Thru hiking

Can't take 5-7 months to thru-hike the AT, PCT, or other mega-trails? Here are some more manageable thru-hikes that can be completed in under a month.

Whether you’re planning for your first thru-hike or any thru-hike after, there are a few pieces of thru-hiking gear that you need to buy months in advance. It can be frustrating to plan farther ahead, but if you do, you’ll be happy when you start your thru-hike. After 17 thru-hikes, I’ve run the gambit of planning from nothing but getting off the couch to massive spreadsheets. I compiled this list for you, so you don’t get screwed before your hike. Read on to yourself a lot of frustration.

What I learned from the mud, the people, and the experience of attempting to thru-hike Vermont's Long Trail.

Thru hiking versus backpacking: both involve multi-day hiking and nights under the stars, but how do they compare in terms of logistics and culture? Thru hiking is a long-distance subset of backpacking and this fun overview explains what makes through hiking a unique activity in its own right. Maybe it'll inspire you to try your own thru hike!

Learn how to pack, plan, and make friends on the three longest trails in the United States.

As we are preparing for our thru hike of the Appalachian Trail we are very focused on what food we are bringing. Food is a HUGE component for a successful trip. And it’s not just the type of food, but the right types of foods so you have proper nutrition

Backpacking or thru-hiking a long trail for months, like the PCT, requires surprisingly little gear. In this article Pillsbury lists 6 items thru-hikers carry but should not carry at the beginning of the trail. Following the advice in the article will help your thru-hike of the PCT get off to a good start.

Five thru-hikers age 60+ share advice on gear, training, nutrition, injury, recovery and motivation to get you inspired to backpack a long trail

Get an extra jump in your hiking stride with these helpful training tips and exercises.

I’m stubborn – and I generally pride myself on this quality. Stubbornness breeds persistence, for example – itself a key trait necessary to successfully completing a long-distance hike. But being stubborn can also lead to denial – like when you keep doing (or carrying) something and it’s simply not working out. But you keep doing (or carrying) this thing because tomorrow’s gonna be different – this thing will eventually serve a purpose. Catch my drift? In past articles, ...

The Pacific Crest Trail is majestically beautiful. It roams through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. I get to live in this scenery everyday. It’s a dream. Right? Well not always. There is a lot more that goes into thru hiking than it may seem. Social media (my blog included) does a really good job at showing the positive, idealistic parts of thru hiking. Let me just tell you, it’s hard work. Just like you don’t always want to get out of bed and drive to work in the…

In this guide, I share 14 tips on how to toughen your feet for long-distance hiking and just hiking in general to avoid having blisters.

This does include a Dolly Parton quote.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, which face of Mount Rainier is the most fabulous of all? If you really want to know the answer to this question, of course, you’ll have to discover it for yoursel…

My comprehensive thru-hiking gear list after 19,000 miles of hiking including what I use everything for and long-term durability of items.

Hi! In case you didn’t know I will be hiking the PCT summer of 2022 (just a few months from the time this post is published)! ← Insert terrified-excited scream here. Since I am treating this as more of an active online pre-trail journaling log (that’s my complicated way of saying, list of sh*t that […]

Every hiker gets blisters and sore feet eventually. Here's 10 tips on preventative foot care for hiking and backpacking--shoes to socks to taking smart breaks

ou won’t find any of The Big Three items on this list. Instead, these are the things that no one really tells you about, but that can 100% make or break a thru-hike in my humble opinion. I could have saved myself miles of pain and uncomfortableness had I known these little hacks from Day 1 on my first thru-hike. 10 Little Items I Keep in My Pack for Every Thru-Hike 1. Leukotape It’s like a mix between duct tape and KT tape. ...

Advice for thru-hiking the Continental Divide Trail from thru-hikers. CDT advice on gear, resupply, culture, hiking strategy, and quitting.

I thought thru-hiking would be like a vacation. It's more like...a job.