Backpack Training

[westonhoma]

Absolutely. Having to plan or decide what your workout is every time is going to make you that much less likely to do it if you're already demotivated.

I use the "fit notes" app to track workouts. I pre-plan each individual workout in there at the start of every 4-6 week cycle. And then I add some alternate workouts in from sources like the one I linked above that I can select if I need to shape things up for motivation. Helps me stay on track!

I agree man I like it! When I know I need to get organized i find myself pulling up an Excel month calendar and fill that thing out and print it. There is always just something about writing things down to give u more activation energy to get it done every day

 

[Poser]

I tend to spend a lot of time with a backpack on year around. In the winter and Spring months, I do a lot of backcountry skiing wearing a backpack with an airbag and avy gear.

April-Nov, I do a Wednesday morning hike that is unweighted (no backpack). 1,000 feet in 1.2 miles for time. In the winter, this is either skinning or a gym conditioning workout consisting of rowing, box step ups and KB swings.

And then the weekends through the Spring and Summer are either out turkey hunting, day hiking, backpacking (I do quite a bit of this), backcountry fishing (usually backpacking), peak bagging etc. If I'm limited on time, I'll still usually get a training hike of some type in. I also do several extended backpacking trips consisting of around 5 days or more each summer.

I personally don't ever do heavy, intentionally weighed rucks as I don't find it necessary. While you need to have your body specifically conditioned to wearing a pack, moving efficiently and effectively with that weight and fully realized muscular endurance fitness associated with rucking, when you get into packout weights, I find that is where the strength training takes over. In other words, if you have strong body from putting your time in on the compound barbell lifts, and you have developed your muscular endurance under some kind of typical pack load, say, 35-60 lbs, then you do not need to spend time hauling around 90 lbs, 100lbs, 120 lbs etc for training purposes: you'll be able to effectively handle and haul that weight due to your developed strength and muscular endurance.

Relying on backpacking alone to improve your strength is probably the least efficient way to develop the necessary strength.

 

[DustyCogs]

Mostly in the spring getting ready for the season. 40-50lbs couple times a week. Enough to get a work out but not too much weight to cause injury.

 

[westonhoma]

I tend to spend a lot of time with a backpack on year around. In the winter and Spring months, I do a lot of backcountry skiing wearing a backpack with an airbag and avy gear.

April-Nov, I do a Wednesday morning hike that is unweighted (no backpack). 1,000 feet in 1.2 miles for time. In the winter, this is either skinning or a gym conditioning workout consisting of rowing, box step ups and KB swings.

And then the weekends through the Spring and Summer are either out turkey hunting, day hiking, backpacking (I do quite a bit of this), backcountry fishing (usually backpacking), peak bagging etc. If I'm limited on time, I'll still usually get a training hike of some type in. I also do several extended backpacking trips consisting of around 5 days or more each summer.

I personally don't ever do heavy, intentionally weighed rucks as I don't find it necessary. While you need to have your body specifically conditioned to wearing a pack, moving efficiently and effectively with that weight and fully realized muscular endurance fitness associated with rucking, when you get into packout weights, I find that is where the strength training takes over. In other words, if you have strong body from putting your time in on the compound barbell lifts, and you have developed your muscular endurance under some kind of typical pack load, say, 35-60 lbs, then you do not need to spend time hauling around 90 lbs, 100lbs, 120 lbs etc for training purposes: you'll be able to effectively handle and haul that weight due to your developed strength and muscular endurance.

Relying on backpacking alone to improve your strength is probably the least efficient way to develop the necessary strength.

I agree it is so valuable to be well rounded when it comes to fitness. Also agree with what your saying with the lighter loads. If you can consistenlty get in good training hikes and work your way up to 50-60 pounds.. youll survive the 90-100lb packout. It hurts for everyone anyway lol

The summer backpacking trips are so key. I try adn tell that to everyone back East here that i talk to that want to head out West. Get out and backpack camp. Cause on a hunt , thats what youll be doing. Great way to get more comfortable with gear as well

 

[SmellinElkyFresh]

Diet and exercise. Dont skip leg day! Cardio is an assault bike, rowing machine and running outside (a combination of all 3) Ive found that running outside is the best but its hard on your knees after awhile so switch it up to rowing and the assault bike. I only do cardio 3x a week, that coupled with lifting legs your body needs a break so dont overdo it. Ive never trained walking around with a loaded pack and havent had a problem hiking around the back country with a loaded bag. Some people prefer doing this others dont, to each their own!

 

[westonhoma]

Diet and exercise. Dont skip leg day! Cardio is an assault bike, rowing machine and running outside (a combination of all 3) Ive found that running outside is the best but its hard on your knees after awhile so switch it up to rowing and the assault bike. I only do cardio 3x a week, that coupled with lifting legs your body needs a break so dont overdo it. Ive never trained walking around with a loaded pack and havent had a problem hiking around the back country with a loaded bag. Some people prefer doing this others dont, to each their own!

Sounds like ur dialed in man! Its always whatever works best for you and what u can stick to. Mixing up the cardio is a great move for sure. Makes it less monotonous lol

 

[mtwarden]

In other words, if you have strong body from putting your time in on the compound barbell lifts, and you have developed your muscular endurance under some kind of typical pack load, say, 35-60 lbs, then you do not need to spend time hauling around 90 lbs, 100lbs, 120 lbs etc for training purposes: you'll be able to effectively handle and haul that weight due to your developed strength and muscular endurance.

This has been my experience as well. While loading and hauling 80-100-ish# loads is never pleasurable, I've found I've never had any big problems doing so and it's usually only a couple of times a year (and even less some years! ). I never load more than 60-70#'s in my short (6-8 week lead-up) to hunting season—to load more I believe it's risking injury with no big benefits. Missing hunting season due to an injury is something I really want to avoid.

I'm also in agreement that if you want to move efficiently (and comfortably) through the mountains, the very best way to train is moving through the mountains year round w/ a pack on your back (and hitting the gym a couple of times a week concentrating on big compound lifts).

Our "training programs" are very similar and fun!

 

[Poser]

This has been my experience as well. While loading and hauling 80-100-ish# loads is never pleasurable, I've found I've never had any big problems doing so and it's usually only a couple of times a year (and even less some years! ). I never load more than 60-70#'s in my short (6-8 week lead-up) to hunting season—to load more I believe it's risking injury with no big benefits. Missing hunting season due to an injury is something I really want to avoid.

I'm also in agreement that if you want to move efficiently (and comfortably) through the mountains, the very best way to train is moving through the mountains year round w/ a pack on your back (and hitting the gym a couple of times a week concentrating on big compound lifts).

Our "training programs" are very similar and fun!

Yeah, I've tried a few variations for getting into/staying in mountain shape since moving out West a few years back and having circled the drain a few times and in been in various levels of shape for hunting season and got my ass absolutely handed to me by the mountains more times than I can count, I have the following conclusions (which are subject to change as new empirical information becomes available):

- you have to spend time developing your muscular endurance for backpacking in steep terrain.
-you need a baseline of conditioning in order to do this. This conditioning can be achieved a variety of ways, but the muscular endurance adaption is very specific in this case and you'll only get it from hiking uphill with a pack.
-you need a baseline of strength. This can vary wildly depending on the individual, but you'll end up in peak conditioning shape noticeably-to-much weaker than you started so coming into conditioning/endurance focus noticeably-to-much stronger will leave you "stronger" once you end up "weaker."

I'm very fortunate to live in the mountains and be out and about doing very, very hard things in these mountains year around. That being said, I continue to be miffed by people who make the statement, "all I do is X (X meaning anything other than hiking in the mountains) and I have no problems in the mountains." I don't know exactly what that statement means, but I can say for absolute certain that if you are doing hard things in the mountains, you are having "problems" no matter how good of shape you are in.

 

[rclouse79]

I don’t know if this has been mentioned, but dragging a big truck tire with 50 lbs of rock salt around the block a couple of times is a nice substitute for when you don’t have time to drive to a trail to hike with your pack.

 

[*zap*]

Do not forget those rest days....

 

[mtwarden]

I'm very fortunate to live in the mountains and be out and about doing very, very hard things in these mountains year around.

Me too; consider myself blessed doing so!

 

[westonhoma]

Yeah, I've tried a few variations for getting into/staying in mountain shape since moving out West a few years back and having circled the drain a few times and in been in various levels of shape for hunting season and got my ass absolutely handed to me by the mountains more times than I can count, I have the following conclusions (which are subject to change as new empirical information becomes available):

- you have to spend time developing your muscular endurance for backpacking in steep terrain.
-you need a baseline of conditioning in order to do this. This conditioning can be achieved a variety of ways, but the muscular endurance adaption is very specific in this case and you'll only get it from hiking uphill with a pack.
-you need a baseline of strength. This can vary wildly depending on the individual, but you'll end up in peak conditioning shape noticeably-to-much weaker than you started so coming into conditioning/endurance focus noticeably-to-much stronger will leave you "stronger" once you end up "weaker."

I'm very fortunate to live in the mountains and be out and about doing very, very hard things in these mountains year around. That being said, I continue to be miffed by people who make the statement, "all I do is X (X meaning anything other than hiking in the mountains) and I have no problems in the mountains." I don't know exactly what that statement means, but I can say for absolute certain that if you are doing hard things in the mountains, you are having "problems" no matter how good of shape you are in.

Well said man , i like this approach for sure

 

[INshooter]

Here lately I’ve been loading a 50# sandbag in a standard backpack and doing 8-10 miles. I’ve learned rather quickly I need to get a frame/ bag specifically setup for weighted rucks at that distance.

 

[GreyBeck]

Rucking for the past year. After knee surgery #2 at 53 I’m done running - I’m just not doing it right I guess. But walking with with weight in a pack 4-6 days a week has been great. Each time I walk the dogs it’s with 45lbs on my back and that’s 5x a week minimum. Have the pack on for some circuit tracing too. With weight training and a lot of stretching I feel better now than I did at 40. Can’t do the weight I used to, but can still beat my kids. Nothing I’ve done prepares me for altitude though.

 

[Fullfan]

My Sept workout start 07/01. Hump 3 times a week w 60 lbs on my pack frame, usually 2-3 miles with several good 6-8% 1/2 mile grade hills. Off days I bike 14-16 miles. When I way younger I ran marathons, but a car crash in 17 ended that. Destroyed my right leg and put my femur through my right knee. Do some core work on the bike days. I have to do this, I'm 59 and the kids that hunt w me are 30 and 26.

 

[westonhoma]

My Sept workout start 07/01. Hump 3 times a week w 60 lbs on my pack frame, usually 2-3 miles with several good 6-8% 1/2 mile grade hills. Off days I bike 14-16 miles. When I way younger I ran marathons, but a car crash in 17 ended that. Destroyed my right leg and put my femur through my right knee. Do some core work on the bike days. I have to do this, I'm 59 and the kids that hunt w me are 30 and 26.

Super impressive for 59 , good stuff man. I'll hear guys that just turned 40 saying how they cant consistently exercise anymore. Love hearing this too cuz i wanna be that active at that age (I'm 27) as well. So it gives me some hope and inspiration as well

 

[COJoe]

How is your winter ruck training going for you all? It was 11 degrees here in Southern CO today so I put on my older Sitka Dakota hoody and went 4.5 miles to take advantage of some rucking in the snow as I did last weekend too. That hoody is great for those temps as I was probably in lower zone 3 most of the time to stay warm. It was 4-6 inches in some areas which adds some challenges to your legs and hips as you slide around. We might be doing a third or fourth season hunt for elk so I'm trying take advantage of the simulated weather conditions. Push hard now gentleman to reap the benefits in Sept/Oct/Nov.

 

[mtwarden]

 

[COJoe]

mtwarden, you're the mayor of the backcountry.... I haven't had time to get away in the mountains since hunting season but I need to. Keep working towards your 2025 miles.

 

[mtwarden]

Thanks!