A bushwalker with a red backpack stands atop rocky outcrops overlooking a forested valley and distant mountains under a partly cloudy sky

A practical introduction for bushwalking in Australia

The ExploreSafe Framework provides a structured approach to outdoor decision-making. It helps bushwalkers interpret information, recognise changing circumstances, maintain options and learn from experience.

Rather than focusing only on equipment lists or individual safety rules, the framework explores the decisions that connect preparation with what happens on the trail.

Download the ExploreSafe Framework (PDF) →

About the Framework

Bushwalking involves uncertainty. Weather changes, plans take longer than expected, people become tired, and unexpected challenges arise. Many incidents do not begin with a single major event. They develop when small changes combine and are not recognised early. The ExploreSafe Framework provides seven principles that help bushwalkers make informed decisions before, during and after an outing.

The principles support:

choosing an appropriate adventure;
understanding the environment;
preparing your capabilities;
building options and alternatives;
monitoring changing conditions;
making decisions early; and
responding effectively when things go wrong.

For a detailed explanation of each principle, see: ExploreSafe: Seven Principles for Safer Bushwalking →

How the Framework fits with existing ExploreSafe guidance

The ExploreSafe website provides practical guidance for applying these principles:

Before You Go – planning and preparation before departure.
On the Trail – recognising changes and adapting while walking.
After the Walk – reflecting on experience and improving future preparation.

The Framework provides the structure behind this guidance, helping walkers understand not only what to do, but why those decisions matter.

Relationship with the Hiking Safety Systems Framework

The ExploreSafe Framework builds on the safety thinking developed through The Hiking Safety Systems Framework (HSSF), while serving a different purpose. HSSF explains how capabilities, conditions, equipment and human behaviour interact, and how small problems can combine into more complex situations.

ExploreSafe translates those ideas into a practical decision-making approach for everyday bushwalking.

HSSF explains why situations develop.
ExploreSafe helps people decide what to do.

Publication Details

Download the ExploreSafe Framework (PDF) →

Version 1.0
First published 2026
Author: Darren Edwards
Published by Trail Hiking Australia
Melbourne, Australia

Suggested Citation

Edwards, D. (2026). ExploreSafe Framework for Outdoor Decision-Making (Version 1.0). Trail Hiking Australia.

Version History

Version 1.0 – Initial release (2026)

Media release (September 2026) →

Darren edwards founder trail hiking australia

Darren Edwards is the founder of Trail Hiking Australia, a search and rescue volunteer, and the author of multiple books on hiking safety and decision-making in Australian conditions. He is also the creator of The Hiking Safety Systems Framework (HSSF) and ExploreSafe Framework for Outdoor Decision-Making.

With decades of field experience, Darren focuses on how incidents actually develop on the trail, where small errors compound under pressure. Through his writing, he provides practical, systems-based guidance to help hikers plan better, recognise early warning signs, and make sound decisions in changing conditions.

He has been interviewed by ABC Radio National (PM), ABC Radio National (Life Matters), and ABC News Breakfast to discuss bushwalking safety and risk awareness across Australia.

All material on this website and in associated downloadable publications is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced, republished, or redistributed without prior written permission from Darren Edwards. For full details, please refer to the Terms of Use, Copyright and Title of Ownership information.