Australian Hiker

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 bu...

'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...

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...

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 ove...

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 e...

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 experienc...

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 g...

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 h...

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.