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Upcoming trips

Rogaining

Rogaining is a sport held in the bush that involves navigation, planning, fitness and endurance. Teams of 2-5 are given a map with fifty or sixty checkpoints or "controls" marked over a 150 square km area. Successfully finding a control gives your team a number of points based on the distance from the hash house (home base), surrounding terrain and navigation difficulty.
Elite teams walk continuously througout the event and often cover in excess of 100km through difficult terrain. While the sport attracts more than its fair share of "tiger walkers", the atmosphere is very friendly and beginners are welcome. Most events include a "6 hour" and "15 in 24 hour" option for those who are not confident about navigating in the dark. There are a number of divisions including womens, mixed, novice, veteran and open. At the end of the event, no one really cares what your score is since the prize is usually a water bottle from the sponsor - what matters is that your stiff, sore and have had a good time! There is always a barbecue at the end of the event which is included in the entrance cost.

Getting into rogaining

All you need to get into Rogaining is a rough idea of how to read a map, a compass and a willingness to have a go. Many beginners are apprehensive about wandering into the bush armed only with a map but in practice there is little to worry about. Getting lost and then finding yourself again is part of the rogaining experience and if you are late back, hundreds of experienced navigators are on hand to come and find you!
There has only been one instance in the history of rogaining where outside help was required to locate a competitor and they were found safe at a nearby farmhouse in the morning. I don't mean to say that anyone should just wander off into the bush, but if you've done a navigation skills workshop or even just read a book on navigation, your probably ready to tackle a 6 hour event.
It is also good to have done a first aid course so that you know how to deal with breaks or snake bite. If you haven't done one, take some time to learn how to do bandaging. It's easy to learn and could save someone's life!

What to bring

While carrying a heavy pack is exhausting over long periods of time, there are some things that you really need to bring. Do not be caught out at 2am soaked in a rainstorm because you thought a raincoat was too heavy… Experienced rogainers learn what they can and can't be without, but for beginners it's better to err on the side of caution - even if you end up carrying a heavier pack than necessary.

Food

The key to a Rogaine is to eat. 24 hours is a LONG time to be walking and you burn a LOT of energy. I would suggest 2-3kg of food in total - the only way that you will be able to keep a steady pace is to bring lots of food and to actually eat it! A common beginners mistake is to bring lots of the same types of food and then to find out at 2am that they just can't stomach the thought of another packet of jelly beans. Without food, you will crash!
When constructing your "rogaining diet", the only thing that really matters is the balance between Carbohydrates and "eatibility". Don't be afraid to bring food that is not traditionally eaten during endurance sports - just make sure you bring food that you will find appetising!

Suggested foods include: Chocolate, sandwiches, lollies, pasta, sweet rice, apples, mandarins, sausages, powerbars, nuts, boiled potatos, dried fruit, sports drink etc.

Try to bring a mix of simple and complex carbohydrate and don't worry too much about protein - it does not give you the quick energy that you need. Of course, if your favourite food which you know you will want to eat is full of protein, then it's fine to bring it.

Water

While water is available at water drops on the course and at the hash house, you do not want to be in a situation where you have to make a detour to collect it. Bring container ables to carry atleast 3L of water. Big coke bottles are fine. Gear freaks may find "hydration systems" handy - these let you sip on the move. The downside is that you can lose track of how much you are drinking and run out unexpectedly.

Light

If doing a 24hr rogaine, a torch is critical. Even if your doing a shorter event, it's a good idea to bring a small one in case you are late back.
Small torches are not a good idea in a 24hr event - you want something which projects light so that you don't have to on top of a control before you see it. Traditionally, a "Petzl Xoom" has been popular because it is attached to your head like a caving torch and projects a good beam of light 30-40m. The downside of these torch is the high price of the halogen globes ($14, lasts for 14 hours) and the short life of the batteries. Three large batteries are necesseary for a single night which is expensive and heavy.
The newer head mounted LED torches are a much better option. Be warned though! Most of the torches sold are designed to cast a diffuse light around a campsite and not for navigating in the bush! The newer 1 Watt LEDs cast a similar amount of light to a small Halogen while only using a fraction of the power. Make sure that the globe is housed in such a way that it projects light instead of cast spreading it wherever you look. A useful bonus is a second set of small LEDs built into the torch for mapreading/eating etc. These torches cost a bit over $100 but that you can spend $30-$40 a night in globes and batteries for a Petzl Xoom, it is a worthwhile investment.
If you don't want to spend a lot of money but still want a bright light there are other good options. Usually the trade off is the weight. "Dolphin" style torches are a similar size and shape to a tissue box and are carried in the hand. The upside is that thet ouptput light far in excess of any LED. These were a common rogaining choice a few years ago. They are available from most supermarkets and hardware shops. Check the battery life and bring spares if necessary.
A word of caution: These torches are turned on using an easy to press button. Many a rogainer has reached nightfall only to discover that the button was pressed in the pack at 1pm and now the batteries are flat! Disconnect them until needed!

Other equipment

After food and light have been taken care of, the other required equipment is similar to what you would take on a bushwalk. Bring a rainjacket, thermals, and a light fleece. Wear pants a shirt - shorts become uncomfortable if the bush is thick. It is a rogaining association rule that each team carry a whistle and a space blanket. Also bring a first aid kit with pain killers (panadol), anti-inflamatories (ibuprofen), bandaids, elastoplast for blisters and a couple of compression bandages in cases of breaks or a snake bite. Know how to use them!
Finally, a very importantly, bring clear contact plastic for each team member so that you cover your maps and protect them from moisture and prickly scrub. Also bring scissors and a few pens.

Strategy

Strategies vary considerably depending on navigation ability, fitness and the length of the event. Here are some general pointers:

• Try to design a route that gives you "escape plans" which allow you to rush back to the hash house if your running out of time but mean you'll reach 10am on Sunday morning with no points nearby for you to collect.
• Navigation is a LOT harder at night so if possible, try to be in an area with obvious features to make finding your way easier. Mountains are not always good because you often can't see them in the dark!
• The earth is not flat! It's easy to design a mathematically optimal route which maximises your point/distance ratio but completely ignores the effect of contours (lines marking areas of equal distance). Walking up and down hills uses a lot of energy, especially over long periods of time so it's important to design a route which allows you to collect a groups of controls at similar altitudes.

"There are only 3 real sports: bull-fighting, car racing and mountain climbing. All the others are mere games." - Hemingway.