmax collared T- mountain design **the concept was good but it pilled and shrunk- Mountain Designs replaced it when I finished

ultralight mesh stuff sack- Ultralight MD 12L******

Fleece- Kathmandu Altica*****

Down jacket- Eddie Bauer Ascent*****didn't get it until Collie I think as I thought it wasn't necessary

rainpants- Kathmandu **useless, too sweaty, lasted an hour

Gortex jacket- Kathmandu**** mostly good but breached in solid downpours

Sleeping Leggings- Bonds*****

Sleeping SS merino T- mountain design*****

Sleeping LS merino T- icebreaker siren sweetheart*****

beanie***** although I just used it to keep my food warm!

sportsbra- Berlei*****

socks- Macpac, Teva, KTM (sleeping)*****

undies- Exofficio **** conceptually great and quick dry, comfortable

gloves*****

Crocs- knock offs*****

Communications

dry bag- Ultralight MD 3L*****

iphone,charger battery pack/cable

headtorch, 3 batteries- Kathmandu*****although I'm going to get a new one with a red light

Rescue beacon

Batteries AAA (spares)



Assorted Toiletries, First Aid Kit, etc

Repair Kit- tenacious tape

Carabiners- S2S

Toiletries bag- lightweight Kathmandu

Toothbrush/paste

Daily disposable contact lenses

Lip balm

Sunscreen

Glasses

Dry bag (for washing self)- Kathmandu dry bag 1L

KTM tek washer*****

KTM XS travel towel*****

teatree oil***** I put a couple of drops into the water in my dry bag that I used to wash myself

Ziplock bags

Pen

Book (all sub 250g)

Bandage 100mm

Roll elastoplast- acquired at Balingup to tape my achilles ** they actually sell Bibb Track ROC tape now- I think I need some! https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/shop/bibbulmun-track-branded-rocktape

Strip fixomull

Opsite

Alcowipes

Betadine sachets

Non stick gauze

Chloromycetin Eyedrops

Meds- Panadol, Immodium, Phenergan, Ondansetron (anti-nausea), Anti-inflammatory

Emergency blanket- Kathmandu Emergency Blanket V2- believe it or not I actually used it- initially to put under my tent as my groundsheet hadn't arrived, later to put all my stuff on while packing at the temp camp sites and lastly to wrap around me on a particularly cold, wet night (or 2)

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