Hiking Dopers- Advice?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Hello, all. I don’t post very much so you may not know me, but I lurk enough to respect the opinions voiced here…

That being said, I need some advice.

I just signed up for an 8-day hike in the Sierra Nevadas in early August. I currently live in Chicago, and I am not an experienced hiker, so the altitude and the activity will be very new to me. I am with an experienced group, but I want to make sure I am in good enough physical condition not to be a drag on them.

Can any experienced outdoors types offer advice on preparing for the altitude, the activity, the foot abuse, the mental fatigue, etc? I want to train to be as ready as I can, because I hope to be invited back.

I am so excited I can hardly bear it, please help if you can.
Thanks!!!

2

I’m sorry I don’t have time to write more right now–but I’ll tell you one thing:

Make sure your boots are broken in!

Buy them now. Wear them on dayhikes. Wear them everywhere.

Speaking from the perspective of a trip leader, one of the most annoying things was people who had failed to break in their boots properly (or get proper boots in the first place). Always they were full of excuses as to why they didn’t do it. Always they slowed the trip down as we had to stop over and over while I worked on their feet…

The trip sounds fantastic. I’ll weigh in with more advice later!

3

Great advice about the boots.

Dress in layers and only in natural fabrics (cotton, etc.). Wear tank top covered, by a t-shirt, covered by a sweatshirt. You will go from hot to cold to sunburned. You can peel off or add layers, tying them around your waist when you aren’t wearing them.

Take lots of water and sunscreen but pack light. Backpacks feel like they gain a few hundred pounds by about the second mile.

To get into physical shape, walk a lot of stairs to get your leg muscles toned. You will also want to do total body workouts. you’l find muscles you didn’t know you have if you aren’t physically ready.

4

Fill your backpack with candy. It’s good quick-energy food.

5

to get your cardiovascular in some sort of shape, build a good base of endurance, go for some good long walks with your backpack and your boots,

sure you may look odd backpacking through your neighborhood, but at least you will be in shape and enjoy your trip

6

Diane: Stairs it is. Thanks for the clothing advice as well.

Green Bean: A trip leader? Ooh, ooh, come back soon! What else annoys you?

Uke: Thanks for the tip. :stuck_out_tongue:

7

stoli, sounds like a fun trip! Here are some tips.

What type of physical condition are you starting in? If you’re in reasonably good shape, start stepping up the intensity of whatever endurance activity you already do. I would consider spending some time on a stairmaster, since you don’t really have any hills! The best way to train for backpacking is… carrying heavy things around. Walk the stairs of buildings with a pack on, gradually increasing the weight. Find out how much weight you will be expected to carry from one of the experienced folks. Remember that backpacking is more about endurance than speed.

Gear
Are you buying your own backpack for the trip? If you have the option and the $, shop around at various places (REI, EMS, etc.) for fit and comfort. Find a salesperson that knows what they’re talking about. They should have stuff sacks with weight so you can load up the pack and see how it feels with weight. If not, bring your own. You really can’t tell by trying on an empty pack. And a comfortable pack is absolutely critical in enjoying the experience!

The same goes for boots. Don’t skimp on these or you’ll be miserable. I use leather boots with lug soles for the ankle support, foot protection and weatherproofing - on a rugged trip, the goretex combos can fall down. Lightweight boots are better for day hikes where you’re not carrying 1/3 of your body weight day after day! Your feet will hurt, but you don’t want blisters or sole bruises from ill-fitting or flimsy boots. You should be able to wear them with a thin polypro liner sock and a heavier weight outer sock - wool or a non-cotton blend. This will help prevent blisters. On a long trip, I will start out by putting a square of duct tape on the back of my heels just in case. After you find a pair, wear them around for a while indoors with the right sock combo - take them on one of your stair climbs, with weight! You may find that they are not as comfortable under load, as it were, or after a few hours. Wear them around the house, or at work. As long as you don’t scuff them up too much, you should be able to return them.

Altitude
This can be a killer. Altitude sickness sucks. Headaches, nausea, decreased appetite, lethargy - not the ideal symptoms for enjoying a physically demanding trip. Also, you just can’t catch your breath! What kind of altitude will you be hiking at? If you will consistently be above 7000 feet or so, ask your doctor about Diamox. This drug can help you adapt. Hydration is critical, as is setting a pace you can maintain.

Attitude
Obviously. It sounds like you’re getting it right from the start by asking what to expect and preparing! Get a suggested packing list. Find out about the route. Do you know the people you’re going with? If you’re the only novice, (even if not) be ready to ask for what you need. Don’t try to tough it out - you could just make yourself unhappy and even more exhausted. Take it easy, especially on the first few days. If you start to feel a hot spot on your heel, stop! If you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to ask for someone to take some of the weight you’re carrying. Above all, be positive. Learn about some of the plants and animals you might see, take lots of pictures, get involved with meal planning and preparation. Food is key.

Feel free to email me with other questions and I’ll answer them in more detail than you want, as usual.

8

Mostly great advice Diane, but I would recommend against all natural fabrics. Cotton is not a great insulator and when it gets wet (either through sweat or whatever) it tends to stay wet and loses what little insulation value it had. Nothing worse than a clammy wet t-shirt against the skin.

There are some great wicking fabrics (the names of which escape me now) that I would recommend for the layer of clothing next to your body.

Other than that sounds like a great trip stolichnaya. Have fun!

9

Alpine:
Thanks for the good advice. I appreciate the offer of email correspondence, and I will take you up on it as time goes by and more questions arise.

More details on me: I’m 25 years old and male. I am in pretty good physical shape, I’m athletic and active, but I don’t do any climbing. I don’t smoke, and I don’t have any physical conditions affecting my breathing. I plan to get a physical in the next two weeks and tell the doctor what I am anticipating. My legs were once very solid, but it’s been a while since I abused them seriously. Stair Climbing and walking with a loaded pack are great suggestions that I intend to incorporate into my regimen.

Thanks for the enlightened responses!

:: straining hard and hoisting his post count ::

10

I guess we’ll just have to disagree on the clothing.

I have been hiking for years and I have always found that natural fabric breaths better in hot weather and helps to retain body heat in cold weather.

The natural fabric suggestion is common knowledge with other outdoorsy types I have run into.

11

im not much of a hiker, but as a runner i have to agree with treycal on the clothes, cotton garments tend to stay wet and end up adding extra weight…

12

I would agree with Trecal about cotton. Many outdoor clothing companies (Lowe, The North Face, Helly Hansen etc.) now sell very good synthetic clothing which ‘wicks’ away moisture. Used as your innermost layer they are comfotable in all conditions. Can be expensive though.

I find sock selection almost as important as boots. Different people swear by different combo’s but I think you need to find what works for you. When you find the most comfortable go out and buy all the pairs the store has - sometimes the ‘perfect’ sock gets discontinued.

13

Diane, I’ll have to disagree with you about cotton, too. Since I was kneehigh to a walking stick I’ve been told “cotton kills”. While I might wear a tshirt on a day hike, on a multi-day trip, cotton does not dry very well overnight, from either sweat or rain. I have found that once wet, cotton does not help one retain body heat the way artifical fabrics do. I’m not sure where you’re from, but I live in the Colorado mountains. I tend to use cotton more for desert hiking than potentially wet mountain hiking.

You’d have to carry multiple shirts, instead of two coolmax or polypro-based shirts, which will dry. Wool is in this category, too, and is a natural fiber. However, fleece is generally lighter weight, which is important on a pack trip, and tends to shed moisture better.

Is this horse dead enough yet? Whack.

14

I agree with Diane. You can keep your space age fabrics, give me cotton or wool every time!

I have hiked in the Andes and the Himalaya and have had altitude sickness only once, because I did not acclimatize properly when I first arrived in Peru. It’s really about taking the time.

I am not nearly as young and in shape as you are and I enjoyed it every time. It was hard but great.

I am envious - it sounds like you’ll have a really fun time.

15

Just one small correction to my post. When I said recommend against all natural fabrics, I meant using **entirely ** natural fabrics to exclusion of any other fabric. I don’t have any real problems with cotton sweatshirts etc, just have a problem using cotton as a base layer.

Having said that I think fleece is preferable as a isulating layer. As other posters have noted, it is lighter and * usually * has better insulation value.

16

FWIW
Here’s a link to some articles on choosing gear at REI’s site. Under “How to Choose: Clothing” is a detailed discussion of layering, and which fabrics work best for different types of layers. My objection to cotton stems from its inability to wick and thus its failure as an inner layer.

I really should be working, but I’d like to search around today and look for a scientific explanation of the cotton thing. Has to do with how different fibers behave when wet, but I’d like to find a cite (this being the SDMB and all).

17

This may be the where the difference is.

Althought I live very close to the mountains (I live in Northern Utah), most of my hiking has been in dry, warm climates (Moab, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, etc.) I would never wear anything but cotton in those areas.

I still have to go with mostly natural materials even in cooler, wetter climates. I have taken many hikes in Alaska and found that fleece is a good insulator from the cold and tends to breath better than man-made materials. I’ll agree that a synthetic outerlayer is best for repelling rain.

Oh, and please note that although I used cotton as an example, there are many other natural fibers.

18

Bring extra pairs of socks. Also, water resistant hiking boots would be a plus. I don’t know if the trail you will be hiking will involve the crossing of a stream, but I’m guessing since it’s an 8 day hike, there will be a stream. Wet socks is not a good thing. So bring extra pairs, and invest in some water resistant boots, if you don’t already have them.

19

I’ll try to add some things that the other posters haven’t brought up, although there are a lot of good tips here.

Exercising
Stairmaster’s good, but also do a lot of running, and maybe some of the elliptical trainer with the ramp up high. I do a lot of running to stay in shape and find that this is excellent preparation for my hikes.

Feet
Like the others said, get a good heavy sock with some sort of thinner wicking material as a liner. From personal experience (i.e. last weekend) I strongly do not recommend thick socks that claim to also act as wickers. I have a couple of nasty blisters from my two hour hike last weekend. This brings me to moleskin. Carry it with you. If you find you’re getting a blister on your foot, stop and put some moleskin on it.

Altitude
This can be an ass-kicker if you’re not used to it. I don’t know a whole lot for you to do to get used to it since you live in Chicago. Bring some Excedrin (or an equivalent store brand pain reliever) with you. This seemed to help me out when I first started hiking above 10,000 feet.

Food and water
Make sure you drink plenty of water and eat a good meal before you start out each day, even if you’re not that hungry or thirsty. One of my personal ass-kickers is a sudden rush of hunger when I’m in the middle of a hike. Then again, that may have something to do with the fact that I’m slightly hypoglycemic.

Sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen
You won’t have as much atmosphere between you and the sun as you usually do. Be sure to wear lots of sunscreen every day that you’re out. Also, a wide-brimmed hat is a good idea. You may wish to bring a bandana to wear around your neck, around your head, etc.

Gear
Like people have stated, don’t skimp on anything. It would be a good idea to bring a small first-aid kit (you can keep your moleskin in there). Also bring a utility knife with scissors on it. And (I had to figure this out for myself), when you put a backpack on, shrug your shoulders then tighten the belt. After that, tighten your shoulder straps, etc. until it feels comfortable. Is there going to be snow? Make sure you’re prepared for that.

Have fun!

20

Ditto on this. I live about 2 hours from Moab.

Maybe we’re having word confusion here. When I talk about fleece, I mean the synthetic “Polartec” stuff, not a shirt of sheepy origins. “Polartec” fleece is made from petroleum products.

Besides wool?

Is this a hijack, stoli?