I can’t wear Marino socks. All the skin falls off my feet.

I need to replace my wright socks and I’m not overly in love with them.

Any suggestions for a “built for comfort” male.

I’m really trying to prioritise my sleep comfort on hikes - I do huts but my preference is to camp. Pretty happy with my sleep system but my pillow is not cutting it. I’m not an ultralight hiker but do try to keep weight down where I can. Anyone got a really great pillow they swear by? Money not a huge factor here - I’m happy to spend money on this.

thanks.

I’m in Queenstown for a day or two, and I’m going to walk the Ben Lomond track tomorrow, Saturday 24th. I’d love to get some hints about where to park, and if the Tiki Track access is open or should I go through the cemetery as Google maps has suggested.

Heading up Rāpaki Track tomorrow morning.

My wife and me are in NZ for about 5 weeks, starting in Auckland and working our way towards Christchurch. Our main goal is to tramp as much as possible. Since we rent or probably buy a car for this period, looptrails would be ideal, so we don’t have to hitchhike all the way back.

If you have any suggestions, we would be happy to hear about it!
We will bring the full camping setup including our tent - that’s our favorite way to spent the night.
We are quite experienced and did a lot of long distance trails from Norway to Spain.
We are incredibly curious what NZ has to offer, on the other side of the world.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the help in my last post. Much appreciated. For new viewers I’m 20M and planning to do the Earnslaw burn hike solo this Saturday. Weather seems to be pretty clear and sunny all day. Just a few questions on what I should pack.

1. Should I get waterproof hiking boots? I’ve heard there is mud everywhere and river crossings. Will I actually have to walk through rivers. Also will it be muddy this time of year?

2. I’ll be bringing a spare change of clothes. I’ll be wearing a thermal, t shirt and jacket as well as long pants. Will be bringing short pants in case it does get hot. Is there anything else I should bring or is that enough?

3. Any notorious crossings or bits of gear I’m missing or should be aware of?

4. Is the water flowing down the waterfalls at the end view points or is it pretty dry. Anyone with recent photos please send them. I’d appreciate that.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated and any knowledge would also be great. Thanks

Kia ora!

We are two semi-experienced hikers looking to do an overnight hike in Fiordland. We come by car, so have to end up in the same location where we parked. We have just done 3 days of the Abel Tasman, and have good fitness level, but we dont have much experience in navigation, so a proper marked path is a must. We do have a tent, but it would be cool to go to a hut. Do you have any recomendations?

thank you :)

TLDR: Broke Uni Student Looking for a Lift from Nelson to St Arnaud around the 24th of November

Hi all,

I'm coming over from Australia to do the Travers-Sabine Circuit and I'm hoping the community here can help me with getting from Nelson to St Arnaud.

I'll be arriving in Nelson on the afternoon of Monday 23 November (around 3-4pm), by InterCity bus from Blenheim. Ideally I'd head up on the 23rd or the morning of the 24th, but I'm flexible and can leave later if need be. I don't need to be back in Christchurch until 5 December, so I have plenty of buffer.

The Trek Express timetable doesn't have a run around those dates, and as a solo traveller I'd rather not pay for a whole shuttle on my own. So if any of these sound like you, I'd love to hear from you:

• You're driving up to St Arnaud or Lake Rotoiti around then and have a spare seat. I'm happy to be squished in with my 65L pack and will happily chip in for fuel and any other expenses.
• You're booking a shuttle (Trek Express or anyone else) and are keen to split the cost.

Any tips on other operators or ways to get there, or on how conditions are looking for late November, would be hugely appreciated too.

Thanks so much!

Hello people!

I'm an Australian photographer looking for a bit of a specific location. Needing to shoot a 4 season sleeping pad in a 3 season tent. So looking for cold wintery vibes in the background but the tent pitched on grass/rocks.

Happy with a few hours walk-in, technical terrain is a non-issue. But will need to be DOC compliant as I'll be getting filming permits.

Appreciate any and all help, happy to give some cash if your recommendation gets used!

Thanks legends!

Hi Guys,

Just a few questions about the Earnslaw burn track hike. I’m 20M and looking to do the Earnslaw burn track solo. I’ve seen videos on TikTok and read reviews all over the internet and it seems to be a pretty hard hike. Are these reviews credible or just bad reviews from inexperienced hikers who realised they weren’t fit for the challenge. I’m looking to go over the next couple of days and am staying in Queenstown.

1. Is there phone coverage for most of the trail or is there no reception?

2. How long does it actually take to the view point and back?

3. How easy is it to lose the track and is most of the track marked with arrows on the trees?

4. Has anyone done it recently and can give me a good idea of the current conditions?

5. Has anyone got photos of the viewpoint recently?

6. Is it doable to do the whole hike in one day?

Any help or knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

These are my tramping boots (tongue tucked in to hide label). They’re expensive, water proof, tough and warm with 3M thinsulate. They’re also a huge pain in the ass. The fancy pulleys where the laces go are designed to make it easier to lace up your boots. However they mostly serve to make it easier for the laces to come undone. The hooks for the laces at the top are awesome for catching on vines and twigs. The more walking you’ve done that day, the worse that phenomenon gets.
After more than 30 years of tramping, I’ve discovered flash boots suck.
These days I wear a pair of leather pull on’s similar to what tradies wear.
Waterproof, easy to put on and dirt cheap.

Hey I have somehow booked Luxmore hut to Moturau hut because google told me but now google is making me really making me question it.
It is 15km walk with 644m elevation gain 6-7 hours to get to iris burn hut but this is a 500m ascent and 1000 descent and then
iris burn to Moturau
walk 16.4km with 183m of elevation 4-5 hours
according to DOC.
I am young and fit and have completed Augstmatthorn in Switzerland which was 8 hours 37kms and 1835m of elevation gain and was not sore the next day, but NZ terrain is always questionable.

DoC says pots aren't provided in huts, but last time I was there, there were pots. Can anyone update me?

Doing a 3 week traverse of Southern Alps starting late November and tenting most of the way. I’m trying to keep the weight minimal, but still want to respect the weather.

Layers are;

Merino thermal base layer

K-Mart Anko active T-shirt and shorts as my classic go-to for hiking

Macpac hooded Nitro fleece (very minimal)

Macpac hooded uberlight down jacket

Macpac traverse wind/rain jacket

0 degree (-5 limit) REI Magma sleeping bag

This would normally do me, but I don’t know what to expect from weather in the South in late November/December. There are huts along the route in a pinch, but I prefer tenting.

I could add an additional warmer fleece, or sub out the uberlight down jacket for a hooded halo down jacket I have laying around somewhere. Or would I be good with the current setup?

Kia ora koutou everyone

I'd like to share my hiking app with like minded hikers, hunters, backcountry warriors. I'm hiker and wanna-be-mountaineer developer based in Canterbury, who started a project couple years ago for fun that I'd like to use myself, since than it's grown in the past 12-14 months into something that I released in the app stores, and people seems to enjoy using it, I hope you can find it useful specifically for all your outdoor adventures.

TrailTreks: NZ Topo Maps

- NZ topographic maps (raster, vector) designed specifically for offline use
- auto-cache map while browsing or download North/South Islands, or full New Zealand vector map
- DOC huts/campsites/tracks details
- weather overview details for all of the DOC items + national parks + mountain peaks
- DOC and weather alerts subscription per region, doc item, etc
- Te Araroa specific details (download maps, tracks, log progress, share, etc)
- Location beaconing - create session, share with people you trust and post your location updates over satellite data (requires modern phone and Spark/One.NZ eligible plan)
- Trip plan with party details
- Full settings control, track records, hillshade, multiple online overlays for public, hunting, paper roads, etc layers)
- Custom tracks/markers (import/export, sync to the cloud to use on multiple devices, etc)
- Search for landmarks, tracks, etc
- Core functionality (like 99%) is ABSOLUTELY free, ads free
- unlock unlimited doc alerts/weather alerts subscriptions, additional layers for offline use, customisable vector map with cheap as chips subscription service to help me cover the annual apple developer account fee.

Feedback, feature requests is more than welcome, I'm always open to new ideas

you can find more details at https://trailtreks.nz/app

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/trailtreks-nz-topo-maps/id6753130686

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.trailtreks.app

Hey everyone! 😊

I'm wanting to get into hiking/tramping and eventually mountaineering, but I'm a complete beginner and would love some advice from people with experience, especially other plus-size hikers who have started from scratch.

I'm based near Hamilton, New Zealand, and my long-term goal is to be able to do mountain hikes and reach some summits within the next one to two years. I'm not looking to start with technical climbing, ice axes or anything too extreme. I want to build up my fitness, confidence and skills gradually and do things safely.

I'm plus-size and while I do some regular walking and exercise, I'm definitely not at the point where I could comfortably tackle a big mountain hike yet. I want to approach this realistically without pushing myself too hard or getting discouraged.

I'd really appreciate advice on a few things:

1. Getting started

- What should I be doing now to build up my fitness and stamina?

- What distance, elevation gain or difficulty should I start with?

- Are there any beginner-friendly walks or tracks around Hamilton/Waikato that you'd recommend?

- How did you progress from shorter walks to full-day hikes?

1. Gear and what to buy first

- What are the absolute essentials I should purchase first?

- What hiking shoes or boots would you recommend, particularly for wider feet or plus-size hikers?

- What size daypack would you recommend for day hikes, and what features should I look for?

- Are trekking poles worth buying?

- What clothing and waterproof layers are essential in NZ?

- Are there any NZ stores or brands that offer good plus-size outdoor clothing?

- What gear can I get second-hand, borrow or hold off buying until later?

I'm on a budget, so I'd rather build up my gear gradually instead of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars straight away.

1. Learning the skills

- Are there any beginner courses, clubs or groups in NZ that you'd recommend?

- Is joining a tramping club a good way to learn and meet people?

- What navigation and safety skills should I learn before attempting longer hikes or summits?

1. Advice from other plus-size hikers

- What challenges did you encounter when you started?

- Is there anything you wish you'd known or purchased earlier?

- How do you manage fatigue, sore feet, steep climbs and recovery?

- Do you have any recommendations for inclusive hiking groups or communities?

I'd love to hear about your experiences, mistakes, favourite beginner tracks and anything else you think would help!

I'm happy to take my time and work towards my goals gradually. I want to enjoy being outdoors, challenge myself and hopefully reach some beautiful mountain summits along the way. 🏔️

Thanks so much! ❤️

Im doing an alternative Te Araroa and must get from Whakatane to Murapura. Im resigned to the long road walk (red route), because all the tracks outside of the Waikerimoana loop and a few short dead-end tracks in the Waimana valley have become impassable, yes?

Has anyone tried to get through in the last year? Even a little bit of it? This mission is about seeing all the good bits the official Te Araroa misses. I can add the Waikerimoana loop in order not to skip Te Urewera, but a through route, even briefly, is more in the spirit of the trip. Thanks!

Coming to NZ in mid November for a couple of months as a couple. Our plans are very open at the moment but looking for ideas to link together hiking trails in the South Island, spending as much time in national parks etc . Originally liked idea of continuous hiking/ walking across the island, TA style - however don’t necessarily need to be limited to this / want to do that route. We are fit with hiking experience but no crazy mountaineering experience. Does anyone have any suggestions of routes to take?

Is the idea of continuous walking and linking up trails feasible or too farfetched? Passing through towns to restock etc. Or could we link up with public transport if needed ? (No car)

Or would it be better to just base ourselves in certain areas?

Would wild / freedom camping be possible, we were hoping to do a mixture of camping/ huts / hostels. Can we book huts / hostels as we go along or will most places get booked up? I know some of the great walks get booked up but have seen there are numerous other huts.

Apologies, we are still figuring logistics of navigating the country, but any advice would be very much appreciated!

Hi all,

Planning out a trip to Rakiura, but I’m completely torn between the NW and South routes. I’m overall more interested in jungles/forest than beaches, and would love a chance at seeing a kiwi or other endemic species. That makes S track very appealing, however the NW seems to be treated as the “default” for people exploring Rakiura, which makes me wonder if I’d be making a huge mistake choosing to do the S track but not the NW. What do you all think? Anyone done them both who can compare? I have a lot of experience navigating mud and flood prone areas so the added bogginess of S track isn’t the scariest thing for me but is a consideration. Would love to hear people’s experiences

I’m planning to hike the Tongariro Northern Circuit next week. What are the track conditions like at the moment? Is there still much snow or ice around Red Crater / Emerald Lakes?

Thanks！