What to Expect From Your First Multi-Day Hike

Don’t get me wrong, walking for a singular day has its benefits—sleeping in your own bed at the end of the day being the main one. However I tend to look back on multi-day trips with a far greater sense of nostalgia and reminiscence for some reason. Although, in theory, the only difference is an additional day, it turns a fairly ordinary walk into a mini adventure. One with fewer time constraints, no additional driving and inevitably some setbacks, but that’s what makes a good story.

Your first multi-day hike: You’ll adjust your rucksack… a lot.

Think you’ve nailed your rucksack fitting and packing? Think again. All that time you spent meticulously packing will most likely be rearranged once you’ve covered a few miles—and that’s fine. The key to a well-fitting pack is to have the weight of the items inside evenly distributed. It’s pretty hard to know whether you’ve nailed your packing until you’ve walked for a little while, with the only exception being someone who does this stuff all the time. Once you’ve re-packed your kit, you’ll probably have to have a play around with the straps. Remember about shoulder straps, hipbelt and various other straps to get the overall fit nailed. Once this is done, you’ll be away. Don’t be tempted to just put up with an uncomfortable pack—it’ll ruin your day.

Your first multi-day hike You see more!

There are a million and one distractions in our daily routines. Almost all of these are removed when your only goal is to plod along and enjoy the outdoors for a few days. It puts your mind into a state of ease and you begin to notice the smaller intricacies of life. From the way the light pokes through the clouds to the shape of a spiderweb interlinked between the trees. If your main goal is to enjoy your walk and not set a speed record, give yourself plenty of extra time to enjoy these small things without worrying about an arbitrary deadline. Also, take photos and send them to us (please).

Stuff will go wrong.

“If your story doesn’t contain a surprise, then your story isn’t a story, it’s a report.” This is as true for a film as it is for a backpacking trip. Recently, myself, Kaleigh and Jay (also from Trekitt) decided to walk the Cotswold Way. I opted to plan the lot as I quite like planning. The route is like a big line that goes North to South (or vice versa), meaning you need to figure out a way of getting back to the start. We opted to park one car at the start and one at the finish, meaning we weren’t limited to a bus or train timetable; nice and relaxed. By the fifth day, we were happily wandering along after a morale-boosting pub stop and decided to take in the view near a trig point. I’m not sure what we were talking about that sparked the thought, but I immediately got that ‘hot head’ feeling that you get when you’ve messed up. Cleverly, I’d placed a load of my more valuable belongings inside Kaleigh’s glovebox—including my car keys, meaning when we arrived at my car, I wouldn’t be able to get in. Muppet. Luckily I managed to convince a mate to give us a lift back to the start, but this is a great example that, even with plenty of planning, something will go wrong. It adds to the story and makes it a proper adventure, even if at the time you’re kicking yourself for being a monumental wally. Also look at the flat sandwich. Terrible.

Your first multi-day hike: Snacks are life.

Being hungry sucks; even more so when exerting yourself. Some get hangry, others get the shakes, or, like me, you just go braindead. Bring a lot of snacks—more than you think you need. Hipbelt pockets are perfect for 1kg packets of jelly babies. Bananas, flapjacks and nuts are also great to stash in the top of your pack when you need a boost. There have been a few instances where I’ve been a bit fed up of walking (it happens) and decided to have a coffee & snack break—9 times out of 10 this fixes the issue.

You may end up selling some kit.

Continuing from the story above, I began our walk wearing a pair of shorts made from a mixture of cotton and nylon. I’d worn them for plenty of day walks before, but after a full day of walking with a full pack and 25°C weather, I was fed up with them. They felt bulky and were beginning to rub—luckily I’d packed a super lightweight pair of gym shorts that I wore the following day. These weren’t ideal either, but at least they were comfortable. Next time I’ll buy something in the middle. The point is, you’ll be blissfully unaware of the flaws in your kit (or rather, the flaws in your ability to pick the correct kit) until you’ve worn it for 48 hours solidly. You’ll love the stuff that works and hate the stuff that doesn’t. Again, all adds to the fun.

You’ll probably overpack.

Backpacking is all trial and error; no one gets it right first time. You’ll most likely overpack for your first outing, most commonly thinking you need multiples of everything because you’re out for two days. That makes sense for a business trip, but good baselayers can be worn for days at a time and won’t smell. Do you need deodorant? Nope. Spare shoes? Absolutely not. A towel? C’mon, I’m sure you can go stinky for two days. Over time, you’ll narrow down your kit to just the stuff you really need.

A few additional tips…

Do a few long walks in your shoes/boots before committing to a multi-day
Don’t scrimp on socks; buy the best you can afford
Bring a cap + sunglasses for summer & beanie and gloves for winter
Grab some cash and stash it in your phone case—some remote locations don’t accept cards
Avoid cotton next to skin, it’ll absorb moisture and become abrasive
Don’t overpack, bring only what you need. A behemoth of a pack will just wear you out

If you’ve got any tips and tricks of your own, or perhaps some more things to expect from your first multi-day hike, let us know!