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Interesting loop in the Kaimais

By Default admin account on 06-Jun-10 18:10. Comments ([!Jot? &docid=`272` &action=`count-comments`!])

I've just done a cool 2 day loop in the Kaimais taking in three sections I've track I hadn't been one before. Highlights are Te Aroha summit (in good weather), Waitawheta Hut, Ananui falls, bluff creek Kauri and Tui Saddle.

Day 1: Te Aroha to Waitengaue/Ananui Junction

This took about 6 hours going up over Te Aroha and down the Waipapa track to Waitawheta then to the Ananui falls junction on the Waitengaue track. I was using my new tramplight pack and cloudburst 2 tarptent. This saved 2.7 kg of weight compared to my normal gear. The light weight gear was definitely noticed with a general feeling of freedom and ease despite not being especially fit at the moment.

I found a spot with barely enough space for my tent just downstream from the junctionThe weather packed it in overnight so I got to see how my tarptent was in the rain. As you would hope it was nice and waterproof but there was a build up of condensation on the inside, this didn't seem to cause any problems though. 

Day 2: Waitengaue/Ananui Junction to Te Aroha via Daly's clearing 

This was a longer day of 7.5 hours heading up past the 168m Ananui falls, down to bluff creek past Daly's clearing onto the Mangakino pack track and up to Tui Saddle the descending and heading along back to the Te Aroha domain. Before heading off I had to make a call on what the Waitawheta crossing would be like, I decided it would likely be high but not too bad as I've seen it handle quite a lot of rain at other times without becoming uncrossable. This decision turned out to be correct but not by much, the Waitawheta was quite swollen and nearing the point where I wouldn't have crossed it. 

The Mangakino pack track sidles along a ridge most of the way and often has a steep drop off to the side. The footing is generally good but some extra care is required in places. The head of McCormick creek was very cool with lots of mist and several small waterfalls coming of the drenched hill sides.

So a great 2-4 day loop. I was travelling reasonably fast most of the way, the doc times work out to about 18 hours in total. Great to go on some interesting new tracks so close to home.

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Tramplight Bushcrasher Pack

By Default admin account on 11-May-10 01:57. Comments ([!Jot? &docid=`268` &action=`count-comments`!])

I recently purchased a tramplight Bush Crasher pack. This is a lightweight pack designed and made in New Zealand with a very minimalist approach. I tried the pack out last weekend on the Waitawheta valley track.

General Features 

They quote a weight of 710g, mine probably weighs a little more than this as I had it made a little longer to match my height.

Removable sleeping mat used for back rest 

One really cool feature in this pack is the use of a foam sleeping mat as a back rest. This means you won't need to carry a sleeping mat anymore unless you want the added comfort of a self inflating mattress. So you might be able to subtract another 300g or so from the weight of this pack if you're comparing it to one without this feature. I will probably still use my therm-a-rest when I'm planning to camp rather than stay in a hut, but for unplanned camping the one built into the pack would do the job fine.

This pack is about 2.1kg lighter than my excessively large 90L fairydown. The bush crasher has a capacity of around 65L (just a rough estimate) so it's not really a direct comparison. What I can say though is that the reduced weight is very noticeable. Just think of the difference it makes carrying a two man tent.

Load Stability 

I found there was a tendency for the backrest of the pack to round out as I packed which made it a bit unstable on my back. This problem can be largely avoided by taking care in the loading of the pack.

Apart from the issue with rounding of the backrest the pack was fairly stable while walking. At one stage I tried a bit of running and the pack bounced around all over the place. So if you're someone that likes to a bit of running with your pack on this might not be the pack for you. The stability of the pack seemed fine while crossing rivers and walking over boulders so it seems that it handles lateral movement ok, it's just the up and down jolting of running that really upsets it.

All in all it's a good buy at $205 NZ for such a light pack.

 

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Water Proof Pants - A Cycle Commuters Best Friend

By Default admin account on 08-Aug-08 16:42. Comments ([!Jot? &docid=`248` &action=`count-comments`!])

Water proof jackets are very popular for cycle commuters here in Hamilton, but not many people seem to bother with water proof pants. It seems to be quite common to take a set of dry clothes to change into, but I find this to be a bit of a hassle.

About six weeks ago I finally got water proof pants and they are brilliant, now I'm not constantly wondering "will it rain on the way to work". I still don't stay completely dry on longer trips or if the rain is really pouring down, but they pants definitely provide a lot more freedom. I always used end up taking the car in winter because I wasn't sure about the weather but now I'm able to cycle comfotably in most conditions we have here.

So if you find the weather forcing you to use your car more often than you would like, I thoroughly recommend getting some water proof pants. 

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6km Run Today

By Default admin account on 07-Aug-08 01:44. Comments ([!Jot? &docid=`247` &action=`count-comments`!])

Went for a run this evening, just a 6km loop from my house. I run just to keep myself generally fit and I find it's one of the best ways to keep myself in good shape for tramping.

I'm also planning on doing the 10km event when the Hamilton Half Marathon is on.  It is being held on the 5th of October this year (2008). Hopefully I will be able to get close to 50 minutes for the run, although there is still a bit of work to do before that will be happening.

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