By Craig Fowler
In the process of my research to write a blog post on how to help new thru-hikers, I joined some thru-hiking forums. I noticed many people asking the same gear and planning questions I asked before my first thru-hike.
As I read aspiring thru-hikers ask others with the same lack of experience for advice on gear, planning and more, I realized how unproductive that approach was. If you ask any 10 hikers, regardless of their experience level, what the best tent for hiking is, you’ll probably get 10 different answers. On the other hand, if you ask 10 hikers their most common mistakes, they’d give many similar answers.
So, I surveyed several thru-hikers to see what their most common mistakes were. As I predicted, many of them cited the same common mistakes.
1. Too Big of a Pack
The most common mistake among those surveyed was starting with a pack that was too big. A bigger pack allows you to carry more, meaning more weight. No one hits the trail with a pack that isn’t full, most do so with an over-full pack.
2. Poor Gear Choices
The next common mistake was poor gear choices. This is why people on the forums suggest shakedown hikes to test your gear thoroughly.
It’s easy to skimp on this as it costs time and money, neither of which many thru-hikers have much of. Learning as you go is possible on trail, but takes away from the experience.
3. Food and Maildrop Planning
Food and mail drop planning is another major challenge many thru-hikers fail at. One can only guess at how much, what kinds and when food and gear will be truly needed. Each hiker has their own method on how to plan mail drops, but all agree that one must be flexible with whatever approach is taken.
4. The Lack of Physical Conditioning
Another common mistake thru-hikers make, is not getting in good physical shape before they hit the trail, resulting in sore knees, ankles, back or simply tired and sore muscles. Better overall health on or off the trail is important, but when you hit a long trail, the effects of hiking, day after day, take a toll. Getting in shape before you take your first step can help you feel better throughout the hike and help prevent injuries.
5. Too Much or Too Little Planning
The final mistake that many thru-hikers cited was poor overall planning. Many regretted not allowing enough time or money for their hike and also not looking over what services were available to them, resulting in uninformed decisions.
You can read more about these Top 5 Common Thru-hiker Mistakes and others, plus tips on how to avoid those mistakes at the oneofsevenproject.com.
Craig Fowler is a thru-hiking and bikepacking triple crowner, turned professional adventurer, story teller, and motivator. Using knowledge gained on his adventures, Fowler encourages others to follow their own passions.
