Giving Back to the Backcountry: Love Our Huts Devils Den Bivvy
- Mar 4
- 3 min read
New Zealand’s backcountry huts are more than just shelters. They’re places of refuge, rest, connection, and sometimes quiet reflection after long, demanding days in the hills. They keep us safe, dry, and grounded in wild places—and they only continue to do so because people care for them.
That’s where FMC’s “Love Our Huts” campaign comes in.
What is Love Our Huts?
Love Our Huts is a nationwide summer campaign run by the Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC). It encourages trampers, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts to give something back to the public hut network by visiting a hut, cleaning it, and reporting on its condition.
It’s a volunteer effort, but an important one. By tackling small but meaningful jobs—cleaning surfaces, stacking firewood, removing rubbish, and noting maintenance issues—participants help ensure huts remain usable and welcoming for future generations. The information gathered is also passed on to DOC, helping free up resources and keep maintenance priorities up to date.
How the Campaign Works
Getting involved is refreshingly simple:
Register – Sign up on the FMC website and choose a hut to “love”.
Plan Your Trip – Visit your chosen hut anytime during the summer season (November–March).
Show Some Love – Clean, check the hut’s condition, and carry out basic tasks.
Report Back – Upload notes and photos to the FMC website for DOC and the wider community.
Why It Matters
Preservation: Helps maintain New Zealand’s iconic hut network.
Community: Builds a shared sense of responsibility for our wild places.
Data Collection: Provides real-time information on hut condition and use.
Loving Devils Den Bivvy
Earlier in the year, I registered to “love” Devils Den Bivvy in Lake Sumner Forest Park. The original plan was to visit over Labour Weekend, but a poor weather forecast sent us elsewhere. The trip was rescheduled for mid-December—and this time, the weather finally cooperated.
We accessed the bivvy via the Sylvia Tops Route, a stunning but demanding approach. Before the trip, I made sure we were well prepared, organising supplies and reading through FMC’s guidelines. In my pack were:
Empty spray bottle
Multi-purpose cleaner (to mix with water at the hut)
Cleaning cloths
FMC magazines to leave at the hut
Eco-friendly bar of soap
Playing cards
Pen
Rubber gloves
Rubbish bags to carry waste out
A Long Day, Then Straight to Work
The day was longer and tougher than expected. I’d estimated about five hours to reach the bivvy, but it ended up taking seven. By the time we arrived at around 4pm, we were tired—but after a short rest, we got straight into cleaning.
Dawn bravely tackled the long drop. The toilet seat was filthy—something that would normally be dismissed as years of wear and tear. But after a proper clean, it was so white it could easily have passed for brand new.
Helen took on the hut floor, pulling everything out from under the bunks, sweeping thoroughly, and then scrubbing with cloths and cleaner. At some point a bottle of sugar soap had spilled, so it felt especially good to finally remove the sticky residue.
I worked through the mattresses, windows, and benches, while also doing a visual check of the bivvy and making notes for the FMC report. A few things stood out: a sticky door, the need for a new broom, and how useful a hearth shovel would be. A bag of shingle around the long drop would also go a long way in reducing the mud that inevitably gets tracked back into the bivvy.
Small Efforts, Big Reward
By the time we finished, we all felt a real sense of achievement. It was deeply satisfying to leave the bivvy cleaner, brighter, and more welcoming than we’d found it. We agreed then and there that loving a hut should become an annual tradition—giving back to the outdoors simply feels good.
The following morning, before heading off for our second night, we gave the bivvy one final sweep and tidy.
We also carried extra cleaning supplies—cloths, multi-purpose cleaner, and a spare spray bottle—to Lucretia Bivvy, leaving them behind for other hikers to use. While there, we couldn’t resist giving the toilet seat a good clean as well.
Why I’ll Keep Doing This
The Love Our Huts campaign is a reminder that caring for wild places doesn’t have to be grand or complicated. Sometimes it’s as simple as a cloth, a bit of cleaner, and the willingness to give a little time back.
Our huts look after us. Loving them in return feels like the least we can do.
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