Set off fully prepared for your 3-day hike with our advice: safety, equipment, route … we’ll tell you everything!
So it's decided, you're going to take the plunge and go hiking for several days! Congratulations, all that's left is"" to get everything ready. We'll give you our tips for a 3-day hike, the ideal duration to start with: long enough to disconnect from everyday life over a long weekend, but short enough to fit into your busy schedule.
Before discussing logistical matters, let's take a moment to establish a definition. Beyond awakening old memories of philosophy essays (sorry, I promise, we’ll keep it short), sticking our noses in the dictionary means we can check that you and I are on the same wavelength.
When we hear about going out walking in nature for several days, we randomly think it’s a hike or a trek. But these terms don’t mean exactly the same thing! According to Le Robert (but use the dictionary of your choice), a trek means" hiking in mountainous regions that are difficult to access".
Here, we’re going to talk about hiking over a few days, not necessarily in mountainous regions, and not necessarily difficult to access. Because you don’t need to use technical prowess to reconnect with nature. And that’s also what makes "hiking" in its broadest sense accessible, which is particularly close to our hearts. Because, ultimately, whether you’re on the coast, in the forest, in the mid or high mountains, the most important thing isn’t necessarily to climb up and find the best view, but to come down and find yourself again.
And if you want to go to regions that are more difficult to access: you’ll be on your way to a mini-trek, as some like to call these 3-day circuits. In short, it's your "hike", so call it what you like (and put the hashtag you prefer on the networks: #Trek #LongDistanceHike #SameFeelingOfFreedom).
So, don't panic, you won't (necessarily) be doing a trek, but it’s a hike, that's for sure! Right away, that makes it less intimidating. But this doesn't mean that no preparation is required! Follow the guide, and we'll explain everything in the following paragraphs.
Let's start with the preparations. Whether you’re going solo or with others, you can’t escape it. But the organisational work won’t be the same if there are 1, 2, 3, or even more of you.
You may be adopting "into the wild" mode, for a long weekend, to find yourself through hiking and nature. Or maybe you want to spend time with loved ones and share moments in the countryside rather than the city. In any case, you’d be right to do so !
That said, solo preparation involves :
At first glance, there’s not much difference from our advice for day hikes:
There’s no single answer. The number of miles will depend on several factors:
Dress from head to toe
When you're going away for longer than a day, every ounce counts. That's why, on most product sheets at Quechua and Forclaz, we give the weight of our products.
You'll need all the essential gear, of course: boots, waterproof jacket, pants, etc. Dress using the 3-layer technique.
Remember to take an extra pair of socks. Yes, even if you want to shed a few ounces, you should still take them! If you wear wet socks, you increase your risk of getting blisters. Always have a clean, dry pair, just in case. There are also anti-chafing sticks that don't take up much space!
Carry everything in the right backpack
Hiking for several days on the trails involves carrying, in addition to your usual equipment, your sleeping bag or sheets, as well as food and your cooking kit. Your 20-litre backpack may not be enough, especially if you take to the trails alone.
If there are several of you sharing certain items (like the cooking kit), you choose compact, lightweight equipment (but often more technical and expensive), and you sleep in a lodge (you won’t have to carry a tent or tarp), the most minimalist among you can use a 40-45-litre bag. Generally speaking, we still recommend you take a 50-litre backpack.
See our backpacks for hiking for a few days on the trails
Two backpacks with the same contents, but loaded differently, will feel like they’re different weights. And yes, the way you arrange your things matters! However, let's keep in mind that the more space you have in your backpack, the more you’ll tend to fill it and overload yourself unnecessarily. Find out more in this article:
Sleeping in a hut or bivouac
Mountain huts normally provide blankets. This is the case, for example, on the Tour de Mont-Blanc. So there’s no need to take a sleeping bag in that case. For your night in a hut, you’ll need silk sheets (classy), also called" sleeping bag "liners (less classy), that you can slip into so as not to be directly in contact with the blanket.
However, check in advance that the huts on your route provide blankets, because some no longer have them since the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll then need a proper sleeping bag.
Also take a pair of flip-flops or slippers. You’ll leave your boots full of dirt at the entrance and can finally let your feet breathe inside the hut.
If you want to go bivouacking, be aware that this is highly regulated in France, and isn’t allowed everywhere. Bivouacking is also completely forbidden in Switzerland, should that be your country of choice. In Italy, other rules apply. So check the local regulations well in advance.
Look after your hygiene
Hiking for several days means saying goodbye to your contemporary urban lifestyle, but not goodbye to modern hygiene! Prepare a small toilet bag with toothbrush and toothpaste, preferably solid and especially biodegradable, a small microfibre towel that dries faster than lightning, and toilet paper, ideally untreated (in this article, we cover the question everyone thinks about but no one dares ask: how to poo in the woods).
No more industrial soap. Take a multi-purpose soap that can be used to wash your body, hair, as well as your clothes and dishes with proper consideration for wild water points. The best thing to do is wash with clean water to respect the ecosystem as much as possible. Indeed, even a 100% biodegradable product won’t degrade instantly, and will have an impact, however minimal, on the environment.
You’re menstruating and your period falls during this long-awaited weekend! no need to cancel everything - check out our article here on how to manage your period during a trek.
Keep it safe
As seen above, remember to take, in addition to your phone, a charged external battery, a GPS beacon if necessary, as well as your route on a paper map (in case the electronics fail) and a good old compass. To refresh your memory, we’ve prepared an article on how to read an IGN map and another on how to use a compass.
Also remember to take a first-aid kit with you, with special blister plasters and a tick remover, just in case!
Eating and drinking
If you’ve identified enough safe sources of drinking water in advance, a simple water bottle will suffice. If in doubt, you can also opt for a filter water bottle. Hydration is essential, especially on the trails !
As for food, if you’re alone, you can either travel with ready-made preparations, or choose lodges or huts that offer breakfast, half-board, etc. Indeed, some places offer meals as well as accommodation. Remember to check if you need to book in advance. Always carry cereal or protein bars with you for when you feel run down (fruit pastes work, too). Do you go for the "complete self-sufficiency option, with freeze-dried meals (very practical and tasty thanks to the recipes available in stores), cook your own, or picnics?
Whatever you choose, keep in mind the 7 golden rules of
Leave no trace" ". To leave nature as beautiful as you found it, it’s essential to reduce your footprint on nature as much as possible.
Non-optional accessories
Take a headlamp to use at the hut or if you get up early to climb to the summit to see the sunrise. Speaking of the sun, remember to take sunscreen and a pair of glasses to protect your eyes. Remember to take a bag to carry your rubbish and leave the trails as clean as you’d like to find them. If you’re a light sleeper, we recommend earplugs for the hut, where you’ll be sleeping in large dormitories. Also remember to take a waterproof bag for your electronic equipment. It weighs (almost) nothing and could save you a lot of trouble. Finally, take cash (there are no ATMs along the trails), in case you have to pay for something at the hut or if you pass through a village and want to try the local specialities.
We sometimes forget that our sedentary lives have left us a little rusty. Because, yes, walking on the trails for several days with a weight on your back isn’t something you can just make up as you go along (unless you’re 20 years old [and have the world at your feet], and even then...). To set off under the best physical conditions and minimise the risk of injury (a sprained ankle can happen quickly), we’ve prepared an article dedicated to trekking that can also be used to prepare you for a few days’ hiking:
If you’ve prepared your adventure well in advance, everything, or almost everything, should go smoothly. Of course, no hiker is safe from the unexpected. To deal with the unexpected, be prepared. It’s important to listen to your body. Also take care of your mind, because hiking is as much about the head as it is about the body.
If you’ve never spent a night in a hut, welcome to the mountain version of boarding school or summer camp! Here, you’ll find bunk beds, fleeting friendships, but no homework or campfires. However, like any communal living space, there are many rules, more or less unwritten, to follow.
For example, you should know that hut life is based on that of its keepers, for it to function properly. After a long day’s walking for hikers and working for hut keepers, many people are just looking for a rest. This is no Erasmus exchange programme. Meal times are set and taken together, and take place quite early (whether it’s breakfast or dinner). Lights out is also general, around 9.00pm. If you want to get up, read a book or go to the toilet, you’ll need your headlamp. Each place has its own schedule, but you’ll find a rhythm that’s more or less common to all.
Walking may be a natural action (we’re designed for it), but doing it over long distances requires your body to make an unusual amount of effort. Even more so if your job involves a lot of sitting down. You may also discover muscles you didn’t know you had, thanks to all the aches and pains. So we’ve put together a recovery programme for you:
If you’ve developed a phobia for logistics, you can book your route via a tour operator or any travel service. You then only have to pack your bag and get to the start; the route and accommodation will already be there waiting for you.
Decathlon Travel offers sports holidays including 3-day hiking routes. Come and discover adventures in France or beyond, and take a path through magnificent landscapes.
If you prefer to take care of everything yourself (there’s also a lot of joy to be had in preparing, anticipating and developing a route), here are some ideas tested and approved by our colleagues :
3 days of trekking in the Queyras Natural Park
3 days of trekking on the Selvaggio Blu
3 days on the Tour du Taillefer in the Ecrins
The GRs are the stuff of dreams, and for some, they’re well within reach! Discover yourself and France :
GR® 95, from Châtillon-en-Diois to Lus-la-Croix-Haute
GR® 7 - The Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert path, from Vigan to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
GR® 654, From the white Périgord to the purple Périgord
You have all the keys in hand to set off on your first long-distance hike! Take the opportunity to get away from it all and recharge your batteries at the other end of Europe, or right next door to where you live.
A keen hiker and writer
