How To Prepare for an 8-10 day hike

[DanShell]

Big days mate. Too much for me on consecutive days. I could possibly do it but Im not sure I would be enjoying it, even if it was easy walking.

But everyones different and I am not the fittest person around thats for sure

[wayno]

like its summer in NZ in the lowlands north island temps in the teens at night.., you're not going to the south pole.

[Pika]

The weight loss figures in this thread are pretty startling. If I lost 10kg, particularly on a walk, my physical and probably mental, capabilities, would be severely reduced. I think even 7kg would be too much for me. I have certainly experienced "loose waistband syndrome" on occasions, but this has only been a couple of kg.

I was thinking the same thing.

[wayno]

The weight loss figures in this thread are pretty startling. If I lost 10kg, particularly on a walk, my physical and probably mental, capabilities, would be severely reduced. I think even 7kg would be too much for me. I have certainly experienced "loose waistband syndrome" on occasions, but this has only been a couple of kg.

I was thinking the same thing.

also bigger bodies burn through more energy to move the extra weight, burn more fat than smaller bodies, shed weight faster

[JohnStrider]

like its summer in NZ in the lowlands north island temps in the teens at night.., you're not going to the south pole.

Mid 20s in the daytime during Summer correct, Wayno?

[wayno]

high teens to high twenties for that part of the country, you cant generalise about the whole country

[JohnStrider]

In terms of a sleeping mat what sort of rating would be ideal?

Cheers for the info btw

[wayno]

at this time of year, a cheap lilo is often enough.

[wayno]

http://www.metservice.com/rural/waitomo

[wayno]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_New_Zealand

[JohnStrider]

Was looking at those two websites before.

Cheers

[wayno]

http://www.metservice.com/towns-cities/te-kuiti

[DarrenM]

The weight loss figures in this thread are pretty startling. If I lost 10kg, particularly on a walk, my physical and probably mental, capabilities, would be severely reduced. I think even 7kg would be too much for me. I have certainly experienced "loose waistband syndrome" on occasions, but this has only been a couple of kg.

I was thinking the same thing.

I was around 87kgs at the start and was 80kgs when I arrived home. Obviously not a typical scenario but I fluctuate around 3kgs on a hot day at work.

Heavy hauling made heavier without snow. I have had similar losses over longer trips but obviously it depends on how hard you are pushing. I can cope with it due to the relatively short (sub 2 week trips) but if I was to do longer journeys, I'd obviously manage fatigue and calories differently.

This is getting a little far from the thread topic though so apologies.

[Pika]

Tough going.

Did it take you long to regain your weight?

Sorry to hijack the thread.

[Moondog55]

Where was that photo taken? I thought I was doing it tough last winter but I had snow to drag my loaded sleds on

[DarrenM]

Tough going.

Did it take you long to regain your weight?

Sorry to hijack the thread.

I can't remember exactly but probably only a month or two, but drinking beer and eating Pizza helps. I have a fairly fast metabolism in general and can lose those types of numbers on the MTB comfortably over a month of riding. I try and head into winter with a bit more cardio which is usually a combination of riding and trail running.

Moondog, it was taken on the Happy Jacks Plain. See Here for trip report.

[Moondog55]

Amazing trip mate

[DarrenM]

Cheers mate, Certainly got our moneys worth! I know you understand about hauling loads and losing weight in the Backcountry.

I guess to add my two cents on the original question, preparing physically for 8-10 day trips has become a little easier over time as I'm always doing trips so tend to stay fit. This year I've dropped the ball a little! Choose any type of general training that suits you for cardio - swimming, running, riding and add a little strength training on top. If that means hitting the gym or weights at home, do it. I go for whole body stuff - pushups, situps, curls, lunges and squats with a bar etc. If you aren't big on the gym stuff....just get outside and do trips. Pack haul anywhere. Basically, just move your body and do it with a little intensity and weight.

How much food, well you should be able to carry 7 days reasonably easy, and once you figure out what you like, then adding another 3 days shouldn't be that much of an ask. Water is my biggest fluctuating resource on any trip, and if I'm unsure where my next source is then I carry as much as I can just in case. I have carried 6 or more litres on different trips.

Food prep these days is fairly minimal as I've gone back to 2 min noodles for mains, bulk chocolate, usually some type of muesli bars, and nuts. I carry a small amount of powdered Gatorade or similar for hot weather trips, diluted to 50% of the recommended.

Decisions on what gear to carry is usually as light as I'm comfortable with in terms of safety relative to my own experience. Sometimes that means no tent, No stove and non cook meals. When I started out, I used to carry a lot of stuff I don't carry these days, but I think carrying a bit extra helps cover you if things turn bad early on. I think it's better to have too much gear than not enough when starting out until you have the experience to make the decision for yourself.

Maximum k's in a day would be around 45 but not typical. I've also done less than 3ks in 8 hours and been absolutely wrecked. 25k's can be a big day with a full load on average terrain for most. 15 is comfortable. It's very subjective and part of the enjoyment is that feeling of gaining experience over time.

I think the biggest thing when it comes to the gear, food, how much, how long etc is helped in a large way by getting the body tuned. I'm probably a little different in my approach to bushwalking, and it is a very personal thing so hopefully it becomes easier over time.

[JohnStrider]

Cheers mate, Certainly got our moneys worth! I know you understand about hauling loads and losing weight in the Backcountry.

I guess to add my two cents on the original question, preparing physically for 8-10 day trips has become a little easier over time as I'm always doing trips so tend to stay fit. This year I've dropped the ball a little! Choose any type of general training that suits you for cardio - swimming, running, riding and add a little strength training on top. If that means hitting the gym or weights at home, do it. I go for whole body stuff - pushups, situps, curls, lunges and squats with a bar etc. If you aren't big on the gym stuff....just get outside and do trips. Pack haul anywhere. Basically, just move your body and do it with a little intensity and weight.

How much food, well you should be able to carry 7 days reasonably easy, and once you figure out what you like, then adding another 3 days shouldn't be that much of an ask. Water is my biggest fluctuating resource on any trip, and if I'm unsure where my next source is then I carry as much as I can just in case. I have carried 6 or more litres on different trips.

Food prep these days is fairly minimal as I've gone back to 2 min noodles for mains, bulk chocolate, usually some type of muesli bars, and nuts. I carry a small amount of powdered Gatorade or similar for hot weather trips, diluted to 50% of the recommended.

Decisions on what gear to carry is usually as light as I'm comfortable with in terms of safety relative to my own experience. Sometimes that means no tent, No stove and non cook meals. When I started out, I used to carry a lot of stuff I don't carry these days, but I think carrying a bit extra helps cover you if things turn bad early on. I think it's better to have too much gear than not enough when starting out until you have the experience to make the decision for yourself.

Maximum k's in a day would be around 45 but not typical. I've also done less than 3ks in 8 hours and been absolutely wrecked. 25k's can be a big day with a full load on average terrain for most. 15 is comfortable. It's very subjective and part of the enjoyment is that feeling of gaining experience over time.

I think the biggest thing when it comes to the gear, food, how much, how long etc is helped in a large way by getting the body tuned. I'm probably a little different in my approach to bushwalking, and it is a very personal thing so hopefully it becomes easier over time.

I like the way you think, Darren. Thanks for your response. I'm doing strength training at the gym as well as making sure I'm eating much cleaner as well. I'm 6"3 and 89kgs. So I'm quite lean but by no means am I a stick haha

I went out today for another hike. This time I ventured out to Warrandyte on a trail that runs by the Yarra River. Great day for it. I completed the 14km trail in 3 hours, including a couple of breaks, with 15kgs on my back. I packed things such as my tent, my sleeping mat, cooking utensils and a few other things I'll have with me. But I also added a few weights just to bring it up to 15. I'm a little sore as the terrain was up and down in some parts, but for the most part I'm ok. I've done a few hikes like this already and I reckon with adequate rest at the end of the day, including stopping for a few breaks (stretching as well) and lunch as well, I think I could do 30kms per day. I think the trick will be to make sure we're taking the time to rest and stretch every couple of hours.

[wayno]

Metabolic efficiency test results
A metabolic efficiency test requires two pieces of equipment: a treadmill (or bike trainer) and a metabolic cart. The cart measures the volume of oxygen that I inhale relative to the volume of carbon dioxide that I exhale. Because different amounts of oxygen are used in metabolizing fats and carbohydrates, the cart can determine my ratio of carb- to fat-burning

http://andrewskurka.com/2015/metabolic- ... g-running/

[Pika]

Tough going.

Did it take you long to regain your weight?

Sorry to hijack the thread.

I can't remember exactly but probably only a month or two, but drinking beer and eating Pizza helps. I have a fairly fast metabolism in general and can lose those types of numbers on the MTB comfortably over a month of riding. I try and head into winter with a bit more cardio which is usually a combination of riding and trail running.

Moondog, it was taken on the Happy Jacks Plain. See Here for trip report.

Great report Darren.

[DanShell]

Cheers mate, Certainly got our moneys worth! I know you understand about hauling loads and losing weight in the Backcountry.

I guess to add my two cents on the original question, preparing physically for 8-10 day trips has become a little easier over time as I'm always doing trips so tend to stay fit. This year I've dropped the ball a little! Choose any type of general training that suits you for cardio - swimming, running, riding and add a little strength training on top. If that means hitting the gym or weights at home, do it. I go for whole body stuff - pushups, situps, curls, lunges and squats with a bar etc. If you aren't big on the gym stuff....just get outside and do trips. Pack haul anywhere. Basically, just move your body and do it with a little intensity and weight.

How much food, well you should be able to carry 7 days reasonably easy, and once you figure out what you like, then adding another 3 days shouldn't be that much of an ask. Water is my biggest fluctuating resource on any trip, and if I'm unsure where my next source is then I carry as much as I can just in case. I have carried 6 or more litres on different trips.

Food prep these days is fairly minimal as I've gone back to 2 min noodles for mains, bulk chocolate, usually some type of muesli bars, and nuts. I carry a small amount of powdered Gatorade or similar for hot weather trips, diluted to 50% of the recommended.

Decisions on what gear to carry is usually as light as I'm comfortable with in terms of safety relative to my own experience. Sometimes that means no tent, No stove and non cook meals. When I started out, I used to carry a lot of stuff I don't carry these days, but I think carrying a bit extra helps cover you if things turn bad early on. I think it's better to have too much gear than not enough when starting out until you have the experience to make the decision for yourself.

Maximum k's in a day would be around 45 but not typical. I've also done less than 3ks in 8 hours and been absolutely wrecked. 25k's can be a big day with a full load on average terrain for most. 15 is comfortable. It's very subjective and part of the enjoyment is that feeling of gaining experience over time.

I think the biggest thing when it comes to the gear, food, how much, how long etc is helped in a large way by getting the body tuned. I'm probably a little different in my approach to bushwalking, and it is a very personal thing so hopefully it becomes easier over time.

Very well said, I certainy relate to a lot of what Darren has written here.

Just to touch on getting rest or recovering. I find night one I don't sleep as well as I should. However after that my body needs the 8 hours rest and accepts it well.
It's amazing what a good nights sleep does to my body.