Gear Up Like You’re Headed South
Tasmania does winter rather well.
Not necessarily pleasantly, you understand. But well.
There are mornings when frost settles over the paddocks, the mountains disappear behind cloud and stepping outside requires a small but meaningful act of courage.
Then there are the proper winter days. West Coast rain. Highland snow. Wind coming off the water with seemingly personal intentions.
Which is precisely when good gear earns its keep.
And whether you're planning a Tasmanian winter road trip, disappearing for a weekend or simply attempting to make it through August with all extremities intact, we have a few thoughts on what ought to come along.
THE BAG
Lake Leather Tomahawk Travel Bag
Start with something substantial.
A good leather travel bag shouldn't spend its existence sitting beautifully on a shelf. It should be packed slightly too full, thrown into the back of the car, carried onto the ferry and deposited beside a fireplace somewhere considerably colder.
Look for enough room for a few days away, strong handles and proper leather that'll tolerate being used rather than merely admired.
Because the best leather weekender bags become better travelling companions with time. Every trip leaves something behind: a mark, a crease, a deeper patina.
Much more interesting than pristine, we think.
THE GLOVES
Native World Unisex Possum Glove
There comes a point in a Tasmanian winter when putting your hands in your pockets simply isn't going to cut it.
Enter the leather glove.
Warm, useful and currently enjoying something of a fashion renaissance, although we've never been entirely convinced they went anywhere.
Choose a pair you'll wear for years. Leather softens with use, gradually shaping itself to your hands and acquiring that lovely lived-in character that new things simply cannot manufacture.
Particularly useful for frosty mornings, winter road trips and standing beside a child's Saturday sporting fixture wondering what precisely you've done to deserve this.
THE BOOTS
Tasmanian winter is not the moment for optimistic footwear.
You want sturdy soles, good grip and something capable of encountering a muddy track without requiring emotional support afterwards.
A proper pair of leather boots works just as happily with denim and wool in town as it does heading somewhere a little wilder.
THE SMALL THINGS
And then there are the things that quietly do their job.
A proper leather belt. A wallet that's already softened beautifully from years of use. Perhaps a wool scarf or beanie.
Nothing revolutionary.
That's rather the point.
Good winter gear isn't about buying an entirely new wardrobe every August. It's about having a small collection of useful things you can pull out year after year.
BUY ONCE. TAKE IT EVERYWHERE.
We're rather fond of things that have a life ahead of them.
Especially now, when we're all thinking a little harder about what deserves our money.
Buying fewer, better things isn't about having the most expensive version of everything. It's about choosing carefully.
Will I use it?
Will it last?
Will I still like it when whatever is fashionable this particular Tuesday has moved on?
Leather lends itself rather nicely to this philosophy.
It doesn't need to remain immaculate. In fact, we'd prefer it didn't.
Use the bag. Wear the boots. Scuff them occasionally. Take them across Tasmania. Take them across the country. Take them overseas.
Bring them home looking slightly more interesting than when they left.
SOUTHWARD, THEN
Perhaps you're heading towards Cradle Mountain.
Perhaps you're taking the long road to Strahan.
Perhaps there's a cabin, a fire and a bottle of Tasmanian whisky somewhere in your immediate future.
Or perhaps you're simply leaving the house at 7am in August.
Frankly, all four warrant appropriate equipment.
Pack the bag.
Pull on the gloves.
Find the sturdy boots and gear up like you're headed south.
