Backcountry routines as a reset button

[Ryan Jordan]

Companion forum thread to: Backcountry routines as a reset button

Waking before dawn, climbing hard to a pass or peak, and brewing coffee as the sun rises is critical for me. Those first grounded, predictable hours set the tone for the day. The routine becomes a steady jumping-off point before the real challenges begin, physically and cognitively, when the uncertainty and difficulty of the backcountry inevitably surface.

[Charlie Brenneman]

I hadn’t ever thought of doing this but I might give it a try. I rarely eat right away in the morning at home (especially if doing an AM run), and I often feel like I’m forcing myself to eat breakfast at camp. Would be good to get out of camp quicker, log some early miles and break up my long days of hiking with another extended rest break. Sounds like better efficiency all around.

[dirtbag]

I do this when Im putting in some miles. I also enjoy stopping for 45 minutes to rest and make/eat dinner, and then make my final push be it a few more miles or an hour or 2.. whichever comes first until I make my bed for the evening.  I am used to intermittent fasting and doing fasted cardio, so the morning routine for me is normal. I enjoy waking up and packing up as soon as possible to start walking… unless of course, I am camping!! Then I want to sleep in as late as my body tells me and enjoy my morning right where I am.

[AK Granola]

“A hard climb before breakfast ramps metabolism and primes the nervous system for endurance” – is there scientific backing for either of these claims? what does “prime” the nervous system even mean?

Regardless, I cannot hike without eating. My waking blood sugar is about 60. I choose not to hike with folks who insist on a regiment like this; it is utterly miserable for me, because with no fuel, I have no energy. I do like having a bit of predictable routine but mine starts with that coffee and breakfast when I rise at dawn.

 

[Bonzo]

I think that getting squared with the right routine for oneself is critical…and it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all situation.  I don’t enjoy early-morning exertion, myself; I often need an hour or so to get going and feeling normal, so I avoid that crowd as well.  I also tend to hike a lot slower than most people, I take plenty of micro-breaks, and moving for 10+ hours a day doesn’t bother me.  Thus, I tend to not really hike with anyone at all, because not many people enjoy that pace.  The upside is that I can set just about any routine I want…and when I do so, I enjoy my time more and I feel much better.

[Matthew / BPL]

I love this and I am sure my therapist would smile if I sent the piece to her.

I am not a big breakfast person and often set off at first light with perpeteum and instant coffee in a water bottle. I like the idea of ritualizing the day as a reliable anchor. Thanks for writing this piece.

[Chris K]

This is similar to what I do as well. Hike until I first meet the sun—that glorious moment—find a nice spot, make a coffee. It’s a ritual I always look forward to.

[Paul Wagner]

I’m in the Bonzo and AK Granola camp. I like to eat breakfast, and do so every day on the trail before I start hiking. But I do that at home, too.  On the other hand, I am no longer of an age that wants to “do big miles” before breakfast or after, so there’s no need for me to feela sense of urgency about getting on the trail.

It all boils down to the basics: HYOH.

[Author]

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