The full traverse the Western Arthurs' are regarded as one of Australia's hardest and best walks. It usually takes from 9 to 12 days to traverse this remote part of south western Tasmania. I've always wanted to walk the full traverse since a quick visit to lake Oberon on a failed hike to Federation peak.
I knew the only chance I had of completing this walk with a back injury was to go light weight. I was on a mission to get rid of every gram that would weigh me down. On a few occasions we met people on the trail who said 'you guys must be carrying 26-28kg' and they showed disbelief (and perhaps worry) when we responded with Peter's pack weight of 20kg. Imagine their faces when I said I had 14.3kg, which was in most cases less than they were carrying for a 4 day walk.
I knew snow was possible and high winds and driving rain were likely so we didn't skimp on any 'essentials'. My philosophy was:
- Take less - only the necessities
- Take smarter - good light weight gear only
Here's what I took:
