Packing Tips for Adventurous Arbs

              A year ago today, I hopped on a plane for Australia and what was to become one of the best years of my life. Now, the dust has settled and I’ve returned to Canada. Aus isn’t far from my mind and although I’m ‘home’ I’m already prepared to return in 2018 for a few more adventures. I couldn’t resist, can you blame me?
              In the meantime I’ve decided to keep the website running because I want to provide travelling arborists with a resource for information. As with everything it’s a work in progress, but hopefully it becomes something useful that can benefit our industry and the individuals bold enough to leave everything behind to climb trees in a new, strange place, whether it’s Australia, North America, Europe, or Antartica[1] etc.


[1] The arborists who go to Antartica are either the bravest, or the dumbest…

Enjoying some lumberjacking back in my homeland....Always wear proper PPE kids! This photo was taken AFTER the work was done.

              One of the biggest dilemmas I faced when leaving Canada for Australia was ‘Do I bring my gear?’ It’s a difficult question to answer. Since I wanted to travel and didn’t have an initial job lined up I decided to leave my gear at home and buy a basic kit when I got to Australia. This served two purposes for me, I could try out new gear (which I did), and I would bring this second kit home, and use that as an alternative climbing kit to rec climb and work with. 

           Bringing my Australian gear home also allowed me to learn about how much space this basic gear takes up in luggage, and what I could legally get away with taking. To avoid any fines, I didn’t bring any wood, leaf or seed samples. Although it was something I really wanted to do, this is how invasive species spread, and no arborist wants to be the guy that introduced the latest invasive species to north America. Oh also, be careful you don't go overweight with your bags or else that can cost you extra money too.

Some facts to keep in mind:

• Gear is heavy, even lightweight gear takes up a lot of space
• Every ounce counts. If you want to travel, you won’t be happy with a backpack and luggage. Just bring a backpack.
• Insecure people find security in their belongings. Many people are tempted to bring things they don’t need because they’re nervous. I felt the same way before I left.
• You can ship your gear to the final destination before hand, depending on where you intend to go. This takes significant additional planning.
• Have $5000 minimum. The more money you have, the more likely you are to get settled. Being destitute in a new country is scary. I met more than a few people who ended their trip prematurely due to poor planning.
• A basic climbing setup in Aus (including rope) is anywhere from $1500 - $2500
  • If you don’t have enough money for this, then you may not be financially prepared. ​

What’s in the bag?

• Hi-vis Shirt
• 200mm Tsurugi (completely sterilized with alcohol prior to travel)
• Camelback
• Sequoia SRT
• Petzl Top Croll
• Petzl Vertex Vent and replacement headband (is that what it's called?)
• Kathmandu 15L Daypack (lightweight)
• 13mm XTC Spearmint Lanyard 15m w/ ISC snap, and ISC rope grab
• Rock climbing shoes
• Various maps and informational books
• Climbing system w/hitch climber
• 2 micro pulleys and 2 accessory biners
• Petzl Zigzag
• Go Pro and accessories
• Stihl X-Advance Chainsaw pants

All in all the bag weighed roughly 12.5 kgs

Things to consider if you bring your gear with you

• Hostels are nice places, and people are inherently good (I like to think), but if you bring $2000 worth of climbing gear and tools, it could get stolen. Until you find a stable residence and job, you'll likely end up being worried about it every time you leave it somewhere and go on an adventure.
• Try to have a job lined up right away so that you’re not stuck hauling around gear while travelling. Trust me, travelling light makes travelling fun. Being over encumbered is slow, unpleasant, and stressful.

​And last but not least, climb safe! ...I dunno, that's the best I got right now.

​But seriously, climb safe!