Gap Year Kit Suggestions

[Davidgladstone12]

Hi all,

I am currently in my final year of my A-levels and am planning to take a year out before University. My destination will be Australia and I plan to do a fair bit of Bushcrafting and Wild camping in the outback. :D

I will be taking 70L Vango rucksack but only intend to fill the 10L bottom compartment with my camping gear and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of which items I should take. Currently my list roughly consists of:
My DD Travel hammock - because it can be put up as a bivi or hammock and has a layer of mosquito netting.
My DD 3X3 Tarp - In case of rain, I may invest in a DD solo Tarp but I would ideally like to keep costs low.
My small cotton sleeping bag liner - lightweight, comfy and appropriate for the climate.
My 28 Series Mini Trangia - compact, not a brilliant weight but I like the compactness and the small pot with locking lid, also the pot contains matches, lighter, fuel, cloth, scourer and pot handle

In addition to this, I will also have general gear like first aid kit, a head torch and my leatherman in the main pack.

I am hoping for suggestions on whether you think my list is realistic or appropriate as well as anything I have missed from the list that should be there.

I have entered this into the ultra lightweight category due to the lack of space and I would like it to be as light as possible but Moderators feel free to categorize it differently if it would be better suited elsewhere.

Any suggestions appreciated :)

David

[Chubbs]

Hi there David and welcome to the forum.

I'm not really the person to advise on kit as I really don't have the knowledge or experience, but seeing as though your questions seem to have been missed, I thought I would give them a bump in the hope that other more experienced members can help.

Enjoy your time away and good luck with your chosen university course.

Cheers Neil.

[Johnnyboy1971]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
I would just say that 10ltrs is being optimistic for the gear you have. Also i would include a sleeping bag as the temps can drop quite a lot on a night time and dont think a bag liner will be sufficient.

[jus_young]

:shocked:

I have just packed my stuff for a weekend away and the hammock and tarp takes up the best part of 10 litres on its own. Realisticly you are going to use a fair bit more space than you initially think.

We have a few Aussies on here that will be better placed to give you an idea of the temperatures you will face at night but I would have thought that a sleep mat would be a good idea for added insulation.

[Davidgladstone12]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will revise my idea although as my pack has a drawstring divider between the two sections with some give in it so I think it would be around 15L.

[KaiTheIronHound]

Coming to Aus then? I might be the one to ask, being an Aussie :) Where were you planning on going?

[Davidgladstone12]

Hi there, My general plan is to spend a few months in Perth, WA to spend time with some family then go across to Sydney, then up to Queensland. Any places You'd suggest going?

[KaiTheIronHound]

Well, first i'd like to know exactly how "Wild" you are planning on camping. How far out of civilisation do you want to go?

[Davidgladstone12]

Pretty Wild I would hope, I will be getting a Ute or truck big enough to hold supplies for a week or so. As for how far from civilisation, I'm not too sure really, I'm applying for a working holiday visa so probably no further than a few days drive from the nearest town I suppose.

[KaiTheIronHound]

I'd suggest that may be a bit optimistic, probably a good bet to ask the locals wherever you end up working. A few days from the nearest town is a bloody long way for someone with no experience in the bush too mate.

[Davidgladstone12]

Okay, thanks a lot mate

[KaiTheIronHound]

I dont mean any offense mate, its just that the outback is a different animal to the UK. The good thing is that there's plenty of wild places within hours of a town in plenty of areas of Aus.

[Martin]

Very good advice I'd say, Kai. :)

Martin

[KaiTheIronHound]

Cheers Martin :)