Published on July 12, 2026 08:05 am
There’s that one day in every backpacking trip. It could be the day you have to hike 20 miles to your next resupply, and the weather decides to hail for nine hours straight. Or maybe your brain is short-circuiting as you stare in horror at the upcoming upgrade profile. Maybe it’s a day you’re dreading, or maybe your body just doesn’t feel like hiking that day. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: it’s the worst day of your trip.
I can point to every hardest day. On the Appalachian Trail, it was in New Hampshire. I was waiting for my father to join me for the three-day section, and when the time came to say goodbye, I felt completely exhausted and dejected. My energy was zero, and despite finally reaching the most dramatic section of the trail, I was ready to get the job done. Every step beyond the parking lot felt like an emotional burden for which I had no mental resources. That struggle was mental.
On the Colorado Trail, this was a day I had been dreading from the beginning. It consisted of about 28 miles and 14 miles of descent I told myself I wanted to take, plus four other steep climbs and descents, overall the most climbing I would do on any given day of my trip. Going into that trip I already struggled with extreme anxiety (surprisingly, hiking didn’t fix my life), and the 4 a.m. alarm to cross the summit and the high-elevation miles before a record-breaking monsoon storm hit later in the afternoon increased my anxiety so much that I was hyperventilating. That struggle was both physical and emotional – I’d been mentally racking myself up for a week, looking at the altitude profile, and feeling scared and nervous about starting the day with a climb of over 8,000 feet.
Here are my best tips for getting through that hardest day of the trip, whether you’ve been dreading it since you left the trailhead or it comes as a rude surprise.
When the challenge is physical
Set small goals: Looking at an intimidating height profile or trying to guess how much your calves will hold by 3 pm isn’t helpful. Like other difficult things in life, seeing the challenge before you immediately makes the whole day seem less difficult. Don’t think about the fact that you have to climb four passes before dark. First go up, then go down the other side. Then climb the next pass. Each step to altitude is something you never have to do again.
Fill up with more fuel than you think: I recently wrote a piece of advice about preventing boning – and followed it myself during a successful race. It’s amazing what a difference smart fueling makes not only in your ability to move forward, but also in your mental state while doing so. If you’ve had a tough day with big miles covered or a lot of elevation gain, plan your calorie intake accordingly. Eat before you get hungry, increase your carbs at camp the night before, and consider adding a high-carb mix to one of your water bottles to get easy calories for energy next time.
Reward each milestone: Do I treat myself like a well-behaved pet or a needy child every time I do something correctly? Perhaps. But it works. If I anticipate a tough day, I plan small rewards for each milestone. Since we’re talking about backpacking trips, this usually means food. I plan my restock for the day and often grab a few extras of my favorite foods, like gas-station muffins or some fresh rare treats. Then, with each climb, or each quarter mile of the day, I get one of those gifts. I also like to plan a zero day or easy day immediately after each hard day, so that I don’t pile up hard days.
when the challenge is mental
Stop early, or take a longer break: Really. If your brain feels defeated or something from your real life is coming in, you don’t need to end the day. Conversely, simply take an extra long break in the middle of the day and commit to doing fewer miles. I have suffered so many bad anxiety attacks and panic attacks along the way that there was no point in continuing. I had to stop moving, toss my sleeping pad on the ground in the sun, and read on my Kindle or put my feet in a stream until my brain got back under control. Sometimes, that’s all I had, and it was time to set up the tent and be done. Chances are you’ll feel better the next day after getting some extra sleep and resetting your brain.
Save a playlist for bad brain days: I’ve often found that saving my music for tough climbs, bad weather or challenging mental health days has an increased positive effect, both mentally and energetically. To that end, I often create a separate playlist with a dozen or so songs that don’t appear in other playlists and that I reserve for when I need serious mental stimulation. It is tailored to your own tastes. my mix is orchestral edm, bruce springsteen bangersAnd Taylor Swift Before the Life of a Showgirl marketing campaign. Pretty sure yours will be different.
Call a friend, or make friends with your trail journal: Whether I’m at home or out in the woods, having someone outside of the situation to talk to can help soothe a mental breakdown. Maybe you’re bored of backpacking, or your resupply is causing your shoulders to separate from your body. The person on the other end of the phone or voice note can’t fix those problems, but they can offer an outside perspective, or simply listen to you. There are many important people in my life who know just what to say to get me out of a difficult situation, or when I just need someone to listen. And if you don’t have extra service or phone battery? My trail journal has seen crashes I wouldn’t show anyone for ten million dollars.
When the hardest day takes you by surprise
While I often anticipate (and mentally prepare) for tough days, sometimes they catch me by surprise. This could be a sudden storm above the treeline, extremely heavy water transport, or a full camping site which means another hour of walking after dark.
Here, I stop and assess. Is there any way to shorten the days? Is the challenge really dangerous, or simply inconvenient? Will I be struck by lightning, or just stay wet for the rest of the day? Giving yourself time to stop and think rationally helps create space between situation and reaction, which usually leads to a more logical decision.
Finally, try the HALT method, similar to dealing with trials and tribulations at home (or with kids). If you find yourself feeling really sad, stop and ask: Are you hungry? Anger? alone? tired? Taking a few moments to assess your well-being in those four basic categories helps you make informed decisions about moving forward, and forces you to step back and look at the experience from the outside. You may need a day off earlier than you thought, you may need to cut back on mileage, or you may need to call your best friend from your next city stop. It could really be as simple as eating a vegetable or getting more sleep every night.
Yes, I am spiral. Often. But as a champion spiraler, I’ve learned that accepting some elements of the backcountry that aren’t under our control helps reduce feelings of panic and helplessness. We love a good, easy journey, but a journey with mental and physical challenges is what keeps us going.
