[Big philly]

Well just got back from arizona, And I have to say, what a great place to live. Went to a couple ranges, couple stores and put a bid on a house out there. I noticed That about 30 people i came into contact with were open carrying. AWESOME! But back to Physical conditioning, I am 6'4" inches tall I weight 360. I bench 340 I leg press 850. Im in good shape. So I thought, I went to Tempe, Arizona State University and they have a huge mountain I dont know the elivation but I know it was a 20-50 degree incline. i dont know exact but it falls within those degrees. I know its abouve 1000 and below 3500 ft elivation. I decided to walk this. Its the one by the statium with the big ASU on it. I walked the whole thing up to the A. It took me 30 minutes and I was dyin. Was wearing shorts, a teeshirt and I had 3 bottles of water a cell and my boots. thats all. Now Can you imagine theres a big shutdown, your vehicles are down, or theres mountains in the way. you cant pass but on foot. Are you physicaly able to carry 100 pound pack, a rifle and whaterver else your gonna carry? I thought I could untill I did it with nothing. plus it was 108F. I think I lost a gallon of water. walking up the thing. Not only that but I heard a rattle snake and theres signs all over the trail with warnings.... I didnt see it but I heard it and that was enough for me. I walked back down and said, man I did that, but then I was like that almost kiled me. and then what if you have to fight. can u shoot? my chest and heart were beating and pumping so fast to get air. I tell yea I think maybe I could shoot maybe 2 acurate shots. SO the point of this rant besides telling you I humped a mountain, is We as a nation need to get into better shape. It was alife changing moment went I was up there. AWESOME. We need to be in great shape to "fight another day". Oh Arizonas ammo prices are about 2 dollars more than illinois just an FYI

 

[v3rs3]

Not to be a downer, but 6'4" and 360 doesn't sounds like good shape.

 

[paramilusmc]

I see you must go to the gym to be able to tell us what kind of weight you put up. But your shape is more than lifting weights. It actually is only one part of three that you have to excell in to be in top shape.

Strength:http://www.thefreedictionary.com/strength this is your weight training.

Agility:http://www.thefreedictionary.com/agility the ability to rapidly change direction during physical activity. This can be accomplished by doing allot of football camp like training with fast changes in direction.

Endurance:http://www.thefreedictionary.com/endurance long distance runs and moderate but steady pace. I cover this with long (three miles) plus runs and bike rides. Making sure to keep my heart rate in the vicinity of 50%-80%.

Cover all three and your in shape.

 

[azb]

Lots of folks think they're in shape. Lots of folk think they need a lot of crap and carrying a 100 lb pack is easy.

Do it and find out. It's the only way to know for sure. Just keep in mind that extremes of elevation, weather, and your pack weight can make it very hard, even if you're in shape.

Good for you for doing it and finding out.

Now get out there and do it again!

Az

 

[Cragar]

I wouldn't have a 100 lb pack to begin with. Climbing mountains is a whole nother beast in it's own right anyway. I run 3 miles a day and some mountains are hard for me to climb. I can do 14ers in Colorado with out many problems, but climbing is all about pacing yourself. And many other factors come into play. Not just the elevation of the climb (total elevation gained) but the elevation of the base and the summit.

Coming from Texas we are at 634 ft. I took a friend out a few years back who had never climbed a 14er and I tried to coach him through it. I don't have many altitude problems at all, never have; my main problem is I'm not hungry and have to force myself to eat. I laid out a plan for us to help him acclimate: climb to the 11,000 ft camp site, set up camp and spend the night. Next morning load our day packs, hike back down to 5,000, scout around, take pictures and spend the day at 5,000, then climb back to the camp site at 11,000. Then up to 12,000 the next day, have lunch, take pics, scout the route for the summit the next day, then back down to 11,000 to spend the night; up at 8 and summit by 12, back to camp to spend a very tired day; pack up and back down to 5,000 and the ride home at 8 am the next morning. He thought it was over kill, and that he didn't need it. We came out of camp the next morning after setting up camp the night before, had lunch with the marmots at 12,000; almost 3,000 feet left to climb for the summit. I'm getting worried, we are running way behind. We got to about 12,500 and he was so dizzy he couldn't walk. Started throwing up and I practically had to carry him back to camp at 11,000. If he didn't out weigh me by 100lbs I would have carried him lower. Dizziness is usually a sign of acute cerebral edema (sp). I was seriously thinking I was going to have to have him lifted out. He went to bed and didn't wake up till 8 am the following morning after crashing out at 2pm the day before. I asked him if he wanted to try to acclimate, but by then he was too far gone and we packed up and hiked down to 5,000 and left the mountain 3 days before we were supposed to with out a summit. I was ****ed, but I hoped he learned from his experience and understood climbing a mountain, even a small 14er isn't childs play. I haven't taken him climbing since. Hell he hasn't even asked to go. Think he'll stay in the lowers where he is closer to the ocean level. LOL.

Sorry so long, but had to share the story.

 

[Big philly]

For weight lifting im in great shape. I have the "2nd place 450 pound dead lift plaque" to prove it.. for running and climbing mountains im in horrible shape. I am saying for my size i am proud of my self for beable to finish the damn thing. my brother is 170. runs 4 miles a day and lifts and he was having a hell of a time to. the point of this is Go out and train. i now have to work on cardio. for my size im agile but not to the same degree as my brother. but we still went up and we still went down. just doin it was awsome. No you probebly wont but thats why were all sittin on this computer and the real ones are out doin it.

 

[leaftye]

Early this morning I just came back home after spending a few months in the mountains doing trail work. I was near or above 10,000 feet the entire time. Let me tell you, being able to do what you want is not just about the shape you're in. Yes, it does make a BIG difference, but carefully choosing what you carry makes a huge difference as well. Paring down your list of items to the essentials, and then carefully refining those essentials so that it weighs as little as possible will allow you to perform more efficiently.

Somewhat unrelated, yesterday I certainly appreciated being in better shape after all these months in the mountains. We had had our gear packed in by mules, but unfortunately they were not going to pack our stuff out...long story behind that. I ended up taking my normal lightweight backpacking gear, but also a 23 pound tent, 7 books, a big camera, the biggest bear canister made halfway loaded and various other items that added up to nearly 80 pounds. For some dumb reason I decided not to eat anything that day, and had to lug my gear with the tent in my hands up over a pass (~11k ft) and 7 miles out to the trailhead. It took roughly 3 hours. Man, a few months ago that hike would have killed me with half the load and a good breakfast. I hope to NEVER do a hike like that again, but it's comforting to know that I can.

My post isn't very helpful as the obvious solutions are to get in better shape and carry less weight on your back AND your body.

 

[Buffy]

I hike regularly. My pack weighs about 20 pounds. I'm trying to increase endurance with progressively more difficult hikes. I'm getting there but if I have to leave home with more stuff, one or more of my horses is going to be carrying packs. There's no way I could carry 100 pounds and get very far.

 

[Old Spook]

To Buffy

Good for you! You might want to add a couple of pounds to your pack and re-do the trails you've already covered. See if you're on the right track.

Personally, if I can't drive there, I'm a goner, LOL

 

[Daelith]

3 days rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon with a 40 lb sack @ 95 degrees kicked my rear. My bug-out is 30ish and at least once a month I get out hiking in the hills with it for +/- 10 miles. I'm getting ready to add weight to simulate a full bug-out load with ammo, firearm, and tent (add another 10 pounds), and up it to twice a month. It opens your eyes real quick to what's necessary vs. what's fluff (but 10x as heavy). Also lets you know what you need to work on physically.

 

[Buffy]

Speaking of hiking. I use a pair of hiking poles. They really take a lot of the strain off of the hip and knee joints, while adding a little upper body workout. The cool thing about them though, is the increased speed. Its like moving as though you have four feet.

 

[RecordOLW]

I carry a good bit while elk hunting, let alone packing out a quartered elk. A good balance of strength and endurance is necessary. Strong lungs (non smoker) at high altitude help too!

 

[Big philly]

I will redo the whole thing. i can do it. it was awesome. i also said
"I Was wearing shorts, a teeshirt and I had 3 bottles of water a cell and my boots. thats all." thats all i said. I also said could you imagine doing it with a 100 pound pack. It wasnt easy. it was hard. i did it. gave me a new outlook at life.

 

[thenagantghost]

Carrying a pack does get hard rather quickly. Especially when you are in extreme heat. Even harder when water is hard to find. I just recently found out i am not in as good of shape as i would like to be. I was only carrying a 20lbs pack in 101 degree heat (108 index), 70% humidity, up and down hill constantly. I had just under a gallon of water and was planning on refilling out in the field. I ran out and I must have crossed ten creeks and every one of them was bone dry. Couldnt even dig water out of them if i tried all day and it rained the night before. People that think they are going to be carrying a 100lbs pack and a rifle, then make it any distance are either in super good shape, crazy, or have never attempted it. The best thing to do is get out there and see what you can do and work on it. There aint nothin to it but to do it. A little "dirt time" goes along way. Especially if you want to know what you can realistically do and figure out what you need to work on. :thumb:

 

[Braddooooooock!]

The skinny fit guy always wins in the mountains. Nothing matters except endurance and altitude tolerance. And pacing is where you control both.

 

[MonsterMash]

Looks like you have "big guy-itis." : Don't worry, I have it too.

I'm fighting heat exhaustion right now cause I caught a case of the dumbass. Tried to do cardio in 110 degree weather and didn't realize how dehydrated I got. I'm 6'4, 285 and lift weights myself. You CAN be big and in shape. Being heavy doesn't always mean "fat" or "out of shape" like some believe. The problem tho is it takes so much MORE for us to stay in good cardio shape. It takes more of a toll on our bodies to maintain it too. We aren't these puny 180 pound guys that can run all day. But then again, I don't see these 180 pound guys benching 315 either. Its all relative.

I've found a precor machine or a stationary bike invaluable in me maintaining some form of cardio tho. I don't run usually, simply cause its hell on my knees and ankles.

 

[Wombat]

Sounds like you need more cardio in your workout.

 

[fwshooter]

There is a major difference between being able to lift a lot of weight and being able to carry gear or hike.

My powerlifter friends can barely get up stairs while I can do cardio all day long and be fine. However; they can squat a heck of a lot more than I could ever think of and it is because their workout focus is way different than mine.

It really boils down to you need to train for your goals. A guy who runs marathon is going to do horrible in a sprint and a sprinter is going to be horrible in long distance. If you want to get better at climbing a mountain you better get on the treadmill with a pack and jack the elevation up instead of hitting a flat bench.

 

[Shunryu]

For weight lifting im in great shape. I have the "2nd place 450 pound dead lift plaque" to prove it.. for running and climbing mountains im in horrible shape. I am saying for my size i am proud of my self for beable to finish the damn thing. my brother is 170. runs 4 miles a day and lifts and he was having a hell of a time to. the point of this is Go out and train. i now have to work on cardio. for my size im agile but not to the same degree as my brother. but we still went up and we still went down. just doin it was awsome. No you probebly wont but thats why were all sittin on this computer and the real ones are out doin it.

For weights, at least when I was in school, we had to be able to military press our body weight and bench press 1 1/2 times our body weight. Either you're too heavy or you're too weak. Your call.

A 450 # dead lift for a guy your size is not that much.

I've seen guys half your size bench 350# to 400#.

When you say leg press that doesn't mean much to me because it depends on the machine you're using. How much can you legitimately squat? I used to do sets with 450# when I weighed 200#. A guy your size should be able to squat 650# a few times pretty easily.

 

[the cow]

I think you might be thinking a little too highly of yourself. Your size means you're huge. I am an offensive lineman, I know your body type. I was doing reps of 1000 pound leg presses in 9th grade so you aint some anomaly.

Its obvious that you're not used to some combination of the altitude, humidity, and heat. I was in the Andes a while back at 4000 meters (not feet) and the first night i thought i was going to die after 4 flights of stairs. By the end of the week, I had no problem jogging a few miles. I guess moral of the story is you get acclimated to your environment. Its impossible to be able to perform in every environment so you're freaking out for no real reason.