Can you walk long distances with a heavy pack?

[Shit Beetle]

My experiences as an army infantryman in Afghanistan confirm that yes; you can indeed go long distances with a heavy pack! Just remember you gotta hydrate or you'll diedrate (something I heard from a lift operator in Colorado and have since adopted as a personal motto). Don't kill yourself with it though. Rest when you need to rest, and take good care of your feet! Eventually your feet will be tough as leather, but until then I'd invest in some moleskin.

 

[Shit Beetle]

Also, look into the book "A Walk Across America" and its sequel "The Walk West" by Peter Jenkins. He and his dog traversed the US completely on foot and lived out of his rucksack.

 

[Johny]

You guys are more man than I ever will be - or ever was. Shoestring says that his pack’s from 65-75lbs. He’s been toting huge amount of gear/weight for a long time, plus that stuffed 5 gallon bucket of road-food, plus water.

Shoestring is a good dude , used to talk with him quite often , we sorta stopped do to mutal friends we shared that either he dont like or I dont like , one recently died though

 

[Johny]

Perfect explanation. I always tell myself I'm carrying way too much shit, then continue to prove myself wrong.

Riding over mountain passes in the winter, and then going to the desert a week later requires lots of different gear.

I actually threw the packs on and walked a few miles yesterday (huge argument with my girl truthfully) and can still do it even after not wearing them or traveling 2 years .
But im not just sitting on my ass , I'm a carpenter and basically climb and carry heavy shit for a living 😆

 

[Johny]

When you live out of a pack 24/7 -365 I subscribe to the moto "better to have and not need , then need and not have" and ive always ended up back in montana

 

[Johny]

Oh for sure man , i had doc martins and could literally feel the arches of my feet flattening out and the skin stretching , it hurt sooooo bad , i ditched those in Denton Texas for some air force combat boots I " found" at a salvation army donation box .
Now I'm big pimpin in redwing 10877's , most comfortable boots ive ever had and on my second pair , but they aint cheap (mine were right at $400 out the door)

 

[Kikin]

It’s all about your stamina brother, and also depends on how long you’ve been using the pack so if you’ve gotten used to it or not

 

[Cheeseburger]

Ha! I use a frame pack. Everything own I carry. I max out at 80-85 lbs. Tricks I've found is to attach a caribeaner to and diamond braid rope. When I need a minute, I sling it over a tree brach and clip. Instant relief. Plus its a pain getting it back up from the ground. But all in all these guys are spot on, if it hurts, push yourself, only way to build up the tolerance. Good luck!!

 

[Shit Beetle]

What are people's thoughts on "front-loading" some of their gear in a small pack? We sometimes did that when I was in the army...Granted, we never walked TOO far like that (usually no further than from where we were to transportation like trucks or planes), but I think it might work? Keep your ruck on but have a smaller backpack filled with food and water that you wear on your chest...I've never tried it myself, but it makes sense on paper at least. Has anyone ever given it a go?

 

[Cheeseburger]

What are people's thoughts on "front-loading" some of their gear in a small pack? We sometimes did that when I was in the army...Granted, we never walked TOO far like that (usually no further than from where we were to transportation like trucks or planes), but I think it might work? Keep your ruck on but have a smaller backpack filled with food and water that you wear on your chest...I've never tried it myself, but it makes sense on paper at least. Has anyone ever given it a go?

Weapons sergeant first class here... Yes! Offsets the weight

 

[Shit Beetle]

Weapons sergeant first class here... Yes! Offsets the weight

Cheers to you, big-Sarge! What's the furthest you and your troops have gone with front-loads? I think the furthest we ever front-loaded in the 82nd was a mile or so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯ But more often than not we just humped everything on our back (because our spines weren't messed up enough from jumping!)

 

[Cheeseburger]

Cheers to you, big-Sarge! What's the furthest you and your troops have gone with front-loads? I think the furthest we ever front-loaded in the 82nd was a mile or so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯ But more often than not we just humped everything on our back (because our spines weren't messed up enough from jumping!)

Right around 1.5-2 miles. Stationed in Seoul south Korea. Dmz

 

[Shit Beetle]

Right around 1.5-2 miles. Stationed in Seoul south Korea. Dmz

Gotcha. With the exception of Kandahar, Afghanistan I never had a duty station aside from Fort Bragg...That place is a black hole that makes PCSing hell :-/ It's always cool to see other grunts on this site! If you ever make your way to Arizona or Sonora, Mexico let me know. I'll buy you un cerveza and a shot of tequila. ;-) Cheers!

 

[Cheeseburger]

Gotcha. With the exception of Kandahar, Afghanistan I never had a duty station aside from Fort Bragg...That place is a black hole that makes PCSing hell ::meh:: It's always cool to see other grunts on this site! If you ever make your way to Arizona or Sonora, Mexico let me know. I'll buy you un cerveza and a shot of tequila. ;-) Cheers!

Bragg.....ughh. lol. 2 years in Okinawa and 4 In Seoul. I'm actually a bonified leathertramp, I'm making my way south March 1st. Definitely hit you up!

 

[Roadtroll]

If you consider what some long long long distance hikers carry through hiking, yes.
I personally carry a 100litre AND a guitar.

In Canada this is almost necessary as most of the years cold as shit pucks and ya need more to survive it.

I suggest to remember that just cut u got room does not mean you should fill it all the time.

Carry what you need. To be afraid to shake down.
Learn to need as little as possible.

 

[Darth Musturd]

But you're right about one thing, those Alice packs are shit.

I have a Bullpac. Quite honestly, bit of an unhealthy obsession with it. Already dropped more money on that one pack than most people do on all of their packs throughout all of their lifetimes. Anyhow, I have a large ALICE pack that attaches to it. Quite honestly I'm not sure how I ever packed any gear in any other pack. I haven't actually taken the pack out yet but I have taken the frame out before with a fairly heavy load and it was fine. I say if you're using an external frame pack, get a nice big padded one with a shelf, then put whatever bag you want on there. If you're using an ALICE pack specifically, with the ALICE frame, make sure you're 5'9 and 180 lbs. That's the people the frame is designed for. And it's not meant for carrying heavy loads. If you're carrying medium or light loads, and you're the average American, the ALICE pack should be great for you.

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

Honestly, if you can swing it - at all - one of those shopping wheelies (like you see people using at large outdoor flea markets) is a great way to travel.

You put everything you need in it and...they're made for terrain.

I don't think they'd last long climbing mountains, but if you're just trekking through regular grass, woods and even city streets, they work great.

They're a pain to pull but I've even put mine in front of me and pushed it!

Good luck!

 

[Gin]

Why would anyone want to carry a heavy pack? I try to stay as ultra light as possible & pack like a straight thru hiker. Just cuz one has the ability to carry a gazillion pounds, why? You can go farther & faster w/less weight js

 

[Usagi]

My abused knees and going downhill are my main problems. But typically I can walk carrying weight for as long as I need to. But like going without sleep for days it doesn't mean I won't pay for it. I can do 15+ miles up and down mountains all day but I'm going to be taking zero days after to recover (or more if I don't have opioids or vitamin I). But if I limit my days of hard walking to 10 or less miles I can do it day after day for pretty much as long as I want. I just have to be careful when going downhill and not go too fast. I've learned to take a walking stick with me to help with the downhills. Same shit with sleep. I can do 6+ days of hard labor on no sleep but by day 7 I'm going to be calling sick for a few days and doing nothing but.

Of course flat ground is different and I can go much further in a day with no problems at a pace most people can't keep up with. Main reason why I usually hike alone. I don't like stopping all of the time for people to catch their breath. I'd rather trek up the hills without stopping with a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. For a long time I just thought others were out of shape and lazy but a doctor ran tests on me a few years ago. Turns out I process oxygen better than the average person or something. He said it was the same reason I have so much trouble sleeping without a sedative (aside from sedative abuse. Something I didn't sign up for. Back in the day they sent children home with xanax bars like they were candy).

If it weren't for my knees and need for food I could probably walk as long as I wanted until my eventual death. Take care of your knees if you're young. You don't want to end up like me. I'm always terrified I'll twist one of them again and tear it out worse than it already is. I really miss the days when I referred to them as left/right instead of good/bad.

 

[Usagi]

What are people's thoughts on "front-loading" some of their gear in a small pack? We sometimes did that when I was in the army...Granted, we never walked TOO far like that (usually no further than from where we were to transportation like trucks or planes), but I think it might work? Keep your ruck on but have a smaller backpack filled with food and water that you wear on your chest...I've never tried it myself, but it makes sense on paper at least. Has anyone ever given it a go?

It works pretty good as long as it's balanced with whatever is on your back. It probably isn't that great for your shoulders if you're doing it to carry even more weight than you pack can hold. I really like the old-school fanny pack for carry little things. Smokes, firearms, multi-tools or anything else you need in reach and want quickly. It's a lot better than taking your pack off and digging through it all of the time.