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> Canadians to NZ & clothes?
Canadians to NZ & clothes?
@ 06:29 pm (GMT) |
faulknerHi all,The wife and I are coming to NZ to vacation and hunt, going to try for 10 days on each Island as we want to see as much as possible. We live in BC, Canada in the Rocky Mountains. Wondering if a wool base layer and soft shell with a Gore Tex shell would be enough for hunting from hills around Taupo to the Southern Alps. We are going to spend most nights in a tent, what would be a good temperature range for sleeping bags? We would rather be warmer than cold but -20C bags might be a bit over kill and heavy. Also looking for connections in the south Island, anyone who might be able to help point us in the right direction for an opportunity to hunt Thar. We are sure excited about the trip and the weather, we just had a stretch of -25C and it snowed 75cm. Thanks, Aj & Hazel. |
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@ 11:39 am (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Canadians to NZ & clothes?Hi AJ, I tend to pack for the worst conditions. I have run into snow in the Kaimanawa's too many times to count, let alone South Island conditions which are more akin to your home turf. Wind chill is the big one, where ever you are in NZ, its never that far from the coast and because of this, high winds can cause severe problems, stripping off body heat when the measured temperatures are only around 0-10 degrees C.When I am not in Taranaki, I wear either a wool or polyprop base layer. A thin fleece layer over that, a heavier fleece layer over that and then a shell. I tend to feel it around my neck so I have used the legs from polyprops to make over sized balaclavas that cover my neck yet allow me to wear a boonie style hat. It still pays to keep a heavy fleece beanie handy though. Don't wear a cap down here, we have a hole in the ozone layer which allows radiation to come through. You'll want to protect your ears etc. 10 minutes sun here is about the same as an hour in a tropical zone, can cause severe sun burn. Go to a second hand mil surp store and buy a good boonie. On your legs, its ultra important to have a tough set of gaitors or puttees as they are often called. In the South island, the matagouri and Spaniard grass do their best to rip into your skin so some calf protection is a start. It used to be that we all wore polyprop on our legs with shorts to protect the backside (everyone looked like robin hood in tights). The reason was because we often have to cross many rivers on a walk in. 40 calf to hip high crossings is not uncommon on a walk in. The polyprops are good in that they dry very fast. I tend to mix it up a bit depending on the season and where I am hunting, I still like to wear polyprops during severe rains. But fleece and the modern gortex pants can be fast drying. The only fleece you really have to watch is the baggy pants, they act like underwater sails. Never wear cotton pants or shirts in our hills unless hunting low coastal lands, well away from the mountains. I use a -20 bag all year around. Its easy to cool down by unzipping a bag, its much harder to warm up. When I am in the hills, I have the clothes I am wearing and one emergency change of clothes. The emergency clothes are also my bed wear, no big deal as my emergency pants are polyprops. You really only need two pair of socks, the ones you wear during the day, then a camp pair. Foot powder can be used to control bacteria and fungi during the summer if need be, in the winter, your socks will get washed by attrition during the day! Well, thats a start. |
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@ 12:00 pm (GMT) |
Nathan FosterKit listI found this in my emails, advice I had given to a new hunter some time ago, have cut and pasted below:Kit List: 1. If hunting in twos, one person can pack the cooking gear and tent, the other person takes the food. If working in twos, choose a hunting partner who is reliable to ensure he follows an agreed and pre-prepared list to the letter. Pack well ahead of time and observe your pack weights. It is very common for a fully laden pack to weigh between 14 and 18kg. Please bear in mind that 18kg is extremely heavy for most folks. The greatest weight saving is through choosing a gortex type jacket. This replaces the need to carry both a fleece or wool swanny and a raincoat (also saves a huge bulk) 2. If travelling alone then kit prep is more crucial than ever to avoid excess weight. The upside is that you only have yourself to be accountable to if you fail to pack suitable kit. Summer time is very good for solo hunts as one can use a fly instead of a full tent. I also like to pack curtain material to keep mozzies off my face when sleeping under the fly. Kit for two. Person 1. Comfortable pack- Macpac 85 litre is the ultimate Thermarest, medium weight/ full length. (strap on outer pack. ‘big black’ rubbish bag as internal pack liner Small down sleeping bag (atleast 70% down to avoid bulk) Clothing kit- (put into a sleep bag cover @ $7.00): two spare socks, one spare under wear (several for women plus liners) one polyprop thermal top, one polyprop thermal bottom, one micro fleece top, one heavy fleece top. These are your survival aids. Use them only at camp- in bed. Roll on deoderant- use sparingly all over body including feet. Don’t worry about game smelling scent, you will smell much worse and more human/predator without it. Your heavy outer layer of clothing for both camp and hunting will depend on your budget. The new GoreTex type coats are the very best, failing this, the hunter must carry both a full weight fleece or wool swanny and a raincoat or poncho. Cooking kit-(put in a third sleeping bag cover)- One pot. (pan is optional depending on meals). Two plastic bowls. Light weight cutlery (not plastic) available from camping store. Gas cooker with 3 gas bottles (4 days cooking easy with plenty hot drinks). Two plastic mugs. Tent- dome style- no greater than 4kg and as close to 3kg as possible. Shop around for good tent, try to get one with small sleeping space (warmth) but good awning for cooking under and keeping packs dry if needed). A small tent is odd to get used to at first but you soon get used to each other if it rains a lot and you are stuck together. (playing cards are good where poor weather is common) Survival kit (put into very small bag like a small toilet bag)- first aid kit, two lighters, paper, vivid marker pen, spare batteries for head torch, emergency cleaning kit for rifle. Cleaning kit must include either a ram rod (take down) or curtain wire. One oily rag, one clean rag. Ensure each item is packed into separate lunch type bags and bound in such a way as the kit cannot open/rattle or take on water. A survival bag (silver foil) is good to have but a rubbish folded up small is also very good and can be used as an emergency rain/snow coat (cut arms and head holes). Bandages, plasters, nurofen etc. Anti infamatory rub prep packed in small pill bottle. Anti histamine pills. Eye wash if you want to get fancy. Needle for prickles. Paper, pen and vivid marker stowed in sandwhich bag. Sundries- Survival/first aid kit Two full candles Head torch NZ mil spec sunscreen/ insect repellant in one Paperback book Wooly/fleece beanie Cheese cloth for use as a towel and to pack out meat Baling twine or a good length of lightweight but strong rope (no greater than say 4mm diameter). Use for hanging meat/ food as well as other chores. Can also come in handy if you need to climb down a steep gut (2-3 metres). Diamond sharpening steel/ or Ezi Lap Take down gun cleaning rod Water bottle (3 litre) to collect stream water or otherwise a bladder type set up Special treats or indulgences. Mine include extra coffee, milk powder and chocolate Day bag- this must be light enough to roll up and put into your main pack. Use either light fleece or if no good bags are on the market, make one from a pillow case or such. The day bag is essential as it allows you to move confidently away from base camp with survival gear and is also an ideal rifle rest. You can use it to turn an otherwise hefty rig (eg Sendero with Bipod) into something quite acceptable for climbing by omitting the bipod and using the day bag on extended trips. After arriving at base camp, pack your ammo, twine, steel, head torch and survival kit etc into your day bag immediately. Be sure to wear your knife on a belt. This is something I get tired of having to remind people. Wear light weight boots for lasting comfort (Skellerup Hiker is my recommendation/ fully waterproof rubber). In the south Island, theSkellerups will be destroyed within three days from new so something like the Meindl Island is a better bet. Wear putties. Fleece pants, Goretex pants or polyprops and fleece shorts. A polyprop top. A micro weight fleece and a mid weight fleece over this. The last two layers are your heavy weight fleece and raincoat/ poncho or simply a goretex coat. Do not listen to trampers as they do not understand still hunting in the evenings where wind chills cut through the normal 3 layer affair. Lastly, a boonie style hat is essential. Binoculars are important. A compact 10 power is the ultimate. Be sure to shop around. My favorites are my Leica 10x42 Bino range finders and Bushnell fusion Bino range finders. Person 2 All the same as person one but no cooking gear or pots, just food. The food should be pre planned carefully and practice meals tried before the hunt. To plan, prepare a menu taking into account every single item that will be used in each meal. If you write down sandwiches- you need to write- bread, butter and the exact filling etc. My typical food menu includes as much protein as possible. I strongly suggest a lot of mutton or beef stew type foods. Rice is good for a carb. Steer clear of light all carb type meals (noodles), they are no good in colder climates. Example of one day menu: Breakfast Cereal and milk powder or freeze dried meaty meal x 2 Snack Muesli bar x 2 Lunch Savs, butter, tiny bottle sauce, thin slice bread. keep bread in a cut open 3 litre milk bottle to preserve its shape or otherwise make maori fried bread on site. Snack Muesli bar x 2 Dinner. Mutton stew, precooked at home with vege. (take into bush frozen) and remove from pack as soon as you arrive (saves wasting gas). Serve with noodles or rice. Desert chocolate bar x 2 Drinks for the day- Coffee, tea, milk powder, sugar, raro/ satchet juice. As you can see, just these items alone weigh quite a lot. Be sure to prep ahead and freeze food down, this way you can get all the food out a few days before the hunt, try it for bulk and weight, then return it to the freezer to think about it all before the final day. Hope this helps. No doubt there are a few things I have left off the list. |
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@ 04:26 pm (GMT) |
faulknerRe: Canadians to NZ & clothes?When I see a kit list in print my back hurts!Sounds like we are going to prep like Oct. here, cool nights and the days are a mixed bag. The Day bag is brilliant and I have the perfect old military canvas bag that I have been storing fly fishing equipment/rod in. We will bring a few edibles with us but most will be bought in NZ, are freeze dry read to cook "Eg:mountain house" available and are propane/butane stove canisters easy to find or is it best to pack a white gas stove and buy a bottle and fuel in NZ, Airlines will not permit fuels on a flight. Sleeping bags, we have down -20C they are great as long as they stay dry and a couple -12C synthetic. The tent that we are bring is a 3man 4season, its big enough that we can pile in gear when needed and stretch out but small enough to come in at 3.5kgs and bomb proof in bad weather. I also keep a 2mx3m sil tarp with me at all times, in camp great for cooking away from the tent (bears here) and good for glassing in a down pour or an unplanned night out. And lastly what is the accepted practice for field dressed remains "gut pile" and bones? Thanks, Aj. |
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@ 05:53 pm (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Canadians to NZ & clothes?New evidence I have received from the U.S suggests we should bury blood shot meat to prevent birds of prey ingesting lead. Apart from that, leave the offal and bones in the open for the Hawks. If near a camp site though, take the offal well away, as per normal. |
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@ 10:23 pm (GMT) |
Mathew D'AthRe: Canadians to NZ & clothes?Many stores stock gas for cookers, I use Jetboil/Sol fuel readily available As for freeze dry food, Back Country Cuisine is made here in NZ, Yes go with the -20 bag as that is what I use year round and Have been cold a few times but not often, Let us know when you are coming,I'm sure we can put you some where for a Tahr, Nathan should be able to get hold of me.Cheers and enjoy your trip, PS two weeks isn't long enough |
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