Kiwi Camping

Over the many years of our married life ( 50 this year!,) both with & without family or friends, Judy & I have had many kiwi camping experiences in all sorts of weird & wonderful places. And with all manner of different forms of camping equipment. A two man tent in amongst Hyenas & leopards in Malawi to a camper van in a Brisbane supermarket car park. These have been wonderful experiences some of which we would love to share with you. If by sharing our Kiwi camping experiences we can provide helpful advice or ideas on the subject that will be a bonus for us.

My first experience of camping , and in this instance it was not Kiwi camping but Australian camping, was as a Boy Scout in Australia when i was 12 years old. On reflection this was deluxe camping with most of the hard work being done for us. We were instructed on the basics which did stand me in good stead later on. Erecting the different tents, finding dry wood & fire lighting, finding a good water source etc. All Basic stuff you might say but today it concerns me that in a real crisis there are fewer & fewer people who have any idea of these basic survival skills.

In the Australian Bush we did have to cope with snakes and more poisonous spiders than when Kiwi Camping but young as we were this did not phase us in any way.

In New Zealand, when we arrived on our farm as young boys we did hear stories of wild pigs which worried us far more than snakes ever had. I remember taking my young brother and his friend out to camp on the Station, only about a couple of Km's from the homestead, and setting them up in a tent for an overnight adventure in a sheltered patch of Manuka. It was getting late when I left them , just on dark, I happened to mention casually that I had seen sign of a couple of wild boars nearby. ( Did some terrible things to younger brother when I look back!) I took a longer route home hoping to shoot a rabbit ,or a pig. To my astonishment young brother and friend had beaten me home!! Said they thought they had heard something in the scrub and they bolted!!.

I got an ear full from my parents for being unkind quite rightfully so.

After our fun camping on the farm my next memorable Kiwi camping experience would have to be when single at work while mustering in the High Country of New Zealand. I did this for five years after leaving Boarding School, ( there were no secondary schools within 30 miles of home and no school buses). I experienced what we called "Fly Camps", tents , camping in Huts, and camping under the stars.

We still camp in some of these huts using the contacts I had made then and through fellow farming friends. We feel very privileged to be able to do this kind of Kiwi camping. When mustering all our gear, sleeping bags, packs or swags as we called them were taken in by pack horse and camp cook. One High Country Station, Makarora Station at the head of Lake Hawea in the South Island, our food was dropped in by fixed wing aircraft. No helicopters in the early sixties. Whatever else we needed we carried ourselves.This was into Country called the Hopwood Valley and the pack track in had claimed too many horses to warrant the risk. Mules had also been used but these too found it too difficult. Only a few get to enjoy this kind of kiwi camping experience.

On another Station in the same area there were no huts on this particular block so we carried everything ourselves in a swag on our backs. On one occasion here I had finished my "beat" late in the afternoon and had to camp on top of a high ridge. During the night a cold southerly depression came through and I woke to snow!. My swag was rolled in a canvas cover and I was able to use this as a fly tent held down with rocks for the rest of the night. Fortunately the weather cleared by morning and we finished the muster without further problems.Weather wise at least. Not the kind of Kiwi camping experience everyone would enjoy

One piece of equipment which was always available in these huts was the Camp Oven. A heavy cast iron oval shaped pot. A caste iron lid and big enough to hold a leg of mutton and vegetables. If you are going into a hut for any length of time, and you are driving , I recommend you acquire one of these. I believe they are still available. A leg of mutton or venison , slowly cooked in one of these takes a bit of beating. Generally we would get a good hot fire going and then put the camp oven on the hot coals and slow cook the meat for two or three hours. Have also made bread in these, heaping the hot coals on to the lid as well for a good even heat. To get the most from Kiwi camping you do need some basic cooking skills.

We still do the occasional camp overnight or kiwi camping or for a couple of nights carrying all our gear & food with us. Your most basic need is a good sleeping bag. It really makes no difference what kind of Kiwi camping you are doing a good sleeping bag is essential. We have always used "Fairy Down" or down or feather filled bags. You need to be able to unzip these the full length. This gives you the ability to use them as a quilt un zipped if using in the summer or you can also zip two bags together which we often do if space allows and sleep together. We have used ours with equal comfort in Alaska and in the the African Sahara. The brand we use is "Katmandu's "Goose Down".

If you are hiking & kiwi camping you will need a good back pack. Here comfort is important, try before you buy. We use packs called the Great Outdoors. Some of the basic features you will find usefull.

1. A zip on day pack.
2. A zipped in full pack water proof cover. Even though these packs are lined & relatively water proof if you are hiking in the rain these are a guarantee you will arrive with dry gear! With Kiwi camping we can't always guarantee the weather will be fine.
   
3. Pockets. A pocket on the lid of the pack is just about standard. Here you keep the essentials you may need without opening the pack. First aid kit, torch , camera, quick snacks etc. The base of these packs have a separate compartment for the sleeping bag again which is access able without opening the main pack.
4. Another feature we find quite useful is the ability to zip open the pack like a suitcase. Once you are in camp this saves having to dig to the bottom of the pack for those clean socks ! For Kiwi camping you will need those extra socks!
   
5. There are separations within the pack which allow you to keep underwear or different items of clothing apart.
   
6. These packs have a web or mesh pocket on the outside for carrying water bottles. Deep enough that you don't need to worry about the bottles falling out.
7. The pack also has straps down the side for holding your tent.

You need plenty of adjustment on the pack straps. Well padded shoulder straps, some padding on the waist straps where they go behind your back, small straps to hold the shoulder straps together across your chest. The weight of the pack should be on your hips, higher rather than lower. You will enjoy your Kiwi camping so much more with a comfortable pack.

Caravan & motor home is a very popular mode of camping in New Zealand. So much open space, no traffic, good camp ground facilities etc. In fact our next move when we sell Charwell Lodge will be to join the "Grey Nomads" , get ourselves a caravan, motor home of fifth wheeler and spend some time exploring all the walks we have not yet done in NZ. A different kind of Kiwi camping to what we have experienced so far.

With a motor home you are pretty self contained and this is popular with Tourists to this country either couples or travelling with a young family.

As well there is the family tent for Kiwi camping. With the luxury of a vehicle and possibly a trailer there is no limit to the "Extras"you can take for this type of Kiwi camping. As a country boy I could never understand why people would crowd themselves into a popular camp ground, complete with tables & chairs and even Sky TV dish, tripping over your neighbors tent ropes and being kept awake by rowdy party goers. But kiwi camping caters for all sorts. I have to acknowledge the fact that these grounds over the Holidays are packed year after year so I guess it is every man to his own.

Choosing the right Motor home or Caravan for this version of Kiwi Camping will be another story. Happy to engage with any Hubbers who may have more advice to offer. Enjoy your Kiwi camping experience.

Having got ourselves set up with sleeping bags & back packs lets look at some of the other essentials for the back packing and Kiwi camping.

1. Cooking gear. We are talking back packing kiwi camping, We preferred a Multi fuel cooker. This will depend on the length of your trip. For an overnight trip a gas cooker is fine. They are light and very easy to use . If you intend being away for a few days I would recommend the Multi fuel type. We used a Multi fuel on a seven day tramp through the Lapine ( Spelling!) National Park in South America. We carried a litre of fuel , in this case white spirit. This was more than enough for the seven days. As named you can use kerosene, petrol or white spirits. White spirits was our favored fuel, relatively odour free, clean burning but not always available. Kerosene is fine but a bit smelly! Petrol if there is nothing else available! A little too combustible for my liking and not good if you spill! What concerned me using gas was ,one the availability in this situation and two with the Multi fuel we knew exactly how much we used each day by the level in the bottle so we could ration if needed. Bit hard to do with a gas cannister! Kiwi camping you do not want to be caught somewhere with no firewood and no fuel.
2. Cooking Pots etc. I guess for Kiwi camping what you use here you want two things . Gear that is not too heavy, but gear that is robust enough to stand a bit of rough treatment! We used a cluster of a billy another pot and a small pan. This with a couple of mugs and knife fork & spoon and a small set of tongs is all we carried for three months back packing in South America and the same in Africa. I did have a multi tool and we had a couple of plates.
3. First Aid Kit. Yes we carried a small first aid kit with basic bandages Codine and plaster strips etc, about 500 grms. Kiwi camping or any other camping for that matter a first aid kit with some form of pain killer and basic bandages etc is a must. WE usually had a couple of spare boxes of matches in the kit. Stored in a watertight container!