stupid idea: long distance hike?
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Well, I'm not British. but the UK is kind of metric anyway. They just haven't pulled it through properly yet. Temperatures in celsius, distances still in miles or occasionally yards (while it should be km or meters I think) and a weird mix of pints, grams, ml and pounds all around
Guess this whole process might very well take another 20 years or so 
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Well, I'm not British. but the UK is kind of metric anyway. They just haven't pulled it through properly yet. Temperatures in celsius, distances still in miles or occasionally yards (while it should be km or meters I think) and a weird mix of pints, grams, ml and pounds all around Guess this whole process might very well take another 20 years or so
us Brits like to mix it up - makes it easier when converting between the two -
so height of a person measured in feet and inches (younger folks use centimetres)
weight measured in stone and pounds (often kilos as well)
cooking measurements either in ounces of grams (choose one and stick to it through the recipe), never cups, but spoon measurements as well (teaspoon, dessertspoon, tablespoon)
distance - miles, yards, furlongs, (vehicle speed is mph but cars show both)
space - this could be acres, hectares, chains, metre squared - office buildings are advertised as square footage
volume - pints, fluid ounces, millilitres - fuel is measured in litres and gallons, and vehicle fuel consumption miles per gallon (except for Mazda, who measure in metres per 100 miles!!!!)
TV screens - inches from corner to corner
Temperature - celsius/centigrade, wind speed metres per second with the Beaufort scale used for shipping (don't get started on the language of the Shipping Forecast)
I work in the building industry, and timber is referred to in inches (a piece of 2b2 is 2 inches square), joists are laid at 12-14inch centres but when buying sawn six side stone the measurements are in millimetres (length x breadth x height).
Otherwise, where's the challenge????
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Go for it! Sounds like a great adventure! My only suggestion is have a backup plan if you have to bail out early.0
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Doable. Train with a pack and the weight you will take with you, as the added weight will change your gait and make it harder on your feet.
Learn blister care. Take plenty of good socks.0 -
Thanks a lot! I thought about using my running shoes. They are comfy and I know them. Weather... Well this is the UK but the weather has been marvellous the last few months. I can still decide to cancel a few days ahead if the forecast is not good though. Water: yeah... I'm very much a hot weather girl and don't mind being active at close to 50C (that's over 120F?) or go on a day long hike at way over 30 C. But water is a given. And I'll check out those towns for thai massage salons for a relaxing oil massage.
Nooo my advice would be to avoid the running shoes.
I did a 15 mile hike last summer and wore my runners, thinking "it's flat, it will be fine"... NOPE. Miserable, 5-6 blisters, blood, could barely finish. I would get some good solid hiking boots with ankle support, and break them in before you go.0 -
Absolutely you should try this! Plan to eat a lot. Put Blister Shield on anything that might possibly rub. It sounds silly, but keep your shorts and socks clean. Grit and salt will eat you alive if you let it. If you get a mild irritation in your shoes or clothing, stop and deal with it before it becomes painful. The memory of this trek, even if it goes sideways, will stay with you forever.
(FYI, I'm not just talking out of my butt. I've completed many, many (30-40?) very long trail races, including 100 miles and 100K, and a Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim 2-day trek. I've crewed and worked these events, too.)2 -
slimzandra wrote: »That sounds fun! I would just suggest you plan out in advance where you plan on setting down each night. Two reasons- One, it will keep you on pace, and Two, someone else knows you are due in at particular location. That way if you don't show up for whatever reason someone else knows about it. Phones and GPS don't always work off the beaten path. If you plan on camping outdoors, I suggest to do the hike with a buddy.
Well, it's not a remote path and there are towns and villages all along the way. Roads are also never far away. I certainly don't plan to camp. My pack will probably be below 5kg.
5 kg is extremely low, even for the fact you're not bringing a tent. Have you actually put the pack together and weighed it? Are you carrying sufficient gear in case of emergency?
Even my day pack is about 10 lb, and that's before food and water, which are at least another 7 lb. I hardly go around carrying nonessentials, either, although I certainly carry things I hope I never have to use (emergency gear).
24 miles a day is a lot, but if it's flat it may not be too bad. Why not start with trying a day hike on that trail and see how it goes? I.e. decide how long you will try to walk each day, go to the trail, hike half of that time outbound and then hike back to the beginning. The real test there is how you feel the next day.0 -
Thanks a lot! I thought about using my running shoes. They are comfy and I know them. Weather... Well this is the UK but the weather has been marvellous the last few months. I can still decide to cancel a few days ahead if the forecast is not good though. Water: yeah... I'm very much a hot weather girl and don't mind being active at close to 50C (that's over 120F?) or go on a day long hike at way over 30 C. But water is a given. And I'll check out those towns for thai massage salons for a relaxing oil massage.
Nooo my advice would be to avoid the running shoes.
I did a 15 mile hike last summer and wore my runners, thinking "it's flat, it will be fine"... NOPE. Miserable, 5-6 blisters, blood, could barely finish. I would get some good solid hiking boots with ankle support, and break them in before you go.
I only hike in running shoes. Ankle support is a myth.0 -
As someone who hikes a good bit and does many single day distance events....I'm very hesitant to be encouraging for this endeavor without more preparation. Dry socks & foot care is huge, so is chaffing & rubbing of your clothes & gear. Your're going to need a TON of food. Wear the lightest shoes you have, I 100% disagree with the person that said no to the running shoes. There is far more chance that this is going to be a very miserable experience rather than a fun trip0
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Nothing. Was the point.0
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We're going to need a follow up on this. you know that, right?0
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I thought so
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When are you going?0
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Not sure yet. I have to 'break in' my new sports shoes as my old one just broke down last weekend (lost 1/4 of the sole while running and was wondering why my foot started to hurt
). I did buy the same ones again, but they still need a bit of getting used to. 0 -
I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail during the summer of 2001 (2167 miles in 4.75 months). I generally echo a lot of the advice given so far, and also see that you seem mentally up for the challenge. Covering 93 relatively flat miles in 4 days with a light pack and B&Bs each night could actually be doable, though still quite a challenge. Give it a shot and, like you said, if you have to change plans mid-course, it sounds like you'd be in settings where you'd have the flexibility to reset expectations and aim for shorter mileage. Enjoy!1
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I can actually offer you some advice here as I've hiked 43 miles in one straight 18 hour session and frequently hiked 30+ miles in one go. I hike the Cotswold Way trail.
You can definitely achieve this though you may suffer some long term issues because of it. Do everything you can to ensure you have the best lightweight shoes that you can, my big toenails have only just finished regrowing (nearly a year) after my 43 miles. I highly recommend you but some 'glove socks', I can't sing their praises enough for reducing blisters.
Bone pain will likely become an issue to you also, for me at least the hardest part was repeatedly putting one foot in front of the other other when every step was admittedly pretty agonizing. Take some pain meds, consider taking them preemptively but understand that it is doing nothing to stop the damage you are causing.
One concern I have is that even at 20-25 miles a day, these issues are going to compound day after day. Think about how much discomfort you are in right after intense training, then how much you are in the day after. I'm often unable to walk the day following a long hike.
Over-stock your med kit with a lot of blister related gear including antiseptic and needles, I hope you don't have those issues but it is better safe than sorry.
You may also want to take a second pair of shoes a size larger than your normal ones to wear the following day if swelling becomes an issue.
Your pace will slow no matter your mentality, I walk at 3.5-4mph on pavements and 3 mph average on hikes, at 1am as I had reached my 'point B' and turned to head back toward 'point A' my pace had slowed to about 1.5-2.5mph.
Take a mobile charger (Battery) to allow you to recharge your phone on the fly.
Is your plan a stupid idea? Well, yeah probably but then isn't climbing Mount Everest or going to the North Pole a stupid idea? Some of us like being stupid I admire your plan and the courage you have to attempt it, just please don't be afraid to 'quit' in the middle. My hike was actually a failed 72 mile straight hike that I gave up on at 43 miles when I limped into Broadway at 3:30 am and called a taxi to take me home. It wasn't a failure to not hit my goal, one of the greatest successes of my life.
Since you are doing a 4 day split and quite rightly wanting to keep weight down, you could even consider planning your stops, speaking to the B&B's if you are staying there and arranging to send them stuff to pick up each day i.e. a new set of clothing for each day. You can then post back the dirty stuff to your home.
Hit me up with a friend request if you like, I would love to see pictures and hear stories of your achievements!
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Aww, thanks a lot for sharing your experience Jonny Wow, attempting to walk 72 miles straight sounds ... interesting. Still brave of you to try. I'll certainly wear my running shoes as they are supercomfy and a size larger. With glove socks you mean toe socks? I've ordered a pair for running to see how it goes as I have one slightly troublesome toe. I did a little test yesterday and today: walked 10km to work in the morning, and back in the afternoon. At least that short distance was no problem. 1
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Haha yeah it was overly ambitious and I was really new into hiking and training at the time, I learned a valuable lesson at least to not wear brand new hiking boots lol
I do yes! I couldn't remember the name of them, the brand I got was Injinji, I'm sure there are others too but their quality is excellent. My toes aren't very straight so I was having a lot of inter-digital blisters, the feeling when you put them on is a bit weird at first innit but I never had a single inter-digital issue after that.
Night hiking is another fun aspect to try out if you are ever looking to mix things up and it would be a safe thing to try where you live 0 -
I think that because you have the opportunity to bail at anytime, you might as well try it. It's different if you are in mountainous backcountry with no roads and no way to get out again until you've done the whole distance and carrying all your food and sleeping gear and emergency survival stuff, but if you're somewhere with villages and easy access and that kind of thing you're not really at a big risk if you can't manage it.0
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Argh! Weather is fine, I'm sure I'd manage a substantial part of the hike... but I currently can't put a foot down at all! Used my new running shoes in a couple of up to 5k runs without problems. Set out to a long run on Saturday. From 5.5km on I developed a massive blister on the side of my heel. Turned out the stitching there is a bit messed up. Anyway, hopefully none buggy exchange shoes are on the way. But most annoyingly, the blister got infected yesterday and now I can only hop on one leg. No, I'm not doing this one one leg 0
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Thanks a lot! I thought about using my running shoes. They are comfy and I know them. Weather... Well this is the UK but the weather has been marvellous the last few months. I can still decide to cancel a few days ahead if the forecast is not good though. Water: yeah... I'm very much a hot weather girl and don't mind being active at close to 50C (that's over 120F?) or go on a day long hike at way over 30 C. But water is a given. And I'll check out those towns for thai massage salons for a relaxing oil massage.
Nooo my advice would be to avoid the running shoes.
I did a 15 mile hike last summer and wore my runners, thinking "it's flat, it will be fine"... NOPE. Miserable, 5-6 blisters, blood, could barely finish. I would get some good solid hiking boots with ankle support, and break them in before you go.
This is not good advice - a lot of people trail run that distance without issue. It is likely that your shoes and feet were not a proper fit for that activity but it does not mean that it requires "solid hiking boots" for the distance.
Shoe size & fit, lacing, socks matter.0 -
EvgeniZyntx wrote: »Thanks a lot! I thought about using my running shoes. They are comfy and I know them. Weather... Well this is the UK but the weather has been marvellous the last few months. I can still decide to cancel a few days ahead if the forecast is not good though. Water: yeah... I'm very much a hot weather girl and don't mind being active at close to 50C (that's over 120F?) or go on a day long hike at way over 30 C. But water is a given. And I'll check out those towns for thai massage salons for a relaxing oil massage.
Nooo my advice would be to avoid the running shoes.
I did a 15 mile hike last summer and wore my runners, thinking "it's flat, it will be fine"... NOPE. Miserable, 5-6 blisters, blood, could barely finish. I would get some good solid hiking boots with ankle support, and break them in before you go.
This is not good advice - a lot of people trail run that distance without issue. It is likely that your shoes and feet were not a proper fit for that activity but it does not mean that it requires "solid hiking boots" for the distance.
Shoe size & fit, lacing, socks matter.
Yep. Shoes need to be comfy and fit properly. The soles need to be suitable for what your feet need. Ok, I currently don't have any shoes, thus this whole discussion is useless *sigh* oh well.. only delayed, not cancelled.0 -
Get your walking boots measured for you, it was the best thing I ever did when I was doing long distance walking. And wear them everywhere in the runup to your walk - down to the shops, round the park, whatever. The more you wear them, the kinder they will be to you!
The other thing I'd say about long distance walking in Britain is pack a whistle. I did the Clarendon way a couple of years ago and had no phone signal for pretty much the whole walk (my mum got my "just stopped for lunch" text as I was approaching the finish and absolutely freaked out thinking I was still 7 hours away). I'd have been stuffed if I'd been relying on that phone in an emergency. However, there are usually other walkers around and they know what a whistle means and will come and help you if you need it.
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Argh! Weather is fine, I'm sure I'd manage a substantial part of the hike... but I currently can't put a foot down at all! Used my new running shoes in a couple of up to 5k runs without problems. Set out to a long run on Saturday. From 5.5km on I developed a massive blister on the side of my heel. Turned out the stitching there is a bit messed up. Anyway, hopefully none buggy exchange shoes are on the way. But most annoyingly, the blister got infected yesterday and now I can only hop on one leg. No, I'm not doing this one one leg
I hate when that happens! Did the place you buy it from have a return policy? Many good running stores will let you put 50 or so miles (or a month or so) on a pair to make sure they fit. These shoes are obviously bad for you
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What everyone else said: plan well!0
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scorpio516 wrote: »Argh! Weather is fine, I'm sure I'd manage a substantial part of the hike... but I currently can't put a foot down at all! Used my new running shoes in a couple of up to 5k runs without problems. Set out to a long run on Saturday. From 5.5km on I developed a massive blister on the side of my heel. Turned out the stitching there is a bit messed up. Anyway, hopefully none buggy exchange shoes are on the way. But most annoyingly, the blister got infected yesterday and now I can only hop on one leg. No, I'm not doing this one one leg
I hate when that happens! Did the place you buy it from have a return policy? Many good running stores will let you put 50 or so miles (or a month or so) on a pair to make sure they fit. These shoes are obviously bad for you
Yea, the new shoes are on the way and I don't need to return the original pair. I bought them from Amazon as I have no running store within 1h drive from my home. Same model and same vintage as my previous ones. Only one shoes was dodgy from this pair
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