New Here

Hi guys, Im new on here. Figured I'd better say hi to all of ya. Im probably going to be posting a fair bit on here, mainly with regard to going lighter weight on the gear front, and information regarding the Te Araroa trail, and preparing for it. With regard to my name, It refers to the fact that I wear UK size 12 boots. I have trouble thinking of names and my boots were on the floor =p. Always good to talk to people who tramp over here, Ive met some great people while tramping and Im sure you guys are good fun to talk to as well =)

Welcome aboard. You'll find us a diverse lot with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds - but we all love the kiwi backcountry! And we can be in all sorts of places. Right now I'm sitting in the Strzelecki Ranges in Victoria contemplating doing the Grand Track running through the heart of the area. Magnificient temperate rain forest that's almost like home!

Its hard not to love the bush out here. Some special spots, even for just camping a night or whathaveyou. Bit more about me. Im young and willing to learn, Im intending to do the TA as a gap year before I go off to uni. I know a lot of people who are going off to travel other countries, and I figured I might as well get to know my own country a bit better. Hence me wanting to do the TA, yes, it doesnt hit all the most scenic bits of the country, but thats almost part of the point, to see places you perhaps wouldnt have chosen to go. I spend a fair bit of time out in the bush, have done since I was around 10. And Im alalways trying to learn. Led my first trip earlier this month. No adult supervision, and I was in charge of route planning, filing the intentions forms etc, as well as being the group first aider and experienced tramper. That was brilliant and I thouroughly enjoyed it. Tramp was up the pinnacles and staying in the hut, so it was a well defined route and good shelter, which was ideal as we had some people who hadnt tramped at all before. Thanks for the welcome philip, and the grand track sounds great.

stupid light http://andrewskurka.com/2012/stupid-light-not-always-right-or-better/

Very valuable link, thank you. I am very wary of going too light, but Id like to think Im at very little risk of that. The scouting "Be prepared" mentality is well baked into me now. Honestly, Ive pared down what I carry pretty significantly now, and stand to lose a Kg of weight with a new pack (current one is about knackered anyway. Mainly Im looking on ways to go lighter on the food front. Ive read thruhikers saying they can be happy and well fed on 2-3 pounds of food per day, Whereas Im often lugging near 2kg of food per day (Admittedly thats on overnights where weight isnt so much of an issue and the tins creep in),so any meal ideas, quantities, ways to ppack more calories into the food you carry, ways to keep intake of vitamins and minerals at an adequate level over longer timeframes etc would be invaluable. Thanks very much for the reply.

Hi @Size12. Enjoy your planning. If you've not already seen it, I highly recommend visiting the Te Araroa facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/26638669574/ where you'll find many like-minded people, both planning to walk it, in the process of walking it and having finished it.

I didnt know of the facebook page. I dont use fb, but I might have a look. Ive been reading things those who have completed it have written etc. Im hoping to find some on here that have done it or significant parts of it. Im aware of all the resupply points and that, just need to find out what the problem sections are (Eg sections where water is hard to come by and so on) and am hoping to talk with those who are knowledgeable about it. Thank you very much for the warm welcome, all of you.

Hi! You should be able to get well under 1kg per day. Look at these numbers. Here is what you'd need for 8700kJ of daily energy, ignoring other nutrition factors. As you can see, in general nuts have the highest energy density (as fats), grains are mid range, and fruit are lower as they still contain water. Note also that OSM bars contain 100% of your protein and vitamin requirements. Protein bars come out about the same as OSM bars. * Sunflower seeds: 356g * Peanuts: 366g * Cashew nuts: 376g * Chia seeds: 455g * Freeze-dried blueberries: 515g * OSM bars: 525g (i.e. 6 bars) * Oats: 534g * Pasta: 560g * Couscous: 566g * White rice: 569g * Semolina: 577g * TVP: 625g * Dried Goji berries: 647g * Raisins: 695g * Dried apricots: 862g One way to go might be to check energy, protein, and salt, then simply add multivitamins. It might also be worth getting really cosy with dehydrator technology. I also find TVP very useful and take it on most trips. It is very light, 50% protein, easy to prepare (just soak it and it's edible) and it takes up any other flavour. For example, you could spin it as a Thai curry with powdered coconut milk, as a chilli with dehydrated refried beans, as a pasta sauce with dehydrated tomato paste and herbs, and so forth. Also check out different grains like chia seeds and quinoa. Both are very easy to work with. Quinoa has double the protein of white rice (also avoid brown rice which is harder to cook and has 1/3 the energy). Chia seeds make a gel in water (good for breakfast), have more energy again, and are high in fat.

Hi Matthew, Excuse my ignorance, but what is TVP? TW

If you use only fully dried food, with high energy content as above, 600g per person/day has been a standard guide for years. 550g if you want to tough it out, 650-700 if you want some luxuries and some more bulk.