How Many Miles to Backpack a Day
When you’re planning your backpacking route, it is important to be realistic with your mileage goals. As you get more experienced with backpacking, you start to get a good feel for how many miles you can cover in a day. However, during your first couple of trips you’ll need some help figuring out just how many miles to backpack in a day.
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. How many miles you backpack in a day depends on a lot of different factors. Every trip will have different challenges and terrains that will alter your pace significantly.
However, if you account for these details, you can find yourself a pretty good estimate for what distance you’re going to want to cover. Below we’ll go over some of the important things to consider when planning how many miles to backpack each day and how these factors will affect your trail time. Keep these in mind when planning your next trip!
Average Miles to Backpack a Day
Before we get into the details of everything that contributes to a faster or slower pace, let’s go over how many miles people backpack in a day on average. This will give you a general estimate to build off.
Most people estimate between 1-2 miles per hour when timing out their backpacking mileage. I usually cut that right down the middle and plan 1.5 miles per hour for my trips. This is usually a safe estimate for a variety of terrains and seasons.
This may sound slow, but don’t scoff just yet. That pace accounts for breaks, water refills, and difficult crossings that are important to factor into your mileage. Not to mention this is the average pace throughout the day. When you are fresh on the trail you might be tackling 2 miles every hour. As the day goes on and your energy starts to deplete, you’ll slow down.
Keep in mind you are far better off underestimating how many miles to backpack in a day than overestimating. Being caught on the trail at dusk realizing you were in over your head is a situation no one wants to experience. Play it safe!
Experience Level
A beginner at any activity should take it easy at first. If you’re going to the gym for the first time ever, would you try jumping right in to bench pressing 200 pounds? Hopefully not. There is technique, pacing, and physical conditioning that you need to do before you really challenge yourself. Same goes for backpacking.
If you’re an athletic person, you may be able to cover more miles than someone who doesn’t work out much. However, simply being athletic doesn’t mean you can cover the mileage of an experienced backpacker. There is a mental aspect of hiking many miles a day for several days in a row that can make even the fittest individuals tire. Not to mention the aches, pains, blisters, and bruises that come from hiking 6+ hours in a day.
As you go on more trips, you can pack on more miles. You also start to develop your own preferences on how many miles to backpack in a day.
With experience you learn how to set a good pace for yourself, how many breaks you really need, and how to tackle those last two miles when you really want to set up camp right where you stand. You also get better at crossing waterways, maneuvering trail blockages, and filling up water efficiently so you spend less time on these activities.
Backpacking Goals
Just because you’ve gone on plenty of trips in your day doesn’t mean you always want to max out your mileage. Some trips you might want to take on half the distance as usual and spend more time relaxing at camp. It all depends on your goals.
Some people set out on a trip with a goal in mind of how many miles to backpack in a day. They may be taking on an impressive trail like the PCT. Or they are an ultralight packer who wants to challenge themselves with aggressive mileage.
These people will want to cover a few more miles than the backpackers who just want to see beautiful sights and chill in the woods. Lowering the distance covered per day means you’ll have plenty more time to hang out at cool viewpoints or sip some whiskey at the campsite.
When you’re planning your next trip, figure out what your crew’s goals are. The more you want to challenge yourself, the more miles you can cover. If you’d rather take it easy, cut back a little.
Trail Terrain
Hiking a mile on a relatively flat trail won’t take you very long at all compared to hiking a mile up the side of a mountain. That’s why you need to consider terrain when you are planning out how many miles to backpack a day.
When you are hiking in a mountainous location, you will need to set a slower pace for climbing those steep inclines. You will also need more water, snack, and rest breaks to recover from all the hard work. Walking up the side of a mountain takes a lot of energy and time, so plan to cover fewer miles.
Elevation isn’t the only thing to consider when it comes to terrain. Trail conditions also play a big role in setting your pace. After a major storm, excessive rain, landslides, or just poor trail maintenance, you’ll have to cross through some sections far slower than normal. Water crossings and fallen trees can really slow you down, especially if there are a lot of them. Be aware of what conditions you can expect and adjust your mileage accordingly.
Season
The time of year that you are setting out on your trip will also impact how many miles you can backpack in a day. During the spring and summer months, you can plan to cover more milage than you would in the fall and winter.
One reason for this is daylight. In the spring and summer months, you have a lot more daylight to work with. When you’re out in the winter months, you are racing against the sun to get to your next campsite. Though you could hike with a headlamp, it is far safer and more enjoyable to be at your site before sundown. Having a lower mile goal will help you make it to camp earlier in the day.
In the winter, you are also trying to set up shelter before the temperature dips too low. It can get cold on summer nights, but it’s nothing compared to the evenings in the dead of winter. You’re going to want to limit the miles per day so you can curl up in your sleeping bag before the temperature drops.
Backpack Weight and Bulk
The heft of your bag will also make a difference in how far you can go on your backpacking trip. If you’re carrying a 35+ pound backpack, you might want to lower the number of miles you take on.
The heavier your backpack is, the more energy it is going to take for you to lug it around. This usually results in a slower pace and more frequent rest stops.
The same goes for how bulky your pack is. If you stuff a lot of gear in without using care to save space, your backpack can be bursting at the seams. An overstuffed backpack can make you clumsier, causing you to walk slower and take more time at water crossings.
If you’re looking to take on a lot of mileage, you’re better off reducing your pack weight and size. Ultralight and lightweight backpackers can set a good pace and cover more ground.
Conclusion – How Many Miles to Backpack a Day
When you’re planning the milage for your next backpacking trip, keep these factors in mind so you can set a better pace estimate. Though it’s not always cut-and-dry, you will have a better idea of what you’re getting yourself into.
Always keep in mind that it’s better to get to camp an hour early than having to see the last mile of the trail from the light of your headlamp.
Cover photo by Alix Greenman on Unsplash
