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As far as i can work out my day pack will have one days food ration pack, two litre water bladder, two by one litre water bottles. camera and not much else. From experience what size day pack is recommended and is there any specific brands i should be steering clear of.
My kids bought me the black wolf Python daypack.. but it was way to small…(I'm trekking in June). So I sold it on ebay and got a women's specific Camelback , 26 litres I think. It's extremely comfortable and has plenty of room. From advice on this website, which – by the way, is invaluable to trek preparation, you'll also need to carry (so you don't have to get into yu main pack during the day) your first aid kit, loo paper, poncho or light rain jacket, plate, bowl, mug, cutlery etc , sunscreen, mozzie-off, antibackterial handwash that doesn't need water, water purifiation tablets, garorate powder and your snacks for the day. So I'd err on the side of caution, and not make the same mistake I did with one that wasn't suitable. Cheers
Hi Craig
Firstly I must say that I did trek with KTL and cannot say how other companies work the reason I say this that I had every opportunity during lunch or other stops to have access to the pack my porter was carrying for me. I did not though other than the odd once or twice have any need to do so. Even along the track had I really needed to get into the porters pack I am sure that he would have been only too happy for me to do so.
We received our food for at the end of each day for the next day at this time we sorted through it for Breakfast, breaks, Lunch and the Evening meal. The EVENING meal was always carried in our Porters pack whilst we carried anything for breaks and lunch in our Day Pack. We found as the trek went along that sometimes, KTL fed us very well, we had a surplus and rather than carry it we placed in a pile each night that our guide shared around all our porters.
I used a 2 litre Camelbak day pack within it I carried
Two Litres of water in the bladder and up to Two Litres of water in bottles (4kgs).
Toilet paper
Bowl, Mug & Sporke (Available in camping shops plastic knife, fork and spoon all in one very light)
Pocket knife very sharp 100mm blade perhaps not necessary but something that I have always carried when walking for years now often saving the day including an emergency or two.
Camera, 3 fully charged lithium iron spare batteries and spare 4gb memory card.
Small first aid kit including crepe stretch bandage etc my main kit was in the porters pack
My daily medication with the remainder in the porters pack.
Rain Jacket
Food excluding the evening meal that was in my porters pack
Note book and pen
Sports Tape not only for possible injuries but also if need be to bind things up with.
Bushman's Repellent(used) and Stingoes (never used)
Gatorade rather than put this in my water I made drinks with it at least twice a day.
Purification Tablets used each time I filled my water bottles up, the bottles in turn were used to top up the bladder.
Spare Boot laces
Crocs, cheap $12 plastic ones for the two river crossings & around camp
Spare dry socks, never actually used, wore the same often wet ones on all day
3m very light nylon cord again something that I have always carried with me.
Small very light weight hand towel approx 300mm x 300m often not used but it certainly was trekking Kokoda used for wiping my sweaty face and regularly rinsed when we crossed the many creeks, this was clipped outside on the near top of my day pack where I could wipe my face at ease.
Barley Sugars again something I always take.
Just as a matter of habit, never used on Kokoda, box of matches.
Head lamp have always carried a small torch when walking whilst I have never used it before one night on Kokoda I certainly did as due to an injury I had I found it necessary to walk for around 4 hours in the dark.
A whistle never used on the trek but something I have always carried when walking.
Few photos not many of my family not only for my own use but the boys like looking at them.
Gifts to hand out to the children in this regards I over did it will take less and lighter ones next time.Do not think I missed much out and some may appear an over kill but I did use just about everything that I carried that I did not use like the first aid kit may well have been used.
My day pack with a full complement of water 4litres(4kg) and the perhaps excessive children's gifts weighed in around 8kgs. When training I did so with between 10-11kgs depending where I was walking.
Craig I hope that this helps you and others in some way
Brian
Warning do not make the mistake that I did I carried about 100 kina in 5 kina notes (I stayed on in Kokoda after the trek and need a little more) in a supposedly waterproof note bag in my pocket this so called waterproof bag proved not to be as the first river I crossed the bag leaked and all my 5 kina notes got very wet and stayed that way for days getting mouldy in the end as I could not put them out to dry. Next time they will be in the top of my bag.
Hi craig, have a good look around and try on several packs. find a pack that feels good for you and that you can adjust so that it is comfortable. don't worry about brand names per se, just make sure that it feels right for you loaded. take it home and load up your gear. if it doesn't sit right take it back and get one that is right. you have to carry it. one guy on our trek had an ill fitting pack that led to, in combination with heavy sweating , to him ending up with an inflammed and blistered back which had to be cleaned and dressed betadine/ non stick dressings etc for four days. he could not carry his pack for those days.
go to the usual reputable suppliers mountain designs/bogong/paddy pallin/snowgum/ kathmandu and then try a disposals/ rays tent city place and you will find a very similar pack and pay about 60% less.
you can purchase waterproof inner bags with a rollover top and clip that prevents any of your items getting wet if your pack ends up in the drink. they come in small medium and large sizes. should use one for your main pack as well.
similarly to brian I carried spare batteries for my headtorch and camera, spare sd cards for my camera. Also as a paramedic ( not employed by the tour company) I carried some additional equipment and supplies in case anything turned sour in such a remote area. My allup weight was about 9 kilos.
I also carried a steri-pen to purify my water. they are expensive and utilise ultra violet light that acts to nuetralise the dna of the bugs in the water. google steri pen and have a read. tablets are good but this is better.
hope it all helps
peteHi Craig and Pete
Would love a Steri-Pen myself but at $250 plus a solar charger IF required, I can buy hundreds of puratabs and have cash to spare. When or if the price ever comes down a Steri-Pen will certainly be the way to go in the mean time though I will stick to puratabs.
Craig I purchased my main pack at Anaconda when they a had a sale on cannot remember what I actually paid for it but I do recall it was 30% off at that time. Very happy with the Black Wolf Bugaboo 60-10 that I ended up with.
Also purchased my Mantis 11 tent from the same place again with the 30% off rolls down to 150mm diameter 400mm long weighs just over 2kgs inclusive of poles and pegs etc.
After searching on the net I purchased a "Pacific Outdoor" Ether ECO-THERMO6 regular blow up mattress again really happy indeed but if you should get one of these only blow it up about 50% possibly less for the best sleep. This rolls up into a bag about 100mm in diameter and 250mm long and light weight, comes with a patch kit if ever needed. Cannot remember which site on the net I got it from.
My sleeping bag I paid a little extra for getting a good one that will see my days out it is a Denali capsule 300 comfort 0c 90/10 duck down filled and rolls down to 150mm diameter and 300mm long weighs 1.1kg.
My 2Litre Camelbak Day pack I was lucky with as I happened to walk into a store when they were having a "clearance sale" and I got genuine 50% off. Purchased a couple of Camelbak extras off the net quite cheap.
Again hope this helps
Brianhi Brian, yes the steri pen is a tad expensive but tablets at $30 a packet are also expensive . I like the steri pen because it immediately disables the giardia and cryptosporidium bugs and stops them from replicating in your gut. If a few of you are travelling together then one pen can be shared. yes it is heavy on batteries but again Itook spares on the track and it was no problem. also there is no after taste in the water compared to the pills. Its all about what suits and how much the pen will be used on other hikes and camps when you get back. again personal choice.
Regards
PeteI agree with Pete, It is all about what level of "insurance" you personally feel is adequate and what future use you will have if you choose to consider the expensive option. The bugs Pete mentions can be permanently life changing if one is unfortunate to pick them up. I personally relied upon Kataden Micropur tablets which I found far superior to any I have tried before. Absolutely no odd taste is left in your drinking water with these.
Just on sleeping bags, its not a bad idea to consider a $15 "cheapie" from Annaconda and save your good sleeping bag. The "cheapie" will be more than adequate for the Track and could be passed onto you porter.
Cheers, Geoff Hardie.
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