Overland Track • Tasmania • Thru Hike

[@PeterCharlesworth]

Awesome - I did this walk in 1989 before all the boardwalks and huts went in. Waist deep mud in places and leeches and snakes everywhere. Was before lightweight gear took off too so I walked it all with a 40kg rucksack at age 16 🤙. Loved seeing this dude, thanks for taking the time to record it. Brought back some great memories

[@Lanz22]

Pete you champ.

[@aaronsimmons5523]

I did it too in 1986 when I was only 7 years old with my parents and family friends, I averaged about 20km a day.

[@AlainStewart]

That's hard-core man. I've never carried 40kg for a hike but I can only imagine what that would be like. When I think back 15 years ago when I started hiking in scouts, I didn't even think about weight. I estimate that I probably carried 20 to 25kg for multiday hikes. It's amazing to see how far the hiking tech has come - and now I carry about 14kg for a multiday hike (with consumables) and I think 14kg is heavy. Maybe I (and everyone) should just harden up.

[@nwdixieboy]

So beautiful. Such a civilized hike. I usually get tired of a lot of chatter, but you were very pleasant to spend time with. Thanks for showing me this unknown world to me!

[@Moodyhammer]

So rad to have Zpacks crew visit Oz, glad you had a blast on our tracks :D

[@steffie41675]

Im so grateful that I was on these hikes with you because now I can go back and re-live these amazing experiences. Thank You

[@iGingerNinjaTV]

I love my backyard and I'm glad you do too :D

[@brissiAU]

You got lucky with the weather, done the walk 3 times, in winter it is brutal and only for the experienced hiker, glad you had a good time.

[@Caffy73]

I’ve just finished the OT and your hilarious commentary /freak out on snakes was in my ears all the time 😀

[@dingodoggy66]

Wow you guys really scored with the weather. Nice vid 👌

[@danilobernini]

This video made me even more excited to do this track. I'm going in the end of march and I hope the weather is as good as you guys got. Great video!! Cheers

[@CalebEade]

How'd it go?

[@chrystalbriggs1878]

Tasmania is the greatest place I have ever seen. I have travelled the world 🗺 and you guys are blessed with that sky! I plan to move to Australia Tasmania asap

[@CahillNH]

Can't believe all the landscape changes, so beautiful. Thanks for taking us along.

[@deldridg]

Great vid guys. We're planning a 4 to 6 day hike at the end of this year with our kids and the Overland is high on the list. We enjoyed your experience over dinner just now and are very grateful to you for bringing it to us. Nice to have a kid-friendly commentary too - very respectful and it's appreciated. Cheers from Sydney, Aust - Dave PS. Love your tents.

[@HikingWithShawn]

What a diverse trail, going from that wooden boardwalk type platform to rocky environments and singletrack forest trails. Very cool and very unique to say the least - looked like an awesome hike to witness!

[@scvawser]

Loved it!! I've walked the Overland 3 x and every time it's new! I love it. Thanks for coming down under!

[@sergianic]

Really good - one of the best and helped with a rare spell of great weather. Please come back and show us some more: South Coast Track, Lake Rhona and Frenchmans Cap. You do it so well. I hope every potential visitor and Tassie tourism get to see and use this.

[@RedBeard0924]

Serge Ferrier thanks so much. I fell in love with Tasmania. Would love to go back and hit some of the other tracks. I definitely wouldn’t mind relocating to that island. Cheers. 👍

[@scidso456]

Wild hike Will. What a beautiful island! Thanks to you, it's now on my list.

[@auswalker7865]

Loved your video. I've done this hike twice, first in 1996 and again in 2002. Both were in March (autumn / fall). The first time we had rain, hail, sleet and snow, with temperatures down to _5 degrees C (23 degrees F) on the first 2 days out of 5 total. Hardly saw any scenery on the first day. Second trip we had weather similar to your hike. 3 nights was a great effort - Well done!

[@Terraceview]

That is absolutely stunningly beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing

[@LampLighter]

Absolutely fantastic hike! Thanks so much for bringing us all along! Will, great commentary, and your videography skills are beyound professional! Hike well done to you all! Cheers from Canada eh! Lamplighter 2019 out!😉

[@petersherman2552]

Nice video. Your genuine love of nature comes across. Watch out for those Tiger snakes! Would you believe that the sound of snoring has been known to cause them to stowaway in dyneema backpacks? Especially the ones with zips.

[@RedBeard0924]

Ha! I hadn’t hear that. 😂

[@carolynkid216]

I so enjoy your videos and commentary. It's nice to visit stunning places with you via your camera. Thanks Red Beard.

[@willieb.1700]

Hey Joe made it home with his hat this time! Thank you for sharing your experience with us shut ins.

[@ronsowers3542]

Man, that was truly amazing. In my opinion the best one yet. I’d really love to hike this one someday. I like Joes hoody and the new tent looks awesome.

[@chevy307sb]

This would have to be the best OT video I have see. Well done. I'm looking at doing it next year.

[@RedBeard0924]

Thanks ✌️ you are gonna love it. One of my favorite hikes I’ve done anywhere in the world.

[@PumpkinVillage]

What a great hike. Nice attention to detail. Thanks for taking us along. Take care, Al

[@JessicaontheAT]

This looks unreal, chance of a lifetime!

[@stevenhaworth4838]

Great video, thanks for sharing your trip. Very informative. :)

[@MrEMann]

Watched the whole thing. Well done. I think a Tasmania hike is in my future!

[@Of_Hermits_and_Hogs]

Awww. Thanks for this. Fond memories. Did the OT and all it's side trips solo when I was 16 back in 1994. That was before I had any idea what UL was, but I was young. :-D My sleep system alone had 15 pounds which I carried despite there being huts everywhere. I must have logged around 40 pounds in total which seemed normal to me back then. yep, "the times they are a changin' "

[@RedBeard0924]

That’s awesome. Man 15 lbs for sleep system. Thank goodness for lightweight gear now a days. My entire sleep system weighed about 2.5 lbs. I bet the Track was very different in 94!

[@Of_Hermits_and_Hogs]

Yep, Redbeard, those were different times both gear and trail wise. I did the OT in the beginning of October, so the climbs of Cradle Mountain and Mt Ossa had lots of spring snow. I also did Barn Bluff (the great solidary rock formation you [should not have] passed on day one) and have great memories of the views still almost 25 years later. The huts seem to have gotten nicer, but I remember my arrival to Echo Point Hut which seems not to have changed (at least on the outside). I arrived there in the afternoon, so I hiked the 7 miles out the the end of the trail, bought a pound of chocolate at a kiosk, and hiked 7 miles back to Echo Point Hut, to pass the my last night (night 3) still on the trail. Tasmania has some other "wilder" walking in other parts and Australia in general (I went bushwalking a lot while doing that exchange school year back in 94-95) has some nice walking including: Hinchinbrook Island and Fraser Island. And if you wanna go all out there is the Bicentennial National Trail (BNT) crossing eastern Australia from top to bottom which is longer than the CDT. I didn't do that one of course (had to go to school al least sometimes ;-) ). Well, if you guys are looking to do some walking in the alps in Europe, drop me a note. I live in a hut in the Italian south-western Alps near the French border which is one of the most sparsly populated areas in Europe - beautiful. I allow myself to link to a video on my channel showcasing the beauty of the region from a 2-day trip I did last october a few miles south of where I live. If you suffer through a few seconds of German in the beginning and day one, you will be rewarded with epic sunrise ibex shots in the second half ;-): kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2izZKataph8m5o

[@petersherman2552]

yep, a godsend (a Joe send?) for 50 YO knees.

[@ColoradoCamper]

Great trip, thanks for sharing. It's awesome that the weather allowed you to camp up on top of the high point like that.

[@Notpastourprime]

Loved the video, I did the trek back in 1995, there wasn't so much board walk then or the metal chains to get up Mar ions look out and there was so much fog couldn't see the view below one we eventually got up it, can't believe you guys didthe while trek in just three days-brillant, took me six, well done, would love to see new Zealand, any plans to go there, your videos are great

[@headwerkn]

‘This… is a climb, right here’. LOL, you need to check out Federation Peak or Mt Anne. Or the Western Arthurs Traverse. Ossa, by Tassie standards, is pretty tame in comparison ;-)

[@lisaf158]

I always get really excited to see your name pop up in my subscriptions! Another wonderful trip, thanks for taking us all along with you guys! Such a wonderful hiking team. I may have to watch this one again. :-)

[@emjay0507]

Good old Aussie Bush Stairs, universally hated by us Aussie walkers! Those are what we call Tree Ferns, they can get very tall. Postcard view are Postcard view on this walk Will.

[@jameswilliams7420]

That was awesome to watch. The footage was amazing.

[@rkaid7]

Amazing, did this a few years back. You guys have taken a much different route than we did. Note the "youtube confetti" in yr 4k upload. The FPV quad guys find that recording at 1k or 2.7, exporting from video editing app to 4k, then up'ing to YT can help with that issue.

[@grovelsnort]

Thanks for sharing this. Beautiful hike!

[@sarahy5540]

What a crazy amazing beautiful hike! As always, a great, informative video. Saw the Unita Highline videos last night and now this one. Thank you for sharing. Your PCT vids are still one of my favorites though!

[@RedBeard0924]

Sarah Y thanks so much. This was a beautiful trail for sure. I’ve been lucky to see some incredible places. Happy Hiking!

[@johnmay7929]

Outstanding video! Loved the scenery and that amazing boardwalk was very sweet. You do a great job editing.

[@couttsylives]

The OT is one of the great walks...and the weather makes it a different experience every time. You guys had some ideal conditions and that Mt Ossa summit camp is a real rarity. My only gripe in this vid is that you guys missed some seriously major side-trail highlights that you would have been blown away by and it would've cost you an extra 2 days (at most). Anyway, just means you have to come back and do it with some snow laying around (as the lakes freeze there are platypus everywhere!) Then there's the world famous Nothofagus...Ta for the great vid.

[@couttsylives]

And next trip...pencil in Federation Peak. That's a walk/climb that'll justify lightweight gear!!!

[@eztltd]

What a fantastic video! Great scenery, really well put over. It really brought back memories of my trip there a few years back. Glad you all had fun down under.

[@mickbeckers]

Nice one. You would have looked way out of place with the ultralight kits compared to the typical punter on the Overland. Great to see more lightweight crew out and about to show us in Oz that I can be done.

[@zorang]

Great video, I did the great Overland Track solo a week earlier over 4 nights. Did summits of Cradle Mt, Mt Ossa, Acropolis and Labyrinth then walked along lake St Clair over roots, roots and more roots to the visitors center ...it was really hot with most days around 35 degrees C. Did not see other UL hikers on the trail, would have been great to see the crew from Zpacks :)

[@mickkae3704]

OMG amazing adventure. I'm IN. always wanted to go to Tasmania

[@MrJoebmxer]

Unreal! You have been on some pretty amazing hikes in some epic places. What I’d give to be friends with your crew. Thank you for sharing your adventures!

[@KrizAkoni]

Really interesting hike! Love the hut system there.

[@CDPOutdoors]

Really enjoyed watching Thanks for sharing Clive

[@andrewjones6732]

Glad you liked Tassie.

[@jeffs6229]

Another epic hike! I gotta ask, are these ridiculously amazing hikes sponsored by zpacks as test gear hikes or do you guys just say ok let's go and you pay your own way? I need a job where everybody I work with is a backpacker. I have a hard enough time trying to get my buddies out on the AT or the Smokies, you guys do it so right! Absolutely amazing footage, great job on the video Red Beard! I'm blown away. Patagonia, Iceland, Tasmania??!!?? Where to next?!

[@RedBeard0924]

It’s a great perk that backpacking is part of our job. We like to do a few big trips a year typically coinciding with gear testing. Next we have the Unita Highline Trail, The Rim to Rim and possibly Anna Purna Circuit.

[@hikingthemountains7062]

Thanks for the videos! Been enjoying our zpack triplex since AT thruhike. Great tent. Looking forward to y'alls next trip

[@johnouellette1701]

What an amazing place! Thanks for sharing!

[@hoightb]

Great video, really well done, and congrats on the whole trip. Im an Australian from Brisbane but I have been to Tassie a few times, twice to Cradle Mt and once to Lake St Clair. I have always wanted to do the Overland Track and just wanted to watch a recent video to give me inspiration and thats exactly what this did, so thanks. I definitely will do it and hopefully this year. Thanks

[@douglasstevenson4553]

WOW 😮. Thank you What a journey.

[@deanmitchell5967]

This hike is sooooo much better in the winter! it's basically free and there's less people, so you have the huts to yourself.

[@chefcocoasadventures8794]

Great vid Will. Thank you for sharing. Also nice looking tent. : ) Hike on.....

[@carmakliller]

Thanks for sharing Will. The Overland burger at the end sure tastes good! Did the others find the ginger bread house in Pine Valley? I swear there’s one in there somewhere.

[@羊羊D]

That's cool , Amazing hike

[@jaquespierre6460]

Thank you for such an amazing insight to this trail. i will be doing it this year at some point.

[@HikeLighter]

Enjoyed the adventure, thanks for sharing!

[@RedBeard0924]

Thanks John

[@floesh-408]

Hi from Holland. What a great video. I ordered my first Zpacks products (Arc Haul Zip plus all accessories) and expecting them this week to arrive. Keep up the good work!

[@matthewthomas4889]

I'm wanting the Arc Haul Zip plus all accessories!! I would love it if you made a video review or first impressions :)

[@t.w.fields8871]

I have a Arc Haul, you will love it.

[@neilcaesar3403]

When was this walk actually done please? Weather looks good. Thanks.

[@DavidEdwards-iy4mb]

I would love to know too. Which month?

[@headwerkn]

Would have been around the first weekend of February (Cradle Mountain Run is always held the first Saturday of Feb). February is technically the end of summer but our seasons tend to run late. Feb-March is usually our best weather, though snow can fall in the Cradle area at any time.

[@brettcroese2982]

You had much better weather than I did!! Great video though :)

[@craiglambert9515]

Looks like an amazing trip

[@backpackingbird8792]

Good video. Fun to watch!!

[@americansouthdesigns]

I need zpacks to open a location in SC....and to hire me...just so I can work for such a great group of people. I have followed you since the AT....and you guys are awesome.

[@davidgarthly4084]

Great video. Amazing hike. Loved it. Only constructive comment would be that there was extra wind noise on this vid. Beautiful country with great narrative as usual.

[@davidofcoburg9279]

Thanks for another great video Red Beard... we must admit to lots of laughing every time you mentioned Tiger Snakes, people from all over the world seem to have a great fear of Australia's spiders and snakes. As Aussies we don't even think about them. I guess we have the late, great Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter) to blame for the international fear of all Australian spiders and snakes. Downunda - Melbourne Australia.

[@mrncpotts]

I'm from Oklahoma. It's a state located in the lower middle of the United States. We are known for having tons of tornadoes. As Oklahomans, tornadoes don't scare us near as much as they do people that don't live here. So I understand you completely. Haha

[@NessyPerth]

You should have taken a few while in the area to hike Frenchman’s Cap

[@jamescarse4297]

All I can say is WOW !!!!

[@brholder1]

Awesome trip. Thanks for sharing. How was the new tent? Did you fall off the boardwalks any? I can see myself having a few missteps. Its amazing all the different landscapes you encountered from mile to mile.

[@RedBeard0924]

Tent was great. Plenty of space and very stable. We all did good I don’t think anyone hit the ground on this hike.

[@Flyingdave88]

Amazing effort to do this so quickly! yes id highly recommend nepal next trip! for me its the people along the trek in nepal that make it special

[@deldridg]

Absolutely. I've been fortunate enough to do two 1 month treks in Nepal and like pretty much anywhere on this planet, it's really the people that make it so special. Beware that any other mountain range after being in the Himalayas can look a bit underwhelming... :-)

[@DnSAdventures]

Another epic hike man, thanks for sharing the journey with us! - Shane

[@dcaudwell]

Another great video, thanks! Am I right guessing that Joe is using a new Arc-type pack prototype? It looks like an Arc-Nero. I'd be so interested in that (and in a smaller version of the Nero while I'm at it) Anyway, well done on the great filming and editing - can't wait for your Nepal footage....

[@antoniociampa1417]

I've been everywhere where you filmed lol

[@mikefranks8469]

You should try to climb He and She Devil in Seven Devils in Idaho... Crazy climbing peaks.

[@gregstritch9736]

Awesome hiking. What is Joe’s hoodie? ATB. Greg

[@RedBeard0924]

It’s made by a company called Free Fly.

[@markb002]

Thanks for sharing your journey. How did you like the new Hexamid prototype? Is there a release date anytime soon?

[@wjennin1]

Man! I would hike that hike just to climb the tall mountain!

[@mrncpotts]

Will, I gotta ask. How did y'all enjoy using the prototype tents? Possible that we something similar to what was used on this hike?

[@rebekahtunks775]

Tasmania the best place in the world to live.

[@davidofcoburg9279]

Forgot to mention you side trip to scale Mount Ossa was awesome. Downunda - Melbourne Australia

[@jamesgunn1606]

Hey Will dont you still have the CDT to add to your quiver ? Hope to see you guys tackle it soon.

[@RedBeard0924]

One day my friend. Cheers

[@georgemartin6389]

Take a look at the bibbulmun track sw west aus

[@mattiasjakobsson7095]

Any news on when the new tent will available? Looks very promising!

[@RedBeard0924]

Probably end of March or first week of April. Keep an eye out on our Zpacks IG.

[@mattiasjakobsson7095]

Any updates on this? First week of April only have a couple of hours left, guess we have to wait a bit more?

[@fosterscot]

I have a series of questions for you... With a trip such as this, do you check your luggage on the plane? Also, do you bring along a small suitcase or duffle to hold extra clothing so you can stay in town after the trip? If so, where do you store it while you’re hiking? Were you concerned about poisonous spiders or snakes that are common in Australia?

[@filip1880]

Great video will!

[@AndyJarman]

Shame you didn't ask a local to join you. The snakes thing is highly overstated. Warm days in the spring when the young snakes hatch you might come across one.

[@RedBeard0924]

Our friend Chair got bit by a tiger snake on this hike but it only made him sick for about 36 hours. I thought it would be worse.

[@AndyJarman]

Will Wood I've lived in Australia since 1995 and am an avid bushwalker. I know where to find snakes - generally if it's a warm day, anywhere you're likely to find lots of frogs or mice. But I don't see them anywhere else. 1,226 people died on the roads here last year. One person died from snake bite. Almost three-quarters of snake fatalities are male, and 20% were bitten while trying to pick up or kill a snake (bravado). 8,000 people a year are bitten in the USA. We always carry snake bandages because of the remoteness. Mine remain unwrapped after 20 years.

[@enigmatum100]

I saw 9 snakes in 11 days' hiking in Tas a couple of summers ago on the Overland Track and Frenchman's Cap... one was huge and black, 6 were baby reddish brown ones. None of them seemed aggressive

[@rebekahtunks775]

I did this in 2002 and planning to do again in January 2024.

[@JerryBertelsen]

Thanks that was awesome.

[@floesh-408]

Hi Will, can you do 1 minute silence mountain/hill side (over)views? It's breathtaking.

[@francescadiana]

This was awesome to check out what it would look like! Around what time of the year were you there for? And do you think it's something one could do solo if I'd be using the huts? You made me a bit nervous with that snake talk haha

[@rebekahtunks775]

The huts can get full very quickly, that is why you have to take a tent with you. I have been there a number of times and I have never seen a snake.

[@wildlifeontour563]

Nice video! I got picked up at Lake St. Claire a week after you by a lady from the Overland track transport and she told me that one of your group members got bitten by a snake and didn't even notice it until the day he got picked up. I was wondering if that's a true story? 😂

[@RedBeard0924]

Yep true story. He was sick for about 36 hours. The bite mark actually looks a bit worse now. He sent me a picture about 5 days ago. Pretty crazy and hard to believe. He is gonna get a tattoo over the bite mark so he can tell the story forever. Ha

[@baguetex]

Epic video! Greetings from Brasil :D

[@samdyer5779]

Not sure where the bus driver has got his info from about the height of mt Roland, It’s 1226 metres not 950... grew up in Sheffield my whole life

[@jamieguffey9628]

What footwear’s did you all wear? What packs did you have? What was your weights in the packs? Thanks for the video I have enjoyed it and it’s been motivating to get out and move.

[@RedBeard0924]

Check out my what’s in my pack video for all the details on that. I was wearing Brooks Cascadia 12s, one guy Tevas, Altras.

[@jamieguffey9628]

Will Wood I found that video after I sent you the Questions. Thanks!

[@bartyco]

Epic vid mate, the only thing is, I'm now packing bricks, as am doing the Overland solo on the 19th of Sept for a charity Reachout.com.au mid-winter, trying to raise 110K for Men's Mental Health. Can't be that bad? Any proper tips? Thanks, Bart

[@intothebackcountry2658]

So jealous! What a cool hike. How much does the prototype tent weigh that you were using?

[@RedBeard0924]

Around 15 ounces

[@vanishawhcm3973]

could you get phone signal during this hike?

[@rileywaghorn6225]

I live and Tasmania and I’m going on the overland track in 15 days

[@lucky2watch]

Thanks for the video. I like it. ... I think you may missed a lot of exciting view (great side track) and places of your impressive fast hike the Overland track.

[@nath5440]

yep cant believe you would come all this way and not do the side trips/hikes, and why would you not summit Cradle Mountain?? or Barn Bluff?? that trail isnt about how fast it can be done.