ABOUT

CrackingChoice.com is an independent publication started by Annie Ritchie to serve hikers, campers and travellers with a love of the outdoors, and a spirit of adventure.

Our Story

When I was growing up I remember the upheaval in our home when it was time for us to go on camping trips and family holidays.  My mom would do the packing and preparation which would make her very tense and agitated. This would spread throughout the home, and each of our holidays always started with upheaval and a sense of panic. And one thing I always promised myself, was that I would keep the stress to a minimum and make the preparations a fun lead up to the trip.

I’ve done a lot of travelling, and over the years, I’ve developed systems that help avoid the stress that can accompany packing and preparing for trips away, to try and keep that from happening in our world.

So, what I want to do with CrackingChoice, is help people with their process, as there are lots of parts to travelling that make it stressful for some. The very things that often ignite enthusiasm in the explorers among us, actually cause a lot of anxiety for others and people that aren’t used to travelling. I don’t want that anxiety to be a barrier to the enjoyment of the world out there. So, with this website, the plan is to help you prepare.

On this website you will find articles that will inspire you to go on adventures, but also offer suggestions for how to prepare for them: understanding the context of your trip, understanding what to expect, problems you may need solving and that kind of thing.

I want to make sure that for those of you who have some kind of block or difficulty that causes you to avoid travelling, that we can provide solutions for some of those problems.

There is a section on how to use things and how to approach activities. We have included some easy read articles that answer specific questions we have been asked as well as activity quides.

Myself and the team review products to show you the kind of gear that we would use for the kind of activity we do: a great way to prepare yourself is to have the right equipment for the right thing. And then it’s an easy job to pack because you’ve already got your checklist and you’ve got the equipment you need.

We also offer suggestions on planning the trip itself with useful tips we have picked up on our travels, sharing some of our experiences too.

This comes with a warning: Don’t over plan the trip itself. I went through a period where I had done so much research and had such a clear picture in my head of what the trip would entail, that I was a bit rigid during the trip itself. Preparation is best done when it leaves space for spontaneity.

Mission

Most of all, on this site, I want to give you choices. It’s not just about choosing products to purchase, and how you choose to use those products on the hike, or on the camping trip. It’s also about finding the balance between planning and spontaneity. My hope is to empower you to just go and see what the world out there has to offer.

The Team

Annie Ritchie has had a lifelong love of hiking and outdoor pursuits.  From an early age, she would hike up mountains and along beaches, sharing a love of hiking and fishing with her father. The outdoors is about adventure for her and the freedom to move freely and see new things. She is always up for an adventure and has tried sky diving, water skiing, snorkelling, overland skiing and wild camping. Her first love though is hiking. She writes the guides and enjoys writing about her love of the freedom of the outdoors.

CrackingChoice also has a wonderful team of researchers and reviewers who help us prepare, and support us as we write our articles.

We love meeting other outdoor enthusiasts and writers and will occasionally invite guest authors to contribute to the blog, so we can make the CrackingChoice experience the best that it can be.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or ideas for future posts, or if you have any camping and hiking questions. We are here to help and will endeavour to answer these for you whether in an article, on social media or in a video on our YouTube channel.

Connect with Us

We hope that you have been inspired and helped when visiting this site. We do realize though that despite our best efforts, there will always be things that we can further improve. We will always welcome your feedback by connecting with us on the contact us page.

The best way to stay connected is to subscribe today. You’ll get full access to the website as well as email newsletters about new content when it’s available. Your support makes this site possible and allows CrackingChoice to continue to exist.

Now off you go, the World is waiting for you!