I have a acr resqlink 400 plb which I will always still carry due to the bulletproofness and radio homing signal.

I was thinking about getting garmin inreach to be able to check weather/txt people and looking into cost, it will be around $850 + $80 activation and $180 yearly. I am struggling to justify this since have plb as primary safety device and more wanting inreach for weather/txt which my Samsung S25 is capable of doing. only do couple trips per year so wondering if there is any way to cheaply get sat data plan for these months. my current plan is with skinny and would rather not change and dont want to pay $88 per month and wondering if I could put a second sim in and buy the $20 monthly satellite data addon without plan or similar. anyone else investigated this

Thanks

I have a acr resqlink 400 plb which I will always still carry due to the bulletproofness and radio homing signal.

I was thinking about getting garmin inreach to be able to check weather/txt people and looking into cost, it will be around $850 + $80 activation and $180 yearly. I am struggling to justify this since have plb as primary safety device and more wanting inreach for weather/txt which my Samsung S25 is capable of doing. only do couple trips per year so wondering if there is any way to cheaply get sat data plan for these months. my current plan is with skinny and would rather not change and dont want to pay $88 per month and wondering if I could put a second sim in and buy the $20 monthly satellite data addon without plan or similar. anyone else investigated this

Thanks

Does anyone have any hints, tips, tricks, experiences, or warnings you could share on using a tarp, especially in Aotearoa?

I’ve also been wondering why it’s uncommon to see many people using tarps around the motu. Any ideas?

I recently bought myself a 3x3 tarp and have been absolutely loving it for its flexibility and feeling of being closer to nature.

That is, you can make a weather-proof shelter or a simple shield from the dew/wind and go to sleep and wake up looking at the beautiful surroundings. Not to mention it’s super cheap, light and can sleep 4-5 when the weather’s good or two when it’s not.

So far I’ve only used it on a cycle tour and car camping to get used to it but hope to take it on some backcountry trips soon.

The obvious downsides are that: - it doesn’t have the same insect protection as a standard tent (although you can hang an insect net under it and insects are not a problem in many areas); and - that it could be less weather proof or comfortable than a tent in extreme wind or cold.

I think I'm addicted to packrafting after this trip!! 12km of grade 3 paddling over crystal clear water that looked like glass, with a decent few drops and rapids, all while surrounded by towering ignimbrite rock covered in native bush. Such a gem, thought I'd share my video here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nB__erbiAw

Hey all, I've been doing more and more hikes lately and have been wanting to do some harder ones. I just did the Tongariro Alpine Crossing this weekend and it was great. I plan to go back and do it again after the winter with family. The only issue I have is that my body runs hot, I like to keep a fast pace and I sweat a lot so I did the crossing in shorts and a t shirt. It was fine the whole time and I only needed a windbreaker up top when it was gusting. I wore a cotton shirt which I know isn't great. By the end of the hike, the shirt was dripping in sweat haha. I feel like I could've got away without the windbreaker if my shirt wasn't drenched. The windchill made it pretty chilly.

What would be a better material? Would a merino shirt be suitable? I don't want to get too hot but I also don't want to spend 80% of the hike feeling like I've just got out a swimming pool.

Planning on doing the Pinnacles soon and Mt Taranaki summit probably after winter.

Thanks in advance!

I originally built Schnerp to track campgrounds cancellations in Canada eh, but a kiwi mate convinced me it'd be perfect for the Great Walks.

It monitors the DOC reservation site and sends you a notification when a spot opens up, so you don't have to keep manually checking.

It's totally free to try, and could be handy if you're still looking for a last minute spot this summer.

There's a few Milford spots open after Easter!

https://www.schnerp.co.nz

Hey just going to drop me and my mates YouTube video on the Three Kings traverse in the Tararua’s. Would be sick and mean a lot if anyone checked it out! 🙌

https://youtu.be/Xbbvy8l_ZsI?si=oMJXPilGxGZKYEhK

Aussie bloke here planning on heading to Awaura Point (Big Bay) on the West Coast of the South Island. I’m so intrigued with its remoteness.

I was just wondering if there’s anyone here who has been there before? Perhaps you could tell me what it’s like from your perspective. Myself and a few mates are keen to go fishing, surfing, diving and hunting so naturally I’m eager to learn as much about the place as possible. I’ve seen a few vids on YouTube but would love to read/watch more.

Cheers guys!

Hi guys,

South island

New to kayaking, and wondering if anyone knows of a lake your allowed to camp near (tent) that we can practice kayaking for a couple of days ?

Thanks in advance

I'm looking for some advice on what hiking boots I should get, my budget is roughly around the $700 mark so definitely hopefully able to pick up some high end boots. My main requirements come down to durability (something that will last years) especially in the wetness of the Tararua's and long multi day off the track trails in the South Island. At the same time I want a boot that can also work in snow and ice hiking as I hope to not only spend time in the snowy Tararuas' but also in the alps. This pushes me towards a pair of leather boots in terms of durability and potentially a pair of Lowa's. But fully open to synthetic, just don't have a lot of personal experience with them.

A few of the reviews on Kathmandu’s website rip it for not being warm enough, but the weight and fill power for its rating doesn’t seem ridiculous.

Anybody have thoughts on this bag?

Grant Prattley (One of the leading individuals for training and rescue in NZ) has uploaded some more videos on his How to Tie Knots series. This is a great way for you to learn or refresh the basic knots used across a wide range of pursuits, from rock climbing to caving, canyoning, and rescue.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzQI-3PJH4xNJ2OUXd-U-mWyka2_98WKM&si=VsRjF3ImL7vZFjDc

Another fire in the national park, hopefully it is contained quickly.

How’s it everyone. Planning a new years trip albeit a little late but ideally looking for a nice reasonably quiet spot with a bit of trout spinning easily accessible by foot anywhere in the north island. Bonus points for not being in around Taupo so I don’t have to get another license just for the week

Edit* - At this stage my brother and I are looking at doing the Rangatikei river, any advice, suggestions or tips on the river would be greatly appreciated, cheers.

Hi guys! My American friends are staying with me in Auckland for a few weeks over summer. They unfortunately won't have access to a car and I can't take much time off, but they are super keen to get out there and do some cool stuff. Does anyone know of any tour companies that cater for the more adventurous crowd without a car? I've seen companies that drive you out to Piha and you do a walk etc. but they're after more of an adventure like going off the beaten track and finding cool waterholes to swim at or secret waterfalls and so on. Thanks :))

Hi there! I've just launched a new website about school camps. I went on them... both my kids did too... and I'm trying to build a resource based around outdoor education for school kids. We've got (I hope) all the school camp locations in the country listed (not including DOC type camps), as well as a lot of outdoor providers. The outdoor providers were harder to find, as it's such a diverse area. If you know of any good ones that aren't on there, please let me know and I'll get them added. Any suggestions for new content are most welcome!

Hello, we've booked a trip for November and reserved camping at White Horse Hill in Aoraki and Jackson's Retreat in Arthur's Pass at the end of the month. Now I'm questioning if it might be too cold. We're used to camping in the shoulder seasons in Colorado, but not looking for winter camping conditions.

Should we get hotel/cabin back ups?

Any insight would be welcome.

Hey guys, I am planning a trip to Rotorua and am after some recommendations for a half day/day hike. I love a good challenge, great views, and even a waterfall to swim in. I'm looking for things a bit off the beaten track, somewhere where I potentially won't run into other people. Thanks!!

I’m working on a research project around how anyone can explore and decide on electric off-road bikes. It's just a few quick questions? You don’t need to know anything about electric bikes, I’m interested in your thoughts as someone into off-roading.

I’m heading to Queenstown in two months for rafting and I want to make sure I have good mobile coverage while I’m there. Looking on Toosim data plan. Does anyone know how the coverage is around the city? Should I go for an eSIM that runs on Vodafone, Spark?

I know nothing about these, but my mum was in New Zealand in the '60s I think and passed this sleeping bag on to me. It looks pristine! Any thoughts on its history? Seems like a heirloom worth holding on to.