Camping with our New Tent in New Zealand
It’s been five years since we’ve bought a tent. The fabric of our old tent was flaking off and the last time we slept in it I felt rain drops splash across my nose as the water worked it’s way through the decayed seams. While shopping for a new tent I found myself having nostalgia for some of my favorite overnight backpacking trips.
I was sad to see our old tent go. I’ve patched that tent kneeling in the dirt in Malaysia and held my hands up over my head as the tent, without breaking, was blown completely flat over Chris and I as we unsuccessfully tried to sleep during a storm in Coasta Rica.
Here are some favorite photos from when we lived in New Zealand and did a bunch of tramping.
Here are some favorite photos from when we lived in New Zealand and did a bunch of tramping.
New Zealanders call overnight backpacking ‘tramping.’
This stretch of beach was along the 125 km hike we did around Stewart Island.
We spent 9 nights/ 10 days hiking around Stewart Island. The hike was one of our longest and most remote. We accessed the island by a rough one hour ferry ride and it was one of the more remote hikes leading us through forest, beach and mountains.
It was one of our muddiest…
…windiest…
…and most intense, hardest and best hikes we’ve done.
We’ve hiked many ridge lines like this one along the Heaphy Track.
Rested in all kinds of interesting shelters.
Tramped all around the valley’s of Greenstone Caples Trek.
Crossed bridges.
Chris bouncing along a narrow wire bridge.
And just been amazed at what we’ve seen.
We went tent hunting again to see what’s out there for our new purchase, and in the end
we’re buying the same exact MSR Hubba Hubba tent again.
It’s a great tent and we love all it’s breezy features.
I first got into backpacking in a wilderness adventures club at university. When I moved out to Flagstaff, Arizona I bought a faded, purple Jansport backpacking pack from a gear swap for $25. I took some outdoor leadership classes which further helped me develop and learn proper back country etiquette.
You don’t need a flash tent to get outdoors. Chris and I bought a $60 two person tent from Dicks Sporting Good Store that also lasted us five years and broke one fitful night in high winds on a mountain top on the south island of New Zealand. You just need to be outside. We have conditioned ourselves to be so comfortable indoors I think we forget how comforting the outdoors can be. To be lured asleep by the running brook, to see the stars, or for that matter, to be snugged up in a tent listening to the mosquitoes on the outside of the tent. As George Santayana said,
“The earth has music for those who will listen.”
We can’t hear the music inside the four walls of a house.
Get outside today.
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Just from reading your posts I would think a good tent is VERY high up on your list of priorities!
We have been impressed by this tent. It really is an amazing investment.
Your journeys all seem so wonderful and amazing. The views are just spectacular and your energy and passion for the outdoors is very evident.
Thanks. Sometimes before an overnight hike there is part of me that doesn’t want to go. I like a flushing toilet, I like to flick a switch and have a light. But every time, every time, I go out to the back country, I am amazed by what the experience gives me. I have a hard time putting ‘that feeling’ into words, it just fills me, and knowing that attaining ‘that feeling’ exist out there, will drive me to the outdoors any day or night.
I got a tent for my 17th birthday. We went camping to celebrate my 30th birthday with the same tent —- and that’s when the tent finally fell apart beyond repair. The mosquitoes were horrible and we held the door together with about 100 safety pins. Made you think twice about getting up to go in the middle of the night……
Hahahaha…that is hilarious and sad all at the same time. Nothing is worse than getting mozzies in your tent tho.