Training for backpacking
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RobynLB
Posts: 617 Member
Hi all. Any tips of training for a 10 day / 14-20 mile per day backpacking trip? It's not until August, and I am already in overall good shape, so I won't start pack specific training until around May. My last trip was a 3 day in Yosemite, we did 10 mile days, and I didn't think to train for the pack because I already train about 10 hours a week in running and boxing, and I just didn't think it was necessary. Boy was I wrong! I was hurting and exhausted for most of the hiking time. It was absolutely brutal! This trip is going to be more than three times as long with 14-20 mile days, and I want to enjoy it rather than feel like I am slogging though it painfully.
Also, I'm a little worried about food for the length of the trip. I lost about 1/2 lb. a day on the three day trip, which wasn't too bad, but I don't want to end up losing 5 lbs. or more on the 10 day trip. Should I put on an extra 2-3 lbs the month before the trip so that I have a little extra fuel or should I just plan to carry more food? It seems like you just can't carry enough food to maintain while doing intense backpacking.
Also, I'm a little worried about food for the length of the trip. I lost about 1/2 lb. a day on the three day trip, which wasn't too bad, but I don't want to end up losing 5 lbs. or more on the 10 day trip. Should I put on an extra 2-3 lbs the month before the trip so that I have a little extra fuel or should I just plan to carry more food? It seems like you just can't carry enough food to maintain while doing intense backpacking.
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Replies
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Seriously, no backpackers in the house?0
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Hike, its the only way that I've found that really gets you ready. Also my dad used to get ready for hunting trips out in Colorado by packing his back pack full of canned food or sandbags and then going for 5-7 mi walks, usually fairly hilly too.
Nut butters are calorie dense and easy to pack, I think that would be an easy way to keep up the cals.0 -
It's been awhile since I have done that kind of trip, wish I had the time for one. I would continue to get in as many hikes as you can over the winter and spring. The biggest thing you will need to prepare for is the increased weight during the backpacking trip. For this I would suggest some day hikes and even an overnight hike with your pack, load the pack with the same weight that you plan to carry on the longer hike. The biggest key is to get your non-food items as light as possible. As for your question about food, I would suggest looking for calorie dense foods to take with you. Nuts, peanut butter, trail mix are great for snacking on while hiking and will give you plenty of fuel to keep going. Have a great time hiking. Where will you be hiking?0
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I do backpacking and fastpacking.
Core strength will help you the most.
I use a lot of freeze dried high calorie foods for eating at night. During the day it is mostly liquid carbs, peanut butter, stuff like that.
When I do training, I generally load up my back with bricks wrapped with duct tape and wrapped in a blanket. Bricks weigh around 5 pounds a piece and pavers around 10 a piece so you can easily and cheaply train with full pack weights.
Forgot to mention:
http://www.rmiguides.com/resources/conditioning.php
RMI expeditions which is a mountaineering outfitter has a good link on conditioning.0 -
Hi,
I am a backpacker and totally feel your pain. I am way better now but I do remember those awful days. Thank god the scenery is so beautiful or else we'd never come back!
What was it that was so brutal for you last time? the cardio? your feet? blisters? achy legs? heavy bag?
What helped me was to make hiking a priority for about 3-4 months before the trip. Hike at least once a week and make sure they are long and hard so your feet and body get accustomed to the labor. You could carry a bag even and progressively add weight to it. If its cardio - join a spin class - that made a COLOSSAL difference for me. If its achy feet from pounding the trail - a) make sure your shoes fit properly b) make sure you walk (esp downhill) without slamming down on your feet. Achy legs should be helped by hiking before the big trip. If its a heavy bag that's hurting your back- make sure you only carry whats necessary. and there is only certain things absolutely necessary.
As for food, yes you can never eat as many calories are you will burn while backpacking so having a buffer layer of a few extra pounds before you go is a good thing.
Make sure the food you do carry is worth the weight of it and has plenty of protein, carbs and sodium.
I'd love to talk more about this with you if you want!
It will get easier!! 0 -
It's been awhile since I have done that kind of trip, wish I had the time for one. I would continue to get in as many hikes as you can over the winter and spring. The biggest thing you will need to prepare for is the increased weight during the backpacking trip. For this I would suggest some day hikes and even an overnight hike with your pack, load the pack with the same weight that you plan to carry on the longer hike. The biggest key is to get your non-food items as light as possible. As for your question about food, I would suggest looking for calorie dense foods to take with you. Nuts, peanut butter, trail mix are great for snacking on while hiking and will give you plenty of fuel to keep going. Have a great time hiking. Where will you be hiking?
Pacific Rim trail. Last time I brought the smallest most high cal bars I could find-- 2400+ calories worth per person per day and it STILL wasn't enough. I just found out that we are stopping for a repack though, so I don't have to carry 10 days worth of food, which I think will help tremendously.0 -
I hike a lot, and i do mean a lottttt.. lol.. I read on here strengthen your core, that is a great way to start. Also I find ppl need to strenghten there legs too, a lot of woemn concentrate on " toning" hulking a pack around is't much for toning but requires a lil power. Train what works for you and best of luck!!!! 0
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Hi,
I am a backpacker and totally feel your pain. I am way better now but I do remember those awful days. Thank god the scenery is so beautiful or else we'd never come back!
What was it that was so brutal for you last time? the cardio? your feet? blisters? achy legs? heavy bag?
What helped me was to make hiking a priority for about 3-4 months before the trip. Hike at least once a week and make sure they are long and hard so your feet and body get accustomed to the labor. You could carry a bag even and progressively add weight to it. If its cardio - join a spin class - that made a COLOSSAL difference for me. If its achy feet from pounding the trail - a) make sure your shoes fit properly b) make sure you walk (esp downhill) without slamming down on your feet. Achy legs should be helped by hiking before the big trip. If its a heavy bag that's hurting your back- make sure you only carry whats necessary. and there is only certain things absolutely necessary.
As for food, yes you can never eat as many calories are you will burn while backpacking so having a buffer layer of a few extra pounds before you go is a good thing. Make sure the food you do carry is worth the weight of it and has plenty of protein, carbs and sodium.
I'd love to talk more about this with you if you want!
It will get easier!!
I do a ton of cardio between trail running and boxing. What was killing me was the pack. I had big bruises on my hips from it, and my shoulders and back hurt, and I just found it so tiring to carry by the end of the day I was so achy and tired I just wanted to collapse. I don't want to buy a new pack or anything, but the used rental pack I bought at REI for 20$ probably isn't fitted to me properly. Or is bruising normal?0 -
I do a ton of cardio between trail running and boxing. What was killing me was the pack. I had big bruises on my hips from it, and my shoulders and back hurt, and I just found it so tiring to carry by the end of the day I was so achy and tired I just wanted to collapse. I don't want to buy a new pack or anything, but the used rental pack I bought at REI for 20$ probably isn't fitted to me properly. Or is bruising normal?
Cardio is great but have you tried supplementing with weight lifting. A basic 5x5 program or something similar would probably be good crosstraining. I know my core strength has improved immensely with only a few months of steady heavy lifting under my belt. And even just the couple times a week I did before that helped with my half marathon too.0 -
I do a ton of cardio between trail running and boxing. What was killing me was the pack. I had big bruises on my hips from it, and my shoulders and back hurt, and I just found it so tiring to carry by the end of the day I was so achy and tired I just wanted to collapse. I don't want to buy a new pack or anything, but the used rental pack I bought at REI for 20$ probably isn't fitted to me properly. Or is bruising normal?
Cardio is great but have you tried supplementing with weight lifting. A basic 5x5 program or something similar would probably be good crosstraining. I know my core strength has improved immensely with only a few months of steady heavy lifting under my belt. And even just the couple times a week I did before that helped with my half marathon too.
Boxing includes about 30 minutes of calisthenics - hundreds of crunches in different variations, squats, burpees, and pushups. I did find that tightening my core and pulling my abs into my bellybutton like in pilates helped take the strain off my back with the pack.0 -
Bodyweight is great and all but it can only build so much strength. If you have access to a gym with a squat rack, look into Starting Strength or Stronglifts and get to lifting heavy *kitten*. Both are good beginner programs that even if only done twice a week will help a lot.
In my mind backpacking requires strength and endurance, hike for the endurance, weightlift for strength.0 -
Hi,
I am a backpacker and totally feel your pain. I am way better now but I do remember those awful days. Thank god the scenery is so beautiful or else we'd never come back!
What was it that was so brutal for you last time? the cardio? your feet? blisters? achy legs? heavy bag?
What helped me was to make hiking a priority for about 3-4 months before the trip. Hike at least once a week and make sure they are long and hard so your feet and body get accustomed to the labor. You could carry a bag even and progressively add weight to it. If its cardio - join a spin class - that made a COLOSSAL difference for me. If its achy feet from pounding the trail - a) make sure your shoes fit properly b) make sure you walk (esp downhill) without slamming down on your feet. Achy legs should be helped by hiking before the big trip. If its a heavy bag that's hurting your back- make sure you only carry whats necessary. and there is only certain things absolutely necessary.
As for food, yes you can never eat as many calories are you will burn while backpacking so having a buffer layer of a few extra pounds before you go is a good thing. Make sure the food you do carry is worth the weight of it and has plenty of protein, carbs and sodium.
I'd love to talk more about this with you if you want!
It will get easier!!
I do a ton of cardio between trail running and boxing. What was killing me was the pack. I had big bruises on my hips from it, and my shoulders and back hurt, and I just found it so tiring to carry by the end of the day I was so achy and tired I just wanted to collapse. I don't want to buy a new pack or anything, but the used rental pack I bought at REI for 20$ probably isn't fitted to me properly. Or is bruising normal?
Bruising is not normal. Getting a pack that fits you properly will make a huge difference. When you have a pack that fits properly you will find that you don't even know the weight is there most of the time. Finding a pack is not a quick process of just going in and getting the first one that looks good, you need to try on as many different packs as possible and ask the salespeople if they have some weight that you can put into the pack to make sure it is still comfortable after it is full. Spending the time and a little extra money on the pack will make a big difference. I would also suggest going to a store like REI that specializes in backpacking equipment.0 -
Bodyweight is great and all but it can only build so much strength. If you have access to a gym with a squat rack, look into Starting Strength or Stronglifts and get to lifting heavy *kitten*. Both are good beginner programs that even if only done twice a week will help a lot.
In my mind backpacking requires strength and endurance, hike for the endurance, weightlift for strength.
Good idea. I'm going to start tacking those on while I wait for class to start. I want to get my back, shoulders, and quads really strong for carrying weight.0 -
The bruising is not normal. Soreness always seems to be. Since you have an REI close by, call and ask who there is best for fitting your pack. The one you have may be OK once properly fitted, or you may need a new one. You want the weight properly distributed between the hip belt and the shoulders. There should be little to no space between the pack and your back and your pack should not be swaying around.
HTH0 -
I have gone winter camping via snowmobile in the arctic before and although the temp difference is huge, we aim to eat 10,000 + calories per day (and I still have always lost weight). I would think with your hiking itinerary you'd be aiming for at least half that so high-calorie foods is a must to make it to 5,000 cals/day.
I agree that heavy pack training would be super important to prepare. You really need to start lifting heavy weight too, youd notice a big help, especially in the legs.0 -
Core, cardio, balance and endurance would be my foci this early in training. Run on trails as often as possible with fartleks on the climbs. As for weight training, I agree that you need to be able to lift a considerable weight, but you need to be able to hold it there as well, so make sure you can squat 125% or so of your pack weight.
I like to hike the Bernese Alps, mostly starting out from Lauterbrunnen and some of these trails get steep. A well-fitting pack will make your hike so much more enjoyable. There is the added benefit of being able to carry a greater load if the pack is right for you and properly loaded. If there is some sort of sport shop that offers these services/classes, might be a good thing to look into.0 -
My idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn.0
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That's a pretty intense backpack trip.
Talk to the others in your group.
Sounds like you are already in good shape.
Talk to the other backpackers about packing light.
If you are new, you can probably shave 5-10 lbs from your back.
If you are new and want so spend a crazy amount of money, you can shave 20lbs+ from your pack.0 -
Hi,
I am a backpacker and totally feel your pain. I am way better now but I do remember those awful days. Thank god the scenery is so beautiful or else we'd never come back!
What was it that was so brutal for you last time? the cardio? your feet? blisters? achy legs? heavy bag?
What helped me was to make hiking a priority for about 3-4 months before the trip. Hike at least once a week and make sure they are long and hard so your feet and body get accustomed to the labor. You could carry a bag even and progressively add weight to it. If its cardio - join a spin class - that made a COLOSSAL difference for me. If its achy feet from pounding the trail - a) make sure your shoes fit properly b) make sure you walk (esp downhill) without slamming down on your feet. Achy legs should be helped by hiking before the big trip. If its a heavy bag that's hurting your back- make sure you only carry whats necessary. and there is only certain things absolutely necessary.
As for food, yes you can never eat as many calories are you will burn while backpacking so having a buffer layer of a few extra pounds before you go is a good thing. Make sure the food you do carry is worth the weight of it and has plenty of protein, carbs and sodium.
I'd love to talk more about this with you if you want!
It will get easier!!
I do a ton of cardio between trail running and boxing. What was killing me was the pack. I had big bruises on my hips from it, and my shoulders and back hurt, and I just found it so tiring to carry by the end of the day I was so achy and tired I just wanted to collapse. I don't want to buy a new pack or anything, but the used rental pack I bought at REI for 20$ probably isn't fitted to me properly. Or is bruising normal?
No, not normal. Sounds like a bad fitting pack, badly loaded. Lots of fancy women specific design, and lots of cottage industry pack makers out there too. But instead of doing something like a cuben pack from zpacks, hopefully your REI has a nice large selection
How much are you carrying? What's your base weight? MFP isn't the best place for this kind of analysis. Whiteblaze.net would be my suggestion, even though it's much more AT based, there are quite a few regulars who are west coast/PCT/CDT based.
So back to your original question: all I do is run. That's good enough for me to do 25 mpd around Lake Tahoe, with a very heavy pack I took to Philmont in 1992 and a big bear canister. We'll see if its enough to do 20 mpd in the White Mountains this summer.0 -
Hi,
I am a backpacker and totally feel your pain. I am way better now but I do remember those awful days. Thank god the scenery is so beautiful or else we'd never come back!
What was it that was so brutal for you last time? the cardio? your feet? blisters? achy legs? heavy bag?
What helped me was to make hiking a priority for about 3-4 months before the trip. Hike at least once a week and make sure they are long and hard so your feet and body get accustomed to the labor. You could carry a bag even and progressively add weight to it. If its cardio - join a spin class - that made a COLOSSAL difference for me. If its achy feet from pounding the trail - a) make sure your shoes fit properly b) make sure you walk (esp downhill) without slamming down on your feet. Achy legs should be helped by hiking before the big trip. If its a heavy bag that's hurting your back- make sure you only carry whats necessary. and there is only certain things absolutely necessary.
As for food, yes you can never eat as many calories are you will burn while backpacking so having a buffer layer of a few extra pounds before you go is a good thing. Make sure the food you do carry is worth the weight of it and has plenty of protein, carbs and sodium.
I'd love to talk more about this with you if you want!
It will get easier!!
I do a ton of cardio between trail running and boxing. What was killing me was the pack. I had big bruises on my hips from it, and my shoulders and back hurt, and I just found it so tiring to carry by the end of the day I was so achy and tired I just wanted to collapse. I don't want to buy a new pack or anything, but the used rental pack I bought at REI for 20$ probably isn't fitted to me properly. Or is bruising normal?
Thats the problem. You need, absolutely must, get your own pack. It needs to fit YOU. You most definitely should not have bruising. A little discomfort from something new is normal and maybe some tenderness around the hips -but you should not feel your bag at all. It should not be causing you localized pain. I struggled with this too. If you are doing ten days - you really should get a bag for your own fit. Make sure you know how to put it on and in which order to adjust the straps.There is a sweet spot where yes, you can feel there is a bag on you, but the weight is distributed off your shoulders and onto your hips - comfortably. Make sure you pack you bag in a way that makes sense too. Try to make the overall bag one mass of strategically stuffed items and not all loosey goosey with odd placement of things. Hope that helps. The right bag, shoes and conditioning makes backpacking -dare i say - challenging, yet..mostly comfortable! 0
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