EUROPE – While thru-hiking in North America is certainly a lot more accessible for those of us who live in the United States, thru-hiking in Europe seems a lot more like a mind-altering vacation. So if you’re planning a European thru-hiking trip, and need a few tips on what’s going to be different, YouTuber Oscar Hikes has got you covered.
One of the more interesting things about hiking in Europe versus in North America is probably the different types of dangerous animals. We have lots of bears, moose, elk, mountain goats, wolves, and other animals that you don’t want to run into on the trail. In Europe, you still have to worry about animals (sometimes bears, but not through most of Europe), but we’re mostly talking about wild boars and shepherd’s dogs.
While in North America, we hang our food in bear bags to prevent bears from coming into our camp, hanging food in Europe works to keep boars away from camp. Two very different animals, yet still both dangerous if startled.