Regular readers will know we went for a wander around the Cradle Mountain area over the New Year. It was a great trip, we really enjoyed ourselves, especially just taking our time and only doing short days. The weather was quite hot for Tasmania and it was a relief to not have a schedule to keep.
We did have a funny, if not weird, experience at the end of the walk.
Arriving back at the Cradle Mountain Visitors Centre we were approached by a rather frantic fellow enquiring if we would sell him our Helinox walking poles.
After a quick chat we discovered that Cathy and Geoff were about the start hiking the Overland Track. They had travelled to …
We are approached quite frequently by businesses keen to promote their ideas and/or products via our website. We have a policy of not accepting everything that come our way for a number of reasons. For example, we don’t want anything not related to the outdoors filling up the site with junk.
Recently we were contacted by Natureshop.com, who loved Our Hiking Blog and when we perused their website, we found we loved them.
Nature shop is a carbon neutral online retailer selling products with a strong environmental and social ethos. A quick glance at their about us page will make you aware of how committed they are. They specialise in a variety of footwear and gear such as…
So you have spent $500+ on a brand new tent, headed out on a trip, arrived home and discovered a tear in the floor or fly.
Devastation.
Is it ruined for ever?
Can a tear be repaired?
Will the result be any good?
Luckily a simple tear or rip to a tent floor or fly can be repaired quite easily, and the result is great!
Our future son in law, Jay Reilly, recently stayed for a few days. He is an experienced outdoor educator and mountain guide with many years experience in repairing tents. He “volunteered” to repair a torn tent one day and we captured the process on video.…
We were recently in the market for new sleeping mats.
For a few years we have been happily using Thermarest Prolite 4′s – the 3/4 length ones.
The main issue with these is, on a trip into cold climates, our legs were getting a bit cold and the insulation between the ground and our bodies was really only 2.5. cm (1″). They were loyal companions for several years but it was time to upgrade.
Sue did a lot or research (in conjunction with her mate Anne - Overland Track March 2011) and came up with the Exped Synmat 7 UL (S) Sleeping Mat. It is marketed as light, warm and comfortable. Definitely worth checking out.…
Sometimes hiring hiking gear is a great option if you are looking to kit up for a trip.
You know the times, there may be an additional member join your party, something breaks at the last minute or you just don’t trust that backpack to survive another five day trip without disintegrating.
Hiring also gives you the chance to try out different gear at a fraction of the cost of buying an untried piece.
Ian Ferrier from Mountain Bike Tasmania in Launceston hires out hiking gear. After selling Mountain Designs in Launceston back to the company, Ian is now concentrating on his tourism business and has continued the hire gear service once offered through the shop in Launceston.
Gear …
