Australian Hiker

In episode 135 we discussed what the life of an adventure photographer/videographer was like. In this weeks episode we talk to Craig Sheather about about being a travel and guide book writer including what's involved with getting articles and books to print, and how he got into this field. Www.Australianhiker.com.au

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a professional adventure videographer and photographer? To wander the world and be paid to video and photograph some amazing scenery and individuals doing some amazing things. In this episode we talk to Danyal Taylor whose job is just that and find out a bit of what his life is like and what it takes to do his job. www.australianhiker.com.au

If you have been involved in the outdoors for any length of time then chances are you have heard of Outward Bound. Outward Bound has been providing eduction in the outdoors for over 70 years and they don't just teach you about being outdoors, they also help you learn more about yourself as an individual. In this episode we talk to Helen at the National headquarters in Tharwa, on the Southern edge of Canberra city about what they do and the services they offer. www.australianhiker.com.au

It’s that time of the year again when you start to look for presents for that hiking fanatic in your life; maybe it's you?

In this episode we focus on the best and brightest that has been released over the past year and those iconic status items that all hikers would be pleased to own ranging from the inexpensive to the grand gesture. Have a listen to see if you can pick up any ideas. www.australianhiker.com.au

In this episode we review a series of hiking and outdoor movies that we have watched over 2019 as well as some outdoor based books that we have read. If you are into the outdoors and are looking something to do on those non hiking days then consider these options. Leading up into Christmas these books and videos make great options for the hiker in your family even if thats you! www.australianhiker.com.au

In this weeks episode we listen to our on trail recordings of our first three days on the 426km Hume and Hovell Track. We will post over the next three weeks from the trail as signal availability allows.

There are any number of reasons why we enjoy hiking; the flora and fauna, the majestic views, the little stuff, the big stuff. While there might be some common themes we all enjoy, there will also be some unique reasons for each of us which are likely to be different. In episode 010 we provided a broad overview of some of these reasons and this week in episode 118 we look at some of the more 'spiritual reason' (for want of a better phrase) behind why we hike.

www.australianhiker.com.au

As a hiking blogger who is also interested in long distance hiking, quitting a hiker is always something in the back of my mind. However quitting a hike is not confined to long distance trails and can be a consideration on any hike. Sometimes calling it quits on a hike is just the sensible thing to do. In this podcast we discuss some of the reasons that we may pull the pin on hike.

www.australianhiker.com.au

Talking about hiking food can get you into a lot of trouble; everyone knows best, and their view is always the correct one! Its not quite in the same category as talking politics over Christmas lunch but it sometimes comes close. Everyone has their food preference and ours is freeze-dried food. In this podcast episode we’re going to discuss why that is.

The Boots McFarland hiking cartoon is the brainchild of Geolyn Carvin. In this episode we get a bit of background on Geolyn and 'Boots' and discuss how the creative process for this wonderful hiking cartoon comes about.

In this episode we discuss options for waste reduction and how we can care for the environment as hikers. Now before you switch off thinking we are going to take the moral high ground, be warned that while we are all about minimising our impact on the environment, it’s not as simple as it sounds.

In this week's episode we interview Lucy Barnard from Tangles and Tail as she attempts her journey from the southern-most point of South America to the northern-most point in Alaska. This is an epic journey, almost solely by foot, covering around 30,000 km in distance. In this episode, we find out a bit about Lucy (Tangles) and Wombat - the ‘Tail’ member of her team, the reason behind her trip, the logistical issues surrounding such a massive undertaking, and how her journey has gone so far. This is an episode not to miss!

Fire is one of those things to which we all seem to be drawn. It warms us when we’re cold, it was the main method of cooking since cooking began and for whatever reason it creates an emotive reaction in most of us - we can just sit and watch it for hours on end. On the flip side fire can be extremely dangerous causing massive damage to the environment, to property and occasionally loss of life. In this episode we discuss fire and hiking looking at the do’s and don’ts to help you create the best experience when dealing with fire on the trail.

Pick any activity that you do and no matter what it is there are costs associated with it; hiking is no different. Costs for gearing up and for undertaking trips can be almost negligible but at the opposite end of the scale they can also add up costing many thousands of dollars. In this episode we discuss options for getting on the trail and look at where you should be targeting your funds to get the best bang for your buck.

Over three days in Easter 2019 I walked the 112km from Kiandra in the Snowy Mountains to Tharwa (a section of the Australian Alps Walking Track). Doing an extreme walk is one of the annual challenges I set myself and this one was also a learning opportunity to do some pre-planning for a planned thru hike of this alpine trail. This podcast contains a series of recordings over the three days and describes what I was seeing and how I was feeling; I learnt some hard lessons on this hike!

If you live in Australia, or for that matter many other countries in the world, then you will be familiar with with the concept of National Parks. In fact many of the walks that we do as hikers around this country are to be found in National Parks. But what are they and how did they come about? In this podcast we provide a brief overview of the history of National Parks what they mean from an Australian perspective.

In this episode we go beyond the realms of this hiking podcast and are talking with British adventurer, and author, Adrian Hayes about his latest book ‘One Man’s Climb’ which details his account of his first unsuccessful attempt to summit k2, the worlds second highest mountain, also known as the ‘mountaineers mountain’, or the 'Savage mountain' in 2013 and his subsequent successful attempt in 2014.  You may never aspire to summiting K2 but Adrian has some key takeaways that are applicable to anyone who is thinking of putting themselves outside their comfort zone to achieve there goals.

As long as the humans have been around we have been looking at ways of improving our lives. But with this improved lifestyle we are progressively becoming a less fit, fatter, more sedentary population, that spends little time exerting any energy. So while our average lifespan is now at its longest our fitness hasn't necessarily improved and this is where hiking comes in. Hiking gets us into the bush and has many positive impacts; physical ,emotional, and mental, and that's what we will be discussing in todays episode.

'Packing your fears' is a way of saying you are carrying items in your pack based on your worries or fears; your worst case scenario. In today's episode we discuss how to overcome these this tendency to overpack.

Have you ever thought about how the trails that we know and love so much come to be? The design and construction of modern day hiking trails is a complex and time consuming process and if done right the trail will appear as if it's always existed.In this episode we interview the Project Manager, and the Architect, for the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail to find out what's involved in bringing a new trail online.

Ever wanted to hike Kilimanjaro, the Himalayas, or the Andes? One of the major considerations on these hikes is the impact of Altitude Sickness which can become very serious; in fact it can sometimes have lethal impacts. In this episode we discuss ways of mitigating the impacts of high altitude on hikes to ensure that we get the best out of our experience.

Drinking coffee when you're out hiking is a quandary. Do you put up with bad coffee just because you're away from your fancy machine, or do you give it up until you are back home? Well maybe you don't have too. This episode discusses options for making coffee on the trail from the 'just Ok' to the 'this is pretty dam good'. We also discuss  coffee alternatives if you want your caffeine fix without the hassle of making coffee.

We thought that we would try something a bit different and in this episode we are answering a series of questions asked by our listeners.

Each year over the Christmas holidays Gill and I undertake a multi-day walk. Over Christmas in 2018 we decided to do the Aussie 10 Walk. This walk, located in the Australian Alps in the state of New South Wales, takes in Australia's 10 highest peaks. This isn't a formal trail but rather a route based on the well known Main Range Track. This episode consists of a series of recordings undertaken over our 2.5 day journey.

One of the biggest transitions that most hikers make is shifting from day hiking to overnight hiking. Transitioning from just a night or two to multi-day trips brings a whole new set of considerations that can seems just as daunting. This podcasts discusses the main considerations for multi-day hiking and hopefully will provide you with some background if you are considering taking this next step.

So, you’ve been hiking for a while and are looking for something a bit different to mix it up a bit; maybe a new trail, or a new location. But what if instead all you need is a new way to view that tired old trail you’ve been hiking for a while? And that’s where night hiking comes in. This podcast discusses the pros and cons of hiking at night as well as the factors that need to be considered to ensure we do it as safely as possible.

The First Hike Project is an organisation that takes newly arrived immigrant and refugee kids and introduces them to the Australian Bush. Originally the First Hike Project originated in Perth and has now spread to a number of cities around Australia. In this episode we talk to the Coordinator of the Canberra chapter of the First Hike Project as well as one of the participants about their experiences.

This podcast episode reviews some of the most well known hiking/outdoor movies of all time and where available compares them the books. If you are into the outdoors and haven't seen these movies then add them to your must see list.

Thinking of doing a long distance multi-week hike? This podcast episode discusses the physical and mental impacts of undertaking a thru hike including some considerations that you may not have even thought of.

In this weeks episode we talk to the store manager at well known southern Queensland outdoor store,Wild Earth, on Big Agnes tents. The episode showcases three of the newer tents in the range.

If you ask most people what is their most important sense 'sight' is usually the one that they will name. But just how much thought do we put into looking after our eyes when we head out on the trail?  This episode discusses the basics of eye care and what we should be doing to care for our eyes out on the trail.

The Great South Coast Walk can best be described as Australia's greatest coastal walk that very few people have heard of. This walk starts on the outskirts of Sydney at Bundeena, NSW, and winds its way south finishing 660km later in the Victorian town of Mallacoota. In this episode we interview David Briese, one of the instigators of this walk and find out what's so special.

It's that time of the year again when you start to look for presents for that hiking fanatic in your life; or maybe its you. Shhhh we won’t tell anyone. Last year in episode 47 we discussed alternative hiking gifts that carry a lot more sentiment without the commercial crassness as well as identifying some commercial options. This year we focus on the best and brightest that most hikers would be glad to find under the tree ranging from the inexpensive to the grand gesture. Have a listen to see if you can pick up any ideas.

On 11 November 2018 Australian Hiker celebrated its second birthday. Over the past year we have been building up our online resources to help us make Australian Hiker your 'Go to Hiking Resource'. We realise that we still have a long way to go. This episode is a reflection on our past year and where we are heading into the future. Gill and I would like to thank all our friends and supporters for helping us to greatly exceeded our expectations; we couldn't have done so without you.

This podcast discusses seven Iconic Australian hiking trails under 150km in length that have so much to offer that they are known world wide. Whether it's the desert, mountains, lush foliage, or views there's just something about them that sets them apart, giving them an Iconic status.

084-Hiking in hot weather by Gill & Tim Savage

For many hikers care and maintenance of their equipment is limited to the occasional clean and maybe some hole patching but we can be doing so much more to extend the life of our gear and in the process making our hikes that much more enjoyable. This podcast discusses the basics of gear care and maintenance including how often we should be maintaining our gear.

In this episode we briefly discuss the key pieces of equipment that I used on my recent Bibbulmun Track Journey and provide a broad overview of my reasons for choosing it. A downloadable list of my multi-day hiking equipment is now available on the show notes for this podcast (episode 82)on the Australian Hiker website.

In this episode we review Tim's recent Bibbulmun Track hike showcased in episodes 76-80 to discuss how the reality of the hike compared to the expectations prior to starting.

This is the final episode of ontrail podcasts on Tim’s 2018 Bibbulmun Track hike. Listen to this podcast as Tim travels from Dwellingup to Kalamunda to complete his 36 day, 1000km trip. Over the next two weeks I will be releasing two final podcasts to wrap up this trip as well as uploading two written articles so keep an eye out!

Week four is now over, just a short one with a four day trip from Collie to Dwellingup. In this episode we discuss peoples perceptions on the trail and how this will differ depending on the context. We then go on to briefly discuss the trail amenities prior to our regular recordings and on trail interviews.

Week three of my Bibbulmun Track journey and our longest ever podcast due to 8 days worth of podcasting as I undertake the biggest week of the trip. In this episode I discuss my typical days and how I make decisions about what I will be doing as well as a series of recordings including interviews of my trip over this period between Pemberton and Collie covering a distance of approximately 250km.

At the end of the second week I have reached Pemberton which means that 40% of the trail is done. I’m actually a day ahead of schedule but am not taking that for granted and now have seven days up my sleeve. In this episode I discuss the camp infrastructure as well as my journey from Walpole to Pemberton.

On 9 August 2018 I started my journey on one of Australia’s premiere long distance hiking trails, the Bibbulmun Track. Travelling 1000km between Albany and Perth. This podcast provides an overview of a typical week on the trail completing 210km and travelling between Albany and Walpole. Listen to what I and other hikers go through in what has been some extremely taxing conditions. Over the next 4-5 weeks I will focus on different aspects of this journey to provide you with an overview on what to expect and to hopefully encourage you to consider hiking this amazing trail.

In this episode we will be discussing my expectations, my apprehensions, and my hopes for my upcoming Bibbulmun Track thru hike which I start on 9 August 2018 in what is forecast to be heavy rains. Tomorrow I spend the day on planes heading to the trail head in Western Australia. Over the coming weeks I will be walking my way back to Perth and as part of the experience I will be recoding a weekly podcast. I will also be interviewing other hikers doing the track as a thru hike, known as an ‘end to end’ on the Bibbulmun, as well as those doing shorter sections to hear how they are going and what they think of the track. So if you thinking about doing this walk listen over the next 6+ weeks to the 'on trail episodes' as well as the round up episodes at the end once I am home.

The Bibbulmun Track is one of Australia’s premiere long trails stretching 1000km (621miles) from Kalamunda on the outskirts of Perth to Albany on the southern western Australian coast. Given the distance covered there is a wide variety of ecosystems represented on the trail from coastal sections in the south through constantly changing forests that highlight some of Australia’s most spectacular flora and fauna. In this episode we will be talking to Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation about how the track came about, the role of the Foundation, and some key takeaways on hiking this spectacular trail.

In episode 002 of the Australian Hiker podcast we discussed the concept of ultralight hiking and my goal to greatly lighten my load from my 'traditional' heavy gear. It's now been 18 months since we released that podcast and in this episode we revisit this journey just prior to me commencing a 1000km/ 5-6 week hike on the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia to see how I have gone.

Whatever type of hiking that you do being fit will ensure that you enjoy what you are doing in addition to keeping happy and healthy on the trail. But what does being fit for hiking mean? This episode provides a brief introduction to hiking fitness and identifies the key aspects that you need to consider.

Planning a long distance hike is really no difference from a shorter hike, isn’t it? In theory the concepts are the same but in reality there are a number of other factors that come into consideration. In this episode I will use my upcoming thru hike of the Bibbulmun Track (1,000km) in Western Australia to provide a broad guide to what you should consider when planning a long distance hike. Once I have finished my journey towards the end of September I will report back on how I went including how well my planning did, or didn’t, pay off.

On 17-19 June 2018 the Outdoor Retailer Australia Show was held at the Moore Park Exhibition Centre in Sydney. This annual show is a chance for Australia’s outdoor wholesalers and manufacturers to showcase their new and existing products to Australia’s outdoor retailers and allied media.  This podcast is the second recorded at this show and contains a further 6 interviews. If you want to hear the first series of interviews go to episode 069.