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Rockman1
12-02-2006, 20:35
As a variation in my exercise regimen, I have recently been measuring my maximum walking speed. I find the fastest I can walk, pack or no pack, on a fairly level trail with only minor obstacles is 3.9 miles in an hour. Any faster than this forces me to break into a jog, which I am not going to do wearing a loaded pack, and in any case, would not be able to sustain, while I can sustain the 3.9 mph for several miles. I am not going to be a speed demon on the trail, but I find this number to potentially help as a reality check in case I find myself in a time bind, needing to be at a certain time and place. Obviously, actual pace is going to be dictated by roughness of the terrain.

Sly
12-02-2006, 20:59
Once I'm in shape*, depending on the general terrain I normally average 2-2.5 mph including breaks. Also, again once I'm in shape*, I have found myself "trotting", on mild downs and "attacking" some of the uphills.

* 4-6 weeks

LostInSpace
12-02-2006, 21:15
I normally average 3.75 mph on flat level ground without a pack over a three hour period. That is the only consistent interval that I have checked myself. I tend to carry a pack a tad on the heavy side and find I average 2-2.25 mph including breaks over the course of the day. On difficult terrain that I experienced out west on certain trips, my average may drop to 1 mph for a considerable period of time. That is not likely to be the avarage for the entire day, however. I seem to be able to do at least 10-12 miles per day with 4,000 elevation gain plus additional loss. For planning purposes, my partner and I generally figure on 1.5 mph over the course of the day out west including breaks. In the east, we figure an avarage of 2.0 mph for the day.

soad
12-02-2006, 22:18
Down south we average 2.1 uphill, full pack and 3 mph down hill.

Up north it's a whole different story...only did 1 mph day hiking Katahdin (mabye the 322 pictures I took slowed me down :rolleyes: )

Webs
12-02-2006, 22:27
our reliable speed is 2 mph, including breaks besides that lovely, leisurely lunch lolly-gag. ;) my hiking partner, though, gets slightly annoyed at my after-lunch pace,which picks up considerably and is only restrained by her insistence on staying within eye-shot at all times.

PJ 2005
12-02-2006, 23:11
I max out at 4 as well... you can hit that speed in the shannies and on pennsylvania ridges. Best day I had was 20 miles in 6 hours coming out of waynesboro. I still don't understand how some people can hiker over 4, but they are definitely out there.

bigcranky
12-02-2006, 23:20
My regular exercise walk is just over four miles, and I do it in 65 minutes. But hiking on a hilly trail with a pack slows me down considerably. With an average load, I get about 2.25 miles per hour, with 50 minutes of walking and a ten minute break. I actually slow going down hill -- uphills are much faster once I'm back in hiking shape. But my old knees hold me back going down.

I once timed myself on the Va Creeper Trail, which is effectively flat. With a full pack I was able to walk 3 mph exactly, though that was before I lightened up my pack weight.

My after-lunch pace slows down -- I'm quickest at the crack of dawn. Must be the caffeine.

emerald
12-03-2006, 08:24
I find the fastest I can walk, pack or no pack, on a fairly level trail with only minor obstacles is 3.9 miles in an hour. Any faster than this forces me to break into a jog, which I am not going to do wearing a loaded pack, and in any case, would not be able to sustain, while I can sustain the 3.9 mph for several miles.

I suspect few people could exceed what you have found to be true for yourself unless they have an exceptionally long stride. There's something between walk and run I employ when I have a bit of a gravitational assist on the downhills, or am I running?


I am not going to be a speed demon on the trail, but I find this number to potentially help as a reality check in case I find myself in a time bind, needing to be at a certain time and place.

I would be surprised if you meet more than a handful of people who can sustain 3 mph over the course of a day. You might find you are a faster hiker than you believe.


Obviously, actual pace is going to be dictated by roughness of the terrain.

As well as the elevation gain and perhaps to a lesser extent the loss.

Lone Wolf
12-03-2006, 08:53
I hike 3mph average daily. With a 40 poundish pack.

kyhipo
12-03-2006, 09:19
well I usually hike fast in the morning then settle down to a 2.5 mph or slower in the latter end of my journey.But no one generally walks the same speed.Ky

MarcnNJ
12-03-2006, 13:42
i try to walk the same speed all the time...and adjust my breaks for the mileage im aiming for that day......on my thru this year, i averaged 3.5 mph for most of the trip, excluding the whites and the begining of maine......seems like when i got to the whites, i hiked just as hard but covered only half of the mileage id normally travel...

Almost There
12-03-2006, 20:53
Once in shape I am usually between 2.5 to 3mph. Uphills slow me down a little and downhills if steep as well. I have hiked faster but then I start to deal with overuse injuries like ITBS and shin splints. Ease into it and you will find yourself hiking faster than you ever have before.

Jim Adams
12-04-2006, 15:49
once in shape you may find that your speed will be quicker than you thought but be aware of averages. when i'm in shape, even at my age, i can do an easy 3 miles / hour all day but my average sucks. i may not have a problem doing 10 miles before 11 am but then if i find a beautiful view, swimming hole, awesome spot or a pub, i may just have a 12 mile day!
geek

Kerosene
12-04-2006, 16:08
Also, don't try to multiply out your hiking pace to see how many miles you could crank out in a day. As others have said, you tend to feel more energetic at different times, you take breaks to re-fuel and enjoy your surroundings, the weather and trail surface affects your speed, etc.

emerald
12-04-2006, 17:23
Also, don't try to multiply out your hiking pace to see how many miles you could crank out in a day. As others have said, you tend to feel more energetic at different times, you take breaks to re-fuel and enjoy your surroundings, the weather and trail surface affects your speed, etc.

I believe what Kerosene advises is along the lines of what I attempted to express earlier, although I may not have done it well.

While many people can hike 3 mph for hours without stopping or even 4 mph for short distances, few can maintain that pace continuously throughout a day. If that were so, we'd hear often of people hiking 40 mpd on long summer days without a headlamp.

When attempting to estimate travel times, it is wise to allow more time than expected to travel between two points. There's usually no harm done in arriving earlier than anticipated.

The longer the distance to be travelled and the less familiarity with the terrain, the greater the allowance one needs to make for things not known or unexpected. Many people may find 2 mph to be useful for general planning purposes.

I realize what I just wrote must seem like nothing more than common sense to some, but I thought it might be useful to point out anyway.

Red Hat
12-04-2006, 17:53
Walking around my home, I average over 3 mph. On the AT, I average 2mph. But there were many times that I was good to be doing 1mph, and less than that in the snow in the Smokies. The fastest I ever did was 3mph going from Bears Den into Harpers Ferry.

Rockman1
12-05-2006, 16:33
As a variation in my exercise regimen, I have recently been measuring my maximum walking speed. I find the fastest I can walk, pack or no pack, on a fairly level trail with only minor obstacles is 3.9 miles in an hour. Any faster than this forces me to break into a jog, which I am not going to do wearing a loaded pack, and in any case, would not be able to sustain, while I can sustain the 3.9 mph for several miles. I am not going to be a speed demon on the trail, but I find this number to potentially help as a reality check in case I find myself in a time bind, needing to be at a certain time and place. Obviously, actual pace is going to be dictated by roughness of the terrain.

I think some may have misunderstood the point of my message about walking speed. It will suit me just fine if I NEVER push myself to my maximum pace; that is not my idea of enjoying the trail. Having said that, I suspect there will still be times when circumstances dictate that I get my butt on down the trail, if even for a short distance. It is for that reason that I wanted to get a general idea of my maximum capability. Rockman

Kerosene
12-05-2006, 16:51
For short distances (1-3 miles) on a reasonably smooth trail, you can break into a "shuffle jog" to up your pace somewhat, even with a pack on your back. Ideally you limit this to level or slightly downhill sections, and then only for a hundred yards or so at a time until you reach a tricky spot or start to tire. I typically walk at about a 2.5 mph pace that I can push to 3 on a smooth trail, and crank to almost 4 mph for a few miles with the shuffle technique. Make sure you keep one foot on the ground, knees bent, and speed under control.

emerald
12-05-2006, 17:01
I believe we've done about what we can for you. If your intention was to announce your maximum speed under ideal conditions or compare yours with others, your maximum is not extraordinary.

You will not hike at your maximum speed on many sections of the A.T. and you're likely to hike somewhere between 2 and approaching 4 mph depending upon the prevailing circumstances.

Happy hiking!

Deerleg
12-05-2006, 17:22
...I suspect there will still be times when circumstances dictate that I get my butt on down the trail, if even for a short distance. It is for that reason that I wanted to get a general idea of my maximum capability. Rockman

4 mph is about the best I have sustained too. I miss-read my map and thought I was 3 miles from the end of my planed section hike only to discover a short time later I was 9 miles out. I was running out of daylight and had to be out of the woods that evening so I cranked it up a notch and covered the last 8 ½ miles in a hair over 2 hours. The last 3 was the bike path going into Harpers Fairy which helped some, but it was also quite warm. Definitely outside my comfort zone but doable in a pinch.

Rockman1
12-05-2006, 18:55
[quote=Shades of Gray;280731]If your intention was to announce your maximum speed under ideal conditions or compare yours with others, you're maximum is not extraordinary.

Not only is my maximum not extraordinary, I would expect it to be quite ordinary. I was simply throwing numbers out in case others wanted to compare, and also as a possible guidepost to others who may have no idea of their potential trail speed, at least for relatively short distances.
Rockman

rafe
12-08-2006, 23:19
Roland Mueser's book on the AT class of '90 give an overall average figure of 1.5 miles per hour. Most folks averaged 15 miles per day, with 10 hours of walking. But back then packs were heavier. There were speedsters even back then that routinely did 20 mile days. (And Ward L. did about 30 per day.) For me, a 20 mile day is rare. That's why I'm a terrapin.

Blue Jay
12-09-2006, 00:30
It will suit me just fine if I NEVER push myself to my maximum pace

That's good because unless your a** is on fire, you are only asking for an injury that will turn a short term gain into a long term loss. I've seen this happen over and over and over.

ed bell
12-09-2006, 02:35
That's good because unless your a** is on fire, you are only asking for an injury that will turn a short term gain into a long term loss. I've seen this happen over and over and over.Good post Blue Jay. I'll add that if your a** is on fire; stop, drop and roll is better than running.:D That is unless you are headed for the privy or outta sight of the trail.(different type of fire):-?;)

Heater
12-09-2006, 03:33
I think some may have misunderstood the point of my message about walking speed. It will suit me just fine if I NEVER push myself to my maximum pace; that is not my idea of enjoying the trail. Having said that, I suspect there will still be times when circumstances dictate that I get my butt on down the trail, if even for a short distance. It is for that reason that I wanted to get a general idea of my maximum capability. Rockman

I think WD has a chart on his site that shows average mileage split into 4 sections of the ENTIRE trail.