Weighted Pack Training Back East....

[DWinVA]

I'm 45 years old and will be going on my first elk hunt this fall (CO guided). I've always been active and have become a runner in the last 5 years, completing several marathons and a 50K ultra. I've also been a serious biker and even did a few sprint triathlons 2 years ago.

Last summer I focused on running and carrying weight in a pack, I worked up to 70 lbs. in an old Dwight Shugh pack which was rough on the shoulders. Currently I've got 50 lbs of sand in my EXO 3500 now and have been walking at least an hour every other day or so then maybe close to 2 hours on Saturdays. I alternate the pack work with 30-45 minutes of running. All of this is around my rural home in SW VA, either on about 100 acres I have permission to hunt on or on the roads. There are no real big hills, much less mountains like Colorado.

My wife is wanting to start walking for exercise and I want to walk with her to support her but 45 minutes to 1 hour with 50 lbs. just don't feel like enough anymore. So my question is how heavy should I work up to for a good workout without avoiding injury?

Thanks for all I've learned here in Rokslide.

God Bless.

 

[Karlkortemeier]

I'm in your shoes here in the SE. I signed up for train to hunt. It's been a big help. There is a sub forum here that you can look through.

 

[PMcGee]

I did pretty much the same thing you're doing now for the last two years and I was fine. I usually do at least 5 miles with the pack though. I use a 50lb bag of salt in my pack. With my work schedule it's hard to find time to hike. I'm usually finishing in the dark.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I'm doing ~45lbs right now with as much elevation change as I can find. I'll do more weight when I can figure a good way to mount it and my kid at at the same time.

 

[DWinVA]

Thanks for the replies. I'm thinking if I can work up to carrying 80 lbs. for an hour or so that should get me close to being ready for my hunt. I'll also plan to do a few 2-3 hour hikes over the summer with less weight.

God Bless.

 

[PhillyB]

On the family walks, with your weighted pack on throw in some lunges, calf raises, and air squats. Set the timer on your phone for every 3-5 mins, then do 10 lunges (5 per side) and/ or 10 squats and/or 10 calf raises. By then, you wife will be a few steps ahead of you and you will have to increase your pace to catch up.

This will help get your heart rate up and keep it there during the walk.

 

[KHNC]

Sounds like you are doing plenty. Other than hills, not much more you need to do IMO. Rucking with weight, running and regular training. Not much else left to do.

 

[Poser]

As far as hills go, find some steep ones, even if they are short, and do laps on them. I live in Memphis, so its pretty flat, but we have some steep river bluffs and levees along the Mississippi River, so I'll do laps, often in in a high intensity interval style to better simulate the effects of altitude (Go all out, as fast and hard as you can for 90 seconds, rest for 60 etc -you should be sucking wind). Sometimes we do trails with the steep hills and we'll repeat every hill 2-3 times before moving on. We also hit the staircase in a 33 story building. To me, doing laps on staircases is a little mind numbing, so I prefer the interval sessions (all out for 90 seconds, rest for 60 seconds) vs. steady state climbing. As others mentioned, doing lunges, squats, jumping squats etc with your pack are all good ideas.

Unless you are going to be out West for a couple of weeks, you're most likely going to spend most of your time hunting in a unacclimated state -you'll definitely get stronger and acclimate some, but you can't expect to be fully acclimated on a average trip where you you have 7-10 days total, most or all of that spent hunting. Based on that, you should consider dedicating at least a portion of your training to functioning at a higher intensity output than you normally do while carrying a pack uphill at a moderate to low elevation. IMHO, Being familiar and comfortable functioning in a anaerobic state at or near your Anaerobic threshold is highly advised. While you can accomplish this running, rucking etc, especially on steep hills, throwing in some controlled environment conditioning on "breathing machines" such as a rower or a ski erg will allow you measurable benchmarks and indications of improvement. For example, establish your best times on 300m, 500m, 800m, and 2000m rows and do some regular workouts to improve these times. 500m row at 2:00 pace, rest 2 min, 500m row at 1:58 pace, rest 2 min, 500m row at 1:56 pace etc until you can't keep up.

For carrying a heavy load at altitude, cardio power & cardio power endurance are just as important as cardio endurance and not necessarily the same thing. How much "power" can you generate and how long can you maintain that level of output because getting up those steep mountains with a full pack in a under-acclimated condition relies on a certain amount of horsepower, not just the ability to "go" for extended period of time.

 

[larryschwartz]

Carrying the weight you have is doing what it needs to do for you. Of course, carrying more will add to your cardio workout and stamina.

BUT, what you really need is to get your body some practice going up and down hills and walking on uneven terrain. If you have a football stadium nearby (high school or college or rec ball) with bleachers then climb up and down the steps on them with your pack on. You can do the same with a pack on in the stairwell of an office building or parking garage.

Your best training will come after you get in your car and head east towards Rt. 81 and hit the Appalachians. The Jefferson National Forest and the George Washington National Forest are just NE of you off of 81 and have some great terrain for what you want to do. Also some good hunting, BTW. Park the car, put on your pack, and climb up the ridge to the top, walk along it for a bit, climb down the ridge back to the road, walk back to your car, do it again. Repeat as able each weekend.

 

[DWinVA]

Thanks for all of the replies.

The wife is embarrassed enough when I walk with a pack on with her so the lunges may be out.

There is a pretty step short hill I do repeats on when she's not with me, it's definitely a better workout.

Talk about mind numbing....I've done over 30 minutes up and down my garage steps (5) but it is a killer workout in that time frame.

I went on a summer trip to Durango 4 years ago and I was in marathon shapethen. During trail runs out there I noticed some difference breathing but notreally as much as I feared. My plan is to be close to marathon running shape by the end of August. I think that combined with the pack training and biking hopefully I'll be ready for the elk mountains.

God Bless.

 

[larryschwartz]

Trust me when I say that your knees and ankles will appreciate it if you do some actual walking up and down hills/ridges in uneven terrain before you get there.

 

[FreeRange]

I'm doing ~45lbs right now with as much elevation change as I can find. I'll do more weight when I can figure a good way to mount it and my kid at at the same time.

What kind of pack do you carry your kid in? I've got the Deuter Kid Comfort 2 and can stuff a 30# sandbag in the bottom section with water bottles and snacks up top. With a 30# toddler I can get a 75# pack with this setup, any heavier and I'd have to use something more dense than sand.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

What kind of pack do you carry your kid in? I've got the Deuter Kid Comfort 2 and can stuff a 30# sandbag in the bottom section with water bottles and snacks up top. With a 30# toddler I can get a 75# pack with this setup, any heavier and I'd have to use something more dense than sand.

Kelty kid 2.

I could probably do the same but not sure how it would handle the weight. Thinking about modifying it so it'll attach to my duplex.

 

[DWinVA]

I plan on hitting the local mountains as time allows but the every other day walks from home are what I'm wanting to focus on. I also plan on hitting some local football stadiums as time allows. I was just wanting a feel for how much weight may be too much. Sounds like no issues if I work up to 80 lbs. or so.

God Bless.