While backpacking in the Adirondacks last year, I listened to by Michael Easter. As I scrambled up the trail’s slick rocks, trying my hardest not to fall before reaching the summit of Nippletop, Easter warned me about a different danger: the eradication of discomfort. Sure, the amenities of modern life, such as cars, on-demand food, and temperature-controlled environments, ease our daily lives, but he argued they also erode satisfaction and fulfillment by depriving us of fundamental human skills and experiences.

So, what’s the antidote to this problem? Well, engaging in strenuous exercise helps, as does facing challenges in harsh natural environments. Easter also advocates for rucking, or walking with a weighted pack for exercise, to get in touch with a fundamental skill of our hunter-gatherer ancestors.

I was skeptical. Rucking seemed like just another trendy fitness craze, but with origins in the military, where marching for long distances with a loaded pack, is a fundamental training activity. Besides, personal trainers frequently using weighted packs to train for a long trek. What sets rucking apart?

Suddenly, Rucking Is Everywhere

After that weekend in the wilderness, several rucking-related TikToks caught my attention. My feed was full of explainers, couples going on rucking dates, and fitness influencers documenting their 20-mile rucks.

When GORUCK, a company that makes backpacks explicitly designed for rucking, offered me a chance to try its signature product, my curiosity was at a peak. I embarked on a 30-day challenge to explore what the buzz was about.

The Benefits of Rucking

There’s no denying rucking is an efficient workout. The added weight on your back strengthens your legs and trunk, while simultaneously giving you a low-impact cardio session. These benefits increase when you add hills to the mix. Heading uphill with a pack pushes your VO2 max, while going downhill challenges your stability and eccentric muscle control,

What You Need to Know About Rucking

During my month-long experiment, I rucked with and (sometimes with 5 to 10 pounds of books added for extra weight), my with two 10-pound barbell plates, and, of course, my 30-pound toddler in a . These are my key takeaways.

1. Don’t Overanalyze It

At first, it was difficult for me to set parameters for the challenge. My inner perfectionist wanted to do every rucking session over uneven terrain. Simply walking on the paved streets in my neighborhood didn’t seem like it should count. But Easter assured me that rucking on my local sidewalks was more than sufficient.

The duration was another concern. Was 30 minutes really enough to experience the cardio and strength benefits? Or should I aim for at least an hour? During the first week, I didn’t hit either of those time stamps. My writing assignments, strength training routine, and daycare pick-ups took priority, leaving me with just 15 minutes a day to ruck. (On one unfortunate day, an unexpected thunderstorm also deterred my plan.) I eventually found balance, examining both the weather and my personal to-do list to find the best time for my daily trek. By the end of the month, my sessions ranged from 15 to 90 minutes long, averaging around 45 minutes.

2. Using a Fitness Tracker Is Complicated

As an Apple Watch addict, the prospect of logging these workouts excited me—until I found out that there isn’t a “rucking” setting. To work around this, I decided to label my neighborhood rucks as “outdoor walks” and rucks on uneven terrain as “hiking.”

But I wasn’t getting full credit for the assignment. The device couldn’t account for the extra 20 to 40 pounds I was carrying. And while I was exerting more energy than a typical hike, due to the added weight, my watch interpreted my higher heart rate as a decrease in my overall cardiovascular fitness. To avoid this, I started manually excluding my rucking sessions from my Apple Watch’s VO2 max data.

3. It’s a Nice Way to Do Zone 2 Cardio

During the 30-day challenge, I observed how different factors affected my heart rate during rucking. For example, carrying my daughter up steep inclines spiked my heart rate between Zones 3 and 5, according to my Apple Watch. My pack appeared to have the opposite effect on flat sidewalks, where I couldn’t move quickly enough to get my heart rate above Zone 1.

However, using the Rucker 4.0 with 20 pounds of weight over rolling hills transformed a typically mundane walk into a beneficial Zone 2 cardio session.​​ In Zone 2, you train at an easy-to-moderate intensity where conversation is still possible, corresponding to around 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Many adventurous, high-intensity athletes spend their time pushing into Zone 3 or recovering in Zone 1. It’s often difficult to find the sweet spot of Zone 2—and even more challenging to do without using a treadmill or stationary bike (which I personally find joyless). Rucking with a light pack proved to be the perfect solution.

4. It’s a Great Workout for Parents of Young Kids

If you’re a parent who wants to exercise, you’ve likely been told to just plop your child in a stroller and go for a walk. But that may not be challenging enough for you. You also may not want to splurge on an expensive hiking carrier or jogging stroller. (I get it.) Rucking strikes the perfect balance of intensity and manageability. On days without childcare, I put my daughter in the stroller and donned the Rucker 4.0 on my back instead of struggling with my hiking carrier.

5. A Dedicated Rucker Is Nice (But by No Means Required)

The Rucker 4.0 became my go-to choice for my daily sessions. Its nondescript black color and inconspicuous shape made it versatile for various outings, unlike my noticeable Gregory Backpack with a hip belt that often felt awkward. The Rucker’s comfortable straps and even weight distribution impressed me.

However, spending more than $300 (the price of the , and the ) on specialized gear isn’t necessary. As you get started, try rucking with items you already have, such as exercise gear, water bottles, or even bags of rice on your next walk. However, keep in mind that this may lead to uneven weight distribution, as these items tend to collect at the bottom of the pack, which can be irritating from time to time. (You can always invest in the dedicated equipment later on.)

6. It’s a Lower Impact Alternative (or Complement) to Running

In addition to rucking, I maintained my regular exercise routine, which consists of two to three times a week and HIIT once a week, all month long. However, my (already) infrequent runs fell by the wayside. There was a silver lining to this change: my occasional, mild hip pain disappeared.

While I’m not ready to throw in the towel on jogs, rucking provides a much-needed middle ground between a leisure walk and a strenuous run. It’s more effective at building my cardiovascular endurance than walking—and

7. Rucking Is Surprisingly Fun

I’ll admit it: I had fun rucking. While treking around, I could catch up on podcasts or audiobooks, and it barely felt like exercise. Walking in the woods while wearing a backpack reminded me of the hours I spent playing in such environments as a kid.

In the future, I plan to integrate one to two hours of rucking into my week, whether to do some Zone 2 training or enjoy my local nature trails. I may just be a rucking convert—even though I’m relieved to no longer carry the daily burden (both physical and mental) of my 30-day challenge.

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While hiking in the Adirondacks earlier last year, I came upon a scared teenage boy who was lost in theĚý. He and some friends were home from school and bored during the early months of the pandemic, so they decided to do the 15-mile trek up , the tallest mountain in New York State, at 5,344 feet tall. This is a hike suited for experienced adventurers, and this kid did not fit that description: he didn’t have proper layers andĚýhad no food, water, orĚýheadlamp as the sun was setting. He was disoriented, likely due to exhaustion and mild dehydration. Fortunately, we were only a few miles from the trailhead at that point. I was able to reunite him with his group and bypass a potentially dangerous situation.

That encounter is just one of countless examples of unprepared and uninformed hikers heading into the Adirondacks and other wilderness areas around the country. According to the , trail usage saw an of 200 percent in U.S. cities as Americans looked to the outdoors to relieve their pandemic-induced cabin fever. But with more hikers come more search and rescues. The Adirondack ParkĚýwasn’t the only region that experienced this trend—the Seattle Times recently that Mount Rainier National Park rangers completed more search and rescues in 2020 than in any of the previous five years.ĚýTexas Monthly that two parks in thatĚýstate, and , saw a 50 percent increase in SAR operations last year. Officials from all of these areas said an influx of inexperienced hikers, many unprepared for the challenging terrain or quickly changing weather conditions, contributed to the problem.Ěý

The crowds also created challenges that went beyond safety and into the realm of conservation management. Kayla White, stewardship manager for the (ADK), spotted people illegally camping and starting campfires at restricted elevations, not storing food properly, and leaving human waste and food scraps that don’t degrade well at higher elevations, like fruit peels and pistachio shells. To ensure more hiker safety and environmental management, the and the recently called for more state resources and funding for real-time data collection. Across the country, officials are grappling with solutions to address an uptick in visitors and the stressors that come from it as they approach what will likely be another popular season for public lands.ĚýĚý

Pressures to PermitĚý

A few government agencies have implemented permit systems, some of which were prompted by the pandemic, that will remain or go into effect this year. Last August, U.S. Forest Service officials announced the reinstatement on September 1 of a free day-use permit system for entering three wilderness areas in the .Ěý

According to public affairs officer Zachary Behrens, these plans had already been in the works prior to 2020 as interest in the trails leading to some of the tallest peaks in Southern California was growing. But when visitation exploded last springĚýand parking lots began filling up at 6 A.M., spurring illegal parking and spillover into surrounding neighborhoods, those plans were pushed through. The Forest Service never got to see the permit system in action, because the whole national forest closed the following week due to wildfires, but the agency still intends to use the new system this summer.

As city dwellers looked to escape the pandemic, Montana became a . In November, the New York Times that Bozeman, a city of 50,000 people, is projected to add another 27,000 residents by 2045. The influx of temporary visitors and prospective homeowners translated to some of the busiest months on record for many of the state’s public lands. This was especially the case along the Madison River, a world-class fly-fishing tributary, which saw . Last year’s crowding the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to enforce quotas on the number of commercial fishing and rafting trips and restrict guide access on some sections on certain days of the week.

˛Ń˛ą˛Ô˛âĚý˛őłŮ˛ąłŮ±đ˛őĚýwere simply overrun by local and regional residentsĚý. Jim Bryson, deputy commissioner of , the Tennessean last May that all state parks were seeing huge numbers, with some at capacity and others 30 percent to 40 percent beyond capacity. One of its most popular, , located 90 minutesĚýeast of Nashville, reopened last May with that remains in place. Officials will continue to limit access to the park’s gorge, a popular swimming destination, to 150 visitors per day and cars within the park to 50.

Betting on Education

A permit system didn’t necessarily spare the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota from similar problems. For decades, the U.S. Forest Service has required permits to enter the pristine area within the . But after last season saw unprecedented visitation and the associated challenges, including incidents of campers cutting live trees for firewood and the improper disposal of human waste, officials will now demand that people complete about Leave No Trace guidelines before they’re able to obtain permits.Ěý

(CPW), which experienced a 30 percent increase in overall visitation last year, is also turning to education initiatives to ease overuse issues. In October, the agency signed a partnership agreement with the conservation organization to educate people on how to recreate responsibly. “We’ve always been including their messages in park materials, but this was the first time it was a formalized partnership,”ĚýsaysĚýBridget Kochel, public information officer for CPW. The partnership will include formal training in Leave No Trace guidelines for CPW staff, more signage throughout theĚýparks, and special educational events. “We’re still shaping what this will look like, with an overall goal of teaching people to recreate responsibly while preserving our outdoors,” Kochel adds.

Hiking Up Fees

Some state agencies are instead taking a fee-based approach to dealing with overcrowding. Utah State Parks, which saw , plans to offset rising operating costs with for annual passes in 25 years. In addition to upping the annual pass fee from $75 to $150 for out-of-state travelers last summer, in JanuaryĚýthe price of annual passes rose from $75 to $100 for Utah residents and from $35 to $50 for those over age 65.Ěý

(OPRD) ĚýRV and tent camping prices for out-of-state visitors last August with the dual purpose of managing numbers and encouraging travelers to stick closer to home during the pandemic. Following the policy’s implementation, the number of out-of-state campers at Oregon state parks dropped by 17 percent. However, this might simply reflect a general drop in interstate travel due to the pandemic. While OPRD is no longer imposing the extra fees at this time, the agency will hold a public discussion this summer about whether these measures will become permanent in the future. For now, any out-of-state residents with plans to camp in one of Oregon’s state parks this summer will have to stay tuned.Ěý

What’s toĚýComeĚý

As is the case in Oregon, many sites and agencies are still in the process of determining this season’s management based on last year’s numbers. Despite a in overall visitation to national parks in 2020 compared to the previous year, Great Smoky Mountains National Park sawĚý despite a 46-day closure last spring and August’s partial closures, with numbers passing 12 million for the second time in its history. Officials took the first step in mitigating these numbersĚýby hosting a series of virtual workshops last fall,Ěýduring which participants provided input on their ideal park experiences and contributed ideas for improving management and access. Officials also via an online form and traditional mail. Now, after collecting thousands of suggestions, they plan to announce a new pilot program to pursue congestion management within the next several weeks, said Superintendent Cassius Cash in a .Ěý

The future of Adirondack Park also remains uncertain. Even before the pandemic, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics had identified the High Peaks Wilderness, in particular, as a experiencing tremendous overuse impacts. This month, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the High Peaks Advisory Group releasedĚýa that calls for more state resources and funding for real-time data collection, as well as the hiring of more forest rangers and other management staff. While concrete details are yet to be determined, possibilities include launching a parking pass system, expanding the shuttle system to serve several parking lot hubs where visitors could access trail information, and investing in education programs that teach Leave No Trace ethics and regulations.Ěý

While permits, fees, and educationĚýall have the potential to encourage hikers to be more prepared and environmentally aware,Ěýthere’s really no substitute for experience. Despite the issues that arise from overvisitation of public lands, White of the ADK views this exploding interest in the outdoors as a tremendously positive development. “It’s an amazing opportunity to educate hikers and enlist their help in protecting this resource,” she says.Ěý

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Last fall, after backpacking around 270 miles on the Ěýthrough the rugged Green Mountains of Vermont, my fellow campers and I discussed how we were nowĚýin the best shape of our lives. Around the campfire, we brainstormed how we might maintain our fitnessĚýafter returning to our regular routines back home. Some said it was impossible. Others thought we could do it by hiking a super-steep mountain once per week. The rest of the group believed the best strategy would be regular running.

So what’s the right answer? It is indeed nearlyĚýimpossible to maintain thru-hiking fitness when you’re not actually thru-hiking, according to Lee Welton, an Idaho-based online personal trainer and founder of Ěýwho completed the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018. Because thru-hikes are all-consuming, he says there’s no way to replicate the same physical and mental challenges while juggling the work and social obligations of our everyday lives. Jenn Cadorette, a physical therapist who owns in Vermont with her husbandĚýand completed the Long Trail in 2017,Ěýis a bit more optimistic. “It’s not impossible,” she says, “but it takes a lot of work.”

Aspiring thru-hikers, especially those who need to build fitness instead of simply maintainĚýit, face an even tougher challenge when it comes to training. Different versions of Ěý“How do I train for my upcoming hike?” frequently appear in online backpacking forums like or on Reddit. And the replies often offer some take on the following advice: “You don’t need to train for a thru-hike. Just hike slowly at first and get your trail legs along the way.” According to Welton, this widespread belief is one of the biggest misconceptions about preparing for a long trek. “It’s some of the laziest and most careless advice an aspiring hiker can ever hear,” he says. “Some of the younger hikers will go out and might be able to do it, but older hikers definitely need to train. And they should also have a smartĚýplan to do the right type of training.” Here’s how you should break it down, whether you’re looking to maintainĚýexisting fitness during the off-seasonĚýor getting into thru-hikingĚýshape for the first time.

Why Training Matters

Training helps you avoid the type of discomfort or injury that could put a damper onĚýyour big adventure or even derail it altogether. After all, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy that onlyĚýone in fourĚýhikers make it to Mount Katahdin, and injuries are among the most common reasons they quit.

Maybe you dream of hitting one of the country’s legendary Triple Crown trails as a novice backpacker. Or perhaps, like me, you’re an experienced hiker and just want to stay fit enough to do the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim, summit all 46 High Peaks of the Adirondacks, or conquer another big hiking dream.ĚýWhatever your particular goal, thru-hiking is a massive commitment of money and time, so you’ll want to do everything in your power to make it a success. “You put all this effort in, and you could get in 500 miles and suffer an injury,” Welton says. “If you can mitigate that risk with training, I’d advocate for that.”

Start with Steady-State Cardio

Creating and executing the right training plan will set you up for hiking success, and it should include staying active year-round. But not all training is created equal, and not all workout regimens will translate to on-trail fitness. Despite the mainstream popularity of programs like HIIT training, it’s not exactly the best way to prepare for an upcoming trek. “It’s not translatable to hiking at all,” Welton explains. “It uses the wrong energy systems.” Instead, prioritize steady-state cardio—focusing on off-feet activities like rowing and cycling is particularly beneficial for beginners. Training hikes will produce a fair amount of impact on the joints, but these activities won’t overload them.

Experienced backpackers looking to maintain their post-trail fitness might consider doing something more intense, like trail running, to stay conditioned. “I did a lot of trail running after I finished the Long Trail,” Cadorette recalls. “I felt like I almost had to because my muscles were missing the exercise.” Running and stair climbing are other options to consider if you already have a solid fitness base and your joints can take the stress. Remember: hiking calls for steady cardio endurance. As a general guideline, WeltonĚýrecommends aimingĚýfor at least 30 to 60 minutes of endurance trainingĚýtwice a week, in addition to practice hikes.

Add Resistance Training to Prevent Injury

Resistance training is an equally important piece of the hiking preparation puzzle. Exercises like lunges, squats, and planks will prepare your muscles, bones, and connective tissues to handle the stresses of the trail. “For hiking, you should focus on lower weight and more reps to hit the endurance fibers in the muscles,” Cadorette says. Welton recommends two or three 30-to-60-minute sessions per week.

Muscle soreness will always be a fact of life on the trail, but regular resistance training will significantly improve your movement efficiency and strengthen tendons and ligaments. It will also decrease the likelihood of common overuse injuries (think knee and ankle pain, shin splints, and plantar fasciitis) that can force you off the trail because they take so long to heal.

Gradually Increase the Difficulty of Training Hikes

While most of the training advice culled from internet forums is oversimplified, the principle of specificity still holds when preparing for a trek. Undertaking several lengthy hikes is, of course, vital to preparing for a long-distance trek, because it’s the best way to simulate on-trail conditions. But be patientĚýand increase the difficultyĚýgradually to avoid injury.

While practicing for the Long Trail as a novice backpacker, I strapped on a loaded pack and progressively increased each practice hike’s distance and elevation by 10 percent to 20 percent each week. I did my first training hike six months before my Long Trail start date, following a six-mile trail up and down Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts,Ěýgaining an elevation of about 2,000 feet. Then, every one to two weeks, I completed a slightly longer and more challenging trail. As spring turned into summer, I climbed about three mountains per month in the Catskills, sometimes hiking up to eight or ten miles with elevationsĚýof 2,000 to 2,500 feet. My training finally ended with summiting Mount Phelps in the Adirondacks, gaining 2,200 feet in eight miles, as well as a 12-mile hike to Avalanche Pass in the High Peaks Wilderness, gaining about 2,500 feet. I finally felt ready to hit the Long Trail.

WeltonĚýrecommends a systematic approach of gradually increasing distance and elevation by starting with weekly four-to-eight-mile hikes with a maximum of 1,000 feet for the first month. More experienced hikers might feel comfortable starting with eight-to-ten-mile or ten-to-12-mile hikes with an elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 feet or 2,000 to 3,000 feet,Ěýrespectively, to keep their fitness in check. No matter where you start, the goal is to ramp up to hikes of 12Ěýto 14 miles with a maximum elevation of 3,000 feet by month four.

If you don’t live anywhere near mountains or simply struggle to find the time to hit them regularly, don’t fret. You can still prepare by walking as much as possible. Welton encourages people living in flat locations to seek flights of stairs in a parking garage or building. “You can even look into things like with a step that’s eight to ten inches high,” he says. “It’s not as big of a hurdle as people think it can be. If you’re serious about hiking, then load up a packĚýand use the stairways.”

Don’t Skimp on Recovery

Remember to schedule time—an entire day at minimum each week—for physical and mental recovery amid all this preparation, especially if you’re not in the best shape. “I’m a huge believer in foam rolling,” Cadorette says. On the trail, she carried a tennis ball to roll out her hip flexors and tensor fasciae latae, or TFL muscle, which starts at the side of the hip on the top portion of the pelvis,Ěýattaches to the ITĚýband,Ěýand helps bend the knee and hip. And at least once per week, you should take the time to stretch your whole body, particularly the calves, hips, quads, and hamstrings.

With the proper training and recovery program, anyone can be prepared to step onto the trail of their dreams. Whether you’re preparingĚýfor your first adventure or trying to maintain a certain fitness level, consistency is paramount. “You just have to put in the work,” Welton says. “Make a plan and follow through. And if you need help or guidance with that, seek out a personal trainer with hiking experience.”

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