Utah Backpacking: Trip Preparation & Destination Information

If you have access to hiking trails and a schedule to accommodate it begin walking and hiking in hilly/steep terrain. Nothing prepares you for a backpacking trip better than the activity itself!

Try to get out at least 3 days a week. Start with short hikes (1-hour in length) with a light daypack. From week to week build the length and difficulty of your hikes and gradually increase your pack weight until you’re comfortably able to hike 6-8 hours a day carrying the weight you’ll have on your trip (refer to your trip packet for exact pack weight).

It is ideal to begin your training at least 12 weeks prior to your trip. Also, be sure to use the boots you’ll have on your trip to break them in. The following is how a moderate program may look:

• First week of training
   
  • Tuesday: one-hour hike with a daypack
  • Thursday: one-hour hike with a daypack
  • Sunday: 2-hour hike with a daypack

• Two weeks before the trip
   
  • Monday: 3.5-hour hike with a 20-pound pack
  • Wednesday: 2-hour hike with a 20- pound daypack
  • Thursday: 3.5-hour hike with a 20-pound pack
  • Sunday: 7-hour hike with the weight you’ll have on your trip

There are many other activities that are easily incorporated into your daily life to build your overall fitness. Cross-training is also important to strengthen opposing muscle groups and it helps to avoid over-use injuries.

Supplemental training ideas include:

• Climb the stairs at your office, house, park, or neighborhood with a backpack. Stair climbing is a fantastic way to simulate backpacking in hilly or steep terrain.
• Bike to work or when running errands. Bike around town or on country roads outside of your town/city. Cycling is a great way to build endurance and strength in your legs.
• Gym activities include step aerobics, treadmill, bicycling, or elliptical trainers to name a few. A modest weight training program focusing on the muscles that support the ankles, knees, back, and shoulders is also beneficial.
• Swimming is a great way to build endurance and cardiovascular fitness and is easy on the joints.
• Walk to work instead of driving. Run your errands by walking and carrying your groceries home in a backpack.
• Yoga and/or Pilates classes can build strength throughout your body while also improving your flexibility.
• Intramural sports.
• Jogging is another option, however, if you are not a regular runner it can easily lead to injuries that backpacking may then exacerbate. Undertake a jogging routine with care.