Key takeaways
- Slackpacking is hiking with only a light daypack while your full gear is shuttled ahead.
- A shuttle, hostel, or support person transports your pack to the next point.
- It lets you cover trail miles with far less weight — faster, easier on the body.
- Popular with thru-hikers for rest, recovery, big-mileage days, or simply enjoyment.
What slackpacking is
Slackpacking is hiking a section of a long-distance trail while your full backpack and overnight gear are transported ahead for you — usually by a shuttle, hostel, or support person — so you carry only a light daypack with the day’s essentials. You still hike the trail miles on foot; you just leave the heavy load behind for the day.
Why hikers do it
- Less weight — cover miles far more easily.
- More speed/mileage — bigger days unburdened.
- Rest & recovery — ease tired bodies on a long thru-hike.
- Enjoyment — savor a beautiful stretch without the pack.
Based at a trail-town hostel, a thru-hiker gets a shuttle to a trailhead and hikes a 20-mile section with just a daypack — water, snacks, and a rain shell — while the hostel transports their full pack to the pickup point, letting them cover big miles and recover their legs.
Is it ‘cheating’?
It’s a personal, sometimes debated question. Slackpackers still hike every mile on foot — they just don’t carry full weight — which most consider a legitimate continuous hike. In the spirit of ‘hike your own hike,’ many thru-hikers slackpack sections, often with help from trail angels, while purists prefer to carry everything.
The bottom line
Slackpacking is hiking the trail with just a daypack while your gear is shuttled ahead — covering the miles on foot but without the heavy load. Thru-hikers use it to rest, recover, hike faster, or simply savor a section unburdened. Whether it 'counts' is a matter of personal hiking ethics, but you still walk every mile; you just don't carry everything.
Frequently asked questions
What is slackpacking?
Slackpacking is hiking a stretch of a long-distance trail while your full backpack and overnight gear are transported ahead for you — by a shuttle, hostel, or support person — so you only carry a light daypack with the day's essentials. You still hike the trail miles on foot, just without the heavy load.
Why do hikers slackpack?
It lets you cover miles with far less weight, which can mean hiking faster, doing bigger-mileage days, resting and recovering tired bodies, or simply enjoying a beautiful section unburdened. Thru-hikers often slackpack a section while basing out of a trail town or hostel, picking up their gear at the end of the day.
Is slackpacking 'cheating' on a thru-hike?
It's a personal and sometimes debated question. Slackpackers still hike every mile of the trail on foot, which most consider a legitimate continuous footpath hike; they just don't carry full weight for those miles. Hiking is full of personal choices ('hike your own hike'), and many thru-hikers slackpack sections without considering it cheating, while purists may prefer to carry everything.
Sources
- Long-distance hiking — American Hiking Society
- Thru-hiking culture — National Park Service