1 mph ?

[pawlinghiker]

I have been clocking my hikes and it seems that with stopping to eat and drink etc.. I am hiking approx 1 MPH, maybe 1.5 MPH tops.

I walk at a brisk pace always and keep breaks down to improve time but I cant seem to break out of the 1 mph zone.

is this slow ? I really try to keep up a good pace, figured it would be better.. mostly hilly rocky terrain by me so its not open paths..

[hikerboy57]

theres no rule. theres times depending on terrain ill struggle to do 1 mph, other stretches where im doing 3+.you take what the trail gives you. you push too hard, you end up giving it back the following day(s). the more hiking you do the more your pace will increase. if youre hiking ny youre encountering a lot of rocky rooty stretches that can slow you down until your feet know what to do and where to go without you thinking about how to place them.but its your hike. hiking someone elses pace is usually a mistake.hike as fast or as slow as you feel comfortable.and aim to increase your daily mileage in small increments.before you know it you'll be doing 25mph!!

[Violent Green]

It's a little slow, but it all depends on where you are hiking really. 2mph is about average so you aren't far off really. How many breaks and for how long?

Ryan

[gunner76]

If you are having a good time then who cares how fast you are going. HYOK and have fun

[HikerMom58]

Are you having fun pawlinghiker? That's all that really matters. :>) I think I hike about 2 miles an hour or so, I think that's about average. Fast hikers are awesome to watch... they got it going on & they fly down the trail. I admire them but I'm quite happy with my own pace. I'm not going to say what I'm thinking cause it has become so overused. You know what I'm thinking right? ;)

[pawlinghiker]

doing 5 to 6 mile hikes in about 5 hours. I stop to eat and I stop to drink and hit the john.

im not looking to break any records I was just wondering where I stood,

[tiptoe]

As long as you know your hiking rate and plan for it, you'll be fine. I too have heard that 2 mph is average, but I generally do 3 miles in 2 hours. Without a pack and not in mountains, I walk 3 mph. It's not a major issue for me, or even a minor one.

[Slo-go'en]

Unless your a young kid, I'd say 1 - 1.5 mph is pretty typical for New England trail where you have to constantly look at where your stepping so you don't trip over rocks and roots and what ever else gets in the way. Like wicked steep climbs and decents.


I typically do a bit better down south were the grade isn't as bad and there are less things to trip over in the trail. Down there I can kick it up to 2 - 2.5 mph most of the time. But in VT/NH/ME, lucky to do 1 mph most of the time...

[Cookerhiker]

What counts is if you're enjoying your hike, not your speed.

[russb]

As others have said, terrain and conditions are significant variables. Last winter it took me three hours to cover 3/4 of a mile. I was breaking trail with snowshoes in 3 feet of snow. Spruce trees were bent over the trail every ten or so meters blocking progress until I could get over, under, through or around them. Took me half an hour on the way out two days later. Enjoy the hike!

[Another Kevin]

1 mph isn't unreasonable. On trail, as opposed to roadwalking or walking a bike path, or something, my personal Naismith Rule is 30 min per mile + 40 min per 1000 feet of elevation change. (Down slows me down as much as up does.) On a tough trail, that can be slower than 1 mph.

The people who do 20-25 mile days in the Mid-Atlantic don't do the same mileage in New England.

Of course, I'm a clueless weekender, so I never really get into trail shape. But if you read Ray Jardine or Nimblewill Nomad, both hiking legends, they'll tell you that they're both slower than other hikers. They make the miles by hiking longer, not faster.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Most people think they will (or should) hike a lot faster than they really can. Especially true in difficult and/or steep terrain.
It's not just walking.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

That pace sounds perfect to me. On the street I walk about 2.5mph, on the trail with a pack I'm lucky to do 1.25mph. Our last trip (with Another Kevin above) Snacktime and I struggled to manage 1mph, and with the downhill scrambles we were travelling closer to .75mph. THAT is slow.....but it was what we could do. You're doing fine.

[Feral Bill]

Hiking with a group, that's typical. Matching paces and overlapping stops slow you down. Hiking alone, its all about what works for you. I'm often in that speed range.

I suspecct many who speak of much faster speeds are refering to walking time only, not including rests, staring at clouds, adjusting clothes, and so forth. They are faster than me, in any event.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I suspecct many who speak of much faster speeds are refering to walking time only, not including rests, staring at clouds, adjusting clothes, and so forth. They are faster than me, in any event.

This.


Thanks to my GPS, I know that I walk at 2.5-3 miles an hour on average, However I only actually go 1-2 miles per hour throughout a day of backpacking.

I hike, then I stop for a minute or two to rest, I hike more I then stop and check out the cool looking tree just off trail, I hike on and then stop to readjust my pack and get the pebbles out of my shoes, I hike more and stop and rest again for a couple minutes, I hike some more and then stop for a while to check out the view at a vista etc....

...this is how I can walk at almost 3mph and sometimes still only hike 10 miles a day

[Whack-a-mole]

When I walk in the park, I can really move, but when you put on a pack- things change. Also, have you ever noticed that when you step out of the car, and I don't care where you are, you get ten steps on flat land and then it seems to go straight up! I always make my campsite goal for the day, but I always get there later than I thought I would. Don't worry so much about your speed. Enjoy your time outside and enjoy your hike!

[4Bears]

Years ago my cousin and hiking partner learned the hard way that the hardest thing to do is to walk at another's pace. So when we hike we take off together but with in 15 minutes or so we would be separated by a turn or two. He might have had the lead and saw something that caught his eye and stop to observe, I come up a minute or so later and look and push on, we would see-saw like that all day. All we would do in the morning was set a couple points to meet up, and what we found we were rarely more than 10 minutes apart. What was the most interesting was what we saw, in scenery and in wildlife, made for great conversation at lunch and supper. So don't be hung up on how fast you hike, just take what a trail gives you and be aware of what slows or speeds your pace. Look at a profile for the day ahead and set a realistic goal, if you arrive early then decide whether to stop or move on. Just enjoy your time in the woods and HYOH.

[Dogwood]

Sounds typical. I would say avg MPH thru-hiker pace for an AT NOBOer acclimatized to trail life is something in the order of 2.25 mph. And, don't sweat your pace. You're doing well. I've clocked myself postholing in heavier snow up to my waste taking 3 hrs+ to hike 1 mile with a winter kit with 9 days food. Sometimes, it's best not to try hiking according to a "trail" in those conditions.

[fredmugs]

In general it seems that once I factor in breaks I average 2.2 mph for the day. When I plan I use 2 mph so I am always ahead of "pace" to keep me from feeling rushed.

[garlic08]

Do you know your walking pace unloaded on open trail or road? I think generally if your backpacking pace is 1/2 your normal walking speed, that's pretty good. Mine are 2 mph and 4 mph, respectively, for instance. In tough conditions it can really drop.

Are you carrying a heavy pack? My pack weight is generally less than 15% of my body weight, often less than 10%, and that's a factor we don't know in your case. If you're stumbling along with 80 pounds and you weigh 150, you're doing great.

Are you clocking yourself on long hikes, or on day hikes? On longer hikes you can get into an efficient daily routine. We all have our routines. For me, it's hiking for two hours then stopping for a ten minute snack break, two more hours then a longer meal break, repeat. I can break camp and get moving in ten to fifteen minutes, and can be sleeping 30 minutes after deciding to look for a place to camp. I don't eat or bathe where I camp, that all takes place during the hike while resting. In summer, that often means a 14 or 15 hour hiking day and as noted above, you don't really have to walk all that fast to make good miles.

I think it's important to know your pace for different conditions. It can be very important for navigating in some cases. It's at least good for planning your day.

I think it's more important to know what your pace is than it is to increase it. The most common causes of backcountry injuries are slips and falls. Be careful.

[Grinder]

That's an interesting observation, Garlic. It matches my own experience. I just never thought of it that way.

I walk 3 mph in town, on pavement. On the trail, after a week or two, I think 1.2 or 1.3 is about average
I'm old, so climbing puts me anerobic pretty fast and my speed drops as low as 1/2mph pretty fast for the climb.

It took me FOREVER to accept that "it is what it is!"

[Drybones]

The only reason to know hiking pace is for scheduling campsites and re-supply. I hike at a leisure pace, normally take a 20-30 minute break every 2.5 hours or so and my time for 20 miles is consistantly 9 hours. I wouldn't get hung up on how fast you hike, focus on having a good time.

[moldy]

If you want, you can do better. Much better. Here are some tricks. It's not your lungs or your legs that slow you down, it's your brain. Concentrate on your pace, don't let your mind wander so far that it slows you down. Turn on your cruise control. Repeat a mantra that's like a cadence. 2 mile pace, 2 mile pace, 2 mile pace, left right...left. Over and over again. Another thing you can do is to not stop going up mountains to catch your breath. Just slow down. You can catch your breath going down the other side. Don't forget to speed up going downhill, you paid for it, why not collect it. Take advantage of your daily energy store. First thing in the AM with batteries charged, and the need to get warm, go for a fast start to the day. I keep telling myself, ten by twelve, ten by twelve. I'm 63 years old, I want to have 10 miles behind me by noon. So my hiking day is morning loaded. I want to get the bulk done in the AM. If I can do 10 by 12 the rest of the afternoon is gravy. I can wander 5 to 10 more and have a good day. With a 10 hour day at 1mph you get 10 miles per day and the AT will take 220 days. 2mph it's only 110 days.

[HooKooDooKu]

The rule of thumb I've always heard for hiking (and this is a moving speed discounting rest periods) is that the average person hikes at 2MPH, adding one hour for every 1,000' in elevation change.

I've found that rule to be highly accurate for flat to up-hill hikes. For down hill hikes, adding any time to the 2MPH rule seems to only come into play if the terrain is particularly steep... but even then I personally don't come close to adding a full hour for 1,000' down hill.

Of course this is just a rule of thumb, as stronger experienced hikers will typically be able to hike faster, while others (such as young children) will tent to hike a little slower. But if the terrain is modest, I find that will just a little encouragement, my 7yo can maintain the 2MPH +1hour/1,000' rule.

[Bronk]

Are you getting where you need to go in the right time frame? Are you having fun? Even if you're only going 1mph, if you hike from 8am to 6pm you're going to make 10 miles in a day. There's no hurry to get anywhere.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Are you getting where you need to go in the right time frame? Are you having fun? Even if you're only going 1mph, if you hike from 8am to 6pm you're going to make 10 miles in a day. There's no hurry to get anywhere.

I'm with you Bronk....what's the hurry? +/- 1mph lets me stop and smell ALL the roses....

[Namtrag]

We always plan our day so we don't have to ever average a certain speed. For example in the fall and winter, we plan to hike 8-10 miles a day, so we just start at 9 am. If we get to our next stop at 1pm or 3pm, doesn't matter to us. Either one gives us plenty of time to set up camp, get water, get bear bag rope slung over the tree, start a fire, etc before it gets dark.

On our last trip, I left Tinker Cliffs about 2 minutes before the 2 speed hikers in our group. Within 10 minutes they had caught and passed me. It was downhill and I was trying to go as fast as I could to see if I could keep ahead or even with them. I was close to losing it several times as I tripped on roots and rocks which were under the leaves. Even at my breakneck pace, they still blew by me and ended up getting to the shelter at least 40 minutes ahead of me. I still haven't figured out how people can hike so fast.

[MDSection12]

The group I usually hike with tends to average 2.5 mph over the course of a day, so including stops. We don't really think about it, it just works out that way.

When by myself I am usually up over 3 mph, including stops.

[Feral Bill]

Re-reading the thread, it would seem that YMMV:).

[hikerboy57]

once you get to your destination, stop.

[MDSection12]

chevy is offering supplier pricing on all 2013 and 2014 models
Just start a 'GoFundMe' account if you want us to fund your hike. :p

[HikerMom58]

chevy is offering supplier pricing on all 2013 and 2014 models

Put this on mp's Black Friday Deals thread as well. :p

I wonder when that roller pack thread will appear again? We might be able to "make the miles" going downhill on that.. ;) I did a search for that thread and came up with this one ....

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?77891-Comfy-Frame-Pack-Backpack-and-Chair-with-wheels

My sides hurt.... :D

[John B]

I average 18-23 mile days on AT sections south of Damascus, a little faster in the southern third of VA. I can't speak about areas in the north because I've never been there. I usually start at day break and hike until 3-4pm. I take very little time for snacks and lunch. My pack weight is about 25 lbs with 4 days food and a liter of water. If you're not using hiking poles, I've found them to be a big help in re speed. Oddly, I've found that lightweight hiking boots help me go faster than trail runners because my feet don't get as sore. I go a lot faster when I don't have someone hiking with me, too -- if someone is with me, I spend too much time waiting around while they rest, eat, yadda.

[Son Driven]

My plan was to get up with the sun & go down with the sun. I used a hammock that opened up more camping sites for myself. when I got within the last 90 minutes of of day light I would load up with water. When I spotted a nice spot for my hammock I would call it a day. Typically I ended up with 10 - 20 mile days, depending on terrain and injury. It took me seven months to the day to complete my 2013 AT through hike. If I did it again, the only thing I would change is the amount of days I spent in trail towns.

[ChinMusic]

once you get to your destination, stop.

words to live by

[Malto]

It makes little sense to try and compare your hiking speed to others unless you are planning hike with them. But having said that... 1mph is on the slower side at least based on what I've seen. But if it works for you then why change it? Some will try to say that going slower allows you to see more, others will say that going twice as far allows you to see more. They both can be right. I tend to do faster, longer days. The main reason I started (and learn to love) the longer days was because the higher mileage days allowed me to see parts of the Sierra on weekend trips that I would have never thought possible. Extending the trip beyond the weekends was also not an option since I was traveling to Ca. for work.

if you are happy with your mileage then great. If not then there are several things you could do to increase your mileage and likely still have fun. They include:
1) lighter pack.
2) Earlier start.
3) Later Finish.
4) Less frequent and shorter breaks.
5) get in better shape.

The combination of several or all of these will allow you to hike longer and faster if you chose to do so. I have found that there were hidden advantages to each of these strategies such as:
1) lighter pack - less soreness and simpler lifestyle.
2) Earlier start - cooler temperatures, more wildlife, less people, seeing the forest wake up.
3) Later Finish - cooler temperatures, less people, great views of sunsets.
4) Less frequent and shorter breaks. - less post startup soreness, ability to keep in stride.
5) get in better shape. - too many to list.

find what works for you, push yourself out of your routine occasionally to keep from getting stale and have fun.

[Gray Blazer]

At least you are moving. And if you move like that all day, you'll cover 8 or 10 miles. Sounds like a win/win to me.

[Another Kevin]

Are you getting where you need to go in the right time frame? Are you having fun? Even if you're only going 1mph, if you hike from 8am to 6pm you're going to make 10 miles in a day. There's no hurry to get anywhere.

Some sage here once said, "if you're in such a hurry, why are you walking?"

The people who quote speeds without taking terrain into account are blowing smoke. Does anyone imagine that you can make the same miles per day in the Whites that you can in Maryland?

I'll come back to my personal Naismith Rule. I'm slow, because (1) I'm getting old, (2) my knees weren't much good even in my youth, (3) I'm just a weekender or short sectioner, and so I never really get my "trail legs" the way a long-sectioner or thru-hiker would. So I budget 30 minutes to the mile (the same distance would take me 16-17 minutes on pavement at a pace that I can sustain all day) plus 40 minutes per 1000 feet of elevation change (up or down - they both slow me). That's a pace that I can keep up pretty much all day. I add time - sometimes a lot of time - for dealing with bushwhacking, sketchy scrambling, or ice and snow.

This turns out to be a pretty good planning rule. On my last weekend outing, I had a trip of 14 miles on trail + 2 miles roadwalk, with the on-trail segment having roughly 9000 feet of elevation change, about 7000 of it in the last six miles. So I budgeted 14*30 + 2*20 minutes = 7:40 for the walking plus 9*40 minutes = 6 hours additional for elevation changes. I added another hour because I knew there were two peaks that involved some Class IV scrambling.

So that came to a budget of roughly 15 hours for 16 miles. And that came out about right. I was actually on the move about five hours on the first day (got a late start) and ten hours on the second. Given that the days were getting shorter, I was not willing to budget more mileage than that, because the trail was one that I did not feel safe doing by headlamp.

That's not much more than a mile an hour. As I said, I'm slow. But I'm not that slow. I'm pretty typical for a clueless weekender who is never able really to get into trail shape. A lot of people passed me, but I was able to pass others. And there were a couple of groups that I was leapfrogging all the second day. I'd catch up to them when they were stopped, and then they'd blow by me when they were moving.

[1azarus]

...and there is the possibility you aren't giving yourself enough credit for what you do. You mentioned elsewhere that you've done some hiking in the white mountains. There, I think a blazing speed would be around 1 1/2 mph... And one mph must be close to average. A Huge variation in pace due to terrain difficulty is quite the norm. I do agree with the prevailing observation that it is about having a good time. You want to go fast, buy a car from hiker boy.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

UNFAIR!!! 1azurus is a speed-hiker.....shouldn't be here with the rest of us slow-poking peons!

(Another Kevin said it was all he could do to keep up with the hiking machine that your are.....come to think of it, so did Rocketsocks....face it....you're fast)

[1azarus]

well. la di da. forgive me for having a well adjusted moment!

[Another Kevin]

well. la di da. forgive me for having a well adjusted moment!

I never said you're not well-adjusted! You're just faster than I am. (Except maybe on bushwhacks. I suspect my navigational skills are a bit better, I get more practice.)

[Feral Bill]

Hey you two: Play nice!

[Drybones]

At least you are moving.

That's always a good thing....means you're not dead yet.

[johnnybgood]

Hiking at any speed is still staying ahead of the couch potatoes at home.

[Smooth & Wasabi]

You said 1-1 1/2 with breaks. You are probably right around the average 2 mph which does not include breaks. Have fun, if you are worried about covering more ground hike longer not faster.

[hikerboy57]

if you want your numbers to go up , think in kilometers'
it doesnt matter what speed you hike. what matters is understanding your pace so that you can plan your hikes, and be able to figure roughly how long it will get from point a to point b.lets say its 4pm and you get to a site, and its only 5 miles into town. if you know you can do 2mph, youll be in town by 7.if you hike 1mph, you would probably decide to just camp there and hit town the next day.as far as day hikes go, it makes no difference at all. ive had days i was out all day and covered just 4 or 5 miles.

[Seesfar]

Maybe you understand the world at 1 mph.

[Seesfar]

Maybe you understand the world at 1 mph.
I heard someone day that once. Sounded profound.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

well. la di da. forgive me for having a well adjusted moment!

Oh, don't get me wrong...I'm impressed. You can't tell from where you're sitting, but I'm bowing before you performing the "We are not worthy" bow. :)

[Mountain Mike]

When I am on the trail it's vacation. I have come into a resupply with a breakfast of a shared sninkers bar & bag of pudding for breakfast knowing we had 17 miles to do before the next meal. We laid over a day due to fog & didn't want to miss the beauty around us. To me time in the woods is about quality time. While doing a LASH filling in part of the PCT I skipped due to a bad snow year it was pretty common for me to pull out my sleeping pad & book at some beautiful spot for lunch, relax & mabey even nap. I hiked with one thru that year that got giardia & had to abort his hike & was hiking what he could after his recovery. When we departed ways due to different resupplies his last word to me were, "Thanks for reminding me how to hike civilized again." It's not the miles you hike. It's the memories you make hiking them!

[MuddyWaters]

You probably take lengthy breaks if you are average 1mph.
There is nothing wrong with it.
Enjoy it and HYOH.

Hiking without a schedule to adhere too, is preferable. No rush, no worries.

[Zipper]

When I started my thru (flip flop), I was doing about 1.5 miles per hour in central Virginia. I remember being so excited that I did a 2.5 mph section one morning in the Shenandoahs, about week 4. I mostly hovered around 2 mph. Maine was more like 1 or 1.5. I stopped a lot to pee, look at views, take photos, have snacks, change my layers a zillion times (I refuse to sweat into a layer, but I also get cold fast, so I am regularly adjusting my clothes) and it all worked out. I agree with all the previous posters who note that what works for you is fine. When my husband and I go out for a hike these days, we probably average .5 miles per hour because he stops so often to take wildflower or insect photos. I've learned to just sit and relax and take in the view. I find that really hard to do if I'm going too fast - that's me personally. I like being in the woods to soak in the woods. I don't mind getting up early and hiking late if I need to cover a bunch of miles. And now that I've done the whole AT, my fave thing to do is go out for really short sections where I hike the shortest possible day - no more than 10 miles for sure, and stop a lot to rest, stare at the trees, snack, journal, take photos, etc. That is my kind of hike! Enjoy your pace! :)

[OzJacko]

1mph is 1.6kph.
Sounds better like that.
:)

[forrest!]

Top runners go to great lengths to improve their form, gait, cadence, all in the interest of becoming more efficient. I'm not suggesting you videotape yourself hiking and analyze your walking form like runners do! But you could try increasing your cadence - which means taking shorter steps faster. That often results in an increased speed without more energy expenditure. We all have a gait or hiking form that we have settled into, but that doesn't mean it is the most efficient one or even the most comfortable one. What you wear on your feet has a lot to do with it, as does the balance of your backpack and the amount of weight you are carrying.

Anyway, increasing your cadence is an easy way to experiment with changing your speed.

Swing your arms - this happens naturally if you use hiking poles. Swinging your arms helps your balance and gets you moving quicker.

Also, when the going is easy, speed up! This is obvious, but I see so many people lollygagging in easy sections, and then hear those same people complaining later about not covering the miles they wanted to. Downhill or level - speed up. Easy treadway - speed up. Rocky, rooty, or steep - slow down. Rocky climb - crawl!

[JAK]

Yeah steep upslopes and downslopes really do slow you down a lot. I think the most efficient speed on a flat surface is roughly 6 km/hr for a 6 foot tall person, and perhaps 5 km/hr for a 5 foot tall person. There is an article out there somewhere on the most efficient slope for elevation gain and loss, so there are some non-linearities. Roughly speaking a 10% slope takes twice the energy of a level surface, but a 20% slope takes more than three times as much. I hate perfectly flat surfaces like converted rail beds. A 20km stretch on the Confederation Trail in PEI kicked my ass. Part of it is expectations but I think it also has to do with muscle groups. Anyhow, I use cumulative elevation gain to manage my expections. If I can do 25km per day over a section of 5% cumulative elevation gain, which is sweet escpecially if gentle and rolling and winding, then a section of 15% might only get me 15km/day, and if there are a lot of really tough spots that are really steep with switchbacks or Jacobs ladders and such, that same 15% will knock you back to 10km/day, and yeah some parts I have to work hard to average 1 mph. There are quite a few sections of the Fundy Footpath where you get slowed to 1 km/hr, and the entire 24 km takes about 24 hours of hiking over 3 days. Then there is ground conditions which will slow you down further like puddles, muck, snow, ice, darkness. Extra weight will slow you down fairly linearly to a point, then beyond that like a steep slow it will just kick your ass.

[JAK]

Sorry. Fundy Footpath is 42km or 26 miles, not 24km. It takes about 24 hours of hiking for most people, over 3-4 days. I think the cumulative elevation gain is something like 5km or 5 miles but I'm not sure which. I know from personal experience I like to do it with no more than 240 pounds total weight on my feet, and if my total weight on my feet is under 200 pounds I am comfortable mixing in some trail running on the flat sections. So ideally if my body weight is under 180 pounds I am good to go with a 20 pound pack. If my body weight is 220 pounds, and I want to carry 40 pounds, I will be hitting a lot of walls, and the down slopes will be even more painful after the first day. There is a breaking point. You don't want to go there. Best to do moderate sections until you get the body weight and gear weight in check.

[Pedaling Fool]

I have been clocking my hikes and it seems that with stopping to eat and drink etc.. I am hiking approx 1 MPH, maybe 1.5 MPH tops.

I walk at a brisk pace always and keep breaks down to improve time but I cant seem to break out of the 1 mph zone.

is this slow ? I really try to keep up a good pace, figured it would be better.. mostly hilly rocky terrain by me so its not open paths..


doing 5 to 6 mile hikes in about 5 hours. I stop to eat and I stop to drink and hit the john.

im not looking to break any records I was just wondering where I stood,
The fact that you’re asking makes me believe that this is not just a question of curiosity of where you stand; it probably bothers you a little.

However, that’s OK, it should, there is nothing wrong with pushing yourself, despite what others say. Taking it too easy in life is the leading cause of Decrepit-broke-dick-old-man disease; if you don’t want to push yourself in hiking, then find something to push your limits in, such as cycling, running…

I don’t know how long your breaks are and not totally clear in the area you’re hiking, but I think it’s a safe bet to classify your hiking pace as slow. I’m assuming you’re hiking around the Pawling NY area.

Enjoying life too much is bad for your health.

[Another Kevin]

However, that’s OK, it should, there is nothing wrong with pushing yourself, despite what others say. Taking it too easy in life is the leading cause of Decrepit-broke-dick-old-man disease; if you don’t want to push yourself in hiking, then find something to push your limits in, such as cycling, running...

I don’t know how long your breaks are and not totally clear in the area you’re hiking, but I think it’s a safe bet to classify your hiking pace as slow. I’m assuming you’re hiking around the Pawling NY area.

It depends. If comparing yourself to others is going to make you get discouraged and quit, then don't do it. It's better to get out and enjoy yourself and not get out at all. You might not believe it, competitive soul that you are, but there are some people - me, for instance - for whom competition is a demotivator. And we're drawn to hiking, because it's an athletic pastime that we can do without having constantly to stack up our performance against others.

At this point in my life, I'm never going to be anything but a slow hiker. But at least I'm a hiker. And at the moment, I get more out of pushing myself with bushwhacks, or Class IV scrambles, or snow, or peak-bagging rather than in trying to rack up a certain number for the mileage.

For me, the only reason to get the mileage up would be to avoid carrying as much weight when I do some of the hikes I'd like to do someday. There's one hike that I'd like to go on sometime in the next few years that is about 50 miles, with no resupply opportunities (although there's a crossing of a logging road at about mile 36 where others have managed to arrange a pickup). A modest increase in my usual miles/day could translate to a couple of pounds less of consumables in my pack. That's a stretch that the people in thru-hiker shape can do in three days, while the guidebook says to provision for six. The book recommends a day's reserve to deal with the inevitable washouts, bridge collapses, and beaver activity. It is possible to have to spend an extra day negotiating that section. It's a pretty wild place, and the trail maintenance is also limited by the distance that the trail stewards have to travel, so problems with the trail tend to stick around for a while.

And around Pawling, NY -- well, the A-T through there is pretty easy, but some of the local trails are not easy. Breakneck Ridge south of Beacon is tough, and if he makes it across the river into the Catskills - still only about an hour drive for him - he gets to some seriously nasty trails. I'd put the Devil's Path up there with, oh, say, a New Hampshire section like the Wildcats. It never breaks out above the timberline, but it's got everything else. A typical puzzle from there (click through for a bigger version) is below. The three ladies in blue are coming down by the most plausible route. The genrleman in white is waiting for them. Most hikers were taking at least several minutes to recover their composure after this pitch, which was one amongst many. If you're not used to climbing, the routefinding alone in this sort of terrain can consume a lot of time. Yes, that's a red blaze on the tree at left.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3767/9764802355_0bc472276d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ke9tv/9764802355/)
Rock scramble (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ke9tv/9764802355/) by ke9tv (http://www.flickr.com/people/ke9tv/), on Flickr

Almost immediately above that section there's a nice vertical chute, with a four-inch red disc screwed into the rock to mark the trail.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3706/9764675293_8758ba8ddf_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ke9tv/9764675293/)
Rock chimney (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ke9tv/9764675293/) by ke9tv (http://www.flickr.com/people/ke9tv/), on Flickr

And a claustrophobic boulder crawl that I cannot squeeze through without taking off my backpack:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5544/9764602442_9b313e731c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ke9tv/9764602442/)
Boulder crevice (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ke9tv/9764602442/) by ke9tv (http://www.flickr.com/people/ke9tv/), on Flickr

Anyone who would call this sort of trail, 'easy,' is either lying to make a point, or else has gone entirely mad. So don't assume that pawlinghiker walks only easy trails.

[pawlinghiker]

Agreed. I've already had some pretty steep climbs and decents.

Can't wait to get out this weekend

Happy Thanksgiving

[Prime Time]

Slow is sitting on the couch. Hike at a comfortable pace for you that is a bit challenging to maintain, but not uncomfortable or unsustainable. Hiking should be an aerobic activity but not an anaerobic one. Terrain, and your balance and joint strength will probably dictate your speed until you build up your muscles and joints through repetition. Don't worry about it though, just enjoy the trail!

[ULterEgo]

I found that on a several-day section hike on the AT, including stops for snacks, getting water, checking map or guidebook, chatting with others I met on trail, taking pictures, and actually hiking, I could pretty much count on 1.5 miles per hour of the day on trail. Six hours to go 9 miles, eight hours to go 12 miles, etc. I'm sure my actual hiking pace when walking was more like 2 mph, which is OK. Knowing this does help you plan your day. If you want to go farther, just start earlier and/or end later.

[Del Q]

I am also rather slow when looking at MPH, whatever time I get up and break camp, my goal each day is typically 12 miles. In that I don't cook anymore I can camp anywhere............try to find really cool spots, tops of mountains, etc.

During the day I semi time myself as to where I am on getting to my daily "goal", ie 12 miles or a spot I have pre-selected. (ie Top of a mountain).

I too take many breaks and enjoy them all, especially like taking an hour or so mid-day, socks off, feet elevated, nice long rest break. Eat, hydrate, change socks (unless raining)

Losing body weight and getting my pack down to 30 pounds with food and water has helped a bit. So if I hike for 8 hours and do 12 miles that is 1.5 MPH on average.

Totally agree with hours walked vs speed. I have gone faster before and stopped at 4pm, what to do for 4-5 hours?

Prefer hiking until near dark each night

[Gonecampn]

We average 2 - 2 1/2 miles per hour. It just depends on terrain.

[Siestita]

My typical backpacking rate on the AT is about 1 MPH, and I prefer, if possible, to not cover more than six to eight miles per day. I also take a zero (or near zero) day at least once or twice a week, often doing so out on the trail. I'm having more fun now, and injure myself less frequently, than I did in my younger days, thirty to forty years ago when I covered more mileage.

Everyone varies concerning how quickly she or he can hike, carrying a pack safely and enjoyably for weeks on end. Figure out what your personally preferred rate of travel is and then base your plans on that reality. Thru hiking is not the only way to reach Mount Katahdin or get to many other great places.

[Gray Blazer]

One thing I found out that would get me some mo better mileage is when I hit a long level place with parklike (sidewalk like) tread I try to pick up my pace.