Is an umbrella the most underrated piece of tramping kit? This thru-hiker thinks so. I set off from Bluff to walk Te Araroa this summer with a sun umbrella wedged in the side pocket of my pack. The thru-hiker’s obsession with weight is legendary, and in a sub-culture where some won’t even carry pots and stoves, […]
About the author
Naomi Arnold
Naomi Arnold is a Nelson tramper, journalist, and author. She particularly enjoys writing about nature, travel, science and adventure. Some of her favourite assignments have been reporting on dotterels from Rakiura, stoats from Preservation Inlet, ice science from Antarctica, and tramping Te Araroa while writing her 2025 trail memoir, Northbound.
Dirt bike trial on Tongariro Northern Circuit gets approval
The 2026 Wilderness Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition
Knockin’ on heaven’s door
The 2026 guide to sleeping mats
Walking through the valley of Hope
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