Chris Gardner at Omaru Falls
New Zealand Outdoor Instructors’ Association Bush Leader and Good Local Media journalist Chris Gardner discusses gear you should add to your backpack to keep you safe when hiking and tramping.
A gas cannister, stove and a tent, like these pictured at Daly’s Clearing in the Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park, will help keep you safe on a tramping trip. Photo: Chris Gardner
We discussed food in the first of these columns, with the key message to take an extra day’s food for emergencies. A few packet mixes to which you can just add water is a good idea.
My gas stove and cannister provide a hot drink on the trail, my stove packing into my waterproof mess tin in which I boil water. I’ll swap my mess tin for a solo pot set on a multi-day tramp. My BPA-free glass reinforced polypropylene spork (spoon and fork) does not scratch pots and I use it in tandem with my pocketknife.
Gaiters seal the gap between your boots and trousers, preventing grass, gravel, mud, scree, snow, and water from entering. They can also protect your legs from getting scratched.
My first aid kit contains the recommended contents from the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council Bushcraft manual. It includes prescription medicine and antihistamine tablets that can be ground into a paste and applied topically. I’ve upgraded my first aid kit to a survival kit by adding:
- The tiniest of pocketknives – its scissors are phenomenal
- Gaffer tape, which can fix anything
- A foil survival blanket
- An LED torch, in case my head torch fails, and
- Water purification tablets if I need cold water rather than hot.
Picking a knife or multitool is like picking a pair of shoes. It needs to be right for you. I carry my knife, from a reputable brand, in a sheath on my belt. It has 10 features I find useful on the trail. Its lock blade is excellent for cutting food and paired with my spork, eating. It also has a Phillips screwdriver, can opener with small screwdriver, lockable bottle opener with screwdriver and wire stripper, a reamer and punch, wood saw and key ring. The more features, the heavier the tool, and the pricier it is.
I live in a wide-brimmed nylon tramping hat all year around. It protects me from the harsh New Zealand sun, and also the rain, both on the trail and on the water where I often skipper a safety boat. It is also waterproof. Sunscreen is, of course, essential for the parts exposed to the sun.
I keep a few sheets of toilet paper in a plastic bag in my first aid kit and carry a backpacker trowel for toileting. The third principle of Leave No Trace is Dispose of Waste Properly (Pack It In, Pack It Out). I keep waste to a minimum, reusing my meal packaging as a rubbish bag.
Walking poles are great, giving you an extra point of contact on uneven ground. They also make uphill hikes and tramps much easier, as they allow you to use your arms for extra power. Avoid cheaper, cork handled, poles. I tried some and got blisters on both hands! Two poles leaves you without a free hand to hang onto branches, so one pole is better.
A whistle could save your life. So much so that many backpack manufacturers build one into pack straps. The international distress signal is three short blasts.
Sleeping bags, mats, tents, and emergency shelters are also items that will keep you safe. We will discuss them next week.
Chris Gardner at Omaru Falls
