A method routes data packets especially in wireless communication network formed by a plurality of network nodes. In order to transmit data packets from a first network node acting as a data packet source to a second network node acting as a data packet sink according to said method, the data packets are transmitted with the help of at least one additional communication network node that is dissociated from the source node, a first network message is transmitted from the source node at least to the additional network node so as to be successively forwarded to each additional network node until the additional network node corresponds to the sink node, the respective additional network node supplies routing data based on the first message in such a way that first data on a next network node on the way to the source node and the value of a first validity period in the actual additional network node is temporarily stored, and the value of the respective validity period is stored in such a way that all first data remains stored at least until a second network message which is sent by the sink node and confirms the first network message has been received by the source node.