Ray's Outdoors Campfire Magazine, Issue 2, 2013 by Super Retail Group

FIRE NO.2

The

Hiking Edition

FOOTSTEPS TO PARADISE

àPLUS FREEZE-DRIED FEASTS FUNKY

(AND FUNCTIONAL)

FOOTWEAR FEATHERWEIGHT KITCHEN MAP READING 101

outdoors SINCE 1958

The Campfire

Chat…

No cars. No noise. No superfluous stuff. It’s only the essentials in this special Hiking edition of Campfire. Because there’s nothing quite like you, a lightweight pack and gobful’s of fresh air as you walk, hike, or ‘tramp’ your way around the country. Let’s face it, getting back to nature is food for the soul. After all, we didn’t evolve as human beings by looking down the barrel of computers and tablets all day. Nope, we roamed these lands, found our own food and cooked up a storm in the scrub. And that’s precisely what this little E-Zine is all about – albeit with a more modern and more comfortable spin than our ancestors ;)

Yours in camping, The Ray’s Outdoors Crew

Contents 3 The Humble Pack 6 Funky (and Functional) Footwear 9 Featherweight Kitchens 12 Freeze Dried Feasts 13 Paper Map Know-How 2

The Humble Pack DAYPACKS, WATER PACKS, & BIG PACKS – WORKING OUT WHAT YOU NEED

here is a dizzying array of packs for the hiker nowadays, but the key to working out what you actually need comes down to one question: “Is it fit for purpose?” What exactly am I going to be lugging around on my back, keeping in mind that I don’t want my pleasant hike to be like an episode of ‘The Biggest Loser” – got another truck tyre to sling in my pack Commando? So other than the obvious ‘size’ question, which is pretty easy to answer, here are some others: »» How long is my trip? »» Do I need my pack to be waterproof? »» Is it the quality I need for my type of travel? Some packs are slashproof, tamperproof etc which is great to backpacking to Europe, but not required for most local travel »» Do I need to carry water or a water bladder in there? »» Do I need secret compartments for my valuables? »» Should my pack be heavily compartmentalized, or one big bag? »» Body size – the size of your torso more so than your height is the important thing here »» Capacity is a tough one, but just remember than ‘scrunching’ things up rather than folding will buy you lots of space. Below is a basic guide, which will vary depending on how much you can comfortably carry.

Continued

The Humble Pack DAYPACKS, WATER PACKS, & BIG PACKS – WORKING OUT WHAT YOU NEED

Capacity Ready Reckoner TRIP TYPE

PACK CAPACITY (litres)PACK

WEIGHT(empty kg)

1-2 nights (or day trip)

15-50

0.7 to 2kg

2-3 Nights

45-60

1.5 to 2.3kg

2-5 Nights

55-80

2.1 to 2.4kg+

5+ Nights

80 plus

2.3 to 3kg+

Mr 4X4’ Pat Callinan

gives his hints on what makes

a top day pack 4

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Footw and

Funky { Functional } Footwear Because great hiking shoes make for a great hike

ew things are more important on a hike than comfortable, well-protected feet. But making the correct choice given the vast variations in products on the market can be tough. So here we’ll explain the different types of hiking footwear, along with a few tips thrown in for good measure. Just remember that most hiking shoes will require a few good walks to ‘break in’, so factor in those treks before you head off on your big (or little) adventure.

LIGHTWEIGHT HIKING SHOES

wear HIKING BOOTS

These are what I think of when I think of hiking. They’re usually a high cut boot, but in recent times have tended to trend towards mid-cut. They don’t require much time to wear in, but they are best suited with light loads (not mega backpacks). They can heat up quite quickly too, so are best suited to cooler climes. Often made of nubuck leather, which is leather that has been treated to resemble suede.

These are a real favourite for countries like ours, where mid- to high cut boots can feel like a thermos. Their low cut nature means that they are more open to dirt and grime, and they do offer less ankle protection. What sets these apart from your average set of runners though is their robust construction and lightweight design.

BACKPACKER BOOTS

These are the Mack Truck of hiking boots, designed to carry heavy loads, and offering maximum support. They are good for both urban and bush environments, and will typically be highly waterproof and built to last. Often made of full-grain leather material and featuring Vibram soles.

WATERPROOF LININGS

If a hiking shoe claims to be waterproof, it will usually have a waterproof membrane installed.

These are often made from hightech materials like Gore-Tex. Having another layer installed however, does mean that the shoe will warmer due to the reduced ventilation.

THE ALL-IMPORTANT FIT It might seem obvious, but ensuring your shoes fit correctly is just as important as the type of shoe you choose. When you’re shopping, make sure you bring along the exact type of socks you intend on wearing on your adventure, particularly if they are going to be thick woollen ones. The length of the shoes should allow your toes plenty of wiggle room, which also means that the depth of the shoes should be considered too. And of course, the width of the shoe is also important, as a lack of lateral support will provide instability on uneven terrain. This is one reason why grippy work boots aren’t considered the ideal hiking boots.

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Featherweight Kitchens Great tasting food certainly becomes a challenge with no barbeque, no fridge and limited room to spare. But that doesn’t mean you can’t load up on great tasting tucker in the bush.

STOVES THAT WORK

The first thing you’ll need is a good quality stove. Here you can choose from an integrated canister style stove (like the Jetboil), a standard canister system which simply screws into the gas canister, a liquid fuel stove (where the canister is separate from the burner) and multi-fuel stoves (powered by unleaded fuel etc). There is a good reason why canister stoves are the most popular for hiking pursuits. They’re easy to use, compact, lightweight and offer good flame control. They also provide stability to the pot or pan on top. The only negatives are the fact that the fuel can be more expensive than liquid fuel stoves, and the heat generation can drop as the canister empties.

Continued

POT SETS

For the uninitiated, when you’re shopping for your hiking pots and pans, do so with the end game in mind. And by that I mean know what you want, and buy the whole lot in a single set. Good pot sets work like those Russian dolls, where everything slots into the other piece. And they also have one lightweight handle, which can be used on each pot and pan. Consider the weight of the item, as well as the materials used. Stainless steel is a popular material, but then so too is aluminium. Stainless is heavier yet cooks more evenly, while aluminium (depending on thickness) can gain the occasional hotspot. Then there are variations on the theme, like non-stick coatings, which can really make cleaning up a breeze.

Hot Tip If your pots and pans aren’t of the non-stick variety, you might want to consider using what is around you when it comes to cleaning up. Often, wet river sand can be used as a scourer to get those stubborn bits off the bottom of your pots and pans. Just throw in the sand and some water, give it a rub and then rinse it out. Ocean beaches can be used to this effect too, just ensure that the salt won’t rust out your gear. Just remember to remove all of the food beforehand, as we don’t advocate dumping food waste into our pristine waterways.

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Freeze Dried Feasts

Given that weight is the enemy of the bushwalker, it makes perfect sense to suck every ounce of moisture out of your meals before heading cross-country. After all, the majority of weight comes from the water content and the resultant packaging to hold it all in.

The flavours in freeze-dried foods these days are quite incredible, from Honey Soy Chicken through to Back Country Mashed potato. And while the texture of the food isn’t going to be the same as fresh-cooked, the taste can be quite marvelous. Just remember to grab a few different types for your journey, so you can experiment with the flavours and find your favourites.

reeze dried meals are incredibly lightweight, and most simply need boiling hot water to rejuvenate them to their former tasty glory. Often, this water can be picked up in freshwater streams along the way – just remember to boil it for three minutes to kill any waterborne bacteria.

PLANNING YOUR MEALS

When you’re hiking through the bush, you will be burning plenty of calories and fat. From the weight you’ll be carrying, the constant temperature regulation (especially in cold weather) and the terrain you’ll be walking, you’ll need to ensure that your have sufficient fuel for the journey. While you

might get away with limited supplies and bland foods for a short weekend trek, anything more than that requires good planning. Here are my top four tips: »» Hot food is more nourishing (and satisfying!) than cold »» Keep variety in your diet »» Dry food is lighter than wet food »» Eat similar to what you would at home (if you’re no gourmet chef at home, don’t try and be one in the bush!)

Paper Map Know-How GETTING BACK TO BASICS WITH THE RIGHT MAP FOR YOUR HIKE.

Topographic m aps give

a good indica tor of the scen ery

et’s start this with a firm statement; the paper map is not dead and it never will be. Regardless of the range of electronic options for navigation available now and into the future, humans are spatial creatures and physical references will always be required as a ‘plan B’. Anything from power fails to magnetic and atmospheric interference can render your GPS useless … heck, one day all the satellites might fall out of the sky. You just never know.

good for a very This scale map would be s One too many noughts. il for specific 4X4 journey deta the lack ld wou broad overview, but

Continued

Paper Map Know-How GETTING BACK TO BASICS WITH THE RIGHT MAP FOR YOUR HIKE.

This is why reputable companies still produce paper maps, alongside their GPS and software products … and why everyone should have at least basic map reading skills up their sleeve. With a good quality paper map and a compass, there is no reason why your electronic navigation system dying should ruffle your feathers. Very few of us, I imagine, ever stop to think of the sheer genius involved in making the first map; of translating a three-dimensional environment onto a flat surface. The very first map was probably drawn by Homo sapiens with a stick in prehistoric sand or dirt – but transferring that original mud map to something that could be carried and continually referred to, like an animal skin or a sheet of papyrus, was even more brilliant. By our exacting contemporary standards, these early maps were woefully approximate and imprecise, but people worked with what they had. By contrast, we expect our maps to be easily understood and absolutely accurate, and in most cases (depending on the mapping company) they are. For example, when we’re travelling on a compass bearing in one of our deserts, away from recognised tracks (something that because of regulations, is getting increasingly hard to do), we use 1:250,000

topographic maps; and have found that even the positioning of individual sand dunes and ridges is spot on. This is only possible because Australian desert dunes are vegetated and therefore stable; expecting the same precision on the shifting dunes of the Sahara would be suicidal. There are many types of maps available, but the two we are going to concern ourselves with are ‘Tourist’ and Topographic. The term ‘Tourist’ is somewhat denigrating to maps like HEMA’s Great Desert Tracks series, which are suitable for the most adventurous Outback travellers.

Tourist maps have no contour lines, but are accurate in that they exactly portray the dimensions of sections of land (e.g. National Parks or State Forests). They normally also show distances between towns or key points, and thus are most useful when knowing that you’re going to stick to the roads while travelling. ‘Topo’ maps, as they’re known, accurately portray the physical features of the land by means of contour lines. These lines link points of equal elevation – and we will look more into that a bit further on. But what map do I need?

A typical Legend for a HEMA map, one of the most popular brands for four-wheel drivers

We aren’t going to mention your GPS much in this section. The idea is to give you the basic skills you need to understand what you are looking at, with this information easily transferred to your GPS – it’s all about learning what those little lines mean (in a nutshell). We suggest you look into furthering your knowledge of map reading before any big trip, but the info here may get you out of a bind if your GPS loses the plot … literally! You can see that the Northernmost point of Lake Mackay lies just below 22 degrees South.

This is where research comes in. Work out where you are going and purchase a map that not only covers the immediate area you are travelling in, but also a fair amount of area around it as a safety buffer. If you intend on

going off main roads, a detailed topographic map that shows not only main thoroughfares but also minor tracks and trails is a must. For the Australian market, Hema and Westprint products are a great place to start.

Note Pinnacle Hill. The widely spaced lines to the east indicate a long slope into the Megalong Valley, whilst the tighter contour lines on the west side, show a steeper drop off.

Ray’s Outdoors offers families everything they need to enjoy the outdoors from the backyard to the bush. Ray’s Outdoors has a huge range of camping gear including tents (dome tents, pop-ups/instant and more!), swags, sleeping bags - every piece of camping equipment you’ll need.