How fit / ready are you really?

ezra_

This is something I have been thinking about of late.

I can cycle 150k over varied terrian (ie, over the wicklow and sally gap and then around the around the area) but when checking the cattle, I puff when cresting the tiny hill we have.

In all honesty, if the SHTF and I needed to bug out, even to walk from say Blessington to Bray, I'd probably end up just breaking myself.

How many of you know that if you needed to, you'd be able to don a bergin and the right gear and then walk to where you need to go.

I know a couple of ex British army guys who would head out on a massive hike oce a quarter on their own. They'd spend a week or so crossing wales or scotland or the moors, not have to resupply. They do it for the craic, but it struck me that very few people would probably have the gear and knowledge to do that, I know I wouldn't.

Is this something that people here do?

laoch na mona

I've managed a few multi day hikes camping along the way assuming I've my gear and supplies or the means to get supplies I'd be fairly confident of being able to walk for a few days (not that I think a bug out situation is ever likely). 3 days on mountains has to be at least four on easier terrain

Stovepipe

Ultimately, you would if you had to. When you look at refugees bugging out, they invariably start off loaded and then begin to shed bits and pieces as they go. Soldiers in war do the same. There are many accounts of soldiers shedding kit as they went and it took tremendous discipline not to dump stuff..... I read a study one time that an offensive had to be over inside three days, ie, enemy beaten and running, simply because the attacking forces would be on their chinstraps by the end of day two and they had to be able to stand and fight if the enemy counterattacked. Israel reckoned that a war had to be over inside a month otherwise it would wreck the economy....if you were tramping the mountains and managing to get a decent sleep/food and nutrition/shelter every night, you could go on for ever.

tc556guy

Since I retired from the military I've not been doing any PT at all.
Do I know I should change that? Absolutely

tc556guy

Stovepipe wrote: »

Ultimately, you would if you had to. When you look at refugees bugging out, they invariably start off loaded and then begin to shed bits and pieces as they go. Soldiers in war do the same. There are many accounts of soldiers shedding kit as they went and it took tremendous discipline not to dump stuff.....

Military commands over-burden their men with more and more stuff
Historically all the way back to the Romans, a Soldiers load-out was 30-35 lbs.
The modern US Army is loading their men up with 100 lbs of gear
It is an unrealistic cycle. gear gets lighter due to technological advances, but the powers-that-be simply keep adding to the list of stuff to be humped to the next destination

Stovepipe

you can probably sustainably carry no more than a stone or two (14-28 lbs) for duration marching. Given the weight of water alone, you'd be hard pressed to carry enough food/water/first aid/shelter/clothing for any sustained time away from home without foraging/scavenging/hunting.

ezra_

Stovepipe wrote: »

you can probably sustainably carry no more than a stone or two (14-28 lbs) for duration marching. Given the weight of water alone, you'd be hard pressed to carry enough food/water/first aid/shelter/clothing for any sustained time away from home without foraging/scavenging/hunting.

This was my original point - I know some ex British army guys who go for a week or so at a time, carrying all the gear and food (not sure if they resupply during or not).

LibraMan

I'd say start by reconsidering the bergen. They are not made to be ergonomic on long hikes. I just came back from a week's hiking where I was carrying 5-7kg more than my two buddies. I was the least fit in the group but I was the most comfortable, as the other guys were in a lot of pain and discomfort due to the design of their bergens. I had a Vango Conour and my mates' conclusions were they'd leave the bergens at home next time.