All about hiking gear, reviews, preferences…
This is another one of those topics which is entirely a personal choice, some people love Hiking Poles(*1) some people hate them! I will cover what I discovered, and maybe this will help you decide for your self. Modern Hiking Poles Advantages Walking across streams or rivers, they offer unmatched tripod support and stability. Great …
A Magnetic compass is an essential piece of any ones hiking gear, beginner or experienced, it should always be carried with you.(together with an area correct Topographical map) Learning how to use the compass is as important as carrying it, and for those who do not use a compass frequently enough to remember how, its …
This is a list of my favourite Outdoor software and Apps, I look forward to hearing about any that you use. Mapping NZ Topo4GPS by Memory Map Offline /GPS PC Software /App I run this software on my Personal Computer for trip planning and sharing data before and after the hike with my Garmin GPS, …
As modern Devices and technology becomes increasingly useful in the outdoors, finding a way to keep it charged can often be the next challenge. Charging Options Currently I am aware of Three reliable methods that are sufficiently portable to be useful hiking; 1. Carrying Charged Batteries Disposable Alkalines for my Head Lamp, or Rechargeable NiMH(*1) …
There is little more refreshing than drinking fresh cool water straight from the source while hiking, while some water in the New Zealand outdoors is still safe to drink with out purifying, there is also no way of identifying which water contains infection causing Bacteria, Viruses and Protozoa. In the late 90’s having already seen …
Smart Phones have become miniature computers, taking them outdoors has introduced a huge array of applications(apps) and information carrying ability never seen before. Despite its functionality, the Smart Phone is still entirely reliant on two things to function well as both a phone and a app platform; Cellular signal strength: Hills, Valleys, thick Bush and …
New hikers often ask me if they should buy a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver (*1) as part of their start up and essential gear? My answer is always emphatically: “No. – Spend the money on a Personal Locator Beacon, that’s more use to you currently…” What have I against GPS? Actually I have nothing …
There is some really good quality gear hiking gear to be found in a wide range of non hiking shops in New Zealand. There is also allot of small family business that are often local knowledge that can equal or better the big chains with locally made gear that they are often really willing to …
There are a number of different types of maps associated with the outdoors, all have their particular function and purpose; Topographical Maps Often called the Topo. or Contour map, this type of map gives an accurate representation of all the geographic features around you in a “flat 3D image.” In New Zealand, the best hiking …
When unforeseen problems occur in the outdoors, we typically solve them using the”known” equipment we are carrying in our packs. Sometimes this means the problem cannot be resolved, but often by simply applying a little Lateral Thinking, many more uses for the same gear and surroundings can be discovered. As a result it is very wise …