Wild

Tasmania is famous for Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest freshwater lake and the southern gateway to the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Unbeknownst to many, some of Australia’s worst logging is flattening eucalyptus forests at their highest reaches within 50km of this famous destination, and bushwalkers finishing at this stunning lake after their iconic traverse of the world-renowned Overland Track drive out through forests that are being flattened at an alarming rate.

In 1976, a group of concerned citizens, among them Bob Brown, gathered to determine what they could do to halt the proposed destruction of one of the planet’s most precious places—the Franklin River. They decided to create what is now known as The Wilderness Society. Fifty years on, to celebrate its birthday, members of the society gathered to paddle the river where it all began. Our experience paddling the Franklin River begins with the most important piece of information: river levels.

In the last issue of Wild, we discussed Arc’teryx’s use of Gore-Tex’s Pro ePE material; not only is it PFAS-free, it’s thinner, quieter and lighter. It’s abrasion-resistant, too. All this comes without any loss in waterproofness; in fact, it’s enhanced. Which is just as well, because last Northern-Hemisphere winter, I spent two weeks road tripping testing out Arc’teryx’s Rush Jacket and Bib shell outerwear.

Toying with the idea of participating in your first trail-running ultra? Two years ago, Wild Earth Ambassador Michael Kelly decided to have a crack, and hasn’t looked back since. Here are a few of the lessons he’s learnt along the way. “Why the hell am I here?” These are the words I was muttering to myself while hunched over vomiting, 48km into my first 100km ultra. It was 32°C, no one was around, and I was slogging up the Bluff in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

It’s no secret that I’m a Whippa packs fanboy. These packs are super light, super tough, and super functional. They’re Aussie-made, too, up in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. So when Whippa came out with the claim that their Skimo Ultralight Mountaineering pack was, and I quote, “our best pack yet!” I sat up and took notice.

I’ve been thinking a lot about legacy lately. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about the mark we leave on the planet. It’s something that rattles around deep in the back of my mind often enough without ever really bubbling to the surface, but it’s this issue’s feature story on the 50th birthday of The Wilderness Society that’s brought it more to the fore.

Most of us have a favourite pack. The one that’s been dragged through airports, stuffed into car boots, carried up mountains and generally abused far more than it probably should have been. We’re teaming up with Osprey to learn a bit more about what outdoor people actually look for in a backpack, travel pack or piece of luggage, and we’d love your help.

Multipurpose clothing (and equipment, for that matter) is a godsend in the outdoors. These items allow you to minimise pack size and weight while simultaneously maximising versatility. Cotopaxi’s Teca Calido Hooded Reversible Jacket—despite being an absolute mouthful—is a prime example. It’s a jacket that can be used just about anywhere, at any time. The Teca Calido is a hybrid jacket that strikes a balance between shell and insulated layer.

You’ve all heard the saying: when the going gets tough, the tough get going. No, it wasn’t Billy Ocean who came up with the phrase for his eighties hit—it had been around much longer—but it may well have been his tune that was stuck in the heads of The North Face’s apparel designers when they created the Summit Series Mountain Gore-Tex Pro Jacket and Bib. This is a shell combo designed for serious alpine adventures in harsh conditions.

Here’s some good news: as of March 1, 2026, all Arc’teryx Gore-Tex products sold in Australia and New Zealand use ePE membranes. Now, you may well be asking: what’s an ePE membrane, and why is that good news? A little backstory helps. The development of waterproof-breathable garments—most notably by Gore, the maker of Gore-Tex—has been one of the biggest outdoor gear advances of the past 50 years.