If you are new to hiking and backpacking, you need to know the differences between these two activities. You will also need to learn what and how to pack for each trip.
The main difference between day hiking and backpacking is that, as the name suggests, a day hike will be completed in one day, while backpacking takes a longer time. However, both day hiking and backpacking require planning.
You will need to prepare for your day hiking or backpacking adventure. Let’s explore these options in more depth to help you prepare for your trip.
What Is Considered a Day Hike?
A day hike is any hike that you can complete in a day. Considerations for the elevation and climate must be included in your planning. You must also be certain that you will be able to make it back to the starting point before nightfall as you will not have the necessary gear to stay overnight.
Hiking is a vigorous form of walking and can be done in the countryside or city. It offers you an inexpensive way to travel while being able to observe the sights on a more personal level.
How to Plan a Day Hike?
When planning a day hike, you should know your route before you go. Tell others where and when you are going. Find out how long it usually takes to hike the route and what items specific to that area you may need to bring. Also, plan to allow yourself ample time to return before nightfall.
Before you run out the door, you do need to plan for the excursion. It is especially true if you have not hiked before. You need to know the difficulty rating of the trail you will be taking and how long it normally takes to hike it.
- Research the trail you will be hiking on. By looking up what other hikers say about the trail, you will better understand the difficulties and how long it takes to hike this trail.
- Hike with others. Ask at least one friend to go with you. As we learned during childhood, there’s safety in numbers.
- Pack light, but do bring emergency items.
- Select your hiking gear according to the climate and predicted weather conditions.
- Be sure to tell others where you will be and for how long you will be out on your hike.
How Long Should a Day Hike Be?
A day hike will last up to ten hours. One should consider their endurance levels, obstacles on the path, elevation changes, and weather conditions.
First, plan your hike according to your physical endurance. This means that if you don’t exercise much or walk far, you should start with a short hike. On the other hand, if you are physically fit, you may try more difficult paths.
Hiking trails are often marked 
with a number to express the difficulty of the path. A path rated:
- 50 or less is considered an easy route with little elevation change. These paths are often three miles or less. Generally, a person can hike an easy path in 4.5 hours.
- 50 to 100 is considered moderate and involves some elevation climbing and steeper inclines. These paths are often 3 to 5 miles and take up to 7 hours to hike.
- 100 to 150 is moderately strenuous. This type of hiking path will often involve steeper climbs and descents. You will need to be in good physical condition to attempt this hike. A moderately strenuous trail can be more than ten hours long.
- 150 to 200 is strenuous and usually involves a rapid elevation change. A strenuous trail can be 10 miles and take the average hiker 12 hours to complete. If you are not physically fit, this type of hike may be too challenging and dangerous for you.
- 200 and above is considered very strenuous and should not be attempted by those without extensive hiking experience. This type of trail should not be attempted as a day hike. It will probably take experienced hikers more than 12 hours to complete.
As a novice hiker, it is best to start on trails that are easy to moderately strenuous. Be truthful with yourself about your abilities. You do not want to over-exert and put yourself into a dangerous situation by attempting to do more than you are capable of.
How Many Miles Can You Hike in a Day?
Six to ten miles. A novice to hiking should be able to hike an easy six-mile trail within three hours while still taking breaks. An experienced hiker can typically cover ten miles or more in a day.
The distance you can hike truly depends on your abilities. For the best experience and results, begin with an easy hike and work your way up in difficulty.
What Should I Pack for a Day Hike?
In your day-hike backpack, you should bring water, a snack, and a first-aid kit. This is the bare minimum. There are a few other necessities you should also carry with you.
How much you will bring depends on how long the hike is. In general, you should bring:
- A backpack. It should be lightweight and waterproof. For day hiking, your backpack, fully packed, should not weigh more than 10% of your body weight.
- Water. Be sure to bring enough water with you. Dehydration is a serious condition that can easily sneak up on you. You may want to bring a water purification device.
- Food. You want to bring food sources that will healthily provide energy. Trail mix, fresh fruits, prepackaged chicken, or tuna salad kits are all good ideas.
- A first-aid survival kit. Having a kit that contains everything from an emergency shelter to bandages can be extremely useful for those unforeseen events, such as accidents or getting lost. It’s always best to be prepared.
- A map of the trail and area you will be hiking on.
- Appropriate clothing for your hike. You need to consider temperature changes due to elevation changes and weather conditions. Bring and wear water-wicking clothing that can be layered or converted.
- Hiking shoes or boots. These should be comfortable and fit properly. They should hold up to various external conditions as they may get wet or muddy. They should also have excellent traction on all surfaces. If your shoes feel slippery on smooth surfaces, they do not have good traction.
- A hat. Hats are important, no matter what. It will protect you from sunburns and will from losing heat if it is cold.
- A cell phone and battery charger. Even if you are in an area without phone reception, you can make emergency
phone calls. If you get into trouble, dial 911.
When you decide to go on a day hike, you should only carry necessities. You do not want to be hauling too much extra weight as this would slow you down. On the other hand, you do want to plan for unforeseen events.
What Is Backpacking?
Backpacking consists of traveling long distances on foot. When doing so, you carry everything you will need for your journey in your backpack.
Backpacking takes considerably longer than day hikes. Because of this, you need to be even more prepared and in excellent physical shape. On a backpacking trip, it may take you days or even months to complete your journey.
Backpacking can be done in almost any setting. People backpack across various places, such as Europe. They also backpack through the backcountry, where they do not have any modern conveniences available to them.
You will need to plan according to the type of backpacking adventure you want to engage in. Always research the area you will be backpacking as thoroughly as possible. Make sure others know where you will be and keep in touch with them whenever possible.
5 Steps to Planning a Successful Backpacking Trip
There are five essential steps for a successful backpacking trip:
- Make sure your endurance level is at its peak.
- Decide where you will be backpacking.
- Know the environment and bring appropriate clothing.
- Bring navigation equipment and food.
- Re-check your packing list and packed items.
When you decide to go backpacking, you need to make sure you will be ready for the challenge. It will take a lot of strength and endurance to hike for days on end while carrying everything you need for your survival.
Practice for your backpacking trip by taking a weight training class and doing other activities to build physical endurance. You may also want to pack all of your gear and practice carrying it around at home and on walks. Carry your full pack as often as you possibly can.
This will get you used to the heaviness of your pack—practice carrying the pack up and down staircases and through tight corridors. The more you practice in settings you are used to, the easier it will be when you are backpacking in new places.
You will also need to familiarize yourself with the area you plan to backpack in. Study and collect maps to take with you. You should also research the area and trails. Finally, you should know how long the entire trip will take and where you will be able to make contact with others.
Finally, you will need to bring:
- Food to sustain you for your entire trip or know where you will be able to get food along your trek
- A warm sleeping bag
- A tent
- Extra clothing and socks
- Comfortable hiking shoes
- A shovel
- A survival first-aid kit
- A cooking kit
- A fire-starting kit and wood matches in a waterproof container. Although a lighter can come in handy, it is not reliable. Thus, always carry a fire-starting tool that will work in all conditions. Practice using it before you need it.
Your backpack with everything you need should not weigh more than of your body weight. These represent the basic things you will want on a backpacking trip.
You will also need a water source. Depending on where you are, water might be hard or even impossible to find. Thus, learn how to make water through evaporation and bring the necessary supplies with you.
Backpacking Emergency Water Source: Solar Still
It is important to know how to get fresh water when you are backpacking. To collect drinkable water where there is no water source, make a solar still. It will collect water from the cooled nighttime air through a process called evaporation.
You should have some clear plastic in your backpack. This may be found in your survival/ first-aid kit, or you may need to buy a sheet that can be packed with the rest of your gear. A sheet of plastic can be useful for many things, but a solar still is one of the most valuable.
Make your water still early in the morning, before you are hot and losing water through perspiration. Dig a hole about 1.5 feet deep and 3 feet wide. Collect as much green vegetation as possible and put it in the hole. You will need to add some liquid to the hole with the vegetation. This liquid could either be ocean water if there is some nearby or your own urine. Next, take a cup and place it in the middle of the hole. Then, drape your sheet of plastic across the hole and angle the center to point into your cup. Secure the outer edge of the plastic with soil and or racks.
The next day, you should have some water in your cup.
How Long Is the Average Backpacking Trip?
As a beginning backpacker, you should plan to walk around 7 miles per day. As you become accustomed to hiking with a pack, you will be able to hike longer distances in shorter time spans. Advanced backpackers can walk 20 miles or more in a day, for example.
For an average person hiking with a backpack that is 20% of their body weight, a 10-hour day will be adequate. Be sure to pace yourself and take your backpacking trip one step at a time.
Day Hiking and Backpacking
Taking up day hiking and backpacking is an enjoyable and healthy way to see the world. If you are new to hiking, you should start out with easy and short distances. As you build your endurance, you will be able to hike farther and through more difficult terrains.
Remember to pack accordingly for your journey and tell people where you will be and when they will hear from you. Since you will be going out into the wilderness, these safety precautions will allow you to err on the side of caution.
Just like any other kind of trip, backpacking and day hiking requires ample preparations. If you are new to these kinds of activities, simply follow the tips that we shared in this article and you will be good to go. Hiking is an amazing activity and we hope that our article was able to give you the push that you needed to explore the great outdoors.
