Kia tika mai te mahere, i mua i te haerenga

Plan ahead by considering your goals and those of your group. Prepare by gathering local information, communicating expectations, and getting the technical skills, first aid knowledge, and equipment to make the trip a success. Build Leave No Trace into your plans by picking an appropriate journey for your group and allowing plenty of time to travel and camp.

Be prepared to sit tight or turn back if you sense danger or sustain an injury. That way, you won’t have to abandon Leave No Trace techniques for the sake of safety. For instance, poor planning or disregard for weather conditions can turn an easy bushwalk into a risky encounter with extremes in temperatures. Cold and wet or suffering from heat stress, it’s impossible to leave no trace.