This study addresses a theoretical gap by investigating the impact of the misalignment in non-food consumption practices, such as preparation, planning, and execution of hiking tourism activities, an area that has been underexplored in existing literature, which primarily focuses on food practices. To extend this literature, the present research aims to understand how the misalignment of these practices affects the consumer experience in hiking tourism. Based on participant observation and ethnographic interviews conducted at a hiking tourism event in northern Portugal, the paper highlights the behavior of regular hiking tourism consumers and its impact on their tourism experience. The main findings indicate that the ineptitude in selecting and using equipment, difficulty in assessing physical effort, and increased physical demand during the activity, due to the misalignment of consumption practices, negatively affect the experience of regular hiking tourism consumers. The study contributes theoretically by expanding the understanding of how misalignments in non-food consumption practices affect hiking tourism. By identifying these misalignments, the study enables consumers and organizations to promote learning and enhance the consumption experience in hiking tourism.