Worst backpacking advice I’ve ever received…

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YoI have been backpacking for many years, including the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail, John Muir Trail, Long Trail, and most of the Colorado 14ers. In that period of time, I received a lot of advice from other people. Some things have been great and have made me a better and stronger hiker.

But, frankly, some advice has been terrible and that’s what I want to talk to you about today.

Hi, I’m Katie, aka Double Dip, and let’s go over the worst hiking advice I’ve ever received so you don’t have to make the same mistakes I did on the trail.

«You don’t need to train for a hike»

I want to start with some terrible advice that I myself have been guilty of giving to other people: that you don’t need to train for a hike or a long backpacking trip.

There is a widespread idea that the best training for a hike is to simply start the hike and that as long as you start slowly, you will gain the muscle and cardio needed to keep going. For some people, this works very well.

But this mindset ignores the enormous strain your tendons and bones are put under when you begin a backpacking or hiking trip, even if you start with shorter days.

Taking time before your hike to prepare your body for that stress (whether traveling with weight, running, or lifting weights) will help prevent injury and make the experience much less miserable. Your body will thank you every morning when you wake up.

So if someone tells you not to train, I think you should listen to it this way: no. have Training for the hike is necessary, but training maximizes your chances of success.

“You should carry a firearm.”

The following advice is quite controversial and I imagine some of you already know where this is going.

I hate when people insist that I need to carry a firearm on a hike. We’ll start with the most basic reason: I don’t know how to use one.

For me, getting everything I need to safely carry a firearm, keep it clean, dry and functional for thousands of miles would be incredibly tedious, expensive and time consuming. And even then, I don’t think it’s effective, especially in the hands of someone who doesn’t know how to shoot.

If you go through multiple states, gun laws vary greatly. That alone is something I don’t want to deal with, especially when there is no benefit to me.

I have never felt unsafe on a hike in a way that a firearm would have mitigated. And I can’t stress this enough: It would be dangerous for me and everyone around me if I carried one without knowing how to store, carry, or use it properly.

Also, and this may seem silly, firearms are heavy and I like my gear to be light. And why would I need one to protect myself when I already have these weapons on me at all times?

I’m intimidating enough that seedy people tend to stay away.

«There is a right way to walk»

Let’s talk about hiking styles.

At the end of the day, people often just want you to validate the decisions they made. I see this especially when it comes to substitutes.

On the Continental Divide Trail, I can’t tell you how many people had very strong opinions about the right route, the right time of year, the right trail, everything about their hike. And here’s the surprise: it’s usually like this they he did it.

I understand the impulse. There are alternatives that I took on the CDT that I truly believe are the best way to go down that path.

But you are there to be independent. There is so much joy in choosing your own path. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for taking a route they think is “wrong,” especially if it’s the right one. you I want to take

No two people will have the same experience. Something magical one year can be miserable another year. “Walk your own walk” may be overstated, but it is true.

“I swear, when I walked that alternative there was no snow and blue skies.”

“Don’t pack too much on your first trip.”

This is advice I still hear for beginner backpackers and it drives me crazy.

People love to say «don’t pack too much,» but they never explain what that actually means. The truth? Overpacking on your first trip is inevitable. It is a canonical event.

You could Follow an ultralight packing list and hit the trail with a base weight of less than 10 pounds, but you’ll miss out on learning what you worth.

On my first trip I brought a lot of stupid things. And it was wonderful to come home, look at what I didn’t use and leave it there next time.

Today I still wear “stupid things,” but they are things that I use every day and that give me joy. I bring a stuffed animal, sweatpants, a sleeping pad inflator, things that ultralight hikers will say you don’t need. And they are right.

but i know Yo like them.

So embrace excess baggage. Complain about your back pain. Learn what matters. Empty your backpack at home, remove what you didn’t use, and repeat this process on hundreds of runs.

This is how it is built his perfect setup.

A happy cowboy camper.

«You need the latest and greatest equipment»

Once you tell someone you’re thinking about new gear, suddenly everyone has opinions.

Equipment is personal and expensive, and you usually don’t need the newest, lightest, most expensive tent.

I’ve walked around in high school running shorts and backpacks from Goodwill. Anything that gets you into the field safely is great.

Also, remember that many online gear reviews are written by people who got the gear for free. Even honest reviews are influenced by this.

If you want to make gear collecting your hobby, great. But never think that you can’t go out without it.

Even the most ultralight and technologically advanced hikers camp in smelly outhouses.

“Cotton kills”

You’ve probably heard this one. People will tell you that cotton is a death sentence and that you should never touch your body in the field.

The advice is based on real science: cotton loses insulation when wet and can contribute to hypothermia in cold, wet conditions.

But this is where it goes wrong.

If you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail in the middle of summer, a cotton shirt might be perfect. It’s cheap, breathable and cool.

Sometimes it seems like gear snobs have used the term “cotton kills” to justify a $98 merino base layer when the risk of hypothermia is next to zero.

Your clothing should be based on a risk assessment, not fear. Understand because the rule exists, so make smart decisions.

“Just get over the pain.”

Injuries are almost inevitable on long trails.

When you feel that first pang, someone will tell you, “If you can walk on it, you can walk on it.”

This is one of the most destructive pieces of advice out there. Overcoming early overuse injuries can turn something manageable into something that ends your entire season.

The best advice I received from a physical therapist was this: If the pain changes the way you walk, stop.

A zero day is always better than an evacuation.

Hypothetical scenario: I got knocked out because I kept walking due to an injury.

The real problem with bad advice

It was seven of the worst hiking tips I’ve ever received.

The anti-cotton mandate, insisting you carry a firearm, restricting beginners – it all follows the same pattern: advice that lacks context and empathy.

It boils down to: «Do it like I did or you’re wrong.»

People take a successful journey and make it a universal rule, ignoring that you may be walking a different path, in a different year, for different reasons.

If I could leave you with one piece of advice (and feel free to ignore it), I would say this: be safe on your hike. Never let anyone make you feel ashamed of the journey you have taken.

Your satisfaction, your fun, your comfort and your safety are the only things that matter.

Have you ever given any of this advice to anyone? How did it go? What’s the worst hiking advice you’ve ever received?

Thanks for watching. I’m Katie, also known as Double Dip, and I hope to see you around.

The joy you will experience when you ignore bad advice.