Training for backpacking

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Seriously, no backpackers in the house?

    It's been awhile, but when I was training to hike my first 14er (oh so many moons ago) I pretty much hit the mountains 3 times per week. I'd do a full pack hike one day, and half pack hike the other day, and a no pack longer hike on the third day. I can't remember how many weeks I did this, but it was for a couple of months. Every week I upped the miles and picked more difficult trails. Make sure you are hiking both at an incline and a decline as you're training. On my non-hike days I did just enough exercise to keep me moving about, but nothing intense.

    For my general backpacking trips I used to take, I didn't do much because I used to hike in the mountains frequently for recreation..but if you're not used to it, you definitely need to train up.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Should I put on weight for that kind of trip? I'm 128, and about 16% body fat. I don't want to drop down under 125, and my buddy planning the trip said I should load 6-14 days prior and put on 7.5 lbs of fat. 7.5 seems ridiculous ( I think he gave me this number based on his size and not mine), but I'm thinking 2 or 3 is probably about right. WIll there be an energy advantage to having the extra fat? I have 10 lbs of extra fat for fuel on my body already.

    I wouldn't put on weight, but you'll definitely want to throuroughly plan out your pack meals. Lost of calories and lots of protein when you're out there, you will need the energy.
  • _reno_
    _reno_ Posts: 87 Member
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    Looks like you already got tons of advice.
    A few more things to add.

    Find a short steep hill that is close to home (should take about 10 minutes to get up it). Do hill repeats with a heavy pack (work up to 120% of your target weight for the trip). Your goal should be to get up the hill as fast as possible, then leisurely stroll back down. Repeat. This is a great interval workout, that also trains sport specific strength. It will increase your speed up hill, and make your normal pack weight feel more comfortable.

    When climbing long hills / mountains with a training pack you can save your knees by using water or rocks from the trail as pack weights. You can then discard at the weight at the top.

    For the actual hike do EVERYTHING you can to make your pack lighter!! Every ounce counts on those long trips.

    I have found these books to be VERY useful in developing a personalized training plan. They are more valuable than a personal trainer IMHO. They are both available at my local library.

    http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Training-Performance-Mountaineers-Outdoor/dp/1594850984

    http://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Athlete-Courtenay-Schurman/dp/0736076115/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357232993&sr=1-1&keywords=outdoor+athlete
  • ejwme
    ejwme Posts: 318
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    I used to hang with mountaineers, and remember some of the nutso things they used to do (turned me off Backpacking, until my BIL introduced me to Backpacking In Style (yes, it is worth it to haul in some lovely wine and steaks - you just can't go far with them). The crazy mountaineers would do stuff like skip toothbrush + paste, go for floss and bakingsoda (or nothing - ew). For food, it gets super old but nuts and dried fruit are very calorically dense, lightweight, and cheap - dried food like ramen doesn't weigh much if you've got enough water and fire for cooking. Obviously plan your water carrying and filtering so you only carry when you need. Another thing that might make life easier - if you're going with people, make sure you aren't all carrying things you can share, like pots/pans, utensils, first aid, etc. The crazy mountaineers used to have pre-trip packing parties where the whole group would get together with their intended packs to make sure everybody had what everybody thought they needed. Maybe they weren't so crazy.

    Things that might make life easier if you do end up bruised - they make reusable cold compresses that you just add water to recharge, like this one: http://www.arcticease.com/what-is-arctic-ease/#row-2 You could take it with you for very little added weight and potentially a tremendous benefit if you need it. But get fitted properly for a pack, it really does make life so much easier.
  • mhcoss
    mhcoss Posts: 220
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    A good pack and good boots are an absolute must for a trip of your ambition. Even with the best gear your going to start to get sore where the pack contacts you after hiking that far for days on end.

    Buy the pack ahead of time and load it up and then hit the streets or treadmill! that will help get you accustomed to the pack ahead of time.

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