Hi everyone,

I've done a few short walks (1-5 km) around SE QLD, but I'm still very much a beginner. My kids (13 and 15) got hooked on bushwalking during their school camps last year, where they tackled multi-day hikes over 3-4 days. They would like to do it together as a family, and the idea of getting them off their screens for a few days during the next holidays is incredibly appealing to me....

I'd love some advice to get started:

1. What are the must-have items? So far, I've got water bottle, map, compass, first aid kit, and torch on my list. What else is important?
2. How do you plan overnight bushwalking trips? Things like figuring out accommodation, transport back, and other logistics seem a bit daunting?
3. What's the one survival skill you think every bushwalker should know?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Hi everyone,

We’re planning our first overnight hiking and camping trip and would love some advice or suggestions for routes around Sydney (well outside the city itself).

Being new to camping, we’re feeling a bit anxious, so our plan involves some logistical juggling:

1. Drive to the campsite: Drop off a vehicle there for easy access in case we need to exit early.
2. Start the hike: Drive to the end point of the hike, then use public transport, Uber, or a friend to drop us off at the hike’s starting point.

We realise this sounds a bit complex, but having a car at the campsite provides a safety net for our first experience. We’re confident we won’t need it but prefer to have the option!

About us:

• We’re both keen hikers who regularly do 10–20 km day hikes.
• We’ve borrowed all the necessary camping equipment from friends.

Looking for recommendations:
We’re after a hike that works with this setup. Ideally, it would:

• Around 10-40 km in total.
• Have a car-accessible campsite.

Here are a few ideas we’re considering. If you’ve done these or have better suggestions, we’d love your thoughts:

1. Bouddi Ridge and Coastal Walk This looks stunning but is booked out until March. Still, it’s on our radar. Link: Bouddi Ridge and Coastal Walk
2. Hornsby to Mount Ku-ring-gai This one seems doable with our plan:
   • Hornsby to Galston Gorge
   • Galston Gorge to Mount Ku-ring-gai
3. The Coast Track (Royal National Park) We’d love to do this iconic hike, but some sections are closed, and I’m not sure if car access would work here. Link: The Coast Track

Does anyone have experience with these hikes or know of others that might fit our criteria? We’d appreciate any advice or insights to help us plan!

Thanks in advance

Having experienced giardia and not wanting that on a long walk, I'd love to try something different. We did the 13 day Gariwerd (😥🔥) Twelve Peaks trail in April 2024 and mostly was tank water. After about 6 days and a tannin rich tank, Grayl press became hefty bottle with limited function on a brand new $$ filter. I used treatment tabs after that. Some weren't treating at all. (All survived unscathed). Looking for alternative recommendations. 🙏

Website says "National Pass is closed between Valley of the Waters and Slacks Stairs due to rockfall."

I can't seem to find any indication of where Slacks Stairs actually is.

https://preview.redd.it/8ll3139iuomd1.png?width=1445&format=png&auto=webp&s=eeecc309e36dbe72b50fb5bd57b49b1731d4aca2

Hi all, anyone got recommendations for a resource for comparing & planning short or day walks? I’m rehabbing a ruptured achilles and want to try and build a list of walks that I can use as goals/milestones. I’m on the NSW mid north coast & am aware of quite a few walks (some I’ve done before) but I’m hoping to be able to compare & prioritise with some consistency.

Hey all

I have purchased Aldi brand top and bottom merino thermals last year I think they were about $40-$50 maybe cheaper but I can’t remember but they’re not breaking the bank

I have worn them a few times but haven’t washed them as I felt I didn’t need to yet

I did a big hike on Sunday 17km in 5.5hrs with them on and was really sweaty by the end

Now here’s the question

I put them on the side with my merino socks and told the Mrs do not wash my merino wool I’ll wash them no fabric softener if you do on woollen cycle

But she’s just put my thermals only in the wash normal cycle with fabric softener

Are they ruined I’m really worried about it??

(Lucky they aren’t ice breakers and my merino socks didn’t go in)

Hi all, my partner has finally agreed to do a two hike with me, but with the condition that we stay in a town (I.e. at a motel) rather than camp.

Does anyone have any suggestions for any 1.5 - 2 day bushwalks in NSW (preferably not too far from Sydney) where we can stay overnight/get a feed in town?

Hey everyone I’m in search of what is the best tasting milk powder you’re taking on a multi day hike

Getting back into overnight bushwalking after a 20 year hiatus. As such I'm consuming a lot of YouTube videos on hiking.

A lot of (American) YouTubers talk about packing camp shoes.

I've never heard of this as a concept. Never have I ever packed extra shoes for wearing around camp.

What's the r/bushwalking consensus on camp shoes?

Hi All,

Coming down to Kosi NP from QLD at the start of April (expected highs of 20C) for a 3-4 day hike leaving Guthega to Charlotte Pass and then Aus 15 peaks circuit. Currently don't own a long sleeve shirt but am thinking of picking one up due to constant exposure for a few days, is this something that people prefer, or just slip slop slap will do?

Usually my multi day hikes up in SE qld are less exposed going through rainforest or decent scrub vegetation.

What are the tradeoffs between shot sleeve, long sleeve, or a sun hoodie? I tend to run quite hot and sweaty so am a little concerned of that despite the reduction in temp coming down south.

Any advice is much appreciated!

Hi - I’m looking to take my 9yo son on an overnight hike.

We are based in Sydney. I was thinking of doing the Mt solitary track, because I’ve done it before, but feel it is a bit too long for someone of his (in)experience.

Any recommendations?

Next Tuesday I'll be at Mount Hotham by early afternoon. I could just wander around the village, walk up the summit, but I'm thinking that I'd like to walk to Feathertop. I haven't done that walk in twenty years, I don't remember the trail conditions or levels, so I just want opinions about feasibility. It's 11km, zero navigation skills required. I'll be correctly prepared and equipped for the environment, I know that alpine weather can change quickly, and I'm reasonably fit. Without running, still actually walking, can one maintain a pace of 5kph? So I could crack it return in five hours without killing myself?

If it gets too hairy, if I'm late or the weather is no good I'll simply turn around, that's no issue, I don't need to tick the peak off, really just want to know if the trail is fast, middling or slow I guess.

Hi all. I want to spend some time bushwalking but none of my friends are interested. Is there any group in melbourne i could join? Or anyone who might be interested in coming with me? I don’t know victoria very well so would be great to explore with others. I am 49F. Fit (but not superwoman so <15k walks probs ideal).

(Maps that are downloaded or printed.)

Only if there's no mobile phone reception in the area you're visiting?

Working out the walking or driving distance between the location of each/various walking trail/s in a national park?

To ascertain if any hills, valleys, cliffs are along the walking route?

For accurate walking trail distances and durations, are national parks websites or the All Trails website/app more accurate?

One problem with All Trails, is that you can only use downloaded maps whilst a subscribed member of their app.

Today, for the first time, I went bushwalking. I was with my 10 year old and we went to Glenbrook easy walk to Elizabeth lookout in Knapsack Reserve. There my son pointed me to a “landmine” in the ground. Its deffo not that but a NSW marker. Does anyone know what these are for and what value / information these provide? See picture.

Hi all, long time bushwalker here. Grew up on paper maps and compass, very comfortable with them. They're the only navigation equipment I bring along on a walk, apart from the phone with spends most it's time switched off or on flight mode. Only just recently I bought a garmin running watch for training at home. It's one of the cheeper models that has basic GPs navigation, but it's piqued my interest now.

I'd be interested to carry a GPs device on walks and learn so that I have the option to not carry paper maps, say on very long multi-week thru hikes. I mean, there's nothing wrong with including maps in my resupplies and I'm not looking to totally move away from them, but I would like the option.

I have noticed that all trails has GPs route data, and I've tried to download it and send it to my garmin watch via the app, but it doesn't come up on my watch and I think I'm missing something on the user interface. I don't want to take the garmin watch bushwalking anyway, but I just want to know the process of finding route GPs data, sending it to a GPs device. I don't want to shell out for a hand held GPs device to get stuck with a bad user interface.

I'm just so overwhelmed with it all and don't know where to begin, and kinda need a teacher.

When planning a bushwalk in Australia, where do you source the GPs data for the trail? Is there a website repository? If I wanted to make up my own intended route at home based on research and experience of an area, is there a software I can use to draw that route? Any way to download route data from all trails onto the device to avoid using my phone? (I.e. Using a desktop software and not an app interface) What device should I buy? How to I load the route onto the device?

Any experience with using a GPs device when lost in the bush? I'm guessing it will help me navigate back to a marked trail on the map if I have satellite signal?

Thank you all.

Inspired by Alone Australia, I tried sawing a dead tree to craft something. The tree split up the middle as it felt after being sawed, ruining what could have been a piece of 'timber'. Why and how do I prevent this?