Conditioning for Art Loeb hike using Cheaha area trails

For those of you that have hiked the Art Loeb trail, and also hiked the trails in the Cheaha area, I am considering a hiking trip with some guys at my church this summer on the Art loeb trail. I need to get in the gym and get back I shape, but my son wants to go on this trip also. I want to take him out and do some trial runs on some trails that might be similar to what we would see on the Loeb trail. He has only day hiked with me in the past, and this would be his first real trip. I was thinking of doing an overnite or 2 up on the Pinhoti as a test to see how he does...and to check my legs out also. I know the elevation is higher on the Art Loeb, butif he can carry a full pack on an 8 to 10 mile day say up the Chinabee and around the Pinhoti area, would that be a good idea for what he could do on the Loeb trail? I would love to take my son along if he can handle it, but don't want to risk it if he is not ready.

We would plan to hike the Art Loeb in a 4 day trip. Maybe a fairly easy day up front and on the end, with 2 tougher days in the middle.

I don't know the areas you are talking about, but distance and weight training with packs has been a focus of mine, I did a 26.2 marathon with a 40lb pack in less than 7.5 hrs with 1600 feet elevation change...

Your feet are going to be an issue more than your legs most of the time, learn to doctor your feet, learn when its time to stop and but something on them(as soon as you feel it starting usually) learn what to do to prevent them(dry feet, good shoes, snug but not too tight laces) learn what to do when you have some and you stop for the night( best method for me is needle and thread, run the needle through, pull the thread through and cut it leaving the thread hanging out either side, it wicks away the fluid inside and will allow the skin to reattach sometimes like it never happened) other than that, stairs with weights are your friend... I was averaging 50 miles a week the last few weeks before the march and 20 miles a week with 50lb pack the months before... I always carried extra weight thinking it would only make me better at hiking... Now when I throw on my 25 lb pack for 3-4 days I laugh at the weight and truck on... Good luck and take lots of pictures...

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Originally Posted by Brute1100

I did a 26.2 marathon with a 40lb pack in less than 7.5 hrs with 1600 feet elevation change...
I was averaging 50 miles a week the last few weeks before the march and 20 miles a week with 50lb pack the months before...

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Just bring Brute along as a Sherpa :):)

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Originally Posted by TallPaul

Just bring Brute along as a Sherpa :):)

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Tell me about it! :) Thanks for the advice Brute. I wish I had some stairs to climb at the office, but my son and I will start doing some afternoon neighborhood walks with our packs and work the weight up as we go. I want to make sure we are both ready before committing to the trip. I don't want mess up the other guys by us not being prepared.

Do as many hikes as you can with the load you plan to carry. It's all about conditioning, go for a jog in the mornings, evening hikes with the packs all done with your son too.

Times where I have had to push myself the extra I loaded my pack with more than what I planned to carry, I usually increased it over a span of hikes. First was 5# more, then 10#, 15# and so on until I felt I had conditioned my body enough to maintain the endurance enough to keep going all day and not have muscle failure or injury at the end.