Ultra-Weight Back Packing

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DrivebyTrucker

Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
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Camping, Hiking, whatever you want to call it. I was wondering, does anyone actually feel good about carrying more weight? Especially more of the edged variety. :D
Think about it; How many do you camp, hike, or even bike along the same trails you've been down before? Not because your scared to try someplace new, but because you are lazy? :p Don't worry it's not a bad thing. Most of us just want the exercise anyway. Gas is expensive and many of us would like to keep our adventures more or less locally.
Since most of these local trails have set distances we already know, whether that's four miles or twenty miles, we might as well get the most out of them. For a bike ride, that could mean switching out to a heavy, comfortable, fixed gear cruiser setup for riding along that familiar bike path. Maybe even adding some weight on the panniers for added resistance. Instead of donning tight spandex and a ultra light road bike to make your journey easier.
The same for hiking. If you have a six mile hike nearby that you frequent, do you try to walk it faster using only a camel back, spandex shorts, and a tank top? Or do you bring a backpack loaded up with enough gear for a week and enough knives to arm a village against an invading zombie horde, even though your only going for a few hours. You can see far more in a day by going ultra light. But does it really matter if it's familiar to you?
I'm curious as to your thoughts. Like I stated, a big part of hiking for me is the exercise. And while cardio is great, I like some resistance training as well. I don't want a 130lb ultra light frame that can ride a bike eightymiles or walk forty miles in a day. I like having some muscle. I purposely load up a day pack with tire chains for a brisk walk around the neighborhood.
What are your thoughts? Any ultra-weighters? That's what we're calling it! :D
 
I have a lot of back and joint problems so normally I try to get the exercise by hiking a little harder rather than carrying more weight because my actual physical strength is decent and I'm mainly interested in increasing my endurance rather than strength.
 
Good thoughts Drivebytrucker. Basically, you are advocating a middle position between the extreme variants of ultra-light and the heavy weight loads of what most people do while car camping. Truth is, most people do most of their camping a short distance from the car, haul their gear with an ATV or just drive to the parking lot with an RV.

I think anybody doing more than 3 miles hiking to a backcountry site needs to take a reasonable approach to their gear choices and weight consideration. So on the one hand, the person taking excess gear is often considered a bit new to the game and with experience will probably lighten their load down to essentials and provisioning. Nobody likes to aknowledge themselves as inexperienced or a newby. On the other hand, some of the ultra-light folks take their paring down to such an extreme that their gear will only work under the right conditions or under the assumption that they will not suffer an injury or become delayed due to unanticipated events. They get chastised as much as the newbies do, so nobody really wants to be in either camp.

I think the answer to your question, what is the right compromise, has as many answers as people who participate in the discussion. Really, if distance is your goal than you will fall on one side of the argument whereas other folks have different expectations about recreation and what they bring with them to facilitate that recreation. Hey, even the most extreme ultralight person isn't going to forgoe a fishing rod and tackle if the whole point of their trip is to go fishing! Personally, I pretty much change my equipment for just about every outing simply because I view each outing as different and often times they have different objectives. I also try to learn from my past experiences to pare down and in some cases pare up my kit contents. More often, I find myself paring down on food because taking too much food is a common overindulgence that I have. I've also beefed up my FAK/PSK items because I ran into situations where my kit contents was a little under par for what I needed.

Interestingly enough, my trip of last weekend, canoe camping which afforded me the luxury of bringing the kitchen sink along with everything else reaffirmed a few of my past decisions for leaving some things behind. Despite spending two nights camping and furnishing all my firewood from on-site, the axe I brought along just wasn't used (apart from two rounds I split). I pretty much relied on my take-down saw and knife. Again, another friend of mine would be the exact opposite and he would be using his axe extensively but this trip reaffirmed that taking an axe is something I can often forego.
 
Good for training. I'm planning to do some soon with at least double the weight I expect to carry on a trip. I can't simulate high altitude, or do a long hike several times per week, but I can make a short hike harder. Been doing lots of rock climbing, and slacking on the cardio and hiking, but I really want to be in better shape for some backpacking this fall and next spring.
 
Oops, I guess I didn't catch the full gist of your post, sorry. Naw, I don't think I'd lug around freeweights on my back for exercise. I think it'd put an anxiety against my pack :D
 
I do some heavy pack training before backpacking

usually 2 milk jugs full and 15 to 25 lbs of weights wrapped in a towel on top of a sleeping bag to center the weight in the pack.

I will carry it for a couple hours 2 or 3 times in a week in a neighbourhood park plus a good 4 to 6 hr hike on the weekend, 2 weeks of that and I feel ready to go being in alright shape and a 70% knee. Hiking poles have kept me in the game.

I also pig out as much as I can for those 2 weeks to build up some weight and stored energy, 40 years old and I still have to eat 4 times a day to maintain my weight
 
Weight training is very important if you are going to go on a long trip of a week or more, where your pack is going to be heavy.
You need training to go from weekenders with light loads to a long trip with heavy loads
So weekend trips with heavy loads is the way to learn.

But......
Carrying weight for the sake of it, no thanks
But taking comfort or luxury items to make my evening pleasurable, yes please
 
I know I don't post here much, but I have a little input here. I don't get to take many long trips because of my super terrible work schedule, so when I do get the opportunity I need to be fit and ready to go.
I work out a lot. I run every other day, p90x, gym, the whole 9 yards. When I get a day off I like to take my work out to the trail :)
I pack my back with all the stuff I want and need anyway then take some blades for messing around with, then I add a ton of water for weight and set it up in the pack so that it sloshes, which helps to use more muscle groups for balance :)
Nothing scientific about any of it, but it's my method :)

JW
 
I believe that my heart is good for so many beats , Im not about to waste them .

when we car camp , I pack heavy for sure , best way to clean carbon out of a diesel I hear is to work the thing and work it hard , so I do :)

When we hike out from there tho .. bare essentials only .
 
I am not going to claim to be an expert here but I have been training myself over the last 3 years to be a endurance runner. There are lots of ideas about what is the right way to be stronger and faster. The truth is is you can strengthen muscle but joints are the ones that get damaged. I always find it amusing to see somebody walking on flat ground or local trail with a weight vest or loaded pack. Especially if they already have a couple of pounds to spare. Walking on a trail where the is uneven ground and unsure footing with added weight it asking for trouble. The best I think is to prepare at home doing squats, lunges and core work. Instead of walking up a hill with extra weight just try to run it. Cardio is the best all around conditioning. Think about wear and tear on joints, ligaments and tendons before strapping on extra pounds to get a workout. ;)
 
RUNIT said:
... Cardio is the best all around conditioning. ...
Click to expand...

While I am a fan of cardio training, I don't think I would go so far as to say "Cardio is the the best" conditioning program. Cardio may be the best training for Cardio, but for hiking or backpacking, hiking is probably the best conditioning. Hiking author Colin Fletcher makes this very point in his book "The Complete Walker" (1, 2, 3, and 4). Adding some weight to one's pack, increasing gradually over time, is highly recommended.
 
I use to like traveling light and freezing at night. Now I like bringing more toys to have fun with. I'm not out trying to prove anything anymore. It's all about the journey and the experiences. So bring what makes you and your family happy.
 
I haven't been backpacking in quite a while. So, getting ready for my next trip, this weekend maybe, has required me to walk with my pack. I haven't weighted it, but rather walk the long hill in my back yard, if my glutes aren't burning I add weight. Same for my dog, she has her own pack.
In the past I found the stair master to be a good trainer for me. Over packing for a day hike, (normal outdoor gear and water), and moving fast at higher elevations got me ready for a trip to the Tetons and Yellowstone.
When it comes to packing for a trip, it's all specific that situation. This next camping trip will be low miles, and taking my 12 year old cousin. He's in Scouts, so I'll take some blades and be teaching some primitive skills to him. This trip will be more fun and less workout.
 
I do think it's REAL handy to do some walking prior to a trip with your pack if you haven't gone for a while or you have changed your getup.

Not for the extra weight but I have found that the exact same items packed 3 difft ways will often radically vary in how much wear and tear they put on your body.
 
hollowdweller said:
I do think it's REAL handy to do some walking prior to a trip with your pack if you haven't gone for a while or you have changed your getup.

Not for the extra weight but I have found that the exact same items packed 3 difft ways will often radically vary in how much wear and tear they put on your body.
Click to expand...

So true! Keeping those heavy items closer to one's back makes the ride better. I've had too much weight in the top and bending over gets difficult, when that weight shifts. For training, I also see how some sloshing water can make the legs and core get a good workout. But, for the backpacking trips, pack it right and keep it strapped down. I like my trips to be balanced between fun, relaxing, and having enough gear to be in my comfort range. If I've prepared my body, and take the right gear for that trip, I'm usually a pretty happy camper.
 
I've been doing training hikes to prepare for a week long trip that I'll be taking. The route is a 6 mile/1000 ft hike. I purposely carry a 52lb pack.

What's in my pack are scuba diving weights held in place by old blue jeans and sweatshirts. I really don't carry any of my gear on those hikes.

When I go to the mountains, my load will be under 35 lbs. But for every mile I'll be hiking in the mountains, I'll probably have done 10 hiking with what I consider to be a stupid load.
 
RUNIT said:
I am not going to claim to be an expert here but I have been training myself over the last 3 years to be a endurance runner. There are lots of ideas about what is the right way to be stronger and faster. The truth is is you can strengthen muscle but joints are the ones that get damaged. I always find it amusing to see somebody walking on flat ground or local trail with a weight vest or loaded pack. Especially if they already have a couple of pounds to spare. Walking on a trail where the is uneven ground and unsure footing with added weight it asking for trouble. The best I think is to prepare at home doing squats, lunges and core work. Instead of walking up a hill with extra weight just try to run it. Cardio is the best all around conditioning. Think about wear and tear on joints, ligaments and tendons before strapping on extra pounds to get a workout. ;)
Click to expand...
There's pros and cons to both, and really no "right" answer, except what works best for the individual.
The higher the impact, the more likely you are to injure those joints, ligaments, and tendons. Runners are the ones suffering a host of activity-related injuries, not people out walking.
Since I have injuries that keep me from high impact cardio, it's a moot point, but a properly fit pack keeps my back stabilized in good position while adding resistance, so that's a win for me.
For people who hump heavy loads on the trail, there is no substitute for carrying a heavy pack. Being accustomed to carrying a lot of weight over distance is conditioning of another sort. It's not going to have as positive an effect on your cardio as running, but does prepare your body for the demands of the trail more realistically.
To put it another way-if you just run, a pack is going to feel "heavy" compared to what you're used to when you get on the trail, even if it just weighs 25 or 30lbs. Your balance, posture, and stride will all suffer, as your body will be carrying and supporting weight where it isn't accustomed to.
A 60lb. pack to someone not accustomed to carrying one is going to feel like an elephant on their back in a few hours(or minutes). At the same time, an ultralighter with a 8lb. base weight won't see the same practical benefit from plodding along under increased resistance.
So, like most things...it depends. Hopefully your training will reflect, and exceed, the physical demands of what you're training for, and that will vary from one person to the next.
And your pack needs to FIT-poorly fit and loaded packs probably hamper people nearly as bad as being out of shape does.
 
24-28 Lbs for summer trips (water/food included) and 35-38 for winter. I have taken over 100 Lbs before just to see if it can be done and the results were pain. Done 60ish during winter and hated it. 45 for summer and after 16 miles didn’t want to take another step. There seems to be a happy zone with pack weight in which I could and have gone many many miles without stress.
 
Depends but it's generally a good idea to make your training a little thougher than the actual thing.
For that purpose I generally some water container to my load. Allow me to train harder and in case I'm into trouble, or have to hurry back home or something all I have to do is to empty the containers to get light again.
Also works if I want a quick training: generally easier to pack a big "dead weight", then gathering my actual complete loadout. Of course you'd generally want to keep the minimal safety equipement (poncho, warm middle layer, knife...) just in case.
 
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