The secret is not hiking at a faster speed, but hiking for more hours.
This article is reprinted here with permission from Backpacking Light Magazine.
Fall 2006
During the summer before my senior year of college, when I probably should have had an internship that could be leveraged into a “real” job after graduation, I instead opted to hike the Appalachian Trail. I do not recall being too concerned that I was a novice backpacker or, more importantly, that I would need to reach Katahdin in about half the time it takes most hikers, in order to return to school before classes resumed. I knew that I would just have to quickly learn how to become both a backpacker and “fast” thru-hiker.
Four years and about 15,000 miles of backpacking later, I am still improving in both areas, though certainly now the learning curve is less steep and the performance gains are less significant. My perception of what constitutes a “fast” hike has changed accordingly. During my AT hike in 2002 I averaged almost 23 miles per day, whereas this past summer I averaged over 38 miles per day throughout the California section of the Pacific Crest Trail (over the last 700 miles I averaged over 43 miles per day). Defining “fast” is determined not just by personal perception and abilities, but by the terrain, trail quality, season, and trail culture.
Pros and cons
My initial motivation for doing a fast thru-hike was to gain the satisfaction of completing the entire AT in the limited time I had off. But I have found that there are other good reasons to go fast as well. First, it makes for a more challenging experience, both physically and mentally, and I learn more about my mind and body as a result. Second, I need shorter blocks of time in order to gain a desired experience, which leaves me time leftover to do something else (like work, spend time with family, or go on another hike). And, third, it opens up new trip opportunities because I can overcome traditional logistical difficulties (i.e. a 380-mile stretch of trail with a feasible resupply point) and because I can get to and through areas that have short hiking seasons.
A fast thru-hike is not devoid of drawbacks. I have not formed many lifelong friendships with other thru-hikers; I don’t take as much time to recognize the unique cultures and histories of trail towns; I often miss the “can’t miss” hostels and burger joints; and I’ve been criticized by other hikers for not doing it the “right” (read: their) way. Before you choose to do a fast hike, make sure that you’ll be comfortable with the experience that you’ll get.
In talking about specific ways to complete a fast thru-hike, I find it helpful to reference the equation, Distance = Rate x Time, which can be rearranged as Time = Distance/Rate, where Time is measured in days, Distance is measured in miles, and Rate is measured in miles per day.
The thru-hiker has direct control over only one variable, their Rate: Distance is a pre-determined constant, and Time is a function of the other two variables. Rate is equal to Miles_Hiked_Per_Hour x Hours_Hiked. Thus, there are two ways to increase Rate: by hiking faster or by hiking more hours.
Hiking “fast” in the Indian Peaks Wilderness-still cranking at Hour 14, just before sunset.
There is only one way to hike faster:
1. Go light, of course. A lighter load is the only way to increase Miles_Hiked_Per_Hour (and, therefore, Rate), besides the more obvious technique of increasing energy expenditure. This means: more miles without additional hours or output. It’s likely, however, that you’ll hike additional hours anyway because you will still be fairly fresh at the end of a traditional day. There are three areas in which you can lighten up: your gear, your consumables (food, water, fuel, TP, etc.), and your body. To lighten your pack: educate yourself on the matter with printed and online resources, research the environmental conditions you will encounter, develop a set of appropriate lightweight gear lists for those conditions, and have the gear kits mailed to you at designated points along your route. To lighten your consumables: keep the average caloric density of your food to around 125 calories/ounce, hydrate more at water sources so you can carry less water between them while still staying hydrated, and try to never pack “contingency food” that will weigh you down and not motivate you to hurry up like the prospect of an empty stomach will. The benefits of reducing your body weight are not so clearly advantageous: you’ll have less natural insulation, you might not be able to carry as much weight if you lose muscle mass, and you may have to carry more food if your body fat percentage gets too low. Nevertheless, being leaner will generally lead to greater comfort and more miles.
But there are at least six ways to hike more hours:
2. Expect to challenge yourself. All thru-hikes are challenging, without a doubt. But fast hikes are even more physically taxing and mentally exhausting—they entail longer days, more miles, fewer breaks, shorter town stops, less companionship, more limited scheduling flexibility, and greater scrutiny by other hikers. Fast hikes are definitely not “vacations”; words like “rewarding” and “satisfying” more accurately describe the experience than “fun” (unless you’re a full-blown masochist). Be prepared for the additional difficulties you will bring on yourself; and embrace them as an integral part of your trip, as much as the wildlife encounters and scenic vistas.
3. Hit the ground running. Many hikers get in shape “on the trail” by starting with 5-10 miles per day and slowly building up. Do not take this approach—instead, train beforehand and be ready to put in long days immediately. There is no better training for a backpacking trip than by going backpacking—it’s the only activity that will work the right muscles, help you develop the necessary skills, and get you familiar with your gear. If your training is limited by your lack of access or free time (e.g. if you live in a city or among cornfields, or if you have commitments to work, family, and trip planning), I would recommend that you: increase the intensity of your workouts (e.g. run for 30 minutes instead of walking for 2 hours), be resourceful with what you do have (e.g. stadium stairs, indoor treadmills, your backyard), and simulate the “real thing” whenever you can (i.e. during a free weekend go backpacking in a nearby park).
4. Be a tortoise, not a hare. The more influential variable in determining Rate is Hours_Hiked, not Hours_Hiked_Per_Hour. A fast rate of travel leads to faster fatigue, more discomfort (because it’s not as natural a stride), and increased stress and strain; plus, time savings can be easily offset by the need to take longer and more frequent breaks. I will hike fast when I really want to get somewhere—like a campsite before dark or a PO before 4pm—but I avoid it otherwise. When I need to put in a long day, I find it more effective to walk at a comfortable, controlled, constant speed—simply for more hours. If you routinely hike 15+ hours per day you may find the limitation of this approach, as sleep deprivation can become an issue.
5. Minimize the number and length of town stops. Those who have failed a class can probably attest to the damage it does to a GPA, regardless of their other grades. It’s no different for a thru-hike, where Modern Civilization 101 is the class that can destroy your chances of making magna cum laude. When you’re in town, you’re not hiking; and when you’re not hiking, you’re not getting to your destination—and, sorry, you don’t get “bonus miles” for staying in hostels, drinking beer, or hanging out on the town green. Some tips to avoid these time-sucking vortexes: try to only stop at towns that are on or close to the trail, and that have all vital services; set a limit beforehand on how much time you will allow yourself to stay in town; and develop a list of “to do” items beforehand, accomplish them quickly, and then leave. That said, do not discount the mental boost that you can gain from a restaurant meal or motel room, which may leave you refreshed and reenergized.
6. Increase the efficiency with which you do routine tasks. Nearly every day you will brush your teeth, break down your camp, pack your pack, go to the bathroom, collect and purify water, eat, make journal entries, take photos, set up your campsite, stretch, and prepare dinner. Every few days you will head into town, where you’ll resupply, call family and friends, do your laundry, and enjoy a “real” meal. If you can find ways to minimize the time it takes you to perform these tasks, or the frequency with which you do them, you will have more time for actually hiking. A sampling of my techniques: I use a digital voice recorder so that I can journal on-the-go; I receive maildrops so I can avoid the grocery store; I store my water bottles in the side pockets for easy access, and I don’t purify my water if I am confident in the source; and I even urinate while walking. Individually, these techniques save a marginal amount of time; but cumulatively they can save an hour or more every day.
7. Optimize the morning hoursa. On the trail most days seem like a Saturday—you do not really need to be anywhere, and you have all day to cut the lawn or rake the leaves. So you hit ‘snooze’ and roll back over, enjoying another hour or two of Z’s. Admittedly, I do this every now and then. But usually experience prevails: I know that if I don’t seize the morning hours, then I’ll be playing catch-up all day (which makes the day feel rushed and not enjoyable) and I’ll be hiking past bedtime, thus cutting into that night’s sleep. Everyday I have targets for myself—ideally “20 (miles) by 12 (pm),” at least “12 by 10″—with the goal of completing a chunk of miles early in the day, so that I have the option of either enjoying the evening hours or putting in a big day.
The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide: Tools & Techniques to Hit the Trail 
Hi! I just had a couple of questions. I am planning to do a thru hike of the AT summer 2013, but because of school I will only have about 100 days to complete it, including 4-5 days of rest. I know you completed the AT in 95 days and I was just wondering what were the amount of hours you typically put in per day and how often did you stop in towns to resupply, and how long did each resupply take?
I think a 100-day thru-hike is very possible, but you will need to hit the ground running by having your gear and systems dialed in, and by being in decent shape before you get out there.
The trail is 2,175 miles long, so to do it in 100 days you need to average “just” 21.75 miles per day. If you can walk at 3mph, you only need to hike for 7.3 hours per day. Of course, you’ll want to take breaks during the day and you’ll need to stop in town, but 10-12 hour days are still pretty comfortable.
I would recommend only stopping in towns that are right on the trail, if you have the choice. There are many opportunities to resupply, and I would stick the ones that are easiest, since it’s unlikely that you’ll make up for losing 3-5 hours to a resupply as opposed to carrying an extra few pounds of food in order to skip it.
for someone on a thru hike what gear would you suggest? Hammock or Tent? Also, is it possible to supplement much food with things on the trail like berries?
Re hammock or “shelter,” it totally depends on the trail. For a trail in the East — where “good” campsites can often be hard to come by — there’s a good argument for a hammock. For a trail in the West, great campsites abound.
I suppose it is possible to supplement your diets by foraging, but my hunter & gatherer skills are not developed enough to justify the time, versus just carrying all of my food.
I’d suggest a tent unless you know for sure you’ll have good trees everywhere on the trail. If you’re just looking for ultralight, try a tarp-tent or bivvy sack instead. Hammocks are quite cozy but you don’t want to be out of luck if you can’t find a good set of trees!
As for food supplements – well, no, not really. In order to collect enough food to make a difference, you need to have the time to scout rabbit trails, set snares, and go far off the trail to look for vegetation. That’s not really something you can do when you have to keep moving from place to place every day. (Plus, Leave No Trace! Look it up if you’re not familiar with it.)
Don’t knock hammock camping until you actually try it. If you can move 5 miles on any section on the entire AT without finding two suitable trees, I’ll eat a tent. Even the PCT has abundant trees. “Good” trees are anything thicker than your ankle.
Max: you can go 5 miles without suitable trees in the Presidential Range. But, your point is still reasonable, since you can’t camp up there and have to huck all the way through to find a legal site.
Good read, great article – thanks!
Thanks for the tips, I found this really useful!! I’m also planning on doing a thru-hike in summer 2013 and was hoping four months is enough time.
Inspiring article. I would love to find 100 days and hit the ground running. I am finding 14 days soon for the TRT and will keeo these principles in mind. Many thanks.
Mr. Skurka, well-stated and very useful. I’m an older hiker/packer living right along the GET, here in New Mexico, by the Manzanos. Haven’t you zoomed through them?
Your suggestions will be applied to best of my ability.
Only thing I’m fuzzy on is the advantage and the technique of peeing while pacing. Don’t that get a wee-bit messy?
Or is that just a part of the hiker trash etiquette?
Great website! Esposa y jo enjoyed the national geographic live presentation!
Great article! I’m looking to do a fast hike as well (though I’m thinking more towards 120-140 days). The only technique I doubt is that of urinating while walking
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If I may ask, what was your favorite point on the trail?
Derek: I know you weren’t asking for my opinion, but you get to have it anyway. Franconia Ridge in NH. Hit that section on a clear day and you’ll be stunned.
Hello Andrew! Thanks for writing such a great article. I’m preparing for a trip where I will cover over 10,000 miles in 407 day. As someone that has covered long distance in short amounts of time do you think it is possible? I will leave from Seattle Wa and head South to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup. It wont be on a trail but I will be kicking a soccer ball. Thanks for your insight.
Cheers,
Richard Swanson
That would be 24 miles per day. Seems reasonable but you will need to spend 8-10 hours walking each day.