“On the day appointed for the race, they started together. The tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The hare, trusting to his native swiftness, cared little about the race, and lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the tortoise had reached the goal and comfortably dozing after her fatigue.”
— The Rev. George Flyer Townsend’s “The Hare and the Tortoise” from his 1867 book Three Hundred Aesop’s Fables: Literally Translated from the Greek.
There are at least two distinct types of hikers and backpackers who take to the trails. One enjoys the challenge of a fast-paced hike from one destination to another and can be called a “fastpacker.” The other enjoys relaxing hikes on trails at a moderate speed and has sometimes been referred to as a “slackpacker.”
The hare
The thrill of fast packing comes from the speed, aerobic challenge and reaching one’s destination expediently. M. John Fayhee, in his 1996 Backpacker magazine article titled “What’s the Hurry?” defined fastpacking as “a mountain-based sport that’s being embraced fervently by trail runners, ultraendurance athletes and outdoor minimalists – people who would sooner drink a bacon grease smoothie than lounge around in a camp, even for a few minutes.”
Fayhee says the term was first coined in 1987, and that some amazing fastpacking feats were recorded at about that time. For example, the 211-mile John Muir Trail in Sierra Nevada was fastpacked in 4.5 days, and the 130-mile Uinta Range in Utah was traversed in only three days.
Fastpacking has also been coined “speed hiking” and “power hiking,” according to backpacking author Chris Townsend in his book The Advanced Backpacker: A Handbook of Year-round, Long-Distance Hiking. Townsend says that hikers travel many miles a day in order to finish a trail in a relatively short time period.
Twenty miles a day is a good average for a fastpacker. They often carry only 10 to 15 percent of their body weight in order to make better time, whereas most backpackers may carry about 25 percent of their weight on their back.
Several years ago, I backpacked in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. While I took my time hiking through the hills and valleys, a popular challenge is for fastpackers to complete a “presidential traverse” among the Presidential Range of those same mountains.
The Presidential Range includes several mountains in excess of 4,000 feet that are named after various presidents. In order for a fastpacker to complete a presidential traverse, they begin at one end of the range, summit about seven mountains and finish at the opposite end. Some traverses involve more mountain summits. Depending on the number of peaks reached, the traverse can be from 17 to 22 miles in length and with elevation gains of 7,000 to 10,000 feet. To complete a traverse in 14 to 16 hours, hikers will hit the trail by 5 a.m.
One of my former University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point backpacking students fastpacked a little over 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee in three days. He said he hiked an average of 23 to 24 miles a day through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He started with a friend, but ended up hiking solo for two of the three days and spending some of his time on the trail in the dark. I admired his sense of adventure, determination and tenacity. I was just glad he made it back safely.
The tortoise
The term slackpacking was first coined by a group of Appalachian Trail hikers that walked the entire trail by taking ample time to look around and enjoy their surroundings, according to Townsend. He said the term “slackpacking” eventually took on a double meaning where it also referred to hiking with a support team that would ferry the hiker’s gear to the next road crossing in order for them to travel light. He also called it “pack-free hiking.”
I sometimes refer to slackpackers as leisure hikers or leisure packers. I have to admit, I am one of them. I like to reach my destination in set amount of time, but I like stopping now and then to smell the roses or whatever there is to smell along the trail.
I recall backpacking a segment of the Ice Age Trail near Medford, Wisconsin, with a friend who I considered to be a super slackpacker. We headed out on a trail in spring when the early flowers were in bloom. Within about 100 yards of the trailhead, my friend stopped, took off his pack and began exploring flora while making notations and sketches in his journal. I sat and waited patiently.
Pacing for a slackpacker is based on setting out to cover a reasonable distance in a comfortable time frame. Your pace will vary depending on the terrain and trail conditions. Rolling hills, significant elevations and rocky landscape will alter your pace and time. For me, I average three miles an hour on flat ground without a pack. More leisurely backpackers may cover 1.5 to two miles an hour.
I like to backpack no more than seven or eight miles a day. Depending on weather and terrain, I’ll settle for a six-mile day and look forward to leisurely setting up camp and enjoying the remainder of the day there.
While on a trail, it is good to take breaks or rest stops. A good rule of thumb is to take a 5-minute break for roughly every hour of hiking. However, while hiking with a group, watch for the “slinky effect.” One time when backpacking on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale in a group that included my 6-foot-3-inch brother-in-law (I’m only 5 foot 7 inches), I noticed I took two steps to every one of his. With another tall hiker, he could get about a quarter mile ahead of us two short-legged hikers in no time. They would then rest and wait for our arrival. By the time we caught up with them to take our break, it was cut short when the tall ones were off and hiking again, resulting in a slinky effect.
Other critters
There are a couple other classifications of hikers and backpackers worth mentioning. Across the country are several nationally known, long-distance trails: the Appalachian in the east, Pacific Crest in the west, North Country Trail to the north and the Continental Divide Trail due west. Those who like the challenge of hiking such trails from end to end over a continuous period of time are referred to as “thru-hikers.”
The typical Appalachian Trail thru-hiker will take about 170 days or 5.5 months to make the 2,175-mile hike from start to finish, according to Roland Mueser, author of Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons From the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy reported that the number of recorded 2,000-miler thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail in 2009 was 562. They say about 1,000 make the attempt annually with only one-fourth of them actually completing the entire trail.
On the other end of this spectrum are “section hikers” who cover a long trail by returning to tackle segments over several months or years. They plan short weekend, weeklong or monthlong backpacking trips. Sometimes section hikers take on a few segments of a long trail with no intention of traversing its entire length.
It’s not a race
Whether you go fastpacking, slackpacking, thru hiking or section hiking, it is not a race. There are no losers. When it comes to hiking and backpacking, be it fast, slow or moderate in speed, and long or short in distance, everyone is a winner. In the words of the infamous pugilist George Foreman, “I am a winner each and every time I go into the ring.” This is just as true for everyone who sets foot on a wilderness trail.
Jim Joque is the coordinator of disability services for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is also an adjunct adventure education instructor at UWSP, teaching courses on camping, backpacking, snowshoeing, adventure leadership and Leave No Trace. In addition, he serves on the Wisconsin State Trails Council.
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