Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

How do you prepare for the rigorous physical requirements of high elevation adventure? Strength and endurance are key, but are only part of a more complex equation. How do you prepare for changes in altitude, exposure, diet, etc.? How do you mentally prepare? Learn from others and share what you know about training in advance for outdoor adventures.
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

Post by rlown »

At 30, maybe. At 50, I was good to 75lbs once, but my legs melted after 10 miles. At 55, I aim for a max of 45lbs. I'm sure it'll be less soon.
User avatar
Tom_H
Topix Expert
Posts: 795
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:11 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Camas, WA

Re: Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

Post by Tom_H »

flown wrote:Wow. 90lbs isn't normal. :eek:
I worked as a guide for a church affiliated outfitter. Our director was a NOLS graduate and he trained all of us who worked for him exactly according to NOLS methodology. We didn't carry other peoples' stuff for them, except when they couldn't manage. Sometimes I had to take other people's food bag for them. One day a girl was sick and I put her pack on my front with mine on my back. It was about 125 lb. total.

So what added up to 90 lb? Food and fuel for 18 days, Peak I stove, frying pan, Optimus oven, fishing gear, climbing rope, rack of climbing hardware, climbing helmet, ice axe, crampons, gear repair kit for 16 people, first aid kit for 16 people. Storm gear and wool clothing for temp. down to about 20 degrees. And this was back in the days when gear was heavy, there was no such thing as lightweight yet, much less ultralite or SUL. The meat was freeze dried, but a lot of food was only dehydrated. Foods like butter, flour etc. are heavy. We did some pretty exotic cooking. The Optimus oven for baking weighed a pound all by itself.

We did new staff training in CO in early June while everything was still in deep snow, As summer wore on, we shed the snow gear and did shorter trips that were more leisurely. When you are in your mid-20s the body can seem indestructible. All I can do now is day hike. One of my supervisors is 75 and still day hikes over 300 days a year in the Appalachians. I admire those older than myself like Wandering Daisy and Old Ranger who still manage to backpack. Sleeping on the ground puts my back in spasms now. I had a great run, though and my nighttime dreams are often of meadows full of wildflowers, bubbling brooks, rappelling cliffs, and quietly following elk herds. I was lucky to do all the packing I was able to do.
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

Post by rlown »

I thoroughly respect anyone who ever could carry that much weight.
User avatar
Tom_H
Topix Expert
Posts: 795
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:11 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Camas, WA

Re: Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

Post by Tom_H »

flown wrote:I thoroughly respect anyone who ever could carry that much weight.
Well, that is kind to say. Of course, you cannot go as fast. Using the Rest Step and correct breathing technique helps a lot.

Wandering Daisy is a petite small woman. She was a NOLS instructor and they have to be very strong. I have met several other NOLS instructors and all were built like NFL linebackers. Knowing that she was out there doing the same tough hiking inspires awe in me. And in her later 60s she still spends a lot of time on the trail. That is amazing.
User avatar
Wandering Daisy
Topix Docent
Posts: 6641
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Fair Oaks CA (Sacramento area)
Contact:

Re: Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Once you add serious technical climbing gear your pack weight goes way up! The "backpacking" gear I carried when climbing was pretty minimal. We reduced this type of weight by eliminating anything not absolutely necessary (before the days of UL equipment). So far, nobody has made a UL rope, or ice axe, or crampons (but they ARE getting a bit lighter) . But the heaviest pack I ever carried was elk meat, it actually broke my pack frame. LOL.

If you go out for a long time (say 2 weeks ) and if you do this all summer, like the PCT hikers you need to eat an enormous amount of food but unlike the PCT hikers, you do not stop into town to chow down regularly. The good thing about food is that you eat it up! Not so with climbing gear. But looking at the JMT, a good look at your gear and reducing weight is one of the best things you can do. I see no need for base weight to be more than 16-20 pounds. UL guys go down to 10 pounds. Pare down food - you should not be carrying out ANY extra. (I am never too proud to beg a bit of food off others on the last day of a long trip! or simply go without.)

Back to the training for JMT. If you are not down to your lean ideal weight, loosing that extra body weight will do as much as hauling around a full pack. One reason to "train" is to loose body fat and increase muscle. There are many ways to do that than carrying a pack - and something you can do every day is probably better than a weekend trip to Yosemite.
User avatar
sgenise
Topix Novice
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 11:42 am
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker

Re: Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

Post by sgenise »

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies everyone! The reason I go with my actual gear instead of just rocks or books is because it also helps me become more efficient in packing and to try out different ways to pack, so while I appreciate everyone offering me alternative options for what to hold in the pack to convince the rangers, that's not exactly what I'm looking for haha
User avatar
Wandering Daisy
Topix Docent
Posts: 6641
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Fair Oaks CA (Sacramento area)
Contact:

Re: Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

Post by Wandering Daisy »

OK. Then why not just get a permit? Walk-in permits are generally available for just one person and free. Nothing says you have to stay overnight. I get my permits at the park entrance (you can get them at 7AM if going to Hetch Hetchy) and then just am on my way. I never reserve and nearly always get the first-come permit with no waiting.

A bit of a jest, but you could also offer to carry someone else's pack. Just think if someone came up to me as I started up the trail from Happy Isles and some dude said, "may I carry your pack?" LOL I would be thrilled! And on your way back, some burned out backpacker would just love to have you carry his pack back. You would be an instant hero! Put on a Superman costume, and you would become a backpacker legend! :D

But I think the best answer is to hike where permits are not required. Good Luck on your JMT journey.
User avatar
AlmostThere
Topix Addict
Posts: 2724
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

Post by AlmostThere »

I dunno, I would take the fine pretty seriously... it used to be fifty or seventy bucks. I think it's up in the hundreds now for being caught out without a permit. And if you didn't pack the bear can the ranger can slap down a $5000 fine. Of course, it all depends on the ranger you run into. But I've been checked three consecutive times on the same day by three different rangers on the trail to Rancheria Falls, and I'm glad I had both canister and permit - would have been ugly.

I get permits and do single night trips to train, or take a day pack, myself.
User avatar
Jimr
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 2175
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:14 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Torrance

Re: Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

Post by Jimr »

Sounds like you have a solution. Permit.

When I was in my 20's, I used to do day hikes every weekend. As I got closer to a Sierra trip, I'd wear a 22lb diving weight belt to add a bit of weight.
If you don't know where you're going, then any path will get you there.
User avatar
giantbrookie
Founding Member & Forums Moderator
Founding Member & Forums Moderator
Posts: 3580
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:22 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Fresno
Contact:

Re: Dayhiking w/ Full Pack

Post by giantbrookie »

I can't but be reminded of my dad. That guy would carry so much stuff on dayhikes. He did in fact dayhike with a full external frame pack on many occasions. On two occasions the top-heavy nature of this rig led to scary falls--once descending Mt Banner and another time coming back from a failed ascent of Mt Sill. I didn't see the latter, but the first one was scary, although there was no injury. The 2nd time he didn't break anything but he had a lot of surface damage and bled a lot (the spiral blood path down his walking stick reminded me of the barber pole).

As for training he would do Black Mtn above Palo Alto as his off season training with quite a bit of load but he throttled back after he took a head over heels tumble on one of those training hikes.

I can't help but think of my dad's biggest dayhike epic, though, which was when he climbed Shasta with some much younger co-workers. He told me in advance he didn't think they were his equals and he felt he needed to carry a bigger load to slow himself down so he wouldn't have to wait so long for his buddies, so he waffled between carrying a 5-gallon collapsible water container (filled) in his external frame pack (for the super long dayhike) or whether he'd throw a full watermelon in there. Now the water weighed more and that's what he ended up carrying, but I still wished he had taken the watermelon to the summit of Shasta because that would have made for better theater.

As for me I do not prefer to carry super big loads on my conditioning dayhikes. When I did Mission Peak above Fremont as my off season conditioning hike I'd carry a regular rucksack, I would take extra water for weight--sometimes up to 5L--but I sure didn't carry a full pack up there.
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests