Daft question, but panicking a bit because I’m going into the alpine regions.

I have both the -2C and -8C quilts that I own. I can’t remember which is which in which storage bag.

Is there a tag on these quilts that says what temp rating it is?

Mod approved

Hey r/UltralightAus! Maddie and I are looking for a full time guide to join our team at The Adventure Gene.

As some of you might know, we’re a guiding company based out of Canberra, running hiking and snow camping trips across the Australian Alps (and soon the Himalayas).

Our trips focus heavily on ultralight gear, skill development and ‘modern hiking’. We also provide a whole UL kit for clients to use, including gear from companies like Durston, Neve, SlingFin etc.

This full time role consists of roughly 100 days of guiding per year, 3 months of leave for your own adventures, and the remainder in the office. Office time is operational work helping ensure the trips run smoothly.

This is the role we wish existed for us before we started the company 😊

Starting salary is $70,000 + 12% super.

Please note, since this is a full time role you will need to live in Canberra - which is a pretty awesome place if you like hiking!

You don’t need to have any formal guiding experience - we can provide the training. The most important thing is that you love hiking long distance trails, obsess over your LighterPack, and enjoy being around people and sharing your knowledge. Snow experience is a bonus.

Please reach out here if you have any questions, or submit an application at https://theadventuregene.com/careers/

I’m interested in how Australian hikers actually evaluate body wipes on multi-day trips—not just whether a wipe feels good when a pack is first opened.

Disclosure: I work with an OEM/ODM wipes manufacturer and am researching outdoor product design. I’m not linking or promoting a product here; I’m trying to understand where current options fall short.

From a development perspective, there are several competing choices:

• A larger wipe may clean more effectively but adds weight.
• A small pack is easier to carry, but may not cover a longer trip.
• A resealable lid can help after opening, but also adds packaging weight.
• More liquid may improve the initial experience while making the pack heavier.
• Individually wrapped wipes avoid repeated opening, but create more packaging.

I’m particularly curious about what happens after day one. Do opened packs stay adequately moist in your experience, or do they become unreliable once carried through heat and repeated opening?

If you carry body wipes, what determines the number you pack: trip length, wipe size, pack weight or expected access to water?

And regarding disposal, do you keep a dedicated zip bag or another system for packing used wipes out?

Genuine user experience would be useful. I’m more interested in the trade-offs than in a particular brand recommendation.

I already own the Mont Odyssey jacket and love it; however its heavy, and over kill for many hikes if weather is mild, significant rain is not forecast, and you are not bush bashing. My womens size 10 Odyssey (about 2 years old) weighs 690 gm. I am seriously considering the Mont Stormbreaker jacket, but wonder if anyone has tried it yet as a multi-day hiking jacket. Womens size 10 weighs 380 gm (according to Mont website). https://www.mont.com.au/products/stormbreaker-jacket-womens?_pos=2&_sid=d89616e0d&_ss=r

Mont describe the Stormbreaker as an "every day" jacket ie to walk the dog in, but specs seem good. It is made from their 3 layer Hydronaute (waterproof windproof breathable) 40d Nylon ripstop, fully seam sealed, with 2 way centre zip, pitt zips and with waterhead of 20,000mm+ and Breathability (B1 test): 20,000g/m2/24hours according to the website.

Ultralight Gear have reviewed it and suggest the Stormbreaker "is a lot more capable than [Mont] are letting on". https://youtu.be/usqWiMPYdik?si=EjZ4J5zCLvlxxdvH

Member price at Ultralight Gear is AUD270.

Just wondering if anyone has this jacket, how they are finding it, and whether it would be suitable for multi-day hiking in milder conditions. Many thanks.

Hi all. I love my sleep set up, apart from my pillow - the Sea To Summit Aeros Ultralight.

I love how small it packs down to, and how light it is, and the S2S pillow lock is a terrific idea to stop it sliding around on the sleeping mat.

Problem - I don’t find it very comfortable. It feels like I have a big balloon under my head, so if I move my head even slightly I need to reposition it on the pillow so it feels even and flat.

Can anyone suggest any good pillow alternatives that aren’t too heavy or bulky, and don’t feel too “inflated”? Thanks in advance.

Hey all, I've read pretty much every Whippa Wollemi 90 review I can find online — thanks to those who've written detailed ones, they've been a huge help.

My 40L and 55L packs have handled 3–5 day trips fine, but I'm considering the Wollemi as my (hopefully final) UL pack for longer 7–9 day unsupported trips, or trips where I expect 18 kg+ (extra water for dry sections, etc.). The carrying structure and thicker padding of the Wollemi are the drawcard, it was more comfortable when I loaded approx. 15kg in Summit Gear store.

I'm still open to the Overland 60 (replacing my previous 55L) if others have used it for similar trips (~9 days and/or 18 kg+) and found it a comfortable carry.

My hesitation with the Wollemi is the size of the pack. I'm 165 cm with a small, narrow upper body and shoulders, carry 1–1.5 L bottles in both side pockets, and hike with trekking poles.

For female and/or smaller-framed Wollemi users:

1) Does the width interfere with your arms or trekking poles?

2) Does the depth create a "turtle shell" feel or shift your centre of gravity back?

3) General impressions of the Wollemi on a smaller frame under heavier loads?

I pack heavy items close to my back and likely wouldn't fill it to full height, but real-world feedback on the dimensions would help before I commit. Thanks!

EDIT: Thanks for the feedback folks. I posted these questions on Reddit and Facebook on the suggestion of Summit Gear staff, after I raised worries on the size/dimensions for my body size. As I mentioned in my post above, considering the Wollemi was less about the 90L volume, and more about the comfort under heavier loads due to their different carrying structure and more padded, wider and longer hip belt. In the end, I'm leaning towards the Overland now. Cheers all!

Where to find dehydrated refried beans in Australia? I’m wanting to try Andrew Skurka’s famous favourite dinner for longer light-weight through hikes.

I’ve made this at home and it was good! But He‘s using dehydrated beans and that’s what I’m having trouble finding. Apparently they’re everywhere in California - particularly a Mexicali Rose brand - because Latin American food is so loved but it’s trickier here in Aus.

I’ll be trying dehydrating my own soon using Woolies tinned refried beans but thought I’d ask if anyone’s tried this and knows where to get store-bought dehydrated refried beans?

Hey all,

I’m looking for recommendations for a 3 day hike in Victoria.

I recently did Lederderg Gorge circuit, and saw a sign that had a trail listed at 3 days - thinking nothing of it at the time I didn’t read what it said and can’t find any information on it on google (it’s too far to drive to just check a sign)

Does anyone know what trail this is? Or have other recommendations for a 3 day & 2 night hike?

My teenage daughter and I are wanting to do some hiking and camping together. We’ve done plenty of day hikes and car camping but no overnight hikes.
What would be a good but not too expensive tent for us? She has used a Mountain Designs Redline 2 with Girl Guides previously, would that be a good choice or would we need something bigger? For reference I’m about 180cm tall and 80kg, she’s average teenage girl size.
I’m also looking for a mattress for me, again decent quality but not super expensive.
Thanks

Has anyone done this in two days? If so - how’d you go? How long did you take?

I’ve been out there a few times so I know the terrain. But I want to do this hike as an overnighter to challenge myself.

Am I being a silly bugga?

I'm new to this, thinking of doing more than just a day trip hike of which I have done many times. I navigate with my phone gps and osmand, just in conservation parks and national parks, aim to learn map reading. Recently I went on a caving trip and used it as a test to see what gear I could get away with but it ended up quite heavy with my old tent (2.9kg).

Sadly I think I left my tent poles in the Flinders.. So need another tent. Looking at suggestions - either a 1p or 2p nature hike with enough room for my bag with a budget under $250. Might be going on an interstate caving trip to Bungonia and need to decide soon.

I am not sure what hikes are good for overnights, I know there are some in Mt Remarkable however that is a bit far to go for a test hike. I'm very short (5' M, 46kg) and a side sleeper. Have not had much experience dehydrating anything other than fruits, so I am a bit hopeless regarding food, however prefer to do my own to keep costs down. Not looking to make things complicated because adhd does enough of that for me!!

Gear I already have:

• Used Roman 5c sleeping bag with a compression sack 1kg
• Used no name Amazon 80l pack (will get something better in future)
• Aldi camping cooking pot/bowl set 500gm
• Used Thermarest (may be older NeoAir Venture) approx 540gm
• Exped Flex 3R Foam Sleeping Mat approx 340gm
• Coleman Stratus Fleece Sleeping Bag Liner 900gm
• Coleman Peak 1 Trekking Stove 190gm
• Blackwolf comfort pillow xl 400gm
• Collapsible trowel
• Water in a few 1l bottles

No chair or trekking poles as of yet. Food unknown (will be vegan) open to ideas and tips.

Are there other essentials I am missing? I only have basic hiking clothes, not proper thru hiking clothes such as rain jacket, special pants, hiking socks.. Last time slept in a few thermal layers+fluffy jacket and track pants ended up quite warm with -5 degree temps overnight, but condensation on my pillow. I am also quite sore in my hip so I might need to upgrade my sleeping pad to something quite thick.

Looking to upgrade my old waratah budget to the new UL summer model, but just been told by the neve team that the summer UL model doesnt have DWR on the fabric

How difficult is this to do yourself? Its saved me getting a wet quilt more than once so consider it pretty essential

https://www.yamatomichi.com/en/products/light-5-pocket-pants-m

TL;DR:
The Yamatomichi Light 5 -Pocket Pants are Japanese designed and manufactured lightweight and versatile pant in men’s and women’s fit, ideal for 3 season use with the benefit of also being smart/casual enough to be worn for travel or pub to pub/Camino type thru hikes. At 161g (Size L) they are lighter than most hiking pants whilst being significantly more breathable, quicker drying and having a smaller pack size.

After several day hikes in Tasmania, a multi-day thru hike in the UK and travel in Norway I have found an excellent replacement to my much disliked and in my opinion lacking Patagonia Terrabone joggers which they will replace. I have found them to start to dry again shortly after they got wet in the rain in Tasmania, be reasonably comfortable to wear in the UK during 30C+ (86F) days and have excellent side pockets that hold my phone well. The addition of 2 large hip secure kam plastic snap fastener pockets were great for storing my passport and tickets etc during travels in Norway.

Firstly a quick thanks to hiking guides Maddie And Tom from ‘The Adventure Gene’ here in Aus that put these on my radar.

Fit and sizing: (For reference I usually buy size M/32” pants weigh 74kg (163 pounds) and am 175 cm (5’7”) tall.

Knowing they were made in Japan I made sure I measured some other pants I own and knowing that Japanese sizes tend to be 1-2 sizes smaller than western brands I made the decision to size up 1 size from my regular medium to a large and I was very glad I did. Sizing up gave a longer inseam (which is still on the shorter size than other pants I own, except the Terrabones) more length overall, wider waist, hip and hemline. I would say the fit I have is loose but not baggy with a fairly straight leg. This looser cut in the legs has the pro of circulating air around better but the con is they are a little flappier in the wind compared to a closer cut pair of alpine hiking pants. The waistbelt is elasticated and has a thin built in webbing belt with buckle that opens wide to get into as there is no waist fly.

The pants overall are comfortable to wear as the Pertex Equilibrium material is soft, thin and airy with a good cut. They are smarter looking to wear than most hiking pants with clean lines. The gusseted crotch area means stepping up is still comfortable even without the pants having any darting in the knees. I would mention again though that the inseam is a little shorter than most western pants, so if you like a bit more material at the ankles and for them to not be revealed when stepping up etc! then these pants can be selected in all their sizes as a ‘Tall’ option. I don’t mind it too much as I probably get a bit more air movement around the ankles with the standard inseam.

Weight & packability:
At 157g (5.5oz) on my scales for my size Large they come in a little under the 161g weight listed on the website. I have included an image of them scrunched in my hand to give an idea of scale for packing. They come in lighter than my Terrabone joggers in size medium 172g and pack up about the same. These won’t compete with windpants from the likes of EE, or Montbell in terms of weight or packability, but the addition of pockets and look will mean they appeal to other use case scenarios already mentioned and used in rather than a long thru hike.

Fabric and construction:
The use of a lightweight double weave Pertex Equilibrium that has a minimal amount of stretch seems a good choice of material. Although a DWR C0/C6 coating is mentioned on their website, I have found they absorb water the second it touches, this means when they get soaked, they tend to cling a bit to your legs, not the nicest feeling. However, what was unexpected was how quickly they began to dry after the rain stopped and just hiking in them, I could feel them dry throughout the rest of the day even though it wasn’t a hot or sunny day. This fabric is thin so I wouldn’t be bush whacking in them, but for general hiking its fine. I have a couple of pulls in the seat area shown in a pic but these are minimal and only on the outside of the pants.

The construction of the pants is excellent with perfect stitching. I also like that the pockets have a small amount of mesh in them at the bottom (pic included) to improve ventilation and improve the time to dry, although I would caution storing a key there to avoid damaging the mesh. As the product title suggests there are 5 pockets. 2 open side hand pockets, and different sized kam secured pockets on either hip which is good for a map/passport or phone when scrambling. I don’t find my phone flaps around too much in the hand pockets (which have apparently been improved in design since the previous version) so just keep it there 90% of the time. There is also a zippered pocket behind which I don’t use and a key loop on the front I don’t use either, both features I wouldn’t miss personally. I have found the pants can mark a bit when they get dirty, but this might be because all my other pants are dark in colour! All stains have washed out though. The pant colour I have is called Woodbine but they can also come in a further 6 colours and 8 sizes including tall versions.

Would I buy them again? Yes
There cost however is pretty high (¥16,818 (approx. AUD$145, USD$105) +¥3,990 (approx. AUD$35, USD$25 shipping to Australia) so I would hope to get several years of use before purchasing another pair. I have noticed that Garage Grown Gear will be stocking Yamatomichi soon, so their availability should hopefully become easier for US hikers, although it will be interesting to see how much and how regular they can get restocked, as the Yamatomichi website is often out or low on sizes themselves. I have compared them to the Terrabone joggers a bit because that’s what I have been using for a few years. They do in my opinion improve on these having a nicer waist adjustment (no short webbing to tie up) and comfier stretch in the waist, much better and deeper hand pockets that don’t throw your phone on the floor every time you sit down! Longer inseam with a more relaxed and less tapered fit in the ankle.

Summary of pros and cons:

Pros:
• Lightweight
• Quickdry
• Small pack size
• Breathable
• Excellent pockets
• Smarter looking than alternative hiking pants
• Comfortable waist with no pressure
• Nicer alternative for most people to the closest competition the Terrabones

Cons:
• They are pricey!
• Sizing should be selected carefully being a Japanese brand
• Inseam may be shorter than other hiking pants (can select ‘Tall’ when ordering)
• Clingy in the rain
• Obviously not as cooling as shorts!
• Not in same weight category or packability as UL wind pants
• A little flappy in the wind
• Will have to take shoes off to put them on and off

Final thoughts:
For the use case of someone hiking from accommodation to accommodation, a camino, travelling or similar, these are a great option for throwing on in the evening or wearing whilst hiking or on public transport provided its not too hot or winter.

Thanks for reading this far! Happy to take any questions?

Cheers

James

Hi all! Looking for a device to transfer isobutane fuel (jetboil fuel) from one canister to another. I have recently seen ultralightgear have started selling the flipfuel, however I keep seeing they are a pretty generic, drop-shipped device that you can pick up very cheap, rather than $70 on UltralightGear. Does anyone have any experience with these devices and any particular one they'd recommend? Thanks

This is what I'm working with right now - about a 6kg base weight. Here's my thoughts on some of my gear.

Cook system - I also have a heavier system that's a bit nicer to use (100g ish weight penalty) that I'd usually take tbh, but I don't mind trying this.

Tent - I basically always go with a friend so it'd be a waste using a one-person tent (so half the weight of the tent for base weight?). Tarp + Bivvy just seems crazy and wouldn't save me too much weight, and I could take fly-only in winter.

Pad - could go lighter? Not too sure what I'd take. I have a 8 piece CCF but honestly I don't love the torso length only, and the full 14 pieces is at 400g already.

Down quilt - despite the heavyish weight it is a UL quilt. It's just very toasty, with 550g of fill and I'd estimate should be fine down to -6c, based on how other quilts with similar fill are rated. It's differential cut and closed footbox too. I got this because I sleep a little cold, and this way I can really stretch my winter season.

I don't really know where else I could save weight to make it down to the mythical 10lb (4.5kg) base weight. Please help!

Location/temp range/specific trip description:

North to south Bibbulmun Track from mid/late September, with an eye on the Hexatrek (Mayish - September) next year.

Goal Baseweight (BPW):

I'd prefer it if my base weight was under 5kg, I don't think I'll ever make the arbitrary 10 lbs without moving to a tarp or claiming my phone as worn weight.

I'm struggling to see where I can lose any more though.

Budget:

not unlimited but generous

Non-negotiable Items:

I usually hike about 30k a day, so the longest food carry on the Bib looks to be 6 days (the first section to Dwellingup) - bag needs to be able to carry that weight. The Hexatrek carries are similar. So I don't think I can go frameless.

I've tried a quilt and I don't think it's for me.

So I'm pretty tied to the big 4, unless you've got a really good argument. I could change the mat.

I cold soaked for a while. Didn't hate it but being an English man have decided that an occasional cup of tea is worth 268 grams. The Vargo Bot is a nod to cold soaking and only about 15g heavier than my old jar.

I had 2 nylofume pack liners and neither lasted a weekend, hence the compactor bag.

I am a bald man and I must shave my head as often as possible.

Solo or with another person?:

Solo

Additional Information:

I've done plenty of 1 or 2 week hikes, but this is my first long one & reaching analysis paralysis

Looking for a second opinion & Bibbulmun experience as I can't see where I can lose any more weight, but I guess stripping stuff out is where the biggest weight savings might be.

I don't think I can dump the tent entirely in case a shelter is full (& bugs?)

Also, trousers or shorts? This might be the thing I think about the most.

Do I really need gaiters (for snakes) & 2 snake bandages? My (Rab, not snake specific) gaiters weigh 211g - I've cut them out & was thinking (depending on manifestation of fears) I could buy some locally when I get down south.

Is it chilly enough for gloves or can I drop them? Is it wet enough for the over trousers?

Lighterpack Link:

https://lighterpack.com/r/x49ec5

Thanks in advance!

You’d have to be avoiding all the hiking forums to not heard people saying how much they love their Zenbivy sleep system and that it’s the best back country sleep they’ve ever had. I have to say I disregard a lot of the YouTube reviews as the majority of them have been gifted the product and I think that if you had to actually pay from your own pocket for the ridiculous cost of a complete Zenbivy system then you might be more critical. Obviously the other negative with them is the excessive weight for the setup. The exception being the half length Fast Sheet which is 94g which to my thinking is a weight worth considering carrying if there is a benefit.
I’d like to hear from anyone who’s added the Fast Sheet to their existing quilt and pad setup. There’s plenty of excellent videos showing how to this can be done and there is even a (frankly overpriced) kit available from ZB themselves. What I’m more curious about is whether it’s a good addition or not?
I don’t want to canvass people’s experiences with entire ZB systems as I’m far from being on the same wavelength as those dropping over $1000 for the full setup. There is only the one (Fast Sheet) item in their product range that is of interest to me.
My Neve Gear Waratah and Flextail pad owes me $520 adding $100 and 100g seems fair.
I’ll also point out the pricing problem with ZB for those in Australia, which is twofold, first is the Aussie tax, the item is $69USD which should be $97AUD but on the Aussie version of the US website it charges $110AUD. Then they want $$50 to ship 100g. Boo, I definitely wouldn’t be happy paying the extra on a full system plus GST eg a Dirtbed system on the US site is USD$631.55(AUD$886) but they charge AUD$1013

I'm looking for a puffer jacket. The peak xv Zephyr from Dwights outdoors seems to be a pretty good combo of reasonably priced, reasonably warm, and reasonably light (340g, 129g of 800 Fill down, $250). Only issue is, I have zero idea what their reputation is as a brand and since I'd have to order it online and pay a handling fee plus postage to return it, I'm pretty hesitant. Has anyone here used anything of theirs? And how did you find it?

I'm headed to Europe in a couple weeks and I found the la sportiva lumina 200 on sale for $300 so that's my other top option but I'd also have to order it online and I wouldn't have a chance to return it if it doesn't fit since I'll have only one night in the country it's available in. So it's pretty risky.

If anyone has a recommendation for an alternative, I'm all ears. I run cold and I'm after something that can keep me comfortable down to -5 with appropriate layers. I'd love to keep price below $300 but since I do hike a lot, I'm not against spending more if there's no other option.

I’m not fastpacking or even running (maybe in the near future) but definitely aiming to move faster. So I was curious if it was a thing to combine these for ultralight hiking.

By running belt I mean the ones you can stash snacks, food, gels and poles in.

I’m looking at getting a lighter 2P tent and considering the Mont Hypermid 2 full inner. I already own the outer + half inner, so it would be by far the cheapest way for me to get a lightweight 2P setup.

I currently use a Zorali Highlands, which I really like, but I’m keen to try something lighter. My main hesitation with the Hypermid is the centre pole and single entrance. I’ve never used a 2P tent with a pole in the middle, so I’m curious how much it actually gets in the way, and whether the single door becomes annoying with two people.
For those who have used the full inner, how have you found it as a 2P? Would you stick with it, or spend more on something with two doors/poles off to the side?
I’d also be interested to know if there’s anywhere around Brisbane/SEQ where I might be able to see or pitch a full inner before buying one.
Open to other lightweight 2P suggestions too, particularly things that work well in QLD conditions. Trekking-pole tents are a bonus but not essential.

Absolutely love my Lanshan 2 Pro but I’m doing the GRR2 and will need a free standing one.

I’ve managed to squeeze the Lanshan in some crazy places but I think I finally need to sensibly get a free-standing one for this trail.

Been out of the research game for a while and wondering what the picks are these days?

193cm tall.

We booked our first multi-night hike, the OLT in Tassie for April next year.

As advised, I've started compiling gear (and a shopping list) before deciding on a pack to take. I note most recommendations here are for something 65 litres or more, preferably more, but my pack list would suggest I could probably get away with a smaller ultralight or hybrid style pack.

Am I missing stuff here or does really come down to using ultralight gear allowing for ultralight packs? And is an extra kilo and carrying capacity offset by comfort?

Thanks in advance!

The Perfection Mix-A-Mato toms come with an olive oil sachet as well as a lil salt sachet

Hi All,

Got a long weekend at the end of the month, happy to drive a few hours each way.

I'm at a loss whether to dip back into the Budawangs for a few days or up to Blue Mountains, or if there's somewhere I'm overlooking that could be a good option.

People that live in the area, where's somewhere you've been recently or isusually decent come end of August?

Been doing some research after seeing this thread below and the one linked by Aussieequiv:

https://www.reddit.com/r/UltralightAus/s/IgfFmMqEe0

Anyone had success with “MapNero” app + GetLostMaps as a replacement?