When does it start to suck?!??

eamyrick

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I’ve been doing pre season training hikes with 40-65lbs. Yesterday I did 80lb for 9 miles. Usually I forget I’m carrying something sub 50lbs and 65lb isn’t bad but I was fully aware the entire hike with 80lb. I’ve read tons online and listened to countless podcasts regarding packing weight but trying to get a feel for what weight/miles/elevation just sucks no matter what. I could also tell that the 35% or so on my shoulders started to suck which I attribute to the limitations of a 4lb pack. I consider myself to be well above average in fitness and wonder who is even capable of carrying 90lbs+ over uneven terrain for many miles.

What are your thoughts? Am I missing something? I also question whether or not it even matters that much as the most I’d be carrying out that type of weight is taking an animal back to the truck which shouldn’t be much over 5-6 miles.
 
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muddydogs

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Spent years carrying 90+ pound work pack over crappy terrain, carried that much weight for 3 month crawling around the nasty blow down in Yellowstone Park 20 years ago. Can't do that kind of stuff anymore but I know 50 some young people that are doing it this summer most every day, probably isn't 90 pounds anymore with all the light top of the line gear we supply but pack weight is still heavier then a normal camping pack because for all the light gear we provide they still have to carry quite a few pounds of steel mensuration gear and electronics to get the job done.
 

Decker9

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I’ve been doing pre season training hikes with 40-65lbs. Yesterday I did 80lb for 9 miles. Usually I forget I’m carry something sub 50lbs and 65lb isn’t bad but I was fully aware the entire hike with 80lb. I’ve read tons online and listened to countless podcasts regarding packing weight but trying to get a feel for what weight/miles/elevation just sucks no matter what. I could also tell that the 35% or so on my shoulders started to suck which I attribute to the limitations of a 4lb pack. I consider myself to be well above average in fitness and wonder who is even capable of carrying 90lbs+ over uneven terrain for many miles.

What are your thoughts? Am I missing something? I also question whether or not it even matters that much as the most I’d be carrying out that type of weight is taking an animal back to the truck which shouldn’t be much over 5-6 miles.

A lot like you, 50’ish lbs is quiet easily manageable, and a guy gets use to it. Last season on a solo sheep hunt, i had 110lbs in my bag for just over 10kms, then my dogs 17 lb pack on top of mine for the last 2kms of trail and creek crossings. I certainly felt that pack out for a few days. I couldn’t imagine doing it if I weren’t use to the 50lb packs.
 

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brsnow

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When it is dark and slippery is difficult. When it happens at the end of a long day. I don’t think balanced weight is difficult. Unbalanced weight is a different story. When I would backcountry hike with my daughters in packs, when they fell asleep the weight dynamics changed. Meat is like that
 
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I don’t even attempt heavy pack outs anymore, and if I’m solo, my pack outs are even lighter. If l have a hunting partner, I might carry as much as 80-85 lbs over long distance, if solo, my max is around 65-70 lbs. Now at over 50 years old, the risk for injury is just too great IMO. I’d rather just take my time, carry lighter loads, and make multiple trips. If at all possible, I plan on doing this for another 20 years or so, and I think that avoiding injury is going to be my best strategy for accomplishing that goal.


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eamyrick

eamyrick

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I don’t even attempt heavy pack outs anymore, and if I’m solo, my pack outs are even lighter. If l have a hunting partner, I might carry as much as 80-85 lbs over long distance, if solo, my max is around 65-70 lbs. Now at over 50 years old, the risk for injury is just too great IMO. I’d rather just take my time, carry lighter loads, and make multiple trips. If at all possible, I plan on doing this for another 20 years or so, and I think that avoiding injury is going to be my best strategy for accomplishing that goal.


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That sounds incredibly reasonable and my train of thought compared to all of these 125lb packouts i hear about. Really doesn’t have as much to do with fitness as risk of injury.
 

scp

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I’ve carried packs and protective kit for my profession throughout my adult life. While I’m physically able to hump total loads in the ballpark of 100lbs I’ll never do it. Prolonging your skeleton and joints to such stress takes a toll, and I feel it every morning at the ripe young age of 43. My hunting pack is on my back at least three days a week, but I limit weight to 60lbs. I’ll go to slightly higher weight to pack out meat, but I’ll never push myself to overload my pack in the hopes of making it out in one trip. For the sake of longer term health I’m happy going with lower weight and making multiple trips. Doing so also allows for more time in the woods!
 

5MilesBack

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There's a reason why I don't train with a heavy pack like some do, because it all sucks. But it's a lot more rewarding when the adrenaline is still flowing from putting that big bull on the ground. Throwing on a heavy pack and hiking miles "for the heck of it"........is not in my future, nor my past.

And when packing meat, I don't think I've ever decided on how much to carry by weight alone. I'm always dividing it all up to minimize the number of trips. Sucking through 2-3 loads is preferable to sucking through 4 or 5 loads IMO......but that's me.
 

ChrisAU

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I’ve been doing pre season training hikes with 40-65lbs. Yesterday I did 80lb for 9 miles. Usually I forget I’m carrying something sub 50lbs and 65lb isn’t bad but I was fully aware the entire hike with 80lb. I’ve read tons online and listened to countless podcasts regarding packing weight but trying to get a feel for what weight/miles/elevation just sucks no matter what. I could also tell that the 35% or so on my shoulders started to suck which I attribute to the limitations of a 4lb pack. I consider myself to be well above average in fitness and wonder who is even capable of carrying 90lbs+ over uneven terrain for many miles.

What are your thoughts? Am I missing something? I also question whether or not it even matters that much as the most I’d be carrying out that type of weight is taking an animal back to the truck which shouldn’t be much over 5-6 miles.

What pack are you using?
 
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Good advise here. Most hunters should never go above 40% of body weight for long distance. A couple days of it should be no problem if they do it right and train occasionally.

The few who can, Nepalese sherpas. They carry on average 90% of their weight and sometimes up to 200%. Injuries are pretty rare. Why.. they’ve been doing it since childhood...it’s possible but their bodies have adapted and they know how to do it.

Build up and maintain. Increase distance not load. When and if you have to do a meat pack out, especially for you lower altitude folks, slow down, increase calorie intake, water, and breaks. The adrenaline will trick you into thinking you’re fine so force yourself to do these things because you don’t want to get back to the truck and not be able to do it all over the next day.




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eamyrick

eamyrick

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What pack are you using?

My intent of the thread was not to go down the rabbit hole of pack preference but more to highlight that for 99% of guys 80+ pounds is gonna suck no matter what. At 65lbs the pack isn’t as important as fitness/acclimation. I do think the higher end packs probably feel better with heavy heavy weight but it’s not some magic recipe but more padding.
 

RockinU

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Elevation gain changes the suck weight for sure. 80 lbs sucks on flat ground, 65 sucks on bleachers or steep ground. You're in Central Texas, take 65 lbs for a long hike in Balcones Canyonlands, or somewhere with a lot of elevation change...the suck is going to come. But the suck is part of it, and part of it I've come to enjoy, maybe not in the moment, but getting back to the truck, and looking at your buddy with a smile, and saying "dude, that sucked!". It's worth it.
 

KurtR

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111117

So here is a whole mule deer bone in with cape and head loaded on pack. I heard stories about how much guys carry in the mountains and thought hell i am just in the prairie i have been training all year with 60 lbs and just got back from idaho. It had to be well north of 100 because i tried that once to see what it felt like. So i laid down got that thing strapped up and went to stand. I about shit my pants then almost fell down the creek and broke a treking pole. went full abort laid down and took it off as i was just about to be as dead as the deer. I sat there and thought either i am a big pussy or some of these guys were doing a little exaggerating . I split the load in half made the couple mile trek back and forth and lived to tell the story. I am glad i learned here and not up on a steep ass mountain with elk quarters. I am firmly in the group make more manageable trips than one death defying haul. I would put the pack at 65 ish each trip and it wasnt bad going up and down the hills. Hit that 80 mark and the suck goes up really fast.
 

RockChucker30

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I think most packouts suck. They're supposed to suck. If they didn't suck then backpack hunting wouldn't be an elite sport...a sport that's "too much" for most people. The suck is why I like it.

To more directly answer your question,

(Weight + Distance + Gain + Terrain Nastiness) = Suck
 
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