The best physical exercise to get in shape for hiking is walking. Walking is slow, methodical, repetitive, low-impact and anyone can do it. It’s also the main component of hiking. If walking every day does not sound appealing, you can forget about completing a long hike.

Start out by walking around your neighborhood or wherever is most convenient. If you live within a few miles of your job try walking to and from work. If you work further away try walking to a bus stop a few miles from home and taking the bus to work instead of driving.

I find that walking for a purpose is more enjoyable than just walking for the sake of training. It’s also not as easy to shirk your daily walking workout if you are doing it to get somewhere you need to go. You might even have to run or jog a few times because you’re running late.

Often the months leading up to a long hike are in the winter and early spring. It may be cold and there may still be snow on the ground where you live, making the idea of walking outside less pleasant. Even better! The less pleasant the prospect of walking is, the better it will prepare you mentally for the rigors of long distance hiking.

You can increase the effectiveness of your walks by adding weight and uneven terrain. Toss a few books, water bottles or some gear in your backpack and head to the nearest park, trail or wilderness area with hills to climb as often as you can. If there are no trails or hills where you live a treadmill with the incline cranked up or a stair climber will work.

I recommend walking two hours every day for a couple of months leading up to your big hike. If you keep a steady 4 mile per hour pace and walk every day for two months you will have walked nearly 500 miles by the time you take your first step on the trail.

Maintain A Healthy Body Weight

Although too much body fat is a hindrance, too little body fat can be just as much of a problem on a long hike. Body fat serves an important biological function, which is to store energy for times when food is not available. And hiking is definitely one of those times.

Most thru-hikers pack around two pounds of high calorie, lightweight food per day. This provides around 3,500 calories. But hiking for 12 hours a day can easily burn 5,000+ calories. This means that you will always be running an energy deficit. So when you start a long distance hike, you basically begin the process of slowly starving yourself.

I have found that I lose 5-8 pounds per month on a long backpacking trip, and this seems to be pretty common. It will vary depending on a number of factors. If you are thin already you will likely lose less weight, if you are fat you will lose more. Women tend to lose less weight than men do. But anyone who has completed a a multi-month thru-hike knows that by the end, most hikers looks like they escaped from a prisoner of war camp.

My PCT Weight Loss - Start (205 lbs) Finish (170 lbs)

What is the ideal weight to start a long distance hike?

Personally, I like to start 10-15 pounds over my “ideal weight”. Enough body fat to provide for my increased energy needs, but not so much that it’s physically taxing.

As with food weight you should weigh the pros and cons of carrying extra body weight and try to find a happy medium that works for you.

Start A Workout Program

Starting a regimented workout program has two major benefits: The first is that it will improve your strength, health and general fitness. The second is that it helps you build self-discipline, which is one of the most important character traits to have on a long distance hike.

When the alarm clock rings at 5:30am and you drag your ass out of bed to do your daily workout, that is preparing you for cold mornings on the trail when you would rather stay bundled in your warm sleeping bag, but instead you force yourself to get up, choke down a bowl of oatmeal and put 30 more miles underfoot before sunset.

Long distance hiking requires a high tolerance for pain and discomfort. The best way I know of to build this kind of discipline and confidence is to start a serious workout regimen.

P90X Home Fitness Program

My workout program of choice is P90X. It is a 90 day fitness program where you work out for one hour per day, six days a week. I like P90X because it is simple, easy to follow, can be done from home and does not require a lot of equipment.

P90X is not for the faint of heart. This is a hardcore fitness program designed for serious athletes. In 2-3 months it will whip you into the best shape of your life (and it’s not about building “vanity muscles” that look good at the beach, but developing true functional fitness).

If you aren’t ready for P90X yet they make a “lite” version called Power 90, which is a similar type of home workout program, but not as tough as P90X.

Go On Shakedown Hikes

A “shakedown hike” is a multi-day hiking trip where you test out your gear, skills, fitness and enjoyment on the trail, before starting a long hike. Too many aspiring thru-hikers skip this step, only to discover within the first few weeks that they don’t really like long distance hiking, because it is not as romantic as they had imagined it would be. This is one of the factors contributing to the high dropout rates on trails like the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails.

I recommend scheduling at least a few shakedown hikes in the months and weeks leading up to your planned departure date. While you are still working you may only be able to do some over-nighters on the weekends, which is a good start. But try also to do at least one 5-day hike, because five days is the average time between resupply stops on a long hike.

After spending five days in the wilderness you will have a better idea of what the experience is all about, and if you are truly prepared for a trip of this magnitude.

Good luck and happy trails!

Have any questions about training for a long distance hike, or suggestions from your own hiking experiences that you would like to share with others? Post your comments below…

Here are some pictures from my trip…

Have any questions about the Colorado Trail? Post your comments below…

These are just a few of the backpacking foods that I like to eat on the trail. What high calorie ultralight backpacking foods do you recommend?

Please post your comments below…

Day hiking in the Mojave Desert

Day hiking is different from backpacking because you don’t plan to camp out, which means less gear (and less weight). If everything goes well you’ll be home in time for dinner.

But, you should prepare for the worst case scenario too. You could get lost, injured or caught in bad weather and be forced to spend a night (or three) in the wilderness.

That’s why it’s always a good idea when you go day hiking to bring not only the gear you plan to use, but a few extra essentials “just in case”…

This is what I pack when I go for a day hike:

My “3 Pound” Ultralight Day Hiking Pack List

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Day Pack (2.4 ounces)

Sea to Summit Day Pack

I like this little pack because it is ultralight (less than 3 ounces), comfortable and convenient. It fits inside my regular backpack for peak-bagging and side hikes and goes in my motorcycle saddle bags or Jeep whenever I travel. That way I can always be prepared for impromptu hiking opportunities.

This is the epitomy of a “minimalist” day hiking pack. It is basically a stuff sack with straps and a zipper. If you do a lot of day hiking and need your pack to stand up to more regular use and abuse, you may want to get something slightly heavier duty, like the REI Stuff Travel Pack.

SOL Emergency Bivvy (3.8 ounces)

SOL Emergency Bivvy

Thermal bivvys work by blocking rain and wind, and reflecting your body’s own heat back toward you. If all goes according to plan you will never have to use this (because you’ll be spending the night warm and cozy, snuggled in your own bed).

But, if you have to spend an unexpected night in the wilderness this can keep you relatively warm (combined with all your spare clothing) in temperatures down to around forty degrees. (And alive… though not necessarily comfortable… in even colder temperatures.)

MontBell Ultralight Thermawrap Vest (5.2 ounces)

Montbell UL Vest

This is my favorite piece of clothing! It goes with me on all my backpacking trips, day hikes and almost every time I leave the house. A jacket is overkill in three-season weather. Arms are a waste of fabric (and weight). But keeping your vital organs warm is vitally important, and this is where a good vest does the trick.

Montbell’s Thermawrap Vest is ultralight, comfortable and packs down to the size of an apple. But the best thing about this vest is the synthetic insulation (which, unlike goose down, retains loft and warmth even when wet).

Marmot Mica Rain Jacket (7 ounces)

Marmot Mica Rain Jacket

Even if there is no rain in the forecast it’s good to be prepared for the unexpected. In addition to providing protection from precipitation, a lightweight rain jacket blocks wind and adds a surprising amount of warmth when combined with a vest.

I use a Marmot Mica Rain Jacket. I wore this  rain jacket on my thru-hike of the Colorado Trail (with it’s daily thunderstorms) and it worked as well as rain jackets weighing twice as much.

Fleece Hat & Gloves (3.5 ounces)

Fleece Hat & Gloves

Hat and gloves are typically thought of as winter wear. But these lightweight items provide more warmth (when combined with vest, rain jacket, spare clothing and bivy) than heavier clothing items, because they prevent loss of heat through the extremities (head and hands), which is a common place for heat to escape.

I carry Mountain Hardware’s Power Stretch Gloves and Micro Dome Fleece Hat because they are lightweight, packable and provide a lot of extra warmth for not much extra weight.

8 L Sea to Summit Dry Sack (1.1 ounces)

Sea to Summit Dry Bag

My day pack is water resistant silnylon (but not waterproof), so I keep my spare clothing inside this Sea to Summit Dry Sack. If it starts to rain I will move other items inside the dry bag that I don’t want to get wet (like cellphone and maps).

A full pack always rides better than a saggy half-full pack, so I also use this dry bag to take up unused space in my day pack (by adjusting the amount of air trapped inside).

Fire Starting Kit (1.5 ounces)

Firestarting Kit

The ability to make a fire is very important in a survival situation. It can be used to stay warm, cook food, boil water, signal for help and provide emotional comfort (which is more important than it sounds).

My fire-starting kit consists of the following: Wetfire Tinder Cubes, Spark-lite Firestarter, Mini Bic Lighter. Make sure to practice starting a fire with your kit. That way when you need to build a fire in a pinch, you won’t have to struggle with it (it takes a little bit of practice to get good at it).

Swiss Army Knife (1 ounce)

Swiss Army Knife

Survivalists will tell you that you need a big Rambo-style knife. Not true on a day hike (or a thru-hike for that matter). You won’t be improvising a shelter, setting traps, hunting game, cutting firewood or any of those activities. (If you are healthy enough to do that, you can just walk out of the woods). But, a small knife is still an important tool to include in your pack.

I have carried my 1-ounce Swiss Army Classic on all of my thru-hikes and day hikes and it does a great job for a small knife. On occasion I have carried a larger knife (old habits die hard), but always end up using my Swiss Army Knife the most.

Platypus 1 L Soft Bottle (0.8 ounces)

Platypus Water Bottle

Staying hydrated is important. Depending on how far you plan to hike, and whether there is a place to refill with water along the route, you may need more than 1 liter. I usually carry 1 liter for hikes 10 miles or less and 2 liters for day hikes up to 20 miles. In extremely hot weather I may carry up to twice that amount.

I like the Platypus Soft Bottle because it fits comfortably in my day pack. It doesn’t poke my back or put excess pressure on the sil-nylon walls of my pack (like a hard water bottle would).

Water Purification Tablets (0.2 ounces)

Water Purification Tablets

I carry a couple of these tablets but I have never used them. On a day hike I typically pack in all the water I expect to drink. When refilling from a natural water source I rarely treat water. I have drank untreated back-country water for years with zero ill effects (which does not imply that your experience will be the same).

But, I do keep these “just in case”. They take 4 hours to work, which is inconvenient. If I planned on actually using them I’d bring chemical drops instead (like Aquamira or MSR Drops), which only take a few minutes to activate.

Map/Guidebook Pages (0.2 ounces)

Maps or Guidebook

Day hiking is usually pretty straightforward. You hike in, you hike out, you go home. One of the things that can complicate the process is if you get lost. You need a good map showing the trail and surrounding area to help you stay on course.

You can download and print maps for many trails online or create your own using software like National Geographic Topo. If using a guidebook you can save weight by photocopying and packing just the pages you need for your day hike.

My Pocket Atlases include maps for the PCT, CT and JMT.

Compass (0.3 ounces)

Compass & Thermometer

A compass will keep you pointed in the right direction so you won’t get lost. If you intend to do a lot of cross-country navigation on your day hike you may want a bigger compass with sighting mirror and declination adjustments, etc.

But for day hiking on established trails this little compass from REI does the trick. It includes a thermometer too.

Emergency Whistle (0.2 ounces)

Emergency Whistle

An emergency whistle is used to signal to others if you need help (this is more effective and easier than yelling for hours).

In the U.S. and Canada the universal distress signal is three whistle blows followed by a one minute pause, repeated until help arrives. The reply signal is one whistle blow followed by a one minute pause. In other parts the world (I have been told) the distress signal is six blows, and the reply is three blows.

Cell Phone, Camera, GPS (4.6 ounces)

Cellphone, Camera, GPS

My HTC Droid Incredible serves three functions on a day hike: 1) Taking pictures 2) Occasional GPS navigation and 3) Calling for help in an emergency. I do not make or accept personal calls while hiking because it is rude to other hikers and ruins the peace and quiet and sense of isolation that I love about nature.

If you bring your cellphone please keep it in Airplane Mode or Powered Off. Most cellphone batteries only last about 12 hours in Standby Mode. If you leave your phone on all day the battery will be nearly dead right when you could need it the most.

Adventure Medical .3 First-Aid Kit (2.3 ounces)

First Aid Kit

My First Aid Kit is compact, lightweight and includes stuff for fixing minor boo-boos on the trail (cuts, scrapes, bruises, etc.)

I figure major injuries will require professional medical attention and knowledge about first aid that I don’t have, so a larger medical kit isn’t going to be of much benefit to me. But these little kits include quite a lot of stuff for how small they are.

Petzl Zipka LED Headlamp (2.4 ounces)

Petzl Zipka LED Headlight

An LED Headlamp is better than a flashlight because it weighs less and provides hands-free lighting. I like my PETZL Zipka because the strap retracts back into the body of the headlight making it more compact and less “tangly”.

If you use lithium batteries they last forever. I can’t even remember the last time I replaced my headlight batteries (probably 1,000 miles ago).

Parachute Cord (1.2 ounces)

Parachute Cord

Parachute cord is one of those things you probably won’t use often, but will be happy to have if you need it. It can replace a shoelace, repair gear, tie things to your pack, etc.

This cord is strong (rated to 550 pounds), inexpensive and lightweight. I keep about 15 feet of paracord in my day pack.

Wet Wipes & Hand Sanitizer (2.6 ounces)

Wipes & Hand Sanitizer

When you gotta “Do your business” in the woods you’ll need something to wipe with. I’ve used toilet paper and paper towels before, but eventually settled on wet wipes.

Purrell hand sanitizer is good for washing your hands afterward until you can find some water to do a more thorough job.

Make sure to always dig a “cathole” and bury your deposit. A stick or trekking pole works good for digging holes.

Insect Repellent (1 ounce)

Insect Repellent

DEET is the king of bug repellents. But, it is a nasty chemical that eats plastic (don’t spill it on your rain jacket or backpack), smells terrible and does god-knows-what to your body when absorbed through your pores.

I don’t use DEET anymore, opting instead for the less effective (but more pleasant) natural bug sprays. The one I’ve found works the best is Lemon Eucalyptus.

Sunblock (1.5 ounces)

Sunblock

I usually get a dark tan in the summer and don’t use sunblock often, but it’s nice to have just in case. If you have fair skin you might really need this. Sometimes cloudy overcast weather causes a worse sunburn than direct sunlight.

I buy one of these small travel tubes and refill it from a larger bottle of sunscreen as needed. (Make sure you don’t hike out with an empty tube of sunblock left over from the last hike.)

Duct Tape (0.5 ounces)

Duct Tape

Duct tape has many uses on the trail (from taping toes to repairing gear). I keep about 15 feet in my day pack. (To save weight wrap it around a pencil or lightweight drinking straw)

Duct tape works better than moleskin for blisters because it’s thin, sticks better and does not cause excess pressure on the blister. Just apply duct tape to a hotspot (before it becomes a blister) to protect it from whatever it was rubbing against.

Medicine (0.5 ounces)

Medicine

There are a few common ailments that can be treated with over-the-counter drugs that could become a lot more serious if not treated. Things like pain and swelling, allergic reactions and stomach problems like diarrhea.

My “backcountry medicine cabinet” includes a few doses of Advil (Ibuprofin), Benadryl (Antihistamine) and Immodium AD. (If you take prescription medications don’t forget those too.)

Lip Balm (0.5 ounces)

Lip Balm

Another small item that’s easy to forget  is chap stick, but if you get cracked lips you’ll be happy to have it.

I like Carmex lip balm because it comes in a little tube that doesn’t melt and get messy like chap stick can. I try to find the super tiny travel size ones that weigh almost nothing.

Total Pack Weight

Base Weight: 2 pounds, 12 ounces (gear minus food and water)

Total Weight: ~ 6 pounds (with lunch, snacks and a liter of water)

Note: This pack list does not include clothing worn (just what goes into my pack). You’ll want to dress appropriately for the weather and don’t forget a sun hat and sunglasses. For more information about ultralight backpacking clothing read this post.

Ingredients:

2 packs Instant Grits (or Oatmeal)
1/4 cup Nestle Nido Whole Powdered Milk
2 tbsp Dried Blueberries (or raisons, craisons)
2 tbsp Almonds (or pecans, walnuts)
1 tbsp Honey (or sugar)
1 tbsp Squeeze Butter
1 dash cinnamon (optional)

Lightweight Packing Tip: Remove powdered milk, nuts and dried fruit from containers and pack in ziplock baggys. Small storage bottles from REI are good for packing honey & spices.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Bring 1 1/4 cups water to boil. Remove from heat.
2. Add Powdered Milk to hot water and stir to dissolve
3. Add Cereal to hot milk and stir (if you have a separate bowl pour hot milk onto cereal)
4. Wait 1-2 minutes for cereal to reach the right consistency
5. Add dried fruit, nuts, honey, butter and cinnamon
6. Enjoy!

Coffee Tip: If you like coffee or another hot drink in the morning with your cereal boil 2 1/4 cups water. Pour the first cup into your coffee mug before you start making the cereal.

Weight and Nutrition Information:

Serves: 1 hungry hiker

Dry Weight: 5.6 ounces
Calories: 637
Carbohydrates: 109 grams
Protein: 15 grams
Fat: 25 grams
Cost: $2.65

Calorie to Weight Ratio: 114 calories per ounce
Calorie to Cost Ratio: 240 calories per $1.00

What are some of your favorite hiking recipes? Post ‘em in the comments below…

Click the image to see it larger…

In The Main Pack Body:

• Sleeping Pad (folded, doubles as back pad)
• Sleeping Bag in a Sea to Summit 13L Dry Sack
• Food & Fuel in a Granite Gear Zippsack
• Spare Clothing in a Sea to Summit 8L Dry Sack
• Cook System (Titanium Mug, Canister Stove, fire starter, pack towel, dish scrubber in a Home-made Pot Cozy.

In The External Mesh Pocket:

• Silnylon Ground Sheet
• Silnylon Tarp Shelter
• Dittie Sack (Essentials, spare batteries, toilet paper, headlamp, etc.)
• 1st Aid Kit

In The Side Pockets:

• 2x 1 liter Aquafina Water Bottles
• Map or Guidebook

In The Hip Belt Pockets:

• Digital Camera
• Candy Bars & Snacks

Attached To Pack Strap:

• GPS Receiver

Tips For Packing Your Backpack Comfortably

Organize your gear into logical groups and stuff sacks. When small items are packed loosely they tend to poke you in wierd ways, shift position as you hike and get lost quickly in camp.

Put your sleeping bag on the bottom. This provides a soft cushion for your other gear to ride on top of. It works like a shock absorber to reduce the impact on your shoulders and hips.

Pack large heavy items horizontally across the whole width of the pack so the weight is equally distributed. Put the heaviest items (such as food) closest to your center of gravity (middle of your back).

Carry water bottles in the side pockets (one on each side). If you use a hydration bladder carry it in your pack’s hydration sleeve or lay it horizontally across the middle of the pack.

If your shelter has poles pack them separately in a side pocket secured with a compression strap. Stuff the tent body loose into the bottom of your pack or in the external mesh pocket.

Keep items you’ll use often during the day (such as snacks, maps, camera) where you can grab them without taking off your pack, like in hip-belt pockets or side pockets.

Keep spare clothes near the top of your pack where you can get to them throughout the day without unpacking other gear.

Don’t leave areas of empty space in your pack. Fill nooks and crannies to give the pack structure and prevent gear from shifting as you walk. Use compression straps to cinch everything down tightly. Your fully loaded pack should not sag, lean or bend.

Materials & Tools:

• Chess Pieces Template (PDF)
• 12″ x 12″ piece of Tyvek*
• 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of card stock
• Quart sized ziplock baggy
• Sharpie permanent marker
• Computer printer
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Velcro Dots (optional)

* Tyvek is a synthetic fabric used in home construction and by ultralight backpackers for a ground cloth (and other things). The benefit of using Tyvek for your chess board over paper or cardboard is it can be folded without leaving creases (so your board will lie flat) and it’s tear proof and water resistant. The best source for a small piece of Tyvek like you will need for this project is from a Tyvek mailing envelope. You can get these free at the Post Office (though they are only supposed to be used for mailing stuff) or purchase at an office supply store.

Instructions:

1. Download my Chess Pieces Template (PDF) and print it out on the card stock. Cut the pieces out with scissors.

1. Print and cut out the pieces

2. Cut a 12″ x 12″ piece of Tyvek from your mailing envelope. Draw an 8″ x 8″ grid in the center with a Sharpie.

2. Draw the chess board on Tyvek

3. Color in the black squares (starting in the top right corner).

3. Color in the black squares

4. Store it in a ziplock baggy.

4. Store in a ziplock baggy

Note about wind: This chess set works best in calm conditions. When it’s windy your board and pieces can blow away. The 2″ border around the board gives you room to anchor it with rocks or other objects. To make it even more wind-proof, use Velcro Sticky-Back Hook & Loop Dot Fasteners to the attach the pieces to the board.

Trail Chess is fun for those long afternoon rest breaks

Here’s a picture from when I first made one of these while hiking the PCT. I drew the board on the bottom of my ground cloth and cut the pieces from the cover of my notebook.

PCT thru-hikers "Bull" & "Burning Man" playing my first trail chess set, while "Gazelle" watches.

Watch The “Virtual Tour” Video Here

The Colorado Trail is a 485 mile long wilderness hiking and mountain biking trail in the Colorado Rockies. The trail begins in Waterton Canyon outside of Denver and travels through green forests, alpine tundras, old west mining towns, and some of the most scenic country in the American West to Junction Creek, outside of Durango.

You can hike the entire Colorado Trail in 4-6 weeks. The trail is divided into 28 segments (about 15 miles long) with trailheads at both ends, making it perfect for day hiking and section hiking and mountain biking too.

The Colorado Trail is well-maintained by local volunteers, requires no permits to hike, passes near many great trail towns for easy resupplying, and features plentiful water and camping.

One of the best long-distance hiking trails in the country! – Highly recommended.

Click here to see photos from my 2010 Colorado Trail Thru-Hike

Digestion Tip: Because it is so high in fat this meal is best eaten at the end of the day after you are done hiking (as opposed to during the day when you’ll want to consume mostly carbohydrates for energy). It gives new meaning to the phrase: “Sticks to your ribs!”

Ingredients:

1 box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (Thick ‘n Creamy)
1/2 packet Knorr Alfredo Sauce Mix (0.8 ounces)
1 mozzarella string cheese stick (cubed)
3 oz summer sausage (cubed)
1 tbsp olive oil
Italian seasoning

Lightweight Packing Tip: Remove mac n cheese from box and pack in a quart sized ziplock baggy. Small storage bottles from REI are excellent for packing condiments and spices.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Fry summer sausage in 1 tsp of olive oil in bottom of cookpot. Remove and set aside.
2. Bring 2 1/4 cups water to a rolling boil.
3. Add macaroni noodles (without cheese packet) to boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes.
4. Remove from flame, cover with lid and transfer to a pot cozy. Let sit for 15 minutes.
5. Go set up your tent and do other camp chores. A watched pot cozy never cooks
6. When noodles have absorbed most of the water, stir in remaining olive oil, alfredo sauce, powdered cheese packet and cheese cubes. (If there is not enough water left to reconstitute the sauce mix and cheese powder you can add a bit more)
7. Cover again for 1-2 minutes to allow cheese to melt.
8. Add summer sausage and season to taste. Enjoy!

Weight and Nutrition Information:

Serves: 1 hungry thru-hiker (or 2 day-hikers)

Dry Weight: 12.5 ounces
Calories: 1,325
Carbohydrates: 164 grams
Protein: 59 grams
Fat: 52 grams
Cost: $4.50

Calorie to Weight Ratio: 106 calories per ounce
Calorie to Cost Ratio: 295 calories per $1.00

What are some of your favorite quick ‘n easy trail recipes? Post ‘em in the comments below…

Me thru-hiking the 485 mile Colorado Trail

Thru-hiking is backpacking an entire trail from beginning to end in a single trip. Typically, fewer than 50% of thru-hikers will complete their hikes.

If you are planning a thru-hike (whether 210 miles on the John Muir Trail or 2,000+ miles on the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail…

Here are some tips to help you improve your odds of successfully completing a thru-hike:

This is the second article in this series. Click here to read Thru-Hiking Tips Part 1…

Take Care Of Your Feet

Foot problems are the most common type of injury suffered by thru-hikers. These are caused by wearing the wrong footwear, carrying too much pack weight or trying to do too many miles too quickly. On a thru-hike, your feet are your most valuable asset, so treat them well.

Here are a few tips for keeping your feet healthy:

• Wear lightweight, breathable, flexible shoes (like trail running shoes or cross trainers). Most boots are too hot, heavy and stiff for thru-hiking.

• Replace the insoles that come with your shoes with specialty insoles that provide more padding and support (Superfeet & Enduro Soles are popular choices among thru-hikers).

• Buy your shoes 1-2 sizes larger than  you normally wear. Your feet will naturally swell and expand on a thru-hike. This gives them more room to grow.

• Wear high quality wool or synthetic socks designed for running or light hiking. I carry two pairs and switch them out every day. Pin used socks to your backpack to air out while you hike (a safety pin works well for this).

• Take your socks and shoes off and elevate your feet at rest breaks. Whenever possible clean your feet using a damp bandana or dunk them in a creek. Cold water helps to reduce swelling and remove abrasive grime which can cause blisters.

• Do not pop blisters during the day when you have to walk on them. This makes the pain worse and you risk an infection. Wait till evening, then thread a sterile needle and run it through the blister, leaving the thread in place. As you sleep, fluid will leech out along the thread. When you wake up in the morning it will be flat and dry like a callous.

Eat Lots Of Calories

Thru-hiking requires a lot of energy. The only way to get enough energy is from food, and lots of it. The average thru-hiker requires between 3,500 and 6,000 calories per day. This is more than twice what most people need to eat on a daily basis.

If you don’t eat enough while thru-hiking you will lose weight rapidly and feel weak, nauseous and tired all of the time. When your body is starving it ramps down many of it’s “non-essential” functions to conserve energy. Unfortunately these functions are essential to thru-hiking.

It’s not easy to consume so many calories when you have to carry all of your food on your back. Here are some tips for getting enough calories on your thru-hike:

• Pack between 2 and 3 pounds of food per day, depending on your age, weight, sex, body type and metabolism. A 50 year old, 125 pound woman would be at the low end of the spectrum. A 25 year old, 180 pound man would be closer to the high end.

• Choose foods with a high calorie to weight ratio. 100 calories per ounce is a good baseline. 120 is even better. The higher the ratio the more energy you will have and the less weight you have to carry. Here are some examples of high calorie hiking foods.

• No matter how much food you carry you will probably still lose weight. You can make up for lost calories by pigging out in town stops. All You Can Eat Buffets are a hiker favorite. You can also load up on healthy foods that are missing from your trail diet (like fresh fruits, veggies, meat, whole grains, etc.)

• Do not prepare all of your food in advance and have someone send it to you. Unless you are doing a shorter trail (like the John Muir Trail) this is a big mistake. Your tastes and appetite will change as you hike. Meals you prepared month’s earlier may not be that appetizing after several weeks or months on the trail. It’s smarter to shop as you go.

Carry Ultralight Backpacking Gear

Every step you take on a thru-hike is compounded by the weight on your back. Gear that is too heavy is responsible for many thru-hiking ailments like foot pain, exhaustion and low morale. The lighter your pack the happier you will be.

You can find a lot of information about lowering pack weight and ultralight backpacking here on my blog. Here is some basic advice:

• Keep your “base pack weight” (the weight of all your gear, minus the weight of consumables like food, water and fuel) under 15 pounds. A base weight of 8-12 pounds is even better. This what most ultralight thru-hikers carry, and that is is plenty enough weight for everything will need for three-season thru-hiking.

• Don’t waste too much thought on “comfortable camping gear”. Thru-hiking is mostly about hiking and not so much about camping. Camping is just something you do at the end of the day after you eat and before you wake up early the next morning and walk some more. Because you spend more time on your feet than in your shelter it is better to have a comfortable pack than a comfortable camp.

• Be prepared for the kind of weather that is common where you are hiking. Most long distance backpacking trails are hiked from late Spring through early Fall, which means “three season” conditions. Although freak weather does occur, even in summer, it is a waste of time (and weight) to try and be prepared for every possible occurrence.

• Despite your best intentions, you will probably start out with too much gear. This is normal because you don’t know exactly what you’ll need yet. As time goes on and you figure it out, get rid of gear that you are not using regularly. Also, do not hesitate to replace unsatisfactory gear with better alternatives (even though it was expensive to buy).

Here is a free tool to help you calculate your gear weight: Backpacking Gear Planner

Don’t Run Out Of Money

Thru-hiking a long trail such as the Pacific Crest Trail or Appalachian Trail typically costs between $1 – $2 per mile ($2,000 – $5,000). This includes transportation to and from the trail, trail food, lodging, restaurant meals and occasional entertainment and replacement gear.

This estimate does not include your initial gear investment ($1,000 – $3,000) and “back home” expenses such as: lost wages, rent, mortgage, bills, storage, etc.

There is nothing sadder than a thru-hiker who has to quit, not because he doesn’t want to hike anymore, but because he is broke and can’t go on. Here are some tips to avoid that:

• Reduce your “back home” expenses before you go. Many younger thru-hikers give up their apartment, sell their stuff and completely abandon their old life so they can thru-hike. If you have financial responsibilities like loans or mortgages and a life you want to come back to, this might not be an option for you. But you can still avoid paying for the things you won’t use while you’re gone (like car insurance, cable tv, netflix, gym, etc.)

• Put your bills on “Auto-Pay”. Most banks, credit cards and utility companies allow you to automatically pay bills from a bank account or credit card when they become due. This is so convenient that I leave all of my bills on auto-pay even when I’m not hiking.

• Create a separate account just for hiking expenses. This way you can see how much money you are spending on your hike and make adjustments as necessary. If you’re hiking expenses are all mixed up with your other expenses it will be hard to see what is going where. Check your account often. This is easy if you carry a smartphone with internet. If not you can use of public computers in towns, or call your bank.

• Reduce your town spending. Hiking itself is not very expensive. It’s the town stops that take the biggest chunk out of your budget. You can spend less in towns by sharing hotel rooms with other hikers, staying in hostels, buying groceries more often than eating in restaurants, and arranging your resupply stops so that you spend fewer nights in town.

• Have some extra money set aside. Whether in a credit card or another account, it’s a good idea to have some “extra” money to dip into in case of emergency. Thru-hiking usually ends up costing more than you think, and if you have come a long way and you run out of money in your primary account, it can be useful to have some backup funds. Also, you never know what other expenses may come up.

Don’t Quit

This is so simple, but this is the essence of successful thru-hiking. Thru-hiking is not always fun. Sometimes it is painful, boring and pointless. The hikers who make it to the end are the ones for whom failure is not an option.

When the urge to quit arises (and it inevitably will), put it out of your mind and commit to hiking another hundred miles. If by that time you still want to quit, then hike another hundred miles. If, after 200 miles, you are still sick of hiking, then you may want to consider going home.

But chances are that won’t happen. Because on a thru-hike your morale goes up and down frequently. You might feel like shit for a few days, but it’s never long before something new and exciting happens to reinvigorate you. It might be a new person you will meet, a new sight you will see, or something you discover about yourself. But you will never know if you quit too early.

Happy thru-hiking!