Earlier this year, we did the Three Capes Walk in Tasmania, a four-day walk on the Tasman Peninsula. I’ve just finished my recaps: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4. This was our second multi-day hike. We did the Overland Track in 2022, and I loved it so much I couldn’t wait to do another one. So, with all my experience (HA!) I thought I might gather up all my thoughts for those who might be curious about doing a multi-day walking holiday. Bear in mind that we did both of those walks with the Tasmanian Walking Company, which has private huts on the tracks with hot showers, provides all the food, and is fully guided. You only need to carry your own belongings. You can also do both of these walks publicly. The Three Capes public walk has hut accommodation with cooking facilities but you carry in all your food. The Overland Track also has huts, but a bed in these is not guaranteed, so you need to bring a tent as well in case there is no room left when you arrive at the huts. I want to reiterate—I am not an expert these are just some of the things I’ve learnt along the way.

What’s so great about multi-day hiking?

• Depending on the walk, you may experience complete immersion in nature, culture, or a bit of both. Both of the walks I’ve done were in wilderness areas.
• Walking slows you down to a human pace. It takes a day or so to settle fully into the rhythm of walking/eating/sleeping, but once you do, it is truly rejuvenating. The enforced slowness gives plenty of time to reconnect with yourself, with others, with nature and with God (if that’s something you’re looking for).
• An opportunity to disconnect from technology. The Overland Track has no mobile service, apart from the mountain summits, so you have no choice but to disconnect. On the Three Capes Walk I set my phone to airplane mode for two of the days. I certainly don’t check email or messages while I’m out walking.
• Walking for multiple days in a row is a physical challenge without being too extreme. The degree of difficulty will depend on the walk, but you do feel a sense of accomplishment at the end.
• If you are on a guided walk, the guides are a treasure trove of knowledge and will enrich the experience. If you go on a public walk, walk notes and rangers can provide insights into the landscape.
• You get to see places and things you can’t see any other way. Both the Overland Track and the Three Capes walks are in true wilderness. There are no roads in. If you want to see it, you will have to walk there.

Notes for first-time walkers

• Pick your walk wisely. Consider the number of days you have, your interests, and the kind of accommodation you are prepared to stay in. Some walks only have rough camping, others walk between villages, some have public huts and a few have luxury options. Walk difficulty varies. For your first walk, don’t do what we did; pick a shorter duration on an easier track. Three Capes walk would be an ideal introduction to multi-day hiking. The track is very smooth, graded gravel most of the way, the elevation is not extreme, and steps are usually close to regulation. The Overland Track, by contrast, is longer, has more elevation change and lots of uneven rock- and root-strewn paths with bigger uneven steps. There are also some exciting side trips you can do up summits that would be more enjoyable and accessible if you have more hiking experience.

• Do the training. If you do your walk through a company, they often provide a training plan to get you from the couch to walk fitness. You can also google training plans. If you are already pretty fit, you can probably jump in partway through. Don’t leave this to the last minute, though. Confession: we did not train for the Three Capes, and only did a little bit of extra training for the Overland Track. This was only OK because we regularly run more than 20km and back up decent volume on other days, including running on consecutive days, plus we lift weights. The lifting is one thing that makes hiking so much easier—and I’m talking squats and deadlifts with decent weight. This gives your legs the strength to get up and down hills with the pack on easily. You don’t have to do the lifting, but I’ve found it makes everything so much easier. Neglecting to prepare physically will decrease your enjoyment and possibly prevent you from finishing the walk. On remote walks in Tasmania that will mean a helicopter ride out costing about $20/min of flying time. You pay for take-off, loading and landing as well.
• Follow the gear list. If you go with a company, they will send you a gear list. Follow it! Gear lists are for your own safety and comfort. Tasmanian parks also provide a gear list if you are walking independently.
• Good, well-fitting hiking boots or shoes are essential. You must wear them in. If they are older, examine them a few months out to make sure the sole is still firmly attached to the boot. One of the people on our Overland Track Walk had the sole start to separate, which required tying and duct-taping it back together. You can imagine this severely limited the grip on the shoe. Easier walking trips could possibly be done with sneakers, but I like at least something that is waterproof because you’ll probably have to walk in the rain at some stage, and wet feet can lead to blisters.
• Trust your boots. This was good advice from our guide, Pete, on our Overland Track walk. The grip on good hiking boots grabs the ground; if you trust the boots to grip the rocks, it makes navigating tricky, rock-strewn paths a lot easier.
• Get your pack fitted correctly before you start walking. G got sore shoulders on the Overland trip, which I think is because he didn’t make sure his pack was sitting correctly. You want most of the weight off your shoulders and on your hips. If you get this right, and you’ve got the strength in your legs, carrying the pack is not a problem.
• Fully embrace the experience. Get curious. Pay attention. Relax. Turn off your phone.

G and I are hooked on walking holidays and hope to have many more in our future. I’ve started compiling a list of future walks which I’ll share next week.

Do you like hiking and getting outdoors? Are you an experienced hiker? Would you like to do something like this? Any questions?