Hike 20 Miles in a Day: How To Do It (and why)

Want to learn how to hike big miles on your backpacking trips? I've created an outline/formula for myself on how I personally hike big miles (20+ per day) and wanted to share it with you in case you wanted to give bigger miles a shot.

Hiking "big" miles means something different to everyone, but to me, the idea is that you're covering far more miles than you normally would by hiking all day long from sun up to sundown.

If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to reach out and don't forget to check out the links below!

ABOUT ME:
👋 My name is Emory, and I love helping people learn how to backpack, so I've dedicated this channel to offering practical tips and techniques, down-to-earth perspectives on gear, and general outdoor commentary to help you improve your experience in the backcountry.

Emory, By Land

P.S. Don't forget to check out my beginner backpacking course!

This channel is dedicated to helping you get better at backpacking. I hope these videos leave you feeling inspired and encouraged to pursue that backcountry adventure you’ve been dreaming of!

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[xbadventures]

My best tip is going uphill I go into “old man mode”. I will go as slow as needed to not stop. If it is really steep then it may be taking 6 inch steps. If you get winded, slow down. When you recover, speed up but not to as fast as you were going. In time you will find a medium that allows you to not get winded and not slow down. My uphill has got so much faster since developing my old man mode.

[godizself]

These are good told.
The first tip is a committed and growth mindset. Do your own hike. You're not competing against anyone. There's no judgment, just you and nature

[eadymctavish]

Hi :)
Probably everyone requires a different approach to be able to hike big miles, so this is just simply what I am doing: I don't like having my mind on the matter of "big miles today" while I hike. The less I look at elevation maps, the more motivated I tend to stay throughout the day (of course if you gotta navigate, look at those maps). I used to also obsess about planning the day very methodically: "by 10 am I can be at the first shelter, and if I can maintain exactly 3.2 mph, I can be at the third water source by 3 pm. Then I have 10 minutes to enjoy the view and with the same speed I can make it to the campsite by 8 pm...." Not only does it get stressful, it would almost never work out. Maybe I meet people, maybe the water source sucks, maybe I get lost, maybe my body just doesn't want to today. And if you cant enjoy the view, what did you set out for? I absolutely agree that hiking big miles and pushing yourself a little can be a lot of fun. It's very fascinating to know just how much you can do in a day, but like you say, listen to yourself! Sometimes it's just not the day for big miles and thats okay.
What helps me get there and still enjoy myself:
1. keeping my mind happy. podcasts and music if i want to "zone out" or looking around and trying to take it all in if I want to get immersed. Something like 14 hours is a lot of time with your mind.
you can also talk to yourself. or sing.

2. FUEL! Like you said this is such a game changer. I eat every hour religiously while walking even if I don't feel hungry. If I am not used to hiking for a while, my body tends to fool me into thinking I dont need anything yet. The thing is, once the "low" comes, its already too late and your motivation suffers. I have found that food that isn't pure sugar also works a lot better, though I have not tried relying mostly on fats (like nuts), wich is something I still want to give a shot.
Trailmix, Bars with nuts in them, cheese, bread, chips...they all work better for me than oreos, sour patches or whatever. but maybe they help motivate you.
Also...cooking is an absolute time killer. I love outdoor cooking but if I want to cover a lot of ground it just doesn't work. Yes, you can get used to cold soaking on a long distance trail - No, I will not cold soak exclusively again on my next big hike.

3. save my joints - I have slightly changed my style of walking, particularily for up and downhills: I lower my center of gravity slightly, kinda like you do when you're trying to walk while not spilling that way too full pint of beer. It takes some of the blow off of my knees, wich in turn means my quads have to work more, but as long as they are well fueled, they stay happy usually (might not work as easily with a 40 pound pack though). I believe John Zahorian also talked about this on the podcast.?

4. Exactly as you say: Use the hours of the day. It's beautiful to walk into the sunrise. Just minimize breaks as much as possible. Having a pack where I can reach food and water without having to take it off makes quite the difference! Once the pack is off, its off. Kinda like when it's cold and you stop by a fire for "just 5 minutes" you probably won't get back up again. Its an act of balance, because breaks also can be very meaningful on a hike.

of course light gear and light shoes can be a world of a difference, etc. I could write for hours about this, because I also spent hours thinking about it...guess when that happened xD. But the last thing I feel like has to be said is: Do not compare yourself. 20 miles is not 20 miles. You are probably not John Z either. Maybe you had knee surgery. You don't need an excuse either. Ask yourself if your love for yourself or the trail should be dictated by what someone else does, did, says or thinks. Hike your own hike! It's such a ubiquitous phrase but it is worth really taking it Love to y'all; over and out.

[awalkingingmistake]

I agree with all of these with one exception: walk slower. I've hit a point where my systems are dialed, I start early and end late, and the only way to cover more mileage is to speed up. I think "walk slower" is great advice for most, but once you break into the 40-60 mile/day range, it really helps to hustle a little if you want to maintain a healthy sleep schedule

[kx.io]

Big mile hiker here: great tips, even though disagree with "walking slow". I believe it's very personal and if you body allows - walk fast! Whenever I'm in thru-hiking trips, my body eventually gets so used to walking, that I can do 20km (~12 miles) walking "sprints" (especially if I'm going for like 40-50 mile day) without stopping, under 3 hours, which means walking very, very fast. Then having an hour break, and off I go again. And yes, I do prefer walking faster and taking longer breaks, rather than walking slowly the whole day.
And while many will rightfully argue walking fast might lead to problems, such as blisters, here's my pro tip: COOL DOWN YOUR FEET whenever having a break. Just few minutes in the cold water will refresh your feet better than anything else, just be sure to let them completely dry before putting boots back on, or this will be another way of getting blisters.
Cheers!

[stephanr.rosier]

Hey, Emory! ... Thanks for the Tips.
Years ago, i was in a career, which required a certified degree of fitness. Having to rehab, after a surgery, i was specifically trying to rebuild my Cardio & Endurance for running, when i discovered that the elliptical (stair stepping) machine, was not very effective; Yet, when i transitioned to the Treadmill, on an Incline, i got much better results!

[viewsfromthebar]

Some cool advice in your vid and agree with all of it. My suggestions are:
1. In addition to starting early to give you more time, starting early helps you avoid some/more of the heat in summer months. I completed a 24 mile challenge walk last summer - started just after 03:00 and finished just after midday on what was a really warm day. It was less tiring and I needed less water, which meant less weight.
2. Preparation and training. 15 years ago when I completed the same walk, I just about finished in 11 hours 45 mins, and felt really beat up. Last year, at 53 years old, I finished in 9 hours 18 mins and could have kept going. The main difference was taking it more seriously and putting in the hours training beforehand. Yes this meant gym cardio n strength work, stretching and recovery at home, though it also included lots of local, easy, daily 3-4 mile walks during the week and 6-7 milers are weekends.
3. Build up your endurance and tolerance to distance slowly as success is as much mental as it is physical. Prove to yourself what you can achieve and could yet still achieve. Keep pushing your own boundaries.
4. Hiking poles really help me as I've a knee condition that really does not help with this kind of activity, especially on slopes. Special exercises help me manage it, chondromalacia/spongy knee cartilage, however, poles help me take off some of the pressure, particularly on descents, which helps me go further.
5. Try to maintain a consistent pace as it's more energy efficient. A fitness tracking device or something similar helps in this regard, as it does with your training.
6. Learn from your own experience as seemingly small details can really matter. For example, 15+ mile days require me to wear non-cotton underwear as skin chafing becomes a real issue. Also, I use lubrication cream to protect certain tender spots to avoid further similar issues.
7. Know how to recover well afterwards. Correct foods and liquids, stretching, skin care, sleep! The more you can recover well, the more likely you will be willing to try again.

[huh]

Literally signed up for a 22 mile hike. I haven’t been hiking in years. This video helped a lot. Let’s hope I do well if I go

[GrislyAtoms]

Great tips! Nothing much to add except for this: trek poles help a lot. At least, they help me. I can go farther with trek poles than without them.

[michaelb]

When you said "don't take your pack off", I immediately thought of when I start to feel like I'm slowing down (usually on a long climb), I tell myself "next good log or rock, I'm stopping." Then I start looking for a rock or log that is the right height and size so that my pack will rest on it as well. This also takes my mind off how I'm feeling and keeps me going while I look for that perfect place to sit down next to the trail. It's similar to a strategy that I learned cycling, especially on long climbs, set intermediate goals. I just need to get to that next turn; then when you get there, you set your sights on the next turn in the road, and eventually you're at the top. My big problem is getting packed up in the morning. Even when cowboy camping and having a cold breakfast it still takes me nearly an hour to get packed and on the trail. I'll keep working on it.

[fitandfeminineover]

I completely agree with the mind/body challenge. Nothing clears my mind and invigorates my body quite like a challenging hike!

[garylines]

Any healthy hiker should be able to hike twenty mile days that was a rule of thumb thirty years ago and it is easier now than it has ever been.

[eric]

I like the idea of covering a longer trail in a shorter time. Maybe a 60-70 mile loop without resupply. That said, I'm gonna let my body sleep the amount it needs. If I wake up early, I'll hike early. If I wake up late, I'll just start later. Everybody has certain compromises but this is also my vacation, so, for me, sacrificing sleep when I'm pushing my body beyond it's normal limits is not gonna work for me. Something else I learned recently is that long-endurance exercise burns a LOT of fat. So eat foods high in healthy fats. It's calorie dense (ligher per calorie). Check out Gear Skeptic's channel for the details on that. Totally agree with listening to your body. Food, water, and electrolytes are all important.

[TheJPJT]

Been building up in miles last few weeks, just smashed out 22 miles. Legs are sore, but i'm happy with the achievement 😌

[sandyguidry]

Thank you, , my favorite part is take breaks, lots of breaks if you need to! Sounds like great advise! Will do that

[armwrestling_nerd]

I'm going on a trip and will do at least 50 miles/day (80 km )for at least a week. What I do is walking at slightly over 5 km/h for 16 hours . Eating while walking, using lentil-/peasoup (, or similar legumes based soup) and berries from syringes , nuts/seeds as snacks. This saves time to up the distance. I am used to "roll my walk" meaning normal marching pace is at least 5km/h if not injuriöed. You try not to lift feet unnecessary high from ground and reduce bending knees as much as possible in low or no slope walking making yourr legs as "partial wheels". Minimize the amount of pauses by grinding on, the longer grinding you can do the more distance you will cover. Grinding is not struggling, then your pace is too fast. You are able to use a pace at least slightly faster than your comfort pace for long periods of time once you start to know how to pace well.
Also experiment using toe pushes to increase step kength without changing pace (works well in low or no inclination) . That trick can add up distance on longer time spans (up to 25% longer strides means up to, 25% lounger distance at same time).

[offtrailadventures]

My first over 20 mile day was a disaster. I had done the trail before and it was an area that I frequented, so I knew where the small streams and creeks were. Unfortunately I didn’t factor in the dry summer we were having and that the small streams would be dry. I went roughly 10 miles without water in 90 degree heat. The dehydration was miserable and I ended up stuck in bed for a week. I couldn’t function at all and was extremely fatigued. I ended up going into my doctors. Can’t say for certain it was the disaster trip that triggered a heart issue that I will now have to deal with the rest of my life or something else. With that being said, don’t assume you will find water at places you knew you would find water.

[captaincoyote]

Yet another exceptional video, Emory….well done! Also exceptional….many of the comments! Just absolutely well done!

[wallyevans]

While running I’ve trained myself to breathe in and out thru my nose, and pace my runs (with a metronome) so I’m never out of breath…I’m doing my first trail run 50k this august (I’m 69)

[crunch]

20 miles has been a traditional day's ride / walk for millennia. You can see it in the arrangement of towns around cities in Europe, or along Roman roads.