[pct-l] Pct hike summer 2013

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good evening, Chris,

The best conditioning for hiking in the mountains with a pack is to hike in
the mountains with a pack, but any physical conditioning is better than
nothing to develop the cardiovascular systems and some of the muscles.

There can be a bit of a problem with a program that doesn’t heavily
emphasize walking, such as biking or swimming:  Soft tissues – such as
heart, muscles, and lung capacity – develop fairly quickly, while bones
require much longer to adapt to increasing loads.  The lack of foot
toughness is another problem.  Blisters are a fact of life for many new
hikers starting at Campo.  Soft feet don’t go well with hard muscles, a
strong heart, and big lungs.

Another problem early in a long hike is the inability to get a good night’s
rest.  Sleeping on the ground isn’t easy for the long-time bed sleeper.  During
training the hiker probably sleeps poorly and becomes convinced that the
only answer is to invest some kind of fancy – read “heavy and expensive” –
sleeping pad.  What works for me is to begin months in advance sleeping at
home on a carpeted floor wrapped in a blanket in lieu of in a bed.  That
makes sleeping during training hikes much easier.  When it’s time for the
long hike I can spread my 3/8” foam pad on the ground about anywhere and
enjoy the sleep.

Enjoy your planning,

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/


On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 6:56 PM, Chris Anderson <srhspaded at yahoo.com> wrote:

> :)  It would be grand if I could just hike every single day for the next
> 10 months to get ready for what the trail is going to serve up fresh and
> raw...but alas, that isn't feasible...so my thinking is that I need to
> immerse my self in minimalist situations to constantly asses my gear, even
> if just for weekend trips...trying to incorporate it everyday, so that I
> can get accustomed to not having "everything and the kitchen sink" with me
> (funny story...my roommate is suprised that I won't be bringing a gun with
> me, and said I should at least by a kukri..."dude, its only like a pound
> and you can fight off bears and mountain lions").  I plan on starting
> eating the same ol' cold fast breakfast I expect to have out there before
> work everyday...also i want to test out food to find that "special
> breakfast" that meets my calorie needs and I won't grow tired of.  Also, I
> am thinking about biking to work EVERDAY to get accustomed to the elements,
> rain or shine
>  (its actually hard to find rain days in so. cal. thouigh) ...to break out
> of my cocoon of comfort...cuz i know it isn't gonna be a stroll in the
> woods and i gotta build up my callouses, feet, hands, and soul...us
> flat-landers are behind the learning curve ;)
>
>
> On a side note...any and all advice is welcome from seasoned vets and
> aspirationalists alike
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even
> though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who
> neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that
> knows neither victory nor defeat!
> -------------------------------------
> A man's interest in a single bluebird is worth more than a complete but
> dry list of the fauna and flora of a town.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>  From: Bill Burge <bill at burge.com>
> To: Scott Bryce <sbryce at scottbryce.com>
> Cc: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Thursday, June 7, 2012 6:32 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Pct hike summer 2013
>
> BINGO!
>
> I too learned that I could put on a 40 pound pack and hike 15+ miles.
>
> BUT, learned it was different to do it day, after day, after day…
> Sleeping on the ground wasn't that big a deal, but wearing the same
> clothes, battling UV exposure, elevation gain, blisters, searching for
> water, etc - made it an entirely different process!
>
> 325 miles later, it became a bit of a grind...
>
> SomeGuy
> Bill Burge
> bill at burge.com
>
>
>
> On Jun 7, 2012, at 6:28 PM, Scott Bryce wrote:
>
> > On 6/7/2012 6:43 PM, Chris Anderson wrote:
> >
> >> I can do 20 miles in a day on easy terrain but i think its going to
> >> take some endurance training and a strict regiment to be able to do
> >> it day in day out.
> >
> > This is good thinking. I started in 2008 knowing I could put on my pack
> > and walk 20 miles. No question. What I did not know is whether I could
> > sleep on the ground, and do it again the next day. The trail kicked my
> > butt. I was one of the many who dropped out early.
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