Welcome to Bryan Dudley's ultralight tramping website. This website discusses how it is possible to travel in New Zealand's wilderness and carry a pack that weighs around 4.5kg plus food.
For too long Kiwis have had the idea that heavy packs were the norm and that it was impossible and dangerous to venture into the wilderness without tonnes of heavy gear.
For a number of years we have been proving this myth to be nonsense.
Heading for the Mungo River. Our packs are well under 10kg on this remote Westland trip. We were delighted to meet another ultralighter in the same area.
Superultralight
Is 4.5 kg as low as you can go?
Not really. Ultralight tramping is all about having the usual equipment but making sure each item is light. It is possible to go lighter by taking a different approach. This is to make some items double up. For example a poncho which doubles as a coat and shelter. I have got weight down to about 2.5kg but one overseas hiker got weight down to below 1kg. In both cases this entailed making some or all of the equipment. However, if it is possible for "do it yourselfers" to make such light equipment, it must be possible for manufacturers and professional designers to make light weight equipment with their much greater resources.
To be fair some manufacturers are producing great light products but many are not very adventurous in their designs.
What about food?
Most ultralighters agree, there should be some.
More on this in the "How To" pages.
Dangers of ultralight tramping?
I have heard deep dark mutterings that ultralight trampers are putting themselves and their rescuers at risk. When we started ultralighting I thought there might be a slight risk with gear failure. However as the gear I use has not failed, I now consider ultralight tramping might be a lot safer than conventional tramping.
First, by carrying a lighter load there must be less chance of falling or straining knees or hips. Secondly, as the gear is light we always carry full storm gear and a tent or fly. Having shelter means we are not forced to ford a flooded river to get to a hut.
We carry a tiny radio for weather forecasts as well as a small cellphone and a locator beacon.
We are great believers in the beacons as they can save time for SAR and reduce the time taken to receive medical treatment after an accident.
Tramping for everyone.
The idea that our wilderness should be used exclusively by those capable of carrying huge loads is ridiculous because this excludes many people who love getting out.
Young people are given heavy loads to carry on school tramps or at Adventure Schools, so it is no wonder they think tramping is not for them.
Women often come in very small sizes and are expected to carry the same loads as their large male friends. The so called "women's gear" often means little difference in weight. Older people and those with an injury give up the interest of a lifetime because the loads they formerly carried are now too much for them.
Yet all these people carry more weight in their daypacks than I would carry for an overnight trip.
Hurunui Hut Kaimai Ranges.
The Kaimias are an ideal place to start ultralighting.The weather is somewhat milder than the rest of the country and you are never far from a road.
Guide to the Kaimais.
Anne has just finished a guide to the
Kaimai Ranges. It has 22 weekend
trips from easy to hard.
It includes detailed hand drawn maps and directions to long lost cullers tracks
and huts such as Hurunui, with many original colour photos. Convenient A5 size, 141 pages.
Price $29.50 plus $3.20 P@P
Send to Anne Dudley C/-
Ultralight Tramping Shop
P.O. Box 80209
Green Bay
Auckland
Please make cheques out to Anne Dudley