The Overland Track is a beautiful piece of Tasmanian wilderness, commonly ranked as one of the world's top 10 walks. It take 6-7 days to cover the 85kms of track (or less depending on side trips and whether you start at Ronny Creek or at the entry to Cradle Mountain National Park). Here is a video from the Tasmanian parks department with footage and information about what it takes to walk the track:
What do I need to take? Don't go without:
- A first aid kit. You will be very far from help and there is no cell phone reception. If/when you make it to a hut, there will be a radio in the ranger's quarters although you must keep in mind that the parks department does not facilitate evacuations--you will have to wait for the ambulance and fire department. Each summer season the park has about 12 evacuations due to heart failure, knee injuries, and ankle injuries. Take care that you aren't one of them.
- Trekking poles. This is an addendum to the above as trekking poles will greatly aid you in maintaining stability while walking over rocks and roots, not to mention help you in mud, climbing over fallen trees, and stepping up or down over large gaps in uneven ground. One is useful, two is best. But none will certainly put you at more risk of injuring yourself and will slow you down.
- Gaitors. Many people on the trek wore them for snake protection as the extra layer of gortex is a good barrier between you and snake fangs. However, they serve another purpose too: mud protection. Imagine wet feet and socks full of little pieces of muddy grit and rocks--a perfect scenario for blisters. They will help keep mud out of your boots, off your pants, and will help you stay clean. We saw one girl hiking without them and she got mud in her boots. Before the end of the day, she had massive blisters all around her ankles where her boots rubbed. Don't skimp on this.
- A good backpack. Get a second opinion. Don't go with the first thing you see and make sure the staff really know what they are talking about. One woman on the track ended up with a bad too big for her and she had a very painful walk the first few days with a bag that didn't fit. Many outdoor shops employ young and inexperienced travelers so don't believe everything they say--they just want to make a sale. Most of them have zero knowledge of the outdoors. I found this to be a decent first test of my sales staff here in Sydney: if they hadn't heard of the Overland Track before, then they shouldn't be selling me gear. The Overland Track is Australia's most famous hike. If you haven't even heard of it and you're selling gear here, then you probably aren't going to be much help.
- Good boots. I tried on at least 20 pairs. I went to every shop in down town Sydney and really looked around. Don't go with the cheapest or what's on sale; choose the ones that fit best. As evidenced by my last post and the shoes that fell apart. This will be your life blood. You don't want blisters or numb toes with 60kms left to hike. And make sure you break them in. I walked to work in my boots for a few weeks (6kms a day) which helped me get them ready for the big hike.
- A good rain coat. It will rain at some point. That is life. Buy something with some serious gortex behind it so you don't end up wet and cold. Lots of rain coats leak and will still leave you sopping wet with sweat so make sure it ventilates well while still providing protection. Jeremy and I both have Arc'Teryx coats which run around $500 USD. They are pricey but arguably the best coat out there. Keep in mind that you will be climbing over rocks and through bushes at points so make sure it's a strong material that won't rip. It's better to invest in something good now than buy crap and regret it later.
- A tent. True, there are huts every night and you will likely get a bed in each one. However, they do pack out and you might have to sleep outside. Not to mention, if a crazy storm moves in and you are in the middle of the track, you might have to camp for protection from the elements. Buy something with a waterproof bottom, a rain fly and good ventilation. Make sure it's big enough for you and your hiking pals and that there is enough room for your bags too (if you leave them outside, critters will break into them looking for food). We had a two person tent that just barely fit us both in with our bags. It wasn't comfortable but it was doable. And make sure you buy something lightweight. Tents can weigh a surprising amount of kilos so research your options and keep that in mind. You will be carrying it for 85kms--don't carry anything heavier than is necessary.
- A water purification system. Tasmania has really clean water and the rain water tanks each night are also pretty clean. Some people would stock up at the huts from the rain water tank without treating their water at all and none of them got sick (on our trip) but that won't always be the case. Rain water tanks are dependent on the rain (duh!) and might be low when you arrive. You must be prepared to get water from lakes and streams, and if you do, you must be prepared to sterilize it. There's nothing like giardia in the woods, 40kms each way from modern medicine, and on short supply of toilet paper! Be smart. Purify your water. We used the SteriPen which uses UV lights to kill bacteria. Sounds crazy? I've been using it on travels for 5 years and haven't been sick yet.
What am I going to eat?
The down side of walking the track is that you have to plan and pack your own food for the entire time you are out (and pack our your garbage too). Most people aim to pack about 5-6kg per person in food but you should consider packing a little bit more as animals may get into your pack, you might have under prepared for the trek, or you might need to bail out someone else on the track who under prepared/lost food. In researching the trek, I read one story about a guy who assumed that he could fish every day and eat his catch that night. BAD PLAN. You will not a) have time to fish, or b) be able to find so many streams with fish each day. The other hikers ended up feeding him for the rest of the trek. So be prepared.
Also, consider that your food will weigh a ton, so pack instant or dehydrated food wherever you can. Thankfully, as you eat your food, your pack will get lighter and more compact. That is unless you pack canned food (not a good idea). Canned food might be tasty but you still have to pack out the cans which don't compress well and still add on weight. Try to limit canned food.
In planning our meals, I really took into account the distance and difficult of each day's track. If it was a very long flat day, I counted on high fiber meals with some protein for endurance and longer energy burns. If it was a big elevation day, I planned on lots of protein for strength work and endurance longevity. For short easy days, we had carbs and veggies to replenish our nutrition and energy stores. Here is what I planned for us on the track:
Day 1: Ronny Creek to Waterfall, 10.7km mostly uphill
B: Eggs, capsicum, potatoes x2, onion
S: Trail mix and carrots
L: Mussels, crackers, cheese, avocado
S: Trail mix
D: Couscous, zucchini, asparagus w/garlic butter
Day 2: Waterfall to Windemere, 7.8km mostly flat
B: Oatmeal
S: Muesli bar
L: Instant potatoes, garlic butter (we ended up eating the rest of our eggs as well because they cracked)
S: Jerky
D: Butter chicken (from a dehydrated meal pack)
Day 3: Windemere to New Pelion, 16.8km mostly downhill
B: Break, banana protein shake, oatmeal
S: Muesli bar, carrots
L: Mussels, crackers, cheese, avocado
S: Trail mix
D: Spaghetti, zucchini
Day 4: New Pelion to Kia Ora, 8.6km mostly uphill
B: Oatmeal, canned baked beans, chorizo **best breakfast on the track**
S: Muesli bar
L: Instant potatoes, garlic butter
S: Jerky
D: Instant potatoes, carrots, dehydrated peas
Day 5: Kia Ora to Bert Nichols, 9.6km mostly uphill
B: Oatmeal
S: Museli Bar
L: Instant noodles (4 packs for two people)
S: Trail Mix
D: Carrot, zucchini, couscous
*Dessert: Astronaut ice cream and apple pie (both from a dehydrated meal pack)
Day 6: Bert Nichols to Echo Point, 15.5km mostly flat
B: Potatoes x 3, capsicum, onion
S: Muesli bar
L: Canned salmon, crackers, sundried tomatoes, cheese
S: Jerky
D: Chicken Tikka (from a dehydrated meal pack), stuffing mix
Day 7: Echo Point to Lake St Clair
B: Cheese and salami
S: Trail Mix
Extra food we packed: chai tea to be made in a thermos (very good idea), instant soups (only ate 2/8 but at least we had them), a thai curry packet, long-life rye bread (disgusting) with a small jar of peanut butter.
We truthfully ate almost all of our food. The good thing was that most items came in plastic flat packs or were veggies which we ate entirely (or put down the compost toilet), we found smoked salami and sausages which made a very nice addition along the way (can last up to 7 days or longer), and only had to pack out four small cans. The dehydrated food packs are varyingly good (go with the Gourmet Chef brand) but cost a fortune at nearly $20 per meal for two! We chose to buy them for special occasions (Christmas and our last night) which was a good idea. I think all up our food cost about $200 for the trip but we ate well, enjoyed our delicious food, and felt satisfied and healthy with what we ate.
Don't bother packing---
- A compass. The trail is well marked and unless you plan on off-roading, you won't lose your way.
- Binoculars. Too heavy. You won't need them to see wildlife which will just walk up to you.
- A day pack. Unless you plan on taking rest days and exploring side trails, you won't need it. It's just extra weight and extra bulk.
Pack extra--
- Socks. Two sets for hiking, two sets for at night.
- Toilet paper. Several people ran out of toilet paper and had to "bum" off other people, so bring extra (not just for you but for others). Wiping your butt with leaves is annoying.
- Gummy bears. You might need a little sugar pick-me up at some point. Not to mention it's a moral booster on hard days.
What about the snakes????!
I only mention this because I've been asked it so many times and because I worried about snakes a lot before we headed out on the track. Tasmania has three snakes--all three venomous, all three using the same anti-venom. Two of them can be found on the track: the tiger snake and the white-lipped snake. If you come across one, it will likely be on the trail trying to catch some sun. However, if you make lots of noise, they will likely move. Just stomp your feet and beat your trekking poles.
But truthfully, you probably won't see one because there are so many people on the track, making noise and scaring them off with vibrations in the ground. I didn't see one and I was looking everywhere. One person we hiked with saw a tiger snake and another saw the white-lipped snake but both times they scurried off. It's natural to worry but don't get too excited. You will be watching the track closely while you hike because you will be walking over lots of rocks and root and will need to watch your footing, so it's unlikely you'll step on one. That plus with the noise you'll make, it's highly unlikely you'll even see one at all. But be prepared. Research how to treat snake bites and make sure you pack your first aid kit accordingly.
Being ready physically
I don't think you have to be an experienced walker to do this trek. It's not that hard. However, you should have some level of fitness. Your pack will be really heavy, sometimes you will be crawling up rocks on your hands and knees, and you will be walking for hours and hours on end (we had two 10 hour days). Make sure you've prepared your body by weekly working out with running, stair climbing, pushups and core work. You will use your entire body to carry your pack and your legs will need to be strong for the endless steps you will go up and down. It's easy enough that people aged 5-87 can do it (and have), but hard enough that a real couch potato will suffer.
Any other questions? Let me know! Drop them in the comments. :)
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