Catch Phrase: 10 by 10

[Gambit McCrae]

I will be starting a series of threads to promote activity. The first I wanted to share a lot of you may already know of, try to adhere to or have not hear about it.

"10 by 10"

- I used this phrase for a lot of my first 25% of my AT completion. For me it meant being up BEFORE the sun was coming up, and on trail as the sky is getting light, or preferably a little before and getting in 10 miles before 10 am. For many people this opens up time for a mid day siesta, but for me it always meant about 5 extra miles onto my already 20 mile day. I have found in later years that I prefer to sleep in on trail and would rather hike past dark if needing to get those extra 5 miles in....but I also really do enjoy a pre sunrise start time on trail, its as brilliant as a sunrise to hear the woods come alive for the day. Only in y recent stints on the CDT have a re adopted the phrase, and boy is it a life saver out there.

So what does 10 by 10 mean to you?

[Slugg]

I have rarely been able to hit 10 miles by 10 AM, but I’ve never hiked for more than 15 days in a row. I suspect if I hiked for longer than that I would be able to consistently.

I typically aim for 10 miles by 12 PM instead. I aim for 20-23 miles per day so if I can hit 10 by noon, I typically break for lunch around 1 and I’ve covered over half of my daily mileage. Don’t like to take lunch when I’m under half my mileage goal for the day.

[HankIV]

It means just what you say to me. My best bit of dimensional lumber was a 15 x 12. Rewarded myself with a mile or so off trail to South Mountain Creamery. Still did 31 on trail miles that day, albeit pretty easy ones.

[Captain Blue]

In the 1980's the term "12 by 12" was popular.

[LoneStranger]

Ten by ten and five after five means you can nap with your feet in a creek over a four hour lunch siesta and still make a twenty mile day. That's what it means to me

[peakbagger]

This discussion should be limited south of the Whites and Maine

[garlic08]

I first heard it on the PCT, my first long hike, and 12 x 12 was what I heard, and often repeat to new hikers.

My second long hike was the CDT, and my partner and I once hiked a 20 x 12. That was on ideal terrain, in Montana near the summer solstice, when the sun is up at oh-God-thirty.

[Gambit McCrae]

This discussion should be limited south of the Whites and Maine

Peak you are so true lol

[LazyLightning]

lol at 10 miles by 10. I do exactly as you said if not earlier on every backpacking trip... packing up in the dark and hitting the trail right at the crack of dawn or even with the head lamp for a few. However, I don't do this to push miles, hell I might take 5 breaks by 10! I just think it's the nicest time to be out and I love starting the day early. I never did a 20 mile day and only a few over 18 on my entire thru hike.

[Seatbelt]

What does 10x10 mean to me? It means somebody must really be in a big hurry, running behind and trying to catch up for lost time, etc. No, really I admire you youngin's who can do that, but for me I have slowed down and found out that I really enjoy it. I also do enjoy the early morning hiking as well as the late evening.

[Nanatuk]

I'm a morning person and getting up and going at dawn has always been my practice. I also like to take an hour for lunch and quit early for the day, 4:30, 5:00 stop for dinner, maybe walk another mile or two then setup camp, do my chores and in my tent by 7:00.

Not always successful at doing 10 by 10 nor is it always possible or necessary but I like to get my miles in early.

[illabelle]

I'm good if I get 10 miles in by the end of the day. We've done 20 miles exactly once, and it was hard. We've done some teens, and 12 isn't out of range, but it ain't happening by 10 am, or even by noon!
Feet get hot and sore. Pack gets heavy. Face and body get sweaty.
Plus we like to eat a hot breakfast, so that means cooking, and cleaning up, and digging a hole, and refilling the water bottles.

Thank, Gambit (and others) for confirming what an underachiever I am!

[Slow Trek]

Well,on a nero,it means ten beers and still in bed by ten PM so we can get back on the trail in time for another day of fun...

[Miner]

I first heard this phrase while hiking the PCT in 2009. It was used in the context that if you wanted to hike a 30 mile day during daylight hours, you had to have the first 10 miles done by 10am. And yes, it is possible for many hikers to eventually do 30 miles in a day on many parts of the PCT, especially in Oregon. Just because it was possible, didn't mean that everyone wanted to. I never did and usually stopped after 27 miles max, even if I was finishing a little early in the day.

[LazyLightning]

I figured out what it means to me... it's 10 miles x 10 hours on trail