Facts About a Section Hiking vs Thru Hiking

When you are bored with your monotonous urban, hiking is the best solution to make your life exciting and enjoyable again. Be that as it may, like Robert Frost, we all have some ‘promises to keep’ and we cannot ignore our daily. So, thru-hiking is impossible for most of the people who have other duties to attend. Don’t worry! You can be a section hiker to make your life exciting and enjoyable again.

Facts About a Section Hiking vs Thru Hiking

Thru-hiking is a kind of extended vacation to hike over a long-distance trail from one end to the other end within a period. This period of thru-hiking is called a hiking season. In America, the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) are the usual long-distance trails to go to thru-hiking. So, thru-hikers have to leave their normal life for over a period of six months or so.

On the other hand, section hikers have a freedom of choice. They don’t need to walk end to end of a trail; they can end their hiking after walking one section of the trail and go back home. They are not bound to follow the time constraints or any other thru-hiking features.

Although thru-hiking sounds are far more exciting than section hiking, it is not so easy and not obviously for everyone. So, if you have promises to keep, your better option is to be a section hiker. You can be happy and cheerful being a section hiker too. Here are some big advantages you might enjoy if you choose to be a section hiker:

Financial Issue

Like always, money is the big issue about everything you plan to do. Being a thru-hiker takes a big amount of money to be saved to be without work for 5-6 months. For section hikers, they do not have to lose all their savings to go hiking. Section hikers may have a little less fun, but they have much more money. To be honest, thru-hikers are crazier than the section hikers! Don’t you think so?

Job Issue

If you want to be a section hiker, you do not need to quit your job. You can come back from hiking and start your work with a fresh mind. Most of the thru-hikers don’t have a job, or they are wealthy. Section hikers can save a few of their casual leave days or vacation days to go to section hiking. Some thru-hikers even sell their houses to go hiking as leaving their house empty is not a good choice. Section hikers do not need to do that too because they can come back whenever they want.

Family and Friends

If you are a father or a husband, definitely you should not leave your kids and wife for more than one or two weeks for vacation. Even if you are single, staying without your friends the close ones for more than 5/6 months is not that easy. So, section hiking is a much easier option if you like the company of the people around you.

Pressure

A section hiker can relax whenever he/she wants. If you are section hiker, you do not have to follow a fixed schedule or fulfill a daily target of hiking. You can take a section hiking session as a true vacation. There is no pressure for you to follow some strict rules and all. You can enjoy the beauty of nature without any trouble.

Freedom of Choice

A section hiker can pick when and where she/he wants to hike. This means she/he has the freedom to choose to hike somewhere she/he has wanted to visit without any pressure. It’s suitable for almost everyone because of its flexibility. The thru-hikers do not have much of choice because thru-hiking follows a schedule.

Preparation

Naturally, the thru-hikers must prepare them before two months of the hiking takes place, and their preparation takes a lot of effort also.  However, the section hikers do not need that much to take preparation. They can do it within a short period and a little effort. If you want to go to section hiking, you should take some necessary things only like rei water shoes or big lots comforters, Leuko tape, analog snow jacket, dry food and some other essential things which are easy to find and carry. Before preparing for climbing a hill, you should consider a pair of rock climbing shoes for you.

So, now we have learned the benefits of being a section hiker. However, if you want to be a thru-hiker despite all the challenges, don’t be discouraged. Go for it and do whatever your heart desires. Hiking will always be fun whether you choose to be section hiker or a thru-hiker.