How to hike a fast thru hike

[protargol]

Nothing wrong with hiking fast but I'd hate for someone to get so obsessed with doing miles that they DO miss out. If you're doing high-mileage you never get to form the relationships with the people on the trail. I can't even begin to explain how cool it is to meet all the people who are thru-hikers and get to know their story. Thru-hikers are a special breed for sure.

By the same logic people should probably not do SOBO's since they won't get to meet as many people and have such meaningful conversations with them, but this of course is not true. HYOH and enjoy what you want. Some people want to chat with everyone they come across. Others rather camp in solitude away from others to ensure they get the quiet that they want.

As for peeing on the trail; that's hardly close to LNT and not cool. If you want to keep walking parallel to the trail while 200 feet away and do it that's one thing, but I don't think that's what he was talking about

[flemdawg1]

Relax, I would bet that a majority of males don't go more than 10 feet off trail to urinate. 100s of years ago it was even used to clean with.

As far as peeing a walking (or running), its usually done wearing shorts. You pull it out down one leg, aim to that side. You'll get afew drops on you (top of your thigh normally), its not a big deal. It'll dry, and it probably won't smell.

[10-K]

Relax, I would bet that a majority of males don't go more than 10 feet off trail to urinate. 100s of years ago it was even used to clean with.

As far as peeing a walking (or running), its usually done wearing shorts. You pull it out down one leg, aim to that side. You'll get afew drops on you (top of your thigh normally), its not a big deal. It'll dry, and it probably won't smell.

I do believe urine is sterile as well....

[WingedMonkey]

Relax, I would bet that a majority of males don't go more than 10 feet off trail to urinate. 100s of years ago it was even used to clean with.

As far as peeing a walking (or running), its usually done wearing shorts. You pull it out down one leg, aim to that side. You'll get afew drops on you (top of your thigh normally), its not a big deal. It'll dry, and it probably won't smell.

Reminds me of one of my trips through Mass, had a friends husband slacking with me, stopped to take off his pack to urinate. I asked "are you wearing underwear?"Looks at me strange ans says "no". I tell him "let me tell you how we do it"

[Nean]

I'm all for HYOH but when someone talks down to you because 27miles is a good day for you and hiking for hours in the dark for mileage sake isn't your cup o tea well then.....

know what I mean?

[azb]

I do believe urine is sterile as well....

It should be while it's being carried, but once you relieve yourself, there are plenty of little single cell nasties that will enjoy it.

Az

[AndyB]

on a thru hike ,in the long summer days, I can't imagine stoping for the night with a few hours of daylight left. My and I wife never hiked fast but we stuck at it all day, sometimes lunch would drag out...but we were always hiking as long as we could. That is one nice thing about having a partner, the "camping " part of backpacking could be done twice as fast. Not sure if I can do a month of 20s but I'm pretty sure I can still hike for 10-12 hours a day.

[tuswm]

I just wanted to say thanks for this thread.

I am doing my first thru with the GF (JMT)
But we have been wanting to do this for YEARS...
BUT we only have 15 days, we teach, then have to be back for a wedding (gf = maid of honor)
need 14+ MPD and want to enjoy the hike.
Coming from a flat beach island at sea level going to alt and "not flat"

So I like all the tips in here. thanks guys

[Spokes]

One of the great satisfactions in life is the ability to stop and take a whiz in the woods.

[sbhikes]

I have a week between my last job and my next one. I decided to spend 5 days backpacking. I could choose to hike something like 50 miles and then do only 10 miles a day, but that seems kind of boring to me. So I'm going to do something like 85-90 miles so I can see more. I will start out in pine trees and end up in desert. It won't be Andrew Skurka fast, but I'm just trying to explain why I prefer faster, lighter hiking. I like to see more. I want to hike and feel my progress over the land. I don't just want to sit around looking at the same trees. It's how I enjoy myself out there. With any luck I'll have a chance to dip my toes in a lake one afternoon, and in a hot spring another and have a meal in a town along the way.

[Nean]

I just wanted to say thanks for this thread.

I am doing my first thru with the GF (JMT)
But we have been wanting to do this for YEARS...
BUT we only have 15 days, we teach, then have to be back for a wedding (gf = maid of honor)
need 14+ MPD and want to enjoy the hike.
Coming from a flat beach island at sea level going to alt and "not flat"

So I like all the tips in here. thanks guys

Take the first few days easy, you can always make up miles-
drink lots of water-
keep you pack weight down to 1/5 of your body weight max-
no heavy boots required-
advil -
beware of skeeters

[garlic08]

As far as peeing while hiking, here's a great word I learned last week:

retromingent (plural retromingents)
(obsolete) An animal that urinates backwards - such as the camel, hippo or raccoon.

Or Andrew Skurka, maybe?

[Dogwood]

When I pick a trail or place to hike one of the key motivations, FOR ME, is to make the deepest connection possible emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically with that trail or place I'm hiking. It's refreshing and enlightening when I can go on hikes and take the main focus off ME ME ME! Backpacking can be a vehicle to go GO BEYOND the physical and mental aspects of hiking by expanding oneself beyond the confined focus of a trail and even beyond the confines of oneself! I still find it utterly amazing how much I learn about myself and the human species when not solely focusing on myself and humanity!

I don't treat trails or places I hike or backpacking like a cheap prostitute where I'm just selfishly concerned with an immedaite quicky physical release. I don't sleep with everyone I meet and likewise I don't desire to hike every trail or in all places. I don't treat the quantity of trails or places I hike like some men(I guess some women too) regard their sexual escapades, as conquests. the more the better, sometimes with little or no regard or desire of acheiving, not just a physical connection, but also an emotional, mental, and spiritual connection!

I know I'm going to be challenged,, no matter how fast I go. I've accepted there will be trails and places to hike and places I want to hike that I will not get to in my life! I can't do it all, no matter how fast I hike! I am VERY MUCH into the quality of the experience on each one of my hikes not just the experience of amassing a great quantity of trails and places I hike or having a "getter done" attitude.

I think some of what I related is what some other posters are saying. They tend to have a deeper, higher quality, greater, or more meaningful experience when hiking a little slower. Hiking slower gives one a little more time to experience the world from a different perspective. I know hiking 1.5 mph may not seem that much of a difference than hiking say 2.5 mph, but that difference may relate into a little more time that can POSSIBLY be used to gain a deeper connection, a greater, higher quality, possibly more meaningful experience. Thats not to say someone hiking faster doesn't have meaningful experiences.

I'm able to put in 35 mpd consistently and/or go 3.5 mph , but I most often choose not to because, FOR ME, and obviously according to some others, we have a somehow more connected posssibly greater higher quality experience when hiking a little slower or just taking a little more time. I guess it's similiar to either the desire to have as many partners as possible engaging in selfish)ME ME ME) sex acts in the fashion of a horny adolescent male desiring a quicky but with little or no regard to their partners needs/desires not seeking a (deeper) connection emotionally, mentally, and spiritually with their partner verses the desire to be a "lover" being attentive and receptive to your lover desiring the deepest connections possible!

I don't know about anyone else and perhaps we tend not to think like this but every trail and place I hike I want treat it like my cherished lover seeking the deepest connections possible!

[10-K]

Is this the UL hikers forum?

Just checking...

[Spokes]

aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

[One Half]

There is a section of trail I used to hike very often with boyscouts and then my son, we used to maintain it. I hated the hike in. It always took so long and I would get tired before we even got to the section we maintained. I finally got to hike it with just one other adult. I loved it! It was such an easy hike and took half the time as it did with the kids - actually less. We spent so much time on our feet getting nowhere when hiking with the kids.

I don't hike extra fast. I just hike at whatever speed my legs take me that day.

[JAK]

Little bit of u rine never hurt anybody.

[Zeno Marx]

Bravo, Dogwood. Bravo. (and I say that because I feel a kinship in their words, not as a FxUx to everyone else)

[tuswm]

Take the first few days easy, you can always make up miles-
drink lots of water-
keep you pack weight down to 1/5 of your body weight max-
no heavy boots required-
advil -
beware of skeeters

base weight = 17 - 20 lbs for me w bear can and about 25 lbs for GF with bear can. I am 175 lbs and GF is a marathon runner tall 130 lbs. she is an up hill monster. I cant keep up.

re supply will be 4 days(start), 4 days(Red), 8 days(muir ranch) so I dont think we will be over the 20% body weight mark with food and water with the exception or 2 or 3 days out of the whole trip.

We wear light boots (asolo)
skeeters?

[10-K]

I'm able to put in 35 mpd consistently and/or go 3.5 mph , but I most often choose not to because, FOR ME, and obviously according to some others, we have a somehow more connected posssibly greater higher quality experience when hiking a little slower or just taking a little more time. I guess it's similiar to either the desire to have as many partners as possible engaging in selfish)ME ME ME) sex acts in the fashion of a horny adolescent male desiring a quicky but with little or no regard to their partners needs/desires not seeking a (deeper) connection emotionally, mentally, and spiritually with their partner verses the desire to be a "lover" being attentive and receptive to your lover desiring the deepest connections possible!

I think I wrote something like this on ecstasy back in the 80's... ......

Anyway, I just want to say one last time that I thought I was in the ultra light hikers forum when I started this thread. My apologies....