New Zealand walking or tramping adventures just became a whole lot safer with the launch of a trip-planning app, Plan My Walk, believed to be a world first.

Plan My Walk – developed by our partners at the Mountain Safety Council and supported by police - takes the guesswork out of the planning phase by bringing together the information needed for a safe and successful walk or tramp.

The easy-to-use app includes more than 1000 Department of Conservation tracks, MetService weather forecasts and severe weather warnings, track-specific alerts, interactive gear lists and other useful advice.

One unique feature enables users to create a trip plan in which they can add group members, assign an emergency contact, and then share the plan with others.

'One of my team used it the other day and put me as the contact person,” says Sergeant Scott Iszard, Auckland SAR Coordinator.

'It worked well and is really easy. If they are overdue etc they just need to forward the email to comms/SAR, and it should give us some really good info for initial taskings.”

Senior Sergeant Pete Theobald, Coordinator Search and Rescue, Training and Development, says the app and Plan My Walk website are practical tools for helping put the New Zealand Land Safety Code into practice.

'People can find a trip that suits their skills and fitness, get weather alerts, build a list of gear and share their plans with friends and family,” he says.

MSC Chief Executive Mike Daisley says the app is a revolutionary step forward in supporting walkers and trampers' safety in New Zealand's outdoors.

MSC Operations Manager Nathan Watson shows off the app.

'We are really excited to get the app out there in the community and see how people use it and see how it helps them with planning and preparing for their adventures,” he says.

'Our research indicated that it was really important that users could share intel with others because this type of advice can be some of the most helpful when users are planning.

'We're really confident there is a need for this type of app and that it will make a difference.”

You can download the Plan My Walk app for your personal mobile device from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store, or find it online at www.planmywalk.nz

-Police Ten One Magazine.