View Full Version : First Shakedown Hike
I recently completed my first shakedown hike with a few friends and good thing I did as I learned some valuable information. I have been told a 30-35 pound pack, that is with food and water included, is the norm now. This simply does not work for me. It is too heavy. My baseweight is was around 20 pounds. During the hike I removed a few items and found that a 20-25 pound fully loaded pack feels amazingly better so I have started to make adjustments. I also found there are a lot of things that i simply did not use over the 8 days on the trail. I highly recommend shakedown hikes and I will complete 2 more this year before leaving for the trail next feb/march. one of those will be a solo hike which I am nervous about. Any advice or personal experiences on shakedowns would be appreciated. Here is a link to my first shakedown hike on the Georgia Bartram Trail for anyone interested https://youtu.be/XomnL825kgc
Gambit McCrae
04-14-2016, 10:41
Weight- There is no reason why your fully loaded pack should be over 20-25 lbs. Many will say different and its only an opinion that is dependent on funds. If you have the funds, you can buy weight out of your pack. Companies like tarptent, zpacks, WM, have made it really easy to do so, at a cost.
solo- I hike solo, I hike with friends, either way, spring summer fall, you wont be alone, you will drive to the trail by yourself, and walk most of the time by your self but if you choose to, you can camp with others just about whenever you'd like. (as in there are people everywhere on the AT)
I don't really know why people use the term "shakedown" hikes. I just go on hiking trips, and learn from them. the importance of every trip is the same, to walk and learn, and do it better every time. In the end it is just walking.
Berserker
04-14-2016, 11:57
To the OP I agree on the weight although I tend to hover in the upper 20s to lower 30s at the start of a hike (fully loaded with all my food and other consumables). As for getting out and hiking, there is really no other way to figure out what works for you than to just get out there as you stated.
I don't really know why people use the term "shakedown" hikes. I just go on hiking trips, and learn from them. the importance of every trip is the same, to walk and learn, and do it better every time. In the end it is just walking.
I tend to agree for the most part, but (not to get into semantics) there are times where I do intentional shakedown hikes. A good example was in 2012 when I used my long section of the year (happened to be all of NJ and part of NY) to check some stuff out for 2013 when I did the JMT. I carried all my food for like 8 or so days and my bear can so I could figure out how to pack food for the JMT...totally unnecessary on the AT, so that was what I would consider a shakedown hike.
... just go on hiking trips, and learn from them. the importance of every trip is the same, to walk and learn, and do it better every time. In the end it is just walking.
Sage Advice!
Hikingjim
04-14-2016, 16:22
There is a certain point for everyone with their setup where it just feels too heavy. It's different for everyone... so it's important to find that with practice hikes
I do a lot of hiking with no resupply for awhile and cold weather, and I have personally found 38 lbs to be my annoyance point. When I do decent weather and easy resupply hiking..... the 25 lb fully loaded pack feels awesome. I couldn't care less if it was 23 lbs or 25. But that may be because I'm 195 lbs and it's such a small % of weight. I'm sure I'll be looking to get to 16 lbs fully loaded when I'm a senior or something.
MuddyWaters
04-14-2016, 17:12
If you like 25, youll be ecstatic with 15
Having dropped from 375 to 260 lbs, a 35lb pack is comfy to me. Lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T337A using Tapatalk
Another Kevin
04-14-2016, 17:35
I don't really know why people use the term "shakedown" hikes. I just go on hiking trips, and learn from them. the importance of every trip is the same, to walk and learn, and do it better every time. In the end it is just walking.
Well, yeah. I go on short trips, and I go on longer ones. (I don't ever do more than a short section hike - the longest one I've done was 138 miles.)
But some trips are more committing than others. If I've got a new piece of gear coming along, I'd rather take it on an overnight than on a 60-mile section that has no resupply opportunities. Just in case something doesn't work out for some reason. I suppose you could call that a 'shakedown.'
DuneElliot
04-15-2016, 13:07
But some trips are more committing than others. If I've got a new piece of gear coming along, I'd rather take it on an overnight than on a 60-mile section that has no resupply opportunities. Just in case something doesn't work out for some reason. I suppose you could call that a 'shakedown.'
I'd call that a gear shakedown rather than a shakedown hike...but it's all semantics!
lonehiker
04-15-2016, 13:18
I've taken numerous pieces of new gear on extended hikes (500+ miles). Most have performed well, other not as well but have always made do. It is where your problem solving skills, the ones you learned as a kid, come in handy.
left52side
04-15-2016, 19:36
It is amazing what A difference going from 30lbs to say 25 lbs make.
Believe me I know first hand,if you look into ultralight section you will see me posting about getting my weight down to 25lbs.
Well I think I have all but achieved that goal and actually my fully load out pack is at 23lbs,thats including 3/4 days of food and 2 liters of water.
When I do my thru next year my pack will most likley be at a total of 20lbs or so,eliminating one liter of water and only going with one liter or simply using smaller bottles.
https://www.lighterpack.com/
My gear list is found here if you are interested,im sure before next year there will be some tweeks on it but primarily it will stay the same.
Trust me, i did not go trudging through the woods for the sole purpose of a "shakedown." It was a hike I have wanted to do for years with friends and it was thoroughly enjoyed. It just so happens such a hike also serves the purpose of a shakedown and it turns out i learned a lot. For me the 30 to 35 pound full weight is a little much especially since I'm a lean 150 pounds. I will probably fatten up a little before my thru hike due to the fact I don't want to be too skinny. I have made some adjustments to my pack and already shaved a little over 3 pounds off. still working at it. weight does matter tremendously, but so does my comfort on the trail. I have yet to find that sweet spot and hopefully with this next hike in may on the Foothills Trail I will be a little closer. Here is a link to my gear list. Any advice is appreciated http://lighterpack.com/r/d36f3p
saltysack
04-21-2016, 18:34
You could easily drop a lb by ditching all the unnecessary stuff sacks, pack cover,tyvek sheet, battery back up just to name a few. A simple compactor bag to line pack to hold all dry clothes, quilt and xlite. I just did fht and phone in airplane should easily last the duration. I do carry battery back up for longer trips without recharge options. Just my $.02....carry what works for you..
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
lonehiker
04-21-2016, 20:02
Perhaps it should be called a "shakeout" hike...
Mountain Bluebird
04-21-2016, 20:24
You will find, I think, that you gradually will be getting used to being in the woods alone. As you hike. Me, I love being in the woods of the eastern deciduous forest. I know the sounds, the things that can hurt me, and the names/uses of the plants. I find it more peaceful and relaxing, especially if I keep my phone in Airplane Mode--you will have no media "inputs", the rhythm of your footfalls will be the sounds closest to you.
Greenlight
04-21-2016, 20:26
A 115 pound loss? Good on you, bruh!
Having dropped from 375 to 260 lbs, a 35lb pack is comfy to me. Lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T337A using Tapatalk
saltysack
04-21-2016, 20:28
A 115 pound loss? Good on you, bruh!
Sounds like a divorce to me....[emoji16]