Tramping 101

Beginner tramper / hiker? Welcome!

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

This post is pack-filled with information to help you get started with tramping. It also has lots of other helpful links to get you started on your own research into this amazing hobby / lifestyle.

Tramping (hiking for non-New Zealanders) is such a rewarding pursuit with so many physical and mental benefits. Adventuring in the outdoors not only helps with motivation and fitness. (Which is definitely helpful if you love / are addicted to chocolate as much as I am). But it also helps decrease stress, anxiety and depression for many people. More and more mental health experts are realising the benefits of spending time outside and reconnecting with nature. So well done you for joining us and getting out there!

I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I do like helping and encouraging people to get out and appreciate the outdoors. I know that it can be extremely daunting to start out on this journey. There can be lots of barriers, questions and self-doubt. Where do I start? What if I’m not fit enough? What if I become lost or injured?

If you’ve never been tramping before and are wondering where to start, or if you’re just looking for some tips to take your adventures to the next level, then read on. Each category has some info and ideas. My plan is to write a specific blog post to flesh out each one as needed – bear with me. As always, please get in contact if you’ve got any questions or suggestions for topics you’d like to read about. Or if you have any advice or corrections, I’d be more than happy to hear from you!

---

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. It will not all be fun, but there should be more fun moments than not. You should be able to look back positively on a trip. These tips will help make that happen, check them out here. If you have suggestions let me know!

---

Tramping Safety

Tramping can be potentially hazardous, 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.

I’ve written in more detail about how you can stay safe here. You don’t want to get flown out like the guy below (broken clavicle). Check it out!

---

Gear + Food for Tramping

Having the right gear and enough (but not way 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. Also knowing how to use and look after this gear properly 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 (not endorsed (yet) – Macpac hit me up). You can read it here. I’ll also be writing about some ideas for tramping food soon!

---

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.

The right level of fitness (as well as choosing the right level of hike difficulty, see the below photos!) will mean that you’ll be able to enjoy the hike more. Plus as an added bonus you won’t be putting yourself or others in danger because of your fitness. Plus you’ll be able to walk up/down stairs without looking like your legs need to be in a cast. Recovery and mental determination are also really important when it comes to tramping. I’ve written a whole blog post about this topic, check it out here.

---

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. NZ band Crowded House has a song titled “Four Seasons in One Day” – 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.

---

Navigation

Have you ever heard of Topomaps? They are 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.

---

Tramping & Hut Etiquette

So this is a personal pet peeve of mine. Although tramping may seem like a potentially lonely and solo activity, it’s actually quite social – (unless you’re waaay out in the backcountry with the tahr and the keas).

Just like any activity that is even vaguely social in nature, there are unwritten rules to make everyone more comfortable and to not step on anyone’s toes. Most of these are common sense (don’t leave the door to the hut open, even if you were born, or are sleeping, in a tent). But I’m amazed by how often inexperienced people don’t realise the impact they have on fellow trampers with their actions (or lack thereof). It’s fine to be listening to music while you’re out tramping (and a great way to power up a steep section), but dude the whole valley doesn’t need to know that you secretly like Taylor Swift – bring some headphones!

The biggest unwritten rule of tramping has actually been written down and formalised – leave no trace. Basically tramping and hut etiquette boil down to respecting yourself, others and nature. As this is a topic close to my heart, I’ve written a blog post entitled “How to not be a dick” – go have a read.

---

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 a thing that puts a lot of people off tramping. Many societies are now used to the privileges of sanitary products, running water, and flush toilets that take care of everything for us with minimal fuss or effort. If you haven’t peed outside before (and I mean, I’m obviously talking from a female point of view here – guys you don’t know how lucky you are) then it can seem really off-putting. Let alone thinking about pooping outside like an animal. The horror.

I’m here to tell you it’s really not that bad (so long as you have hand sanitiser – I’m not actually an animal). 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.

---

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!

---

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. I’ve seen a less than one year old baby accompanying his parents on the Routeburn track; a 3-day alpine/bush hike. (I mean, I say “accompanying” but he wasn’t even walking any of it so I don’t know if you can really credit it). 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. I welcomed a baby girl into this world in 2023, so will be writing about our adventures as a family soon – keep an eye out!

2024 update: here’s my blog post packed full of everything you need to know to go tramping with a baby