Hiking the JMT: Expert-level Ruck or Just an AMAZING Backpacking Trip?

Last week I accomplished a lifelong dream of hiking the John Muir Trail (JMT), from Horseshoe Meadows (via the Cottonwood Pass trail) to Happy Aisle, Yosemite. Via this 250-mile hike — accounting for the actual JMT plus three extra resupply hikes — I learned a metric ton about myself, about backpacking, and about the importance of…rucking.

Just another beautiful day on the JMT. Somewhere in Kings Canyon.

Preparing for a Long Backpacking Trip or Thru Hike

Though many would-be expert backpackers extoll the virtues of preparing for long trips and thru hikes by doing other long trips, often at elevation, as a working professional that lives at sea level, I did not have that luxury. Though I’ve backpacked much of my life, until the JMT I had never backpacked or hiked more than three days in a row. And…though I wasn’t necessarily worried about having to hike 10+ miles every day for three weeks, I was nonetheless interested to see how I fared compared to other people I know (or hiked with).

In lieu of doing lots of other preparatory trips leading up to the JMT, I rucked (mostly while walking my dog) 4-5 days per week. In my busy-ish world, this meant scheduling about an hour a day to don my 35lbs ruck pack and “hike” the hills of my neighborhood and local park, which does have a few long hills and rocky paths. Though none of these rucks were particularly brutal, like some of the passes on the JMT, they were particularly helpful in getting used to the extra weight I’d be carrying on the JMT.

Aside from rucking, I also lifted weights (or did weighted workouts with my ruck pack) 5-6 days per week. These were more to keep my entire body moving…and to add a bit of extra muscle that I knew I would end up losing anyway. More on that later.

What Did I Learn?

Firstly, rucking even a few miles a day DEFINITELY helped me prepare for doing longer daily hikes on the JMT. Honestly, having hiked with three different people for a few days a piece on the JMT, the two people who had not been rucking but were in otherwise good shape had a tougher time transitioning to carrying 35+ lbs than the two of us who had been rucking leading up to the hike. Secondly, though my watch told me I had burned a lot of calories each day on my hike, in actuality I had burned at least double what was being reported by virtue of carrying a pack. This was pretty evident as no matter how many snacks and calories I consumed, my frame continued to shed weight, mostly muscle mass, over the course of three weeks. This is NOT a bad thing. Rather, it’s yet another reason rucking (and backpacking) are such great exercises; walking with extra weight simply burns more calories. Finally, though rucking and backpacking are certainly siblings, they are not exactly the same. I see rucking as a daily way to disconnect while getting amazing exercise outside. I wear my normal workout clothes and my ruck pack is quite comfortable…plus I get to walk my dog in the process. Backpacking on the other hand is about the journey and destination(s). Sure, it’s a nice way to get extra fit outdoors while also disconnecting from the real world. But, I see backpacking as a holiday and rucking as a way to get there.

You Should Do Both!

Probably the most profound thing I learned leading up to and during my JMT hike is that rucking and backpacking (and trail running…if you can), go together like peanut butter and jelly. Rucking provides me with a daily goal and outlet to collect my thoughts. During my almost daily rucks (with my dog), I come up with new ideas and relieve the stress of the day, all while feeling my muscles working under the weight of my pack. And…just as you might deposit money into a savings account that you’ll use to take a big trip, using the muscles (and muscle memory) you’ve built while rucking on a fantastic backpacking trip is a great way to reap the rewards of all of those rucks you did.

PLUS…what’s cool about a multi-day backpacking trip is that your pack actually gets lighter every day, thereby providing you with a feeling that it’s all been worth it.