Planning a major hiking vacation is a bit more involved than simply preparing for a day hike in the woods. If you’re planning on hiking for days, weeks, or even months, you need to not only prepare the proper pack but also get your mind and body ready for the adventure. Here is your guide for planning a perfect hiking vacation.
How to prep your body
An inactive person will need to train harder for a long hiking trip than a moderately fit person, a moderately fit person more than a very fit person, and so on. But there are specific training exercises that will help anyone looking to make it through many days on the trail.
Any hiking workout should include both aerobic and strength training exercises. Before you set off on your trip, spend some time hiking in your local area. See how elevation changes affect you. How far can you go without tiring? It’s no surprise that hiking will help you get aerobically fit to do more hiking, but other aerobic activities like running, swimming, and group sports like basketball and soccer will also help you build endurance. As far as strength training goes, it helps to focus on the lower body. Check out this resource for a great pre-hike workout routine.
How to prep your mind
This part is a little less straightforward. How do you get yourself in a better mental place to handle a long hike? The first step is to accept that everything will not go according to plan, and have a sense of humor about the whole thing. You may get blisters, it may be too hot for you to hike very far one day, you may get lost and have to spend some time turning yourself around.
“Having a positive attitude and sense of humor and being really committed to your goal are key. Those intangibles are probably more important than physical training,” says Laurie Potteiger, information services manager with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
What to pack
Apart from a lightweight tent, hammock, or sleeping pad, here’s a solid list of some essentials for a long hiking trip: a small portable camp stove or MREs; headlamp/flashlight; extra batteries; sunscreen and bug spray; a first aid kit; a GPS device, map, and compass; a multi-tool; and firestarter/lighter.
For extremely long or difficult hikes, it may be important to cut the weight of your pack. There are many ways to do this, like packing a razor blade instead of a knife, dental floss instead of string or rope for all of your tying/fastening needs, and only packing lightweight synthetic clothing (no cotton). Here are 42 great tips for packing incredibly light.
Where to go
This really depends on what kind of landscape you wish to hike through. Canyon country in the American west and southwest (Colorado, Utah, Arizona) provides beautiful western mountain landscapes. There is wonderful hiking in the Appalachian region – even beyond the famous Appalachian Trail. Sites in the Daniel Boone National Forest like the Red River Gorge in Kentucky offer spectacular hikes and gorgeous views. If you’re looking to leave the US, some top trails include the Te Araroa trail in New Zealand and the Long Range Traverse in Newfoundland, Canada.
In reality, your perfect hiking vacation is whatever makes you happy to be in nature, exploring the far reaches of what it has to offer. It doesn’t matter whether you venture thousands of miles to another part of the world, or an hour away from your backyard. As long as you push yourself and challenge your own limits to meet your own goals, your hiking trip will be a success. Just remember to do a little bit of body and mind prep before you go, and always think better safe than sorry when it comes to choosing what to pack.