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Tips & Advice
Planning Your First Multi-Day Hike with komoot? These 3 Pointers Will Help.
Planning Your First Multi-Day Hike with komoot? These 3 Pointers Will Help.
August 30, 2023
Multi-day hiking is Fun-with-a-capital-F. But it also introduces new factors that might not be present on a single-day jaunt. Naturally, the way you approach your route planning might need some tweaking as a result.
We know you’re new at this (that’s why you’re on this page, right?) so to help you have a great time on your first multi-day adventure, we’ve rounded up some of the main routing considerations, and will show you how to use komoot to plan adventures that include an overnight stop. Read on for the details.
Time, distance and elevation feel different when you’ve packed for multiple days Inclines you normally whizz up when carrying a banana and a liter of water can be slow going when you’re carrying a heavy, 50l pack. Likewise, a kilometer completed on day one, when your legs are fresh, may well be faster and easier than the same distance covered on day four. Use komoot: Adjust your fitness level in the route planner to create a route that accounts for a slightly slower pace. If you usually choose “in good shape,” consider choosing “average” for your first multi-day adventure instead.
The margin for error is smaller when it comes to food and water If you get hungry on a day hike, there are only a few hours between you and your next snack (and that recovery nap). If you run out of food or water on day two of a four-day hike though, you might have a bigger problem. Before you start, decide if you want to carry and cook all your own meals, or whether you’d prefer to go light, stopping in villages or mountain huts to stock up on supplies. Based on your preferences, the next step is to check which amenities are available in your chosen area, and then adjust your route accordingly. Use komoot: On the komoot map, you can spot amenities by checking Highlights, and enabling Points of Interest (POI) like food and drink, shelter, and public water fountains (in the planner click on the field that says “Search For Place or Address”). Word of warning: Always double-check the map. For example, a “shelter” could be a simple refuge to protect adventurers from the elements, or it could be a mountain hut serving food and drinks. When you’ve found what you need on the map, click these POIs to include them on your route.
There are degrees of adventure when it comes to sleeping arrangements Are you prepared to whip out a bivvy bag, and pack up and head off at the first glimmer of morning light? Do you enjoy the series of naps that constitutes a night in a tent, or do you prefer the cushy feeling of a bed and proper pillows? Your choice of sleeping arrangements depends on your willingness to carry the additional weight of a sleeping bag and ground mat, and your appetite for “adventurous sleeping”. Use komoot: Once again, enabling Points of Interest on the map will help you suss out what accommodation is available – you can see campsites and hotels, and some Highlights might even catch your eye as decent spots to wild camp. However, if you do choose to wild camp, check local regulations (and of course, leave no trace!). Pay extra attention to Route Warnings too, which show up when your route goes through a protected area. The key to having fun on a multi-day adventure is being prepared. Now that you have a better idea of how to go about planning your route, you might find these posts useful too:
6 Tips You Might Not Know for Getting More from the Hiking Route Planner
The Ultimate First Aid Kit: Pack These 8 Items So You’re Always Prepared
How to Mitigate Risks in the Outdoors: 7 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Route
