"To endure the bite of the fox..."

[Dave Bremers]

In the same vein as "Its all in the mind you know...", I was wondering what people do to acclimatise to any discomforts/pain they might encounter on the trail, especially for longer trips?

I know of two climbers who slept in a industrial freezer every night for a month before they left , people who sleep on the floor on a closed cell foam mat, and I haven't had a hot shower (brrrrrr) for 13 days now in preparation for my coming trip.

What does everyone else do?

Dave

[ollster]

Erm, nothing? Generally try to keep my fitness up?

[stu]

Turn my electric blankie down from 2 to 1...brrrrrrr, the Spartans would be proud of me

Generally make sure everything is organised obsessively, then at least food / provisions / gear failures shouldn't be an issue, in theory.
I'm usually in the mountains every weekend so it just becomes an extension, the longer you're out the more aclimatised you become, up to a point at least.
Do a few shorter overnight walks to get into pack shape - & pack heavy for them, no point going fast & light on the shorter walks if you're in training for a 10+ day trip, you'll just exacerbate the misery on day 1.

[Michael_Kingston]

I generally flail myself with scoparia for at least a week prior to departure. I also dig a hole in the backyard when I need to go to the toilet and walk through the bath tub every half hour to get my feet wet.

[Nick S]

Lol at sarcasm.
Dave - So you've been having cold showers for over 2 weeks now?!! Surely enjoy the comforts while you can, and keep the experiences of the trip within the actual trip..

I agree getting used to a harder sleeping mat may make your actual sleeps better in the tent, but that became irelevant when I bought an exped mat

[Dave Bremers]

Ah I have one of those expeds too! Is it the downmat? They are absolute gold and they mean that you can take a colder sleeping bag. Yeah I'm up to my 18th day of cold showers, I feel quite good surprisingly!
Oh and a disappointing side note on the downmats: my exped downmat short ways 750g. My full length closed cell sleeping 'mat' ways 230g. Where every gram counts, I'm sure you can guess which won out

[Nick S]

It's just the synthetic one, yeah they are great.
So you're not taking it? I'd rather exchange the extra weight for better sleeps.. You better be sleeping on the ground by now then

[ILUVSWTAS]

And walking through the bushes on your way past the front door instead of using the path.....

[Dave Bremers]

You better be sleeping on the ground by now then

err... i actually am . I get the impression that maybe I'm taking this too seriously?

[ollster]

err... i actually am . I get the impression that maybe I'm taking this too seriously?

Yeah, I figure that preparation in the form of "hardening" is folly. Walking is all about dealing with the @#$@ when it happens. Might as well enjoy the experience of civilisation while you can.

[Taurë-rana]

I'm not sure about cold showers, but getting used to sleeping on the ground sounds like a good idea to me. The last thing you want when bushwalking is a bad night's sleep, although last time I went walking overnight I was so tired that I didn't notice the lack of comfort so it didn't really matter. I think the main thing for me would be to walk distance on rough ground, and with weight.

[Dave Bremers]

I don't think its folly, otherwise I wouldn't do it. Its to help reduce the shock of all of a sudden being without civilisation for 3 weeks. Besides the many claimed benefits of cold showers:

http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/200 ... d-showers/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-T ... &id=326786 ......... (do a google search)
anecdotal evidence: boosts immune system, improves muscle recovery (you always see the footy players in their ice baths)

its good for mental toughness, helps with the "dealing with the @#$@ when it happens". Its quite a step of mental fortitude to jump straight into a cold shower at 1am after a night of drinking.

[ollster]

Its quite a step of mental fortitude to jump straight into a cold shower at 1am after a night of drinking.

In Tas that would give you hypothermia...

Nah, I still say folly. Folly I say!!! I think after enough walking you just know what to expect. If you can't get to sleep at night cause the ground is too hard then you haven't walked hard enough.

[Area54]

Before a big multiday ride, I'll load up the trailer and bike similar to trailweight, then ride it to work for a few weeks. My daily commute is 60km round trip, so it's good prep and ideal to test the fitness. Shower with a 60ml spray pack and a chux. Dry noodles, nutella on muesli bars for lunch, sit under a bar heater to simulate QLD sun (it's currently 34 degrees in brissy).Things we do for a good time

Some of my colleagues will load up a pack, drive part way to work and walk the rest, increase the distance to suit their needs. I know it's not the same as being there, but still good maintenance of your abilities.

Another mate walks as much as possible with his 5yo in a back carrier, reckoned it was good mental conditioning with the constant 'daddy, this is boring, I wanna go home, can we get an ice cream, are we there yet, where's mummy, I wanna walk, I wanna go sleep, waaah, waaah' etc

[ILUVSWTAS]

I can assure you carrying a 25kg pack is much much easier than carrying a 15kg 3year old in a child carrier.

[adventurescape]

I can assure you carrying a 25kg pack is much much easier than carrying a 15kg 3year old in a child carrier.

I'll second that, except we have a 16kg 2 yr old who is near impossible to put to sleep in our tent whilst out bush. Frequent sleep deprivation is our training. If you could get lightweight waders for such sized humans, we could let him walk for as much distance as he demands whilst restrained in child carrier. He'd probably sleep better too . Any one ever seen waders to fit a 3 footer???

In addition to the child, man... do they need some paraphernalia. (and spare clothes, cos little waders don't exist)

[corvus]

Loving all of these posts just wait till you are a sixty + year old with arthritis and a heel spur who can only go BW on pain killers , long time dead and I wont let the basardies bring me down,got at least another 10 years of my three score and ten left and I intend to wear out not rust
corvus

[ollster]

can only go BW on pain killers ,

I hear you brother. Anti inflammatories - or as I like to think of them "bushwalkers' choice".

[ILUVSWTAS]

We're already looking into getting crutches for you Oll you poor old thing!

[Area54]

I can assure you carrying a 25kg pack is much much easier than carrying a 15kg 3year old in a child carrier.

I'll second that, except we have a 16kg 2 yr old who is near impossible to put to sleep in our tent whilst out bush. Frequent sleep deprivation is our training. If you could get lightweight waders for such sized humans, we could let him walk for as much distance as he demands whilst restrained in child carrier. He'd probably sleep better too . Any one ever seen waders to fit a 3 footer???

In addition to the child, man... do they need some paraphernalia. (and spare clothes, cos little waders don't exist)

I'm hearing ya, we recently did a 6 day tour with the little one, on the tandem towing the trailer. However, our 4yo monkey travels pretty lightweight and is pretty durable, gets by on a mouthful of food and 1 litre of water a day - I swear she is photosynthetic.

She'd fall asleep in my arms each night by the fire, tired from chasing butterflies by day and fireflies by night. She gets restless legs, but a quick massage relieves the twitching and she drops off pretty quick.

[ILUVSWTAS]

I wonder how poor old dave is getting on. All those cold showers were probably a good idea, with all the rain they expect to be getting in the next 2 days, they're going to have to swim across all the rivers just to get to the new river.....

[ollster]

I wonder how poo old dave is getting on. All those cold showers were probably a good idea, with all the rain they expect to be getting in the next 2 days, they're going to have to swim across all the rivers just to get to the new river.....

I seriously think the only thing that could have prepared him would be a shorter trip into the same area. I just hope they're gonna be ok and can find an escape route if/when things go pear shaped...

[Nuts]

Thats a lot of responsibility at those handle bars... Like taking littluns on remote walks, rock climbing etc, i just dont get it...
(each to their own (of course))
I do not much to prepare... somehow I seem to be able to even stack on a couple of extra kilos before going bush just to add to the challenge

[Macca81]

how to get prepared.... pack my pack the night before, and have a good breakfast the morning i leave. thats about it. i have always found it easy to sleep on the ground, i quite enjoy cooking on the trangia(or gas canister as it is nowdays), and i have no trouble going without a shower for a few days(even tho i cant function without a shower when im at home ). basicaly, i just do what i need to do and dont worry about trying to 'prepare' for it. (perhaps all these years of scouts and camping with my old man have made this easy for me? )

[north-north-west]

its good for mental toughness, helps with the "dealing with the @#$@ when it happens". Its quite a step of mental fortitude to jump straight into a cold shower at 1am after a night of drinking.

I'd have thought that it would develop more mental toughness - as well as minimising the shock of going cold turkey - if you weaned yourself off the alcohol well before leaving . . .

[ollster]

This thread still make me laugh...

[Ent]

Um? The mother of all reasons "to enduring the bite" is to have no other choice and the careful rationing of alcohol as well has having a fox task force

Painkillers are for wusses or wousers (Time to duck as the tambourines come flying in)

Cheers Brett

[Dave Bremers]

its good for mental toughness, helps with the "dealing with the @#$@ when it happens". Its quite a step of mental fortitude to jump straight into a cold shower at 1am after a night of drinking.

I'd have thought that it would develop more mental toughness - as well as minimising the shock of going cold turkey - if you weaned yourself off the alcohol well before leaving . . .

Actually, substantial quantities of cheap cask wine (aka 'goon') are part of my regimented toughening plan. It helps me anticipate feelings of extreme fatigue, and gives me a feeling of superhuman strength where I can accomplish anything. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to wear off like the alcohol and hangovers do...

[Ent]

Actually, substantial quantities of cheap cask wine (aka 'goon') are part of my regimented toughening plan. It helps me anticipate feelings of extreme fatigue, and gives me a feeling of superhuman strength where I can accomplish anything. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to wear off like the alcohol and hangovers do...

It is amazing what seamed sensible the night before in the hut after a nice meal and few wines suddenly changes in the light of day.

Cheers Brett

[north-north-west]

Bunch of drug addicts, the lot of you.