I've started to get out and hike with my backpack to prep for this fall. I started by putting a few weight plates into my pack, then a sweatshirt, then a few more small plates. Thirty pounds if weights total. Which brings me to my question. How should I be distributing weight to safely and realistically train?
New to backpacking
- Thread starter siwulat
- Start date
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Veteran member
- Mar 20, 2013
- 1,638
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I think it really depends on the pack and how much you can compress it.You are doing it right starting with a lower weight. You can increase the weight as you feel more comfortable. I would also use the boots and socks you will use on your hunt during these hikes with the weight so you can tell how your feet will react in them. Weights are small for their size. I do one 4 mile hike a week, I pour pea gravel into a pillow case and once I get the desired weight in the pillow case I slide the pillow case with gravel into the pack. Once in the pack I center it against the frame in the mid part (center)of my back. I then flatten the gravel in the pillow case and cinch it down with three straps. You don't want the weight to be to low or to high. I try to keep a happy medium and a good center of gravity. Make sure you compress the pack good as you don't want the weight shifting while you are hiking. I also adjust my pack with the heavy load to have 75-80% of the weight on my hip belt and 20-25% of the weight on my shoulders.This time of year I am packing 65-70 lbs for these hikes and try to do right at 15 minute miles.
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