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Bushwalking Manual

Information and guidelines for safe and enjoyable bushwalking in Australia. Published by Bushwalking Victoria.

  • Trip planning
    • Planning for enjoyment
    • Safety
      • Safety essentials
      • Other approaches to safety
      • Standards for outdoor activities
    • Extreme weather events and natural disasters
    • Forming a group
    • Bushwalking with children
    • Practical planning considerations
    • Map Apps
    • Paper maps
    • Guidebooks and other references
    • Route planning
    • Fuel reduction burns
    • Trip emergency contact
    • Vehicle preparation
  • The trip
    • A good start
    • Practical navigation
      • Map and compass basics
      • Navigation techniques
      • Navigation in difficult conditions
      • GPS Navigation
    • People, progress and conditions
    • Pace, rhythm and rest stops
    • Keeping the group together
    • Challenging conditions
      • Crossing creeks
      • Crossing rivers
      • Terrain
      • Walking in wind, rain and snow
      • Walking in hot, dry conditions
    • Campsites, stoves and campfires
    • Snow camping
    • Bush huts
    • After the trip
  • Leadership
    • Leadership overview
    • Checklists for leaders
    • Bushwalking leadership training
  • Weather
    • Understanding the weather 
    • Thunderstorms
    • Lightning
  • Clothing & equipment
    • Clothing for bushwalking
    • Footwear and gaiters
    • Walking poles
    • Packs
    • Tents
    • Sleeping bags
    • Sleeping mats
    • Stoves
    • Knots
  • Food & water
    • Food for bushwalking
    • Stove safety
    • Cooking
    • Safe drinking water
    • Water treatment options
    • Food dumps
  • Emergencies
    • Emergency communications
      • Overview of emergency communications
      • Mobile phones
      • Personal locator beacons (PLBs)
      • Satellite phones
      • Satellite trackers with SOS
      • Handheld CB radios
    • Lost?
    • Group member lost
    • Emergency shelters
    • Bushfire
      • Planning – don’t be there
      • Be vigilant – get to a safe location
      • Last resort – surviving a bushfire
      • Bushfire smoke
    • First aid
    • Snakes
    • Maintaining core temperature
    • Heat illnesses
    • Cold illnesses
    • Cold water immersion
    • Snow blindness
    • Helicopter rescue
  • Environment
    • Environment and conservation
    • Minimal impact bushwalking
    • Invasive species
  • Related activities
    • Rogaining
    • Ski touring
    • Snowshoeing
  • State information
    • New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
    • Northern Territory
    • Queensland
    • South Australia
    • Tasmania
    • Victoria
    • Western Australia
  • About
    • Acknowledgements
    • Background
    • Governance
    • Scope
    • Feedback
    • Contact
    • Disclaimer – Use of this Manual
    • Sitemap

Category: Recent updates

Posted on 12 May 20201 Apr 2024

Minimal impact bushwalking, Walking in wind, rain and snow, and Bushfire

Pages added.

Bushfire pages:

  • Plan to avoid bushfire – don’t be there
  • Be vigilant – get to a safe location
  • Last resort – surviving a bushfire
Posted on 4 Feb 20201 Apr 2024

Environment and conservation, Smoke and Vehicle preparation

Pages added.

Posted on 23 Jan 20201 Apr 2024

Trip planning and Leadership

Pages added to Trip planning:

    • Extreme weather events and natural disasters
    • Fuel reduction burns

Page added to Leadership:

    • Bushwalking Leadership Training
Posted on 12 Dec 20191 Apr 2024

Leadership overview and Checklists for Leaders

Pages added.

Posted on 24 Oct 20191 Apr 2024

State and Territory pages

Pages added:

  • Tasmania
  • South Australia
  • Northern Territory
  • ACT information added to New South Wales page
Posted on 21 Oct 20191 Apr 2024

State pages

Pages added:

  • Queensland
  • New South Wales
  • Western Australia
Posted on 14 Oct 20191 Apr 2024

Ski touring

Page added.

Posted on 13 Sep 20191 Apr 2024

Keeping the group together, If you are lost and Group member lost

Pages added.

Posted on 2 Sep 20191 Apr 2024

Online Bushwalking Manual is now available!

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Updates record

  • Keeping the group together
  • Lost?
  • Water treatment options
  • Safe drinking water
  • GPS Navigation

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  • March 2024 (1)
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  • December 2023 (2)
  • July 2022 (1)
  • March 2021 (1)
  • September 2020 (4)
  • July 2020 (3)
  • June 2020 (3)
  • May 2020 (1)
  • February 2020 (1)
  • January 2020 (1)
  • December 2019 (1)
  • October 2019 (3)
  • September 2019 (2)
  • Updates record
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
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Bushwalking Victoria acknowledges and thanks the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning for providing funding for the development of this manual.

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