Tips

As I have increased the amount of walking, I have found that I have got better at planning walks - and so here I will pass on a few of the main tips I have learned along the way.

NAVIGATION

I tend to use OS Maps app these days. I used to use maps, and there is a comfort in not having to rely on a phone battery, but as I cover so much ground I would need a very extensive set of maps and they are quite expensive.

I do take a very large battery with me (32,000mAh) and this is something that is always fully charged before I head out - and I recharge this along the way. This ensures that I am good if my phone battery otherwise runs out.

Lots of areas have no signal and so it is important to download maps before you head out if using the app.

You can use things like AllTrails, but they include paths that are not official paths and so can lead you astray (it is okay if they use the same OS Map data).

OVERNIGHT STAYS

As time has gone by I increasingly use trains (or buses) to link up with a larger town. This makes it much easier to get food, rather than relying on the food available on the trail.

This also increases options and allows me to book last minute.

LAST MINUTE BOOKING

There is a cost vs enjoyment fact to consider in terms of when to book a trip. If you go fairly last minute (a few days before) you know what the weather will be, whereas if you book a few months out it may be rainy.

The last minute approach is more expensive (by some margin) and needs more flexibility in you schedule - but doing a walk in miserable weather can be miserable.

COVERING DISTANCES

In general you will find that you can walk further as you walk more. The area where this is not so straight-forward is with your feet.

Feet get sore, particularly over long walks on solid ground - and having comfortable shoes for a hard standing trail is beneficial, whilst a good solid waterproof shoe is more beneficial in winter. I tend to opt as far as possible for comfort.

To extend my foot life, I moisturize each morning when at home and will replace socks through the day as otherwise they risk getting wet or soggy. This reduces impact on feet, but you often have to get through a phase of blistering until your feet toughen up.

If you do get a blister, my preferred thing is to have a needle (that is clean) that can be used to drain the blister without popping it. A small needle will then see the blister heal and you may have to repeat again, but it beats breaking a blister or walking on a blister.

FOOD & DRINK

The one thing you can't do without is food and drink. In summer it's about getting through those litres (often as much as five in a day in very hot weather), although that is less of a problem in colder weather. It helps to drink plenty before you head out so that you don't have to carry it all, and knowing where you can get more drink.

A backup supply of food is very helpful, but it is a balance between eating loads of unhealthy but higher energy foods and still getting a good diet. If you are travelling for multiple days, just eating biscuits will only get you so far. At the same time having some high-energy snacks will prevent you from crashing.

If you run out of food and drink you will run into trouble. With experience you'll know when you can just take sandwiches and when you might need a bit more energy. Big meals in the evenings help a lot here.

WALKING OVER CONTINUOUS DAYS

Walking day after day is harder than doing a one-off walk. In time you do get used to it, but there is the option of doing many days or shorter trips. I personally prefer shorter trips, as you get fewer nights away in a row - but this does make things more expensive. I tend to compensate by doing fewer, but longer days.

EQUIPMENT

My personal preference is to travel very light. It helps here if you are not walking in terrible weather - and extreme conditions do require more equipment. Personally though I tend to avoid more extreme walking terrain in winter - and will then do something like a canal walk. My goal is always to have as little on my back as possible.