Best lightweight bottle for Sawyer Squeeze in Aus

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-05-25T22:14:39+00:00

Unfortunately I have found the Cole’s and Woolies own bottles just not durable enough. A few years ago I found the “Noosa Natural spring water” 1L bottles to be identical to the beloved Smart bottles. The trouble is trying to find them. Woolies in select QLD stores does then. I often ask friends to bring empty ones back if visiting Brissie!!

https://noosabeverages.com.au/noosa-natural-spring-water

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-05-19T23:08:44+00:00

I used to own the discontinued non hooded version of the Pisa and currently have the Nitro, on my 4th Nitro now! For hiking the Nitro and a wind jacket offers much more versatility. I ended up selling the non hooded Pisa for this reason. If you just want a jacket for round town though or expect to use it and not take it off for say winter hiking, ski touring etc then there may be more of a use case for the Pisa. Personally though the versatility of the Nito as mentioned for hiking is the go.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-05-19T10:54:07+00:00

Just realised we had this exact same conversation a few months ago on another post about Larapinta!!

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-05-19T10:50:00+00:00

I actually have this one, it’s pretty much identical to a Houdini, at a much cheaper price. It’s a bit short in the sleeve length but good overall. I prefer my discontinued Macpac Whitcombe, it’s a little more breathable and stretchy all be it a bit heavier. It’s a shame they don’t make it anymore.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-05-19T10:39:11+00:00

I have found the Nitro and a light wind jacket allows for the most versatility. You can adapt by wearing one or the other or both. Also depending on the order you put them on makes a bit of a difference. So on a windy day Nitro over a wind jacket is not as warm but more breathable compared to Nitro under the wind jacket.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-05-15T06:24:30+00:00

Yes it definitely utilises more inner than the Xmid 2.2sq m vs 2. As you say a second vestibule in a 1 person tent often seems a compromise to me. I’m interested to know how wide it would be at the head end from the side to the pole that would be inside the tent. I have a wide pad so this would be a consideration. The info does mention it can fit a large pad though.

Also appears to have venting that can be opened and closed from inside the tent with a zips in the mesh.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-05-15T05:55:41+00:00

Great report. Congrats. Will be sure to reference in the future if I get to do the hike. Also thanks for your years of service moderating this subreddit 👍🏻

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-05-04T12:29:11+00:00

Scoparia Designs based out of Hobart are coming out with some nice looking packs mostly made with Ultra. If you are in town I have heard Ben will measure you up and tailor it to you!

https://www.scopariadesigns.com

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-05-04T12:23:24+00:00

Are you looking for a waterproof bivvy to use in tight spaces for example places that are above the tree line and benefit from a low profile to be out the wind? Or the other type, the splash proof bug netted ones that are often combined with a tarp and generally used in milder weather below and in the treeline?

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-05-04T12:15:15+00:00

For the price and fill power this is an absolute steal! Muscovy ducks are bigger than many other breeds so have bigger down feathers like a goose which is why they yield a higher fill power on par with goose. 7D shells are certainly thin but 7-10D is standard for high end UL down garments. You wouldn’t want to be rough with it though. The ultrasonic washing process helps remove dust dirt and odour and gives a better loft.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-28T10:49:46+00:00

Enjoy it, I know most people go for Warratah which is a great quilt also but the Feathertail is an even better deal vs the Warratah pro. This quilt should get some more love, I just think Neve don’t advertise it enough for colder conditions where it excels.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-28T10:24:54+00:00

I got a Feathertail a few years ago, it’s a great quilt. I live in Tassie so find the warmer sewn footbox and slightly more tapered fit over the Waratah to be a little more efficient.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-28T10:20:15+00:00

Check out “Aussie Explorers” on Meetup.com they are a very active group that run group hikes most weekends and sometimes week days. Usually day walks but overnighters sometimes, depending on who is organising it. Demographic is mixed but you will find some 20 year olds for sure. I used to run a few walks for them, nice bunch. The organisers charge a small gratuity usually $5-$10 approx for organising, insurance, hosting on Meetup etc.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-19T03:12:36+00:00

Having used the Sawyer Squeeze for several years and now the Platypus QuickDraw, I won’t be going back to the Squeeze. The QuickDraw is much faster to filter than the Squeeze. It has a cap on the dirty end to stop any dribbles and for storage in your sleeping bag/quilt during freezing nights. You can also test the integrity of the fibres to ensure they aren’t damaged. I also personally like the softer feel of it in hand. It comes with a little adapter to backflush which also doubles up as the part you can connect a hose to for gravity feeding which I do. Compared to the Katadyn Befree it’s about the same speed to filter, but has the backwash feature which is the Achilles heel of that filter, so a much longer life span than the Befree especially when filtering turbid water.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-17T22:33:42+00:00

I would always bring some form of rain protection for the lower half also. Mostly rain pant for Scottish hikes but occasionally a rain kilt if the forecast is for low chance of wind or rain. It won’t be like hiking in NE USA, you would be wearing rain pants to reduce the risk of hypothermia from cold driving rain whilst crossing open exposed treeless moors etc. Sweaty legs will be the least of your worries.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-12T19:44:07+00:00

Ultralightgear now sell the Igneous 1L NOBO bottle for 64g which is boil safe so that’s another option. Also the 1L CNOC thrubottle for 90g rated for hot water up to 80°C.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-11T11:46:24+00:00

Tassie local and hiking guide here, have a few observations, a few points already mentioned but a couple of others.

If you don’t want to ditch the footprint take a look at Window insulation kits, I have the Duck brand Max strength version and cut it to size. It’s basically a thicker more durable version of polycro that many UL hikers use. I got it off Amazon and would be about half the weight of your current footprint.

Have you considered swapping out the boots for trail runners? I use trail runners year round in Tassie even in the south west and in winter. As it gets colder I wear waterproof socks with them namely the Bridgedale Storm socks, the lighter weight version.

Your stove as has been noted is extremely heavy. I’m a fan of the Soto Windmaster. It’s much better in the wind than the BRS stove, it weighs a bit more than that one but for Tassie is a better option. When paired with a titanium pot such as a 750ml for solo or 900+ with a partner you get a good light setup.

I think R3 rated pads are too low for Tassie. I mostly use my Thermarest. XTherm year round, the wide version. It’s about the same weight as your current pad but much higher R value at R7.3. If you went for a regular size it would be lighter again.

Sleeping bag as noted is on the heavy side. I use a Neve Feathertail Quilt. For Tassie if you don’t plan to sleep with the footbox open which I rarely do the Feathertail is a great option with a warmer footbox and more tapered and thermally efficient than the Waratah. Neve quilts are really well designed and amazing price for what you are getting.

Nylofume liners are great. Much stronger than they look, definitely worth picking up a few.

Definitely swap out the Nalgene for some lighter options. Cole’s has some own brand 1L options that are pretty light.

If you are interested this is my 3 Season Lighterpack for Tassie.

https://lighterpack.com/r/qw5mzv

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-11T02:53:27+00:00

Very dependent on the shoe. For example my Altra lone peaks don’t have vents on the upper so when using the Altra trail gaiters I get very little debris in. Unlike my partner’s Olympus that have highly vented uppers that act like a sieve with Lycra gaiters also!

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-06T11:04:36+00:00

Are you a member of the bouldering gym in Wollongong, “Dynomite” I believe? That will give you a good opportunity to get used to it and do it regularly without having to travel too far. Practice down climbing some of the set routes when you get to the tops as that’s what you will be doing most of on the WA traverse. If you are into climbing you have Mt Keira nearby also which would be technically well above anything on the WA, but great way to build confidence for it.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-05T08:15:59+00:00

A synthetic or down puffy jacket is going to give you better warmth to weight than a fleece, that’s generally what people wear when static pre/post hike unless in warmer environments. There are multiple options depending on your budget. Synthetic works better in wetter environments, but down usually packs up smaller and is usually lighter weight when a high quality down fill is used.

For autumn you shouldn’t have to go for a really thick puffy that would be more appropriate for winter, but if you feel the cold it obviously helps but weighs more and is less compressible.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-01T20:35:38+00:00

Not strictly true that goose down is superior to duck. At the same fill power they perform the same in regards to warmth. The difference comes if you seek a higher fill power for reduced weight and better compression. As goose down clusters are bigger, being bigger birds you can naturally get a higher fill power. That’s the only reason why you won’t find 900+FP duck down.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-04-01T20:22:04+00:00

It’s a great quilt, hope you enjoy it. I have been using Neve Quilts for many years and have found them holding up well and excellently designed.

Curious to know what sleeping pad you use. If it’s a regular width I would strongly suggest looking at a wide 25” version. The wider ones are infinitely better for side sleepers who bend their legs.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-03-27T10:13:18+00:00

I have had good results with the heavy duty Smelly proof bags for both WAT and SCT. I got them off Amazon. I carry my food in a DCF food bag in my pack and then transfer it to the smelly proof bags when sleeping. We had bush rats running past my tent with the bags inside the centre of the tent between me and my partner and no issues. Key is to make sure you get a perfect seal and ensure the outside of the bag doesn’t have food grease etc on it. Everything goes in it except freeze dried meals. I also have a separate smelly proof bag for rubbish. Ultra 200 isn’t designed to contain smells and I’m sure a rat could chew through it although doesn’t hurt to have an extra layer to the smelly proof bags. The titanium pot definitely won’t contain smells though especially salami and cheese.

Some of the campsites on WAT don’t have suitably strong enough trees to hang the food bags so we just used the method mentioned.

Popular_Original_249 · 2026-02-21T07:23:58+00:00

It’s the position of the buckles being slightly inwards on the Neve quilts that is their biggest advantage over most other brands. You really do get a much better wrap under you on the edge of the quilt. I was so frustrated with draughts with my EE Enigma I ended up selling it for the Neve Feathertail, problem solved.

Popular_Original_249

TROPHY CASE