Fastpacking: The perfect mix of running, hiking and nature
Posted May 5th, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Amanda Black
Section: Running & Training, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise
Have you ever wanted to fuse the beauty and surroundings of a hike with the face pace of a run? Well, if you did - then your in luck - because that’s exactly what the newest craze, called “fastpacking”, is all about.
Fastpacking is about taking as little gear as possible so you can travel greater distances in the wilderness unhampered. And what gear you do take with you should be necessary camping gear: (sleeping bag and tarp), food, cooking utensils, water, and everything should be durable and light. The total weight of your pack should be around twenty pounds or what you can comfortably run with for a long period of time.
I’m sure your wondering what you should wear. For one, you need trekking shoes that are terrain appropriate (trail running shoes, etc.) for the hike you’ve chosen, and you should wear similar socks to the ones your wearing on your hike when try them on. If you’re hiking on easy terrain you have more of a selection: low or high cut hiking shoes or mountaineering shoes. If you’re hiking on more rugged terrain you should have shoes that go around the ankles for better support.
The soles of the shoe should also be more rigid for better protection. For higher mountain hikes, trekking shoes are the best bet since they’re sturdier. Also, if you plan on going to a hotter area you might not want shoes that have breath-ability. However, this is a personal choice because wet shoes the next morning might be just as bad as sweaty feet…
Your clothing should be wind resistant, waterproof, durable, comfortable, and breathable. The best bet is to choose a synthetic fiber since it dries fast, is durable, transports humidity, and is watertight. For a more comfortable trip you should also layer, so you can adjust to different weather and temperatures along the way. A good motto should be “less is more,” when it comes to dress. There should be changes of socks and underwear, but synthetic fibers wash and dry easily, so you don’t need to bring a change of pants, shirts, jacket, etc. One set of these should suffice.
There’re some other tips on how to make your trip lighter. Like, bringing a water filter or degermination drops so you don’t have to carry a large jug of water with you. A gallon of water would probably be one of the heaviest things in your pack. Also, you can either use a tent or tarp for rain protection, but tarps are often made of lighter material. A tarp-tent is a good compromise for those who like the comfort of the tent but still want protection against mosquitoes.
If fastpacking sounds interesting you can check out http://www.golite.com/, where they sell a variety of light weight hiking equipment.
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Tags: backpack, backpacking, fastpacking, gear, hiking, hiking boots, mountain hike, nature, outdoors, trail shoes, trekking, trekking shoes
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The Final Sprint
Great overview of fastpacking! I stumbled across your article and found a picture of myself staring back at me:) This picture was taken during a trip my wife and I took to the Adirondacks in N.Y. after running to the top of Mt Marcy.
Will also give a plug here for the best trail running/fastpacking shoes on the market…La Sportiva.
Check out www.sportiva.com
If you haven’t tried it, get out there and give fastpacking a try!
All the best,
June 7th, 2007 at 3:03 pmDerrick