You’ve probably seen those pro hikers passing by on the trail, moving nearly as swiftly and as fast as trail runners but they obviously are not. They have (rather small) backpacks and they might have even camped next to you with their semi-transparent dyneema tents. Here are seven things they do (very) differently from the grand mass of “ordinary” hikers:
1. They don’t pack their fears
Most people just don’t know how or what to pack for an upcoming hike. However exiting the idea of a hike may sound, when faced with the empty backpack on your bed and your closet wide open, you often tend to do what most people do – you pack your fears onto your bag. Afraid you might be cold? Here’s an extra layer. Afraid that there won’t be any clean running water and / or detergent? – Here are two extra pairs of socks and underpants. And the most common of all fears – you’re afraid you’ll starve out there in the grand open. So you bring A LOT of extra food. And I mean A LOT. Well here’s the thing – Unless you intend to get stranded and lost in the jungles of South America with zero survival knowledge – you’re probably over doing it.
Pro hikers are not afraid of the outdoors. They simply don’t pack their fears. They know exactly how their chosen gear will perform under a myriad of conditions, they will plan every single meal on the hike (or almost) and then they’ll probably just pack one or two meals less then they “should” especially on long trips because they know that sometimes you just don’t feel like eating all that your “home self” had packed for your “outside self”.
2. They trade weight for knowledge
Knowledge is power. And in the hiking world the greatest form of power is weightlessness. I.e the fact that you actually know what you’re doing out there in the wilderness means you need less “stuff” and it also means that the stuff you actually must bring on a hike – Is the most efficient and conditions adopted stuff.
Probably the best illustration of this concept is the choice of a tent. There are 3 kinds of tents: Expedition tents – for extremely harsh weather conditions like -50°c snow storms in the Arctics, 4 seasons tents – for winter hiking and for moderate hard conditions and the most common – 3 seasons tents for, well as the name suggests – the 3 seasons which aren’t winter. However unlikely it is that inexperienced hikers will purchase a very sturdy, heavy expedition tent for just a regular hike, the “seasons” part of the tents tends to confuse many and as inexperienced hikers tend to pack their fears as mentioned above – Some of them will just go for – “the safest one; well, just in case!”.
A pro hiker on the other hand, hiking even on somewhat stormy weather conditions – will rarely go for even an “ordinary” 3 seasons tent. As most of these tents have 2 walls (or layers) to prevent condensation. 2 walls is a lot of walls for a pro hiker. A lot of weight. So he or she will probably go for a single layer 3 season’s tent that weighs half (or less) the weight of a 3 season’s tent and probably a quarter of the weight of 4 seasons one. Heck, they might even sleep with just a tarp or a bivi bag. Those gear items necessitate a bit of knowledge to operate. Like the fact that we exhale a whole liter of water over an average night. That’s a lot of water all over your sleeping bag and other gear items. Not knowing where exactly or how to pitch your one-layer tent or tarp will result in a not-so-pleasant an experience. but a pro hiker will know exactly how to avoid those situations and his tent probably doesn’t even have poles – his trekking poles will be used to pitch which is yet another great way to save weight – have several uses for the same gear item.
3. They make detailed gear lists
This is why all pro hikers make gear lists. Obsessed with gear lists, worship gear lists, spend hours making them and are very (very!) proud to share them in forums and groups. Gear lists are at the heart of a good hike planning. Pro hikers most likely have a well-sought-after inventory of everything they have at home along with a mention of essential features (like temperature ratings for sleeping bags or R. Values of Sleeping pads or lumens of their head lamps) along, most obviously – the weight of each and every item.
When it’s time to plan a hike they will just craft a costume-maid hiking gear list for that hike based on their inventory list and than just spend a ridiculous amount of time weighing and philosophising with their own selves about which gear item they should bring and what should be left behind. Most of them, if asked will be able to proudly tell you, on the trail exactly how much weight they carry on themselves in any given time. (Way way less than you do, most likely) Making lists, being unhappy with the total weight and searching for the perfect gear item that’ll “shave a few more grams off that category” is nothing short of an addictive hobby.
4. They plan ahead. Everything.
Oh yes, they do. And you know why? Because in most cases the more you plan the better and safer your hike will be. It’s just common sense. Pro hikers also know how to plan. The hike’s gear list mentioned above is an essential part of it but there are so many other things to plan as well:
- Meal planning – how much and when you eat
- Water management – How much water should be carried based on how much water is there available on the trail (some springs might be drained in the dry season, etc.)
- Weather planning or actually Weather awareness – Where should you refuge if caught in a storm and what extra gear should be brought if any
- “Drops” of gear and consumables. If you’re passing through a town on your way – it’s an excellent opportunity to reduce your carried weight by sending yourself little parcels ahead of your arrival via poste restante.
In the hiking world not only practice makes better. Actually, a well planned hike by an inexperienced hiker – would most likely save a lot of money and a lot of unpleasant surprises along the way.
5. They don’t wear those heavy hiking shoes
A research conducted by the US army back in October 1983 found that 1kg on your feet equals 5 kg on your back. (in terms of energy expenditure and fatigue). Yes, you heard that right. If you’re wearing a 1.9 Kg shoe on each leg (not uncommon for standard hiking boots) it’s as if you were carrying a whooping 19Kg (!!!) Backpack on your back. Anyone that has just completed a hike with hiking boots and then switched to snickers knows that strange feeling you have as if you’re “floating” in the air and feeling very light. As if, literally – a great burden was lifted off your shoulders.
Again, this is a definite “Pack your fears” mistake many hiking rookies do. They are scared they will spring their ankle or get cold and wet feet or even “frost bites” god forbid so they go for the safest available “foot-tank” they could possibly afford. Often being cheered by a zealous hiking shoe store seller for “doing the right thing”. Well, unless you’re going to climb a real serious mountain in harsh weather conditions – it’s probably a total overkill.
Shoes are a very personal choice for a hiker. But most pro hikers will definitely go for the lightest footwear they could possibly find as the effects on your body are known. The most common choice would probably be any trail running shoes model available on the market. And come to think of it – it makes sense – If those shoes were designed for intensive, sometimes hours-long running on rugged mountainous terrain, why won’t they be suitable for simple walking? Well they are. And pro hikers enjoy their lightness as on enrage they weigh about 400g per shoe. That is “only” an extra 4 Kg on your back in terms of effort and cumulated fatigue.
6. They don’t shop for gear the way you do
Many inexperienced hikers tend to panic-buy their gear at the last moment or a few days prior to an adventure or big hike. Pro hikers are often huge “gear geeks” and as such they’re buying their gear year-round, oftentimes without any particular hike in mind. They can spend hours on professional forums, assessing and reading reviews or spend a ridiculous amount of time in gear shops measuring, debating and comparing items. Pro hikers also tend to spend more on gear than the occasional hiker. Just like a golfer that has many sizes of golf clubs in his bag – each for any kind of situation – pro hikers tend to have different kinds of similar items. Most common are several sizes of backpacks but most pro hikers will have more than one tent, more than one sleeping bag and different sleeping pads with various R. Values. THere’s rarely a “one size fits all” with these items and a summer adventure in Morocco has nothing to do with a winter trek in Scotland or an autumn hike in the French Alps.
7. They test their gear before an important hike
There’s a huge difference between Imagining how a piece of equipment will perform under extreme conditions and actually testing it and “seeing for oneself”. Before big and important hikes adventures or treks, pro hikers tend to do a short“preparatory” hike in similar conditions just to give their gear a “test drive” this is obviously done with new gear items but also could be done with older pieces of equipment just to make sure it doesn’t fall apart or has a malfunction that could ruin a trip. A common example for such mishaps is elastics inside tent poles that lose their elasticity, waterproof membranes that were washed too many times or do not provide the protection they used to confer.
You can sometimes spot an inexperienced hiker from miles off when you see him struggling with a piece of equipment he or she encounters for the first time on a trek. On any camp site there will always be that one that doesn’t really know how to pitch his tent or worse, the ones that didn’t know you should bring a bear canister to some hiking spots in the US. Its sometimes funny, but in some cases it can result in serious injury or even death.
8. They often hack or make some of their gear themselves
The most notorious “hack” pro hikers do is sewing of their toothbrush into two unequal parts – the brush part with an extra cm or two would come along on adventure while the unfortunate other 4/5th of the brush will fond itself in the bin. That’s about 10 to 30 grams of “dead weight” that stays home. This practice is a source of many japes and banter but every gram counts. Not having a very comfortable grip while brushing one’s teeth twice a day is a very small price to pay. Every gram counts and they have this tendency to cumulate and count more.
Other common hacks include removing the “hat” of a backpack; trimming stripes and clips that you know you’ll never use; Cutting of sleeping pads (even inflatable ones that are sown back together and sealed…) replacing stakes by small ones, changing guy lines into thiner but sturdier ones etc etc.
But some experienced hikers go all the way and many of them proud themselves for their DIY projects for certain gear items. It is a practice known as MYOG – “Make Your Own Gear” – from a simple Tyvek wallet that weighs only 3-4 grams to an alcohol stove made of a beer can and all the way to extremely well designed bespoke backpacks, sleeping bags, tarps and even tents. Other than being a great hobby, this practice can save a lot of money and even become profitable. In fact, quite a few Cottage Manufacturers of hiking gear started as MYOG projects!
9. They don’t stop for lunch (and rarely do they do breakfasts either)
You’ve probably figured it out by now – Pro hikers are very weight sensitive, trying to reduce their carried weight for the strictest (safe!) minimum. But why is that?
Other than the obvious reasons (les fatigue and less backspin at the end of the day) one of the main reasons is that reducing weight allows you to go faster through the trail and simply see more in less time. If your backpack weighs 20-25 kg it’ll be a serious exploit for you to do more than 20 Km of daily distance. Especially if it’s uphill. No matter how young or strong you are – those weights take their tole on you. With a base weight of 4 to 7 Kg the average experienced hiker could double that distance. Even uphill.
This tendency to “get the most out of the trail” tends to naturally push experienced hikers into doing way fewer stops than their inexperienced counterparts. For one, you don’t need to stop too often to “catch your breath” and the physical effort can be somewhat addictive. This makes having a large meal on the trail seem not too reasonable. Cooking takes time and experienced hikers will just prefer getting up as early as possible and be on their way so that in the late afternoon they’ll have the luxury of finding the best sleeping spot after a long eventful day. Then truly relax and maybe enjoy a beautiful sunset while eating a big indulging dinner. Not breathlessly pitch a tent at dusk after they’ve barely made it to their intended camp site…
10. They go solo
Experienced hikers will rarely go with just about anyone for a hike. Not even with very close friends. Yes, they might have one of few “regular” good hiking mates, usually those “mates” are people they will rarely see not in a “hiking context”. Ask a pro hiker if he’s ever gone on a solo hike and he’ll most likely say yes, then reward you with a big smile (and probably a good story too). Hiking solo is the ultimate confidence test. You only hike solo when you’re 100% sure of your skills and capabilities.
Two other good reasons why many pro hikers are also solo hikers are:
The main reason is that It’s a very special kind of a feeling. Trying very hard not to sound too “New Age-y” – When you walk on your own in the great wide open you connect in a special way with the surroundings and above all – with yourself. After a few hours walking in nature with not a soul around the kind of calm and thoughtfulness you’ll experience are like no other.
The other reason is that when you’re pro it’s really hard to hike with non-pro hikers and most people you know are far from being such. When you’re a pro hiker and you find yourself with someone – or, god forbid, – a group of unexperienced hikers you are going to live through hell. And if you’ve read the post so far you know damn well why by now…
