Go on an Overnight Hike

• TASK: Go on an overnight hike in order to enjoy nature and test your survival skills.
• CONDITIONS: Given an adequate supply of food and water, a source of shelter, and a plan.
• STANDARD: You must be able to spend one night in the wild with only the supplies on your back.

Nothing tests you quite like being out in nature away from the conveniences and comforts of modern life. It’s easy to take even the simplest things for granted. Apart from our homes and appliances, just getting warm and clean water becomes a chore. Going on an overnight hike is a great way to take that first step into becoming confident that you can not only survive, but thrive in the absence of comfort and convenience.

Route Planning
There are a number of important things to keep in mind when you’re planning an overnight hike. Things like weather, terrain, water sources, trails, and camping sites all play important roles in influencing the success of your trip.

Weather
Before you go hiking, be sure to check the forecast for the trail. It’s likely that the weather where you’ll be hiking is very different than the weather where you live so make sure you plan to be ready. Nighttime temperatures drop quite a lot compared to the daytime highs, so make sure to bring along suitable shelter to create a microclimate for yourself while you’re sleeping.

Terrain
There are a lot of beautiful places to go on a hike. Make sure that in your planning, you read the trail reports and study the map to so that you can anticipate challenges that you may face as a result of the terrain. Be on the look out for steep hills or sandy beaches or whatever is unique to your trail area that will influence the equipment that you need to bring with you.

Water Sources
It’s a good rule of thumb to have at least 4 liters of water with you per day. Those 4 liters weigh 2.2 pounds so you could haul it all with you if you had to, but it’s smart to plan your route around water sources.  Being able to draw and filter water on the trail allows you to stay out longer and go to more interesting places. Personally, I always carry a gravity filter and a personal emergency filter every time I go hiking. Since we’re planning to be out for only one night, it’s not unreasonable to simply carry all the water with you, it just won’t be comfortable.

Trails
While it’s certainly possible to bushwhack across the wilderness, it’s a more advanced technique that you should work your way up to. It’s better to practice and develop your skill, confidence and experience first by hiking along well established trails.

Some trails are linear meaning that you start and end in different places. These trails are nice because you get to see new parts of nature, but their more difficult to coordinate because you have to have someone drop you off at the start and pick you up at the end.

A circular trail is much easier to coordinate and plan for. You also stay in more or less the same area so it’s easier to keep track of where you are and where you need to be.

It’s also important to consider the distance and elevation gain or loss of the trail that you intend to hike. Going one mile isn’t a big deal unless it’s one mile up the side of a mountain. Remember, that if you’re hiking a circular trail, where you start is where you stop, every step you take up is one that you’ll take down somewhere else on the trail.

On flat and level ground, the average human walks in a straight line at about 2 or 2.5 miles per hour. Your trail will likely not be flat and level and in a straight line. It’s a good idea to give yourself a buffer and account for stopping for a 5-10 minute break every hour.

Camp Sites
Some trails have designated campsites while others have sites that have developed by being commonly used by other hikers. Still others have no designated campsites or commonly used sites so you can set up camp wherever you like. Most trailheads have a notice board that sets out the requirements for camping that you can reference.

On most state and federally managed land, you’re free to stop and camp anywhere you like. Be sure to check the website for the agency responsible for the land you’re hiking on to be sure.

Since you’ll only be out one night, picking the exact right spot to sleep isn’t a huge deal. Clearly there are bad or dangerous places to camp, but don’t spend too much time trying to find the ‘perfect’ spot. All you really need to have a “good” night’s sleep is a relatively flat surface and a blanket. It’s not an uncommon practice for hikers to bring along a tarp and pitch a lean-to or simply wrap themselves in the tarp to keep the rain off and the warmth in. A tarp will do the job, but a hammock or tent and a sleeping mat can drastically improve your level of comfort while in the wilderness.

Supplies
Since you’re planning on being out for one night, you won’t need much by way of supplies. At a minimum, you should bring food, water, and shelter.

Food
Bring enough food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack. You can bring pre-cooked food to save on the need to cook it on the trail, though I find that camp cooking is relaxing and can be a nice way to end the day. Chatting with other hikers while eating a hot meal is something that I look forward to at the end of a long hike.

Water
Plan on needing about 8 liters of water. While you’ll likely not need that much water, having more than you need and always topping off when you get the chance is a good habit to be in. Humans can survive for weeks without food, but only days without water. You only need to run out of water once to realize that having it and not needing it is much better than needing it and not having it.

Shelter
The point of shelter is to be able to create a microclimate around yourself to insulate you from the weather. A tent and sleeping bag are the most commonly thought of items when considering shelter, but I prefer to use a hammock. I find it to be much more comfortable, lighter and easier to carry than a tent. Shelter also includes the clothing that you’re wearing so be sure to include that in your plans.