r/Thruhiking

Hi Guys
I want to hike the GR11 this year starting on 1st September
I want to do it in 47 stages like the guidebook i found in the net advices to
If I would start on 01.09 i would finish on around the 17th october
Is the weather to harsh/cold at this time?
Does anyone have experience hiking this trail in winter?
I wondered if i could avoid the weather by hiking from east to west instead of west to east because in that case i would hike the higher part first before the weather gets even worse

Hello everyone, I am a 16 male and I love backpacking. I recently went on a 2 week backpacking trip with my scout troop in New Mexico and I had an amazing time. I want to get into solo backpacking as the feeling of being in solitude in the wilderness is very appealing to me. My parents are against the idea since they are worried that if I’m alone. If something were to happen to me I would have a higher chance of serious injury or death. Since nobody would be there to apply first aid or call for help especially if I’m unconscious. I have proposed getting wilderness first aid certification and slowly working up in distance before doing a full thru hike. As well as getting a Garmin InReach. They still said no. Any suggestions on what I should do to change there mind?

So I’ve been a long time ultra runner but the body just can’t handle the running so I thought perhaps hiking would be the next best thing, get outdoors on some great trails but be easier on the body..

Well, I don’t know but I think all the things that helped with being a runner are working against hauling gear on the hike. No upper body or upper body strength, because just carrying a 15ish lb pack over the miles definitely wears on me so far.

I had been slowly ramping up for the past 8 weeks..30 min, 1 hour, etc all way up to 4 hour stuff. I went on my first overnight just to get a shake out of everything these past 2 days and oh boy.

Does the pack feel lighter or just easier? Should I go slower pace to just ease up on everything? I was doing about 2.5 miles per hour and did about 2k ascent on the first day for 22 miles while taking it easier on the 2nd day due to 3200 ft ascent but only 15 miles.

I did some searching but really couldn’t find any definitive pace/elevation/time for multiple day hiking. Also what do folks do or to make the pack feel “lighter”?

Is there a way to check that a water filter is still good or should I just buy another for my next thru hike?

https://lighterpack.com/r/i4p9ox

I know I could ditch a lot of stuff like bear spray, extra long-sleeve shirt, and bag liner but I want to know what people think would make the biggest impact? I know, I'm far from an ultra-lighter... for now.

Hoping some more experienced thru hikers can help me out with this. After a nightmare trying to find footwear that worked for me for the JMT, I found the Topo Terraventure 5 and feel in love immediately. I hate the feeling of super soft cushioning, and they seem to cause me to fatigue worse than something solid and steady like the terraventure.

I did a good amount of training in them with my pack on flat ground and doing box stepups and other strength work and they did great, so I took them out on the trail. Also with weighted pack (35lbs, my max carry and what I train with), on a short, steep local trail. 1.5 miles round trip and +/- 700 feet elevation gain. Again they felt great, but afterwards it felt like the soles of my feet had been absolutely pummeled. No visible bruising, but that’s how it felt. The second and third times I went out I was more careful to step softly and be more intentional at what I stepped on. My feet are still tender about a week later (possibly from that first attempt, I’ve done it 3 times now), but not extremely sore. I’m concerned though about what this means for the JMT itself and how to protect my feet as the miles accumulate. I’m still using the stock insoles, bc I actually really like them.

Is this the kind of thing that improves as my feet toughen up? Or is the kind of thing where I need to get a thicker / sturdier insole, or thicker socks (currently using ultralight darn tough and could switch to lightweight darn tough) to give myself a little more protection?

https://investors.rocketlabcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/rocket-lab-acquire-iridium-historic-deal-creating-fully

I'm preparing my gear for the American Discovery Trail. I want to pack light, but I don't mind a little extra weight for some comforts. Cooking and eating healthy are really important to me, so if there's one area I'm willing at add a bit of extra weight it's here.

For those that don't know, the ADT crosses over the US. Basically I'll be walking coast to coast. It'll take me about a year to do, so I'll be living outside for the vast majority of the walk. I plan to eat at restaurants very little, and dehydrated meals are expensive, so I plan to cook most of my meals as I go along.

Obviously, while out on trail I'm not going to be lugging around sacks of fresh stuff, but when I'm close to towns, I want to be able to get some fresh stuff and cook a little meal with it. The little stove cups for boiling seem good if all you're doing is rehydrating stuff, or eating instant oats, but I want a bit more variety than that.

It's important that any stove uses inexpensive widely available fuel.

What would you recommend?

I very last minute have 6 weeks off work (July & August) and want to do my first solo thru hike. I’m 30, f and I’ve done lots of multi-day hikes but always with a group tour. I’m very fit and hike often so I’m willing to throw myself in the deep end with a long one.
My main criteria is sociability, I’d love to meet some people along the way! And somewhere that will have last minute availability.
It can be anywhere in the world…

Question for the Appalachian trail thru-hikers from a european:

Have you had any paranormal experiences while on the trail??

Is Appalachia really so spooky as some say??

I really want to meet people who are into carrying their own gears like tent and camping stove and just hit the trails.
As a solo female trekker, im still not confident enough for diy multi day treks but i have gone on single day treks multiple times by myself like
Triund, kareri lake, in some remote villages of kinnaur, kheerganga, wiachin valley!
I want to really join some groups who like to do diy treks and go on multi day treks. Cuz come on these agencies charge hefty lot of money for even 3 to 4 days treks.

Hi - I'm able to carve out a week and change in either JULY or AUGUST to go on a hike! Help me pick. I live in the southeast USA but could catch a plane for the right trail. I really want it to be a full trail, to get the feeling of checking another off (cheesy maybe but who gives a shit). I've done quite a bit of backpacking but my "hiking resume" of completed trails is pretty short — just the Bartram Trail (115ish miles) and the Foothills Trail (77 miles).

Cross-posting to crowdsource. Many thanks!

I just finished the Camino, and I want to do it again!

What are the best, and the latest months in the year, to walk the Camino? And, for which route:

~ Camino del Norte?
~ Camino Francès
~ Portuguese route
~ Primitivo

I am open to all suggestions, insights, and inputs. 😉🙏🏼

I have a group of friends who would like to do it together, and we are thinking about trying to put one together for 2026.

Thank you in advance for your ideas. This community is awesome!

I’m doing a portion of GR10 and then crossing over from Garavrnie to Torla via Bujaruelo to the GR11. I’m hiking twelve days on a cheap budget so hoping to camp for free along the route majority of the time. I’m wondering, with the afternoon storms that I’ve read are unpredictable and can go into the evening, how do people respect the 7pm set up time for bivouac camping? Do people hang out in refuges until then? What about setting up camp in a storm? My original hope was to start early and hike, wait out the afternoon storms, keep hiking, set up camp. Also I will be going in the second half of July.

Hello everyone… an Aussie here, planning a month-long wilderness trip in the US for late summer 2029. Which trails should I do given I only want a month? My timing is flexible in the window spanning July/Aug/Sep.

I’d LOVE to do PCT but don’t have time. JMT is next on my mind but I worry I’d need more time to build trail legs and acclimate to altitude, and permits look tricky to get. It looks incredible, but maybe I should save it for a future PCT trek?

I’ve never hiked in the US before.

If you had a full month, would you do JMT, or go elsewhere? I'd love to hear how people would structure a month under these limitations, and which other 3 to 4 week options I should look into.

My gear is mostly sorted, I’m pleased with it! Base weight under 8 lb, core elements being an x-mid 1, Pa’Lante Joey pack, CCF pad, S2S traveller bag that might need substitution because it’s only 7C, but it’s lightweight. I’ve worked hard to minimise my kit all round and love hiking with it. It is dialled in for warmer Aussie trips so will likely need some tweaking for altitude

Asking this question for my 15-year-old about to go out for three weeks with a group of campers. He has concerns specifically about how to keep his acne and oily hair under control and also what to do about shaving. He finds facial hair to be very uncomfortable and is prone to ingrown hairs if he doesn’t shave. Any suggestions?

bets budget footwear from european companies? (in in the eu and delivery will be quicker as opposed to ordering from the US).

I am planning trekking on MacLeHose Trail in Hong Kong this coming late November.

I will walk 2 sections every day.

I'd like to ask a few questions as below:

1. Should I choose a different place close to the end of our daily trek? Or should I choose a certain base camp for the whole trekking?

2. Are there many places where I have breakfast in or near the accommodation?

3. Is it easy to have lunch during daily trekking? If not, give me some tips for preparing lunch.

So I know I learned a valuable lesson about packing Counter Assault in my bear can. Essentially it went off as i was trying to unscrew to lid. I have a shorter BV450 and basically everything inside was destroyed. Had a sawyer and mini sawyer that was unused and I dont think i can use them as the spray was airborne inside the canister. I am actually wondering if its safe to even pack food in This thing anymore or if after several washes with dawn dish soap that i could be okay? 80 dollar bear can and maybe a 40 dollar filter i wouldnt mind replacing the filters and keeping the can. But this stuff is no joke i caught a wiff through the mask i was wearing and some of the residue got on my hands which have been burning for about 25 minutes now…

Hi all,

Looking for some advice from anyone who has hiked the Slovenia Mountain Trail.

Gap in employment means I have the opportunity to hike it end of July and into August.

However planning seems like a real challenge. I’m reading that it’s crucial to book the huts in advance, especially around the National Park.

But this seems extremely difficult when taking into account the factors such as weather, daily distances and potential rest days.

Has anyone been in a similar boat and what did you do? Any advice would be highly appreciated.

Thanks