A brief history of New Zealand tramping and war.
I was born in a backpack. Well… almost. Every weekend of my childhood my Father would plop me into a backpack to tramp a hill.
I hated it.
But now I’m almost twenty, life seems to have come full circle and I’m the one carrying a backpack up hills for fun. The hills have become my home; I crave the frosty mornings, the birdsong and the crisp mountain air.
“Amongst the high hills I have lived many of my happiest, most memorable, most tragic and most glorious days. … And, in our understanding of the hills, so we have come to appreciate the virtues and human qualities of our comrades, and, more than ever before, we have known ourselves.” W. Scott Gilkison (1940) 1
The term tramping itself is uniquely Kiwi. It originated from a German word meaning ‘to walk heavily’ and manages to encapsulate an entire culture of New Zealand outdoorsmanship in eight letters. New Zealanders have always been outdoor types, we are people of the land and sea. For many of us tramping is a way to immerse ourselves in our country’s wildly beautiful landscapes and get back to nature. But tramping hasn’t always been the way we know it now.
It turns out it was war that created space and reason for tramping to become popularised in New Zealand. The end of the first world war solidified tramping as a staple Kiwi pastime. Before then it was reserved for a dedicated few, those that belonged to tramping clubs and spent their weekends building huts and trails. But after WWI “returned servicemen and women found solace and stimulation in the outdoors, [and] the two-day weekend became a cornerstone of Kiwi life.” 2 Tramping became a hobby intrinsically tied with Kiwi culture and now we don’t know life without it.
War technology also opened up a whole new world for trampers in New Zealand. Packs became more durable and clothing designed for combat provided more than satisfactory walking gear. Boots were able to tackle the wild terrain of our backcountry like never before. Then came the rehydrated meal. During the 1940s trampers relied on rice and raisins, macaroni and cheese, and oatmeal to survive. Small amounts of dehydrated food were begged for from experimental science departments and many trampers built primitive dehydrators to try making their own. 3 But once the dehydrated meal was developed and commercialised, the world of tramping changed forever. Longer trips could be undertaken without the worry of pack weight or nutrition.
Without war, tramping as we know it today simply would not exist. To me it almost seems that as I walk through those tracks in the hills, I am walking through history itself.
Image: Via New Zealand Geographic
- Gilkison, W. Scott. (1940) Peaks, Packs and Mountain Tracks, Whitcombe & Tombs, Auckland, vol1, p.122 ↩
- Barnett, Shaun., Maclean, Chris., (2014) Tramping: A New Zealand History, War and Revival, p166-182 ↩
- Barnett, Shaun., Maclean, Chris., (2014) Tramping: A New Zealand History, War and Revival, p166-182 ↩
I really like your post. I never knew how huge of a part war played in the development of tramping. I’m REALLY into rock climbing, so things like CLIF bars and sticky rubber are my bread and butter. It’s interesting to think about how the technology for such a harmless thing can come from something as violent as war. I also like the imagery in the third paragraph, it reminds me of some mornings when you would wake up and your tent would be covered in snow, yet it doesn’t feel like something bad to deal with, it’s just there. You’re there, with Nature, alive.
Thanks for this Frances, I hope that after #iso you’ll be able to get back into the hills. Having been a tramping baby also, it is wonderful to be reminded of the power of nature to support mental health, give ‘solace and stimulation’ and to walk in the footsteps of those who have been tramping since it became a popular pastime from the 1890s.
Your post inspired me to read more about the history of tramping and appreciate how war and science has changed the type of gear (Gore-Tex, Back Country etc), although the fundamental nature of the act of tramping is timeless. Moving through variations in weather, terrain, views, and our own physical and psychological stamina can act as a powerful reliever of stress. I can definitely attest to tramping also being a great way of bonding and making memories with others. A game of spoons at midnight under candlelight does something to the soul.
New Zealand’s tramper’s love of scroggin is also testament to how the true tramping essentials never change.
After a little more digging, I found that Tararua, the first official tramping club, was established in New Zealand in 1919 at the end of WW1. It seems that there was a need for those who served to get away into the hills as a means to support their mental health post-war. I’m thinking that after lockdown is over, many now will be heading to the hills for similar reasons. Finally, I want to know about the amazing picture of the trampers – where and when was it, who are they?
Awesome Ruby. I will definitely be heading into the hills as soon as I am able, care to join me?
I found the image via New Zealand Geographic in an article reviewing one of my family’s well-loved coffee table books, and the source for most of my information on this post!
The NZ Geo article is here – https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/tramping-a-new-zealand-history/ – I too would love to know where the trampers are off to…
I really enjoyed this, Frances. The way you’ve created a sense of home behind something that’s so portable and tied it to the better implications of conflict is really original. There’s no doubt that the urgency of war creates a push for development in a lot of things we see today, but I do think tramping would still be a significant part of New Zealand culture had WW1 and WW2 not occurred.
The connection humans have to nature is almost inscribed in us. We don’t just depend on nature, we need it. Cities build parks and people put plants by their windows, walking barefoot on grass or sand has an effect that a stress ball can’t even hope to mimic. But as cities and urban lifestyles have taken over and we’ve gotten used to seeing granite and stone every day, nature has a new value. It’s become an escape. It’s soothing, it’s therapeutic, it makes us feel alive. We appreciate our surroundings and can look within ourselves – at least in my experience. I took a 6-day hike and spoke to people who had left their office jobs to walk through Spain for almost 2 months, with just their backpacks. What many of us seek for when tramping transcends convenience. Yes, it makes the actual act easier and, in some cases, possible, but it isn’t the defining factor in submerging yourself into nature.
The Industrial Revolution wasn’t caused by war. Among other factors, it happened to keep up with a surge for demand, a need for efficiency and mass-production of goods and services.
People need nature. Most live in cities, and rely on laptops, computers, and phones, communicate, earn a living, entertain themselves. With that comes social media, and it’s become a staple in our lives. Numerous studies have shown the link between mental illness and excessive cell phone use, and people suffering from mental illness are encouraged to get amongst nature. The inevitable growth of cities has resulted in a need for escape, too – and what better escape than our very own idyllic landscapes? Nature has an alluring appeal, it’s a balm for the soul.
I think our connection to it is stronger than convenience at having tents and freeze-dried food at hand. Of course, the push war gave to war technologies that benefit tramping encouraged it, and made it more accessible to people. But I also think that consumers shape the market. Especially in New Zealand, where people are used to the outdoors, and our backyards are storybook material. Maybe it’s too much to hope for, but I think New Zealanders would pursue that need for escape, that love of nature, and want to explore their country. The market would adapt to that. Conflict makes technology changes more quickly, but if there was no conflict, I think that in this case, technology would adapt to human desire.