Backpacking / Hiking Daily Miles

T1DCarnivoreRunner

I was recently backpacking through a wilderness area with 2 other individuals. None of the 3 of us are extremely fit, but we are not terribly out of shape either. We (the 2 of us that put the work into reviewing the topo maps and terrain ahead of time) had planned around 12-13 miles on average each day. Terrain was relatively easy, with a few hills, a few short rock scramble areas, and most of the rest through forests.

One of the individuals in our group was clearly uncomfortable going more then 3-5 miles daily. Consider we are carrying full packs with all gear for staying overnight in the wilderness (her pack was around 20-30 lbs.). Am I being unreasonable to think that 12-13 miles is a rational daily mileage goal? What kind of mileage would others plan to complete in similar circumstances?

beemerphile1

Your goal is reasonable but you must team up with people of similar goals and abilities.

Many think the fastest/strongest person sets the pace/distance, in reality it is the slowest/weakest person that controls the pace/distance.

peleroja

Depending on her size, a 30lb backpack might have been considerably harder for her than it was for you. A beginner hiker shouldn't be carrying more than 20% of body weight, either, and I know a backpack that size would be over that for me personally and would definitely increase the difficulty by a large margin. I don't like to carry much more than 20 lbs backpacking, and trust me when I say an extra 5 -10 pounds makes a difference, especially for a woman who might not have a ton of muscle.

12-13 miles is a bit ambitious for beginners in my opinion as well - I would have planned for 6-10 depending on elevation gains and altitude (closer to ten for a shorter trip, more like 6 for a longer one.) 12-13 miles is certainly possible for beginners in good shape but I wouldn't have been banking on making it that far personally, especially if I were with someone for whom a 25-30lb load is unaccustomed and a fairly large proportion of her body weight.

ETA: I've always read to plan for 50-70% of your average "day hike" distance on a multi-day trek especially if you're not super experienced. So if you could do 15 miles on a day hike, don't plan to complete more than 7-11ish on a multiday.

JenAndSome

Apparently your assessment of their fitness level was incorrect.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

JenAndSome wrote: »

Apparently your assessment of their fitness level was incorrect.

It was more of an issue with psychological fitness than physical fitness. She was mentally uncomfortable going more then 3-5 miles daily, not unable physically. It was an "are we there yet" thing.

ThickMcRunFast

Depends on their experience and conditioning...and the length of the trip. Even someone who is in relative 'good shape' may have a hard time hiking over open terrain with a pack for the first time. Someone could probably do it for one day, then be wrecked the next. What might take a semi-experienced hiker 4 or 5 hours could take a newbie 6-8 hours, and that is a long time to be on your feet if you're not used to it.

If I were planning for a total newbie, I don't know that I'd go over 10 miles per day for a multi-day trip. I'd probably plan the longest hike in, then hikes around the camp where they don't have to take all their gear (or they can opt out of if they just want to relax at camp), then the hike back out.

juggernaut1974

midwesterner85 wrote: »

Am I being unreasonable to think that 12-13 miles is a rational daily mileage goal?

Well, considering you have objective evidence to go off of, I would say the answer is undeniably yes, at least as far as this particular individual is concerned.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

Yes, that makes complete sense: It was an error in assessing an individual's capability.

ETA: Capability meaning both physical and psychological ability.

CoachJen71

My best hiking days so far hit at about 7ish miles of a mix of easy and moderate terrain now, and for only a single day, but at the beginning of the summer 3 or 4 was my max. (And both numbers would be considerably lower with a heavier pack and no poles.) My hubby on the other hand could have joined you, no problem at all. We have learned through our day hikes together that he has to either plan alternate solo routes for me to accommodate his need for a greater challenge, or a route with an "out" after 5-6 miles of hiking together, with another mile or so back to the car on flat ground for me.

CoachJen71

beemerphile1 wrote: »

Many think the fastest/strongest person sets the pace/distance, in reality it is the slowest/weakest person that controls the pace/distance.

Absolutely!

segacs

It really varies by person. I'd consider myself to be in reasonably good shape, but I also consider 3-5 miles a more doable daily goal for me. A 30lb backpack would be almost 30% of my body weight, so I'd never carry anything that heavy. Furthermore, at 5'1", I have short legs, an (almost certainly) shorter stride than you, and navigating terrain that's uneven, rocky or requiring a lot of climbing is trickier. Women on average have less upper body strength, comparatively less muscle mass, and climbing steps is tougher since each step is proportionally higher for us than it is for you.

Not to say that female hikers can't be every bit as badass as male hikers. I mean, there are hardcore hikers like this Oregon woman who prove that female hikers can do everything male hikers can do (backwards and in high heels... just kidding). It really does vary by the individual.

But yes, I think 12-13 miles per day is really ambitious for a beginner.

And also, for many of us, hiking isn't so much about the distance we cover, but about the experience of being out there on the trail. What's the point of going on a hiking trip if you're constantly scrambling to "hurry up" and you end up rushing past all the flora, fauna and nature? I like to take photos, appreciate the moments and the views, and have time to relax while I'm out there, too. I'm not trying to run a race.

It sounds like you just had very different goals and objectives for this hiking trip. This is really something that you should discuss at the planning phase.

Machka9

midwesterner85 wrote: »

I was recently backpacking through a wilderness area with 2 other individuals. None of the 3 of us are extremely fit, but we are not terribly out of shape either. We (the 2 of us that put the work into reviewing the topo maps and terrain ahead of time) had planned around 12-13 miles on average each day. Terrain was relatively easy, with a few hills, a few short rock scramble areas, and most of the rest through forests.

One of the individuals in our group was clearly uncomfortable going more then 3-5 miles daily. Consider we are carrying full packs with all gear for staying overnight in the wilderness (her pack was around 20-30 lbs.). Am I being unreasonable to think that 12-13 miles is a rational daily mileage goal? What kind of mileage would others plan to complete in similar circumstances?

I'm active. I walk 5-8 km/day on a regular basis + other exercise. And I've done some hiking, but for me at this point, especially carrying a full pack, I would likely only feel comfortable with about 10-12 km/day. That's kilometres. So ... maybe 6-8 miles/day.

As someone else mentioned, these things need to be discussed ahead of time.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

Thank you for the replies. The route and daily mileage was planned ahead of time. Frankly, I didn't think she was ready for the plan, but she insisted she was. Still, I suggested we go for a weekend hike a few weeks prior. At that point, she seemed better than I expected, but not up to the plan. I expressed my concern, and she insisted she would be ready and able. I should have been more insistent that she couldn't do it. None of that is really related to my question.

The question was about what mileage others are capable of doing. I was amazed that a person of average fitness would spend all day to only go 3-5 miles in easy terrain. I was looking for a point of comparison to see whether approx. 1 mph is typical or not.

segacs

I think the real question is, how many hours per day are you comfortable moving? (As opposed to, say, resting, sleeping, pitching or taking down camp, eating, relaxing, taking photos, etc.) I could walk a mile an hour on relatively easy terrain without much trouble. But I probably wouldn't want to keep it up for 12 hours straight. I'd be more than happy with 5 or 6 hours of actual walking in a typical day, max.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

segacs wrote: »

I think the real question is, how many hours per day are you comfortable moving? (As opposed to, say, resting, sleeping, pitching or taking down camp, eating, relaxing, taking photos, etc.) I could walk a mile an hour on relatively easy terrain without much trouble. But I probably wouldn't want to keep it up for 12 hours straight. I'd be more than happy with 5 or 6 hours of actual walking in a typical day, max.

That is a good point, so maybe the question should have been posed differently. What is a typical speed for easy terrain while carrying an overnight pack? In 5-6 hours, does that mean you would cook breakfast and pack up by 9am or 10am, hike until 3pm, and then set up camp and cook dinner, etc.?

segacs

Yeah, or take a few breaks in the middle for, say, lunch, or a swim in a lake, or photography, or just sitting around shooting the breeze. My hiking isn't so much a sport as a way to socialize and see great scenery. I'm not a regular hiker, and I tend to do it most often when I'm travelling someplace -- in which case, I'm going to prioritize the spectacular scenery above all.

I have friends who are avid hikers and are on the trail every weekend and several trips per year. I have a friend who hiked the PCT. That's a different story; they're out there trying to cover ground and reach specific goals.

Me, I'm out there to see pretty stuff. So yeah, I'll tend to meander.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

Sure... I stop and take lots of photos too. Especially if I see wildlife or come upon a great view. So what kind of speed do you average doing that?

peleroja

So....this is just a thread so you can tell someone whom I assume you consider a friend "So there, other people can do it, you're weak and I was right?" Because that's kind of unfortunate.

I gave a more complete answer upthread, but I'm a fairly experienced hiker and on our recent multiday backpacking trip in Peru, our days ranged from 8-13 miles per day over 8 days, and that was carrying only daypacks as we had support (but the terrain was difficult with a ton of daily elevation gain as well as being up around 16,000 ft altitude, which my husband struggled a lot with.) Here at home when we're carrying all our stuff but aren't up so high and aren't climbing multiple mountain passes every day, we still don't average much more than that because our goal isn't usually to go as far as possible. We just want to hang out in nature and get a little fresh air and exercise...

I have no idea what our average speed would be, honestly. That's not really what we're in it for.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

peleroja wrote: »

So....this is just a thread so you can tell someone whom I assume you consider a friend "So there, other people can do it, you're weak and I was right?" Because that's kind of unfortunate.

I gave a more complete answer upthread, but I'm a fairly experienced hiker and on our recent multiday backpacking trip in Peru, our days ranged from 8-13 miles per day over 8 days, and that was carrying only daypacks as we had support (but the terrain was difficult with a ton of daily elevation gain as well as being up around 16,000 ft altitude, which my husband struggled a lot with.) Here at home when we're carrying all our stuff but aren't up so high and aren't climbing multiple mountain passes every day, we still don't average much more than that because our goal isn't usually to go as far as possible. We just want to hang out in nature and get a little fresh air and exercise...

I have no idea what our average speed would be, honestly. That's not really what we're in it for.

Nope, not at all. The other person has no idea this thread exists or even that I'm a member of this site. I have no intention of sharing that I'm asking this question nor of the results. There is zero intent to to go back and say, "so there, other people can do it, you're weak and I was right."

I'm trying to self-assess whether my expectations are realistic. The mileage is something we agreed to before-hand, and I've already had the conversation with her about that issue. Now I'm just trying to determine whether the miles we agreed to was way over the top or not. In other words, was it so dang high that we all should have known that only an elite athlete could do it?

peleroja

midwesterner85 wrote: »

peleroja wrote: »

So....this is just a thread so you can tell someone whom I assume you consider a friend "So there, other people can do it, you're weak and I was right?" Because that's kind of unfortunate.

I gave a more complete answer upthread, but I'm a fairly experienced hiker and on our recent multiday backpacking trip in Peru, our days ranged from 8-13 miles per day over 8 days, and that was carrying only daypacks as we had support (but the terrain was difficult with a ton of daily elevation gain as well as being up around 16,000 ft altitude, which my husband struggled a lot with.) Here at home when we're carrying all our stuff but aren't up so high and aren't climbing multiple mountain passes every day, we still don't average much more than that because our goal isn't usually to go as far as possible. We just want to hang out in nature and get a little fresh air and exercise...

I have no idea what our average speed would be, honestly. That's not really what we're in it for.

Nope, not at all. The other person has no idea this thread exists or even that I'm a member of this site. I have no intention of sharing that I'm asking this question nor of the results. There is zero intent to to go back and say, "so there, other people can do it, you're weak and I was right."

I'm trying to self-assess whether my expectations are realistic. The mileage is something we agreed to before-hand, and I've already had the conversation with her about that issue. Now I'm just trying to determine whether the miles we agreed to was way over the top or not. In other words, was it so dang high that we all should have known that only an elite athlete could do it?

My apologies. It's tough to read tone and I was seeing what reads to me like a lot of veiled blame in your words.

I think the answer lies somewhere in the middle. 3-5 miles is probably pretty low if you'd like to spend the day hiking (I would consider that a half-day even for a new hiker), but 12-13 miles is indeed pretty ambitious for a beginner with that much weight in her pack (due to all the stuff upthread about percentage of body weight and women having less muscle on average etc.) It's not an "elite" distance by any means but I wouldn't have done it myself with an inexperienced hiker. Agreeing on it beforehand is fine but without a lot of experience it's unlikely that she understood what that kind of distance was going to be like.

segacs

Yeah, I think you've already answered your own question: In her case, it was obviously an unrealistic expectation, because she wasn't comfortable doing it.

There's no single answer that will apply to everyone. Comfort levels and fitness levels vary so much, person by person, that there's simply no way to provide a rule of thumb on this thread.