conditioning For Mountain hunting

[Itsadryheat]

I have been mountain biking and hiking with a semi loaded pack. To keep in shape and keep my cardio up... It has been a new found pleasure to get on a bike and ride the local trails in the foothills, "good cardio too", don't forget water and snacks.. man I get hungry after tromping around for a while... I even started to bring a hammock while I'm in the mountains, so I can find a nice spot to relax after a nice hike. "May as well enjoy the quiet" while your there!

 

[corsair4360]

I found at least one large water bottle an hour when exercising hard, bicycling which I have done for 30+ years.

 

[Mosster47]

It's a fine line in training. I ran my first marathon in December. My flat ground cardio is at a level where I can't make myself get tired. If I put 60lbs on my back and walk in the mountains for three miles I'm dead tired.

I lift hard three times a week as well. I don't think there is any substitute for training what you want to do besides doing it.

If you're going to hunt the plains, run flat, hike flat with weight, lift. If you're in the hills, run in the hills, hike in the hills, lift, etc.

Diet both while working and not, water, and sleep will make more of a difference than just about any single activity. If you start malnourished or dehydrated you're done before you put your socks on. Lastly it's not a sprint. If you injure yourself doing too much too soon then you're just defeating the purpose.

 

[Josh213]

I hike the high peaks region in the Adirondack Park all summer to prepare for deer season.

 

[dubs chops]

I have trouble running with my knees. I found a good alternative is setting the treadmill to the steepest incline and doing about 3.5 on the speed. it will get the cardio way up without the impact of running.

 

[Tiny Tim]

While weight lifting and exercise are of great value, nothing compares to real outdoor simulations (as best you can). I would do 15 minutes a day on a stair climber for a warm-up. Go out hiking in the hills for a few miles and the next day my calves are aching and my legs tight. All the uneven terrain, even if slight, engages a great deal of secondary muscles that just don't get the attention they need on the flat surfaces of treadmills, elipticals, and other machines. Its certainly better than nothing, but no substitute for the great outdoors. Even rocks and sandbags in your pack carry differently than the real thing. I try to use old clothes and a jug(s) of water to try and simulate a more realistic backpack "loading". Everything helps, and the trail is much more beneficial than a flat gym floor. Even when walking, the shoulder of the road is better than the flat and "perfect" road surface. Both have their place, and as Moster stated, diet will make huge IMPACT.

 

[JeffRaines]

If you got stairs in your house do 1000 steps up the stairs. Takes me 63 trips up in my place and equals about 700 feet of gain in about a half mile.

It's not the mountains for sure, but when everythings closed down or snowed in it helps immensely and it sure as heck makes a difference when you actually hit the mountains.

Another thing when I'm on the mountain, especially on the hike in, I like to stop every hour for 10 mins. I'll stop, offload my pack(or at least sit down) and have a SNACK. That's another important part of mountain hunting is FOOD. Before I started this I'd just starve myself until camp usually and I paid for it hard. I'd be zonked at camp and be endlessly zonked for the hunt. The problem is that I don't get hungry(I hear it's due to elevation) so I would just go, and even at camp I'd barely eat because I just wasn't hungry. Now I force myself to eat a big(200-300 cals) snack every hour and I carry things like GU gels for while I'm hiking up and it makes a HUGE difference. Usually when I get to camp now I'm hungry as well - those mountain houses have never tasted so good. Check out the peak meals as well. Tons of calories and the ones I've had were awesome(and not nearly as gas inducing as MH).

Sorry to get off on a food tangent - energy was a big issue for me early on.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

I have trouble running with my knees. I found a good alternative is setting the treadmill to the steepest incline and doing about 3.5 on the speed. it will get the cardio way up without the impact of running.

Great idea to minimize impact, as osteoarthritis is real. I get most of my high altitude training just W of us, on the divide at about 10000ft, hiking and canoeing. I got my R hip resurfaced in 2008 and while I don't run, I can pretty much do everything else and without pain. Even living at 6000ft and with some training, 1-2 days of acclimation goes a long way on the hunt.

 

[belldar]

Great! Now I need to find a carpet friendly sled