Bush Instructor Training

A practical course for instructors who lead and teach groups on bush walks and tramps. It starts with teaching bush skills and preparing a group, then covers leading a group and instructing navigation (the biggest section), caring for the environment, camp craft, equipment and clothing, and managing emergencies.

36 videos 3 h 12 m 9 sections

Watch the free introduction · 2:06

Course contents

Introduction & Overview Contents

1 video · 2 min

Welcome introduction Free 2:06

Teaching Bush Skills

3 videos · 22 min

Teaching bush walking skills 15:43 Shelters; setting up a fly 3:37 Instructor Bush Day Pack 2:43

Preparing a group for tramping

2 videos · 11 min

Gathering information on Pre-existing Medical Conditions, Injuries and relevant health information 7:49 Discussing management strategies with the group if the instructor becomes incapacitated. Including emergency communication devices and disclosing hazards to the group. 3:00

Skills to lead a group

2 videos · 21 min

Hazard management strategies 15:41 Instructing bush walking skills on the track 5:12

Instructing Navigation

9 videos · 38 min

Map scale/distance estimation, and map symbols and the map key 5:00 Teaching contour lines (hand, sand and play-doh models) 4:45 Grid references — purpose and how to read them 4:50 Grid north vs magnetic north 2:09 How to Instruct: Parts of a compass, taking a bearing to a feature and using it on a map 2:55 How To Instruct: Following a bearing 5:08 How to Instruct: Resection 4:38 How to Instruct: Orienting a map with features and with a compass 3:42 How to Instruct: Locating yourself on a map/navigating to a point 4:26

Care for the environment and teachable moments

2 videos · 14 min

Kaitiakitanga and Teachable moments 7:09 Including Te Ao Maori into your trips 6:21

Camp Crafts

1 video · 7 min

Improvised Shelter Building 6:55

Equipment, Clothing and Nutrition

14 videos · 1 h 9 m

Types of cookers and managing groups working with them 7:23 The layering concept and thermostat analogy 5:27 Teaching layering through experience, and choosing quick-dry over cotton 2:20 Building the layer wardrobe — base layers, insulation, and protecting your extremities 4:15 Neck, socks and footwear, through to warm pants and the outer shell 5:09 Teaching clients to manage their own layers, and matching kit to season and forecast 3:25 Setting your client's pack up correctly 6:09 Tent arrangement and component walkthrough 4:24 Packing down — poles and pegs 2:52 Tent design trade-offs, and pitching flies and tarps at camp 4:19 Sleeping bag insulation, fit, baffles and construction 5:33 Sleeping mats and bivy bags 3:50 Gas stove safety checks 8:54 Checking client gear before departure 4:42

Managing emergencies

2 videos · 9 min

What counts as lost, decision points, and cheap DIY tools to prevent or signal it 6:28 What to do when someone goes missing 2:50

Course downloads

Navigation Time Chart File