12 Best Hiking Habits to Make Your Adventures Easier
I’m going over 12 of these smaller habits to make your next through hike or overnight hike just a tiny bit better in your kit of smaller but useful things. These are the little tweaks and tricks that might not seem groundbreaking but can make a big difference when you’re out there. From packing smarter to staying more comfortable, it’s all about those tiny improvements that add up. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned hiker, there’s always room to level up your experience. After all, the joy of hiking is in the details—and these habits might just become your new go-to moves. So, grab your gear, and let’s dive into the small stuff that makes a big impact!
Gear Management
1. Use Reusable Zip Ties
Add a few of reusable zip ties because they allow you to attach stuff to your backpack very easily and very securely for example if your spare socks are dirty you can wash them in a nearby stream and then attach them to your backpack with reusable zip ties to dry them out while you’re hiking.
2. Keep Your Backpack Off the Ground
If you have a trekking pole tent you can use the same reusable zip ties or a small carabiner to hang your backpack by the trekking pole strap at the top this will make sure that your backpack is off from the ground which is very useful in areas with a lot of rodents snakes and other Creepy Crawlers that might want to get into your stuff.
3. Pack for the Return Trip
If you’re on an overnight hike or a really long day hike and you’re driving with your car to get there and it’s really helpful to already prepare some stuff for the way back most importantly you probably want to throw in some Crocs or sandals in the car along with a water bottle. This will allow you to wash off your feet and then air them out during the way back, which will feel very nice and refreshing. Some other things that I find really helpful are fresh and comfortable clothing along with some snacks for the long ride back home.
4. Keep Electronics Dry with Silica Gel
In your waterproof dry Sack or wherever you hold. All of your electronics throw in one or two of these silica gel packets that you get whenever you order something online and just keep them in there forever because it can avoid any shoes further down the line if you get a small hole in this bag and some moisture gets inside of it.
Smart Setup Practices
5. Keep Small Items Organized
Whenever you’re setting up your tent, pick one empty Sack or bag. I usually use my empty tent pack and then put in there all of the smaller items that you don’t need to avoid losing them in the morning also whenever you take these shorter brakes make it a habit to visually inspect the area at least two times just before you’re leaving because trust me realizing that you’ve forgotten something and then hiking back to get it is not something that I would recommend for anyone.
6. Hang Your Headlamp
During the night I always like to hang my headlamp in one of the zippers at one of my tent entrances because that way I always know where it is and I can grab it quickly in case I need it. I know that a lot of people also like to hang it around their necks during the night but in my opinion my solution is a bit better because this can be a bit uncomfortable in certain positions and the headlamp can also accidentally turn on during the night.
7. Keep Fanny Pack or BumBag
One more habit that in my opinion is really helpful is a fanny pack or a bumbag whatever you want to call it. Because you can store in all of the smaller items in there that you might need to access quickly without taking off the backpack. I usually store in there some hand sanitizer, my phone sunscreen, a wallet, lip balm, some spare batteries for the camera, and some headphones. I also usually carry a large folded up Ziploc bag in here in case it starts raining, so that I can isolate all of my items from becoming wet.
Sleeping Better Outdoors
8. Use Earplugs for Peaceful Sleep
If you want to sleep better during the night do bring a pair of earplugs. Honestly I was a bit hesitant to use them at first because I felt like I needed to be in control and wake up instantly in case something happens but when I slept without them every smallest sound coming from outside of the tent. Even if was made by some small Critter sounded like it was coming from a wolf that’s trying to sneak up on me and trying to break inside of the tent which meant that I was waking up a lot during the night realistically.
If you do not have any food inside of your tent or other items with strong smell, then the chances of animals trying to break into your tent are close to zero. So just chill out bring a pair of earplugs and sleep well that said from my own experience when I was through hiking after about maybe 2 weeks. I stopped needing these because I became much more relaxed about sleeping in night tent and I stopped waking up from every smallest sound fun fact.
9. Stay Cool with a Microfiber Towel
One thing that you might want to bring, if you’ll be hiking in summer for better sleep is a small microfiber towel just before going to sleep you can dampen it with some water and wipe off all of the sweat and dirt from your body which will make you feel fresh and you will sleep better during the night. Plus if it’s extremely hot outside you can use the same microfiber cloth for another purpose simply dampen it make making sure that it’s really wet do not rinse it out and simply put it over your head and then put on your cap now of course this does look a bit weird but honestly who cares, this will allow you to stay very fresh and cool and hike and even temperatures above 30° C.
Health and Hygiene
10. Prevent Diarrhea with Clean Practices
This is one of the more important hiking habits that I’m going to tell you about. The most important things is our health, and you may face diarrhea during the hiking. This is because diarrhea is the most common health problem for through hikers. I’m not a doctor but I would argue that’s probably because you’re eating with dirty hands or you’re eating contaminated food so before touching your food always use some hand sanitizer to clean off all the bacteria from your hands.
Another helpful thing to do here is that whenever you’re boiling some water not every time but occasionally you can add in your knife in there as well as your Spork because boiling it will clean off all the bacteria from the leftover food. And lastly I would also recommend you to avoid using those short through hicker toothbrushes with the cut off end because if you want to get into the most heartreach places in your mouth most likely your fingertips will have to go into your mouth which is a Bad Thing.
11. Prioritize Foot Hygiene
Here is the forth and important hiking habit that you should follow, especially for longer hikes I find it really important to take good care off your feet to avoid getting blisters so whenever you stop and take a break first off take off your shoes then take off the socks and turn them inside out and lay them out somewhere in the Sun. So that you air out your feet as well as your socks and reduce the humidity inside of the shoe.
It’s also really nice to plan your brakes right next to water sources because this means that you can wash off all the sweat and dirt from your feet which greatly reduces the chances of blister formation. Also ideally you always want to sleep with a fresh pair of socks and to do this you can wash your other pair of socks in the morning. Somewhere in a stream or wherever and then attach them to your backpack to dry them out as you’re hiking during the day.
Morning Routine Hiking Habit
12. Optimize Your Morning Coffee Ritual
Personally I like to take down my tent as soon as I wake up and have my coffee and eat my breakfast only maybe 15 or 30 minutes after I’ve started hiking that’s because I found that if I drink my coffee. The first thing in the morning it usually takes about 1 hour for me to start moving which is quite a lot this way if I do it a bit later the coffee break is usually much quicker and also by that time the sun is already up which means that I can choose a better spot to drink my morning coffee with better views with more sunshine and so on.
Final Thoughts
These hiking habits are not just practical but can also make your hikes safer, more comfortable, and enjoyable. By implementing these tips and organizing your gear and routines smartly, you can focus more on the beauty of the trail and less on avoidable inconveniences. So, gear up, plan well, and take these habits along for your next adventure! If you have any other hiking habit like this, please share them down comments to help out other people thank you.