Training for the John Muir Trail or any long backpacking trip
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- Some ideas to help you build a training program for a long backpacking trip or thru hike. I share some of the things that work for me that you may be able to incorporate into your preparation for your hikes. Plus there is my usual story telling that makes my videos twice as long as they need to be.
Thank you for posting all of your videos. They are very informative and much appreciated.
Ape Man just found your videos. I'm in Sacramento and just got done with Section L of the PCT (Donner to Sierra City). Nice shot of Folsom Lake in the back. Keep posting bro, familiar with Desolation but haven't hiked it yet.
Dave Rechs Thanks for watching. I really like the pct section between Sonora pass and Tuolumne Meadows. Hit me up with any questions. Desolation is so close to us and is pretty sweet. I’m heading out Saturday to Yosemite for my last backpacking trip of the year. Hoping for clear skies.
Thanks so much for the info!! Hope to get there soon.
Great advise. I always say if you want to get in shape for hiking/backpacking you must hit a trail. Nothing in a gym can prepare your feet, ankles, knees, or hips for all the contortions a trail will put you thru...
The worst time to find out your exercise routine was wrong is the first day on a long trip. Plus hiking is so much more enjoyable than the gym. My hip flexors used to kill me on the 1st day of a trip. Training hikes with a loaded pack solved that problem.
Another nice video. I have bad knees, so I mix in cycling with day hikes to give my knees a break. I can ride to and from work instead of driving, and take longer 50+ mile rides on the weekends. It helps with my cardio and leg strength, though it is different from hiking. Mixing it in with day hikes seems to work great for me, though.
To add weight to my pack I use gallon freezer bags of found golf balls. Crappy, smiley faced golf balls are perfect for adding 20-40 lbs of additional weight!
Smiley faced golf balls are the best for adding weight for training hikes! I live near baseball fields so I sometimes use baseballs for weight.
I'm not sure but I think that just adding weight is not the best practice. I think that you should put in your pack what you would normally carry. This would include the maximum amount of food and water that I would expect to carry on a given hike. From my experience, it is just as important "how" you pack the weight in your backpack. Putting in extra weight that you will not carry does not seem to address this issue. If you want to add weight, perhaps add more clothing and winter gear.
Love the song in end of video, funny :)
How much of an "older" guy are you? I'm 76, 5', female, and have been inspired to do the JMT. Always wanted to do a thru hike . I haven't back packed in several decades but do a lot of day hiking and van camping in the boonies. I'm fortunate to have an excellent training area that I used when I trained for my 80 miler Grand Canyon hike. Gradient averages 500 to 600 feet/mile. Elevation goes from 4900 to 9100 with another 350' to the summit. My plan is to get conditioned on that trail then head to Colorado and see how far I can get on some of the easier fourteeners and find out how I handle the higher altitude. I've been OK camped at 10000'.Then drive to hwy 395. I usually am solo as it's hard to find companions so anticipate being solo on the JMT. Looking to be a walk up and through Cottonwood. I carried 50lbs in the GC. I think I can get that down to 40 . camera will be lighter, less water to carry, lighter sleeping bag. But I can't see how I can lighten more without spending a lot on new lighter gear. Your videos are very helpful and informative. One thing you haven't mentioned is what is the calorie burn. How many calories should be in each meal? For the 2 week canyon hike I did 2000 daily calories and was OK.
Hello Trilby. I will be 59 in a couple weeks but I also suffer from a lot of osteoarthritis and just had my first knee replacement. I'm in good shape but my joints are always complaining. So far I can still do what I like and that is my gauge. At 76 what you are doing is awesome. I see a lot of people in your age group on the JMT. You will never be really solo - the JMT is pretty popular so I think you will be ok as long as you are prepared. Your elevation training hikes are perfect. If you can do the GC you can do the JMT. My only concern with your small frame is your pack weight. You have to get down to 30 pounds or less in my opinion if you want to complete the hike and have a good time doing it. There is tons of water on the JMT and I usually just drink a lot at water crossings and just carry 1 liter except for a couple dry sections. That will save you a lot of weight. Look at some gear lists to look for opportunities to reduce weight. I know light gear is expensive but you can get lighter for a reasonable price. Food is your biggest weight problem on the JMT. The standard is about 2 pounds of food a day in the 3-4k calorie range. Did you watch my food video?
ruclips.net/video/fWpKSsZ9xLw/видео.html
I'm not really a calorie counter but it will give you some ideas. I lost 20 pounds on my JMT hike so I figure we were burning about 5k of calories a day but we did it in 17 days with heavy packs.
Take advantage of every resupply option to keep your food weight down. Starting at Cottonwood your options are from south to north:
Kearsarge Pass / Onion Valley - involves hiking out and picking up a resupply at the trailhead or use the Mt Williamson resort option - check their website. Berners has a pack station at the Onion Valley trailhead and will hold a package for you.
Muir Trail Ranch - between Kearsarge and MTR will be your longest stretch without a resupply. MTR is just one mile off the JMT.
Vermillion Valley Resort - I haven't used them because it's a day off the trail via a ferry ride or hike but a lot of people love going here. The distance between MTR and Reds Meadow makes this an option but not a necessity.
Reds Meadow - There is a restaurant here and a store that you can ship a resupply to. There is a bus shuttle system that you can use to get into the town of Mammoth Lakes to resupply and sleep in a bed. I personally don't like to leave the trail and camp here or try to get one of their cabins for around $100 a night.
Tuolumne Meadows Store - They have a post office where you can pick up your last resupply. They also have a grill.
You can gorge yourself at some of the resupply points to give yourself a calorie boost. MTR, VVR, and Reds have hiker buckets where you can scavenge free food to supplement your calories. My hiking family had a big feast compliments of the hiker buckets at MTR.
Let me know if I can help in anyway. Just try to get lighter and get some training hikes under your belt. Absolutely you need to get out and do a few overnight trips before the JMT to make sure you are dialed in on all your gear.
Happy Trails!
Ape man, I so appreciate such a long and informational reply. I'm going to unearth my gear, weigh out what my base weight of pack, shelter, and sleeping gear is. For the GC I had one lb per day of food and didn't lose weight. I dehydrate and prepare all my own food to meet some special dietary needs so some of the hiker discards won't be suitable, though some will. I had not one scrap of excess gear for the Canyon but some of the incidentals can be replaced with lighter stuff. I know it's a matter of ounces and inches always. If I do the Colorado Peaks with Mt Elbert being only slightly shorter than Whitney I may choose not to do Whitney. The top of that trail looks scary! Also it would add a round trip section if I come in from Cottonwood or over Kearsage pass. I did think I might round trip to summit Forrester. Time and training will tell. I use tiger balm for sore muscles. I also use moisturizer at night . Will sleeping in these turn me into bear bait? also I am loving my Altra trail runner boots. With my size 5 to 6 foot leather boots are a bit like wearing boards. Will the Altra's give enough support , especially through the talus sections?
The Altra's will be fine unless you are carrying a 50 pound pack. I wear lightweight Merrell Moabs which are almost like trail runners. I like a little extra ankle support. Twisted ankles are probably the most common injuries on the trail. Your lotions will not make you bear bait. As long as all your food is in your bear canister you have nothing to worry about. The Sierra bears are not a problem and you will be lucky to see one. I forgot to mention if you come in over Cottonwood there are 2 long stretches without water. I think it's around 8 miles between Chicken Springs Lake and Rock Creek and then another section between Guyot Creek and Crabtree Meadows. Those are twice as long as any dry stretches you will see anywhere along the JMT. Whitney looks scary but without snow and ice it's a well maintained trail. Kearsarge to Reds Meadow is my favorite section of the JMT so that would be a good section to concentrate on and just keep going to Yosemite if you are up to it. At Reds you can catch a shuttle back to civilization in Mammoth Lakes or resupply and head to Yosemite Valley.
Again, I truly appreciate your taking the time to answer me. I unearthed my gear from storage and found it all to be in great shape but I'm not sure ultra light was even a term 27 years ago and the bag that I love and am sentimental over is too heavy, so will be replaced with something half it's weight, My kitchen will be reworked as will clothing and incidentals so I think I can get the weight to 34 lbs, My tent is 3 1/2 lbs so is OK. I like the Altras because they correct my very pronated ankles, they are ankle high. I'll have had some time with them and the loaded pack in our mountains. If I manage the 5 fourteeners I will try in Colorado, then perhaps Whitney will seem more probable. If I camp South of Guitar Lake I can leave most of my gear there and go up light. I'm thinking to exit at Tuoleme catch the Yarst and then the Eastern Sierra Transit to where ever I leave my vehicle. This is all seeming more real and possible and I'm excited.I'm not going to let the sands of time defeat me however low they are getting in the hour glass. A fellow artist I studied with half a year ago just died. He was a year younger than me Again thank you so much for taking time with me. I think I'm going in the right direction with plans. The internet makes it so much easier than back then. Later on I'll probably contact you again.
It sounds like you've got plenty of sand left in that hourglass! If you decide to do Whitney then I would suggest staying in the more sheltered area around the Crabtree Ranger Station and just day hike Whitney from there. That way you don't have to deal with the poop in the bag zone and there is an actual outdoor sit down toilet there! By all means feel free to ask me any questions. You can do this!
I also use a weighted fitness vest for conditioning. Easy to add precise amounts of weight, but doesn’t condition for the feel and weight distribution of carrying a pack. Weight vests great to throw on quickly and not be conspicuous like wearing a pack.
Vest works great for staying in shape. Before a backpacking trip there is nothing like wearing a pack and hiking on local trails or even the road or stairs. A vest would be much less conspicuous at the gym but you gotta get those shoulders ready for carrying a load on the trail.
Terry,
Think I got an uncredited mention RE walking with dogs - I am that guy walking his huskies with a ULA pack on and will be again soon. One thing I do for cardio is to push my pace as hard as possible going up hills. I used to be gasping for air at the top of some hills, but now it just takes a minute or two for my heart rate to come back down.
Have put in an application for the JMT. Not getting any younger. Having been rejected for the first two dates in my range, and knowing that the odds suck, I'm working on the assumption that I'll have to get a walk up permit. This brings me to the question of what to do if I drive down and can't get a walk up permit for that day. If I don't get one and can't get a spot in say the Tuolumne Meadows campground, am I forced to drive back out of the park? Do I try to get any backcountry permit so I can stay in the backpackers campground and then get there super early the next morning and try again?
I'm not picky about where I start because I go down to Yosemite a lot and have already hiked everything but the stretch between Clouds Rest junction and Cathedral Lakes.
Also regarding a rest day to two at MTR or VVR, is finding a date that I'd like to arrive and then building in an extra day to give myself two days to get a walkup permit a good plan?
Hi David - Yes you were uncredited but inspiring. You are going to love this hike. Late August is the best time to start so be patient with the lottery. You will get a walkup if you have to but likely it will be the next day so camping options are an issue. You can line up at 8am I think at the Tuolumne Meadows campground for a car campground. I've been successful doing that. If you get to Tioga Lake or Ellery Lake by noon you can get a spot there. They are all first come first served and at 9900' so great for acclimatizing and only 15 minutes from Tuolumne. I have probably spent 30 nights at one of the 12 spots at Tioga Lake. Porcupine flat campground in the park is first come first serve also.
MTR is the better rest option in my opinion just because it's further down the trail when you will be needing a rest. Expensive but totally worth it. Fatten up on their amazing food before hitting the 2nd half. But...you need a reservation so have to get there on that date. Just build in some extra time and enjoy the trail. VVR you just show up and they have plenty of room but they are off the trail.
I've discovered that while running will probably help you lose weight, it doesn't prepare you for the trail as well as walking/hiking does. For me it's taking the stairs at work (I work on the 7th floor of our building), going up to my office AND going down when leaving for the day along with treadmill work at the gym, usually at a small incline.
Yup! You could even wear the pack you backpack with up and down the stairs. Exercise is great but there is nothing better than hiking to get ready for a hiking trip. Keep climbing those stairs!
Any tips if you have back problems?
Can't help much. Just once I had bad middle lower back pain. Went to physical therapy and they gave me some stretching and strengthening exercises and haven't had a problem since. Try to get a referral to a Dr or physical therapist specializing in sports medicine.
Your other option is to lighten your load and go as ultra light as you can afford. If you can lose a few pounds that will help also. Get out and hike and stay as active as is comfortable. You got all those mountains around Reno. Just do it!
I thought I recognized that lake!
Where do you live? I'm out of Sonora, Ca
I live in Folsom. I drive through Sonora on my way to Yosemite. I take the shortcut - Rawhide Rd. Nice place close to great hiking and fishing.
I agree, great fishing and hiking. I'm in the process of training for a southern cross country hiking trip at the end of winter. Sonora, ca. to Jupiter fl. 2981 miles. I'm sure it'll be epic.
Wow that does sound epic! Are you trying to piece as much as possible on trail or mostly roadways? Most long trails go south to north because of the mountain ranges. Why not start from SF and make it a coast to coast? We can call you Peter Gump. I hope you document it all.
Im gonna piece trails, roads and hitch when needed. I drove long haul for a few years and saw so many cool places but couldnt get to em being in a 63 ft long vehicle, so I will map it out and head for the rising sun. huh maybe I'll name the vlog "Heading towards the rising sun"
Sounds awesome! One of the problems of doing a thru hike is having to zip through beautiful areas to get your miles in. Doing a coast to coast on foot will give you a chance to see a lot of cool stuff and people. Send me a link if you start a vlog.
Are you in Folsom? I’m 28 and prepping for my first backpacking trip. Any advice?
Yup - I filmed this at Heaven above Promontory Park which is a great training hike with a loaded pack. What advice are you looking for?
Ape Man small world, I’m in Folsom too! Did you complete the JMT? I want to give it a go this summer if I can get a permit. Looking for general advice: How many days did it take you, gear recommendations, how often should I be training?
Check out my other videos on my channel - I have lots of JMT videos including a full JMT hike with my daughter. I have lots of advice about gear, food, permits etc. We did it in 17 days which was too short in my opinion. 21 days is about right I think. Best way to train is to start hiking. We've got Desolation Wilderness in our backyard so when the snow melts get out there. I love to do day hikes up the local peaks like Ralston, Pyramid, Tallac, Round Top or Thunder Mountain. In winter you can hike in places like big basin or Pt Reyes or even Mt Diablo. Main thing you need to do is get your gear together and get out and use it on a couple overnight trips before you hit the JMT. At 28 you probably can't afford 1000 dollars to buy top of the line gear but that doesn't mean you can't get decent gear or even used gear. I have some tips on that on my gear video. It seems daunting but it's not once you figure it all out. After you narrow down your questions hit me up. Maybe we can do lunch or something and we can go over some of your stuff. Feel free to hit me up anytime.
Ape man, I like your vids, some interesting topics and info. But, I have a really hard time with the audio. Your vids can use some audio improvement.
I'm a poor dirtbag backpacker so do the best I can with a cheap camera. My computer was paid for by winnings from a football pool. I like to film outdoors where wind noise is always an issue. I'm getting better at this youtube hobby and will try to do better. A Yeti USB microphone has been on my Christmas list for 2 years but Santa hasn't come through yet.
Ape Man , lol...! The content is what matters, so I'll still watch them.
Over two minutes into the video, and not very useful.
Nothing personal dude... but you need to be in shape every day 360... lose that 50 pounds you have on you belly and ass. Run 5 miles a day every day... instead of stepping on that rock that weighs as much as that massive gut you have and throw that rock on to your back and hike 10 miles....
George - thank you for the critique of my physique. I used to run 50 miles a week and cycle 100 more. I'm a 58 year old man over due for knee replacement surgery and can no longer run. I've had ACL reconstruction and 3 knee surgeries. I can still pull my fat ass up 14k peaks and put in 20 mile days at elevation with a 50 pound pack. You'll hit 40 some day if you're lucky and you will understand. Hiking has a lot to do with cardio which is where I concentrate my workouts because of bad joints and arthritis. I actually believe that having a little fat on your body is beneficial at the start of a long hike like the PCT. You are right I am a fat ass. Would I like to have the body of a 30 year old? Hell yes However, having a shredded physique does not translate into an effective hiking body without the cardio. My point is everyone is different and your workouts should be tailored for what you like to do - not what you want to look like. I only have 150 miles of backpacking planned this year so I guess that means I'm fat. I have a job and can't hike 360 but I get to do all the things I want. Hike your own hike dude!
@George, nothing personal? you immediately insult the crap out of him. He provides VERY important information. You are not nice! I will promptly go to your channel and criticize you! j.k., I wouldn't waste my time.
George Adams...you are part of the problem. Now, say you're sorry. You are probably just a poser anyway. Ape Man is a dude with a world of experience and I can guarantee you he would be a great guy to hang around the fire with and talk about the next trip or past trip with. I'm going to listen to him.
@Christo' Amato, that guy is very rude.
lmfaoo jesus!