When does it start to suck?!??

[luckydraw2014]

Your volume might be a bit heavy, but the best way to get better at hauling heavy loads...is to haul heavy loads. For some solid background on heavy hiking, check out the Hunt the Backcountry podcast #132. They interview a SME who has done heavy rucking studies for the mil. It's a good listen.

I try to get in one "heavy" 60-90lb hike a week in addition to my other training.

Thanks Ratbeetle for the podcast info,

 

[eamyrick]

i have a dumb question, what is approx weight of an elk quarter and skull? My full kit and backpack is approx 45 lbs so i want to know what kind of weight I am looking at.

can anyone share what kind of workouts, hikes etc that they are using to prep? I live in IL so mountains are hard to come by. I spend most of my time in Wisconsin in the summer and hike Devils Lake.

my weekly workout- not sure if this is enough.

3 miles hike with a vertical of approx 400 with a 70 lb pack
3.5 hike on various terrain with same pack
2 mile run with a 20lb vest
1 mile stair climber with 80 lbs pack
2.5 on treadmill with 80 lbs pack with 24 degrees incline max
compound lifts throughout the week ie squats bench back arms etc

I would immediately stop running with a weighted vest. The force exerted on your knees is not worth it.

 

[Wolverine]

When does it start to suck you ask.......with a loaded pack and you start up hill, down hill, side hill, over blow downs, under blow downs, over rocks ,through thick brush, through deep snow, through creeks, in the dark or in the sun. I am certainly not the most experienced but I have hiked enough in summer and packed enough elk out to know it's 2 different worlds. Packing weight on a trail or road where footing is easy and bending and climbing over or under logs isn't needed isn't a fair mile comparison. I pack what I can and never needed a scale to tell me it's too much or too little. Heavy, slow and sore or light, fast and tired? With a lighter pack for me it's just hiking not packing. I have packed out a shoulder and hind at the same time before and will never do that again. Now if I need to cut a hind in half to make it comfortable then so be it. I feel no need to have a fitness competition on the mountain.....I would certainly lose every one. For me it's all about hiking with whatever weight and being able to do it day after day after day or two a days for more realistic packing out of an elk. Maybe heavy pack in the morning and a lighter pack in the evening to simulate packing out of fronts and hinds.

 

[tttoadman]

I find about 70lbs i need to start taking frequent breaks. I think the ability to haul steady at 70# or less gets me out of the woods sooner with less soreness.

I shot a 5x5 bull 6 1/2 miles out from an airstrip. I only had 3 days to hunt, and had a buck I wanted to go after. My brother and I split up the boned out bull and hauled it out in 1 load. I hauled both hind quarters, and he hauled the rest. It took us 12 hrs to haul 6 1/2 miles. I couldn't hardly walk for 4 months. I had my back surgery in April 2018. I have learned my lesson.

 

[Ram94]

I am an advocate for training with a moderate pack weight. Leave those heavy packs for when you need to do it. Its too hard on the body to pack around 80-90lbs on a regular basis and the recovery time just increases. Do less, more consistently.

 

[ljalberta]

I really don't enjoy anything over 60 much myself. But, it's obviously bearable when needed. I did a hair over 100 once (verified on a hanging scale at the truck to keep everyone honest). That was horrendous and I swore I'd never do it again.... until about 30 minutes later when I forgot the misery and convinced myself it wasn't so bad.'

That being said, I do know a number of guys who do honestly 100 lb loads over many miles and it is not exaggerated. I don't personally know these fellows but the video at about 4:45 shows the reward for such pack-outs.

 

[deerkiller]

When it is dark and slippery is difficult. When it happens at the end of a long day. I don’t think balanced weight is difficult. Unbalanced weight is a different story. When I would backcountry hike with my daughters in packs, when they fell asleep the weight dynamics changed. Meat is like that

ESPECIALLY "boned out meat" …...

 

[deerkiller]

I am an advocate for training with a moderate pack weight. Leave those heavy packs for when you need to do it. Its too hard on the body to pack around 80-90lbs on a regular basis and the recovery time just increases. Do less, more consistently.

in other words, be smart about it

 

[deerkiller]

View attachment 111117

So here is a whole mule deer bone in with cape and head loaded on pack. I heard stories about how much guys carry in the mountains and thought hell i am just in the prairie i have been training all year with 60 lbs and just got back from idaho. It had to be well north of 100 because i tried that once to see what it felt like. So i laid down got that thing strapped up and went to stand. I about shit my pants then almost fell down the creek and broke a treking pole. went full abort laid down and took it off as i was just about to be as dead as the deer. I sat there and thought either i am a big pussy or some of these guys were doing a little exaggerating . I split the load in half made the couple mile trek back and forth and lived to tell the story. I am glad i learned here and not up on a steep ass mountain with elk quarters. I am firmly in the group make more manageable trips than one death defying haul. I would put the pack at 65 ish each trip and it wasnt bad going up and down the hills. Hit that 80 mark and the suck goes up really fast.

reality sets in ….

 

[deerkiller]

3 of us were hunting elk/deer in the Flat Tops, camp at 8800' - last afternoon we made a hunt up the nearest "mountain" and missed a chance, on the way down at about 3pm jumped an average 3 pt buck - I took the meat in my Badlands 2200 (first mistake), one guy packed rifles, one brought head DOWNHILL to camp, we were all exhausted after the 2 1/2 mi DOWNHILL scramble, to camp at dark - none of we three are or were lightweights …..

 

[deerkiller]

My intent of the thread was not to go down the rabbit hole of pack preference but more to highlight that for 99% of guys 80+ pounds is gonna suck no matter what. At 65lbs the pack isn’t as important as fitness/acclimation. I do think the higher end packs probably feel better with heavy heavy weight but it’s not some magic recipe but more padding.

like what you're saying BUT 65 lbs of elk or deer is a "good" load and the pack makes a hell of a difference, trust me

 

[deerkiller]

ask a tenured power lifter how often he or she does "max" lifts compared to rep sets …...