Going bush: The conversation to have with your kids before camping

From the mountain ranges to the lakes, New Zealand offers a wealth of beauty right at our doorstep – but not everybody can make it in the great outdoors.

When an 8-year-old and 11-year-old emerged from a “bloody scary” night lost in the bush after wandering off from a Southland campsite on Sunday, their story was an important reminder of how dangerous our country’s wilderness can be, and why we need to prepare our kids for for it.

Survival expert Stu Gilbert, founder of SOS Survival Training, shared his tips to making sure you and your child make the most out of our country’s natural offerings while staying safe.

Know your child’s skill set (and yours)

Before you pitch the idea of a family outing in nature to your kids, you’ll want to consider how comfortable your child is in nature first.

“If you want to get your kids interested in this sort of stuff,” Gilbert says, “you can’t go boots and all – it needs to be a progression.

“If you want to send kids outdoors, it’s probably not a good idea if they’ve got no experience to start with.”

Ask yourself honestly: Would my child know what to do if they were lost? Could they help themselves if they got hurt? Can I trust them in a foreign environment?

For kids without a basic survival skill set, Gilbert recommends starting with fun, low-risk activities in nature before planning a trip out to a camp ground or tramping trail.

“Stay within your own abilities – and your kids’.”

Teach them the warning signs

Gilbert says the one of the biggest issues he encounters with taking kids into the bush is their lack of risk assessment.

“Kids tell me, ‘There’s no sign there telling me that’s dangerous’. They can’t recognise risk, because risk in our day-to-day life is indicated to us,” Gilbert says.

“Suddenly you go into a bush environment, and you might see ‘stay away from the edge’ or ‘loose rocks’, but kids aren’t at the age where they can determine a risk.”

A number of dangers lurk in the outdoors, and it’s important to remind your children to always look where they’re going, avoid tracks that aren’t properly marked, and to not wander far from where you can keep sight of them.

Prepare for the ‘what ifs …’

Ultimately, the success of your trip all comes down to proper planning, Gilbert says.

Where you’re going, and for how long, will dictate most of what you need to be prepared for.

Nature and time are also important to consider – if bad weather looks like it might cause trouble for you, it’s safest to cancel your trip until another time, Gilbert says, and being out in the bush during the winter will mean less chance of seeing another tramper if you’re stuck in a sticky situation.

Don’t overlook the “stock standard stuff”, like wearing the correct gear and packing your necessities, and prepare for the ‘what if’s, such as your child going missing overnight.

Let them know they’re best to huddle under a tree until daylight returns, and if possible, to make a recognisable help signal (SOS) or wave their cellphone flashlight if they have a device on them.

“As we always say in survival training: ‘survival should not be learnt for the very first time in real time’,” Gilbert says.