TRAINING for a LONG DISTANCE HIKE When You’re Over 50 [Living in Puerto Rico Ep 8]
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Video taken from the channel: Diane Cohn
Prepare Your Feet for a Long Walk | Hiking
Video taken from the channel: Sikana English
Long-Distance Walking Used to Be as Popular as the World Series!
Video taken from the channel: JRE Clips
How to Train for Hiking || REI
Video taken from the channel: REI
Tips For Hiking: How To Hike 50 Miles in a Day
Video taken from the channel: Outdoor & Sports
Top 10 tips for hiking 100 miles on the South Downs Way
Video taken from the channel: The Trail Hunter
Training for a Long Distance Trail
Video taken from the channel: Darwin onthetrail
Tips and Training for Long Distance Walking. If you’re an endurance walker, learn how to train for and choose marathon walking events. Use these training programs and tips to get ready for the big day.
Prepping in the weeks and days ahead of a long-distance walk: 1. Keep a balanced diet with at least 2 different types of food at each meal. 2. Eat smaller frequent meals. Four to five are better for you than three big meals as it is easier for your body to 3. Eat FRESH: shop around the perimeter.Rule of thumb is that your long walk should not increase more that 10% per week, with the goal of walking at least 85 percent of the total length of the walk two weeks before the event. Do the math, and only choose an event that allows you to train well with plenty of time.
Step 3 Create or find a training program.Long distances can cause discomfort and pain to your feet. Stay off your feet as much as you can before the walk so they are rested. Clean and clip your toenails to avoid discomfort in the front of your feet. Wear light and breathable shoes to avoid painful blisters.
Thursdays Tempo or power walking for 5 to 6 miles. Fridays Cross-training for 2 hours. Saturdays Endurance walking, sometimes called a long distance day, slowly building up to 80% of goal distance. Sundays Recovery day with at least 45 minutes of cross-training or comfortable walking.
A walking workout is a great way to get in some cardio, even if you don’t like running. These tips can help boost the intensity of your daily walk.A summary of some the hints and tips you can find for long-distance walking on this site. Skip to navigation.
Long-Distance Walks with Mark Moxon. Walking Tips. Good walking is an art form, and the only way to become a better walker is to go out there and do it. But you can save a lot of time – not to mention a lot of pain – if you do your.Nutritional tips for medium and long distance walking events Walking is a great way to get fitter and healthier and it can vary from a gentle stroll to a brisk walk or a hike in the hills.
For some taking up a walking challenge or joining an event can help to keep them motivated.That said, there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to walking for distance or time. While research suggests walking for distance may be the better option, it’s only beneficial so long as it works for you. If you find it easier to track your walks according to time, then, by all means, continue to do so.
Eat and drink plenty and often, particularly energy rich foods such as cake, bananas, dried fruit, sandwiches, and isotonic drinks. Eat the food provided at checkpoints, even if your appetite seems poor, and don’t be tempted to rush through checkpoints without eating just to save a few minutes.Cardio training is the most important part of your hiking training. According to Backpacking.com, you should do two days of cardio for every day of strength training. Three to four days a week is recommended.
Also, equally as important is to allow for at least one day of rest per week.Long Distance Walk Training 14 Week Training Program. 2 x 30 mins walk, 1 x 1 hour walk. Easy pace.
2 x 30 mins walk, 1 x 2 hour walk. Full stretch after each walk. Easy pace.
The Best Training for a Hike Is Hiking There is no doubt that the best thing you can do in the months before heading out on a long distance hike is to go hiking regularly. The important thing is to hike regularly, whether it is going for a half hour walk before going to.Start your training with a week of daily walks and keep a log where you record your route, distance, time, what you noticed and how you felt. Sharing your data and observations with practice partners, friends or grandkids will reinforce your efforts.
A record’s also valuable for future training. Distance walking can be addictive!Endurance and strength can be built by covering the race distance at least once a week during training (except of course, if you are training for very.
List of related literature:
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| from Small Changes, Big Results: A 12-Week Action Plan to a Better Life |
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117 comments
When you focus, plan, do the things in your life so as the hike happens and you finally have to face your own competitive side of your personality. Reminding us this is not a competition will help me for sure.
Love your advice. I think i am going to hike the land that power transmission lines are on as there are no official trails near me
Good video and good tips. Wish he pronounced the ‘t’ in water though it did my head in.
I’ve been in the woods my whole life, and I’m here to say that this is unnecessary.
Embracing the suck is one thing that I learned in the Army. The ones that do best are the ones that laugh about it been miserable. Also I agree with you that the best way to get ready is to do it. Many forget that your body has to get used to the friction and weight of the gear. Where your boots my create a hot spot so you can put some mole skin in advance. Crapping in the woods and on and on. Listen to him people. LOL
Darwin if youre not making “Embrace the suck” stickers, you’re doin it wrong. Great vids!
Ticks? What do you do if you end up with Rocky Mountain Spoted disease?
Even though my goal is to hike Mt. Kilamanjaro, this video is very informative.
I’m starting this epic quest tomorrow don’t think the weather will be as nice as you had sadly
My buddies and I have been training to do some of the peaks in SoCal and we have been hiking trails with our backpacks filled with what we’d normally have on a 2-3 day trip.
I did a 20 miler on my first day of training with a 40 pound ruck. I ended up hurting my left foot.
I was proud of myself and yet it was stupid.
Ps: alcohol stoves are dangerous!
Hi! Your videos are really helpful for people like me who are new to hiking. Do you take people for hiking?
Its all about perspective. Close to 100m in US watched the SuperBowl last year. 50M on just game 7 of 2016 World Series. (Could add up the other games)
Then again 116Million people watched the Finale of Mash; but how many channels/options/other entertainment was readily available?
Embrace the suck. Love it! So true. In your training, you can make the suck harder in certain ways than it will be out on the trail. Then maybe the trail will be less of a shock to your body and mind. I actually loaded up an old highschool jansport bookbag with 40 lbs of bricks to train with. I looked like a fool walking around the neighborhood with bricks clanking around on my back, but when I got on the trail, my real pack was incredibly comfortable compared to the pain of those bricks digging into my shoulders through thin straps without much padding and no hip belt.
I’m deadass training to get through Disneyland without getting tired������������
3. 5 days to walk my local SDW that is no mean feat. Respect. My ambition is to do it in three… atb
Yeah I’ve hiked 1008.2 miles of the AT and I never “trained”.
All you have to do is hike. And also important to get your head straight
When hiking in the really hot weather, have you ever experienced hikers rash?
hiking in south downs for half a week this sunday and i couldnt be more thrilled
Being cold or hot is not the issue, it is whether you are comfortable while being cold or hot.
Force your body to acclimate, then it becomes second nature, and one less thing to worry about.
Well it’s 110 deg F outside in Australia at the moment and it’s 5pm in the afternoon, no hiking for me
Hiking will make you fit, strong and lean. Beats GNC at every level.
It’s just a different type of monster!
I’m going in 1 week
and seriously I’m worried I get tired so easily
We are about to hike 600 Miles! Join us. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTxApBMqUgZGiSV5RnCCupQ
It is a good time to see your video as we are going to have a ten days hiking with 135km next week.
This channel is AWESOME, so helpful and so motivational ��������
Learning as much as i can about thru hike my first one will come at age 50 on the AZT because this is my home state and i want to conect again with its beauty
So much of all of the later points is tied to the first one. You really do just have to go out and use your gear, endure the elements, clock in some long miles, and figure out what works. None of those lessons can be learned in a gym.
A tip for anyone that lives where it is ONLY flat to train for a mountainous hike. For me, as a former athlete, I know that when it comes to muscles, nothing quite burns like quads, and your quads will most definitely be pushed hard on the countless climbs on the AT. I live in Houston area, so there is really nowhere to train on elevation gain. What I did was just try to get used to the suck I knew my quads would be in on my first section hike. Its as simple as using the leg lift machine at the gym. Instead of trying to do reps at heavy weight, put it on the lowest weight, which should be around 50 lbs. Instead of using both legs simultaneously, alternate them, lifting one at a time, so the other gets a chance to rest. Keep a good rythym of about 30 reps/min or 2 sec/rep. Adjust the weight so that its just heavy enough that you are getting a good burn on each rep, but not so difficult that you can’t continue for a loooooong time. For me, it was between 50-65 lbs, depending on how I felt. By alternating legs each rep, you give your legs just enough time to recover from the burn from the previous rep. Try to do it for as long as you can. It becomes a mental game after awhile. Mind over matter. I could last about 20 minutes, which amounted to around 300 reps total for each leg. You will be sweating and your heart will be going really good by the end. People at the gym will think you are crazy, but for me, it really worked to prepare my quads. I had no issues with the quad pain and soreness. Also poles help. Let your arms do some of the lifting. Your legs will thank you. ����
Best advice video for the SDW I have found -thank you I plan to do the SDW next year (2019) as part of my scheduled midlife crises then I plan to do the Coast 2 Cost most interesting for me is your suggestion on lightweight footwear I have been training wearing boots and my feet are in tatters after 15-20 miles! Am going to try all of your suggestions I already learned the hard way about traveling light my first training hike I packed everything second hike next to nothing! I do have a question how do you get over the ‘fear’ of wild camping? Thanks again and subscribed to your channel Mike
This is good for us right now because we are planning a 50 mile hike for one of our birthdays in late September in North Carolina. We are a little worried about stress injuries that will keep us from finishing. But we will document the whole experience on our channel. Thank you.
The person that mad that bet was a complete moron. Of course you can walk across the country you just need time, or was he really dumb enough to think it would take more than a lifetime.
I walk 4-7 miles a day everyday not as exercise for anything but life. I like to think of myself as an urban hiker. I am trying to experience every inch of my small city on foot. For over a year I have walked my city rain or shine summer and winter. People ask me why I’m out walking in 10 below zero cold and I say why aren’t you? that’s a better question. Honestly I enjoy walking when it’s cold although I do realize that being able to go home after my walks is nothing like trying to sleep outside in that weather.
Five VERY good bits of advice for hikers. The more a person hiker, the more they learn about their gear, their own good/bad points, and the various conditions they will encounter. Too many people sit around online asking questions and reading advice. They will gain their own wisdom and knowledge base if they spend time hiking. I am not saying one shouldn’t read and listen to others, because that is important. But real knowledge and confidence is acquired by getting out there and seeing what advice actually works for themselves.
Reminded me of the Long Walk by Richard Bachman aka Stephen King
Working out teaches you to push through the wall. It’s more mental than physical
Even though, you have hiked that much in your live, I would be careful with those kinds of advices. Just because, you assume, that hiking is the best way to train, it doesn’t mean, that some people don’t might need special training anyways, because they might have some medical conditions, or weeknesses they don’t even know about yet. I will definitely go to a qualified doctor, before and get advices on how to train and what medical precautions to take there. For example, in the Army I found out, that my left leg is 1 centimetre meter shorter than the other one, wich causes me great pain after a while of heavy use I definitely know that I have to do something, so I won’t have serious problems when I try to hike 4200km. And that’s a thing, i won’t notice in a couple of overnight trips. I love your videos, but on this one I am not with you. My advice: Go to a doctor, or even different specialist and have your body checked, get advices on how you can train best, get advices on your diet and see, if you have medical conditions that can make your trip ugly at some point and do something about it in advance.
When I prepared my scout troup for a three day, 20 mile hike in the Big Bend State park in West Texas, we went over the proper things to bring and then did a 3 mile overnight hike. We progressed to increase the distance until we accomplished a 9 mile hike. We planned on covering 7 miles a day on the trip. The age range was 10 to 13 years old and from novice to experienced campers however, none had been on a three day, 20 mile hike. The plan worked as all completed the hike and the kids had some memories to talk about for years to come. So I agree with him, hike to get ready for a long hiking trip.
I live in Florida, love packing in the ATC. Best training I found by accident was throwing on the pack and hiking up and down, thendoing the stairs up and down. Started out able to make that once. 3 moths later, was doing it 3 times in about same time frame. It was a 6 floor Parking garage.
Another thing you can do is fill your pack with 1 and 2 liter coke bottles filled with water and hike after work in your neighbor hood. You can start with little weight and work you way up to more then you will be camping. By doing this you will condition your body to carry your pack and you will also get your feet and ankles accustom to the boots and socks you will be wearing.
Hiker boxes saved my ass many times on the PCT…Bring all that gear! mail yourself a ton of food and pass the excess to the box, somebody will eat it. You will be awesome.
Just put one foot right in front of the other. That’s what I was always told.
The Crawfords have inspired me to want to thru hike! I love your channel, lots of great content. Thank you!
Hi Darwin I have been watching your vids for a while now and I just subscribed and set the bell for your channel just thought I would share my idea on training your body
I think martial arts or maybe gymnastics is great for physical training using body weight training flexibility and balance I do wing chun and my legs are so much stronger for doing this try it I think it’s had the biggest impact on my hiking
Hope this is something you consider �� thanks for your input
All the well wishes from the UK
Bring back the hair Bro!!! It’s not only badass, it easily makes you one of the most recognizable people on YouTube. You gotta keep your signature look.
If you wanna test how your sleep system works in temperatures you have outside, then just put up your sleeping pad and sleeping bag in your bedroom, open the window, and sleep. Or if you use a hammock, then maybe having a hammock stand in your bedroom could be a good idea or just screw in some eyebolts into the wall, and use this to set up your hammock.
Great advice, it’s raining outside…. We are going to hit the local trail. I was just asking yesterday. I wonder how people train for these hikes. I really admire this kind of adventure. That is really something that is very powerful goal to achieve.
‘Use it or loose it; they say Darwin and they’re so right as you are here. All the best. Mark
We are about to hike 600 miles! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTxApBMqUgZGiSV5RnCCupQ
Couldn’t agree more, if you want to get better at anything just keep doing that thing…. Simples. Awesome videos bro.
Blimey…. getting up at 4am??? I’m doing SDW in August. Planning to do it over 9 days as I’m an inexperienced hiker. I’m staying at campsites along the way as I’m not sure about wild camping and I’m doing it on my own. Love the tips. I also have the same jetboil gas water cooker. I’m in awe of you doing it in 3 days. I’m definitely not in your level. But I figure that’s okay!
Thank you! I’m going to climb mt.Fuji in 3 weeks, and I’ve been training only 2 weeks, it’s so tired but I will try my best:)
If you can squat 300lbs, deadlift 350lbs, and have excellent endurance on a rowing machine or long distance running, you’re going to be just fine on a long distance hike.
at the end of the Viet nam war there was a protester who every third or fourth stride knelt on both knees and bowed his head to the ground.
I don’t remember if it was coast to coast or Canada to Mexico I met him in Federal Way, Wa.
This is all great fantastic advice ��. To share how i trained For a short 3 day 2 night hike in tough terrain, i started to go for simple long walks with dog on weekend eventually doing 9 miles with 14kg on my back. Testing clothing every weekend. When around tent, woods, terrain you can find yourself doing crawling, sitdownstandup alot. So i did alot of prison style exercises like simple burpees, leopard crawl and a suprising effective exercise of sitting down then trying to stand up in one fluent movement. squats, no weights required on any exercise just body weight.Once i got to that 9 miles and 14kg, i realised i could walk further if needed to. Constant gradual training to strengthen core body and tendons around knees feet and back. I had allsorts of back, knee injuries and stuff wasnt sure if i could carry that weight., im 47 so built up walks gradually to avoid injury, and the exercises ended up sorting out alot of niggles.Hiking is so good and healthy for the mind and body ��:)
Amazingly commonsense video. Glad I found you. I’m doing my second 633-km hike across South Korea this year (did my first hike in 2017). Every hike I’ve done has taught me something more; it’s often just a matter of closing one’s mouth and listening to the world as it teaches you. Mother Nature and common sense are excellent guides. The advice you give here is down-to-earth and free of gimmicks. I actually shouted “Amen!” about your Suggestion #1. I trained for my trans-Korea walk (which was easy; it followed bike trails across the country) by walking local bike paths and doing every set of staircases I came across. Staircase training is good in that it kind of over-trains you for a hike that’s going to be 95% on flat ground. That said, yes: to train to hike, just get out there and hike.
My 2017 walk: https://kevinswalk2.blogspot.com
My current (2019) walk: https://kevinswalk3.blogspot.com
Keep on a-walkin’! Thanks again for this video.
I was hoping he would go into other physical training, aside from hiking itself.
You want to train for walking long distances? Well, walk long distances until they get easier. Crazy, I know. Any extra muscle will only use more enrgy and make you need more food.
I would like to add something…. walking a mile or 2 up and down your neighborhood sidewalk is better than nothing, but it’s not the same as hiking on an actual trail to get ready for a long hike. Sidewalks dont have roots, rocks, stubs, ruts, overhanging limbs, dirt mounts, steep slopes up and down, etc. Only a trail has that, and that’s what your body needs to get ready for a long hike. I walk roadside every day after work due to the local trail park being closed when I get off work. During weekends i hit that local trail for real conditioning. Btw Darwin, I do my long hikes on the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama I hear you’ve hiked it as well.
Look into Ernie Andrus, he is a 96 year old Navy vet who is on his 2nd cross country “run”. Pretty cool story!!!
“THE BEST TRAINING FOR AN ACTIVITY IS THE ACTIVITY.” Yep, totally agree! Weight lifting (free or mechanical), doing the Stair Master, yoga, yadda-yadda-yadda is all well and good, but hiking/backpacking is the best training for hiking/backpacking!! There’s the question of balance, load-bearing joints, etc. that is simply NOT addressed by working out in a gym. On the other hand, try “ruckking” (hiking/jogging with a ruck-sack loaded with weight plates).
The ONLY reason for carrying a lot of different gear is because you’re going to do a lot of different things. If all I’m gonna do is hiking and camping, it’s all-around easier. But if I’m also going to rappel, cross water, etc. then that’s going to increase gear and therefore weight. ALL you’re generally doing on a distance hike is hiking, so, minimal gear is possible, even preferable.
Hiya mate, myself and 12 others are attempting to walk 180 miles in 5 days. We are doing this for charity and need someone who has expertise in this field. The walk is being covered by ITV and keeps getting bigger and bigger every day. We are looking for someone to come in vlog the trip and point us in the rite direction with kit, equipment, nutrition etc. The group is mostly military and ex military with a few civilians. We start on the 08/04/20. Let me know if you are interested mate.
I agree with travel light but how does that tie in with carrying 3kg of water as that’s a massive extra weight? I’ve done some big hikes (400 miles, 350 miles) and never carried more than 1litre with an all up pack weight of 7kg plus food plus water.
People have been “End-to-Enders” in the UK for generations. In the Victorian era when bicycles became fashionable, more people used them to make the trek which is from one end of the island to the other. There are various routes because of the modern highway system but folks start at Land’s End in the southwest and walk, run, or bicycle up to John O’Groats in the northeast of Scotland.
Very helpful vid. Done a lot of hiking around Britain the past 10 years or so and pretty experienced at wildcamping, but only for a day or two and with a pack weight verging on the ridiculous at times. Mainly because of packing too many beers if I’m honest. Just getting into planning long distance multi-day walks and was looking at the coast to coast, in late summer, but I think it might be wise to do the SDW first to see if my legs can handle it. And to get my pack and myself dialed in to a long hike.
Some great info here and very handy water point pdf, thanks for that.
I found this video in preparation for my first multi-day hike (not quite a thru-hike, but I was still nervous about it). I am planning to climb Japan’s Mt. Kumotori during my spring break (Mt. Fuji next summer), and am trying to prepare myself. But since I don’t have a gym in my little Japanese village, and am from coastal Texas, it’s good to know that just getting out with a full pack and actually hiking my local mountain is the best way to prepare! I’ve been hiking Mt. Tsukuba every weekend since I got to Japan in March, and I will be doing several day hikes this summer on other mountains in preparation! Thank you for the encouragement Darwin!!
This is all great advice! As a long-distance cyclist, I do cross-train at the gym and meet with a trainer 2x/month to support my goals. Cross training is a good idea to ensure strong cores, etc, and I agree that just getting out there and hiking (or bicycling) under load is essential. I am curious about if/how you incorporate a stretching routine into your day? I am stoked that you address the repetive strain on the body, but I never see any vloggers or magazines address the subject of stretching.:-)
This the type of video that comes on the TV at the hospital when you’re in the waiting room.
Physiotherapist here. Couldn’t agree more. Training for anything you need a very high degree of specificity.the longer you are away from the actual hike you can do more generalisere fitness. Strenght training, running etc. The closer to your hike the more specific hiking with your actual gear and training with it:) Great advise!!!
you never wear boots… guess you dont do hiking in the scottish highlands?
No one even watches the world series. Despite the title its a one country sport and even in America people don’t care that much anymore.
Great video. I am jealous of whoever owns the house you filmed this in. Love all the timber
Such invaluable advice for new adventurers… Ya know.. This video should be first in your series of tip videos…. I think it would help new hikers “before” they start buying gear & supplies… Might save em a heap of money.
My life is on the trails… I always chuckle when passing by a hiking tramily frantically sheltering up cuz of the elements LOL..it is the adventure…in the Army I first learned about “the suck”…also the term “we train in the rain”… Folks gotta remember…it ALL is what we’re out here for…if they want a walk in the park I suggest having a splendid sunny day having a picnic at the local lake shore park LOL.
Anyways..another outstanding video sir.
I walked from San Francisco to Standing Rock, any advice on walking for #climatechange?
I would add to 1&2 by saying get out there and use all of your gear, know where you want to carry it, not where you think you want to carry it. Know what you’ll use most and where you want to carry it, how you want to pack based on usage at camp and your personal procedure in how you set up your tent, eat etc. Know your gear, but also know you.
Do you have any favourite sections? I am, irrespective of tip 10 looking to do some of the SDW with 3 friends before one of our group heads off traveling. It may be that we do the full trip but time permitting if we were only to do 60 or so would you recommend a certain start point?
Hi Russell. I am a huge fan of your videoes and your perfect english pronounciation (nice for foreigners like me ��) I don’t think however, that your gearlist on your website is updated?�� Greetings
✌️��
Long-Distance Walking?!
I remember seeing it as a kid and even then be thinking to myself ‘This has got to be the gayest and most retarded shit I’ve ever seen!’
I really believe, if it’s not out there already, that Embrace the Suck needs to be on a shirt! Just sayin:)
Great video, Russell really informative. Considering doing something similar (maybe shorter) later this year. Bit cold at the moment so might head out for a short day trip and go back when it’s a bit warmer and I can wild camp. Look forward to watching more of your videos. Thanks for sharing!
Franklin Arms has re-opened had a very nice lunch there today ��
always put on silk socks first then put on wool socks. Buy your hiking shoes wearing these two socks for proper fit. This makes a huge difference in hiking comfort.
Great video! The mindset is definitely very important. Nothing is more important than getting out on the trail and putting in the miles.
As a strength and conditioning coach, I do value doing prehab movements in the weight room to prevent overuse injuries…especially since I am a long distance section hiker and usually only out for a few weeks. Luckily, I have never had any issues as far as these injuries and can tackle some good miles right away when I get out on the trail.
Also do not forgot to work on endurance! But yes, you can definitely and should take breaks during hikes when needed.
It’s very helpful:) Quick question?! How could you charge your drone while wild camping? I want to go with my Mavic air too. but I’m not sure if i could charge a battery while camping. In my country (Korea), almost every cafe or pub let customers charge their phones(or some electronics) behind the bar. I think things are gonna be a little differently in UK. So should i make a reservation for a room at a hotel to charge my batteries? Thanks for sharing! I love your vids!
Honestly, seeing alternative exercises for accessibility was so refreshing as a hiker with chronic pain. There are days I can hike miles and days I can’t leave my bed, so seeing an option to gently stretch those muscles is so appreciated.
Thank you very much for your video! I’m just starting training and having these advices this early is wonderful!
Wise advice, especially “embrace the suck” (LOL! Prob best advice ever!) On AT 2003 we had BIBLICAL amounts of rain…No joke! i.e. in May ’03 it rained 27 of 31 days and when it rained, it POURED! Every NoBo had to deal with soggy shoes & suckiness. It became more mental than physical. But somehow we got thru it, (pun intended). Just be prepared & keep on keepin on. Embracing the suck makes you appreciate trail magic even more:-)
Always see many stupid comments “just go hiking” for those who are starting hiking, remember that for all sports, you need muscle protection and strength to have better results. Or it would be easy to say to a swimmer, just stay in the pool and you will be the champ….
Just Hike! Ive been on a bike and have walked for years. Nothing beats getting out in the hills preferably with your gear.
I’m no authority, but have been prepping for Trans Catalina Trail, doesn’t really matter, the process has been rewarding, but it will get done, that and more.
Trekking poles have been helpful, my breathing is even easier. Just keep hiking.
Cool. This is useful for us right now because we are planning a 50 mile hike for one of our birthdays in late September in North Carolina. We are a little worried about stress injuries that will keep us from finishing. But we will document the whole experience on our channel.
Very true…i learnt most from just hiking…even spending overnights i learned to dial my stuff down a lot…good video Darwin great advice..
I don’t know anyone that has a problem with well-intentioned advice. This channel would be a good example of said advice. However, I also don’t know anyone that doesn’t have a problem with advice coming in the form of arrogant, self-righteous derision. It’s not the advice. It’s how the advice is given.
This video is awesome, but what really caught my eye is all the desk space devoted to firewood storage. That’s gotta be a code violation.
Enjoyed that thanks Russ and feeling inspired. It’s not the South Downs Way (yet), but have started walking the Thames Path today as it’s my nearest National Trail. Just done 6 miles. Will do another section another day or weekend. Building up the ole legs which surprisingly feel a little stiff! The aim is to eventually make it to the source of the Thames in the Cotswolds which, according to my calculation, is 174 miles from where I am sitting! eek! Using a website which breaks it all down into chunks averaging about 10 miles a piece.
Hey Darwin! How is it going? Just wanted to let you know I messaged you on Facebook. I been on the streets for the past 5 years. With no desire to live. I found myself dwindling down a path of depression that was starting to decrease my value spiritually. So I decided to grab my shit and leave. I have to say.. while I’m still homeless. I’ve been “backpacking” (aka homeless on an adventure) for 3 years now. I’ve never trained for a thru hike. But after carrying 45-55lbs of nonsense.. I decided to take on the PCT. So now that’s what I’ll be doing this year. Feeling crazy this year hahaha! I wish you well and thank you so much for all the knowledge you drop on us! Cheers!
Step 1. Start hiking and never stop. That way you’ll always be in shape.
This is very similar to something we did with a client training for a major hike, she had great success. Solid workout add ons!
I’ve been walking since January this year. Injured spine, neck and Shoulder, also damaged a nerve in my shoulder. Went to a chiropractor and he put stuff back in place. Was sore as shit for a while. Was just wasting away at home for a few months then I just said fuck it got up started walking. Short distances at first, was still in pain specially the lower back and neck but I just kept going doing longer sessions eventually.
Last month I walked 12 miles in a day, the most I have probably walked in a single day. For the year have walked over 600 miles and actually feeling much stronger, most of my injuries have healed, not 100% but so much better and I can walk loads each day very easily at a pretty quick pace. Looking to do a 30 mile walk from London to Luton, a small town North of London.
I really believe walking has helped me heal so much quicker cos before I started doing this I was so fucked up I could barely stand up for more than a few minutes. Start walking guys, get one of those trackers on your phone and get out there.
Do you have any type or brand of hiking boots/shoes you recommend? Did you find you struggled with the thinner air once you moved back from PR?
the bezt way to train in Florida is the stairmaster. its way to hot and its completely flat,boring and Hot!!
Good advice! Thank you for laying it on the line. “Embrace the suck”… just what I was looking for major part of the truth. Thanks!
Start by not wearing boots like that. walk in light footwear that dries easily. “waterproof” hiking boots are a myth. If it rains or you have to cross a stream, they will get wet inside. There is a big hole where your feet goes into the boot, that is where the water will go into the boot. If you are wearing heavy boots, they will never dry. You will get blisters from wet feet. Furthermore, hiking boots that are high and have “ankle support” will most of the time be a crutch for your ankles. Your ankles will never get strong if you keep using crutches. The only reason i wear boots is in deep snow, where i need the warmth, and i need more durability. Shoes like trail runners are super light, and dries out fast. They will make your ankle strong and independent. They have more than enough traction for mountains or slippery mud. (i can recommend Altra trail runers. Altra Lone Peak or Altra Timp etc.) There is a reason why 90%+ of modern hikers hiking 3000+ miles are walking in trail runners.
Even though I hike NJ/NY regularly, add’l strength training is a great idea. I really like the use of an exercise ball too. Thanks REI
I can’t run far, but I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more.
Hey, thanks for the useful tips. I am about to take on the SDW and found a few of these tips particularly useful. Thank you.
Fun Facts;. Game 7; 2016 World Series had close to 50M in the US watching. In 1900 US had around 76M in the entire country.
Awesome and insightful, my wife and I are in the planning stages for a charity walk in aid for Martlets. Looking forward to walk. Thanks. Trev
Starting on thursday the south downs way in 6 days then straight upto do the pilgrims way/north downs way 9 days
You’re talking about training for power (which is by the way any training you do, I think you were reffering to strength) bit you ‘drown’ it in a sea of endurance based exercises so it has literaly no effect
This is great! Honestly learned a lot of helpful tips here. Would love some ankle strength exercises as well!
As always good practical information. After 23 years in the military, infantry. I still consider myself a novices with this hiking thing. Good stuff on listening to what others are saying. It doesn’t matter the tone or attitude, listen, chew the meat, spit out the bones, take the ego out of it. Best thing, make it fun. Thank you. Good stuff. I’ll be a chewing on it. (John B)
I wore my backpack doing strenuous yard work today….
Not recommend…
@Darwin
Great informational videos.
Concerning pack weight, what’s (on the average)…
…your weight?
…summer multiday pack weight?
…winter multiday pack weight?
Thanks!
Thank you for this! I’m gonna implement these to my daily workouts
You should not have any weight on your shoulders…
Shoulder straps are to keep pack from falling backwards…all weight should be on hips by way of your hip strap on pack.
The method I’m using is by Ray Jardine, the father of ultralight backpacking. I love his simple, common-sense approach. How do you all train for your hikes?