Backpacking question

[Nikko88]

I have a question for regular hikers and backpackers. I'm looking forward to doing another section of the Long Trail in Vermont in a month. I'll be about 5.5 months pregnant at the time. I think we've only got one 3000 footer in this section.

I'm wondering about pack weight. The last two years I've carried 35-38 lbs including water.

Anyone else have experience backpacking in the second trimester? How much pack weight do you aim for?

 

[Tigerlily01]

I have pretty much no experience on this, so keeping that in mind...

I thought 1/4 of your body weight was supposed to be a pretty conservative weight to carry (I'd go with 1/4 of your pre-pregnancy weight) when backpacking?

I'd definitely check with your OB/midwife though, as I imagine you will probably have a harder time than you are used to, and you definitely don't want to overheat, dehydrate, or put extra stress on parts of your body that might be more fragile during pregnancy. If they advise less weight than is useful for what you need, maybe try slack-packing, find a way to leave stashes of gear at various points that are accessible by road, or have someone meet you with extra gear each night if they can drive in...or go with a strong buddy who can take a little extra weight so you can lighten your load a bit. I'm not familiar with the long trail, so I don't know how removed it is from roads, though?

Good luck!

 

[Nikko88]

That's the general rule I try to follow (1/3 to 1/4 body weight for max pack weight). I've seen everything online from 20 lbs to whatever is comfortable.

I'll probably have to do a few trial hikes with varying weights. I'll have poles and plan for plenty of hydration with a reduced pace.

 

[Tigerlily01]

I imagine if you asked an OB they'd probably say 20lbs, but it's tough to pack that light if you need more food/water/creature comforts than usual because you're pregnant.

If it's warm, that might help...maybe you could use a tarp instead of a tent to save some weight?

 

[Nikko88]

We are pretty lightweight when we backpack. We've got individual bivy's instead of a tent (much better than a tarp and not much heavier at 1.125 pounds) and everything is paired down for minimum weight. Not quite ultralight.

Food (either dried or trail mix plus a few bars) usually averages around 10 lbs for 6/7 days. Might be able to reduce this with some research.

Water 6 lbs

Pack itself is probably a pound or 2 empty

The rest is rain gear, a change of cloth that is also the warm layer, minimum toiletteries and first aid supplies, minimal survival gear (knife, matches), bear/rodent bag (1 pound but well worth it), sleeping bag (maybe 2 lbs) and liner, ground pad, filtration system, pocket rocket, fuel, map, journal, polls, one extra pair of socks and undies...

Guess my challenge is going to be to see if I can reduce the weight even further even though I thought I'd been doing good.

There aren't places to cache or drop off supplies. My husband might be able to carry a little more, but he was already at 40 lbs last year.

It's a fun process to pack. I put everything I'd like on the bed. Try to reduce it by half. Pack it. Weight it. Take more out. Weight it. I don't know how the ultralight packers do it.

 

[Tigerlily01]

Lol, sounds like you travel pretty light already! I was gonna suggest a pepsi-can stove and freezer bag cooking, so you only have to heat a little water in a cup, instead of a whole meal, but the pocket rocket is pretty light already, so I doubt it would save you much. Plus the pepsi can thing is kind of a pita with more than one person using it anyway.

If you backpack pretty often and are in good shape, I wouldn't think it would be too bad carrying what you normally carry. You just might have less energy. Sounds like a fun trip, I hope you post a few pictures...running off to google the long trail now so I can drool over pretty scenery...

 

[Ljpointg]

I agree you should ask your doctor. The answer may depend on various variables, such your height, weight, baby development, etc. I live in Colorado and we love to backpack and hike 14ers, however, my doctor explicitly told me no hiking over 10,000 ft. I know this is a bit different from your situation, but my point is that it may depend on what your doctor says because he/she knows you best. It may also be helpful to explain the terrain and type of hiking. For example, a few days with slow, steady elevation gain may not be an issue, but one or two days of strenuous hiking with extreme elevation gain may be cause for second thought. Although I am not planning on doing any backpacking this summer during my pregnancy, we are planning on doing some camping trips. My concern is not so much the weight I carry, because we won't Be hiking for long and I generally travel light, but more about hygiene. Hygiene is of course always important, especially for us ladies. But I am especially concerned because I know that while pregnant I will be more susceptible to infection. That's why I told my husband I didn't want to do more than two days in a row. He, on the other hand, is going to be hiking 14ers while I am at home wishing I lived near a lake or ocean.

 

[SGmom]

I hiked in high altitudes twice during second tri... i had to keep the weight waaay lower than usual. It was really hard to keep a good pace, and my heart ended up racing a lot. After hiking, I tried to have a day off cuz bouncing back was tough...but...it is doable...just make sure you Dr oks the altitude, weight and effort level.

 

[Nikko88]

Thanks for the responses. I will check with my midwife as the time approaches. My fear is that if she isn't familiar with backpacking and my abilities that she'll just give me a standard answer.

This will be the third year doing a section of the Long Trail. Normally, we hike 1-2 times a week distances of 3-9 miles and elevation gain of 1500-3000 feet. Mind you, I haven't done much hiking since I found out I was pregnant. First trimester was rough and a winter hike early on knocked the socks off of me. But I can still run 5K in under 40 minutes. Still doing a kettle bell routine with 17 lbs weight. So I'm still in decent shape.

Just concerned about carrying too much weight. I'm going to be slow and my husband usually prefers a slower pace to my speedy hiking. We aren't at the really tough sections with only a few mountains with modest elevation gain.

The other option would probably be day hikes, which would mean sleeping in a bed every night (something I definitely would prefer). But there's nothing like getting away from it all and walking for days at a time.

 

[SGmom]

Just go with the flow and see how you feel closer to the hike. I am sure you will find a way to enjoy what you love doing without it being too risky or too unconfortable...just one thing...shoes! Your feet might swelk so make sure your hiking gear fits confortably.

 

[Nikko88]

My pack ended up being 34 lbs with water. We covered 42+ miles in 6 days with an average of 9 miles for the core 4 days of hiking. The first long day was a bit rough with three 3000 footers to summit. We ended before getting to Killington. It can wait for a weekend hike with less pack weight and better weather. We got hail on the last night.

Minor twinges on the first long day. After that I got in the habit of sitting for an hour as soon as we arrived at the shelter to snack and re-hydrate.

 

[SGmom]

Awsome! Sounds like a lot of fun. Your body will tell you exactly when to rest. You might feel a liitle tired and slow going back to your activities the next day, so just take it easy and keep planning awsome hikes