[pct-l] Adding Weight to Pack for Training

[Len Glassner]

Phone books are my pack weight of choice.  If you live in a town of
200 that may not be a good option, but I'm a city-dweller so no
problem.  I load up 30 pounds (can fine tune with water bottles if you
want) and walk a five mile loop around the neighborhood three times a
week in order to maintain a certain level of fitness.  Several weeks
before hiking I increase the length to 10 miles.  All of it relatively
flat, but it works for me.  Sore after a few days of real hiking, but
no cardio issues.

All of this is on concrete as well.  Care must be taken, but it can be
done with minimal damage.  I wear a well-cushioned walking shoe, one
of those with the gel pads in them, the Dr. Scholl's 'Caprice V'.  I
buy a bunch at Big 5 for $28/pair, all in, and discard them every
three months or so, as they flatten out.  Recently I've found my heel
skin to be cracking around the sides, apparently from the stress.
Applying some intensive care lotion seems to have brought them back
into line after a few weeks.

I'm on the light side so that may help with the walking on concrete.
If you're 6'4" and 225 your results may differ.

On 2/11/08, Tortoise <Tortoise73 at charter.net> wrote:
> A simpler (and cheaper if you don't already have the weights) is to use
> several 2-litter beverage bottles filled with water. You can vary the
> weight more to gradually build your strength. And if the weight gets to be
> too much on a hike, you can dump the water.
>
>
> Tortoise
>
> <> He who finishes last, wins! <>
>
>
> Jim Keener wrote:
> > Greetings,
> >
> > I added two five pound dumbbells to my pack for my last five day
> > hikes. I hike 6-12 miles, four or five days a week. A result, which
> > should have come as no surprise - yet did - was my amazement about how
> > much harder it is to move that extra ten pounds. My elevation gain on
> > these hikes ranges from 1,400 to 2,000. And I can tell the difference
> > at the end of the hike. It has renewed my resolve to lessen pack (and
> > body) weight.
> >
> > Jim Keener ( J J )
> > http://oldmanwalking.net
> >
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