Breathtaking views on Santorini Island in Greece
And how hiking is the ultimate strategy school
When most people think about outdoor adventures, they think of breathtaking views, physical endurance, or escaping the everyday dramas of life. But here’s the most important thing about it that nobody even tells you — the wilderness is the best place in the world to train your brain.
Every trail, river, summit, and basecamp becomes a stomping ground for your body, but it also plays a huge role in developing your ability to think critically and plan like a strategist. If you’ve ever hobbled through an unfamiliar forest or tried to ration your last energy bar 10 miles from any kind of civilization, then you already know that the outdoors is one giant mental game. In today’s article, we’re going to be taking a look at the link between strategy and the great outdoors. Because as travelers, we can’t set off on our journey without the right mentality. Let’s go!
Related: Packing cubes a great backpacking organizer
Nature will outsmart and challenge you
The wilderness isn’t random, so don’t ever think that. It’s unpredictable, yes. But every part of it — from weather patterns to wildlife behavior — follows rules. Your job is to learn those rules, and then outplay them as your journey throughout your adventure.
No matter if you’re on a 4-day escapade or a 3-month trip, you’ll soon discover that every single decision you make really does matter. You need to calculate when to push forward or turn back. Whether to carry extra weight or gamble on finding water. How to stay calm when plans fall apart. Strangely, it’s not unlike playing a high-stakes round of online table games, where risk management, resource allocation, and foresight are everything.
And just like those games, wilderness travel forces you to make moves based on limited information. You don’t get a full picture while you’re out and about. You make your best guess based on the data you have — between the cloud movement, compass bearings, animal tracks, and the ability to trust your instincts.
Funnily enough, these aspects of travel can be closely linked to the casino. You might not think of high-stakes adventure when you sit down to an exciting game of poker or blackjack, but actually, a lot of the training ground is the same, and there’s more crossover than you might imagine. Two activities that look very different on the surface can have a surprising degree of similarity when you go a little deeper. Expert online table games players are great at thinking ahead and watching for patterns – which is exactly what we travel junkies have to do. The most important link between the two wildly different forms of entertainment? You always need a backup plan.
When they play online table games, good players have secrets in their back pockets – ones they use when they’re not on the up. Similarly, outdoor adventurers have backup tricks for when things go south. It’s all about outsmarting others (or nature) and learning to adapt as the environment changes and challenges.
Packing is a strategy in itself
The moment you start filling your backpack, you’re making strategic choices. Bringing a bulky cooking set? That could mean slower, heavier travel, but good food at the end. Skipping rain gear? You’re gambling against the forecast – which you should rarely do.
Experienced trekkers and paddlers know every item comes at a cost. Every ounce matters on your travels. Your gear is your strategy laid bare. Are you prepared for storms, injury, or delays? Can you pivot if your stove breaks or your map gets soaked?
Backpackers are renowned for having systems. There are sleep systems, water systems, and layering systems. You name it! That mindset is proof that hikers think like strategists, not just people walking around. You’re building redundancies, optimizing efficiency, and minimizing risk for the overall game plan of the adventure.
And guess what? So is a casino player. They’re thinking ahead, adding contingencies, laying out backup options, and using their resources wisely. Both activities require you to plan for three outcomes:
The expected.
The unlikely.
And the “oh no.”
Every destination has a guide book and maps
Planning your route takes brain power
Too many people treat route planning as a checklist. You pick a trail, estimate time, and head off on your way. But in reality, you’re conducting a live-action simulation. You’re weighing elevation gain vs. energy burn. Calculating distance vs. daylight. Factoring in weather, terrain, group dynamics, and escape routes.
And then nature throws a curveball your way. This can come in the form of a fallen tree, a flash flood, or a closed pass. That’s where the real test starts. Do you push forward or reroute? Are you making decisions based on what is right at that moment or what you want to do? These are the questions one must ask oneself in these trickier times.
Again, it’s true in the online casino – maybe you won’t encounter a fallen tree, but there will be other challenges thrown in your path. Take the people below for example. They’re talking about how one spin can change everything —just as natural causes on a hike can change the game entirely.
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Strategic outdoor travelers know how to embrace flexibility and not be set in their ways. They know that plans are just the potential, not a promise. And they’re constantly analyzing new data and adjusting on the go.
Micro decisions will have a huge impact
The wild has a way of making small choices seem super important. Do you eat now or save food? Take the steep shortcut or the long, rocky trail? Camp near water (and undoubtedly bugs) or up high (and cold)? There are so many questions that go through one’s mind.
Each of these choices might seem minor to some, but they actually all add up while on your travels. And if you string together a few bad calls all at once, you will find yourself shivering, dehydrated, or hopelessly off course. Make good decisions, and you’re cruising through the backcountry like you’re made to be there. Likewise, when playing strategic games at the casino, you’ve got to be able to think about the big picture as well as each decision you’re facing. It’s not easy, but balancing the details with the overall will make you a better, more effective player.
That’s what makes the outdoors such an effective mental trainer. Every step is feedback towards your next step, and every miscalculation is a lesson to learn. Plus, it’s good for your health, which will help you make better, more focused decisions!
Adventure on!
