Wilderness October 2022

Answer these questions honestly: Do you want to be healthier, fitter, more productive and see more of the country? Do you want to be the best version of yourself you possibly can be? If you answered yes to all or even any one of those things, and let's be honest none of us said no to them all, then please, read on. It's been one year since I joined hundreds of others in taking up the Walk1200km challenge and it's been one of the best things I've ever done. I'm fitter than I've been for a long time. I'm carrying around a little less weight, I have more energy to spend playing football and other games with my daughter, and I've done more walking in more places in the past…

EVERYONE IS WELCOME IN THE OUTDOORS, EVEN BABIES I am disappointed in the reader's perspective on babies and young children in the outdoors (Pigeon Post, August 2022). I have spent many a night in huts with families and children of all ages, and I am inspired by parents who take their children and share the magic of nature with them. There are good reasons for bringing children into the outdoors: it increases their mental develop ment and wellbeing, as well as building resilience and courage for their journey through life. Children who have positive experiences in nature early in their lives are likely to stay connected with, and become caretakers of, the environment later on. To bring our mokopuna into the outdoors is an investment in the future of our…

I'm a Te Araroa Trail section walker (completed the trail in Bluff in February), and while waiting for my flight home, I learned that some of my treasured electronic gear was not allowed in my check-in bag. I've used flights to get to numerous TA sections but was never aware of the following rules governing personal electronic devices on aeroplanes. Air New Zealand's ‘conditions of travel’ specify that only ‘personal electronic devices’ (PLBs, GPS communication devices, medical equipment etc) are allowed in checked-in bags. All devices with rechargeable batteries above 160Wh need special permission. Spare lithium batteries, each containing less than 2g lithium (that includes most non-rechargeable AA or AAA batteries) or for medical devices between 2-8g lithium, are only allowed in a carry-on bag. Each must be packed separately…

I really enjoy the monthly gear guides. Tents, sleeping bags, rain jackets, boots – it's equipment we need while tramping. However, there is a definite lack of what could be described as ‘hunter’ gear. Gear from manufacturers such as Swazi, Antarctic Products, Stoney Ridge, Ridgeline and Hunt Tech are noticeable by their absence. Hunters live and travel in more primitive conditions than the majority of recreational users and demand high-performance gear at a reasonable price. Additionally, several of these companies, notably Swazi and Antarctic Products, design and manufacture their gear in New Zealand. I'm not a gear snob. I do own Swazi and Antarctic Products gear. I also have gear from mainstream and ‘budget’ brands. However, in the interests of giving readers a better view of the options out there,…

Get your photo published here to receive a meal from Real Meals worth $17. Learn more about Real Meals at www.realmeals.co.nz. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz.…

WALKSHORTS The South Island's oldest tramping club is celebrating its centenary with 100 tramping trips over 12 months. After five years of planning, Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club's centenary trip programme begins on October 16. Club secretary Debbie Pettinger said the 100 trips, the brainchild of her husband and club president Antony Pettinger, would recreate iconic walks from the club's past. The first is a tramp in the Silver Peaks, where in 1922 it was decided there was enough interest to start a tramping club. The Dunedinbased club held its first walk on September 1, 1923, from Ross Creek to the top of Flagstaff. Pettinger said a reenactment of this trip on September 1, 2023, would include the unveiling of new seating and signage at Pineapple Point to celebrate the…