Rant: I was killing my feet for years by planning routes wrong

I was on day three of a hike in the Smokies, my heels were shredded, and this older guy at the shelter just looked at my boots and said 'you're going south to north, aren't you?' He was right. I'd always planned my 5 day loops based on the coolest campsites, not the elevation profile. That meant I was doing the steepest climbs at the end of the day when I was already tired. Now I look at the topo map first and put the big climbs in the morning. Anyone else have a simple planning rule that saved them?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_webb451mo ago

Always check the elevation profile before picking campsites.

price.jake1mo ago

Come on, is it that big a deal? Most spots are fine. Feels like overthinking it. Just find flat ground and set up the tent.