Bush leader Chris Gardner is also a Good Local Media journalist.
Chris Gardner, a New Zealand Outdoor Instructors’ Association Bush Leader, shares tip for journeys into the great outdoors.
Chris Gardner is a New Zealand Outdoor Instructors’ Association Bush Leader with Overnight Endorsement. Photo: Dawei Wang
When hikers and trampers do not come back from the trail a lack of planning and preparedness is often the cause.
Plan and prepare is the first of the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace.
Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.
Plans should include researching the route and communicating plans to an emergency contact whose role it is to raise the alarm if a person doesn’t return on time.
Taking the right gear is essential. The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council has published an excellent walking and tramping gear list designed to keep walker and trampers safe.
The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council says walkers and trampers should, at a minimum, pack these items for every walk or tramping expedition.
At a minimum for every trip walkers and trampers should pack:
- Headtorch and batteries…
A headtorch will quickly become a lifesaver if you find yourself unexpectedly overdue on a day walk or tramp, and spare batteries will come to your rescue when it packs in. Headtorches leave your hands free.
- Fire lighting kit…
My fire lighting kit includes Vaseline-soaked cotton buds in a waterproof container with flint and steel as well as a tramping gas stove, gas, and a mess kit in which I can boil water.
- Food and snacks…
I take approximately a third more than I would usually eat for a walk or tramp. Typically, bran for breakfast, salami, cheese and crackers for lunch, mince, and vegetables for dinner. An additional days’ worth of emergency food is a must. Snacks include muesli bars and Scroggin or trail mix.
- Map and compass…
A map and a compass are essential when the trail disappears in the thick bush. But you need to know how to use them too. The NZ Mountain Safety Council has some useful instructional videos in its Get Outdoors Series online. You should practice before relying on such skills in the wild.
- Communications device…
Always take two forms of communication, as one may become redundant in any given situation. Phones are great for two-way communication, but batteries can drain quickly and they can get wet. A Personal Locator Beacon is an essential emergency communication device, sending your location to emergency services in the event of an incident.
- Survival bag…
A survival bag will protect you from exposure. A plastic survival bag can be fashioned into an emergency shelter or used within an emergency shelter fashioned from fallen branches and foliage in the bush. A foil blanket will help retain body heat.
- Hat and gloves…
A warm hat and gloves are essential all year around, especially if you end up overnighting at elevation.
- Water…
Hikers and trampers should drink two to three litres of water a day to stay hydrated. Many trails follow rivers and I will often boil a cup of river water for a cup of tea. My first aid kit also includes a strip of water treatment tablets that make river water safe to drink in 30 minutes.
- Waterproof jacket…
There’s a plethora of options from outdoor brands. You want something lightweight that is both heavy showerproof and windproof.
Bush leader Chris Gardner is also a Good Local Media journalist.
