My 10 Dumbest Mistakes from 4,000+ Miles of Backpacking

W.We all make mistakes when backpacking, and contrary to popular opinion, I have made mistakes too.

As a first-time hiker, some of those mistakes can be pretty big, but some of them are also annoying little things that I regret looking back on my decisions.

Hi, I’m Katie, also known as DoubleDip. I’ve hiked the Colorado Trail, the John Muir Trail, the Long Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail, and I’ve made my fair share of mistakes throughout my thousands of miles of backpacking.

However, as a first-time hiker, these were the top mistakes I made that I really wish I hadn’t made.

1. Sending too many refills in the mail

I wish I hadn’t sent so many refills.

On many of these popular long-distance hiking trails, each town has a grocery store with everything you need to get from town to town.

By mailing refills ahead of time, I locked myself into a diet that, honestly, by the time I got to those towns, I didn’t want to eat anymore.

I got so tired of granola bars. But when I got to town and realized he’d spent all my money sending me a box of granola bars, I felt like I had to eat them.

Unless you’re on a trail that’s really so remote that you have no choice (and there are a few towns like that on the Continental Divide Trail), I see no reason not to just pick up your food in town and figure out what you really want at the time.

As an added bonus, it’s cheaper if you don’t have to pay for shipping and you feel like you’re supporting local communities that support hikers.

Lesson learned: save shipping, support the city and eat what you really want.

2. Try to eat “three meals a day”

I really took the whole three meals a day mentality from real life to the road, and it didn’t work for me.

I would eat a big breakfast, a big lunch, a big dinner. But when you burn that many calories, it’s just not enough. I physically couldn’t eat enough to stay healthy and in a good mood.

It took me several hundred miles to realize: what if I just… eat snacks?

Revolutionary concept, I know.

But everything changed. I became a much nicer person to walk around in and felt much stronger each day.

Now when I backpack, I feel like I eat mostly snacks. Breakfast and lunch become a long rotation of eating something every hour until dinner. It may not seem like it, but you’re actually consuming many more calories that way.

If you are constantly in a bad mood or tired, this may not be the way to go. It could be you.

Eat some Snickers.

The reigning queen of spam.

3. Mailing my bug spray home (a really bad idea)

This one is so stupid that I fully invite you to laugh at me.

About halfway through my first hike, I arrived in town and started taking things out of my backpack, trying to lighten my load.

And I thought: you know what would be perfect?

I’m sending home my bug spray.

I had only used it a handful of times. Surely it wouldn’t be so bad.

I mailed it home, headed out of town, and immediately had the worst dinner of my life: trying to shove food into my mouth and dive into my tent while a million mosquitoes tried to carry me away.

Lessons learned:

1. Don’t make decisions on the fly when you’re a little drunk at a bar.
2. Mosquitoes can appear at any time.

If you’re trying to reduce backpack weight, insect repellent probably isn’t the place to start.

I could have started with my stuffed animal.

4. Being too stressed

I was too stressed the whole time.

If you know me, it won’t surprise you: I’m very much a type A, over-planner. But I chose a trail that didn’t require as many logistics and I got stressed for no reason.

Things I had to learn:

There is no such thing as “leaving camp on time.”

The right time to leave is when you wake up and want to start walking.

I was 400 miles deep in the backcountry with no strict deadline and I was still worried about being late.

I wasn’t late. I was just relaxing.

It is also not necessary to eat lunch at lunchtime.

I would worry about making some effort before eating, when I could have eaten when I was hungry.

And I locked myself into daily mileage goals.

«Today I’m going to walk 27 miles, and if I don’t, I’ve failed.»

Even when I didn’t feel good, I forced myself to do it.

Other days, I would plan 15 miles, get to camp early, feel great, and stop anyway because that was the plan.

If you need strict mileage, that’s fine. But listen to your body. Let your miles ebb and flow based on how you feel.

Sometimes your body tells you “don’t you DARE get out of this bed”… and that’s okay!

5. Not walking alone enough

If you’re my tram, stop listening to me, but I wish I’d walked more alone.

I started my first hike alone, which was great. I had all these ideas about self-reflection and loneliness. Then, on the first day, I met a group of fun people and hiked the entire trail with them.

Do I regret it? Not necessarily. But I do think I would have benefited from figuring out how I walk alone before figuring out how I walk with others.

As an introvert, there were days when I felt so overwhelmed and just wanted to be alone, but I was afraid that if I left, I would never be able to reach her.

The road is long. If people want to reconnect, they will. Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself.

6. Start with new shoes

Continuing the trend of making very bad decisions, I started my hike with a new pair of shoes.

The day before I started, I went to REI in Denver and bought Hoka Speedgoats because an article said they were the best shoes for hikers.

They didn’t work for me. I spent the first 100 miles performing near-surgery on my blisters every night.

At no point did I think: maybe the shoes are a personal decision.

Now after several walks I have tried different shoes and found the one that works for me.

Hoka fast chivas? Great for some people. Not for my feet.

Don’t try new shoes on the first day. Give yourself time to test what works.

7. Packing up all my fears

I packed up all my fears.

Some of that is good. You should have a solid first aid kit and enough layers. But I overdid it.

Suit:

• A 10 degree quilt instead of 20
• booties down
• An extra down jacket
• extra hats

And I tried to fit it all into a small ultralight backpack.

Looking back, it’s a bit comical how poorly my pack fits both my gear and my body.

You should choose your backpack based on your equipment, not the other way around. As you gain experience, you will become more comfortable carrying less. But don’t force everything into one small package just because the Internet tells you to.

8. Trying too hard at first

The first few days of a hike are a huge shock to your body.

I knew I would be tired, but I didn’t realize how much it would affect me.

I didn’t poop for four days.
I didn’t sleep well.
I had no appetite.
I didn’t want to drink water.

And then I tried to do big miles on top of that. Don’t do that.

Let yourself go with it. Give yourself grace.

If you get to camp early and get bored, that’s okay. Your body still needs the rest.

You’ve never walked from 5am to 2pm every day before. That alone is an enormous strain. Take it easy, especially at first.

Don’t overdo it or you’ll look like this.

9. Not eating or hydrating enough

When it comes to food and water, even if your body doesn’t want them, it needs them.

Weight loss on the road is often idealized, but the best strategy is to maintain a stable weight.

You are making a great athletic effort. You need to fuel your body properly. That means food and water.

Sometimes you don’t want to drink, especially at altitude or in the cold. You still need it.

Find ways to make it easier:

• drink mixes
• Snorting in water fountains
• Anything that works

You will feel much better with a full belly and hydrated body.

10. Not documenting the experience

The biggest mistake of all?

I didn’t write a blog for The Trek.

On my subsequent walks, I captured those memories. I can see what I was thinking and share it with others.

If you are going hiking this year, apply to be a blogger.

It’s a great memory and means we can be best friends.

Final thoughts

If you missed anything, or made any really embarrassing walking mistakes, let me know so I can feel better about mine.

I hope to see you around, hopefully fully hydrated and with your bug spray.

Happy trails!

The above is a transcript. Minor edits have been made for clarity and readability, while preserving the original message and intent. This video is part of a new series about Youtube of the trip. Be sure to check the full video and subscribe to our YouTube channel.