Advice wanted/needed for big hike. Not prepper related

[Geordie_Rob]

Hi guys & girls, I've volunteered myself for a 100km charity hike (to be completed in a 30hr time limit) in June & was wondering if anyone can offer any advice from any experience they may have. The longest walk I've done before is about 10 miles so its certainly going to be a challenge for me.

Things like avoiding blisters, keeping moral up if wind & rain is blowing in your face etc.. Any useful tips will be greatly appreciated.

SD, if you have to remove this as its not prepper related, I understand mate. I just thought with there being a few ex forces & outdoor types on here, they might be able to share their wisdom (or reveal horror stories about bleeding feet etc.. ).

Cheers in advance

Rob

[Spandex228]

Hi mate foot wear is absolutely crucial, when and if you are buying footwear the place where you are buying footwear from should measure your feet, and get you walking on one of those ramp things which represent you going up hill and down hill if the shop won't measure your feet or something does not feel right it probably isn't any footwear you are trying should feel comfy, if it does not try others till they feel comfy or go somewhere else. Do not necessarily think you have to spend a ton of cash I have two pairs of very good/comfy hiking boots one pair cost me £30 the other pair £200. I allways use zinc oxide tape on areas prone to blisters as soon as any hotspots start not after. As for the weather a good set of waterproofs superb I swear by goretex but its not cheap a flask is good and chocolate or food you like to keep morale up is good and something to look forwards to at the end, food wise clean clothes etc may be a boost

[Tarrel]

First of all, congratulations and hats-off to you for volunteering. I did the TGO Challenge a couple of years ago in support of Shelterbox. (Coast to coast across Scotland, 170 miles self-supported, but over two weeks!)

Don't know what terrain you're walking over, but you might consider trail shoes instead of boots, especially if the route involves a lot of road or track walking.

Take an ipod and music to sing along to. Seriously! It'll keep your morale up.

Take things to snack on. High carb such as nuts, and sugary to give an immediate energy bbost.

Remember also, the only way to train for a long walk is to walk a long way. Get plenty of practice in! Good luck.

[Geordie_Rob]

It's around the north york moors I'll be walking.

I have a set of walking boots already but was wondering if I should take some trainers aswell. Part of the route is on road so I thought trainers may be more comfortable than boots for this.

Zinc oxide tape. Where would I get this from? Would it be classed as a sports accessory or a 1st aid item?

Cheers guys.

Rob.

[Scythe13]

Good on you mate!!! Get in there.

First and foremost, you need to train in the things you're going to take with you on the hike.

Secondly, you need to get training. A daily walk, or intense run (no joke, they build stunning stamina and endurance...it's how the Kenyan marathon runners train) is a great place to start.

Thirdly, pack all that you'll need, then halve it! Seriously. Just some water, waterproofs, a bit of food, torches/batteries, a mobile phone, headphones and MP3 player, and you're golden! No joke, anything more will be a waste of effort if you're not ready for carrying the extra weight. Considering you're going to be doing this in summer, you'll not want to have much clothing on unless you're in the waterproofs.

Forthly, get some fricking awesome hiking socks. You can get non-blistering types. They're legendary! Well worth it. Don't forget that spare pair for the bag. It is a light weight comfortable bag right? Don't want to be carrying around loads of weight on that length journey.

Fifthly, get out and practice walking late or in zero light. You'll find yourself craning your neck with the head-torch (trust me, you want a head torch! Lighter, easier to use, and you can have both hands free too).

Sixthly, it might be worth getting some light weight hiking poles and getting used to them. I hate them with a vengeance, but everyone else I know loves them.

Seventh, have fun!!! That should be number 1, but if I said that to start, you'd think I was a hippie. Enjoy the training, enjoy the learning, enjoy the process.


Just seen you said about the trainers. Since you're running a strict time limit, don't bother changing shoes and all that. I'd prefer to hit it out and get in with a few hours to spare.

Zinc Oxide tape is easy to get hold of. Boots has it, Superdrug has it. It's probably available in most supermarkets too. A small compeed kit will treat you like a god during your training. Nothing better for blisters in my experience (my last trip was a disaster where I was wearing in new boots with the wrong socks. Haha, we all make easy mistakes. I just make them too often.)

You'll be fine mate.

[Highlander]

Personaly I wouldnt wear hard boots, these type are much better, [ below ], you will not need to wear then in, they are soft and comfortable, take two pairs if you have a back up car

Two pairs of thin socks are better than one pair of thick ones, blisters will not form as easily because your feet will not slide

Take breaks often, get air to your feet, and use foot powder, not creams, the drier your feet the better

at just over 3 miles an hour, you are not walking fast, but try not to go any faster thinking that you feel fine,... pacing yourself is important over a long distance

Walk with someone you get on with, it helps if you can chat away with others

...and well done, good luck

AKU Lerosa GTX Walking Boots | eBay

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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JOHNSCLIFFE-ME...2a1fb2bad8

[Scythe13]

Thinking about it, if it's dry enough, screw it and wear trainers.

Walk the set charity route before hand if you can. Or make your training days out of different sections of the route, so that you can scope it out properly. See if it's going to be an all round dry walk, or whether you'll be going over sludge, rivers, and wet patches. If it's nearly all dry, I'd just go with trainers or my Vibrams. But if you're used to the boots, go with them. Whatever's comfortable and manageable, go with that.

[Geordie_Rob]

Highlander, those are similar to the boots I have.

S13, I can't get to the route beforehand sadly as its quite a distance away from me. Cheers for all the tips though.

To everyone who replied so far, cheers. It's the main thing I like about this forum. We are all strangers to each other (well mostly) yet without hesitation, everyone is willing to offer advice to help out a fellow member. It's appreciated.

[Scythe13]

Get to practicing hill as much as you can. They'll be the hardest part to get used to, so get used to it ASAP.

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Last tip.

Train heavier than you think you'll have to, and realise how little stuff you'll need.

Train with those spare shoes, that extra food, those spare trousers, that multi-tool, that full first aid kit, the camping stove, the cook pot, and everything else.

You'll laugh at how little you actually use.

[Spandex228]

I got my zinc oxide tape off eBay as boots did not have the wide tape what I use I got ten rolls delivered for a tenner, they even sent the order twice by accident. The stuff I use is about three and a half inches wide.