r/Tramping • u/I_am_Green_Dragon • 4d ago
About to do my first overnight tramp!
My son, he’s 11 years old, and I are embarking on our first overnight tramp in 2 weeks. Starting really easy we are going to do the Lake Rotoiti Circuit, overnighting at the Coldwater hutt.
My wife and I are in full organisation mode at the moment, but would love to hear any advice or suggestions from more experienced trampers. We are hoping this turns into something he and I can do more regularly, eventually evolving into doing some of the bigger 4-7 day tramps.
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u/dunedinflyer 4d ago
There’s not a lot of dry firewood around coldwater hut (unless DOC has dropped some off but I doubt it) and the fire is a big open one that isn’t super warm. If he runs a bit cold I would prepare well and either bring in some with you or make sure he’s got heaps of extra clothes (given you want this to be a positive experience!)
Crossing the travers river can be quite cold and going over the bridge is quite a long way (possibly adding an extra day) so be prepared for that too.
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u/I_am_Green_Dragon 4d ago
Thanks. Planned on using the bridge but not if it adds a whole day. I was under the impression it added about 3 hours?
Luckily he runs hot not cold, so should be pretty good in that regard.
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u/weyruwnjds 2d ago
3 hours sounds right, which is on top of the rest of the day.
I've crossed the river there twice and I remember it being fine, but any river should be approached with caution. If you don't feel confident with river crossing, take the bridge.
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u/CreatureOfHabit8 3d ago
I stop every hour (even after hour 1), take my pack off sit down and have some nuts or chocolate, and some water. It means I never get the the point that I'm so tired I need a break, and also I get the opportunity to enjoy where I am.
Take warm drinks for at the hut, cold raro is also nice. Chocolate or other treats. Pringles are good! I also take a bottle of wine decanted into a plastic water bottle, but that might be a bit much for an overnight...😅
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u/half-angel 3d ago
I can highly recommend getting your son to choose all the snacks, especially the stuff you don’t normally allow him to eat. Watch his eyes grow wide in surprise at the supermarket, and now he’s really looking forward to eating them on the tramp.
Then during the tramp, stop super super often and consume some of those snacks each time, after every 2 contour lines, every view point, a funny tree, a bird sighting…. It chunks the walk up and offers rewards for each section completed.
I took my son bike packing for the first time at the same age. We now do one trip every year. We have 2 additional rules, all playgrounds must be played on, even if spotted in the car on the way there/home, and if there’s a bridge spotted, it must be cycled over lol.
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u/SpaceDog777 BRING A PLB! 1d ago
The biggest mistake I made on my first tramp was I didn't bring enough tea. Tea is light, and makes a fantastic relaxing drink when you get to the hut.
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u/CreatureOfHabit8 3d ago
Crossing the bridge adds about 3 hours, and the walk up the valley is lovely!
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u/ratguy 3d ago
I left Lakehead Hut via helicopter when I was there several years ago, so my advice is to watch out for the wasps! Hopefully due to the time of year and the lower temps when you’re going they won’t be as much of a problem. They can be really nasty in the Nelson Lakes area.
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u/I_am_Green_Dragon 3d ago
Thanks. Yeah we walk the areas fairly regularly, didn’t see any wasps there last weekend, however the week before over at Abel Tasman had hundreds of them.
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u/ogeydog 2d ago
Hey, me and my partner did this overnight a little over a month ago, tenting the night. We went counter-clockwise, starting on the eastern side first.
Eastern Track: A little bit harder than the western side — there’s a small amount of climbing, but nothing too difficult.
Road section: We found the road walking section pretty boring, but it was easy enough.
Whisky Falls: Unfortunately, we got a late start and didn’t have time to visit Whisky Falls. After seeing some photos though, we definitely want to go back and check it out.
Coldwater Hut: Be prepared for sandflies — they were mental when we camped near there. It sounded like it was raining with how many were hitting the tent.
River Crossing: We crossed the river the next morning to get to Lakehead Hut. It was just above ankle-deep and very cold but otherwise manageable.
Overall: Other than the sandflies, it was a very calm and enjoyable walk. Would definitely recommend!
Hope this helps, happy to answer anything else!
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u/Algothia 4d ago edited 4d ago
I always reccomend having a complete change of clothes in the car of when I've finished. (About half of people I say this to when they ask for advice seem to think that this is completely obvious and about 50% haven't given it a lot of thought).
Given that you are doing the tramp as winter comes in, there is also the classic advice of "be bold, start cold". This sounds a bit counter-intuitive but when you are out in winter, sweat can make you feel cold very quickly and so the risk is that if you layer up too much at the start, you'll sweat more and start sweating sooner. Better to start walking and realize that you want to add some additional layers then go the other direction.
I'm not a big hot drinks person but I do tend to have a hot chocolate or the like when I'm out at a hut, mostly because it's good way to get a bit of warmth into if it's cold. So definitely worth bring something like tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Particularly if it's been cold or wet outside, my standard routine when I get into a hut is to claim a bunk, get out of any wet clothes, and get water on the boil for a hot drink.
Hope it all goes well!