Dan Farber is a co-owner of Further Faster and Aarn Packs. He has been doing Great Walks with his wife, Catherine, and two kids since their youngest was four.

Why did you start doing the Great Walks as a family? 

Because it’s a great way to go tramping with children. When we moved to NZ, we were adults with a toddler and had never tramped here before. We didn’t have our favourite little trips anymore, so the Great Walks were a perfect place to start. They’re also relatively easy to plan, compared to walks on other trails. You are guaranteed a place in a hut or a campsite, so you know what you need to pack. I’m sure we’ll do them all again when the kids have flown the nest!

First Great Walk? 

We did the Abel Tasman when our son was almost five. It’s a good one to start with, especially if you’re not sure how things are going to go. There’s the security of bailing early with all the water taxis if you need to. 

Top five bits of gear for a Great Walk?

1. An Aarn Pack

2. Montane Fireball Lite Hoodie, like a fleece but lighter and warmer. 

3. A pair of hut shoes (Crocs…)

4. Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter, meant we could carry less water and fill up quickly when we needed it.

5. A waterproof shell – The Montane Phase jacket.  

Which pack did you use?

Ever since we took some sample Aarn Packs out, (before we co-owned Aarn Packs) we’ve never carried anything else. The kids have had a range of packs from Salewa to Deuter and, now that they’ve grown, they have Aarn Packs, too!

What are some important things you packed?

A layering clothing system and food. If there’s any spare space, we pack a bag of salty crisps. We always wish we’d packed more biscuits! 

Was there anything specific for your kids’ gear?

Made sure they had a good fleece and waterproofs. We got them trail running shoes because they hated wearing boots. Colour-neutral kids gear so the boys and girls could use it and we could later hand it down to friends with younger kids. 

Best tips for the Great Walks with kids?

A huge bag of scroggin with lots of sweets for every day. We buy a whole lot of treats and let them choose their own scroggin. When they were younger they’d get a new toy, too. Our daughter used to pose dolls along the trail. 

Our son carried his own pocket knife (Victorinox has some great kids knives). Going with another family is a good idea – the kids talk to each other and forget to ask how far it is.

What’s your next Great Walk?

The Milford or Paparoa Track.

What’s a Great Walk like?

It’s a whole other world, a chance to relax, to challenge yourselves and create memories. The kids still remember and talk about each trip, even though they might have complained about distance or heat or something else. Now that they are older, if we haven’t done a trip for a while, they ask us when we are going next and prompt us to get planning. It’s awesome! 

Get your Great Walks gear and advice at Further Faster, in store or online.
57A Buchan St, Christchurch P: 03 338 1774 www.furtherfaster.co.nz