Zero day

In thru-hiking and section-hiking communities, a zero day is any day during which a hiker does not add official miles to their route total. Instead of moving forward on the main trail, they may remain in one place, travel only for errands, or take time off at a town, hostel, or campsite.

Zero days often serve several functions. They provide physical rest from repeated long days of walking, time to address minor injuries or discomforts, and opportunities to resupply, do laundry, repair equipment, or communicate with friends and family. Some hikers also use them to wait out storms or unfavorable conditions.

The decision to take a zero day can be built into an initial plan, arise in response to how the hike is progressing, or be prompted by logistics such as transportation schedules. There is no single “correct” number of zero days; some hikers take many, others very few, depending on pace preferences, recovery needs, and overall time available.

The term is bookkeeping shorthand rather than a formal classification. It simply marks that, for tracking purposes, the mainline route mileage did not change on that date.