General News
7 November, 2025
Considerations before hiking
Now is the time to crack out the walking to boots to get some use before it gets into the heat of summer.
Wear the boots a few times to bring their flexability up to scratch.
Grippy boots suited to steep slopes and rocky terrain might need some TLC before the heavy packs get lifted to your shoulders.
Selection of well fitted boots is critical to the success and enjoyment of the activity.
In mountains a set of strong footwear is advised, preferably with grip soles of rubber.
In sandy terrain such as Wyperfeld or the Little Desert highly flexible almost flat soles with no grip are suggested so you can glide over the soft sand and leave no footprints.
Wearing two pairs of socks can reduce blisters.
Try a lightweight pair with some heavier socks pulled over the thinner pair can work for some people.
Camp fires are becoming a thing of the old days with some agencies discussing no fires even for cooking.
This will make walkers think hard about any menu that will have to be carried.
Too many disasters have been caused by lack of care.
Water needed is heavy but on a long hike the heat can be a problem.
Even in Tasmania it can be useful to carry at least a bit of water.
Deciding where to hike or who to go with can be bigger decisions.
Going with a walking group or club can solve lots of problems such as travel to and fro, sharing the weight of the food.
Technology is so much more useful with portable everything now having access to mobile phones, lightweight camp gear, tents sleeping bags and containers to carry stuff.
An important part of this preparation is to leave details of the trip with a responsible person, a Ranger, Police or friends.
One would hope to not need a fall back but all sorts of things can pop up in isolated country and often does.
Having the emergency crews called out to search for someone lost is one thing but activating a search for those not lost is embarrassing.
Careful planning can make a trip so much more worth while and enjoyable to boot and safely bringing home the story and pictures is important.
We are spoiled for choice in Western Victoria of possible walk sites, so, go for it.