Mikes 85kg James would be less. Work on 16 kg per pack for 4 of you.
One tent per 2 persons, your wet weather gear, the clothes you are wearing plus a dry set and warm jacket,sleeping bag, 20 rounds of ammo, A cooker per 2 people and a cannister of gas each,one decent first aid kit, a GPS if you feel you need it, your personal stuff like camera, toothbrush and soap etc. Food, though I imagine Mike will plan on shooting something for camp meat.

Whats wrong with spending a lousy few hundred extra and getting the chopper to ferry an extra load in without the weight of the passengers.

Those extra bucks on a trip like these for us blokes that dont do them every year is bugger all to pay for that extra whatever you need or want rather than living on rations etc.

Let me schedule a conference call for interested hunters. Send me your e-mail address to txhornhunter@earthlink.net

I'm 88 Kg.'s on a good day. My tent is 2.0 Kg.'s 2-man tent (Mont Moondance 2).

Hi Craig,
finally rang Mike and arranged to hunt start of June. I realise now what you meant by four hunters and the 450kg weight limit. If everyone got a trophy, someone might have to walk out like Bear Grylls

Time allowing, I wouldn't mind doing that, though I prefer to cook my food.

Cheers
- Paul

Sorry guys,
for some reason I didn't notice all the new posts.

Txhornhunter, I guess we owe it to you for starting the thread but somehow you'd gone off the radar. If Jim's buddy doesn't want the extra place, he might throw it open.

In regard to the above, how much do you weigh, if it's not a rude question?

Cheers
- Paul

At this stage I have no confirmation from my buddy and I don't expect he should get priority either.

The walk out idea is an amazing adventure. There are some parts of that track that are true Bear Gryls episodes as in one spot you have to navigate a rock face and there are plenty of spots where if you trip, you won't stop for a while. It does cut into your hunting time though, by about 3 part days or 11 hrs.
It also pays to have a bike of some sort hidden roadside to allow an easier trip back to the hanger. I've run it once and after 3-4 hrs with a pack on, running 9 k isn't my idea of fun.

Thanks Craig,
11 hours is a fair walk with any weight on your back and longer than I had previously thought.

Txhornhunter,
our honorary guide, Mike, doesn't mind if we bring extra people but warns that it cuts everyone's trophy chances as the country is limited by block-allotment hunting in the next system.

From a packing point of view, I think if we go beyond four in a chopper (incl the pilot), we need to consider a second lift and maybe then two extra hunters makes sense, from this angle at least. If someone wants to underwrite the second lift, I'd be interested in buying some space for extra gear (being allergic to gluten, I find it hard to source much freeze-dried food, so could then bring a few cans etc).

Anyway, I've left it with Jim to consult his mate. I might catch up with him Friday.

Cheers
- Paul

Hi Jim, Craig, Tx,
After a day or two my foot came good and veins don't seem to have been the problem. Whatever it was, it would not have stopped me getting off the hill, just hindered climbing for a while. I'm seeing the vascular surgeon on Tuesday but, unless he wants to do it very soon, I won't have that leg done before the trip. Never say die (bull tahr excepted)!

- Paul

That's the spirit Sambaraman. BTW., I expect you will need to honour your namesake - if a Sambar could climb a couple of ridges minus one leg I would expect nothing less from Sambarman

Spartan

Having hunted with Shanks this year in NZ what he says is all too true,.On our last half walk out it was around 6-7 hours and this after ten days of hunting is tough on the body.
I am a "pretty bloody fit" bloke and if you are not fit yourselves you will certainly know about it,I am still waiting for my toenails (x3) to fully grow back and thats from May this year.

Shanks will get it easy on the sambar for next week`s hunting over here after running around that incredible Southern Alpine region of the Sth Is.

quote:

Shanks will get it easy on the sambar for next week`s hunting over here after running around that incredible Southern Alpine region of the Sth Is.

I'm getting a beer cooler sewn into my daypack.

I`m hunting this arvo ,tomorrow and Sunday with a mate that likes a drink too haha

Thanks guys,
I'll be as fit as I can get but will not look for trouble. For one thing, we are taking the chopper in and out and I'll probably put more time into clothes and camping gear selection than choice of rifle - or maybe they are just harder decisions to make when you've grown up knowing exterior ballistics better than the times table.

Cheers
- Paul

Well, for those who've heard about it, I finally sorted out why my Outer Limits Vertex tent weighs 3.2kg instead of the advertised 2.6 - it's not the same model as the one in the 2010 Oztrail catalogue.

The catalogue offering had two poles and a short hub rod; the one that arrived in the mail has three poles, though that alone only accounts for 300 grams. Time will tell whether it was a good buy at $180 (as against $850 for a Black Diamond Fitzroy ) but the three poles should give it some hope in rough weather. I quite like the high venting provisions, too. Carrying it on any long treks may be another matter.

Cheers
- Paul

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Well, for those who've heard about it, I finally sorted out why my Outer Limits Vertex tent weighs 3.2kg instead of the advertised 2.6 - it's not the same model as the one in the 2010 Oztrail catalogue.

Thank God - it's been keeping me awake at night wondering!


hehe - sorry...

That's great news,i can die happy now.

Sarcastic bunch aye.
Set it up and check its internal area, some can fit 3 people at a pinch. You may get away with takeing only one tent for the crew.

Winston,
I thought you already had!

Craig,
It's supposed to be 130cm across, 220 long inside and 100cm high in the middle,
seems to have plenty of room and has two entrances and vestibules.

At a pinch you could fit three, but it would be a pinch. Maybe one tent could be pitched on the other side of the river for nights when the water is too high to cross. But a bivvy could be warmer if you don't have a sleeping bag. Second thoughts, maybe using the bivvy inside the tent would be better still.

I've finally bought some Meindls, too, so the wife knows it's all go now.

When should we talk to James about the chopper?

Cheers
- Paul

Probably about now is a good time. will pm you to talk about it.

Thought I'd clock in for an update. How are we looking fella's.

Hi Jim,
So far so good. I've got the new rifle but the scope had to go back to be replaced by one with BDC.

I'm trying to make a home-made substitute for an incline compensator for a range finder but need some advice - will post new thread.

- Paul

Hope ya'll have good success. I'm still looking around for a tahr / chamois hunt. Work priorities keep me from doing a lot of planning in 2010.

Thanks TX...

So far so good, planningwise. Will let you know if any opening occurs, of course.

Hope you're having a good Christmas. Don't suppose it's a white one, unless you live well inland, though.

Cheers
- Paul

B]Tahr hunter wanted[/B]

Well guys,
like some Cassandra, I had a premonition one of us was going to 'go in the fetlock'. It seems The Spartan's Achilles heel has turned out to be his knee.

Anyway, it seems he needs an op and will not be over it by June. So we now have a vacancy for another hunter, if he can get his stuff together in seven weeks. I have sent a PM to Txhornhunter but received no reply, so, unless he puts his hand up, the offer is open to other AR members.

To summarise the deal, we fly into Chch or Auckland about 1 June to buy food and travel down to the West Coast for chopper lift on Sat 4 June; our amateur guide will be shankspony's brother, who hunted successfully there last year and got so close to a big bull he could have hit it with a stick. We will come out between 10 and 14 June depending on weather and time needed to get animals.

In return for our 'guide's assistance, we will pay his travel costs from the North Island and his share of the best-priced chopper charter - but will use his vehicle instead of hiring one. This might add $NZ700 to your own share, possibly less.

At this late stage, you would pretty much need to have a light-weight kit and rifle already. We will spend some time in a hut but expect to march about three hours to a tent camp later, so cut-down toothbrushes will be the order of the day. The chopper has limited weight capacity, too, so even stuff taken to the hut will need to be minimal.

Early applicants will be given highest priority if there's a rush.

Roll up!

- Paul

Thanks Sambarman.

I have been advised that the skiing injury from Last June which has not heeled will need surgery. So I am pulling out as I do not expect to come good before June.

My apologies fella's.

Spartan

One of the most useful things I carry even on a walk in trip is some newspaper. Come in really handy to dry our boots and clothes. Once I even used some sheets to sleep under as all my clothes were soaked in a storm.

Thanks guys,
Nakihunter, I hope you take broadsheet. Derros around Melbourne prefer 'The Age' it seems because there's more of it.

Regarding the hunting vacancy: should I/am I allowed to post it as separate threads here and in 'Backpack Hunting'?

S/man as you undoubtedly know I have been hunting with your man`s bro the last ten days,we took four bulls from 11.5 to 12.5 oh yeah and we ate a chamois also.

I`m still in NZ,more info when home.

Thanks John,
You know personally and I know from many PMs and phone calls that they are both salt-of-the-earth blokes. The NZ-forum pics show they know what they're talking about, too. I'm going, anyway, but in deference to family needs and the tradition of my shoestring hunting expeditions, prefer to limit the costs when it makes sense.

If I don't get any nibbles here soon I'll spread the message to another forum you know of where I go back a bit further.

Cheers
- Paul

While posting elsewhere, it occurred to me that $700 mentioned above would also cover the other hunter's own share of internal travel expenses apart from fuel for the north-south trip and back. So, that means it must be at least $2-300 cheaper than I said.

I booked my flight to Hamilton NZ today for 1 June and am now leaving there for home on the 16th. So, anyone who wants to join the expedition will probably need to do likewise. Within the next few days I'd better book the Picton ferry, too, at which time the numbers will be locked in.

Cheers
- Paul