You don’t need a week off, a huge objective or a perfectly planned itinerary to have an adventure.
Sometimes all it takes is a free afternoon, a pack on your back and somewhere good to wake up.
There’s something pretty special about an overnight trip. You can leave the everyday behind, walk for a few hours, watch the last of the light disappear from somewhere completely different, then wake up and do it all again in reverse.
Twenty-four hours can feel surprisingly long when you spend them outside.
Pick somewhere worth waking up
An overnight adventure doesn’t have to be epic in distance or difficulty.
A nearby hut, a favourite campsite or a short walk into the backcountry can be enough. In fact, keeping things simple often means you have more time to enjoy where you’ve ended up rather than spending the entire trip trying to get there.
Think less about kilometres and more about the experience. Somewhere to watch the sunset. A good view from camp. A quiet hut tucked into the hills. A beach you can wake up beside.
Sometimes the best destination is simply somewhere that makes you want to stay until morning.
Pack smart, not for every possibility
For a single night out, it’s tempting to pack for every scenario imaginable. Your shoulders will remind you fairly quickly why that might not be the best approach.
Start with the things that keep you warm, dry, fed and comfortable.
A reliable waterproof shell and warm layer should be close at hand, particularly in New Zealand where conditions can change quickly. Add your sleep system, food, water, head torch, navigation and the safety gear appropriate for where you're going.
If you're camping, your tent and sleeping bag become your little home for the night, so choose gear suited to the conditions you're heading into rather than simply reaching for whatever is lightest.
Then leave some room for the important stuff - a good coffee in the morning has earned its place in plenty of packs.
Stay for the good bit
This might be our favourite part.
Day walkers begin heading home. The track gets quieter. Packs come off. Dinner goes on.
And then you get to stay.
There’s no rush to beat the darkness back to the car. You can watch the light change, wander around camp, sit outside with something warm and see what the evening decides to do.
Those quiet hours at the end of the day are often the ones you remember most.
Get comfortable
Sleeping outside doesn't have to mean spending eight hours waiting impatiently for sunrise.
A good night's sleep starts with choosing the right setup for the conditions. Think about expected overnight temperatures, wind and weather exposure, as well as how you personally sleep.
Your sleeping bag should give you enough warmth for the conditions without turning you into a human furnace. Your mat provides comfort but, importantly, also insulation from the cold ground. If you're in a tent, good site selection can make a huge difference too.
And keep a warm layer nearby. Stepping out of a sleeping bag into a crisp morning is considerably nicer when there's a puffer within arm's reach.
Don't sleep through the morning
We know. Your sleeping bag is warm.
Get up anyway.
First light is one of the rewards for staying overnight. Before the trails get busy and before the rest of the world really gets going, you get a little window where everything feels particularly still.
Put the water on. Make coffee. Watch the light arrive.
You can crawl back into your sleeping bag afterwards if you really want to.
Head home happy
And that's the beauty of the overnight adventure.
You don't need to disappear into the wilderness for a week. You don't necessarily need annual leave. You don't even need to travel particularly far.
One night outside can be enough to break up the routine and remind you just how much adventure can fit between one afternoon and the next morning.
Good gear simply makes it easier to say yes.
Pack the bag. Pick a spot. Stay the night.
We'll see you out there.
Images: Sara Strachan | Location: Kaimanawa Forest Park
