Tramping 101

Beginner tramper / hiker? Welcome!

If you’re new to tramping / hiking, then you’ve come to the right place! Welcome!

Adventuring in the outdoors not only helps with motivation and fitness, but also helps decrease stress, anxiety and depression for many people. So well done you for joining us and getting out there!

I know that it can be extremely daunting to start out on this journey. Where do I start? What if I’m not fit enough? What if I become lost or injured?

Read on for all the tips and tricks to help you reach your tramping goals! Reach out to me over on Instagram if you’ve got any questions or suggestions.

General tips for tramping

Tramping should be challenging but enjoyable. If you don’t look back on a trip and think it was a good time, then in my opinion you’re not doing it right.

Disclaimer: I specifically write “look back on”. There will be times during the adventure when your lungs are burning, your legs are aching and you’re seriously questioning the life choices that led you up to this point. That’s also sadly normal.

Check out these general tips that I think every tramper needs to know to ensure the best trip!

Tramping Safety

Tramping has its hazards, especially for people who are underprepared or with little experience. Following the Land Safety Code will minimise (but not eliminate) this risk:

1. Choose the right trip for you: Learn about the route and make sure you have the skills for it.

2. Understand the weather: It can change fast. Check the forecast and change your plans if needed.

3. Pack warm clothes and extra food: Prepare for bad weather and an unexpected night out.

4. Share your plans and take ways to get help: Telling a trusted person your trip details and taking a distress beacon can save your life.

5. Take care of yourself and each other: Eat, drink, and rest, stick with your group and make decisions together.

If safety is important to you, please read this article for more information. You don’t want to get flown out like the guy below (broken clavicle).

Gear + Food for Trampin g

Having the right gear and enough (but not too much) food, is crucial for both safety and enjoyment when you’re out tramping.

Tramping gear is specialised (weight, materials, durability, etc.), but because of this it can be expensive. However shopping the sales and knowing exactly what you need (and what you can leave out) can be a lifesaver.

Knowing how to use and look after this gear properly also means you’ll get your money’s worth without it dying too quickly. I’ve written a while blog post about what gear I use. I’ll also be writing about some ideas for tramping food soon!

Flatlay of tramping / hiking gear with a compass in the middle, and boots, gloves, headlight, scissors, PLB, etc surrounding it

Fitness + training for tramping

The fitness that’s required for tramping is different to that needed for other sports. Tramping up a steep hill with a pack on your back for a full day doesn’t use exactly the same muscles as running, biking or swimming.

I’m not a physiotherapist or a sports specialist, but I’ve been left unable to walk down stairs often enough after a big tramp to know that training has a massive impact during and after the tramp. So I teamed up with a physiotherapist colleague and a past OUTC president and GodZone competitor to disclose all our tramping fitness secrets, have a read.

Tramping & Hut Etiquette

Tramping may seem like a potentially lonely and solo activity, but it’s actually quite social – (unless you’re waaaay out in the backcountry with the tahr and the keas).

Just like with any social sport, there are unwritten rules that you should ideally follow. Most of these are common sense but I’m amazed by how often inexperienced people don’t know them.

I’ve written a blog post entitled “Tramping Etiquette or How to not be a dick” so that you’re not one of those people.

Discarded banana peel left near the trail on Ben Lomond, Moke Lake in the background — This banana skin was right on the side of the track. Don’t be a dick. Pack out your food waste.

Tramping with youngsters

I started tramping at a relatively young age with my family. Just because you have a young family doesn’t mean you have to stop tramping. Starting them tramping young is a great way to get the kids as addicted to the great outdoors as you are, so long as you start slow and keep it interesting – follow their lead.

Have a read of my blog post packed full of everything you need to know to go tramping with a baby.

Weather + Conditions

As Kiwis, we’re lucky that our country isn’t trying to kill us with dangerous animals or plants (#notAustralia). But one of the worst hazards when it comes to tramping in New Zealand is our crazy unpredictable weather.

Our weather should not be underestimated. Kiwi band Crowded House has a song titled “Four Seasons in One Day” for a reason – our weather is notoriously changeable. A day that started off completely warm and sunny can be a full-on storm in a matter of hours.

There are lots of different ways to check for weather and conditions. I’ll be writing a blog post about that soon too! In the meantime, MetService and your local DOC i-site are great places to start.

Dressed for the conditions: South Crater, Tongariro Crossing with extremely poor visibility (there’s meant to be a volcano behind my friend in this picture)

Navigation

Hopefully you’ve already heard of Topomaps. They’re amazing and tell you lots of things you need to know about the area you’re planning on tramping in – distance, steepness, elevation, terrain conditions, specific landmarks, bearing, etc.. They can be difficult to read if you’re not sure what you’re looking at. But it can be fun and easy to learn – all you need to do is practice.

The best way I found to practice was by competing in rogaines (which are like orienteering, except less running and more strategy). Navigation is a crucial skill to master for many tramping trips. You should at least know the basics before you set out. Check out the free Topomaps website here while I write up a post explaining how to navigate in the outdoors.

How to poop in the beautiful outdoors

You laugh, but this is a thing. And from discussions I’ve had with non-trampers, it’s something that puts a lot of people off tramping.

I’m here to tell you it’s really not that bad, but there are definitely tips and tricks that make it easier and less stressful. I know someone who peed on her pants and then fell on the ground where she’d just peed (honestly males, you seriously don’t know how lucky you are). She laughs nervously about it now, but you know you don’t want that to be you. I’ll be writing up some info on this with everything from long-drop toilets to … holes in the ground without a seat. Bare (down) with me.

I’ll show myself out.

You wouldn’t get a flush toilet with this view, come on

Tramping with old injuries

Just because you have a niggly injury doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t go tramping. I’ve injured a ligament in my knee in a skiing accident and other than some occasional soreness and stiffness, it isn’t an issue when I go tramping. As long as you have completed your rehab, taken necessary precautions (and sought out professional advice if required), you can still successfully adventure in the outdoors. If this is something that interests you, let me know and I can write some more about it!