Introducing The Adventure Gene!
The Adventure Gene: Australian Ultralight Guided Hiking Trips
Introduction
At Ultralight Gear, our mission is to equip people with the highest quality ultralight kit to help them make the most out of their adventure time. However, a lot more goes into a successful trip than just having the right gear. That’s why we’re very excited to announce our partnership with The Adventure Gene.
Maddie, Tom and the TAG team run guided multi day hiking trips in the Aussie Alps. They provide awesome ultralight kit and we think it’s the perfect opportunity to improve your skills and test the gear we’re passionate about. They’re ultralight hiking experts with more than 35,000km of hiking experience, including setting multiple hiking world records on trails such as the Australian Alps Walking Track, Bibbulmun Track, and the 3,000km Te Araroa in New Zealand.
All of their trips are beginner friendly as they supply all of the hiking gear, food and transport. They also run multi-day snowshoe trips for people looking to learn more about ultralight winter travel.
I recently caught up with Maddie and Tom and brought the team out for a 3 day hike in the Budawangs, halfway between our shop in Sydney and their base in Canberra. We’re always out hiking to test new gear and it was a great chance to ask them a few questions.
Above: From Left to right - Maddie, Ryan, Daniel, Jarrod and Tom
D: Tom, why did you and Maddie start The Adventure Gene?
T: We had been working as guides for other companies for a while but we felt like the types of trips we wanted to run didn’t exist. We knew our passion was always for multi-day, camping based adventures, but we couldn't find a company to work for that really enabled the level of skill development and education that we wanted to provide.
Above: Maddie and Tom, Founders of The Adventure Gene
D: Maddie, who are your trips aimed at and what makes you different?
M: Our trips are aimed at people who want to try out authentic wilderness hiking. That means carrying all of your own gear and food, sleeping in a tent, and exploring incredible places that most people never get to see. I think what makes us different is that we do everything possible to make it as easy and comfortable to dip your toes into this style of adventuring. We provide world-class gear, nutritious food, and private transport for all of our trips. In fact, all you need to do is follow our clothes packing list and turn up!
Above: Enjoying the sunset on an Adventure Gene trip in Kosciuszko National Park
D: Tom, what was your ‘ultralight journey’ and why do you think packweight is important?
T: It’s a funny story, as like most, my first multi day hike involved super heavy gear, bruised hips and injuries! A few years later, when I was 17 I decided that I wanted to hike the 700km Australian Alps Walking Track. I knew I was attempting something far above what my skill and experience warranted, and that I needed ultralight gear to give me any chance of finishing. After 25 days with over 3 Mt Everests of climbing, I was utterly exhausted and broken but had successfully finished the hike. It was a seminal experience that cemented in my mind the importance of a light pack - I don’t think I would have finished without it!
Above: One of Tom's first packs on the AAWT!
D: Maddie, why did you want to collaborate with Ultralight Gear?
M: I see Ultralight Gear as a company that Australia has sorely needed for a long time. For too long there has been no easy way to buy many of our favourite products in Australia without dealing with expensive international shipping and complicated import procedures. Australian adventurers are really starting to understand the advantages of ultralight gear and we’re excited to see a company that is committed to stocking the same brands that we've tried and tested, and choose to use on our personal and guided trips.
Below: Maddie demonstrating the Neve Gear Waratah Quilt on one of TAG's guided trips
Below: Maddie looking out over the Budawangs - her pack, the Nashville Pack Cutaway is available soon!
Below: Navigating the cliff edges near Mt Cole
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You can find out more about Maddie and Tom’s guided trips here. They also post lots of great educational hiking content on their Instagram and Facebook accounts:
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