Your First Hike

From "I'd love to try that" to your first night out on trail.

The guide, trip planner, pack list and checklists. PDF in November 2026.

A practical guide and toolkit for your first multi-day hike. I created it from 2,500 km on 11 trails with my dog Wingo. It takes you from choosing the trail to your first night out there, well prepared and ready for the unexpected. Pre-order now and the PDF lands in your inbox in November.

Your toolkit

The guide comes with an Excel trip planner, a pack list and checklists. Compare up to three trails, weigh your pack, set your budget and build your own plan.

You will

✓Pick a trail that fits your time, your legs and the season.
✓Pack a bag you can carry all day.
✓Know what to do when the weather turns or you lose the path.
✓Sleep, eat and look after yourself out there.
✓Set out with confidence, well prepared and ready for the unexpected.

What's inside

✓Which trail to start with. It might be around the corner.
✓What to pack, what to borrow and what to leave at home.
✓What to eat and drink out there. Trail meals, my chai and spice mixes, where to fill up water.
✓Blisters, knees and stomach. How I stay healthy on trail.
✓How not to get lost. And what to do if you do.
✓The dark, the wildlife, being alone. Fears most of us start with. They get smaller every time you go.
✓Weather, water, cold and animals. The risks and how I prepare for them.
✓Hiking solo or with your dog. I've done both.
✓The checklists I run through before every trail.

Pre-order price: €37

✓The PDF field guide, in your inbox in November 2026.
✓The Excel trip planner, with a pack weight and a budget tab.
✓The pack list, with my pack and Jonatan's to start from.
✓Checklists for your phone: the readiness check, your trip card and every checklist.
✓Yours to keep. No login, no app.

EU VAT included. The price goes up to €47 when the guide comes out.

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Who is behind this

Suzanne van der Veeken
Hiker, sailor, van dweller. 2,500 km on 11 trails with Wingo, from the Fisherman's Trail to the GR11. I wrote this for the hike I wish I had done first. I am here if you get stuck.

Jonatan Björkman, my hiker mentor and partner
The Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail in 100 days, and the Continental Divide Trail right now. His trail sidebars run through the guide.

What people tell me

"I'm not even a hiking person, but your video makes me feel like I should do it some time."

June

"It now feels possible, achievable and a very real prospect."

John