7 Things No One Tells You about Returning to Real Life after a Thru-Hike

1. You’ll be really hungry for awhile

Even though you’ve stopped burning more than double your “normal” amount of calories every day, your body takes some time to catch up to that reality. Most hikers find themselves gaining back all the weight they lost on the trail and oftentimes add a little extra.

I’ve dealt with this transition several times now, and it can be tough. With how hard it is to eat fresh vegetables on the trail, eating a salad every day feels a little bit like a luxury, so that part is easy. The hard part is just not eating all the time. The hiker hunger takes awhile to fade away. Even to this day, I feel I can eat more than I ever did before thru-hiking.

2. Every time you walk into a business you automatically scan for outlets.

When you are on a thru-hike, charging is important. Any time you find yourself near power you look for the opportunity to charge up. Even after the hike is over, you’ll find yourself scanning for plugs every time you walk into restaurants, coffee shops and businesses. You might have to fight the urge to steal rolls of toilet paper from businesses who leave them out and accessible. You might be shopping at a local market and find yourself saying “this is a good resupply!” And you might wake up in the morning and take a moment to realize you are indoors. It takes a while to stop thinking like a hiker.

3. People can’t really relate

Aside from the typical FAQs (“did you bring a gun?”) you’ll get from every other person you talk to, you might be disappointed that people don’t seem all that interested in all the amazing experiences you’ve had. It’s not their fault- their lives have been moving forward in your absence, and they don’t really understand what the experience was like. They might even think you’re a little crazy. It’s ok – you are a little crazy. But they still love you, even if they don’t get it.

4. It will take your body longer than you think to recover

In some ways, my body is still not the same. I have a permanently messed up toenail. My hip hurts from time to time. My knee flares up on occasion. For the most part, things are back to normal, but it took a lot longer than I thought it would. When we got back from the AT, my legs were so stiff I could not squat or sit on my knees for months. Coming off the CDT, my hip ached every time I even went for a short hike for the first several months.

Maybe in your 20’s this is less true, I’m speaking as someone who hiked in their 30’s. Regardless of age, thru-hiking can be rough on your body.

5. You won’t come back with answers, but you will have a stronger sense of your values

If you are hoping to find answers on your hike, you’ll find that thru-hiking won’t give you the answers you’re looking for. If you are feeling lost before your hike, you’ll likely feel just as lost after it. But it will give you a lot of time to think. You’ll think about people you thought you’d forgotten. You’ll think about people you wish you’d forgotten. You’ll think about how you might have handled certain situations differently. You’ll think about what you’re going to do when you get home. You’ll think about what you’re NOT going to do when you get home. You’ll think about the people and the things that are important to you.

All this thinking isn’t going to magically bring you any answers, but it will help give you some direction. Thru-hiking might also show you just how little you need to survive and be happy. Possessions will suddenly seem less important. Things like fashion and status symbols might seem downright frivolous. You’ll probably return home with more of a minimalist mindset than when you set out.

6. You’ll have more confidence

As you challenge yourself to new limits, you start to realize you are stronger than you thought you were. As you do things that are scary, you become more brave. As you achieve a massive goal that most people abandon, you know that you can endure through challenges and hardship and see the rewards on the other side. You’re tough, and you know it. You will carry this confidence with you back to the real world.

7. It won’t be long before you’re fantasizing about your next adventure

Even if you think “this is it” throughout your entire hike, the taste of freedom seeps into your bones. It won’t be long before you’re looking fondly back on the worst days you ever had on trail. Thru-hiking is often type 2 fun – it’s the kind of fun that might not actually be very much fun in the moment, but it is fun to remember it. Next thing you know, you’re fantasizing about doing it all again, because even the worst day on the trail is still better than the best day at work.

See my related post 10 Things No One Tells You about Thru-Hiking