Pack weight for training

[ndbwhunter]

What does everyone use to add weight to your packs when training? I know a lot of guys use their gear, but what are some other good options? I am also having a tough time getting my pack adjusted properly. I'm pretty sure I'll have to get different stays, but having a big chest and shoulders seems like it's making it more difficult to get everything adjusted.

 

[Browtine]

50# sack of play sand wrapped in duct tape.

 

[tipsntails7]

30 pound bag of dog food with 10-20 pounds of gear for most of the year. June, July and August I'll mix In a 70 pound bag of sand with the same gear In it. Taper it back down to 30 ish pounds beginning In September.

 

[jmez]

50# bag of salt
45# olympic style plate
20# bag of Kingsford

 

[robtattoo]

50lb sack of dogfood + 2 3l bladders of water gets me to around 65lb total.

 

[mt100gr.]

60 lbs sand bag, 1 ten pound plate, one 5 pound plate, plus frame, pack bag and water get me to 85 pounds. I use sand and have metered out 30, 40 and 60 pound bags. Then I use weight plates to dial it to the weight I want. For the smaller plates, I use NRS tie down straps and attach the weights directly to the sand bag and snug them down as tight as I can get them. Then I bundle it all up in the pack and get it sucked up as tight as I can.

 

[Ironman8]

(2) 50 lb bags of play sand that I broke up into (2) 10 lb bags, (1) 30lb bag, and left the remaining 50 lb bag whole. Duct tape for strength and prevent spilling. With this system I can have any weight in 10 lb increments from 10-100 lbs (give or take a pound or so) not including pack weight or anything else I bring like water. Total cost is something like $10-15.

 

[cwh]

I bought a 60 or 65lb bag of gravel at lowes, then threw regular gear on top of that. It was under $5, and when I was tired of looking at it, I dumped the gravel in the driveway.

 

[PintsOfCraft]

Roll the weight between 20 and 80lb - more importantly, carry something awkward while you ruck. Elevates the suck factor.

 

[1blacktail]

A 3120 with a 64 inch bar and my bucking saw with a 42 on it along with 3 gallons of gas 1.5 gallons of oil one pump and two rams in the steepest bluffs in oregon oh ya a gallon of water for 6 hours straight. Get some

 

[7mag.]

I use a wide variety of items and weights for training. I feel the more experience I get with different size and weights in my pack, it will not only help me to get used to various loads, but help me learn to pack my pack better.

 

[Buster]

Don't ruin your knees. Pack water up, but dump it for the hike down.

 

[AK Troutbum]

^^^^^^ I strongly agree with this.

 

[kodiakfly]

I pack all water in bladders. You can easily get up to 40lbs and you can dump it if you need to and not have to leave anything anywhere. And you just have to store empty bladders in your garage when you're not using them.

 

[mrbillbrown]

40# & 20# sacks of kitty litter.

 

[afteamroper]

I use sand in different sized dry bags. Two birds one stone I can dump the sand out in the fall and have dry bags for hunting season.

 

[justinspicher]

I like to carry what I plan on using on a hunt and some where along the way I pick up large rocks and add them to the mix.

 

[HockeyDad]

Bag of water softener salt. Works good and doesn't kill the knees all summer long.

 

[Liv2Hunt]

50lb bag of dog food. I do like the water bladder idea though.

 

[Poser]

I have a couple of taped up sand bags -different weights between 35 and 50 lbs and I used them in different combinations. If I'm just going to a 3-4 mile walk around my neighborhood, I'll often load up 80, 90, 100+ pounds.