All about hiking gear, reviews, preferences…
Gaiters are a valuable accessory when Hiking in the New Zealand outdoors, where mud, overgrown tracks and changeable weather are regular features. Worn on the lower legs, they fasten over your boots and; Keep track and stream debris out of your boots and socks(*1) Protect your lower legs from overgrowing vegetation, thorns and long …
People either love Hiking Poles(*1) or 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 for finding the ground or logs under the mud, or next deep hole in …
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 often 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, …
Keeping those power-hungry but every more useful Devices charged can present a problem outdoors, with the battery life apparently shortening with every advance. Charging Options Currently I am aware of Three reliable methods that are sufficiently portable and reliable 1. Carrying Charged Batteries Disposable alkaline, or Rechargeable NiMH(*1) for my Head Lamp. Advantage; Simply …
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 …
Where to Buy We have always traditionally brought hiking gear from the big hiking shops, but there is a lot of gear available in a range of regular and specialist shops that is just as good, sometimes better. I find that many of these shops are known to their local area and are often small …
There are a number of different types of hiking maps used in 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 …