Picks checked on Amazon on 6 October 2026, for the 2026/27 Great Walks season.
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Quick answer: two small items you will be very glad of. A picaridin repellent, such as Sawyer's 20% lotion, keeps sandflies off without the greasy feel or the plastic-melting habit of strong DEET. A squeeze filter, like the Sawyer Squeeze, makes hut and stream water safe to drink in seconds.
Sandflies, namu in te reo Māori, are tiny biting flies found across New Zealand and in force in Fiordland. They are worst at lake shores, river flats, boat landings and hut doorsteps: think Glade Wharf and Sandfly Point on the Milford, which earned its name. They bite in daylight, ease off in wind and rain, and mostly stop after dark. Bites itch for days. Cover up when you stop near water, and use repellent on exposed skin.
Picaridin repels biting insects as effectively as many DEET products, feels lighter on the skin and does not damage synthetic fabrics, watch straps or sunglasses. The lotion form goes on evenly and lasts.
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Every Great Walk hut and campsite has water, from rainwater tanks or streams. DOC does not treat it and advises walkers to treat it before drinking. The risk is mostly giardia and cryptosporidium from animals upstream. Boiling works but uses gas. Chemical tablets work but are slow and taste. A squeeze filter is fast, light and needs no fuel.
Fill the pouch, screw on the filter, squeeze into your bottle. It removes bacteria and protozoa such as giardia, weighs very little and lasts for years with back-flushing.
Skip it if: you only drink boiled water. But most people want cold water on the trail.
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Most Great Walks sell out on opening day, and DOC keeps no waitlist. Cancelled hut nights go back on sale all season. See how cancellations work or set a free cancellation alert.
Set up a notification for your Great Walk dates and hear about cancellations as soon as they are spotted.
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See current availability across the Great Walks and plan your trip.
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