Tristan Kennedy believes to make a multi-day hike a success, it is all in the planning
Yvon Chouinard, founder of the outdoor clothing brand Patagonia, once said ‘the word adventure has gotten overused’. Adventure, he argued, is what happens “when everything goes wrong”. I can understand the point he was trying to make. There’s something undeniably thrilling about overcoming adversity. And if you completely sanitise a supposedly-adventurous activity, it definitely makes it less exciting. Where I disagree with Chouinard, however, is his assertion that everything has to go wrong.
A case in point: two years ago, my wife, my brother, my sister-in-law and I were on a multi-day hike in the Dolomites. Our route included several sections of via ferrata, where steel ladders and safety cables are bolted into the rock to allow hikers to scale sheer cliffs. Vie ferrate (to use their proper Italian plural) are, in fact, very safe. You tackle them with a harness and two carabiners, at least one of which is attached to the safety cable at all times. But they don’t always feel safe. And they especially don’t feel safe if you approach them in thick fog, and have to get down them quickly to avoid being caught in a lightning storm.
This was the situation we found ourselves in on the via ferrata Ettore Castiglioni, the longest on our route, which took us down over 500 vertical metres of sheer Dolomitic rock. After we’d made the descent, we agreed that the swirling fog, the winds, and even to some extent the threat of the storm, had made the down climb more memorable. Getting our timing wrong had definitely added to the sense of adventure. But I couldn’t help feeling that if everything had gone wrong – if someone had been struck by lightning, or slipped and done themselves some serious damage, for example – it wouldn’t have felt much like an adventure at all.
In fact, looking back on it, the enjoyment of that day – and the adventure as a whole – came as much from the plans that didn’t go awry as those that did. That’s often been my experience with multi-day hikes. By definition, a long-distance trek involves a lot more planning than a regular day hike or a dog walk. But whether you’re staying in refuges (as we did in Italy), bothies (in Scotland), or campsites, the planning aspect seems to become exponentially more rewarding with each day you add.
Personally, I love geeking out over maps and guidebooks, calculating how long it’ll take to cover a certain amount of ground, and carefully plotting out a multi-day route. I also love the process of packing: working out how to take as little gear as possible, but as much as I need. While I’m not one of those hikers who obsesses over every last gram, or cuts their toothbrush in half to save weight, I find it enormously satisfying to get to the end of trip and find I’ve eaten most of my food, worn most of my clothes, and used every piece of gear that I packed. There’s nothing more annoying than lugging around half a kilo of rice, only to put it back in your kitchen cupboard at the end.
Of course, the kit you need for multi-day hikes varies wildly depending on where you’re heading, and when. With Easter falling early this year, anyone hoping to get out over the long weekend may have to contend with colder temperatures than normal. A decent down jacket is often the first thing into my backpack, followed by a waterproof shell. And with a larger, heavier pack than you’d have on a day hike, plus the prospect of back-to-back days on the trail, having a comfortable pair of waterproof walking boots is more important than ever.
If you’re staying in Italian mountain refuges, where a three-course is standard, food is unlikley to be an issue. If the hostels or bothies you’re heading to have cooking facilities, you can plan normal pasta or rice dishes. But if you’re camping, freeze-dried, boil-in-the-bag meals are almost always the best way to go – they save on time, weight and washing up, and are surprisingly tasty these days. I’m not afraid to admit to eating leftover bags back at home if I’m feeling particularly lazy.
Camping of course requires a whole load of other bits. Season-appropriate sleeping bags, a stove, and of course, a tent. My advice when buying this would be: don’t skimp on cheap, substandard kit, and plan for conditions a few degrees colder than you think you’ll face. There’s nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night to find you’re cold, your tent has sprung a leak, or worse still, collapsed. I say that as someone who has experienced all three. Oh, and it’s worth remembering that the kind of kit that might be fine for a festival may well not cut it on the trail.
All of this might sound like a lot to think about, but for me at least, that’s always been part of the fun of multi-day hikes. That four-day loop I did round the Dolomites was a great example. While we weren’t camping or cooking our own food, the vie ferrate and the large amount of snow covering the high passes meant there was plenty to plan for and pack – from harnesses, to warm jackets to crampons. I agree wholeheartedly with Chouinard that overcoming unexpected challenges can often be the making of an adventure. But in my experience – both on that trip and the many others I’ve been on – anticipating those challenges, planning carefully, and seeing your plans come together, over the course of several days, can be just as satisfying, if not more so.
Wishlist – Three items that will make hiking better
The Luxury: Stanley x Pendleton Pour Over Coffee Maker – £90
A decent cup of coffee can make the difference between comfort on a campsite, and spending an entire morning grumpy and irritable. There are many excellent portable coffee makers out there (shout out to the Italian-style Bialetti Moka pots, and the American Aeropress) but for our money, the best is this pour over device by Stanley. Simply throw ground coffee in the top, pour in water boiled on your campstove, and it trickles through. You don’t need filter papers, and the double-wall vacuum cup will keep your brew warm, even on the coldest of camp mornings. stanley1913.com
Click here to get yours via Amazon
The Essential: Danner Mountain 600 Leaf GTX Boots – £220
A rugged, reliable pair of walking boots is a must-have for any kind of hiking, but when you’re walking for several days on the trot, having comfortable footwear becomes even more important. Danner is a classic American workwear brand that has been making boots since 1932, and their hiking-specific models are among the best on the market. Made of full-grain leather with a Vibramsole and a waterproof Gore-Texmembrane, the Mountain 600 Leaf boots are built for long days on the trail, whatever the terrain. danner.com
Click here to get yours via Amazon
The Surprisingly Useful Pacsafe LS120 Anti-Theft Hip Pack – £80
The most important bag for any multi-day hiking trip is obviously your backpack. But years of experience have taught us that having a bumbag (or what the Americans would call a fanny pack) is also surprisingly useful. Being able to keep things such as suncream, snacks or a point-and-shoot camera easily accessible can save you tons of time. Having to take your heavy pack on and off every time you want to get hold of something small is seriously annoying. This hip pack from travel specialists Pacsafe includes anti-theft features designed for urban environments, but works equally well when you take to the trail. pacsafe.co.uk
