Adventure Plans

1. Start shorter than you think

The most common mistake on a first multiday is choosing a route that's too long or too remote. When you're carrying a full pack for the first time, everything feels harder — uphills take longer, your feet hurt sooner, and small problems feel bigger in the middle of nowhere.

A good first route is two to three nights, on well-marked trails, with relatively modest daily distances. Aim for 12–16 km per day rather than the 20+ km you might manage on a day hike. You'll thank yourself on day two.

2. Look for maintained trails

Wild and remote is appealing, but for your first trip, well-maintained and well-marked trails make a huge difference. You'll be able to focus on the experience rather than worrying about navigation, and if something goes wrong it's easier to get help.

Long distance national trails — like the West Highland Way in Scotland, the Camino in Spain, or the Cape Wren Trail in Australia — are excellent choices. They're designed to be done over multiple days, services and accommodation tend to be well spaced, and the communities along the route are used to through-hikers.

3. Think about resupply and accommodation

On your first trip you don't need to wild camp every night. A mix of bothies, mountain huts, or even the occasional small guesthouse can make the logistics much simpler and take some of the load off your pack. If huts or refuges are available, you may be able to carry less shelter and food, which means a lighter bag and a better time.

Even if you plan to camp every night, think about where you can easily pick up food — this limits how much you need to carry at any one time.

4. Check the elevation profile

Total distance is only part of the story. A flat 20 km day is very different from a 20 km day with 1,000m of climbing. When comparing routes, look at cumulative elevation gain per day, not just kilometres. Most mapping tools (Komoot, Gaia GPS, AllTrails) will show you this.

For a first trip we'd suggest keeping days below around 800m of gain where possible. Steep descents are also harder than they look on paper — they're tough on knees and can cause blisters on the downhills just as much as the ups.

5. Research the escape options

Things don't always go to plan — blisters flare up, the weather turns, someone twists an ankle. A good first route has access points every day or two where you can cut the trip short if you need to. This isn't pessimism, it's practical planning. Knowing you have an exit gives you confidence to push a bit harder when things are going well.

6. Do a shorter shakedown first

Before your first multiday, do a one-night overnight trip with your full kit. Sleep with your sleeping bag and mat, cook on your stove, carry your loaded pack. You'll quickly discover what doesn't fit, what you don't have, and what you can leave at home. It's much better to find out 3 km from the car park than on day two of a five-day route.