Smartwatches can display downloaded routes and also track your progress. Photo: iStock
Some people love smartwatches while others find them too intrusive.
With brands including Garmin, Coros, Suunto and Polar producing increasingly advanced (and expensive) smartwatches, there is ample content reviewing and explaining how all their features work. However, there’s a key question I think is often missed: do they improve your outdoor experience?
Writer Chris Williams breaks down the pros and cons of using a smartwatch for hiking.
Missed yesterday’s feature? Surrounded by montane forest, this hut feels like a sanctuary.
LAST CALL: applications close October 15th
The Shaun Barnett Memorial Scholarship is a tribute to leading tramping author and photographer Shaun Barnett.
Open to aspiring photojournalists of all ages, the annual scholarship offers up to $1000 to the successful applicant in support of their backcountry adventures and creative development. Read the story this year’s recipient wrote.
There is still time to apply, but don’t delay, applications close October 15th.
Quiz
A southerly wind:
A - Is warm winds from the north to south.
B - Carries dust and pollen.
C - Blows from the south.
D - Is the prevailing wind in New Zealand.
E - Is also known as a foehn wind.
Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer…
Featured Book
Women of the Catlins
Award-winning writer Diana Noonan and photographer Cris Antona collaborate to capture the thoughts and feelings of 26 women from this remote outpost.
Subscribers get a 10% discount.
SKILLS CHECK: Improve your backpack tolerance
Learn to strengthen your upper back and shoulders with these three exercises. They’ll make multi-day tramps with a heavy pack less arduous.
Current Issue - Nov 2026
Discover this stunning 47km stretch of TA, 10 films to avoid before your next trip, a rugged, three-day tramp into the remote Tara Tama Range, the nightmare of being lost, the pros and cons of a smartwatch and dozens more stories in our latest issue.
Tramping calendar
See our list of upcoming tramping events and activities across the motu. If you have an event you want to feature, email the details!
2 Sept - 21 Oct: Women’s Adventure Film Tour 2026
Location: Multiple locations
The Women’s Adventure Film Tour® (WAFT) returns for its eight year, celebrating extraordinary women and their thrilling adventures. Get ready for an adrenaline-fueled showcase of courage and triumph that will ignite your spirit. Don’t miss this unforgettable adventure! More info.
17 & 18 Oct: OTNZ Canterbury Bushcraft Course
Location: Craigieburn Trails
This course will endeavor to develop your personal practical skills to use in the bush by experiencing the outdoors with qualified instructors. More info.
4 Nov: A short history of the mapping of New Zealand’s National Parks
Location: 4 Moncrieff Street, Wellington, 6:30pm
Join experienced cartographer, Geoff Aitken on a journey through the history of the mapping of New Zealand’s national parks. Hang around afterwards for our quarterly veterans catch-up. More info.
5 Nov: Learn about the rescue with Westpac Rescue Helicopter
Location: 17 George Bolt Drive, Lyall Bay, 10:30am
Learn what happens when a PLB is set off, when a 111 call is made. Talk with the crew about what is needed from us when they are responding to a call out. The visit starts with a 20-minute talk from the Westpac Helicopter staff, then an opportunity to look over the helicopter and talk with the crew.
5 Nov: Outdoor Training New Zealand Auckland Branch meeting
Location: Point Chevalier Tennis Club, Auckland
The Auckland branch of OTNZ has an active committee, a manageable course schedule, and holds two monthly evening meetings to introduce new topics of interest and engage with the wider membership. More info.
7 Nov: OTNZ Canterbury Navigation Course
Location: Awaroa/Godley Head
This course will endeavour to develop your personal practical skills and prepare you for tramping safely in the outdoors, led by qualified instructors. More info.
14 & 15 Nov: OTNZ River Safety - Auckland branch
Location: Karangahake Gorge
This course is designed for hikers – to help plan for journeys that may involve rivers and bodies of water; to develop river safety skills, including hazard assessment and river crossing techniques. More info.
21 Nov: Outdoor Training NZ River Safety
Location: The Willows, West Melton
Rivers are one of the greatest hazards in the New Zealand outdoors - learn how to read a river and where the best place to cross is. More info.
26 Nov: How to Use Poles Workshop
Location: MD Outdoors, Nelson, 5:30pm
Curious about how to best use poles for running or hiking? Whether you've already got a pair or you're wondering if they're worth it, this workshop is for you. Join us for a practical workshop on how to best use poles, try out different poleing techniques and learn from a physio about how they can best help you for your adventures! More info.
26-28 Nov: OTNZ Basic Navigation and Compass Skills
Location: Wenderholm Regional Park
This course is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to be able to navigate using a Topo-50 map and ground features on well-marked tracks in areas typically open to the general public. More info.
Quiz
Answer C - Blows from the south.
A southerly wind blows from the south to the north. Coming from the Antarctic it generally brings cold weather.
Quiz provided by Heather Grady from Outdoor Training New Zealand.
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