Load bearing advice sought

[Crafty Dog]

Woof All:

With no background whatsoever in load bearing hiking, I have 8 weeks to build up to 5 days with 45 pounds for about 8-10 miles a day over uneven terrain, with probably temperatures in the 80s or even the 90s.

At present the only gear I have is a weight vest that goes up to 50 pounds and a watch with a pulsemeter.

Just to feel things out, today I started with Vibram VSOs (barefooting "shoes") on slightly uneven dirt.

1.1 mile: bodyweight
1.1 mile: 25 pounds
1.1 mile: 50 pounds

This was very easy. I was surprised at how little my heart rate went up as the weight went up.

Comments? Suggestions?

TIA,
Marc/Crafty Dog

PS: I know the Vibrams are not for the terrain where I will be going, but I like the strengthening of my feet, ankles, and calves and the way that they improve my stride so I roll my hips more naturally and open up my hip flexors. That said, I have also begun wearing the relatively new boots that I will probably be wearing so that they will be properly broken in and I will be familiar with them.

[blindside]

Buy the pack you will be hiking with, a pack is less evenly distributed than your weight vest and will (should) ride more on your hips than your shoulders. The pack will also change your posture and you will hunch more than you do with a vest.Flat even terrain like trails or are you going to be off trail bushwacking? This may impact your pack selection, though with those temps I would recommend an external frame as they will let your back breath more.

[Crafty Dog]

Thank you.

Interesting thought about hunching with a pack-- I had not thought of that. Why is that so?

The terrain will be uneven, but right now I am in South Bay Los Angeles-- but can get to some very uneven trails in Palos Verdes rather easily once I have laid a proper foundation.

[blindside]

A well packed pack puts most of the heavy weight as close to the torso as possible, but naturally it shifts the center of balance backward from the body, so the body adjusts to getting the COB over the hips and feet by shifting forward. This becomes more evident the heavier the pack and the faster the walk. Wildland firefighters doing the mandatory PT packtests use a 45 lb packs or vests doing a 3 mile fast walk for time. In the last quarter mile the guys in vests are straight up and down swinging their arms, the guys with packs have a 20-40 degree forward tilt.

[Carol]

Guro Crafty,

Ditto what Lamont said about the weight vest. I have an 11 pound weight vest and found that it did nothing to prepare me for how my balance and movement changed when I went hiking with an 8-10 pound daypack.

Your heart rate will go up with the weight change, but it will go up even faster when you are are going up an incline. I'm not sure how uneven the terrain will be, if you have a topo map of the area, be sure to take note of the elevation changes, and prepare for the impact on the body. An increase in elevation is going to be more taxing on the body. A decrease in elevation will make you more likely to stumble, as your balance is being thrown off by the pack. Achillies/ankle stretches (if you aren't already doing them) may be of benefit.

It would probably be of benefit to spend some of your training time climbing up and down hills iwth the heavy pack, or even up and down several flights of steps, if hills aren't available. Don't neglect the downhill part...most hiking injuries generally happen when the hiker is going downhill., not uphill.

Good Luck :)

[Brian R. VanCise]

Definitely good advice to buy a pack and train with it in preparation! ;)

[Crafty Dog]

Good detail to up my calf stretching. I should probably work ankles rotation/stability too , , , A student is sending me a nice back pack which will put more weight on my hips instead of compressing the spine as my vest does. I want to get my level up a bit before I start taking on hills.

[Carol]

Personally, I wouldn't wait sir, if at all possible. Gradual increases are helpful for stength gains, but its interval training that tends to yield more cardio gains.

This video may explain more :)

8MZL8gglAEM

[Crafty Dog]

I have been cautioned by experienced people that I need to be aware that my cardio will come along more quickly than my structural ability to carry weight, so right now I am focused more on acclimately to carrying the weight than peak cardio.

Today's session:

Another 3.3 miles with 50 pounds.

Average pulse mile 1: 97
APM #2: 103
APM #3: 111

The original plan was to go 4 miles but with only one day's rest the muscles of my upper back we saying it was enough for the day. I do like the way the vest is teaching me things about posture and gait. Today I was noticing that carrying the vest was easier the more I opened the thoracic region of the spine (think scapula down, rhomboids activated) In conjunction with maintaining each foot on the ground longer subtly improves hip alignment and counter swinging the shoulders (e.g. right shoulder forward on left step) diminishes heel strike.

[Crafty Dog]

Irked. Today I was supposed to do 8 miles at Bluff Cove with 45 lbs, but instead my right calf spasmed while doing three rounds of jump rope. I did 10,000 meters on the rowing machine instead, but my calf is still really cranky-- as am I at this speed bump in my preparations.