kjoyce4After three years of day hikes, I’ve decided to spend some serious time in the woods. I’ll be hiking Vermont’s Long Trail starting mid-June, which means I have a little over two months to get trail ready.
I’ve been doing a lot of research on training for a thru hike, and the answer I’ve seen most often is hike more. So here’s my absolutely amateur approach to getting ready to walk 270 miles.
Step 1: Hike More
You don’t have to tell me twice to spend more time out on trail, but knowing my hiking style, I wanted to make sure I was taking a smart approach to training. Typically, I approach a weekend of hiking like this: Pick an 8-10 mile hike with some serious elevation gain for Saturday and spend Sunday limping around the house, wishing I had taken it a little easier yesterday.
So instead of burning myself out, I’ve been going on 2-4 mile hikes daily with only a few hundred feet of elevation. Last week, I was able to hike four days in a row with little consequence other than some sore ankles. They’re still getting used to the switch from my winter boots to trail runner season.
As I get back into shape, I’ll be adding mileage and elevation to the equation, building my way up to the 12-14 mile average I hope to do on the trail.
Step 2: Carry More
When you’re day hiking or backpacking, the goal is to shave down as much weight as you can. Even though my day pack is usually stuffed with my camera and an extra layer or two, that’s nothing compared to a carrying your life on your back. So I’ve been slowly working my way up to my full pack weight, while looking like an over prepared idiot on the short trails around my house.
My solution to adding weight to my small daypack: lots of water. Last week, I started carrying four or five liters with my even on short hikes, just to add a few extra pounds. As I get closer to my actual hike, I plan to upgrade to my 45 liter pack, and eventually the 60 liter pack I’ll be carrying on the thru hike.
I know some people will think this training plan isn’t detailed enough or won’t prepare me well enough, and others will say that they got up off the couch and conquered the AT. Knowing my body and my own fitness level, I think that wandering in the woods with an extra 25 pounds will hopefully be enough to prepare me. The real answer is, I won’t know until I get on the trail whether I’m prepared or not.
Have you done an extended backpacking trip? How did you get ready for it? Leave me your tips in the comments!
