Setting yourself up for a successful thru-hike means anticipating some of the unfortunate events that could happen and preparing yourself accordingly, like GI disasters or infected blisters.

Having at least a rudimentary first aid kit in your pack is a good idea.

I'm not one for pharmaceuticals, though I do love a good hit of Advil once in a while, so in this post I give you some essential oil alternatives to popping pills on the trail.