Slower Hiking
Useful tips and exciting itineraries for leisurely hikers and hiking duos
Inspiring and Celebrating Slower Hikers
Are you leisurely hikers? Do you stroll up hills or take many photos? Do you stop for lunch, smell the flowers and linger atop mountains? Do you prefer daily distances of 10-20 kilometres, rather than 10-20 miles? If so, our approach is for you!
Feature Posts
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Mount Field West Circuit
This leisurely 3-day circuit hike takes you through snow gum and boulderfields to tarns above the treeline, with vast views from rocky peaks. Clemes Tarn, Mt Field West, The Watcher, Newdegate Pass, Newdegate Lake, Twisted Tarn, Twilight Tarn, historic huts filled with memorabilia – you’ll see them all and more! It’s fantastic walking.
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Lightweight Backpacking Breakfasts
Delicious lightweight backpacking breakfast ideas and recipes to satisfy your needs whether you prefer a grab-and-go or a sit-down brekky, hot or cold, sweet or savoury, home-made/assembled or commercial.
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Grampians Peaks Trail
Endless exhilarating views, fun and varied hiking including some challenges, exceptional wildlife and a landscape ablaze with spring wildflowers: the extraordinary Grampians Peaks Trail in Victoria is certain to join the ranks of iconic Australian hikes.
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Human Factors, Decision-Making and Hiking Safety: What You Need to Know
Most serious hiking mishaps happen due to human factors: emotions, fatigue or decisions that we make, rather than gear or environmental factors in isolation. This article explains WHY we make poor decisions when hiking. It covers the human factors — particularly our own minds — that negatively affect decision-making and safety.
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Dehydrated Tomato and Bean Minestrone
A hearty, nourishing soup packed with flavour: perfect comfort food for those cold nights in camp!
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Frenchman's Cap - Tasmania
This spectacular hike - the one Tasmanian locals tell you tops their list of favourites -- crosses the Franklin and Lodden rivers on fun swing bridges, before traversing buttongrass plains and climbing through lush rainforest. Once in the high country you have rugged tors and first class views across alpine tarns and lakes.
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How to Choose the Right Backpacking Stove for YOU
Step through this article to find the exact pot and stove combination that best suits your hiking style and environment!
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Dehydrated Cold-Soak Bean Salad
After a few days on the trail we all begin to crave those fresh, crisp, savoury salad tastes and textures. This spicy, delicious, protein- and carb-packed salad with crunch, acid and chilli in a lightweight package is a great backpacking lunch alternative.
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X-Mid Pro 2, Duplex, Triplex or Stratospire Li for Two: a Comparative Review
We review and compare four of the most popular DCF tents for two people: X Mid Pro 2, Duplex, Triplex and the Stratospire Li. We’ve used all four tents on multiple hikes over a wide range of conditions to help you select the one that suits you best. Two people sharing a tent has significant implications for ease of setup, space, condensation and liveability that don’t apply to solo hikers.
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South Coast Track - Tasmania
Rugged coastlines, mountain ranges, beaches, rainforests and river crossings: a stunning wilderness that can be customised to suit experienced slower hikers.
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Dehydrated Caramelised Pork Rice Bowl
This sticky Asian-style stirfry with rice or noodles to soak up the delicious sauce is high in protein and carbs, and the caramelisation creates a wonderfully different texture to that of many other dehydrated dinners.
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Backpacking Stoves and Fuel: What You Need to Know
Alcohol, butane, kerosene, petrol, wood, Esbit or Shellite? Upright, Integrated, Remote or Inverted? Open or Sideburner? Understand their characteristics and differences, and which suit what situations best so you can choose the right one for your next hike.
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What to Add to Instant Ramen Noodles: Backpacking Tips and Recipe Ideas
Two minute noodles, instant noodles or instant ramen… whatever you call them, they are light, cheap, compact, shelf-stable, delicious, readily available, convenient and easy to prepare: perfect hiker fare! Just swap those flavour sachets for condiments, and add protein and veg for quick, tasty and healthier instant noodle meals in camp.
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Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island
An exceptional 32 km thru hike on Hinchinbrook Island in tropical Queensland. The entire island is uninhabited National Park, and retains its solitude and serenity.
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How to Stake and Guy Your Tent: Snow, Rock, Sand, Platforms and More
Tent stakes and anchoring techniques for different substrates, what guylines to use and how to choose which tent stakes to take on your next hike.
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Iceland Central Highlands - Hellismannaleid, Laugavegur and Fimmvorduhals Multiday Trek
This truly awe-inspiring hike links three trails in the central highlands of Iceland combining snow, ice, fire, volcanoes, lava and ash fields, waterfalls, glaciers, alpine lakes, rivers and steaming mudpots and hotsprings.
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An Eleven Day Trek in Walls of Jerusalem National Park
We share an extended journey into the Walls of Jerusalem, encompassing the Walls with Solomon’s Throne, as well as Mt Jerusalem, Lake Myrtle, Mt Rogoona, Twin Spires, Lake Artemis, Tent Tarn, Lake Chalice and more.
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How to Secure Your Tent for Strong Winds and Storms
Understanding stakes, guylines, tent orientation, set up technique, rain, snow and human factors is essential when we pitch our tent for or during strong winds and storms.
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How to Choose the Best Hiking Shoes for You
The right footwear can make or break your hike… but there are so many options. Although the list is endless, we provide tools to help choose footwear that’s right for you.
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Tents in Strong Wind: Terrain and How to Choose the Best Pitch
Understanding the effects different landforms have on wind and the best ways to utilise or mitigate those effects can greatly reduce the stresses placed on your tent… and you!
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Tent Stakes for Backpacking: What You Need to Know
Tent stakes are one of the most important items of backpacking gear! They make the difference between a secure night’s sleep and a miserable one spent in and out of the tent as it collapses around you. Here’s how and why you should be installing your stakes differently.
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Tents in Strong Wind: What You Need to Know
Understanding wind, tents and terrain can make the difference between an enjoyable hike or a terrible one so, with a little help from tent manufacturers, we’ve written this in-depth, three-part article to help you get the most out of your tent in strong winds and storms.
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Multiday Hiking for Seniors
This article is to inspire older folk to try something you might not have tried before, or which you haven’t done for years: a multiday hike. Here are practical tips and workarounds to help you succeed. Age is no barrier!
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Why Hike the Bibbulmun Track?
The best wildflower trek in the world… the best long distance trek for leisurely hikers… and the best long distance hike for first-time through hikers. The Bibbulmun ticks all the boxes.
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Managing Health and Chronic Conditions
If you’ve been on the planet for more decades than many and have enjoyed life, you may be carrying a chronic condition or two. Rest assured that, for very many of them, someone with the same complaint has done a multiday hike! Here are tips to help manage them.
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The FU Stop, or How Not to Hike with a Partner
This article is for all hikers who struggle to keep up, who think they walk too slowly, and especially for hikers who think their partner walks too slowly.
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River Crossing/Camp Shoes, Lacing Techniques, Gaiters, Insoles, Socks and Preventing Blisters
No matter how good your hiking footwear, you’ll get better results with good socks and insoles. Add how to prevent blisters, how to choose lightweight gaiters and footwear for in camp and river crossings, and you’re set to go!