We’re sure most of these creatures would invite you if they had a chance to get to know you. But since that is not the case it’s best to treat their home with respect – or as though a private detective were going to be following you through the forests looking for forensic evidence that might put you behind bars for the next 63 years.

Most of these creatures, including the bear and mountain lion, would rather not make your acquaintance. Given a choice – under most circumstances – they will avoid any interaction with humans. As a good guest you should do the same by not disrupting streams, burrows, caves, nesting sites or by intentionally frightening the forest inhabitants.

• Travel in small groups – the smaller the better.
• Use sites that have been previously used. Place your camp in areas that are already bare and use fire pits that are already there.
• Use hard or durable surfaces that have good drainage for your camp and that are well away from water and trails; the best surfaces are rock, gravel, sand, snow, and dry grass. Allow previously used sites to recover, in high country or backcountry change your site often.
• Avoid creating paths in your camp and while hiking.
• Stay on designated trails. Walk “single file.”
• Do not take shortcuts between switchbacks.
• Use a map and compass so you don’t need to “mark” your trail with rock piles, slashing trees, breaking brush or tying strings all over the place.
• Pack out all trash and garbage – even if it isn’t “yours”.
• Clean up spilled food and carry out leftover food – do not bury it, burn it or feed it to the animals.
• Properly dispose of human waste and fish and game remains. Burn or carry out your TP.
• Scatter cooking water and water used for cleaning at least 200 feet (75 adult steps) from water sources and camps. Use only biodegradable soaps, and minimize their use. Don’t dump the tub of water, spread it out.
• Take necessary steps to avoid attracting bears to your camp.
• Never use live trees and plants for firewood. Don’t pick or dig up the flowers & ferns.
• Leave things the way you found them.
• Don’t disturb rocks and fallen timber, artifacts, or other items of interest.
• Don’t trench around tents.
• Use a camp stove in lieu of building a fire whenever possible.
• Scatter unused wood into the forest before you leave.
• Choose the right tent. Always use the smallest tent you can for your needs.

The primary fitness demand for backpackers or hikers is for aerobic endurance. This is developed through rhythmic and continuous exercise. Although aerobic exercise should constitute the major focus of your training, this does not mean that weight training does not play an important role

Resistive exercises help to strengthen muscle, tendons and bones. This can help reduce the risk of injury during training and during a hike. Resistive exercise results in a great number of physiological changes that can help to improve backpacking aerobic performance aswell (this means that they can help you to feel less worn out when you are hiking).

In order to see some results from a resistive exercise program, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least one exercise for each major muscle group at least once a week. For backpackers, I recommend doing between 12-15 repetitions per exercise for one set once or twice a week. This number of repetitions will help to develop a combination of strength and endurance without becoming “too bulky.” If you develop too much muscle mass, which results form a excessive amount of weight training, this will decrease your efficiency in backpacking. It would be similar to carrying a heavier pack. The wight of the extra muscle can actually add to the demands of the activity. Here sare some quick tips that I put together for you.

Mike’s Recommend Exercises for major muscle groups
Leg Press or Squat     Leg Extension     Leg Curl     Calf Raise
Chest press, Dumbbells or bar (or pushups)     Arm extension (for triceps)     Bent over row or pullups     Abdominal Crunches
Side Abdominal Crunches     Arm Curl (dumbbells)

(In the near future I will add instructions and pictures to help you to perform these exercises safely and effectively)

Mike’s Tips

• When selecting a weight to use (or resistance on a machine) the weight should cause you to fail (not be able to complete an additional repetition) within 12-15 repetitions. If you can do 16 or 17 reps. the weight is too light, increase it next time.
• Rest between 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets to let your muscles recover between exercises.
• Do not forget to breathe during your lifting. Some people find it helpful to exhale on exertion and inhale when relaxing. Whatever you do, do not hold your breath during resistive exercises!
• Allow at least 24 hours between successive resistive workouts.
• If you are involved in a extensive aerobic program combined with weight training, be careful not to over train. Allow plenty of rest and limit resistive exercise to one time per week per muscle group.
• You can do your weight training all in one day or split it between several days depending on your schedule.

I hope these tips helpyou. There is lots more to discuss but at least this is a start

Although many of us find it enjoyable, no one who has ever walked in the mountains would dispute that walking up a hill can be a strenuous activity. As with any other form of activity, physical training (exercise) can help to increase the amount of work that the human body can produce and help make the individual to perceive the work as less stressful. If you don’t believe me, think about how much work a marathon runner has to do in order to cover 26 miles in 2 hours and 26 minutes, the winning time for this years Marine Corps marathon. In the world of mechanics, work can be defined as force times distance. Many factors influence the amount of work necessary to move a body (Backpacker) through space. These include the weight of the body, which includes not only body weight, but also the weight of any equipment carried or worn, and the grade of the slope. The concept behind Ultralight fastpacking is to decrease the amount of work by decreasing the weight carried by the backpacker. This is a great leap forward in the evolution of the sport and and can increase one’s enjoyment of the sport.

Back to my physic’s lesson, about work = force x distance. The body produces force by contracting muscles and using bones as a series of levers to increase the mechanical force we can produce. Muscular contraction is a process that converts stored chemical energy (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) into mechanical energy. Training can help to increase the efficiency of these chemical process and thereby increase the body’s ability to do work.

What Type of activity is best to increase aerobic endurance?

Any type will do, as long as it is rhythmic and continuous like swimming, cycling, running, or hiking. In my opinion, impact activities are best for the reasons decried in taking care of those bones. It also pays to spend the greatest amount of time engaged in activities that are specific for backpacking, such as walking. The principal of specificity states that the adaptations to training will be specific to the imposed demands. That means if you want to get the best results you need to do activities that are most similar to the activity you want to increase your performance in. Although specific training is important, it is also a good idea to add some cross training to your workout routine. This type of training helps to alleviate boredom and decrease the risk for overuse injuries. Cross training consists of the use of several different exercise modalities during the same training session. An example for a well trained individual would be to combine 15 minutes of rowing, with 20 minutes on an exercise bike, followed by 10 minutes of the Nordic track and a 15 minute run. This type of training lets you work at a higher intensity for longer because you do not experience the same type of mental fatigue and also have an opportunity to rest some fatigued muscles. This type of training also helps to incorporate upper and lower body exercise, which leads to many benefits including an increased ability to clear lactate (the substance that makes your muscles burn) acid from the blood.

How much and how hard should I train?

The morale of this story is that it takes 20-60+ minutes of aerobic activity (running,swimming cycling, hiking) in your target heart rate zone 2-5 days per week to increase your cardiovascular endurance (this equals a greater enjoyment of hiking). These adaptations mean less huffing and puffing, less burning legs, faster walking and decreased muscle soreness the day after a hike.

How do I determine my Target Heart Rate (THR)?

1. First you need to find your maximum heart rate (MHR), the best way to estimate you MHR is to subtract 220 – from your age

for a 20 year old the MHR would be 200

2. Next, you need to measure you Resting Heart Rate (RHR)

The best way to do this is to take your pulse for 1 minute in the morning while you are still in bed. You can take it on your radial artery ( thumb side of your wrist) or carotid artery (Neck). Do not use your thumb to take your pulse since your thumb already has a pulse, and it will mess you up.

Average persons resting heart rate is between 60-80 beats per minute, individuals that are aerobically trained tend to have a lower resting heart rate.

3. Use this simple formula to determine you THR.

{(MHR – RHR) x .5}+ RHR = Lower end of THR

{(MHR – RHR) x .75}+ RHR = Upper end of THR

Example for 2o year old male with RHR of 50

{(200 – 50) x .5}+ 50 = 125

{(200 – 50) x .75}+ 50= 150

THR range for the 20 year old example e= 125-150 beats per minute

Warning: always consult a physician prior to the start of an exercise program

I will continue this discussion as time permits. Thanks for tuning in, I hope this information can help you!!

The most important consequence of drinking Gatorade or any other sports drink is not in electrolyte replenishment but in the carbohydrates that these drinks provide. A great number of studies on long endurance aerobic activity (over 60 minutes) have shown an increase in performance with carbohydrate supplementation. The body’s stores of simple carbohydrates (muscle and liver glycogen and blood glucose) tend to become depleted after about an hour of strenuous activity. This is one of the primary reasons why people experience the phenomena of “hitting the wall” during exhaustive events like marathon running. Carbohydrate supplementation can help to maintain blood glucose at desirable levels and also increase the body’s ability to burn fats to produce energy because glucose by products are used as intermediates in the metabolism of fats, “fats burn in the flame of carbohydrates.”

One practical suggestion is to use a very diluted carbohydrate drink like watered down sports drink mix. Bottled Gatorade tends to be a bit on the strong side and is a bit of an over kill. It can even cause some stomach discomfort during intense exercise.

Powdered Gatorade works just fine, but any powdered drink without caffeine will do. Caffeine has a stimulatory effect and can actually enhance aerobic performance. But there are risks to the use of caffeine while backpacking, especially to those with cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Some other powdered drinks that can act as a carbohydrate supplements:

Powdered Cool Aid works fine. As an added benefit you can choose one with vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, it is a very important in normal cellular function

Table sugar works just fine too. There are also some cheaper sports drink mixed available, I just put a bunch in a Zip lock and keep it in the bottom of my water bottle holster. I normally alternate bottles of fresh water with sports drinks. Recently I have begun to use a platypus hydration system. I carry two 2.5 L bottles and a duck bill drinking tube, it also double as a fill tube for my PUR hiker water filter. I keep some fresh water in one bottle and some sports drink water in the other as an on the go snack. The only problem that I have found is that you have to clean your bottle out very well every so often to avoid microbe growth. I use 2 Tablespoons of bleach and 1 quart of water to clean both my water filter and hydration systems whenever I get back from a trip.

If you are really trying to put out some miles this can be a great benefit. By constantly giving yourself carbohydrate feedings you can help to improve your performance without having to stop and eat as often. Most Americans have plenty of stored fat to provide enough energy for lots of hiking.

Real food works fine too: this is the reason gels and power bas were developed.. One of the key attributes of a carbohydrate supplement, weather it be an apple, sports drink, power bar or some gummy bears is that it be easily digested and normally does not cause stomach discomfort during exercise.

Anyway, you will notice that you do not have to do any mechanical work to propel the object down the cliff. Similarly when you reach the top of a mountain you do not have to do any additional work against gravity to go down the other side. At least you shouldn’t have to do this work.

Most people do extra work against gravity on the downhill to help slow themselves . Realizing that gravity is working in your favor you can save mechanical energy by minimizing your attempts to walk slowly downhill. Every time you take a step on the downhill your muscles contract eccentrically (while they are lengthening) to slow you down. You may also notice that downhill walking creates more delayed muscle soreness, this is because eccentric contractions tend to create more microscopic muscle damage and thus more soreness. By decresing your attempts to low down by running, jogging smoothly down the mountain you will save energy and do less work.

Be careful, this technique is for experience hikers and backpackers only. Do not attempt to run downhill with a heavy pack(over 35 pounds). This technique requires, hiking poles, a high level of fitness (strong ankles) and a good understanding and level of proficiency in trail running. But for those who meet this requiment it can save some energy.