Strategic Movements Coordinated
In the latest update, the popular planning tool Plan My Walk has introduced two new features, Custom Tracks and My Gear Lists, designed to enhance the experience of hunters planning off-track expeditions in New Zealand. These features are now available on the Plan My Walk app or website (planmywalk.nz).
The Custom Tracks feature allows hunters to manually create and tailor their hunting route. By tapping along roads, trails, or off-track areas on the map, users can build a route suited for their off-track summer hunting expedition in New Zealand. This feature enables hunters to define specific waypoints and control points to ensure their path follows the terrain they want to explore, even in less-defined areas away from established tracks.
The My Gear Lists feature helps hunters prepare for their trips by compiling and organizing all the essential equipment needed for their journey in advance. This feature lets users check and customize their gear according to the demands of an off-track hunting expedition, ensuring they have all necessary items ready for the outdoors.
These features provide several benefits for hunters:
- Precise Route Planning: Hunters can plan their route precisely, adjusting the track manually to follow terrains, ridgelines, or hunting zones in New Zealand not covered by standard trails.
- Safety and Effectiveness: By saving and possibly printing or uploading the route to GPS devices or smartphones, hunters can confirm the details of their journey for safety and effectiveness, especially in areas where cell service may be limited.
- Effective Gear Organization: The My Gear Lists feature reduces the risk of forgetting critical items for an extended summer hunt when conditions might be variable.
For the best results in off-track hunting navigation:
- Utilize the manual route creation in Custom Tracks to add control points and shape your path exactly, reflecting your desired off-trail route in New Zealand.
- Export your planned route as a GPX file if the tool supports it, and upload it to a GPS device or app to follow accurate navigation cues during your expedition, which is critical in remote terrain.
- Use My Gear Lists to list necessary gear such as GPS devices, maps, emergency supplies, appropriate clothing, hunting equipment, and survival tools to prepare effectively for New Zealand’s wilderness.
The completed trip plan can be shared with the group as well as the emergency contact. Hunters can complete their trip plan by adding in the trip dates and group members once the custom track and personalised gear list are made.
These new features can support various types of hunts, from using a tramping track for access and then heading bush, to over a mate's fence into public land. They are useful for both day hunts and multi-day big game trips. The new features offer more freedom when planning by allowing the grouping of multiple existing tracks and off-track routes.
You can learn more about these features by visiting the Stories section of the Plan My Walk website. The article about these new features can be found in the NZDA Hunting and Wildlife Magazine Summer 2023/24.
[1] Source: Plan My Walk [2] Source: NZDA Hunting and Wildlife Magazine
- The enhancement of Plan My Walk's application allows outdoor enthusiasts to seamlessly integrate technology in their sports activities, such as hunting, by precisely planning routes and organizing gear lists for an off-track summer hunting expedition.
- Leveraging the Custom Tracks and My Gear Lists features of Plan My Walk, athletes involved in endurance sports like running can also create custom tracks for specific terrains, while using the gear lists to ensure they are well-prepared for their rigorous outdoor exploits.
