Backcountry Huts in NZ

Backcountry huts

Whether you’re heading out on a family adventure or walking off those Christmas mince pies, summer is a great time to get outdoors. If you’re going overnight, a DOC hut can be a great option for accommodation. To help you get the most out of your visit, Peak Performance Solutions has some insider tips from DOC rangers and keen hiking staff for staying in DOC huts this holiday season.

Plan a Great Walk

• Keep huts clean and tidy. A broom, brush and pan are provided use them, and leave muddy boots outside.
• Conserve gas when using gas heaters and cookers. During cooking always open a window or door to allow dangerous carbon monoxide fumes to escape. Keep an eye on boiling water/food, and be sure to turn gas heaters off overnight and make sure it is properly off when you leave.
• Take care using wood burners, keep the fire contained and never leave it unattended. Only burn dead dry wood and be careful with hot ashes. Make sure the fire is extinguished before leaving. Use wood sparingly and replace any you use for the next visitors.
• Share huts with others by being considerate, make room for late comers and keep quiet if others are sleeping. Share boiled water with other trampers to help conserve gas.
• Carry it in, carry it out – recycle ALL your rubbish. Take two bags, one for recycling and the other for rubbish/food scraps to carry out with you and dispose of responsibly.
• No smoking in huts, take your cigarette butts out with the rest of your rubbish.
• No dogs allowed inside huts.
• Before leaving, close doors and windows securely.
• Always pay hut fees.

• Help everyone enjoy the outdoors by being considerate of others when you’re out in nature. Make space for others, keep noise down and read up on tramping hut etiquette.
• Bikes, dogs and drones can really impact on other people, so make sure you are following the rules and being considerate to others.
• Take extra care when cycling on shared tracks. Wherever you’re cycling, respect others, respect the rules, and respect the track.
• Cultural heritage sites are places in the landscape that tell the physical, spiritual, and cultural stories of our past. They are places we value and connect to as New Zealanders. When visiting a heritage site please treat it with care and respect, so it can be enjoyed for many generations to come.
• For Māori, public conservation land is a taonga (treasure) and of special significance. Many of these places are wāhi tapu (sacred to Māori) and need to be treated with respect. If you are visiting a place that is wāhi tapu, there may be restrictions on access. There may also be tikanga (protocols) in place, such as not eating, running, or making loud noises while at the wāhi tapu site. Respect these tikanga.

Things to bring

“Bring a candle – most huts are equipped with candleholders, so enjoy a cosy evening by candlelight. Don’t forget to watch the open flame and to pack out any used tealights and matches.” – Stef, Ranger, Tititea/Mt Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre

ALWAYS take ear plugs to a hut, it isn’t the snorers fault that they snore, and snoring should be expected in a public hut. – Cherie, Administration Team, Rakiura National Park

“Bring light hut shoes, even if it is just one pair per family for trips to the loo!” Andrew, Regional Planning Manager, Palmerston North

Staying safe
“Always, always, always take your gas cooker outside the hut to change over a gas canister or cartridge and keep any sources of flame well away when you do this.” Amy Rutledge, Nelson VC Ranger

“Always be writing in the hut book when you arrive at the hut. It’s a good way to leave intentions and it can also be great reading entertainment!” – Bec Baxter, Visitor Centre Ranger, Rakiura National Park

Thinking of others
“Consider other hut users when packing for a trip, try not to pack things in crinkly plastic bags and remember to use a dim light when moving around bunkrooms at night” – Alasdair Burns, Visitor Centre Ranger, Rakiura National Park

“In backcountry huts, remember to replace the firewood that you use with dead wood from the ground” – Alasdair Burns, Visitor Centre Ranger, Rakiura National Park

“Please keep your bunk area and personal belongings tidy and clean up after yourself.” Maggie Lilleby, Nelson VC Ranger

Good planning
“When planning to use a backcountry hut, always take a camping mat in case you find a full hut, and have to sleep on the floor.” Marion James, Nelson VC Ranger

If gas cookers are not provided at the hut, make sure that you use your cooker on the metal benches provided and not on the wooden tables where they may burn or scorch the wood.