A man's misadventure in the West Coast bush is being offered up as a lesson on what trampers shouldn't do

He headed off for a overnight tramp in Hokitika Gorge on Saturday - during an Orange rain warning and not carrying a Personal Locator Beacon.

Searches began when he wasn't back by Monday morning.

He'd become stuck by flooding and was found cold, wet, battered and bruised after a 48-hour search by LandSAR teams and a helicopter.

Senior Constable Sarah Cook says it's a textbook example of what not to do.