Finish the Hike

A micro-course to help you hike more miles with fewer injuries.

There's a big problem in the thru-hiking world:

People quit their jobs, press "pause" on life, and buy hundreds of dollars worth of gear to hike the trail of their dreams.

Three hundred miles in, they suffer a hike-ending injury that sends their next six months to a halt.

It doesn't have to be this way.

This course helps hikers reduce risk of injury and finish their hike.

What's this all about?

Cover your bases

Learn what to consider when preparing for a thru-hike, taught by a physical therapist with over 3,000 miles of backpacking experience.

Focus on what matters most

Ten-minute lessons delivered to your inbox, so you can hit the trails instead of sifting through thousands of videos and blog posts.

Maximize your chance of success

Around 25% of those who start the PCT or AT will finish. It's a hard journey. This course is designed to help you maximize your chance of success with what you can control: how you prepare, how you start, and how you manage problems along the way.

Is this for you?

Maybe! Depends on who you are.

Novice thru-hiker: Someone new to long-distance backpacking should find this extremely useful for focusing on important aspects of physical preparation.

Current thru-hiker: Someone in the middle of a thru-hike might not find helpful the first half of the course on preparation, but will likely appreciate the sections on managing emerging overuse injuries.

Experienced thru-hiker: Someone with several long-distance hikes under their belt will probably not find this helpful, unless they are trying to refine their hiking strategies after an injury or in the face of a deadline.

What's in the course?

Nineteen modules divided into three sections:

1. ✏️ Prepare: how to physically prepare to reduce your risk of injury, focusing on three main pillars.
   1. ✏️ Prepare - What's Important?
   2. 🏋️‍♂️ Prepare - Strength Training
   3. 👣 Prepare - Time on Feet
   4. 🥾 Prepare - Gear Choices (shoes, poles, and pack weight)
   5. 🎖 Prepare - Honorable Mentions
2. 🏁 Start: starting strategies for the first 500 miles that allow you to still be on trail three months later.
   1. 🏁 Start - What's Important?
   2. 📍 Start - The First 500 Miles
   3. 😴 Start - The Power of the Zero
   4. 🚶‍♀️ Start - Tips for Adapting Well
3. 🛠 Manage: common overuse injuries to look out for, and how to manage emerging problems so they don't end your hike.
   1. 🛠 Manage - What's Important?
   2. 🦴 Manage - Common Injuries (Bones)
   3. 🦵 Manage - Common Injuries (Tendons)
   4. ⚖️ Manage - Levers
   5. 🍔 Manage - Fueling

From the author

Hey hikers,

If you're preparing for a thru-hike, I'm so stoked for you.

I hiked the AT in 2022. It was an amazing experience. I want anyone who dreams of a long-distance hike to make it a reality.

Unfortunately, I met tons of people who weren't able to finish due to injury.

Many people didn't know how to prepare or handle injuries that cropped up along the way. Many were missing key prep or management concepts that led to quitting the trail. I got LOTS of questions.

I finished my hike without injury using knowledge from my experience as a physical therapist to inform my preparation, hiking, and recovery.

I want to share that knowledge, so you can hike more miles with fewer injuries.

Finishing a thru-hike takes a lot of luck. You can make all the right decisions and still have to get off trail. The purpose of this course is to help you optimize what is within your control: how you prepare, how you start, and how you manage your hike along the way.

Rebecca Salstrand, PT, DPT
"Tennessee Pickle"
JMT '17, CT '20, AT '22

“While willpower can take you far, it was knowing how to take care of my body that kept stress injuries at bay. I don’t think I would have finished my hike without this knowledge.”

Spirit, AT '22

"When planning for the AT, I was worried about my risk of injury due to a lack of time to train. This course gave me practical tools I could use NOW, eased my sense of overwhelm with bite sized modules, and provided me a plan that I am confident I can execute on trail."

Tenday