Nero (near-zero day)
Overview
A nero, short for near-zero day, is a day on a long-distance hike when only a small number of trail miles are covered, are oftencause time is spent in town or at a resupply stop.
Key points
- Typically involves a short hike into or out of a town or resupply point.
- Used to accomplish chores such as laundry, resupplying food, and device charging.
- Provides partial rest without fully stopping progress on the route.
- Often contrasted with a zero day, when no trail miles are walked.
- Frequency and timing vary by personal preference, budget, and schedule.
Details
On long routes, hikers often plan days with reduced mileage to balance physical recovery, logistical tasks, and overall progress. A nero day might involve hiking a few miles into town in the morning, spending most of the day taking care of errands and resting, and then returning to the trail for a short distance in the evening, or the reverse.
Nero days can help smooth transitions between full rest and full hiking days. They allow hikers to spread out chores like buying food, doing laundry, and organizing gear without compressing everything into a strict zero-mile schedule. Some hikers prefer frequent neros to maintain momentum, while others cluster errands into less frequent but longer stops.
The concept is flexible rather than fixed. What qualifies as a near-zero day differs by context; for some, it may be two or three miles, while others might consider any day significantly below their usual average as a nero. The term is descriptive rather than a formal category.
Planning for neros is part of broader resupply and rest strategies. Over time, hikers adjust their patterns based on how their bodies feel, how towns are spaced along the route, and how much they value in-town time relative to trail time.
Related topics
- developing-realistic-expectations-for-daily-mileage
- resupply-logistics
- trip-reports-stats-analysis-and-recordkeeping
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Illustrative hiking footage
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