Day 11 - Coffs Harbor

Day 11

 Coffs has treated me well. I have made new friends, and saw my first wild Kangaroos!

 It has become apparent that I will be hitch-hiking much of the way up the East Coast, working my way through the national parks as much as possible, as it is much easier to find suitable area for pitching a tent rather than along the main highway.

 In 11 days I have seen large cities, small towns, open fields of cattle, subtropical rainforests and muddy mangrove swaps. I have yet to cross paths with any snakes, not that I am complaining. Though I have seen several different types of spiders and as mentioned Kangaroos.
 I find it quite funny really, in Canada we hear about kangaroos down in Oz and think of wide open ranges, and groups of kangaroos running through the wild outback. When in all reality, they are found in very populated areas. Here in Coffs Harbor for example, we spotted  well over a dozen in a small developed community on the north end of town grazing on front lawns and beside houses. Kangaroos here and to elk in Banff.
 Never-the-less it was exciting to see them. As well it is the migratory season for Humpback Whales here. I managed to spot one surface quite far off shore from Mutton bird Island the other evening. It is also a regular occurrence here to see manta rays and giant sea turtles just off shore.

 I am learning a lot about the country, and have much much more to learn still. As assumed, the East Coast leg of my journey is far more civilized then what is to come when I head West through Central Queensland. It is becoming slightly more apparent to me why so many backpackers travel Australia by renting a van, or for those sticking to the East coast, as many do, taking a bus.

 I am excited to see what awaits me. Today I leave for Grafton, only about 85Km north of my current location. From there I will head for Byron Bay - where I expect to be by Saturday.

 And the adventure continues...

Goodbye Sydney

Day 5 begins.

 Sydney has treated me well, as have the people in it. It was a short stay for this leg, but I will return after the outback.

 I made great new friends, Ariel and Mandy, as mentioned. I owe them a lot of thanks for helping me get my footing after landing in this crazy new world. Sydney is an interesting place. Many things are very different here than in Canada - internet access being a big one. Not many people are on home based internet connections it seems, but rather pre-paid wireless internet sticks.

 I had a great backstage tour of the Sydney Opera house yesterday thanks to an old friend I graduated from The Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology with, Matt Giusti. It was an awesome experience. In my opinion, a much better way to see the landmark than a paid guided tour. Vivd Fest is on this week here, so the place was hustling and bustle with stage crews getting prepped.

 Now I make my way to Newcastle via train. My last trip by public transit out of Sydney. Its a 158Km trip, which will give me a solid start on the some 3000Km trek up the coastline. After only a night in Newcastle I will begin my trek towards Coffs Harbor, where I will hopefully spend a few days to watch the Humpback Whale migration taking place right now.

  I have nearly all my supplies now, all that's left if cooking fuel and fishing line which I will get in Newcastle of Coffs. I found both books I was searching for and an excellent map for my route. The books are bush survival type guides on edible plants and animals in Australia. They are (and I highly recommend them to anyone thinking of doing a similar trip to mine);  the Bush Tucker Field Guide, by Les Hiddins, and Edible Wild Food Plants of Australia, by Tim Low.

These books are now my survival guides, my cookbooks, the centre of my survival. Along with these two books I have a third, Dangerous Creatures. This book outlines all the most deadly animals in australia, how to identify them, and how to treat their wounds.

 So here I go, with my feet on the ground, to face the lonely continent, across the wilderness, of Australia.

Welcome to Oz

            Here I am, Sydney, Australia – The other side of the world. 

            We landed about 8:30am yesterday morning. It was a much quicker process through customs than I had imagined – No complaints here.

            It’s a different feel down here, the people have a different vibe. Everyone, not just the Aussies, are very friendly and generous. Not even half an hour off the plane I encountered this when a very nice German girl approached to and asked if I was taking the train into town. I told her the truth, “I don’t have any idea where I am going.” She smiled and handed me a small, yellow card holder, inside were two transit tickets, valid for the next three days. I had money, I had transportation, I had a plan.

            After orienting myself and checking map routes I made my way into the city. It didn’t take long to get used to get a handle on train procedures – although having two identical cards that do completely different tasks is still a little confusing. 

            Later in the afternoon I met up with my new friends Ariel and Mandy, whom I had met through Couchsurfing.org. They were eager to show me around and things started off great. We explored the area surrounding them a bit, had a Thai dinner, an began making plans for the rest of the evening. Plans wouldn’t take us too far though. A night out on the town quickly turned into a much-needed very, very long nap.

            I’ll be leaving Sydney in other two or three days. The trip up the coast will be a gong show. Thanks to Sydney’s train system I should be able to make good time along the way. I expect to reach Cairns by roughly August 1st.

  For now though, its off to pick up the last of my supplies, gather some information on the lay of the land, and get exploring!

Final Countdown and NEW Sponsors!

3 Days till Australia!

 As I sit here sorting my gear one last time, dozens of thoughts fly through my mind - I can't rush it - I can't forget ANYTHING.
 I'm dropping gear, lightening my load - again.

 Another sponsorship has come through with some great new gear. Mad Outfitters, located in Barry's Bay, Ontario has set me up with a great OR Fleece and Columbia Quick-Dry Pants. As well, Ranger Tactical, who was the first to jump on board with the Adventure, has set me up with two fantastic knives on top of the gear they had already provided. The Remington Excursion - a great tough, all purpose utility knife, and the Tailwind Assisted Opener from United Cutlery - easy opening, one-handed action makes this a key tool to have on hand.

 The final chapter in preparation began about a week ago, when I arrived in Ontario. In a mad scramble I still was moving out of my house in Calgary the MORNING of my flight to Ontario. But we managed, fitting it all into a single 5'x5'x8' storage locker. And off to Ottawa.
 The remainder of my gear met me here over the last week - A sleeping mat from Exped and a set of base layers courtesy of Icebreaker Canada. 

 Its a relief to be able to sit back look at my kit and know I have more gear than I need sitting in front of me. So back to it - cut, cut, cut!

15 Days: Gear Selection - How to Choose a Pack

  3 Days till Ottawa.
15 Days till Sydney.

 With only two weeks left in Calgary I can really feel the pressure. Still so much to do. Luckily I have accumulated near all of my gear now, with only a few small items left. The big one this past week was my pack finally arriving. I decided upon the Atmos 50 by Osprey as my travel pack, with a Fluid 26 from Mountain Hardware as my day pack for around town, and shorter over night trips and adventures where I can (or need to) leave the 50L behind.

 Choosing the right pack is probably one of the top two most important decisions you can make when gearing up for a trip - with your choice of footwear coming first. Many different facts play into choosing your pack; trip length, climate, trip style (resort skiing v.s. long-haul backpacking), what gear you take with you, and your body shape/size.

 Because of the nature of my endeavor, I took many factors into consideration when choosing my pack -
These were; Weight - I need the minimal weight possible for a long period of time, Comfort - I need a well ventilated, comfortable pack to handle the warm, humid climate over a long period of time, Versatile - a pack that can change as quickly as I will, while taking the weight factor into consideration. Last, I wanted Simplicity - a slick, simple bag, where less is more.

 I do get many looks of bewilderment and confusion when I tell many people that I am wandering into the Australian Outback for a year with only a 50L main pack. Though, after the first few test runs of my stuffed pack, I have found that if desperation called, I could get away with even lass space... Its pushing it, but it is possible. 50L is comfortable, and leaves me with space for collecting along the way.

 So lets take a look at each factor one-by-one and see how the Atmos 50L meets these needs.

 Weight: Weighting in at only 3Lbs 3oz, the Atmos offers a fast-and-light feel with more than enough storage space. Compared to many typical backpacking packs which can rage up to 8Lbs or more, the Atmos 50 weighs in 9oz LIGHTER than my tent.

 Comfort: The trampoline-style back panel on the Atmos series offers great airflow between your back and the pack itself, reducing heat and sweat. Also, the light weight, yet sturdy, fixed hip belt and shoulder harness offer optimal comfort over the long hauls while keeping bulk and weight to a minimum. Though not everyone's body's are built the same, and some packs simply won't fit everyone, the Atmos 50L fits like a glove. For me, it slips on and feels more natural than most packs of this nature.

 Versatile: A year in the Outback? Anything can happen, at any moment. The Atmos 50 offers several quick-adjust features, such as; a removable top pocket, InsideOut side-Compression straps, removable Sleeping bag straps and gear loops - simple features, but effective in the field.

 Simplicity: This is Ospreys "Superlight Backpacking/Active Adventure" pack. It was designed to help you move quickly without sacrificing comfort. A fixed hip belt and shoulder harness cut weight, but also eliminate maintenance points on the bag. As mentioned earlier, side compression straps help keep the pack snug and streamline, and stop your load from shifting as the trip progresses.

 So all-in-all, the Atmos 50 stacks up to be a great choice for the trip. Super light and simple, but still comfortable and versatile. Lets see how it does in the field!

29 Days - Gear selection: How to Choose a Tent

29 Days till Australia
17 Days till Ontario.

  With only three weeks left in Calgary the final crunch is on. I am still collecting the remaining pieces of my kit - several more pieces have arrived over the last few weeks. Most excitingly, my tent has arrived!

  After weeks of deliberation, "humming and hawing", I have decided, last minute, upon taking The North Face Meso 22   rather than the Marmot Eos 1P which I had originally planned to take.

  So why the last minute change?

  Well, lets break down my actual needs and requirements in a tent; I need it to be super light weight, as I am backpacking for a year with it. Highly compressible, as storage space between my two packs is limited. Good ventilation will be key on the hot nights, as well as during mid day when it will be too hot to trek. Also, this will be my home for the next year, I need a comfortable living space for me and my gear.

  Lets look at each of these needs individually and see how the two tents differ, and why I made the decision I did.

  Light Weight: There is no doubt these are two very light weight tents. Full no-see-um-net mesh canopy cuts tones of weight from both these tents.
           The North Face Meso 22: Trail Weight - 3lbs 12 oz
           Marmot Eos 1P: Trail Weight -  3lbs 3oz


  Highly Compressible/Compactable: By storing the tent poles/pegs on the outside of my pack, and placing the tent in a compression sack, the total packed size can shrink to as little as half the original packed size or less - Taking up way less space - about the size of a football.

  Ventilation: The full No-see-um-net mesh canopy offers constant air circulation through the tent, where as many of the solo backpacker tents I had looked at originally offered very low ventilation, and some none at all. Ventilation is key for the Outback for those warmer nights and the hot hot days where shade and shelter are a must during peak hours - where travel is done early and late in the day.

  Comfortable Living Space: While the Eos 1P is definitely the lighter of the two tents, its free standing design is not intended for extended use where real living space inside the tent in necessary day-to-day. However, the design of the Meso 22 is quite the opposite. The three pole design actually increases comfort and capacity of the living space inside the tent. This is the main reason for my last minute switch to this tent.

           The North Face Meso 22:  Floor area - 29 square ft.
                                                     Vestibule area - 13 square ft.

           Marmot Eos 1P: Floor area - 22.8 square ft
                                     Vestibule area - 6.5 square ft.


 Conclusion
 Though the Meso 22 weighs in a whole 9oz heavier than the Eos 1P, I believe it will be the better choice for the trip. Double the vestibule size offers lots more room to store gear outside, leaving me with ample room inside - in both floor space and height to sit up, stretch out, and relax.
 I can deal with the extra 9oz to carry knowing that my new home-away-from-home will be just that... My new Home.

1 Month, 22 days - Gear selection: How to Choose a Sleeping Bag

1 Month, 10 days till Ottawa.
1 Month, 22 days till Australia.

 It has been a slightly slower week - recovering from some form of food poisoning or flu. Although, I did receive my sleeping bag this past week from Marmot!

 Choosing the right gear for a trip can be a very tricky task. It can be crucial to have appropriate gear for your trip. For the new adventurer it can be an even more daunting task, however I find it quite exciting.

 For a longer, more adventurous trip, such as my own, there are slightly different requirements for gear selection as opposed to, say, 3 weeks of guided tours and resorts. Over the next few weeks I'll walk though each piece of gear I have selected and why I picked that piece. I will later follow up on these with performance reviews from in the field on how my choices have fared out.

 Today I would like to focus on my sleeping bag selection - Marmot's Hydrogen 30F.
 So why this bag? Lets go through what we know about the trip ahead and what it will require.
 Australia's climate ranges everywhere from hot, humid tropical forests, to dry deserts, to snow capped peaks in the rightfully named, Snow Mountains. I need a bag that will be versatile. Temperatures in the outback can be blistering in the summer sun, but during winter months can drop well below freezing. I need a bag that can keep me comfortable and warm. I am traveling a very long distance, for a long time, by foot. I need a small, ultra light load in my pack. 

 So how does the Marmot Hydrogen 30F meet these needs for me?

  Versatile:  -  This bag offers a 30F/-1C temperature rating as its "lower limit" - the lowest temperature where the standard man will have a comfortable nights sleep. It is unlikely that I will see temperatures in the range of -10C or lower, very unlikely, however the bag has an "extreme limit" of -17C. This represents the survival rating for the average woman in a survival situation. Considering the average man has a warmer core body temperature than the average woman, and knowing that I personally am a human furnace, this is a safe limit.
 Temperatures around -1C to -4C is almost a guarantee as I will be spending the winter in the outback - expecting cool, dry nights.

  Size/Weight:  - The Hydrogen is stuffed with an 850-fill goose down. Very light, highly packable. This, combined with a Nylon Ripstop DWR face fabric (weighing in at a whooping 1.2 oz/yd), gives me a super lightweight, ultra packable, yet durable bag. A total weight just under 1 pound, 8 oz. Stuff-able to the size of a small football.

 Comfort: Down is a highly breathable insulator. I will see cold nights in the outback, but I will also see warm (if not hot) humid nights along the coast. When no insulation is needed at night the Hydrogen will still make a great mattress, offering breathability and comfort you would not get from just an inflatable mattress.


 Overall the Hydrogen stands to be a good choice for the trip. However, my decision was not made without taking some factors into consideration.
 This bag is filled with down, and even though it is covered by a Ripstop DWR (Durable Water Repellent) outer fabric, there is still the possibility of the down getting wet. And we all know that down does not hold up well when wet, unlike many high-end synthetics. The down clumps together, loses its loft and heat retention capability, rendering it pretty much useless. In the wild there are no driers to restore your bag quickly.
 This was taken into consideration when I selected this bag, and is a risk I left comfortable taking. If you don't feel confident that you can keep you sleeping bag dry throughout your trip, a synthetic filled bag may be the better choice - or at very least a waterproof compression sack to store it in, such as I will be doing.

 So will my selection prove to be the right one? Only time will tell.