On trail there are a few of these that are useful.
Ten by ten
That is, ten miles by ten o’clock. Once you have trail legs, getting up early and being on trail by 6:30 or sooner and hiking until 10 o’clock or so before your first break can really make a day go better.
Break at 10 for second breakfast. Break at 12ish for lunch and a siesta. Then hike until before sunset when you stop to pitch your tent, treat water and have dinner makes for great days.
Very much a PCT or CDT thing and only after you have trail legs.
Be bold, go cold
Hiking with a wind shirt over your sun hoodie and a buff around your neck on a brisk morning will get you off to a cool start. But you warm up soon enough.
It helps build confidence if you do some practice hikes that way. It also helps if you wear a hat regardless of the sun.
Hats are surprisingly good at making you warmer. I’ve known a number of people who lived in hats. It is a good trail habit to get into.
All that said, what I’m really in favor of is starting cool, not actually starting cold.
Leave no trace
That phrase is a catch phrase, not part of a syllogism.
But trying to backpack in a way that minimizes additional impact and makes trails sustainable is a good thing.
Hike your own hike
That is, feel free to do it your own way. What works for you may not work for me and vice versa.
However, to paraquote:
This cliché is often misused as an excuse for poor trail etiquette, like leaving trash or starting fires during burn bans. It should apply to personal choices, like mileage or footwear, not actions that negatively impact others or the environment. Some discussion.
https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/hike-your-own-hike-really/
https://thetrek.co/hyoh-does-not-apply/
Sometimes the phrase or the acronym HYOH is used to say “buzz off.”
So it has pretty varied uses.
Don’t pack your fears
People often carry stuff that is just unnecessary and heavy—trying to pack gear for every possible contingency rather than for the actual trail.
The weight can really add up.
Ounces add up to pounds
It is so tempting to just carry a little extra weight. A full cook kit instead of a spoon and a pot/cup. A two pound tarp and a four pound tent. A three pound sleeping bag rated for cold weather. A two pound pad to sleep on. Just a few extra pounds of clothes.
That is how as a Boy Scout I hiked with a seventy pound pack.
Two things.
First, for overnight camping and short section hikes that is often the way to go. It is a different experience.
Second, weight sneaks up on you. I’m not telling anyone to go “stupid light” or turn into a trail mooch (someone who skips basics like a lighter or a water filter and borrows them every night). But watch out for weight sneaking up on you.
For long distance and thru-hiking weight control is a key to better experiences.
No Pain, No Rain, No Maine
This is for the AT. The Appalachian Trail has a lot of rain. If you aren’t willing to hike through it, you aren’t going to succeed.
Other trails have their own equivalents, such as Embrace the Suck or Embrace the Brutality.
Less is more
Pretty self explanatory.
Things no one says
https://www.thehikinglife.com/2024/10/25-things-long-distance-hikers-never-say/
Cotton kills
In cold and humid conditions cotton holds onto moisture. In hot desert conditions cotton is often superior but in some conditions it is sub-optimal.
It will rarely, if ever, lead to death, but there is often something better.
Smiles, not miles
Ok. First, if you spend too much time not making miles you won’t get there.
But, most people are hiking because they enjoy it, they didn’t sign up for a death march.
So keep focused, but remember why you are hiking.
Stupid light
Cutting pack weight by cutting things you need.
Examples would be the guy without enough capacity to carry all the water needed. The guy skipping a water filter or treatment. Or the guy who used a cup that was too small as both his cup and a pot.
Neros over Zeros
A true Zero is a complete day with no hiking. Hike in the night before. Stay a day. Hike out the next morning.
A Nero, or near zero, is a day that includes hiking. The most common is hike in, do laundry, buy food and shower and then spend the night and hike out the next day instead of taking it off.
If you do that you spend a lot less money and make better time. It is a good habit to focus on Neros over Zeros.