Help! Who loves to hike?!
CBD92
Posts: 72 Member
Okay, so I am doing a 200 km mountain hike at the beginning of May and I'm just wondering what any avid hikers do to prepare for hikes like this. I've done a couple long mountain hikes before including a 50 km up and down part of Canada's highest mountain but nothing like this. It'll be stretched out over 8 days, and the elevation will be up and down throughout but on days 4 and 6 we climb complete mountains from bottom to top (up to 1.2 km straight up.)
I've been working on cardio like crazy, and starting to include the step climber with a weight vest to mimic climbing with my heavy pack. I do lots of strength exercises for my whole body, and do extra care and strength for my knees/hips/ankles.
Any other advice would be awesome! Whether it be for training or even ideas on high energy but super light weight food (all raw) as we will need to carry food for 8 days of trekking and will not be carrying a stove.
Cheers!
~M
I've been working on cardio like crazy, and starting to include the step climber with a weight vest to mimic climbing with my heavy pack. I do lots of strength exercises for my whole body, and do extra care and strength for my knees/hips/ankles.
Any other advice would be awesome! Whether it be for training or even ideas on high energy but super light weight food (all raw) as we will need to carry food for 8 days of trekking and will not be carrying a stove.
Cheers!
~M
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Replies
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Long duration, low intensity. Should have started 4 months ago. Hopefully you haven't been over doing the cardio work....
When I go out for 2 or 3 days, my pack with water is less than 20 lbs and leave the stove at home. I can't imagine the purpose of bringing all raw food for over a week and hoping it is still good at the end. I guess I've never eaten a cold dehydrated meal.... Point being if you're skipping the stove for weight purposes, I can't think of a much worse idea than ditching a stove for that long of a trip.1 -
Sounds like fun!!! I love to hike. Don't do much to prepare, just get sore when I do a lot. But I would say squats, wall sits, weighted stair climbs and so on would be great to build up the heavy climbing muscles2
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Why not carry an ultra light backpackers' stove and freeze dried meals? If it gets cold and rainy, you might really welcome coffee, tea, and hot meals!
Have you read the books "Wild" or the "Barefoot Sisters?" They talk a lot about their mistakes on their thru-hikes as far as gear and food choices. Might be worth a skim-thru?
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Where are you hiking?0
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Shoes! Gaters to go over your shoes to keep your feet free of pebbles.
And go out and do a practice weekend.
Edit: And omg... no stove? Hot food is where it's at for me! Get a little alcohol stove or a stick burning stove.1 -
ronocnikral wrote: »Long duration, low intensity. Should have started 4 months ago. Hopefully you haven't been over doing the cardio work....
When I go out for 2 or 3 days, my pack with water is less than 20 lbs and leave the stove at home. I can't imagine the purpose of bringing all raw food for over a week and hoping it is still good at the end. I guess I've never eaten a cold dehydrated meal.... Point being if you're skipping the stove for weight purposes, I can't think of a much worse idea than ditching a stove for that long of a trip.
Ya thanks for that, I have been training for a very long time. Just looking for some other tips to give me a little more of a push in the final few months.
To everyone else, thanks for the super helpful advice!
Coachjen, the problem with the stove is more so the fact that we are travelling half way accross the country for this trip, so funds are already SUPER tight! We can't really afford to be buying all new equipment, so we figured we would go raw for the trip. We are able to stop at a grocery store once in the middle which is awesome, so I have been doing lots of reading about hikers who pack nuts seeds, protein powders, etc. All that kind of stuff. I can't say I'm looking too forward to it, but I know my meal at the end will be the tastiest of my life!
and no, I have not read either of those. I will head to the library and see if they have any copies. Thanks for the help!
Tiny dancer : we are doing the Sunshine Coast trail. It's the only free hut to hut hiking in all of Canada. It starts along the west coast. Check out the site for yourself! Looks like an amazing hike!
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Sierra I live 9 hours away from any mountains so practice hikes are out of the question for me! Lol. And I really don't mind going a while withou hot food 0
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Oh, wait until you read Barefoot Sisters. They are vegetarian, and they could not say often enough how sick they were of trail mix! LOL
Bummer about the stove, but if finances preclude having one, then those are the breaks. Do you know if there are fire rings at all your tent sites? Maybe a small pot and hot drink supplies could still be doable? If that is the case, I have started saving all my dryer lint in ziplocs for fire starters.
Oh and water filter systems. I never go anywhere without my life straw bottle, and hubby has a pump filter as well.
Also, how are you on your orienteering and survival skills? I am weak on those and trying to improve my knowledge and abilities in those areas, so that I can be a safer hiker.1 -
Ooh, free huts? So jealous! We are looking at Hut trips here in New England. I am still transitioning from day hikes to backpacking, and those kinds of trips appeal to me. Just have to find some in the easier ability range for my fitness and ability level.
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I've flown across the country with a backpacking stove. No big deal. It's smaller and lighter than a hiking boot. We bought fuel upon arrival and gave away the leftover at the end. Fresh food will be heavy to carry, but to each their own.
Some travellers like to wear their hiking boots on the plane to save weight & space in the luggage. Then just wear slippers or socks on the plane.1 -
Lorrpb we are actually driving across country! So space isn't really the issue, it's just the funding.
Coach Jen...you're brilliant you know that? I never even thought to bring a small pot haha. Some of the huts have fire pits. I would say...maybe 8 of the 12 huts so I could totally buy a very small lightweight pot and take that. I think that would be much lighter/take up less space than a portable stove for sure! And I've been saving my dryer lint for 2 years with no purpose, I keep thinking it'll come in handy/I'll throw it outside for the birds/use it in the garden and it's just still sitting there, haha! Good to know that trick. I'll definitely take that with, thanks! And yes, I am also a vegetarian who doesn't even like trail mix to begin with so I can see it'll be a very interesting journey. Honestly this isn't even something I'm looking forward to as in a super exciting vacation, I'm actually slightly dreading it but really love the challenge I would say my survival skills are better than average but I definitely have a lot to learn! Transitioning to backpacking hikes is kind of scary. Last year was my first and it was intense! I've been sure to train hard since then to get ready for this one (we have been planning it for almost a year now!). Are there some pretty good options for hut to hut hiking in New England? I bet there are some really nice ones! 0 -
Also just to clear up my original post, I meant raw as in dense high calorie foods (as in nuts seeds etc,) and anything else like that. Not fruits vegetables etc. I have a greens powder I'll be taking to get my serving of fruits and veg in so I don't have to waste so much space and carry all that extra weight 0
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CoachJen71 wrote: »Oh, wait until you read Barefoot Sisters. They are vegetarian, and they could not say often enough how sick they were of trail mix! LOL
Bummer about the stove, but if finances preclude having one, then those are the breaks. Do you know if there are fire rings at all your tent sites? Maybe a small pot and hot drink supplies could still be doable? If that is the case, I have started saving all my dryer lint in ziplocs for fire starters.
Oh and water filter systems. I never go anywhere without my life straw bottle, and hubby has a pump filter as well.
Also, how are you on your orienteering and survival skills? I am weak on those and trying to improve my knowledge and abilities in those areas, so that I can be a safer hiker.
Oh I also forgot to mention, we have a grayl! What is your straw like? I thought about getting the straw but I thought it was a bit small. We even used the grayl in Thailand, filling up our drinking water in sketchy dirty bathrooms. The baby even drank the water and we never got sick! One of the greatest inventions ever!!0 -
Lorrpb we are actually driving across country! So space isn't really the issue, it's just the funding.
Coach Jen...you're brilliant you know that? I never even thought to bring a small pot haha. Some of the huts have fire pits. I would say...maybe 8 of the 12 huts so I could totally buy a very small lightweight pot and take that. I think that would be much lighter/take up less space than a portable stove for sure! And I've been saving my dryer lint for 2 years with no purpose, I keep thinking it'll come in handy/I'll throw it outside for the birds/use it in the garden and it's just still sitting there, haha! Good to know that trick. I'll definitely take that with, thanks! And yes, I am also a vegetarian who doesn't even like trail mix to begin with so I can see it'll be a very interesting journey. Honestly this isn't even something I'm looking forward to as in a super exciting vacation, I'm actually slightly dreading it but really love the challenge I would say my survival skills are better than average but I definitely have a lot to learn! Transitioning to backpacking hikes is kind of scary. Last year was my first and it was intense! I've been sure to train hard since then to get ready for this one (we have been planning it for almost a year now!). Are there some pretty good options for hut to hut hiking in New England? I bet there are some really nice ones!
I guess I don't understand the funding issue. What does it cost to pack your stove in the car?
If no one in you group has one, you could check out a few different Goodwill stores. I often see such things there but you might have you hunt a little. It's not like they keep a stock like as regular store.0 -
Lorrpb we are actually driving across country! So space isn't really the issue, it's just the funding.
Coach Jen...you're brilliant you know that? I never even thought to bring a small pot haha. Some of the huts have fire pits. I would say...maybe 8 of the 12 huts so I could totally buy a very small lightweight pot and take that. I think that would be much lighter/take up less space than a portable stove for sure! And I've been saving my dryer lint for 2 years with no purpose, I keep thinking it'll come in handy/I'll throw it outside for the birds/use it in the garden and it's just still sitting there, haha! Good to know that trick. I'll definitely take that with, thanks! And yes, I am also a vegetarian who doesn't even like trail mix to begin with so I can see it'll be a very interesting journey. Honestly this isn't even something I'm looking forward to as in a super exciting vacation, I'm actually slightly dreading it but really love the challenge I would say my survival skills are better than average but I definitely have a lot to learn! Transitioning to backpacking hikes is kind of scary. Last year was my first and it was intense! I've been sure to train hard since then to get ready for this one (we have been planning it for almost a year now!). Are there some pretty good options for hut to hut hiking in New England? I bet there are some really nice ones!
I guess I don't understand the funding issue. What does it cost to pack your stove in the car?
If no one in you group has one, you could check out a few different Goodwill stores. I often see such things there but you might have you hunt a little. It's not like they keep a stock like as regular store.
It costs nothing to pack a stove in a car. But it costs money to buy a stove. It also costs money to buy everything we need for the trip and to travel is a hefty expense as well. We buy everything Second hand, but nevertheless, are still on a tight budget. So if we don't need to buy something, we are going to just not buy it if it isn't absolutely necessary.0 -
Sunshine Coast is one the of nicest places on earth0
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Haha no I'm a lazy person I couldn't do that! Been on ferry and boats0
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You can buy a backpacking stove for twelve bucks on Amazon.
Or make one with a hole punch and a small tin. Google DIY alcohol backpacking stove or DIY wood burning backpacking stove.
Literally sub 2oz weights for those stoves.
Noodles would seriously make your life easier out on the trail. Very lightweight, calorie dense, and satisfying/filling after a long day hiking. Same with oats in the morning. Something nice and warm to wake up to. Make sure to eat more than twice what you would normally eat. You're going to be burning some serious calories.
Edit: But more importantly, duct tape! Pack tons of it! And at the first sign of discomfort apply to the area. You seriously don't want blisters!
Downhills are 100% worse than uphills. You should take a trip out with your shoes to see how they preform going downhill. There has to be some hill or rocky area near you. All those stair climbing won't do you any good if the downhills cripple you.0 -
This ^^^^^. Downhill is a good point. Your shoes need lots of toe room and keep your toenails short. I've lost many a toenail from the downhill portions of hikes.1
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Lorrpb we are actually driving across country! So space isn't really the issue, it's just the funding.
Coach Jen...you're brilliant you know that? I never even thought to bring a small pot haha. Some of the huts have fire pits. I would say...maybe 8 of the 12 huts so I could totally buy a very small lightweight pot and take that. I think that would be much lighter/take up less space than a portable stove for sure! And I've been saving my dryer lint for 2 years with no purpose, I keep thinking it'll come in handy/I'll throw it outside for the birds/use it in the garden and it's just still sitting there, haha! Good to know that trick. I'll definitely take that with, thanks! And yes, I am also a vegetarian who doesn't even like trail mix to begin with so I can see it'll be a very interesting journey. Honestly this isn't even something I'm looking forward to as in a super exciting vacation, I'm actually slightly dreading it but really love the challenge I would say my survival skills are better than average but I definitely have a lot to learn! Transitioning to backpacking hikes is kind of scary. Last year was my first and it was intense! I've been sure to train hard since then to get ready for this one (we have been planning it for almost a year now!). Are there some pretty good options for hut to hut hiking in New England? I bet there are some really nice ones!
I guess I don't understand the funding issue. What does it cost to pack your stove in the car?
If no one in you group has one, you could check out a few different Goodwill stores. I often see such things there but you might have you hunt a little. It's not like they keep a stock like as regular store.
It costs nothing to pack a stove in a car. But it costs money to buy a stove. It also costs money to buy everything we need for the trip and to travel is a hefty expense as well. We buy everything Second hand, but nevertheless, are still on a tight budget. So if we don't need to buy something, we are going to just not buy it if it isn't absolutely necessary.
My husband would consider a stove absolutely necessary LOL! Have a great cook-free trip.0 -
If you do go cold, English muffins and tortillas pack well and aren't heavy. Peanut or almond butter, cheese, Spam, sausage etc. last well on longer hikes. Try tuna or salmon in foil. Dried milk and granola work well for breakfast. See if you can find NIDO, which is a full fat version of dried milk. For snacks, lots of cookies (Oreos or Fig Newtons pack well), chocolate, dried fruit, nuts or Gorp. You can pick up more at your resupply. There are edible coffee beans if you want some caffeine. We liked sugar free tea or Kool-Aid, if you can find it where you live. Crystal light is usually available. After a while, it's nice to put some flavor in your water and sugar free is lighter than sugared beverages.
Make sure you try out anything you plan to bring before you go. There is nothing worse than discovering you hate something you brought with you and having to carry it for several days before you can throw it out. Although appetite will make mediocre food edible, it won't do anything for something truly awful. Hiker boxes on the AT are full of protein powder that the hikers couldn't stand.1 -
Maybe there are some ideas or tips in this documentary to help you. My favorite documentary!
https://youtu.be/bJsZ08582To 0 -
Chocolate. You have to pack some of that. Actually every army ration pack will contain dark chocolate. This article looking at ration packs from around the world might give you some ideas.
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/army-ration-packs-from-around-the-world/news-story/25297ce1dbfa07c4dcec9734f35c76f91 -
My advice is a little different from others' here, but I think being in good shape cardio/strength wise is probably the most important, rather than doing anything in particular to train, especially if you don't have mountains (do you have hills though?) nearby. 1.2 km of elevation gain sounds like a lot but it is quite doable for most active people, especially if you go at a comfortable pace and give yourself enough time to take breaks.
I would suggest breaking in your hiking boots before going, walking up and down inclines if at all possible (at the gym, doing stairs, even).
Also, do you have hiking poles? They can be great for taking strain off your knees and using more of your body, not just your legs, to hike. Big sticks and ski poles work fine, too.
And enjoy! It looks amazing!!!0
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