Down and synthetic insulated jackets provide incredible warmth at a low weight. Our 2026 guide will help to pick the model that best suits your needs from some of this year’s top options.
Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Meet the Wilderness gear experts bucking the ultralight trend.
📸 Enter the 2026 Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition
Joshua Wilson’s image of the sunset view over Brewster Hut won the 2025 Huts and Camping category and the overall Outdoor Photographer of the Year title.
The Wilderness Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition returns for 2026!
The search is on for the best outdoor photographers in Aotearoa New Zealand. Now’s the time to submit the top images from your adventures. It’s also not too late to get clicking. You have until May 3, 2026 to enter.
This year’s generous prize pool has over $3500 worth of camera gear from Panasonic Lumix.
Quiz
This cloud formation:
A - Often produces thunderstorms and hail
B - Often forms east of New Zealand’s main mountain ranges
C - Is known as a fair-weather cumulus cloud
D - Is a cumulonimbus cloud
E - Is a cirrostratus cloud
Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer…
Gear Radar: May 2026
Each month we dive deep into the world of new outdoor gear and bring you three pieces of kit that we’ve discovered. This month we feature a compact manual coffee grinder to elevate your backcountry brews, a high-comfort mat for year-round car camping and a new topo map option for android users.
Current Issue - May 2026
Trips with mum, visit the new Brass Monkey Hut on the Lewis Pass tops, two Wilderness gear experts explain why they're bucking the ultralight trend, mapped trip reports, gear guides and dozens more articles!
The weekend weather at a park near you…
| Location | Today | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angelus Hut |
 -2°/6°
|
-1°/8°
|
 -1°/9°
|
0°/8°
|
| Aoraki/Mt Cook VC |
 1°/12°
|
3°/14°
|
5°/16°
|
 9°/16°
|
| Arthurs Pass |
1°/13°
|
4°/15°
|
5°/15°
|
7°/12°
|
| Ben Lomond Summit |
-4°/8°
|
-3°/9°
|
-1°/9°
|
1°/6°
|
| Brewster Hut |
-2°/9°
|
-2°/9°
|
-1°/11°
|
2°/7°
|
| Cape Reinga |
12°/17°
|
 12°/17°
|
13°/19°
|
13°/18°
|
| Karangahake Gorge |
6°/15°
|
8°/16°
|
6°/17°
|
5°/17°
|
| Kaweka J Summit |
 -2°/0°
|
-3°/5°
|
-2°/9°
|
-1°/11°
|
| McKinnon Pass |
1°/11°
|
1°/11°
|
4°/11°
|
 6°/8°
|
| Mt Heale Hut |
11°/13°
|
12°/14°
|
13°/16°
|
13°/16°
|
| Mt Pirongia |
2°/9°
|
3°/11°
|
0°/12°
|
3°/12°
|
| Mueller Hut |
1°/7°
|
4°/8°
|
6°/10°
|
5°/7°
|
| Pinnacles Hut |
4°/11°
|
7°/12°
|
5°/15°
|
5°/14°
|
| Pouakai Hut |
 1°/6°
|
1°/9°
|
1°/10°
|
5°/10°
|
| Powell Hut |
1°/5°
|
0°/8°
|
1°/11°
|
3°/11°
|
| Rotoiti/Nelson Lk VC |
2°/14°
|
2°/16°
|
2°/18°
|
5°/16°
|
| Roys Peak |
-4°/7°
|
-3°/9°
|
-2°/11°
|
2°/9°
|
| Tongariro VC |
-0°/8°
|
-0°/11°
|
1°/13°
|
2°/11°
|
| Waitawheta Hut |
5°/12°
|
7°/14°
|
4°/15°
|
5°/15°
|
| Woolshed Creek Hut |
-2°/8°
|
0°/11°
|
2°/15°
|
8°/15°
|
Report created on 23 April, 2026 at 07:00am. For a full forecast of the park of your choice, visit NIWA.
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Quiz
Answer E - Is a cirrostratus cloud.
A cirrostratus cloud is a high cloud made of ice crystals. It is a whitish, veil-like structure, usually translucent with a smooth appearance. Looking at the sun through this type of cloud, a solar halo is often seen. This cloud often fills the sky well ahead of a frontal system.
Quiz provided by Heather Grady from Outdoor Training New Zealand.
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