20 Thru Hiking Tips in 6 Minutes for Your FIRST Thru Hike

In this video, I share 20 thru-hiking tips for new hikers planning to do their first thru-hike. I not only share some tips on how to make your gear lighter but also how to stay safe and enjoy your thru-hike. Use these thru-hiking hacks and become a smarter hiker!

▼ THRU-HIKING POSTERS

▼ MY FULL GEAR LIST (affiliate links)

▼ TABLE OF CONTENTS
00:00 - Sports cap
00:21 - Drying socks
00:38 - Summiting
00:53 - Flowrate
01:22 - Calories
01:45 - Dehydrated meals
02:17 - Ziplocs
02:26 - Fruits and veggies
02:35 - Headphones
02:48 - Water storage
03:08 - Fixing gear
03:23 - Sleeping pad
03:39 - Trekking poles
04:03 - Hat
04:14 - Gloves
04:22 - Journal
04:35 - Dry sacks
04:45 - Surgeon's knot
05:02 - Lacing technique 1: Narrow toes
05:24 - Lacing technique 2: Slipping ankle
05:54 - Final Words

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▼ AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
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▼ ATTRIBUTION
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 009 by Sascha Ende

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Chord Guitar 001 by Sascha Ende

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 008 by Sascha Ende

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Chord Guitar 002 by Sascha Ende

[funnybeingme]

I've done all my thru-hikes with an inflatable pad. A good nights rest is important and most people cannot get a comfortable sleep in those closed cell foam pads, esp for side sleepers.

[chrishennemeyer]

Always good. No product placement or self-promotion, just practical tips.

[sunnithrasher-lewis]

Of course you should make a part 2, and 3, and 4… Your message is clear, no nonsense, I learned new things, you are experienced and knowledgeable, and I didn’t have to spend 20 minutes listening to a bunch of information that didn’t need to be said.

In short, I was in-and-out quickly, learned something, well spoken, and I’m back on the trail again. You are the type of content creator I hope to find, when searching for an informative video. 😊

[northernswedenstories]

I wouldn't say the difference in weight between a quality air mat and a foam mat is enough to justify the difference in comfort levels. Foam mats are never comfortable.

[adrienmoritz]

Against shepherd dogs : don't threaten them with your poles, avoid the flock, walk slowly place your poles between you and the dog, talk to them in a very quiet way, don't run

[fieldshore]

Good to see you again. I liked your tip about summiting in the afternoon (*morning) to avoid inclement weather. I'll also add, if there's deep snow on the ground and sunny weather, the heat from the sun can start to melt the upper crust of the snow and cause you to posthole (your legs are sinking deep into the snow) in the afternoon, risking injury or disaster. Always try to summit snowy passes and cross snow fields in the morning to minimize this risk.
Hope to see more content in the future, Oscar.

[dread]

My kind of video, short precise information without all the waffle. Brilliant. I'm sure that I can find a 20 minute tutorial on cleaning a water filter but who has the time for that. Subscribed.

[brianburkart]

Thank you for information over a life story. No fuss, straight forward. Hopefully I find more like this.

[michalurbanful]

I mostly moved to the inflatable sleeping pad because of the comfort. I put it inside of my sleeping bag.
I've got the Klymit V Static Insuladed "winter pad" and even though that's an overkill in the summer it's bloody comfortable.
I like the simplicity of the folding mat though.

[r-pupz]

Please make a part 2, ice watched a lot of videos and still picked up several new tips there! I'm preparing for a 700 mile thru-hike in Wales and need all the help I can get 😅

The lacing tips were especially helpful, as was the vinegar soak for your filter!

[Swimdeep]

I’ve been backpacking for nearly 50 years and I do some variation of all your first 20 tips. Looking forward to the next twenty. 🌿

[yotasappalachianthruhike]

I have always used an inflatable pad on my triple crown thru hikes. It depends on how you sleep. I hate the accordion pad because I am a side sleeper. Don’t judge pads

[GorgoScrobo]

For ankle slip, there is that last set of holes where you’re actually supposed to make the loop. I could never sacrifice my light inflatable sleeping pad with only a closed foam system. I use both actually. Not much weight for sleep. Sleep is king.

[brycegaudette]

Personally never had problems with the inflatable pads. The air inside offers great insulation combined with my bag and I can deflate and roll it up very tightly since I can push out air as I’m rolling it. Sometimes even tighter then a foam pad.

[RoughingItWithRuth]

Yes, please make a part 2! This was so much fun to watch 😀

[Jakelol]

I would say always bring a inflatable sleeping mat unless you want to have a bad nights sleep. Just buy one that weights 500g/1lbs or something like that.

[kolsen]

After years of back country camping, and trying lots of fancy sleeping pads, I went back to the old fashioned plastic inflatable one. Nice and thick providing good insulation and padding for hips. You can put it directly on snow and stay warm. In summer, it also makes a fun raft for floating around a lake. They are also very cheap compared to the fancy ones.

[ShelbyWalkerAdams]

Oscar, this was amazing. I've been binge watching hiking channels on Youtube for almost two years. Dixie, Dan Becker, Kyle hates hiking to name a few. And This is the first time in over 6 months that I've actually heard NEW info that I had never heard before. That is quite a feat. Thank you for providing me with a useful way to restore the flow to my Sawyer! And for teaching me how to dry my socks overnight! I LITERALLY was thinking about that today as I walked my dog in the pouring rain this morning. I was like, "if we were backpacking I would have wet socks tomorrow morning. I need to figure out a way to dry them overnight." God was listening. LOLOLOL!

[ed]

One thing I always recommend is getting a dehydrator. Its entirely possible to use an oven for certain things, but it is more convenient to use a dehydrator in my experience. They arent that expensive with many good ones coming under 100$. I can dehydrate fruits, veggies, and even meat. I make my own dehydrated meals that come out to about 5-10$ (the price mostly depends on how much and what kind of meat I am using). The 10$ meals are much larger and contain more protein than the mountain house 10$ meals. I save around 5-10$ per trip making my own snacks and meals. I also save A TON of money on beef jerky and dehydrated fruit throughout the year.

[dad]

Dude, this is so good.
No fluff at all.