5 Key Mindsets to Prepare Mentally for Thru Hiking
When it comes to preparing for a thru hike there, the physical preparation is only half of the work. The “mental game” is real challenge when on a trail. There are ways to prepare yourself for the mental and emotional load of thru hiking. One of them is building a realistic expectation for your mental framework on trail.
This blog post explores 5 key lessons that we have learned over hiking thousands of miles. These lessons can help prepare you for some of the emotions or tough mental obstacles you may face on trail.
It is no secret that thru-hiking is as much a mental game as a physical one, but what exactly does that mean? I was prepared to battle the boredom of such a repetitive task and found that in contrast the most difficult mental hurdle was the rollercoaster. The ever-changing nature of thru hiking means that your world becomes much, much smaller and thus your needs and wants shrink also.
Understanding the nature of the mental load has helped me to continue to thru hike because I can keep a clear and focused mind when facing the challenging parts. Below are the 5 lessons that I would tell any aspiring thru hiker to be aware of and consider as they set off on trail.
There are high-highs and low-lows… and they hit hard.
You have probably heard the expression “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” This not only applies to larger than life monsters, but also to mood swings. The bigger the high from hitting the summit the bigger the drop to a mouse eating the granola bar you were saving as a treat. The higher the thrill the harder the disappointment when the hike doesn’t meet those expectations, and I promise there will be a time when it does not.
In regular life, your day-to-day has a more constant baseline. The highs and lows generally don’t trend too far off of normal. However, on trail your day-to-day will have a high-level variation that nearly resets the baseline each day. It is emotionally draining.
Being aware of this phenomena has helped me better tolerate the drastic shifts. Let yourself feel those highs and hold onto them for the lows. Remember that the lows are probably not as bad as they feel, they are just feel worse because of that high.
Also, like anything in life, it gets easier with practice. You will even get to a point when the variation makes its own baseline.
2. Nothing is Permanent. Things will be Completely Different in 24 hours.
It is not a secret that thru-hiking is NOT a lifestyle of stability. You walk, sleep, eat in different locations EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. So as the saying goes that “good things don’t last forever” it then also says that the bad things don’t last either. Just like normal life, there are times when thru-hiking sucks. Just plain sucks. However, what you can absolutely bank on is that whatever the condition is to make it suck (weather is a great guess), that condition will change.
3. There are Backpacking specific issues (and solutions) you Won’t learn until you hike.
It is an uncomfortable truth. No matter how prepared you are, even if you have thru-hiked before, there will be new situations you could never know to prepare for. It does not matter how many gear reviews you read until you are sleeping in your tent with rain dripping on your forehead recounting all your life decisions that got you to this place.
Part of your preparation for trail is being ready to problem solve and troubleshoot. If you enter the trail with the expectation that you pre-mitigated any potential problem, then you will be mentally ill equipped to handle the unforeseen issue that pops up. It is okay to not have all the answers before setting out. Be open to learning from others and making decisions as they arise.
4. Backpacking doesn’t have just one pace, you need to find your own.
This is stating the obvious, but it is a hard lesson to take to heart - do not judge your own enjoyment of your hike based on how others are hiking. Social media only makes it more difficult because it paints an expectation that is far from reality BEFORE you even get on trail. When you start feeling down or struggling it is easy to look to social media or those around you and wonder “what am I doing wrong to feel this way?”
This mental trap rests on two assumptions (1) that no one else is struggling and (2) that there is a right and wrong way to hike. It is human nature to want to bond and commiserate together and it is a helpful tool to mitigate bad days on trail. When that bad day hits, talk to other hikers. Hear their stories, get tips, CONNECT. I promise you will find that you are not alone in the hard times, even if does look like everyone else is keeping a smile.
The more you talk and connect the more you will see that there is more variation to hiking styles than social media especially presents. Stay true to what feels right to you. If that is more zeros, waking up early, sleeping in, high miles, low miles, whatever it is do not feel that just because it works for someone else it has to work for you.
5. Weather will have a large impact on your mood.
The trail removes the distractions of everyday life. In normal life, your physical comfort is regularly provided and it is the mental distractions of work, house, relationships, grocery shopping, car, this list is going long… But on trail those mental distractions are gone. Your world revolves around the very real and very present physical comfort. While freeing in most aspects, it also allows for the “simple” things to rock your world - such as weather.
Weather is the forever present factor that has a large impact on your physical comfort. Rain, cold, heat are all things that take a beautiful hike and make in unenjoyable depending on your preference. While there is nothing you can do about the weather, it is helpful to acknowledge the role that is plays. When that bad mood strikes examine if maybe it isn’t that everything is terrible and backpacking is the worst decision of your life, but maybe it is that it is a cold 30 degrees and if it were 60 degrees you would be feeling better.