Costume and Swag.

“Travel light” is an excellent maxim of the bush trial if it is rightly applied. But it is quite misconstrued by many of these enthusiastic young trampers. They set out into mountains where cold and stormy weather is always likely in ridiculous shorts, unsuitable boots, flimsy upper garments, and at the same time load themselves up with an excess of camp gear. It may be that they imagine this is likely to make them hardy. Probably that is the idea which prompts some of the young women trampers to emulate their boy friends and reduce their clothes to the minimum, until they look better prepared for a swimming race than for a hill excursion. One has seen some strange spectacles at the week-ends.

One figure, a typical one, would make an excellent subject for Mr. Ken Alexander's pencil. It consisted, as seen from the rear, of a very large swag, a pikau of quite amazing proportions, surmounting a pair of thin bare legs, short socks and low shoes. If the pikau-bearer wore shorts they were certainly not visible. One would not have known what the other side of the pikau looked like had not the bearer thereof turned round, and then it became fairly obvious that it was a girl. Her perspiring face expressed grim determination to conquer the Orongorongo Ranges or the Tararuas, or whatever else Providence might put in her path. She wore a low-cut blouse of some unsubstantial material. She was plucky, enthusiastic no end, but one wished for courage to give her some friendly counsel about what to wear and what not to carry on a mountain climb.