Lighten Up!

Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus

632g

59L capacity

Mirage 580 Sea Kayak

A while back in this post (http://thenorrisfiles.blogspot.com/2010/11/mirage-19-sea-kayak.html) I mentioned that I had settled on a brand of sea kayak and was ready to purchase. However, some unexpected and expensive dental work put a hole in the budget and delayed the purchase until now.

I ended up purchasing the Mirage 580 Kevlar, essentially an expedition sea kayak that is supposedly a versatile, stable boat that tracks well in all conditions from flat water to ocean passages. According to Mirage it is a kayak that can maintain high cruising speeds over an extended period and boasts a track record that includes numerous Bass Strait crossings, extended east and west coast trips and is a popular boat amongst the Hawksberry Classic crowd.

While most of the above mentioned trips are well outside my comfort zone (now or in the future) the Mirage 580 was the only boat that after fours years of searching came the closest to matching what I wanted in a kayak. Time will tell but what I can say is that I’m happy my days of sit on top kayaking are over!

Brief Specifications for Mirage 580

*Length 5.8m/19ft

*Beam 55.5cm/22.5 inches

*Weight (Kevlar)22.5kg/49.0lbs

*Mako fibreglass touring paddle

*Comfort combo backrest and seat

*Carry toggles (bow and stern)

*Electric bilge pump

*Hand bilge pump (spare)

*Deck compass

*Cockpit cover

*Combi spray skirt

*Paddle leash

*Ultra Trek 11 PFD

Out with the old in with the Lynx

I made the change from boots for hiking to trail runners today. Not that I have ever been a full boot convert as my Scarpa "boots" are only ankle high and not a full boot. In some respects my Scarpa boots have served me well taking me on two trips to New Zealand including many hikes and riding the Queen Charlotte Track and the Otago Rail Trail. They also saw me through a 5 week tour of Europe with many walking miles covered including hiking in Switzerland and riding in the South of France. As well, they have been worn on many rides/hikes around Brisbane in addition to my South Australian trip. They also saw duty as my work shoe for around six months. Despite this they have held up considerable well with no obvious signs of falling apart.

However, they have there faults. They have given me many blisters but that has mainly been when I have been covering many miles on pavement. I always get hotspots on my toes and front part of my foot with these boots particularly when walking downhill. But, the main reason I will no longer hike in the Scarpas is I have lost confidence in them after a heavy fall in them when crossing wet rock. Since then when scrambling, climbing or anywhere near a wet surface I have no belief that this boot will keep me upright. Definitely not what you want when hiking!

I had read good reports from long distance hikers about the La Sportiva Fireblade trail shoe so I decided to try them out. Turns out the Fireblades are obsolete and have been replaced by the Lynx model. K2 Base Camp had a few of the old Fireblades on sale for a very cheap price but it was obvious at a glance that the old Fireblades and the new Lynx runners have little in common. Commenting on this to the sales guy he explained that in Europe trail running has exploded in popularity so La Sportiva had made the decision to pour research and development money into that market and the result is the Lynx trail runner. This made sense as the Fireblade is a very basic looking shoe where the Lynx is visually a fully optioned trail runner.

Time will tell how the Lynx rates as a hiking shoe but one thing is very obvious, it will have way more grip than my Scarpa boots. Now I need to get some miles on them and get them broken in.







Long term review 22/5/12;

My main complaint with this shoe is that it offers very little  toe protection. As a result, I have lost a few toe nails when hiking with these shoes. They dry out very quickly when wet, even after creek crossings, and to date I have noticed only a few minor foot hotspots towards the end of a long days walk. I have a decent amount of confidence in the grip they offer other than on a steep muddy slope which I suspect no shoe would have handled that well. When they wear out I probably wouldn't purchase these again, only because of the limited toe box protection they provide

2011 Gear Wish List.

I have been thinking that 2011 may be the year to bite the bullet and get all the gear that I have been promising myself. I do like new gear so I suspect that I will always be eying of some new piece of kit however, I think these are the big ticket items that if I had the money I would purchase right now. Its an expensive list but I will see what happens during the year.

1)Mirage 580 Kayak - Kevlar optioned, expedition ready with electric bilge pump and charger, compass, backrest and seat pad, carry toggles and transport to Brisbane -around $3600 -Purchased 28/10/11 $3557.50

2)PFD, spray shirt, cockpit cover, hand bilge pump, paddle with drip rings, paddle leash - around $800 - Purchased $658.00 28/10/11
 

3)Stumpjumper FSR Elite with Brain suspension 2011 model - around $4300 - Purchased Specialized 2013 Camber 29er 19/12/12

4)GPS mount and holder for touring bike - around $200 - Purchased 8/2/11 from Johnny Appleseed - Ram mount and holder $55.00.

5)Light weight hiking tent Tarptent Scarpa 2 - around $350 - Purchased 14/01/11 -I ended up with an impulse buy because the tent was reduced in price. It is a Big Agnes Seedhouse 2 Superlight. With footprint and shipping from USA it cost $371.42USD, $383.91AUS from Moontrail.com. I wasn't completely sold on the Scarpa 2 and the Big Agnes keeps cropping up in reviews as a decent tent and the price was alright so time will tell if it is a good purchase. It should save around 1kg in packweight which is considerable..


6)Bicycle touring tent - Hillberg Kaitum GT - around $900.00 - I have had a bit of a re-think on this tent. $900.00 is alot of money for a tent that will only get used on cycling tours so at this stage I am going to trial probably my North Face Road Runner 2 on my cycle trip to the Outer Hebrides in May 2011 and see how it handles the conditions. If it doesn't meet the standard then I will reconsider the Hillberg

7)Trangia stove - around $140.00 - Purchased 4/1/11 online from Main Peak I ended up getting the Trangia 27-1 Hard Anodized version $187.00

8)Light weight hiking/trail running shoes - La Sportiva Fireblades - around $160 - Purchased 2/1/11, the Fireblades are obsolete and have been completely redesigned and renamed the Lynx -$161.10 at K2 Basecamp

9)Garmin Australia/New Zealand TOPO V3 - $229 - Purchased 8/2/11 from Johnny Appleseed $199

10)Lights for touring bike front/rear - fairly basic - around ?? $300.00 - Purchased May 2011 - fairly basic, cheap set from Epic Cycles

11)Gaiters for this coming Australian autumn/winter hiking - around $80.00? - Purchased Sea to Summit Quagmires early 2012

12)Mountain bike touring shoes SPD compatible, not sure which model around $200 - I am going to give this item a miss for the time being. I'm not sure clip-less are for me yet

13)New bike helmet - around $116.00? - Purchased Giro Athlon December 2012

14)Explore the options for riding/sport sunglasses with compatible optical lenses -around $450

15) GPS/Heart rate monitor for training - around $400 - Purchased Garmin Forerunner 405csx 15/06/11 on eBay for $298

16) GoPro HD camera - around $400 (undecided about the benefits/usage of this yet - For the moment I have pretty much decided I do not want this item

17) MSR MiniWorks Ex Micro Water Filter - around $200 - no trips I have planned requite this at the moment so I do not have a need to purchase it

18) Two extra camera batteries for Panasonic LX-5 - Purchased 06/02/11 online from Digital Camera Warehouse $205.00 including delivery for two

19) Light weight water canteens/bottles - Purchased 27/01/11. I ended up with a 1 litre soft sided collapsible Platypus squeeze bottle $22.99 from Paddy Pallin and two Nalgene 1 litre soft sided collapsible wide mouth canteens from K2 Base Camp $23.95 each

20) Ortlieb large rack bag as my medium size one isn't large enough for my tent/sleeping bag and pad etc. Purchased from The Touring Store 22/02/11 -$80.00USD plus delivery - not sure of the Australian dollar conversion yet.

21) Cycling specific rain jacket - maybe the Ground Effect Stormtrooper $249NZ - Purchased 17/04/11 from Ground Effects

22) Exped chair converter for down mattress - I am heading more towards  light weight hiking so that would rule this item out however, I would consider purchasing this if I have planned a lengthy cycle touring trip

There are a few other odds and ends that I will need on specific trips but this list includes all the high cost items. Other gear in particular my current tendency towards lighter weight clothing in particular wet weather gear will have to wait as I am determined to wear out the gear I already own before replacing it.

Now that I have formalised the list I realise that I will not be purchasing all these items next year as my budget just doesn't allow for it. The kayak and gear I consider a certainty, the bike and tents can wait and the other gear I will pick up as I need. I originally hoped I could buy the kayak this summer but at this point I think a winter purchase ready for next summer is the best option for my finances. This will hopefully give me time to save and allow me to pick up the less expensive items that will complete my cycle touring/hiking kits barring the purchase of the two extra tents to my current Northface Road Runner 23.

Ground Effect Tardis Bike Bag

I bought this bike bag a few months ago but haven't used it in anger as I had to postpone the Mawson Trail trip. The Tardis is a soft shell bag that folds down to around an A4 size when not in use. Your bike wheels are packed on either side of the bag and held in loosely by inbuilt sleeves while the hub and front axle positions on the bike wheels are somewhat protected with some padding to these parts of the bag.

Hardened plastic axle spacers come as standard with the bag in addition to an inner pocket which stores your dismantled pedals. The bag comes with an over the shoulder strap that allows it to be carried in that manner even if somewhat awkwardly considering the weight. I purchased the bag from NZ through Ground Effects at a cost of around $130 NZ.
The photos show the bike packed for the flight down to South Australia for the cancelled Mawson Trail trip. The Tardis does not have much in the way of integrated padding so as seen in the photos I have fairly heavily protected the frame and wheel areas.

The pictures don't show it as I hadn't finished packing but around the bike frame clothes, panniers, camping equipment etc, will be packed to add further protection.

I won't really be able to judge the pro's and con's of the bag until I head to the Outer Hebrides next year as I have no bike trips planned that involve air travel until then.

However its immediately obvious that you wouldn't want to carry the bag very far but that is more related to the bikes weight than the bag itself. The limited amount of padding is an issue but this can be overcome by padding the frame as I have done.

However,this creates the problem of what to do with the padding when you arrive at your destination as the Tardis alone folds down to the size of an A4 sheet of paper. Also, I think the bag needs a bike symbol stenciled onto the outside of the bag in the hope that the baggage handlers might notice and take some extra care. Otherwise, I think the Tardis is a pretty cool piece of gear but the real test will come when I fly overseas with it.

Mirage Sea Kayak

After a few years of indecision and confusion I think I am closer to deciding on which kayak to purchase. I have waged a war in my head about the merits of sit on top kayaks versus sit in kayaks, primary and secondary stability and plastic versus fiberglass hulls.

Then, I read a review of the Australian made Mirage Kayaks on their website which described the Mirage 19 as a stable workhorse, exactly what I have been looking for. Additionally, they appear to have good balance between primary and secondary stability, a largish cockpit and they are regarded as a relatively fast boat that are suitable for expeditions having crossed Bass Strait numerous times.

They appear to suit my requirements and even better I only really need to decide between two boats, either the Mirage 19 or the Mirage 580. I think this will be a next winter purchase so I still have some time to do more research and finalise the options I need. Unless something hugely negative comes up relating to these kayaks I don't plan on confusing myself any longer by looking at any other manufacturers. Roll on next winter!

First photo taken with Lumix LX5

30 second exposure
ISO 80
F7.1

Camera Arrival

My new DMC-LX5 camera arrived in the mail today. I haven taken any pictures in anger yet so I can't judge the image quality but it feels very comfortable to hold, the menus seem relatively uncomplicated and it is as compact in size as I had hoped. I will post some images taken by the camera shortly.

Panasonic Lumix LX5

As I mentioned in this post "http://thenorrisfiles.blogspot.com/2010/07/warrie-circuit-springbrook.html" my camera was damaged when I fell while out hiking. Since then it has continued to operate okay but with the automatic lens protector broken it has become difficult to keep the lens clean. The camera took some great pictures in South Australia but towards the end of the trip some black spots appeared on the lens and in the images and they can't be removed by cleaning the lens. Together with the need to clean the lens before every shot I am a bit over it and have lost patience with the camera so it is time to purchase a new one.

Initially I was interested in the new four thirds style camera in particular the Panasonic GF2 the successor to the popular GF1 which has a large fan base. In essence these cameras are a compact version of a DSLR with some of it capabilities but in a 'compact' body. They take a great photo judging by the images on online blogs. However, the cost, complexity and being less compact than I desired made the decision not to purchase this camera easier.

My attention turned to the Panasonic Lumix LX5 which is also a successor this time to the the hugely popular LX3. The camera can be described as a top of the line point and shot camera and carries the high quality Leica lens. It is compact, shoots well in low light, has increased functionality outside of auto mode and appears from the images I have viewed to posses higher image quality across a range of conditions when compared to my previous camera. These attributes cover everything I was looking for in a camera the only downside being the price which is just under the $800 mark from TEDS's.






Out of curiosity I checked an online camera dealer and found the price to be around $300 less expensive than TED's including delivery. Plus the online dealer came with a recommendation from people who had purchased cameras from them previously without issue. So it looks like I will place an order in the next day or two, in the mean time here is a few photos of the camera until the real thing arrives.

Thorn Nomad MK2; Its Arrived

The Nomad arrived today. It came in one huge box. First impressions even though the frame is wrapped in protection is that the build quality is very good, and the Brooks saddle looks fantastic. More pictures as I get it assembled.

Customs and GST

I got a phone call from the air freight company this morning saying the bike is in Brisbane and ready for collection. All I had to do was pay the custom duties and GST and the bike will be delivered. So I shelled out $571.95 in duties and tax and the bike should be delivered tomorrow. I was hoping to have a bit of a win and avoid paying the GST as I had heard in recent times that a couple of Thorn bikes had slipped through customs without GST being charged, but it was not to be.

Ortlieb Panniers

The Nomad MK2 is not a touring bike without panniers and the best panniers are apparently made by the Germans. So, I have ordered a set of red waterproof Ortlieb rear Bike Packer Plus panniers in addition to a waterproof rack pack which sits crossways on top of the panniers and a handlebar bag with map case..

I tried sourcing these items in Australia but ended up ordering them from America. Even accounting for the exchange rate and shipping I have come out about $500 dollars ahead than if I had bought them in Australia.


For security I added the option of an anti-theft attachment and a pair of detachable waterproof outer pockets for the panniers. I decided not to purchase front panniers for two reason;
firstly I don't want to put extra weight over the Nomads suspension fork which could affect the handling. Secondly, the Ortlieb rear panniers are quiet large and when combined with the top pack-rack will easily carry all the equipment, food, and clothes I need for a few weeks tour.

What!! No Tonka Yellow!!

I recieved some disappointing news today. Thorn Cycles emailed to inform me that a Nomad frame in my size and in Tonka Yellow would not be available until late September of 2010. That is just no use to me has I need the bike for the Mawson Track ride in early September. So, with some disappointment I settled for the powder coated black frame. The specification for the Nomad has been finalised and is listed below;

*Thorn Nomad Mk2 Mtt Black

*Thorn Nomad MK2 S+S couplings

*Magura Menja 2009 Suspension Fork 100 mm Travel - Black / Red OEM

*Andra 30 CSS / BLACK Rohloff EX / BLACK Deore (wheel kit)

*Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 CC 14 speed gear hub 32h Black with EX box

*Swissstop Blue Brake Pads for XTR Brakes

*Shimano Deore HB-M530 QR Parallax Front Hub 32 Hole - Black

*CroMo Rear Quick Release Alloy Skewer for 135 mm OLN Hubs - Silver

*Schwalbe 26 Inch 559 x 20 mm High Pressure PU Rim Tape

*Rigida Andra 30 26" (559) MTB Tungsten Carbide Rims - Black

*Schwalbe Marathon Extreme HS402 Folding Tyre - 26 x 2.25

Shimano XTR M970 V-brake upgrade inc. XTR Levers

*Thorn chainset 170mm 5 arm cranks (73mm shell)

*Pair Thorn triple solo alloy crankset length 170mm

* Shimano UN54 Bottom Bracket 73 mm Shell English Thread 113 mm

*Shimano Type Chromed 8 mm Allen Key Crank Bolts

*Thorn 110mm 5arm Reversible SINGLE ring 38T

*Brooks B17 Standard saddle Honey with black steel rails

*Sram 3/32 Inch PC890 Chain Double or Triple Chainsets 114 Links 7 / 8 Speed

*Cane Creek 3G Thudbuster suspension seatpost, 590g includes neoprene cover

*Shimano PD-MX30 DX ATB Flat Pedals

*Water bottle Profile Design Cage

*Cateye CC-MC100W Micro Wireless Cycle Computer - Black/Clear

*Thorn Expedition Steel Rear Cycle Pannier Rack - Black Powdercoat

*Thorn Front Loading Alloy Ahead Stem

*Thorn 6061 Alloy Straight Handlebars - 5 Deg Bend 580 mm Wide - Black

Thorn Nomad MK2

Finally, after a year of procrastinating, I have taken the plunge and purchased a Thorn Nomad MK2. Thorn Cycles are an English company that specialize in steel framed touring bikes. At first I couldn't decide which of their bikes to purchase as none of the bikes in their range seemed to fit my requirements or budget entirely.

Then, Thorn decided to make their most popular the Nomad, available with front suspension forks rather than rigid forks. I was sold at that point. Adding to the appeal is fact they design the frame around the Rohloff internal gearbox, a major plus when cycle touring. Lower gears, no derailleur and minimal maintenance, what more could I ask for?

Another very expensive option that I have gone with is the S&S couplings. They allow allow the bike frame to be broken down into two pieces for ease of travel, in particularly, air travel. The couplings don't weaken the frame at all and in fact, apparently, strengthen it slightly. After finalizing the bikes specification I will be placing an order in the next day or so.

The bike pictured below is fairly similar to the spec bike I have ordered. Visually, the only differences are that I will not have front and rear mudguards or the front pannier rack Tthe front forks will be suspension not rigid as per the photo, the Brooks saddle will be honey in colour and yes, I have ordered the bike in Thorns new killer colour; Tonka Yellow.

Bike Rack Sorted

I went out today and bought some roof and bike rack for the Focus today. I ended up getting them from Roof Racks Galore over at Kedron. They only had Rhino Aero Racks instock so I went with them. They also can carry kayak racks as well. For the bike rack they had either the Rhino brand or the Thule brand. I decided on the Thule brand as being made Sweden they should be good quality and they were only $2.00 more expensive than the Rhino bike rack. Both the aero bars and the bike rack have keyed locks for security.

I certainly didn't buy the most expensive option but it still cost $501. I coudn't be bothered installing them myself so they installed them while I waited. All up purchase price including installation was $536.00. Very expensive I know, but that is the going rate for them at the moment. I plan on giving them a test run in the morning on a trip up to Mt Glioious to ride the Super V.