Hike training
Night 4 - Cooloola Great Walk
Why You Should Train for a Hike (and how to do it without breaking yourself)
You’ve booked the hike, packed your snacks and told your mates you’re “so ready.” But are you actually ready?
To be the best hiker you can be — and to actually enjoy the adventure — you need to be prepared physically, mentally and emotionally.
As professional guides, we’ve seen it all. From the legend who rocks up in brand-new boots straight out of the box to the guy who thinks hiking 100km on vibes alone will “toughen him up.” Spoiler alert: it won’t. Hiking rewards preparation and punishes ego.
Most seasoned guides have rescued plenty of unprepared hikers (and occasionally, tragically, recovered their bodies). So when we say “train for your hike,” it’s not to kill the fun — it’s to keep you alive to have more fun later.
Challenge yourself, absolutely. But don’t endanger yourself and others because you thought “she’ll be right.”
Physical Preperation
If you give yourself enough time, this is actually the easiest part of the prep — and arguably the most satisfying. But first, you’ve got to be brutally honest about where you’re at. “She’ll be right” isn’t a fitness plan, it’s a trap.
Ask yourself:
Got any old injuries?
Smoker or heavy drinker?
How’s your cardio, really?
Have you broken in your boots?
Walked with a 12–15kg pack?
Done it for more than one day in a row?
Ready for the climate (and altitude) you’ll be hiking in?
Let’s unpack a few of these.
Injuries
If you’re injured — train, don’t trek. Hiking should be enjoyed, not endured.
Old injuries are sneaky. You might’ve compensated for them with your gait, posture, or stride and that’s fine… until you’re lugging 15kg over uneven ground for three days. That “old niggle” can quickly turn into a new nightmare.
Even the toughest crumble. One of the hardest blokes I’ve ever guided — an ex-SERT Senior Sergeant (Queensland’s SWAT) — was brought to his knees by a short hike. Literally. Hiking exposes weaknesses no opponent ever could.
The upside? Once you find your limits, you can train past them. That’s where growth happens.
Drink or smoke?
We’re not your parents, but we’ll say this: smoking and heavy drinking don’t help your endurance. You don’t have to quit completely — just know you’ll need to train harder than everyone else to hit the same level of fitness.
Cardio Fitness
This is your life jacket in an emergency. The fitter your lungs and heart, the more fun you’ll have — and the less you’ll suffer when things go sideways. Over-preparation here is a good problem to have.
Boots and Packs
New boots + big miles = blisters, infections and a new appreciation for pain. Break them in before your hike.
And don’t just throw your pack on the night before. Practice with weight — 12–15kg if that’s what you’ll carry. See how your body responds. If your shoulders ache, your hips rub raw, or your arms go numb, you need to adjust your setup. Trust me, bleeding hips aren’t great on a long hike.
Consecutive Days
Your body can surprise you on day one… but it will protest on day two. Overnight, joints swell, bruises appear, and those “mystery aches” come to say hello.
To simulate the real thing, try hiking two days in a row. Sleep in a tent between them. If you wake up on day three, sore but smiling — you’re ready.
Climate and Altitude
Humid conditions humble even the fittest hikers. The body can’t dump heat fast enough and suddenly you’re on the road to dehydration or heat stroke. If you’re training for hot conditions, do it gradually and take more breaks than you think you need. Drink a lot of water! It’s not unusual to drink up to 5 litres in a day if you’re hiking in the heat.
If altitude is part of your plan, talk to a trainer about how to adapt. It’s a different beast altogether.
Mental Prep
Mental training is all about making smart decisions under pressure. The best way to do that? Learn, practice, repeat.
If you’re a calm problem-solver — awesome. Just make sure you’ve got the knowledge to go with it. If you’re not, that’s fine too. Hike with people who are, carry a PLB and practice scenarios.
Pretend you’re lost. What do you do?
Weather turns bad. What’s your move?
Fire approaching. From which direction?
Rehearse these before they happen. When the bush bites back, you’ll already have a plan.
Emotional Prep
Hiking tests your body, but it transforms your mind.
At some point, you’ll hit that wall — you’ll want to sit down, cry and swear never to do this again. And that’s when the real magic happens. Emotional growth out there is raw and powerful.
If you’ve never hit that wall before, maybe practice in a controlled setting first. A good Personal Trainer can push you past comfort zones safely, teaching you how to break and rebuild. That’s emotional conditioning in action.
Other Training
Don’t forget the practical stuff:
Logistics: How to plan your route and pack.
Navigation: How not to get lost.
Gear familiarisation: What works for you.
We’ve got blogs and resources to help you learn the lot.
How Adventure Tribe Can Help
We’ve built programs to get you adventure fit — physically, mentally and emotionally. Whether you’re prepping for your first overnighter or tackling a 5-day epic, we’ve got your back.
Join in casually, or become part of Adventure Tribe and get up to 90% off all our activities. We can even help you build a personalised training plan that gets you trail-ready step by step.
Here’s how we recommend levelling up:
Yoga – Stretch, strengthen, and tune into your body.
Nutrition & PT – Fuel right and fix those imbalances before they hurt.
Short Walks (1–2 hrs) – Get the body moving again.
Medium Walks (2–5 hrs) – Add a daypack, then upgrade to a full pack.
Full-Day Hikes (5–8 hrs) – Start early, pack your lunch, water, first aid kit, map, PLB and your tentage. Walk, sit, eat, relax and walk again.
Moderate hills – Boost that cardio. Warm up, cool down.
Back-to-Back Days – Hike two days in a row to test your stamina.
Short Multi-Day Hike (2 days) – Try our Rainbow Beach 2-Day Adventure.
Big Multi-Day Expedition (3–5 days) – Join our Cooloola Great Walk.
And when you’re done? We’ve got massage covered too 😉
So train smart, pack light, and hit the trail knowing you’ve earned every step.
Because the only thing better than finishing a hike is loving every minute of it along the way.
Your training should be steady and progress from where you are now to where you need to be via a number of steps over time that include;
Stretching
Core and stabiliser muscle strengthening
General strength conditioning
Cardio
Endurance
Physical conditioning to hiking specific activities (carying gear, over a number of days)
Don’t break yourself during training by going too hard too fast. If you do this, you’re just making the whole process longer and harder. Take as long as you need. It’s an investment in your future enjoyment.