Ever since I was a teenager, I have enjoyed exploring the bush, camping in some remote out of the way place, summiting a mountain, or just chilling out around the campfire.
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I shudder when I think back to those days and recall the sort of gear I packed (or didn't) in a borrowed A-frame backpack. From the bulky sleeping bag and the thin strip of foam that was my bed for the night to the cans of mixed vegetables, baked beans, spaghetti, strawberry jam and smoked oysters and maybe a bottle of cheap red - a necessary treat when far from civilisation.
Cooking paraphernalia usually consisted of a tin plate and mug, a small frying pan and a battered and blackened billy.
My hiking apparel was pretty rudimentary too - a pair of jeans, a checked flannel shirt, a pair of cheap, ill-fitting boots bought at an army disposal store, a "waterproof" jacket (that wasn't) and a knitted beanie. Too bad if we struck really crap weather - we could only hope there was a hut nearby in which to seek shelter and dry out.
Happily, things have changed since those heady, carefree days of my youth. I'm no longer the ignorant, ill-prepared, under-resourced hiker who staggers along a bush track under a massive load, wishing I'd never left the comfort home. Salvation came when I joined the Border Bushwalking Club and did some day walks and overnight hikes before graduating to extended multi-day trips.
Walking with others, more experienced in the ways of bushwalking meant I could check out the gear they carried, the clothes they wore and the cooking systems they used.
I could pick their brains about the pros and cons of various tents and sleeping bags. I could note what foods they packed and how they cooked them. Best of all, I found every one of them more than happy to share their knowledge and expertise on all things relating to bushwalking - from the advantages of trekking poles to how to not get lost in a white-out.
The Border Bushwalking Club conducts its free "new members' night" every March when experienced bushwalkers present an informative and instructive show and tell about what to wear and what to carry for local day walks, high country hikes, overnight hikes and extended hikes.
There will also be information about how to book into an activity, the responsibilities of leaders and participants; and a showcase of some of the many other activities the club offers, including cycling, canoeing, snow shoeing and skiing, volunteer work with Parks Victoria, and the maintenance of Young's Hut - "our" very own High Plains hut.
So, if you've been thinking about becoming more active and involved in the outdoors, then come along to the Wodonga Senior Citizens Hall, Havelock Street, Wodonga on Tuesday, March 3 at 7pm.
