Australian Hiker

Australia is a large continent with just about every type of environment and vegetation you can imagine ranging from coastal, to alpine, to forest; and then there’s our semi arid and arid regions which make up around 70% of the continent. While the practice of planning hikes is the same no matter where you are, there are some specific considerations that hiking in the semi arid and arid regions of Australia require. In this podcast episode we look at what these are. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker LinkedIn Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

Most of us are very used to the concept of 'Use By Dates' or 'Best Before Dates' when we go shopping but many commercial outdoor foods also come with these labels. Due to COVID I ended up with a large number of 'out of date' meals and thought that I'd see how they went. Are these labels just cautionary recommendations or can you just ignore them?  www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker LinkedIn Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

The old saying of ‘early to bed and early to rise’ originated over 6oo years ago at a time where making use of the daylight hours was particularly important in a largely rural society. While this saying is still relevant in agricultural circles today, it’s also applicable to many other aspects of our lives, including hiking. Our sleep patterns are unique so this podcast episode looks at the are pros and cons to each type of sleep regime from a hiking perspective. So what are you? Night owl? Rooster? Or a bit of both?

When you first start hiking there are so many things to consider and often our focus is around things like gear selection, food or how to go to the toilet on the trail. While these are all important there are a number of other factors like getting a good nights sleep that come into play. Factors that impact our sleep quality include staying dry, protection from strong winds, and the site itself. Hikers with a lot of experience know what to look for but between spending your first night in a tent that you have put up yourself and gaining all that experience and there are often a lot of bad nights of sleep that everyone goes through to gain that experience. This podcast episode discusses setting up your tent at the end of the day to help with getting the best sleep you possibly can. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker LinkedIn Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest

Australian life expectancy has changed over the last century. In 1900 the average life expectancy for an Australian male was around 55 whereas now it's just on 80 years (women enjoy an additional four years). As I get older I’m becoming increasingly annoyed at societal expectations about how I’m supposed to behave. So while aging does impact on our physical endeavours is it a barrier to hiking? In this podcast episode we discuss the impacts of ageing on hiking. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker LinkedIn Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

Living in Canberra I have a strong connection to the NSW south coast and since my late teens I have spent a lot of weekends walking along this part of the coastline as well as spending a lot of time both on, and under the water. So, while there is no end of shorter walks available on this part of the coast the newly opened 35km Murramarang South Coast Walking Track was one that just resonated with me, and we couldn’t wait to check it out ourselves to see what sort of experience that it would provide as a multi-day walk. In the first 1/3 of this podcast episode, we catch up with Tom Pinzone from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to get and introduction to this newly created walk. In the second section of this episode, we bring you a series of on-trail recordings from our recent trip and what we thought as we progressed along the track. followed by our post walk review and what we thought about this trail. To get the best from this episode follow along with the written version complete with on trail i

Over the years I regularly come across hikers who sets themselves a goal(s) around their hiking. Apart from planning and hiking specific trails, the two most common goals I come across include climbing all the local peaks in an area or doing a certain number of hikes over a defined period. In this episode we catch up with hiker Mike Railton to discuss his 2022 goal of doing 100 hikes in a single calendar year to see how he went. In the second half of this episode we use this interview to discuss goal setting and hiking and the impact that it can have. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker LinkedIn Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

Hiking is a way to get to get out bush, or for that matter into your local urban area. Unless you are only travelling short distances you will more than likely be carrying a pack on your back. A pack is home to all those pieces of equipment that you may need on your adventure like a thermal jacket, rain gear, camera, phone and of course, water and food. If you’re doing overnight trips it will also hold your tent, sleeping bag, spare clothing and more food. But what happens if it rains? Or maybe you’re crossing an inlet. How then do you keep all your gear dry? In this podcast episode we discuss the options for waterproofing your pack and while its never a guarantee, I can safely say the contents of my pack has never been wet on any hike I have done and this includes some hikes in some pretty horrendous conditions. www.australianhiker.com.au

Over the past 7 years I have been focused on reducing the weight I carry on trail, chipping away here and there when I can but recently I have found myself adding gear and not choosing the lightest items. In this podcast episode I revisit my journey to becoming an ultralight hiker to see where I have landed on both my pack weight and my philosophy towards ultralight hiking. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker LinkedIn Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

In this podcast episode we briefly discuss our short trip on the Cape to Cape Track and why it came to a premature end. www.australianhiker.com.au

This podcast episode is the second in the Cape to Cape Track series and includes recordings from the first 1/3 of this 123km trail and provides a real time overview of our on trail experience. We ended up leaving the track prior to finishing and will explain why in the next episode. Never fear we will be back later in 2023 to finish this trail. We will do a write up of the trip to date which will be available by 17 April 2023 on our websites trail page. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube  

This is the first in a planned series of four podcast episodes in addition to a written trip review to be released over the coming weeks on our upcoming trip on the Western Australian Cape to Cape Track. In this episode we set the scene for our upcoming trip and provide some background on what we expect from our experience. We hope you enjoy. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

Every year Australian Hiker touches base with suppliers, importers and manufacturers of hiking equipment to find out what new and exciting products are on the market and well as to see how the industry is trending. In this weeks episode, episode 250, we'll bring you the second half of the interviews from our recent trip to Sydney to attend the Australian Outdoor Adventure Expo. To get the best from this episode go to the Australian Hiker website and on our episode page to the show notes to see images of what we are talking about in this podcast. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

Every year Australian Hiker touches base with suppliers, importers and manufacturers of hiking equipment to find out what new and exciting products are on the market and well as to see how the industry is trending. This year is the first chance we have had since 2019 to catch up with suppliers face to face and get to talk about the new gear face to face and get up close and hands on. to get the best from this episode go to the Australian Hiker website  and on our episode page to the show notes to see images of what we retaking about in this podcast. In next weeks episode, episode 250, we'll bring you the second half of the interviews. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

I've been hiking and camping for many years and I've found that my tastes in food have slowly  but steadily evolved, changing bit by bit which is to be expected. Recently however my on-trail diet has gone through a revolution rather than evolution which has changed the way that I hike. In this podcast episode we look at what's changed in my diet and the impact this has had. www.australianhiker.com.au Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

In late 2019 in episode 124 we interviewed musicians Mickey and Michelle just before they set out on their 3,000km adventure on the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand. Their experience was a bit different than most as they planned to continue working as musicians as they went. COVID interrupted their trip and now a little over three years later they have finally completed their trip. In this episode we catch up with them to find out about their experience and what they thought of New Zealand’s longest trail. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

The 19.8km Cascade Hut Trail in Kosciusko National Park makes for an excellent longish day walk or a great overnight camping adventure. In this podcast episode you'll hear our on trail experiences as well as our recommendations for this hike to help make your experience better.  This trail is also a great option for bikepacking as well.   www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

Previously, in episode 204, we touched base with authors Andrew Grune and Evi O, authors of the Book Day Trip Sydney - 52 Nature Adventures. In this episode we catch back up with them about their newest book Dog Trip Sydney - 52 Dog Friendly Nature Adventures to find out about dog friendly walks in the Sydney region. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

Without a doubt one of the the most common discussions I hear in hiking circles both on-trail as well as in online forums is what type of footwear should I be wearing? In this podcast episode we look at options for hiking footwear to try to help narrow this debate and hopefully provide s starting point in particular for newer hikers. So what type of footwear should you be wearing? www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube

When you start hiking you tend to have a picture in your mind about what a ‘hiker’ looks like. For many, the stereotype includes a broad brimmed hat, boots, kaki clothing, big pack, and of course, gaiters. By why do hikers use gaiters? They do more than just the obvious of 'snake protection'! In this podcast episode we look at the types of gaiters available to hikers today and provide guidance on when you should consider wearing them. www.australianhiker.com.au   Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms at Australian Hiker Facebook Australian Hiker Instagram Australian Hiker Twitter Australian Hiker Pintrest Australian Hiker Youtube