Get Ready for ANY Hike with These Mental Strategies

Discover essential mental strategies to conquer tough hikes and challenging trails. Learn how to embrace the challenge, stay motivated, and push through mental barriers. Whether you're on a day hike or a multi-day trek, these tips will strengthen your mindset for any outdoor adventure. Perfect for hikers seeking mental toughness.

[ericzehrung]

Terrific video! My secret weapon is the ability to be cold, tired, hungry, sore, wet, thirsty, dirty, and lost (sometimes all at the same time), and to convince myself that I’m having fun. 🤠

[Pikonz]

This is all really good advice. I'd add to it that managing your food, liquids, and temperature is vital to your mental focus. If your sugar is low or if you're a bit dehydrated or you're feeling too cold a tight spot in the bush will seem a lot more daunting than it is. Don't put yourself in the position of having to mentally "push through" a situation that can be mitigated with an extra layer, a muesli bar, or a decent drink.

[desafinada]

Using the Arthur range as an example was very fitting 😆

[stephentuck]

“You’ve got this” is great self-talk on a tough climb or when the terrain is particularly challenging.

[KatStew-jp]

Enjoyed the video! Just finished my first, solo, multi-day hike with tent etc. Have always loved hiking (Norway), but never did a multi-day one. At age 61 I finally did it! And I seem to have used ALL your tips, despite seeing them afterwards. I agree that they work. Despite some challenging moments I feel very, very satisfied to have been out in the beautiful nature and reaching my goal!

[belindaguerette]

Great tips! I especially need to try the micro goals.

[mikaelwerner]

In climbing we call it type-2-fun, the worse the better

[michaelbutler]

37 km is a considerable haul Mowser, with a full pack, especially in warm weather.

This is a very important topic for discussion that you have identified and discussed that everybody can gain from.

Personally, I enjoy the preparation pouring over gear (like most gear freaks) studying maps etc. before a walk or climb. Physical preparation adds to necessary self- confidence but it is definitely a mental game in respect to undertaking difficult or endurance walks.

Knowing when to push past reasonable levels of discomfort or mild pain versus knowing when to listen to your body is critical.

Maintaining your situational awareness so that you can make good sound judgements whilst fatigued or injured and/or knowing when to make camp or even turning back in the face of extreme conditions is an acquired skill. Like any skill it is perishable as it slowly fades if not being used and can significantly affected by fatigue. Not knowing when to stop and take stock of a situation or turning back can have dire consequences and has been the ultimate downfall of many, particularly (alpine) climbers.

I always feel uncomfortable during the first 20 minutes of any walk. Awkward. Fidgeting with gear, adjusting clothing and pack straps., second guessing what I may have left behind. An experienced bushwalker once told me that this is ‘normal’ so now I always expect it and accept this discomfort until I find my rhythm and momentum.

Just my take on it. Great video. Great topic as always.
MB.

[yuliehill]

Always love watching your videos. This is so good to watch even to listen while i am doing my walk . Thank you so much .

[ssirin]

I need to hear this. I'm embarking on a 4N5D hike overseas in the first week of September and I haven't been on the trail for almost a year. I do hit the gym on a daily basis and enjoy watching youtube and reading blogs on the trails I'm going to to prepare myself mentally. Thanks again for reminding me the importance of mind over matter.

[snoop]

Bang on Mowser. Like "chunking" strategy of breaking treks into sections and planning hydration/electrolytes/fuel up/rests - not cutting into the next day's energy levels. All the pre-planning and training helps with confidence. And taking time to look around and enjoy... is so overlooked. Amazing how a super challenging trip once achieved looks so much easier the next time around. Thanks

[noisepuppet]

I don't know if this qualifies as a mental thing, but I think you have to realize what age does to you. When I was young, I didn't have to prepare much for a big trek. I could practically exhaust myself on day one, kinda recover overnight, and do it again, and I'd get stronger every day. I never even looked at a gym. Much older now, and I either have to be in the gym regularly, or pace myself and take recovery days. I really took a certain level of fitness for granted when I was young. 😂

[joshubrook]

I always think this time next week when I’m stuck inside at work I would rather be out here regardless 😂

[praktika]

Speaking of breaking the day into smaller sections and setting mini goals, a few years ago, I randomly got a Chinese cheapo Fitbit copy for Kris Kringle at the family Xmas party. I was going on a hike a few days after that Xmas, so I decided to take the new watch and paired it to its companion app on my phone. When set to monitor an exercise period, which a hike qualified as that, the companion app by default would report in a female AI voice whenever each kilometre is passed. I've had my Garmin watch buzz on my wrist when certain milestones are passed, but having that female, Chinese accented English AI voice tell me "you have walked x kilometre in x time, the last kilometre took you x time to walk" served as a weird motivational focus-inducing mental mechanism.
I no longer use that Fitbit but I still keep the app and still track my hikes on it, and I look forward to the AI voice encouraging me.

[RandomCryptoHodler]

9:40 Most people don't have an internal monologue. Crazy right

[praktika]

In case you need video ideas, have you considered doing one on The Overland in winter? What are the extra considerations over doing the track in warmer times? What are the gear you'd take in a winter overland hike?

[andybrockbank]

If I'd seen this video three weeks ago I may have got to the start and done a winter Overland South to North. Instead the day before turned to s#$t and I ended up pulling out the night before.

[anthonycoleman]

I have never liked the hike. For me it is all about reaching the location and setting up camp.