Why you should NOT thru hike

[@PaulRowan]

Excellent commentary expressions and outline David, I really enjoy your passion and sharing your experiences, it inspires me to keep on keeping on the trail.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@PaulRowan thank you, sir! Go live it!

[@heartattackhiker3527]

Excellent David. I continued to eat poorly after the trail and stopped exercising. I'm planning to have an after trail plan this time and try to stay healthy.

[@jeffmillett5691]

Thanks for your article and insights. I'm a 64 year old gearing up to do through hikes. I'm acquiring and testing my gear now and determining what adventures (and challenges) to attempt given my old sports injuries. Food is an important consideration (I read the great dehydrated food article linked below). I live close to an Oregon PCT leg that I will probably attempt this summer to field test my body and gear. Been exercising regularly as well. I find that my pain is reduced or eliminated putting stress on my body. I appreciated you losting the other lesser known and shorter through hikes around the country. I almost never comment on videos but yours struck a cord. Subscribed.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@jeffmillett5691 thank you, sir! Appreciate you stopping by. We're about the same age. I'm interested in your adventures and what little gems you can share with us. Keep in touch.

[@minecraftfox4384]

I've thru hiked the AT several times. Loved every second of it, just good friends and nature for about 8 months.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@minecraftfox4384 thanks for watching! What would you say is your best take-away from thru hiking?

[@minecraftfox4384]

​@@DavidonEarth well, if you're only doing it to get from point a to b, it's wasteful. Take friends, enjoy nature, go off trail in safe areas. There's history and culture on the trail that's thousands of years old. My best take: I felt more at home in Appalachia after thru hiking than I did before.

[@heartattackhiker3527]

Hi David I hope all is well? I met you earlier this year on the AZT. I was able to finish in 60 days and just like you said the feeling of accomplishment was fleeting. It was a somewhat delusional hike and when I reached the Grand canyon I realized I was finally going to beat myself. Looking back I said I would never do the AZT again it was a very challenging trail that left me physically exhausted and soon after arriving home in a state of numbness that I am just now starting to recover from. Anyways I am going to hike the AZT again this coming year, hopefully in a somewhat less delusional state of mind 😅. Take care David I enjoyed talking to you on the AZT.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@heartattackhiker3527 I remember you... yes! I'll be out there in late Mar/early April. For now planning on Kearny to Pine... 200ish miles. I can take AZ in small chunks... haha. Maybe I'll see you out there. Thanks for the note!

[@danielfaben5838]

Great video. I have been at it for over 5 decades. Common sense definitely rules. I have some observations about making the best of backpacking. Performing any difficult or challenging function requires reasonable expectations. Winning and losing are part of any game. I expect to lose as often as I win. That I have always come out alive and fit after the tests of backpacking is the ultimate win especially as I always still want to return to the wilderness. I eat fresh live food such as sprouts that I can grow along the way. Mung beans and raw peanuts are exceptionally easy to grow and prepare. They can soak overnight in a little ziplock bag and be rinsed several times a day and be ready to eat in just 2 days. They can be eaten raw or cooked briefly. The body says yes. Getting off the trail is my greatest joy. It has some stress that is relieved by regaining the typical path but route finding and exploring lonely drainages is more satisfying than putting in loads of miles any day. Shedding the heavy load and having full days of just carrying what can fit in a fanny pack beats being a beast of burden without break. I get to discover why there are no trails in many spots and I have to rely upon my personal judgment. Untrammeled beauty and the opportunity to share space with wildlife has inestimable value. That is why I don't prefer to be a thru-hiker but have gone for several 10 day trips and many many shorter ones. It does take about a week of living in the wilderness to start to let go of the worldly mind state. Thru-hiking can get one there but doesn't guarentee it. Best of luck all who venture forth.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@danielfaben5838 great comments - appreciate your perspective! Thanks for watching!

[@jorjastonej]

I stopped watching thru-hiking videos for two reasons: constant footage of binge eating at gas stations and bars and because many quit the thru-hike.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@jorjastonej once in a while I hear a brief mention about "eating healthier" - but mostly I see the glorification of unhealthy choices. I get it. They're hungry and food choices are limited and inconvenient. But who's talking about the consequences? Who among them is offering some lessons learned about diet or instructing or offering better ideas to the next class of thru hikers? There are some, but not many that I've seen.

[@DrJohn493]

Pretty much the same here...but I am partial to Colorado Trail through hike vids because I enjoy the scenery and it's fun to see some of the trail sections I've done volunteer work on with the Colorado Trail Foundation. Besides, that's how I "stumbled" across this guy.

[@bubbalovesoatmealadventure108]

@@DrJohn493thank you for working on the trail, Oatmeal and I put some CT volunteers in one of our CT motion pictures…no gas stations or bars tho.

[@DrJohn493]

@@bubbalovesoatmealadventure108 Thanks for the thanks; volunteering many summers with the CTF has been a very rewarding experience, got me off the pavement, and made some friends for life. Now I gotta go find your CT motion pictures. Got some of my CT volunteer work over the years on my YT channel. Edit P.S., just found your channel and a new sub here.

[@tangenttrails]

Bravo, David! Bravo! I knew years ago, after I retired, that I didn’t want to attempt a thru hike longer than 700 miles. I knew the CT was going to be beautiful yet hard, but I never expected that the most memorable moments would be from the people I met both on trail and the locals in the trail towns. That’s what I’ve missed the most after leaving the trail. When I finish the last 150 miles next season, it’ll be all the locals in all the towns from 2024 that I’ll be missing the most since Silverton will be my only stop.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@tangenttrails thank you, sir!

[@Hikingin70sshorts]

Thanks David, well thought out points. As a thru hiker you are an athlete. What athletes feed their bodies junk before and during a competition? Not the ones that win. I don’t think the John Muir’s and Thoreau’s and other naturalists, who inspired people to look to nature for healing, would approve of the current thru hiking philosophy. We today always seem to be so competitive in our endeavors.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@Hikingin70sshorts truth! I love the "athlete" reference. Everything about a long hike screams mental and physical toughness. And I love the connection to the philisophies of the founding fathers of what we do - very important to bring in & maintain foundational principles. Good stuff! Thanks!

[@frosty_soda]

Back in the late '90s and early 2000s, when I was backpacking, I often found thru-hikers to be a bit stuck-up. A lot of so-called "backpackers" seemed to be in it more for the label-rich kids living off their parents' money while pretending to be adventurous. Meanwhile, I was out there scraping by, working crappy jobs to fund my travels. Honestly, I think thru-hiking is overrated. What really stood out to me were the experiences I had with locals in some truly wild places. I’ll never forget the nights spent deep in the jungles of Northern Thailand, eating fresh (and sometimes raw) chicken liver, snake heart, and other unusual delicacies. Those moments-connecting with people and immersing myself in their world-meant far more to me than ticking destinations off a list. Most of the "backpackers" I met back then were doing it because it was trendy, not because they truly loved exploration. But every now and then, I’d meet someone who was genuinely there for the experience, and those rare encounters made all the difference. In fact, I’m still friends with some of those people today, and here I am at 49, still going strong. You remind me of some of those special people I met back then. I think I’d have enjoyed your company. But honestly, the vast majority of the time, I found people were just doing it to collect destinations and say, "I've done that."

[@DavidonEarth]

@@frosty_soda great comment!! Thank you! Sometimes I feel pretty lonely with my perspective on all this. It seems those who have lived a little hear what I'm (we're) saying. Thailand, awesome!! Keep living like you want it, man!! Stop by again. Would love to hear more about your adventures.

[@ellerybice3787]

Yes❗️ I agree do not thru hike, take a bicycle and ......🫡

[@bubbalovesoatmealadventure108]

Oatmeal and I did the CT…didn’t think I would finish…but we did. Biggest and best thing we ever did…loved every bit of it. Except for when the soccer mom had to help me with my poncho…that was embarrassing. I think you may be overthinking stuff here…glad we planned little and had no time limit. Last one done wins.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@bubbalovesoatmealadventure108 I overthink to make up for those who don't think enough... haha. Love your carefree spirit! Keep on living like you want it, brother!!

[@Outbound1219]

Most thru hikers look sick and unhealthy in their videos

[@Mike-vd2qt]

Great thoughts, on long trails, thank you! AND, take everything he just said about thru hiking, and for older cyclists apply those words to the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR). The young 30 something racers finish the 2,700 miles in 13 days. They nap three hours a night, and eat at gas stations. Averaging 225 miles a day on Cliff bars, coffee, and chocolate milk. Us mature cyclists, retired and bored yet good cyclists, figure we can do it! But it takes us two months at 40-60 miles per day with a zero day every week. Do it in sections, have fun and live for another day. No one will give a damn what you did one hundred years from now. Happy trails☮

[@DavidonEarth]

@@Mike-vd2qt excellent perspective! Thanks for watching!

[@luannproctor672]

Thank you for your great video !! I’m 65. After 9 years, I stopped riding a road bike because cars, yo. I started hiking about four months ago. My longest hike so far is 14-ish miles. I want to do smaller thru hikes like the John Muir Trail. I live several hours from the start! 😊I was looking at food dehydrators a few days ago. Seems like a brilliant solution for shit food, plus I’m a vegan.🎉

[@jorgemiguel1040]

I live in San Diego. I’ve been section hiking the PCT. I do want to hike it when I have time. But by that time I would’ve completed most of the north and southbound roots. Because I tend to hike out and back from a car park.😊

[@DavidonEarth]

@@jorgemiguel1040 nothing wrong with that. I'm section hiking the Colorado Trail again like that. Really enjoying doing it this way. Thanks for watching!

[@ellerybice3787]

The nutrition gap exists in many bicycle races as well, as some races rules require that you be self supported during the whole of the event. And even well prepositioned food stashes may or may not be permitted. This makes absolutely no sense from an athletic performance stand point and a health well being issue. Would we restrict race cars to using only water laced fuels while on the track?

[@DavidonEarth]

@@ellerybice3787 ya. Agree. Why does intentional or systemic athlete deprivation need to be part of the test? In thru hiking it doesn't have to be, but makes no sense for an organized event.

[@jorgemiguel1040]

My doctor told me once that everyone’s bodies like a car. Every model has a different number of miles. It will last use them wisely.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@jorgemiguel1040 truth! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!

[@christopherhaak9824]

As noted, a thru hike is an athletic endurance event and it should be treated as such. Training, motivation, food... The vast majority of vlogs clearly don't do that. Even some 'famous' thru hikers set terrible examples. It can be done right in every way and there are folks who do that. Sadly, that's not as common as what you see touted online.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@christopherhaak9824 truth!

[@GrimmJaw496]

try to do only 10-12 miles a day, eat better food in town....smell the rose's only do a section hike. start mouths earlier in the year(don't get in a hurry). just my 2 cents.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@GrimmJaw496 right on! Thanks for watching... and try not to undervalue your input. 😁

[@DrJohn493]

Good advice...well worth more than 2 cents for those contemplating a through hike, and especially to those that don't have all hiking season to without meeting one's life commitments.

[@jorgemiguel1040]

Excellent advice. I’ve started forcing myself to slow down and enjoy the last mile or so at a ferry, slow pace and look around. Enjoy what I’m out there running past.

[@DavidonEarth]

@jorgemiguel1040 love that! Thanks for watching!

[@steveh5169]

The biggest reason I would never attempt a thru hike is I can't quit my job and take off for 4-6 months to do a thru hike. There is a huge opportunity cost associated with a thru hike. No income for months and your bills don't go away because you are out hiking for months at a time. If you are married it's selfish to dump all responsibilities on your spouse while you are out hiking.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@steveh5169 yes. I left out some of the major / obvious blockers, such as the things you mentioned. I have known married thru hikers whose spouses were genuinely supportive. It's a different world than I come from - I won't be on trail for more than 2 (maybe 3) weeks; can't do that to the wife - but it works for some people to be gone for months. Good for them, I guess.

[@DavidonEarth]

...and, yes, the cost can be huge... walking away from a $100k/yr job would cost $50k to do a 6 month hike. Cha-ching!

[@GorgoScrobo]

And dehydrated foods lose so many vitamins and nutrients. Thx for the videos!

[@DavidonEarth]

@@GorgoScrobo thanks for watching!! Correct, nutrition levels can be impacted if heat is too high or for too long. Here’s a good read on the pros and cons of dehydrating: www.webmd.com/diet/dehydrating-food-good-for-you

[@timriggs8651]

Depends on the food and how they are dehydrated.

[@jumpinjohnnyruss]

@@DavidonEarth Thanks for the good information about nutrition and exercise. I had assumed that strenuous activity reduced the effects of unhealthy food and that that's all there was to it.

[@sim-pit]

Would you say "to find my limits and if I can do this" is enough motivation?

[@DavidonEarth]

@@sim-pit sure, for some people this is compelling enough. Personally, I would take this at least a couple levels deeper; next, ask why I want to find my limts (go through the 5 whys). Get to the root purpose.

[@bmcquiston1]

You may find, as I did, that the reason you keep going were never apparent to you when you started.

[@DavidonEarth]

@bmcquiston1 yes. Good point! 'The reason' seems to go through a maturation process - strengthening, weakening, or completely changing.

[@DrJohn493]

Words of wisdom! I've never been attracted to long distance through hiking, primarily because life's commitments have been a higher priority. Long distant through hiking always struck me as not taking the time to "smell the roses" so to speak.

[@DavidonEarth]

@@DrJohn493 yup and yup. The roses seem to smell better and better with age.