I need advice

[wacocelt]

In response to Jack's thread about up-coming Thru's not voicing questions and concerns about our hikes, I've decided to put myself out there and ask a question that has been causing me some amount of concern.

I'm going to be hiking with my best friend, whom also happens to be my lovely wife, this year. I need advice on how to slow down. When I started the trail earlier this year I intended to go nice and slow and started off Springer doing 15 mile days, which I won't, nor want, to be able to do when Tripp joins me.

I guess what I'm asking for is advice on how to appease the mile monster inside of me with a more leisurely hiking style. I emailed myself the list of things Jack 'wishes' he had done on his previous hikes and plan to print that out, if not commit it to memory. I look forward to seeing what you folks come up with. Thanks!

Christopher 'Alpha 05'

[TDale]

Carry all her gear.

[The Gnome]

No need to worry.
If you do happen to leave her in your dust, you will get such a ear full when she catches up, that you will NEVER do it again!

The Frau and I often take short hikes together and we share the burden. I carry the pack with food and thermarest and she carries a water bottle. That keeps us at about the same pace. She also decides when its time to head back to civilization.

G

[Spirit Walker]

A hike with a partner or a group is a different kind of hike than a solo hike. It can be better or worse, but above all, it is different. Keep that in mind. I've gone on group trips where we only hiked six miles a day - I had a great time, because I stopped thinking that I "should" be doing more miles and just relaxed and enjoyed the situation as it was. I learned a long time ago, I have nothing to prove to anyone. I don't have to be fast, I don't have to be strong, I just have to finish. As a female thruhiker it was sometimes frustrating to me that although I was as strong as I'd ever been, I could still be outhiked by 60 year old men and the 20 year olds just zipped by me. After a while I stopped letting it get to me and just kept on trucking. Slow and steady will get you there eventually, and sometimes much faster than those who race through a section, then spend three days in town.

Remember - you have plenty of time to get to Katahdin. I left April 1, averaged 12 miles a day, and finished in mid-September. I had a month to spare. So don't worry that you aren't going to make it, you will -- that is, if you take your time and allow yourselves time to get your hiking legs. Keep in mind that your marriage is more important than your thruhike. If it's gone, you can never get it back -- the trail will always be there. A thruhike is six months; hopefully your marriage will be forever.

Try to keep in mind why you are hiking. If you are out there because you love hiking, you love the simple thruhiker life, you love being surrounded by natural beauty, you love the community of thruhikers, you love camping and living in nature -- the longer you are out there the more of that life you will get to enjoy. Last one to Katahdin wins.

[SGT Rock]

You may get to the point where you don't feel you have to walk with each other ever minute of the day, some alone time might be nice for the both of you during the day. Just plan the meeting up points and then you can hike like a speed demon to those spots.

[Jaybird]

try it....its NOT THAT PAINFUL!

SLOWING DOWN, that is...

but, let me tell u....if i EVER left my wife in the dust while out in the woods, on the trail or whereever.....i can bet i'd get BOTH EARS FULL, when we met back up! :D

[rickb]

As a recovering thru hiker, I had the same problem after I met my hiking partner/wife.

When we make camp, I do things that would be impossible after a 15 mile day. Like read a book. Take off with my binoculars after a singing bird. Hang an effective bear bag even if there is no need to. Take pictures. I look forward to all of that. When you are 15 miles tired, none of that is possible.

For us, it also helps that we don't feel a need to walk close together all the time. When one of us gets ahead, there is a sort of unspoken understanding that me or her will wait at the next juction or summit. Neither one of us feels a need to keep up or slow down our natural walking gate, though we will as mood dictates.

Wacocelt, I am jealous of all this year's hikers, but of you in particular! Have a great trip!

Rick B

[java]

Have her walk in front of you. It worked for us. And it kept Jeopardy from getting injured, because I'm sure he would have if he had hiked at the breakneck pace he wanted to. Besides, he was always worried about me getting hurt if he left me, not that it would have happened, but I think it's his paternal side showing. Once she's in top trail-shape, I'm sure she'll be able to keep up with you.

[chris]

Think about not walking lock-step. Simply agree that one will wait for the other at, say, road crossing, trail junctions, or shelter along the way (even if you are not staying at them). You will get less strung out along the trail if you do this frequently, and you won't feel like you are being hemmed in by someone else.

I would try something else, as well. Bring a field guide, and use it. Say, birds or plants or mushrooms. Spend parts of your day with the guide and part hiking. Or, bring something else that you want to study, and do so during the day. For example, Buddhism. Or Christianity. Or Art History (the books might be a little large). The key is to find something you like, and spend part of the day doing it in addition to hiking.

[PROFILE]

Almanac and I, unlike most, hike togather all day. I learned to slow my pace and now it feels normal. She got faster and we keep up a good pace. My advice is if you hike togather is not to hike to close. You do not want to "push" them to walk outside there pace whcih causes problems both physical and mental. So hang back 6-10 feet min.

Outside of what we do, What I have seen work is in the morning the slower hiker will leave camp while the faster person finishes cleaning camp. (ie wash the pots from breakfast, pack up the tent) You want them to have about a 30 min to an hour lead. If they are that far ahead it is usally around lunch by the time you catch up. Then you hike togather for the rest of the day.

I found I never wanted to hike ahead of Almanac. I worry to much about what is going on behind me.

[Footslogger]

My experience is more akin to Rick B's. The wife and I hike at different paces (mine being faster) and react differently to stimuli along the trail. As a result, we generally start out together but somewhere along the line during the day we drift apart on the trail. If I feel as if I'm getting too far ahead I stop and wait for her to catch up. If I hit a road crossing or major change in trail direction I sit and wait for her.

Everyone is different but we actually like having that freedom to be together and yet apart on the trail at times. I remember one time in particular during my thru-hike in 2003. My wife had joined me for a month in Virginia. After about a week she developed blisters and had had to slow down. One day I had gotten quite a bit ahead of her and decided to just sit on a log and wait until she caught up. As she approached and saw me sitting down she asked if I was tired, to which I replied NO ...just giving you a chance to narrow the gap between us. She looked at me and said ..."Babe, today is one of those days when I just want to be alone with my pain". I stood up and took off hiking, not seeing her again for several hours.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[peter_pan]

Happy Wife...Happy Life.

Find a pace that makes her happy and enjoy the hike and great company of a happy wife.

Lightening her pack will also go a long way to keeping her happy...putting the excess weigt in your pack will go a long way to slowing you down.

She may like the idea of you moving out in the last 2 miles of the day if you greet her at the agreed stop with coffee, tea, hot chocolate or a libation of her preference.

Happy Wife....Happy Life

[gravityman]

We hike together all day, every day. I get worried if I don't know where she is. I'm a worrier. I hike behind her most days, but not far.

We found that if we make our packweight equal a percentage of our body weight (each of us 16% for our loads) we hike fairly even paced uphill.

I can't imagine hiking without my wife. When I do, I usually push myself too far, too fast and end up not having a good time. When I am with her, I tend to enjoy the hike a lot more!

Enjoy! We'll see you out there!

Gravity and Dangerpea
GA-WV '01
GA-ME '05

[DangerPea]

Peter Pan--

I like your philosophy: happy wife does equal happy life... I think gravity would attest to that.

One thing what we are trying is carrying the same percentage of body weight in our packs. We are both at 16%. Since we have a pretty big differential in body weight, this had Gravity carrying about 8 lbs more than me. We have found that with him carrying more weight we are comfortable at the same pace. We really enjoy hiking all day together. There are times when we like hiking apart, but for us one of the great things about thruhiking is being able to spend so much time together. I mean, we did get married because we enjoy each other's company, right??
Of course, I don't think that the mileage monster can really be sleign completely. So, there are times when we agree to do big days & do them. Sometimes Gravity will walk ahead and I will be happy as a clam walking along in my own little world... But usually we hike together & the weight differential makes it comfortable for both of us to follow the same pace.

[gravityman]

We didn't even plan that simul-post!

Gravity

[wacocelt]

I am very pleased and also humbled by the amount of feedback I've recieved so quickly, thank you all sincerely.

Tripp and I hike do together for the most part, with her leading and setting the pace and me following ten or twenty feet behind, though sometimes we hike seperately to have our moments of solitude. Hiking at her pace is quite comfortable for me, I guess I'm just feeling a bit 'March Hare'ish'.

I intend to carry the lions share of our camping equiptment, food and fuel, allowing her to carry only her sleeping bag, clothes and comfort items. Though what I intend will rely wholley upon what she allows me to carry, considering she has completed a Thru-Hike and I haven't.

I'm going to be putting my GoLite Breeze in the closet for this hike and will be looking for an internal frame pack wich will comfortably carry 35 to 40lbs, the Osprey Aether looks promising, any sugestions?

Also since I'll be spending alot more time in camp than I'm use to, as well as allowing for more weight, perhaps you folks could point me in the direction of some good comfort items. Honestly, other than books, all that comes to mind at the moment is a camp chair, my imagination is failing me.

I look forward to hearing what some of you folks use to make camp less of a spartan experience!

[TDale]

Yes it's 27 ounces. It also becomes the focal point of a shared campsite:

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...=634314-668820

[wacocelt]

TDale, I'm glad I wasn't drinking/eating anything when I opened that link or it would have been all over the monitor. Interesting, I might consider it!

[gravityman]

A book is really essential. I like it at all times! I would carry this even if I was alone. We also have mp3 players with fm radios. On our thru attempt we picked up a small portable radio that had an external speaker. Heavier, but it was nice when we were camping on our own (which you will find you will do a lot more of as a couple). Extra food is also important, as you will find yourself snacking more.

As a pack, we carry the GG vaportrail, but only up to 30 lbs. Then I would look at the Ozone. The Aether is also a nice pack, and we bought that one on our thru attempt in '01, but the Ozone looks more interesting now...

Gravity

[TDale]

waco, they're great. Get a little candlelight dinner goin', a little vino, next thing you know....


You're really wishing you weren't two days away from town and a shower!