Each mobile router in a mobile ad hoc network is configured for identifying routes to nearby nodes that are within a prescribed distance, based on storage of explicit paths specified within routing headers of packets transmitted from a host node to a destination node. Each mobile router also can selectively compress the routing header, based on the storage of the explicit path, resulting in a loose source route type routing header in the packet output from the mobile router. In addition, a routing header of a received packet can be expanded based on the mobile router inserting the explicit path, enabling mobile hosts in the explicit path to forward the packet according to strict source routing. The storage and compression of explicit paths also can be applied to packets specifying reverse routing headers, minimizing the size of the reverse routing headers.