The Most Common Mistakes Thru-Hikers Make 

Last summer in the Alps I learnt that carrying Camembert in your pack in warm weather is a big mistake.

Another mistake is to forget looking behind you as you climb. Sometimes the best views are behind you.

#1 biggest mistake imo is making miles the top priority. The happiest hikers tend to make miles a Non-priority. There's a lot more to experience than an 18" wide strip of dirt, rock, gravel, snow, etc.

"It's a package deal, you have to know the really bad days to truly appreciate the good ones" - Dixie Wise words! Applicable not only for thru-hiking, but for life itself.

Dixie, you are a blessing and an encouragement. Due to physical disabilities, life is my thru hike. Your adventures and advice are such a help to me.

Not technically a “mistake” in our case, but I attempted a thruhike with my boyfriend last year and we were on trail for a month and a half before discovering I was pregnant! Our daughter was born on December 28th 2019.

Appalachian trail 2020!!!! I leave in 3 weeks- woohoo!

Hah, hiker hunger, when I was going to a school in Vancouver, WA, me and my step brother and others from our school went back packing all the time on the PCT, we always brought way more food than we needed, at least 10 days good for our core group of 3-4 and then with what the others brought for most/all the time we were gone, up to about 3-4 days, us 3-4 made sure to bring enough extra to feed all these city goers for at least 5 days of high calorie days, plus all the knowledge and gear needed to be comfortable and very easily survive. Anyways we had a ton of through hikers from all over the world going by as we cooked breakfast and what not, made coffee, they’d comment about the smell, and we’d say come eat, they’d have eggs and bacon, hash browns, sausage, toast with butter, cheese, coffee, or sandwiches or dinner, like meat and potatoes, veggies, a beer or some whiskey or what not if they wanted. They definitely liked it, and most were European, like 90% honestly that we seen. They loved the food and company and drink. Hell some camped with us over night.

"Don't pee out your butt." LOL - Very helpful thanks!

"Embrace the Suck". Great advice at any point in life. I need this hanging on my wall.

Homemade Wanderlust videos get me outside. It is most important that more mature folks, (like me), get outside virtually every day. I live in an urban setting but am surrounded by parks and try to get there often in addition to walking a route each day. When I get into a slothish slump, I revisit one of Dixie's Hikes, (the hour documentary version, AT my favorite), gets me going again. "Have a list of things to look forward to." Good advice for us all. Thanks Dixie.

May not be common, but don't make the mistake of not watching all of Dixie's videos. Would not leave home without them :)

STRETCHING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. After getting serious aches and pains in my hips, I now won't hike unless I've stretched first. It feels so boring but I need it. Loved this video, btw. One of my favorites.

The increasing trend of doing a flip/flop hike with Harpers Ferry as the mid point really makes a lot of sense. Go north in the spring from Georgia and then at the mid point flip to go south from Maine most likely gives you the best on-trail weather......and weather is a major factor for those that view hiking as a enjoyable time and not a marathon to be run in the least time possible regardless of mother nature. As the saying goes, you don't have to practice being miserable, life will give you lots of chances.

I like to add something: Be aware that you are experiencing your own hike and not reliving the adventures of others. Especially with all the experience reports, blogs, books and films, many try to relive the experiences of the authors. Have expectations of the path that it cannot fulfill. This applies in particular to the Way of St. James, for example. Every hike is different.

Me - I over plan like crazy. I make lists. Post the lists on the cloud. Then on the day of the hike I sleep late and grab just whatever as I rush out. I got through college this way.

thank you for including the pika vid. I love those little creatures! regarding safeguarding your food during a nap: use your foodbag as a pillow!

Post-trail depression is hitting me hard. No one understands it. I start to go crazy if I haven't hiked in a long time

Another great video Dixie! I live in British Columbia Canada. Ive been to Nepal twice, and have done various hikes there, including a trek to Mount Everest Base camp. A few months ago I started thinking about my next adventure and happened to stumble across your channel. Ive watched almost every video you've ever posted, and have officially entered the addicted planning phase for through hiking the PCT next year in 2021. Thank you for being an inspiration, and for being you. You come across as knowledgeable, but humble, and make it comfortable to learn from you. Have a good day from Canada :)

Immediately I know I’m in the right place when you start with...”hey y’all”. Great information. Thank ya!

One of my favorite things to do to keep my feet happy is to eat lunch by a nice, cool creek and soak my feet while eating and relaxing.

Thank you Dixie!! I've listen to you, I don't know how many times but I always learn.

Loved this video! Gives me a lot to think about while planning my thru-hike.

Have a list of things to look forward to- just great advice in general. Always inspired by your videos :)

Thank you for this amazing reminder!

Got quite a chuckle reading this... I used to tell my hiking partner that the hiking plan only gets you to the trailhead. After that, it is Plan B, C, D... Which is why I have religiously carried a SPOT, as I don't have to worry if anyone knows where I am because if I should get into trouble, I have a satellite link. >-)

"you have to know the really bad days to appreciate the good ones" That is an excellent quote for life in general that a LOT of people just don't get !! A well done video Dixie :-)

Thanks Dixie! I'm hiking the PCT this year and your videos have been so helpful and inspirational. Keep up the good work :)

Rob, you rock! Keep thru-hiking thru life. Dixie, as usual, everything is spot on.

Good one Dixie. We start the AT again this coming Tuesday so thanks for the tips. Spot on.

Another one overflowing with wisdom. My blister trick: When you feel a blister starting, switch from your thick hiking sock to two thin ones. Between the two slip a bread bag ( bag loaves of bread come in ) over the 1st sock ,, second sock over bred bag.. This pretty much eliminate all friction to the skin. You can slit the bread bag for some ventilation where appropriate,

You've always good advice. Thank you for being you and producing these videos. Peace

thanks Dixie for the work you put into these videos. and thank you for all the advice that helps so many.

Hey Dixie! 7 minutes in and just a thought.... rain gear! You may not use it every day but in cold seasons it can be useful to bring along. It may not be used "every day" but it can be important for warmth.

Hello Dixie, thank you for sharing this very informative video. You are the BEST at sharing the 'need to know' information for thru hikers or back packers in general. All the very best of good things for you. Take care, be safe and always have fun. 🤗

I love the shot of the mouse jumping onto and off of the pot on the stove!😬

Hi Dixie. Yes PCT class of 2020. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Thank you Dixie! I'm going on my first thru hike in April, the PCT, and I honestly never would've thought I'd do anything like this if I didn't find you and watch you hike the AT and then complete your triple crown. I've been an avid hiker for awhile but thru hiking has become something I know I'm meant to do and I can't wait to be on trail! Much love & I hope you have some awesome plans to hike this year! 🙏🏼💫

Dixie: “Carry food that you actually enjoy” Me: **buys Costco sized fruit snack box** okay🙂

So much great info in this video! You're a wealth of knowledge, Dixie!

Thank you sooo much!! This was extremely helpful. I really appreciate you taking the time to get this together for all of us.

Thanks Dixie for all of your straight forward and insightful tips. Really enjoyed watching your thru hike.

Wow! So much awesome information in one video! Great advice as usual Dixie! Thanks!

Wow - what a fantastic post Dixie - really reveals the wisdom you've acquired - thank you

I'm starting my thru hike on February 29 and I have learned so much from your videos, thanks Dixie

Thanks for all the great videos. T-40 days for me, AT Class of 2020. After a lifetime of waiting (since the '80s), and four years since I picked my start date (back when I first found your videos) now hearing people talk about 'this year's thru hikers'....knowing that this year that includes me.... is surreal. :-)

List to look forward too. Great advice! Not just for thru hiking:)

List of things you want do when you get home - great idea!

Perhaps your best off-trail video. As a long distance hiker myself, I found your points to be spot on. Well done!

Thank you for all you do. Sold everything and moving out in 2 weeks. Your videos have inspired me to do the AT. Problem is starting in Michigan. Guess I'm going to Urban hike to Georgia! :)

Great video once again Dixie, really interesting & informative.

Dixie.. I have greatly enjoyed learning from you. You have answered numerous questions for me and then some.. Thank you so much. I am 55 yoa and would love to enjoy such a blessing as in thru hiking. Thank you again for the confidence.

Thanks Dixie, good info as always 👍😊

My daughter and I start our thru hike of the AT in 30 days!!!!! Thank you for all of your videos that have helped us so much and we look forward to our adventure!!!!!

19:36 Definitely didn't plan well enough.. All great advice, but this last tip is so true! Hiked the Colorado Trail SOBO in 2019 and finally feeling back in the swing of things in society 🤙🏼

Thank you Dixie for this forum. Great videos! I heard this a long time ago and follow it today. Wake up, wash up , eat. Start moving and an unbearably slow pace for 5-10 minutes, then continue at a slow pace for 20 minutes. Stop, hydrate stretch and you’ll be good to go at any pace you like. Ive done the Camino de Santiago in 95 and 2000. I never had muscle aches due to starting off too fast. My mistake was eating cheese at all my breaks for the first 3 days of the AT. Yeah , bad move. Lol 😂

Dixie, what a great vid. So much info. Super job.

Great video. I thru hiked the PCT in 2006. Things I think are important that I'd add on to your excellent list: 1) Thinking of the end point far too early and getting discouraged at the seeming lack of progress. Lots of people go home after a few weeks or a month or so because they're fixated on Canada when they're barely 200-400 miles into a 2650 mile hike. They can't see any significant progress toward the goal (Canada) - "I've been at this a month and I STILL have 2200 miles to go?!?! (get discouraged and go home)". IMO a better approach is to mentally view a thru as a series of hikes to the next town - focus on the next restaurant food, clean clothes, night in a motel, etc. That way, each day of hiking you're between 1/4 and 1/6 the way there - and that's a significant chunk of the way toward that goal. Intermediate term goals that are typically multiple town stops (PCT specific) can be, for example - Agua Dulce / make it through the first month of the thru hike, get to KM and the High Sierra Gateway, get through the High Sierra (call it to Tahoe), get to 1/2 way (Chester, yeah!), get the heck out of California (Wuhoo Ashland!!!!), Oregon is a goal unto itself and finally, once you get to Cascade Locks and are staring at the BOTG, then you are allowed to think about getting to Canada. 2) Related to the wrong food - you're spot on in regards to you must bring what you like. If you don't want to eat it, its worthless...and having to eat large volumes of food is key to staying healthy. Related to eating food that you like is also bringing food that will help keep you healthy out there. How many thru's get nutrition related injuries - tendon injury, stress fractures, etc caused or at least increased in likelihood and severity due to malnutrition (inadequate protein, vitamins, minerals, etc)? A fair number I'd say, especially as there are quite a few folks dropping out near the 2-3 month mark of a hike - they're physically broken as they've been running on reserves (fat) up to that point and its gone by then and the body destroys itself. Inadequate protein and calcium intake, for example, certainly will make a person more susceptible to tendon or ligament injury or stress fractures, respectively. Snickers bars are tasty and calorie dense, yet are largely empty of real nutrition. Insuring that you get 1 to 1 1/4 grams of complete protein per KG of lean body mass per day goes a long way to insuring you body can hold up over 4-6 months of hiking. Getting 150% or more of the RDA of calcium helps keep your bones strong (and remember, calcium is one of the 4 electrolyte minerals that you sweat - your body will leach it from your bones to maintain adequate supply in the blood). Eat your cheese and powdered milk. 2nd breakfast and 2nd lunch go a long ways toward helping you eat enough. 3) Related to your LNT observation. There's also the form of LNT when in town - but its more of a Leave No Negative Trace, in the sense of don't be a jerk in town. Don't trash the hotel room - tidy it up since thru's are a dirty lot. Don't stiff the inn keeper by putting 4 in the room while paying for only 1 or 2. Don't stiff your wait staff at the restaurant (if you can't afford a usual and customary tip, you can't afford restaurant food - cook some hiker food from the grocery in the room). Don't get falling down drunk and make an @$$ of yourself in town. If at an Angel's place, leave something in the tip jar. If you don't like the rules at an Angel's place, you are free to move on - their home, their rules, its basic respect. 4) Schedule. As in not adjusting it to match actual conditions. Examples include those that either intentionally chose or got stuck with early starts (anything before say April 10th) who are running up the trail to KM by early to mid May in a normal to high snow year. These folks are then loudly whining about what to do, how hard the Sierra is, where to skip to, etc. Slow down, take extra zero's, do a reversal for a week (e.g. hike back to Wrightwood from AD), etc to manage your forward progress for the conditions as they're developing. At the other end, there's those that have lollygagged the whole way and are only in mid Oregon by Labor Day. If you're not crossing the BOTG by the first few day's of September, you're pushing your luck on the fall weather in the North Cascades. Then there are those that push out of town in Washington in late September or early October in spite of forecasted bad weather - that's dangerous not only for the hiker but for the SAR folks who may try and come find you. Related to your point about not going out too quickly (which is absolutely spot on - so many people get hurt & go home the first few weeks) is to understand that at least on the PCT the first half in distance is far from the first half in time. The slow parts are all toward the beginning - getting the trail legs the first few weeks, lots of early zero's, and the High Sierra. Once the Sierra is cleared, there are the fast parts - Nor Cal flies by and knocking out sustained upper 20's in Oregon (for an older hiker like me) was easy. There is less need for zero's north of Tahoe as well. So don't despair if it took a touch over 3 months to get to Chester, you can do the remainder in barely over 2 quite easily. Anyways. YMMV. HYOH. My 2 cents. Free advice being worth what you paid.

I love how you cover the ugly side of hiking as well. Loads of practical, useful information :) Thankyou.

Really good advice on everything...thanks for sharing!

Thank you Dixie!! This video reminds me of my failures last year. I didn't drink enough water, didn't stretch enough, tried to go too fast at the start, and overall didn't get my legs in shape. I fell into the trap that I read that you'll get your trail legs as you hike. I'm reattempting first week of April. My base weight is 4lbs lighter, new Duplex tent which I like better than the Plexamid, and on the treadmill with a 25lb pack.

As always, great job. Hope to see you on trail someday.

That's a great list of things to think about, not just for first timers, but for all of us to remember. That clip of Katahdin looked like the snow when I finished in October of 2012.

10:26 WOW. This is something I should have realized but didn't think about. We see this at the macro layer, it's what causes rocks and boulder to break off. But for you filter, at the micro layer, it totally makes sense. Thanks! I will make sure I follow this for sure. For me this is why watching the video's of experienced hikers is so valuable. Thank you again!

I bless you Jessica with Love, Joy, Peace & happiness in your life.

Great video! That you so much for sharing your insight!

Thank you for all of your wonderful information! I truly hope to meet you out there one day 💓✨

I watch your channel religiously ever since I found it. I begin my first 117 mile AT section hike on June 16 and watching your advice gives me confidence as well as getting me totally jazzed for my trip. Thank you so much for your help.

Wow, a wonderful video full of great advice. Off trail obligations ruined an AT section hike last year for me. I own and run a business and since I carry an iPhone for a number of reasons and uses, the business found me. I had to leave the trail to deal with business and never finished the section hike.

Big fan of your blog. As a North Carolinian listening to your voice is enjoyable! A lot of useful tips in preparing for Everest base camp trek this October

Thank-you! Absolutely fantastic, intelligent, thoughtful, deep, and real advice. Love your confidence to be humble. You are very helpful to many people.

Great info. You can apply this info to those who think they are going to bug out wIth very heavy packs and heading to a long distance shelter.

I carry an extra Sawyer gasket in my first aid kit just in case.

Thanks so much...great information for this beginner! I subscribed!😊

If you go about life, whether on the trail or not, without a "leave no trace," "reduce my resource/carbon footprint" you need to rethink why not. I started picking up after people on my first backpack as a Boy Scout at the age of 12 (early 60's). I started with the U.S. Forest Service in 1973 and was very involved in wilderness management for 11 years of my career. I then was asked to be a supervisor in the front country on the ranger district that got the most visitation in its developed recreation sites as any in the entire National Forest system. I think it is safe to say I averaged 30 gallons of trash picked up each week over the length of my career, winter and summer, including the 7 years I regretfully found myself in management with about 5% of that being in the field as well as annual/sick leave. It was really tough to keep doing, especially when it was the 127th time you had cleaned the same spots. Early in my career I did a litter study on my own when I drove patrol in the frontcountry. In 1975 each piece of litter cost about 3-5 cents to pick up. I picked up litter and kept track of my costs along an Interstate Highway to account for the higher ratio number of pieces of litter per mile and the resulting costs. In the backcountry/wilderness the cost could be as high as 25-50 cents per item. This in 1975, so I think you can multiply everything by about 4.5 to 5 times to get a current value. A single piece of litter might cost $2.50 per item, be that an aluminum can, aluminum foil, one of those old soda can "pop tops" or what have you. If I used volunteers to do it, I still had hundreds of hours per year trying to recruit volunteers, including visiting college campuses to recruit them (think vehicle mileage, purchasing vehicles, lodging, meals, incidental expenses), answering potential volunteer recruitment correspondence, office supplies, my function's (recreation, timber, wildlife, range management, etc.) share of paying for the maintenance of the ranger station, visitor center staffing, maps, publications, copy machines, clerks, the computers, heat, lighting, uniform purchase and replacement, ad nauseam. Nothing is free and unless you've been in my shoes you can't imagine the huge effort it takes to keep public lands from being destroyed. You also cannot possibly understand the stress, the political crap we have to face, the workload of answering complaints, returning phone calls, fitting in training to keep credentials, replacing broken down tools, time spent submitting funding requests, grants and then having to keep your accounts accurate, etc. Every visitor creates a workload and "I don't but everyone else is the problem" is not close to the truth. Some are conscientious and cause no problems and then one person comes along and outdoes 100 people. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, BE VERY OBSERVANT OF YOUR OWN IMPACTS AND FIGURE OUT WAYS TO REDUCE IT." If you have complaints about how much you pay in taxes and then litter, you have no moral standing to say anything. NONE!

Dixie, what I remember is getting to town and wanting salads for breakfast lunch and dinner! Love to watch your videos, and I wish you the best on all your adventures.

Excellent suggestions all, Dixie!...thanks for sharing your wisdom...I'm sure many (including me if I can pull it off!) will benefit from this.

Excellent excellent video! Here's one: leaving something on the ground and walking on down the trail without it either during a rest/lunch stop or where you camped. Take 10 seconds and say "MOOPS?" ((Matter out of place) as you look around to see if you forgot to repack something. Especially when chatting w folks as you prepare to leave a site, so easy to forget something.

Some great points, thanks Dixie. I have learnt a lot from your video's.

Another excellent presentation. Thanks!

All wonderful points to remember. 👍

Great recommendations. I especially liked that you didn’t forget post trail. After every accomplishment there’s always the “what’s next” and it’s good to have an answer for yourself.

Thanks for these, these are really helpful

Great advice. I experienced most of those mistakes......The best day was when I packed up and left before my group did and enjoyed the day hiking by myself. Awesome thanks Dixie

Great video. I'm excited! Hikers heading out!

Just found your channel, love the content keep it up! Been day hiking for a long time, and been overnighting a couple times but I am planning on doing thru-hiking!

Dixie you are just Adorable and fun to watch! Very entertaining too...your just so bubbly and full of knowledge and seem so humble....any hiker would be lucky to hike through life with you!💖

As usual, another super helpful vid. Though I'm am not a 'thru hiker', your tips, info n hacks are lifesavers for all types of hiking, camping etc. Thanks again for another excellent vid.

Zwhat an absolutely wonderful video. Super great job

Hi there Dixi great to see you . Been watching you for a couple of years now . You have done very very great job and so great to see ya...

Awesome informations here! Thanks for sharing :)

Awesome thank you very much for sharing it with us! Cheers!!!!

Hi! I've been watching your videos for the past year or so and you have some really GREAT advice! I went ahead and subscribed :) You get me excited to want to do backpacking/hiking (Which I've never done before - although I have done camping throughout my life but it's always been with a Jeep nearby lol gotta have that 'extra' stuff ya know). I've also put some of the gear you used like the Zpacks and such on my Amazon hiking list. I'm getting money together to do some hiking this spring/summer but unfortunately I can only go on the weekends because I work Monday - Friday. I'm hoping that once I get more vacation time I can spend a week or two hiking some of the AT up here in Maine. I'm really wanting to get in touch with nature, lose weight, building up endurance, and learning how to minimize my bag gear. I am a firm believer that most of what you'll need nature can provide, up here you can mostly drink the water straight out of the ground because Maine has a natural filtration type topography. Currently I have a 30lb bag but it's more of a bug out bag than a hiking bag, need to knock that weight off in more ways than one lol. I appreciate you and everything you relay to us about your experiences on trail, it really is a good starting point and the tips/tricks are PRO! Anyways, just wanted to say a big ole THANK YOU from Maine :) I hope to be on Katahdin soon and eventually the 100mile wilderness. I look forward to your videos, keep them coming and I'll keep making notes :)

Cheers to you, Dixie! Between you, my 10-year anniversary gift of a tent that I chose and being blessed with unemployment, I'm off! PCT class of 2020!

Great insight. Thanks for to tools to do my first thru hike

I’m 72, been in and out of wilderness since I hiked barefoot preschool. All of your points are important wisdom. It’s easy to not think deeply but all of this applies to all of life’s journeys. My biggest mistakes in life have been over planning and an unsustainable pace. I see this all the time in every sphere. Thinking through scenarios ahead is good but forcing a plan can be deadly. Thanks for reminding us all. Btw I planned a section hike in Maine. I took your advice and listened to the trail. I got off very early and my two buddies nearly died on Moody Mountain the next day. It was a spiritual intuition I followed. Glad I never picked up three mail drops ahead and lived!!

Some great advice thanks.

Good information dixie. Got a lot of great advice from your channel

I'm in Georgia ready to start my thru hike in 2 days and I want to thank you Dixie for all your help and knowledge.

You really are fantastic at this. Almost like you were born for this (instructor/commentator/entertainer) or to be a preacher. I really get a lot from you in every video. Thank you very much! Also, I know people always look for the new adventure. I saw online the national bike trail from Washington DC to Seattle is almost done (goes through the Northern midwest). That could be really cool, 3,000 mile bike ride. Compare bike trek versus walk trek.