Innovative Outdoor Exploration Software Positions to Revitalize Survival Experiences, Prioritizing User Safety
A new free trip planning app, Plan My Walk, has been launched for New Zealand walking or tramping adventures. Developed by the Mountain Safety Council (NZ Mountain Safety Council Incorporated), this innovative app aims to encourage people to discover new walking and hiking opportunities in New Zealand while improving user safety.
Plan My Walk offers an interactive gear list, useful planning advice, and a feature for users to leave track reviews and comment on track conditions. With over 1000 Department of Conservation tracks already included, more will be loaded throughout the year as local council track data becomes available.
One of the key features of Plan My Walk is the ability for users to create a trip plan on the app. Users can add group members, assign an emergency contact, and share the plan with others. This feature is believed to help build a strong community vibe and enable more effective preparation.
MSC Chief Executive, Daisley, expresses confidence in the app's ability to improve user safety. He believes that this feature will be particularly valuable in addressing common incident causation factors such as overambitious choice of route, a lack of sufficient fitness, and people taking longer than expected to reach the destination.
The app also provides MetService weather forecasts, severe weather warnings, and track-specific alerts. This ensures that users are well-informed about the weather conditions before embarking on their adventures.
MSC spent over 1000 hours in research and development for Plan My Walk. The organisation is excited to see how the app will be used and help people with planning and preparing for their adventures. MSC believes this app is a revolutionary step forward in supporting walkers and trampers' safety in New Zealand's outdoors.
According to MSC's research, user-shared intel is valuable for planning walks and hikes. By giving users the ability to leave reviews and comments, Plan My Walk aims to foster a community of knowledgeable and prepared adventurers.
Further details about Plan My Walk can be found online, and a TVNZ Sunday Story follows the survival of an injured tramper (Sep 2021). The app can be downloaded from the iOS App Store, Google Play Store, or found online at www.planmywalk.nz.
It's worth noting that being 'unprepared for the weather conditions' caused 12% of tramping search and rescues, and a 'lack of warm layered clothing and/or a waterproof jacket' caused 13%. These three factors combined cause 30% of all tramping SAR operations. With Plan My Walk, users can now take a significant step towards ensuring they are well-prepared for their outdoor adventures.
