What are the main differences between day hiking and backpacking? originally appeared on Quora, the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

There's not too much difference between day-hiking and thru-hiking, other than the distance and the fact that you'll have to carry more supplies with you. In my podcast "Trail Weight," I talk a little about my journey of getting ready for my first ever thru-hike. Here are some things that I learned:

Start small and keep upping the distance.

There are so many excellent trails near you and plenty of sites and apps like AllTrails that help you find them. I found it helpful to sort hikes by difficulty and distance and each time I went out, I tried to choose one a little longer or a little more difficult. Working my way up to 10 or 15-mile day-hikes, I felt ready to try my first overnight trip. I didn't have all the gear I'd end up using on my thru-hike, but it was ok if my pack was heavier than ideal since it was a one-night trip. Plus it would prepare me for eventually carrying a week's worth of food.

Practice at home.

During the winter, I got a gym membership so my training wouldn't slow down. I probably looked like a weirdo, but I packed a day-pack with some water bottles and walked for a few miles on the treadmill. It's not the same thing as thru-hiking, but it helped my body get used to walking with a heavy pack.

Go at your own pace.

It's easy to compare yourself to other hikers and judge your performance off of theirs, but you are not them, and they are not you. Some thru-hikers clock 20+ miles a day, I aim for 1015, and others stick with 5-miles a day. There's no correct distance. If you're safe, know what you need to carry, you can adjust the milage to whatever suits you (or find a hike that works with your ability).

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