Bikepacking

W

WildWassa

Banned
Getting the food ready for an 8 week ride. This is about 2/3rds of the food, that I'll take. Riding a food dehydrator and a vacuum bagger for the past week and a half, has been as exciting as it sounds ... but it's well worth the time to eat well. The menu for the next ride is Southern Indian ... the GUs, Exs and Gatorade are titular Subcontinent fair.




I'm riding on the BNT to Omeo from Caloola in the Naas River Valley. At 15 Mile Ridge/Round Mountain, I'll head to Jagungal and onto Grey Mare Bogong and then rejoin the BNT somewhere on the lower Geehi/Toolong Range. I'm going to ride the proposed (new) BNT route from Dr Forbes Hut to Dogmans Hut and then go on to Omeo. I'll ride home through the southern Byadbo Wilderness north of the Errinundra Plateau, then link the TSRs from Tombong, Thoko River, Snowball, Kydra and Kybeyan back to home. This should take me about 2 months.

Omeo is out there somewhere apparently, south of the Indi Wilderness. The photo is from a 2009 journey into Indi. National Parks calls the Indi Wilderness the Pilot Wilderness. Indi is the historic name.




The mobile kitchen, is well tuned and ready to go.




Warren.
 
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W

WildWassa

Banned
It is good spectacular country, in the Indi, Byadbo and on the Errinundra.

Byadbo Wilderness. Mount Tingaringy is in the centre of the horizon and the Errinundra Plateau is on the left horizon.




Indi Wilderness. If you like pushing a bike up hill? ... the Indi has your name on it ... no worries.







Ridges above the Geehi.




Forest hues reflected in the Geehi River.




By the time I reach Errinundra the tent will no doubt have seen snow. I 'm packing a 3 person tunnel tent. Ultru-light-weight tents aren't wise in the high country at this time of year. By mid April I'll cop snow for sure. I have in the past ... I've seen snow even in January some years. If I get a prolonged spell of bad weather (I've been into the Snowies many times) and can't make a hut, I'll be greatful for the bigger tent. It snowed in Kosci' only last week.

The Errinundra Plateau is something else.







This coming trip, I'm wanting to get shots of High Country brumbies. I've not (ever) photographed a brumbie. I'll divert to the Tin Mines and the Cascades, south of Dead Horse Gap to try to find brumbies, if I haven't run into any by the time I reach Tom Groggin. I know there are brumbies on Tantangara Plain, so I'll spend a few days looking there and on Blanket Plain, Wild Horse Plain and at Six Mile Diggings. I can't imagine anything more amazing than photographing brumbies coming out of the mists with their steaming snorting nostrils.

An Australian Alpine Dingo.




C'ya in a couple of months. With wild brumbie shots ... hopefully.

Warren.
 
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Elbo

Elbo

pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
WildWassa said:
I'm riding on the BNT to Omeo from Caloola. At 15 Mile Ridge/Round Mountain, I'll head to Jagungal and onto Grey Mare Bogong and then rejoin the BNT somewhere on the lower Geehi/Toolong Range. I'm going to ride the proposed (new) BNT route from Dr Forbes Hut to Dogmans Hut and then go on to Omeo. I'll ride home through the southern Byadbo Wilderness north of the Errinundra Plateau, then link the TSRs from Tombong, Thoko River, Snowball, Kydra and Kybeyan back to home. This should take me about 2 months.

Omeo is out there somewhere apparently, south of the Indi Wilderness. The photo is from a 2009 journey into Indi. National Parks calls the Indi Wilderness the Pilot Wilderness.
Click to expand...
This is fricking awesome Wassa! Make sure you keep a diary/journal so you can remember and report back in full detail. Enjoy it out there!
 
W

WildWassa

Banned
Thank you Elbo.

I'll put an account on 'crazyguyonabike' when I get back in the Off-road section and in the Oceania section.

Warren.
 
DaGonz

DaGonz

Eats Squid
WildWassa said:
Getting the food ready for an 8 week ride. This is about 2/3rds of the food, that I'll take.
Click to expand...
Ya know... there are resupply points along your route!? :) are you doing food drops, or are you really carrying 8 weeks of food from the get go?

Cheers
Spoonie
 
W

WildWassa

Banned
DaGonz said:
Ya know... there are resupply points along your route!?
Click to expand...
Spoonie, G'day. I'm right up on it. I'm aware of the possibilities of limited resupplying but I choose not to need resupplying except for booze. I even know the names of the shops and the supermarkets that have camping sections and the rural supplies stores with camping sections in Khancoban and at Omeo. Being totally self-reliant gives me fantastic flexibility. One thing that I've learnt from the BNT over the past 20 years is set no schedules or distance targets for a day and look around a lot. If I don't make it to Omeo it will not matter. Next time will do.

Khancoban is the only town that I'll go through before Omeo. Twice a day there is a bus from Khancoban into Corryong. Corryong is a loss too apart from food. Neither towns have what I need, high-performance 'ISO-butane/propane' fuel for a Kovea stove.

Here are three things that make my journeys, safer and more relaxed.

A MSR Sweetwater ceramic water filter. Not for the pristine streams in the mountains, but for on the TSRs and any turbid farm dams that I pass.




... and a traditional UCO candle lantern with a 12 hour candle. I have a stack of 12hr candles. One candle will last me 3 nights. This lantern isn't for illumination but for keeping the humidity down in the tent. There is nothing better than packing up a dry tent in the Alps in the morning and not having condensation pool on the floor of the tent, wetting a down bag. In the photo, the spring that pushes the candle to the top of the lantern, is only around the candle so that it stands out in the photo. The candle is hung off a carabiner from a tab in the tent.




The tent is a Macpac 3.2kg expedition style. I take a light weight fly as well, for cooking under.




It was only 3ºC last night at Omeo. My sleeping bag is rated to -10ºC and I've a silk inner. I'll need every bit of that rating, in the mountains.

Warren.

PS, I still have to send to the LHPA and the BNT Association an application for TSR permits ... and bring my NSW Inland Waters fishing licence to current for when I'm away. I like trout and yabbies. The bag limit for yabbies is 200 per day ... 200? Bear Grills eats live yabbie. 'Man Vs Wild' and 'Into the Wild' scenarios are not for softies like me.
 
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DaGonz

DaGonz

Eats Squid
in comparison:



Goes to show the differences in approach to this game 'eh ;) I like light and fast. I'm not sure carting all my gear for the next 8 weeks would really float my boat ;)

Cheers
Spoonie
 
ebuk

ebuk

Likes Dirt
That UCO candle looks the business. Never seen those before but I like the idea. I agree, a dry packed tent is much more pleasant.

I like your method of carry extra and don't stress about getting anywhere and enjoy the scenery. Your trip sounds fantastic.
 
W

WildWassa

Banned
DaGonz said:
in comparison: Goes to show the differences in approach to this game 'eh ;)
Click to expand...
Spoonie, Absolutely.

Not too many people can cope with what's needed to do the high country. You can't fitness train, in a month or two to cope with the high country ... it is a place for the mentally disturbed. In the DSM IV there would be a definition of the exact psychiatric condition. With a set of criteria describing the condition, that has to be fulfilled before a diagnosis is made called Remote Area Madness ... RAMriding for short.

I also like ultra light at times ... but I'm not capable of riding fast.

A 4 day trip across the Northern Budawang Ranges ... http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=7644&v=BD ... taking just the basics.

Ebuk, Cheers Mate. There is no longer an Australian distributor for the UCO Candle Lantern. The best deal on the web that will post to Australia I find, is from 'The Bushcraft Store' ... http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk ... from Enfield in Middlesex in the UK. They are most reliable.

More images from the High Country.








Jagungal to the Main Range.




Warren.
 
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S

SSDave

Likes Dirt
Hope you have a great trip Warren, keep safe and be sure to tell all the stories when you get back safely.
 
{ScarFace}

{ScarFace}

Likes Dirt
Has anyone carried a set of Mainstay Emergency water supplies on a multi day trip? Or a set of their emergency rations? It might be a bit of overkill but i'm a bit paranoid about finding a reliable water source in the middle of nowhere.
 
DaGonz

DaGonz

Eats Squid
{ScarFace} said:
Has anyone carried a set of Mainstay Emergency water supplies on a multi day trip? Or a set of their emergency rations? It might be a bit of overkill but i'm a bit paranoid about finding a reliable water source in the middle of nowhere.
Click to expand...
Last trip I did where I thought water was going to be a bit sketchy I planned every possible point I could get something that resembled water. I think talked to rangers, locals, friends etc... It proved overkill and a combination of the weather and a few unexpected sources meant I was always reasonably flush. Take a hankie/small towell, a biddon and some purifier tablets will get you out of most situations. Soaking water up in the small towell off that dripping overhang or spring etc.... using the towell to filter out water then adding a purifier tablet (I've used katyden), you might be surprised how often you can get water. But the key is planning, knowing how far between your reliable sources, and then of those which are going to be potable without much effort.

This might especially seem like overkill, but I also know what my hydration rates at various temperatures are (as a result of my 24hr/enduro racing) which I think helps not only with the longer term planning between stops but the on the fly planning. What that means in the long term is it becomes a simple hydration rate vs temperature vs distance/time/terrain problem. If you need to carry 8L then so be it but if you've planned properly, and know what you'll need then you can get away with a lot less.

I also basically left a water source with a full stomach and a full compliment of bottles etc... and "graded" my water pending on where it came from and what treatment I did to it. Having multiple containers helps for this (rather than just one or two big bladders)

On the food front, I always carry 1000 emergency Cals (about two Big Macs) in various forms with the expectation of not using it. that'll last you half a day moving maybe if you're careful or much longer if you're stuck somewhere.

Some experience on hydration rates, speed through various terrains and some planning and the rest is simple maths.

*shrug*

Cheers
Spoonie
 
S

steve24

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I have a great filter straw, not sure where i got it or who makes them. It is about 12mm dia and 200mm long, stick it in the water and suck.....

When i have used mine (in the Euro Alps) i suck up water and spit back into bottle rather than contaminate my bottles.

I always carry a few purifying tablets as well, they are so small it's a no brainer....

i have used the bigger Katadyn filters as well when M/C touring O/S but i think it a bit over the top for bike trips (that i do).
 
B

bnoob

Squid
Australian bikepacking bags

Hi guys - wondering if you can help me...

Somewhere on my perusals of the internet, I found a forum post (which may have been on Rotorburn or elsewhere) with a link to an Australian company (at least it was to a .com.au website) that had a very similar range of bags to Revelate Designs. But now I am b*ggered if I can find it.

Anyone have any idea what company this might be?
 
S

Sean Crowley

Cannon Fodder
The NSW State Forests maps

The NSW State Forests maps are very good for planning because they give you the big picture of what remains as our public lands in NSW. They show the existing Crown Land separate to National Parks. Maps are $8- $11.00 each. Long distance travellers still have the right to roadside camp on Crown Land, Australia wide, not just in those road-side rest areas. NSW Forestry Maps cover 16 forestry regions.

NSW State Forest maps from the Qld Border to the Barrington Tops and Alice the cat.




Hi W,

I was trying to find the maps you are referring to here.

Are they these maps?

http://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/resources/maps

??

Thanks
S
 
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