
Australian Hiker is Australia’s premier hiking podcast as well as providing a southern hemisphere view on overseas hiking. We are Australia’s most downloaded hiking podcast with regular episodes being released every two weeks covering gear and trail reviews, hiking practice, recipes and skills. Bonus episodes will be released at least once a month and include interviews from the trail as well as with relevant industry and allied professionals. Let us do all the research for you.
Episodes

Thursday Jun 19, 2025
319- 2025 Industry Gear Supplier Interviews
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
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.
Gill and I were originally heading to the Industry Trade show in March of this year but due to a cyclone that show was cancelled. Over the past 7 weeks we have been catching up with five Australian based suppliers to find out about what gear has been recently released and what we can expect in the coming months.
At the end of these supplier interviews I briefly discuss where I see the outdoor gear industry heading. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
318-Fun and Hiking
Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
I follow a number of US based podcasts and blogs and one of the things that appears unique to the USA is the discussion on ‘fun’. It’s not that we don’t have fun in Australia but for some reason we just don’t seem to discuss it in the same way and we definitely don’t label it. But should we?
In this podcast episode we discuss the concept of fun as it applies to hiking and outdoor activities. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday May 27, 2025
317-Camino del Norte-Camino Primitivo
Tuesday May 27, 2025
Tuesday May 27, 2025
Ask just about anyone who is a non-hiker to name a long distance hiking trail and chances are they will say the ‘Camino’ and by default this means the ‘Camino Frances’. also known as the ‘Way of Saint James’ or the ‘Camino de Santiago’, This well-known pilgrimage trail starts in France, crosses the Pyrenees mountains which straddles the border of France and Spain, and continues into Spain for a total distance of 780km long. This trail which was World Heritage Listed in 1993 takes most people around 35 days to walk. But did you know that there are over 200 ‘Caminos’ with a handful attracting the attention of keen hikers who want a different experience than that on offer via the Camino de Santiago.
In this episode we talk with hiker Sheila Lunter who joined the 828km Camino del Norte (the Northern Way) and the 321km Camino Primitivo (the Original Way) in a ‘choose your own adventure’ option to find out about these ‘lesser known’ Camino's.
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday May 20, 2025
316-Basecamping
Tuesday May 20, 2025
Tuesday May 20, 2025
When we think about hiking there are two pictures that typically come to mind. The first is of moving from place to place over multiple days, carrying everything on our backs, sleeping in a small tent, then moving on and repeating the process the next day. The second picture we think about is driving to a nearby destination hiking for part of the day with a ‘smallish’ pack, and then returning to your car before driving home. But why is that?
In this podcast episode we look at 'basecamping' as an alternative to create a different type hiking adventure whereby you hike from and return to a central location. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday May 06, 2025
315-Australian Triple Crown
Tuesday May 06, 2025
Tuesday May 06, 2025
I first fell in love with long distance hiking in about 2014 and surprisingly it had nothing to do with the movie ‘Wild’ that was released in the same year.
The more I investigated the concept of long-distance hiking, the more I liked the idea of doing one of the well-known USA Triple Crown trails. The US Triple Crown is a goal that many long distance hikers set themselves and consists of the
- Appalachian Trail
- Continental Divide Trail, and the
- Pacific Crest Trail
You may be surprised to know that Australia has its own Triple Crown trails, even if they aren’t as well known, or for that matter an official thing. In this podcast episode we talk with hiker Kevin Moss to find out all about his experience in completing the Australian Alps walking Track, the Bibbulmun Track, and the Heyson Trail in a single Calendar year. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Apr 22, 2025
314-The Snowman Track - Bhutan
Tuesday Apr 22, 2025
Tuesday Apr 22, 2025
In 2012 we hiked in Bhutan and at that time we were trying to decide between two hikes. One of the choices we were looking at was the 350 km Snowman Trek which in the end we didn't end up doing. This trek is one of Bhutan’s and for that matter, one of the world’s, best known treks taking around 24 days to complete the whole hike.
In today’s episode we catch up with hiker Jonty Crane to find out more about his experience on the Snowman Trek. For me this is a bucket list hike and one that I was keen to find out more about! www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Apr 08, 2025
313-The Ireland Way
Tuesday Apr 08, 2025
Tuesday Apr 08, 2025
In mid 2024 Larissa and her husband Brendan, hiked 1047km along the length of Ireland predominantly on ‘The Ireland Way’. This is a trail that has come across my desk from time to time and when Larissa first contacted us towards the end of last year, this was a great opportunity to find out about Ireland’s long trail. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
AH 311-What to do if you become lost while hiking (and what to do to prevent it)
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
No one plans to get lost or injured on a hike but every year our state and territory police forces, with support of organisations like the state emergency services, parks services as well as local volunteers, respond to incidents of lost or injured hikers. In many cases the outcomes of these incidents are just a minor inconvenience to all concerned but at the other end of the scale, there is occasionally the unfortunate loss of life.
In addition to the human outcomes, the resources of the organisations providing assistance are often stretched and taken away from other roles they perform. So how can you minimise potential issues on-trail and if you do become lost, what steps should you take to ensure you are found as quickly as possible?
In this podcast episode we discuss this important content with the hope that you will never need to use it!
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
310 - Bibbulmun Track Interview with Trudie Marie
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
In 2018 Tim hiked the Bibbulmun Track as a solo male hiker, but what’s it like hiking the Bibbulmun as a solo female hiker? In this episode Gill takes control of the microphone and asks Trudie all about her experience on-trail, along with the reasons for undertaking this trip, and what she came away with from this long distance hiking experience. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Wednesday Feb 19, 2025
AH 309-Headlamps for hiking
Wednesday Feb 19, 2025
Wednesday Feb 19, 2025
Once you decide to start doing overnight hikes there are additional pieces of gear that you need to consider like a sleeping bag, tent and also some sort of light. By far the most commonly used light for hikers is a headlamp but with so many to choose from how do you decide what to purchase? In this podcast episode we discuss key considerations for choosing a headlamp for hiking but having said that you may find that you end up with more than one! www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
AH 308- Snowies Alpine Walk
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
In January 2025 over the Australia Day Long weekend Australian Hiker headed up to Kosciuszko National Park to walk the newly opened Snowies Alpine Walk. We, more specifically Gill, completed the whole walk in three days and I played a support role due to injury completing about 18km of the 56km walk.
While this walk was designed to be done over four days from a number of hikers that I have both talked to, and seen, do this walk as a 'choose your own adventure' option, and this seems to be how people are approaching it.
This podcast episode includes a series of on trail recordings from our three day trip and at the end of the podcast we provide an overview of what we thought of this trail as well as discussing options to help you make your own journey that much better. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
AH 307-Hiking in Timor Leste
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
Ask just about any hiker to name some overseas hiking destinations and Timor-Leste is unlikely to be in that list. In fact, most people would probably struggle to place Timor-Leste on the world map. In this week’s episode we catch up with hiker Jonty Crane to find out what’s so special about hiking in Timor-Leste and to find out what we have been missing out on.
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
AH 306-Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail revisited
Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
In late 2017 our friend Kellie, Gill, and I undertook a five day walk on the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail in South Australia and to this day, this walk still ranks as one of our favourite hikes of all time, it was that good. In 2020 major bushfires decimated Kangaroo Island including this trail and much of the Flinders Chase National Park in which it resides. It wasn't until around 2023 that hikers could again do unsupported trips.
In this podcast episode we catch up with hiker Julia Patten, who with a friend recently walked the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. We’re looking forward to seeing how the trail has recovered since the fires and what sort of experience you can expect if you do this walk. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
AH 303-The Tassie Backbone
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
On 21 October 2024 Lauren Thomas and Steph Brake started on their 40 day, 500km journey starting at the northern Tasmanian township of Penguin and finishing at Cockle Bay is the states south to raise awareness and funds, deeply motivated by the desire to make a difference in men's health. They finally achieved their goal on 29 November 2024. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Wednesday Nov 13, 2024
302-Australian Hiker’s Multi-day International Bucket List Hikes
Wednesday Nov 13, 2024
Wednesday Nov 13, 2024
In this podcast episode we talk about our bucket list of overseas (outside Australia) multi-day hikes. Each of these hikes, regardless of their length, has something that resonates with us for one reason or another. However, they may not be your cup of tea, given that most of them are long distance trails ranging from 75 km all the way up to the longest trip on the list at around 3,000 km.
Use these walks as a guide and hopefully it will spark some enthusiasm for you to add one or more of these walks to you bucket list – maybe it will inspire you to try something that you hadn’t thought about! www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Oct 29, 2024
301-Australian Hiker’s Multi-day Australian Bucket List Hikes
Tuesday Oct 29, 2024
Tuesday Oct 29, 2024
In this podcast episode we talk about our bucket list of Australian-based multi-day hikes. Each of these hikes, regardless of their length, has something that resonates with us (particularly Tim) and while they may not be your cup of tea, they are all on our ‘to do’ list for the coming years. Our bucket list hikes range from 62 km all the way up to the longest trip on the list at around 1200 km.
Use these walks as a guide and hopefully it will spark some enthusiasm for you to add one or more of these walks to you bucket list – maybe it will inspire you to try something that you hadn’t thought about! www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Sep 10, 2024
AH 298-K2 Base Camp Trek
Tuesday Sep 10, 2024
Tuesday Sep 10, 2024
For many hikers, a key bucket list hike has been trekking to the Everest Base Camp. However, this trek, along with the world’s tallest mountain has become less unique and more pedestrian. Recently I was contacted by hikers Simon and Cheryl Staddon who undertook the K2 Basecamp Trek, something that I wasn’t even aware was a thing and something that I was keen to find out more about. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jul 02, 2024
AH 294-Hiking the PCT with type 1 diabetes
Tuesday Jul 02, 2024
Tuesday Jul 02, 2024
In the past we have interviewed hikers who have walked the Pacific Crest Trail in the US and while everyone’s experiences are different, Australian Katrina Hemingway has her own story to tell. When Katrina undertook her journey with British hiking partner Helen, apart from being ‘older hikers’ they were both having to manage their type 1 diabetes which added an extra degree of complexity to the planning and management of this hike.
In this podcast episode we listen as Katrina talks us through her epic journey. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
AH 293-Hiking Utensils 101
Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Eating utensils are one of the most underrated and under-considered piece of hiking gear in our packs. For most hikers what we choose to use is often based around what our fellow hikers are using or what catches our eye in the store but there is so much more to think about when purchasing your eating utensils.
In this podcast episode we look at the considerations for choosing that perfect eating utensil for your outdoor adventures. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jun 04, 2024
AH 292-Insects and hiking
Tuesday Jun 04, 2024
Tuesday Jun 04, 2024
Hiking is very much an outdoor activity and with that you get both the good and the bad aspects of nature. The beautiful views, the animals, the sense of solitude and oh the insects! Sometimes insects can be so annoying that you feel you have no other choice but to quit your hike, if you can.
In this podcast episode we discuss what you can do to reduce the impacts that insects may have on your hike so you can keep on doing what you enjoy rather than focusing on the negatives. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday May 21, 2024
AH 291-K’gari Great Walk: Reality vs Expectations
Tuesday May 21, 2024
Tuesday May 21, 2024
In this final episode of our series on our recent journey on the K'gari Great Walk we look and at our pre-trip expectations and compare them to the reality of our on-trail experience. In addition will provide recommendations to assist you if you are planning on doing this trip yourself. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday May 14, 2024
AH 290-K’gari Great Walk-On trail recordings part 2
Tuesday May 14, 2024
Tuesday May 14, 2024
In this second on trail episode of this series we bring you final on trail recordings from our recent K'gari Great Walk trip starting from day 4 and bring you the final days on-trail. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Apr 23, 2024
AH 288-Kgari Great Walk - expectations and hesitations
Tuesday Apr 23, 2024
Tuesday Apr 23, 2024
There’s a well known saying many people would be familiar with and that’s ‘It’s about the journey, not the destination’. But is this the case?
In this podcast episode we discuss this saying and came up with very different answers on what’s important. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Apr 09, 2024
AH 287-It's all about the journey or is it?
Tuesday Apr 09, 2024
Tuesday Apr 09, 2024
There’s a well known saying many people would be familiar with and that’s ‘It’s about the journey, not the destination’. But is this the case?
In this podcast episode we discuss this saying and came up with very different answers on what’s important. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
AH 286-Hexatrek
Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
In 2022 a new long-distance hiking trail opened and for once this wasn’t in the USA. This new track called the Hexatrek, solely based in France, joined up a series of pre-existing tracks and takes in 14 National Parks to create a 3034 km journey through some of the most amazing scenery that France has to offer.
In this podcast episode we catch up with New Zealand hiker Claire McCall who undertook this walk with her husband James just after the track officially opened. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Friday Mar 15, 2024
AH 285 - Adventure Expo 2024 Industry Interviews pt2
Friday Mar 15, 2024
Friday Mar 15, 2024
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 the Expo was held in Melbourne over two days and provided a chance to catch up with suppliers face to face and to talk about the new gear and get up close and hands on. In addition we also caught up with a number of suppliers remotely as well as attending a travelling road show the week after.
In this our second episode of this series we finish up with our supplier interviews, talk about some great new product that's coming onto the market and then go onto some notable trends in the hiking and outdoor industry.
To get the best from this episode go to the Australian Hiker website on our episode page and go 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

Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
AH 284-Adventure Expo 2024 Industry Interviews pt1
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
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 the Expo was held in Melbourne over two days and provided a chance to catch up with suppliers face to face and to talk about the new gear and get up close and hands on. In addition we also caught up with a number of suppliers remotely as well as attending a travelling road show the week after.
To get the best from this episode go to the Australian Hiker website on our episode page and go to the show notes to see images of what we are talking about in this podcast.
In next week's episode, episode 285, we'll bring you the second half of these interviews and also talk about where we see the industry heading. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
AH 282-Valentines Day Hiking Ideas
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
Valentine's Day, while once considered just another American holiday, is now firmly entrenched in Australian culture. The day is usually associated with chocolate, flowers and dinner out, but is this just lazy romance? Why not change things up a bit by thinking outside the box and blending hiking with Valentine's Day for a romantic date out bush!
In this podcast episode we look at some of the considerations for combining hiking and romance. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jan 16, 2024
AH 280-Assumptions
Tuesday Jan 16, 2024
Tuesday Jan 16, 2024
If you do longer hikes, particularly ones that involve going off marked trails or if you hike in unfamiliar areas, you may be required to make some assumptions. The problem with assuming is you don’t always get it right and as the old saying goes, if you assume you can end up making an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me’.
In this podcast episode we go through a multi-day example and look at the positives and negatives of making assumptions when planning your hikes.
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
AH 279 -The Long Way South
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
In today’s episode, episode 279, we talk with Hannah James about her recent 5,000km journey down the east coast of Australia – a journey that came to be known as the Long Way South. This is one hell of a story so strap yourselves in! www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Wednesday Dec 20, 2023
AH 278-Staycations and hiking
Wednesday Dec 20, 2023
Wednesday Dec 20, 2023
The term staycation was first is thought to have been coined in 2005 and has now come into common usage and while there are a couple of definitions it essentially means taking a holiday with limited travel and staying close to home.
In this podcast we discuss the concept of taking a hiking 'staycation' in your local area and at what options you have for getting out and about without necessarily having to break the bank. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Dec 12, 2023
AH 277-Shakedown Hikes
Tuesday Dec 12, 2023
Tuesday Dec 12, 2023
The intent of a shakedown hike is to try out new gear or new processes prior to a trip so you can iron out any bugs, familiarise yourself with new systems, balance your pack so that it’s comfortable, and assess your fitness in terrain similar (or worse) than what you have planned. But how many of us ever do them and should we really bother?
In this podcast episode we look in detail why, and when you should do a shakedown hike. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
AH 275-Christmas Stocking Stuffers for Hikers 2023
Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
It’s that time of the year when you start to consider gifts for that special hiker in your life. In previous years we have looked at the full gambit of Christmas gift options covering every price range including some very high-end options.
This year for the first time we focus on the lower end of the pricing range with gifts under $100, that fall into the 'stocking stuffer' category with something that everyone can afford. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Nov 14, 2023
AH 274-Australian Hiker 7th Birthday
Tuesday Nov 14, 2023
Tuesday Nov 14, 2023
On 11 November 2023 Australian Hiker celebrated its 7th birthday. In this episode we reflect on our past year, and look at where we are heading over the coming year. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Oct 31, 2023
AH 273-Cute and fluffy thieves!
Tuesday Oct 31, 2023
Tuesday Oct 31, 2023
In this podcast episode we talk about unexpected and sometimes negative interactions with animals on the trail. The focus on this episode isn’t on snakes as people might expect but rather on those animals that are often described a 'cute and fluffy' and use that reputation to steal your food and damage your equipment. At some stage this interaction will impact on all hikers so what do you need to know to minimise this impact? This episode discusses just that.
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
AH 270-Triple Crown
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
I first fell in love with long distance hiking in about 2014 and surprisingly it had nothing to do with the movie ‘Wild’ that was released in the same year. I’m a goal-oriented person and the whole concept of hiking for multiple weeks or months was something I could aspire to, if I was allowed.
The more I looked into the concept of long-distance hiking, the more I liked the idea of doing one of the well-known Triple Crown trails:
- Appalachian Trail
- Continental Divide Trail, and the
- Pacific Crest Trail
In all honesty I don’t think I will get around to doing all three of these trails, but I can live vicariously through other hikers who have. In this episode we catch up with hiker Simon Morris and get a firsthand introduction to these three trails that make up the US based Triple Crown. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Saturday Sep 30, 2023
AH 269-1,000,000 podcast downloads
Saturday Sep 30, 2023
Saturday Sep 30, 2023
It's Saturday the 30 September 2023 and earlier this morning the Australian Hiker Podcast reached a major milestone passing the 1,000,000 download mark. Who would have thought when we launched Australian Hiker in November 2016 that we would get to this point?
In this podcast episode we look back over the past crazy seven years and talk about where we're heading into the future.
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
AH 268-Hiking in the Australian Alps
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Australia is a large continent with just about every type of environment and vegetation you can imagine ranging from coastal, forest, arid to semi-arid; and then there’s our sub alpine and alpine regions which make up less than 1% of the continent. The practice of planning hikes is the same no matter where you are however there are some specific considerations that hiking in Australia Alpine 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

Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
AH 266-Cape to Cape Track: Reality vs Expectations
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
In this podcast episode we discuss our pre-trip expectations for the Western Australia Cape to Cape Track and compare them to the reality of the trip itself. This was very much a trip of two halves so we got more of an experience than we expected. In this episode we discuss how the trip panned out and make some recommendations that will help you get the best out of this experience. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Aug 15, 2023
AH 265-Cape To Cape Track, Interviews from the Trail Part 2
Tuesday Aug 15, 2023
Tuesday Aug 15, 2023
Back on trail again on the Western Australian Cape to Cape Track. This episode includes recordings from the final 2/3 of this 128.7km trail and provides a real time overview of our on trail experience.
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
AH 264- Micro adventures
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
It’s August and for various reasons we’ve found ourselves having done less hikes than we usually would have so far into the year and believe me its not for lack of trying. While its easy for us to get out bush thats only because we live a few hundred meters away but due to both work and personal reasons we just haven’t had the opportunities to walk and review as many new hikes as we would like.
In this podcast episode we look at what micro adventures are and how they be used to get you out bush even when you don’t think you have the time. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
AH 263- Bathing on trail
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
If you are hiking for any length of time get used to not being as clean as you usually would like. Having said that you do need a level of cleanliness and while you do need to clean yourself all over from time to time, there is a focus on areas such as hands, the face, armpits and groin are areas that will need more regular cleaning.
In this podcast episode we discuss a simple option for keeping 'cleanish' on trail. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
AH 262- Arid hiking
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
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

Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
AH 261- Best before
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
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?
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
AH 260-Night Owl or Rooster; what’s your sleeping pattern?
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
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?

Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
AH 259-Setting up a tent for hiking
Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
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

Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
AH 258-Is age a barrier to hiking?
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
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

Tuesday May 30, 2023
AH 257-Murramarang South Coast Walk
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Tuesday May 30, 2023
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 images to provide some context. www.australianhiker.com.au
Australian Hiker can also be found on our various social media platforms

Tuesday May 16, 2023
AH 256-Goal setting and hiking
Tuesday May 16, 2023
Tuesday May 16, 2023
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

Thursday May 11, 2023
AH 255-Waterproofing your pack
Thursday May 11, 2023
Thursday May 11, 2023
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.