Conditioning

What is Conditioning?

Conditioning is any form of exercise done to improve overall physical fitness, stamina, and athletic performance. In our case, it is for the purpose of getting ready for backpacking in the mountains. The conditioning needs to prepare us for both uphill hiking and carrying a winter backpack.

For many hikers in the Seattle area, conditioning consists of short weekend hikes on trails near the city, such as Cable Line Trail (3 miles, 2,020 ft gain), Mount Si (8 miles, 3,150 ft gain), and Tiger Mountain (15.2 miles, 2,300 ft gain). These are great conditioning trails, but they require time to get there and complete. I enjoy hiking these trails, but a quicker, more routine-based approach is more practical and easier to sustain.

Make it Regular

Regular walking provides both physical and mental health benefits. It is an accessible form of exercise for people of all fitness levels. It can improve cardiovascular health, strengthen bones and muscles, help with weight management, and boost mood and cognitive function. Getting these types of benefits only requires about 150 minutes of walking per week, or about 30 minutes per day 5 times a week.

Regular conditioning will also

• make hiking more effortless
• reduce blisters
• reduce after hike soreness

Years ago I set off on a hike to Glacier Wilderness and found myself struggling in the first few mile. I had been working at my desk on a tight deadline for three straight weeks and my body had atrophied. I realized I needed a regular conditioning routine to stay in shape. I started taking morning walks down a nearby hill and back with a ten-pound pack—a total distance of 1.8 miles. I did this at a brisk speed, taking about 30 minutes, and gradually increased the pack weight from 10 pounds to 30 lbs.

For convenience, I start my routine walk from my house.

The distance is short enough that adding pack weight didn’t affect the timing. Recently, I increased the weight to 40 lbs. This is a 27% pack-to-body weight ratio. I generally regard 30 lbs to be a safer maximum weight, but the terrain route of my walk is paved so I am not too concerned about back or ankle injuries. You can increase the weight gradually to allow your body to adjust.   

Find a Hill

The crucial value of this regular walk comes from the elevation gain of 260 feet. Fortunately, I can walk to this hill, but if this hill didn’t exist nearby, I would find one and drive to it. I don’t think the 30-minute walk would provide the same conditioning value without the hill. I remember years ago walking up this same hill and stopping repeatedly to gain my breath. Now I walk up the hill with a 40-pound pack without stopping or slowing down. Often I’m not aware of the hill until after I have completed it because I am thinking about other things. 

My overall health and ability to hike comfortably up mountains improved after only a few weeks of regular walks. I also met more of my neighbors who were curious about why I was hiking around with a heavy pack.

Driving out to a trailhead on weekends and doing an eight-mile hike is fine, but not necessary to stay conditioned. Typically, I go on overnight hikes every other weekend. These hikes can be strenuous but I only need regular 30-minute walks to stay conditioned for this type of backpacking.

Use the Opportunity to Test Gear

Use your regular walks to break in new boots and test the fit of gear. The most common injury on our backpacking trips is blisters from new footwear. I do my walks year-round. This means there are differing conditions — cold days, rainy days, and hot days. I have used the walks to test packs for comfort and rain gear for effectiveness — umbrellas, rain shirts, nylon and Gore-Tex rain jackets. If the gear doesn’t work well, I know not to take it on trips in the wilderness. 

Use an Inexpensive Pack

While I do use my walks to test new backpacks, I don’t typically use my best backpacks on my daily conditioning. I use an inexpensive pack, a High Sierra 55-liter pack. If it wears out, it doesn’t matter much. When I bought it, it cost about $40. It is no longer made by High Sierra but there are similar heavy packs on the market in this price range, such as the Shien or Lixada 50L backpacks. The High Sierra pack itself is heavy and loaded with unnecessary features, but this is fine for conditioning walks. It can easily handle 40 pounds of water bottles and towels. I don’t want to wear out my expensive gear hauling around 40 lbs of water bottles. My normal winter pack weight is around 28–34 lbs. 40 pounds would be pushing the limits of the packs I prefer to use on actual backpacking trips. 

Having a pack specifically for conditioning walks means it is always packed and ready to use. It is a single-purpose piece of equipment. The one time I took the High Sierra 55 out to test my speed hiking up Mount Si, I discovered that after two miles it was uncomfortable. My lighter Granite Gear Crown 3 is comfortable no matter how many miles I hike with it.

Test Yourself, Know Yourself

Hike Mount Si with a full winter backpack. Weigh the pack to determine the weight. If it is over 30 lbs, try to optimize it further. Hike the trail and record the time required to get from Trailhead to Summit. “Conventional wisdom says if they can reach the end of the trail in under two hours, they’re ready to conquer the state’s tallest peak.” If you can do it in under 3 hours you are probably able to keep up with our group. Most of our trips are done at a fairly casual pace.

Let us know your thoughts and suggestions

How do you stay in shape? Please share your ideas, experiences, and challenges below. Your comments and questions are welcome.