Maya Calderon
Trail running long distances on multi-day routes is different than running a marathon. For many years, I have backpacked on the Wonderland Trail, the Tahoe Rim Trail, and the High Sierra Trail, but in the last couple of years I have taken to forming these same routes into long trail running routes, often referred to as fastpacking. Fastpacking is much lighter than backpacking and as such it is also much more demanding. But the routes and skills involved are specific to each and generally not the same for fastpacking and backpacking. Here I look at when fastpacking is superior to backpacking and when it is not.
Weight differences in practice
The total combined weight of a trail runner’s set of gear for a multi-day trip can be anywhere from 8 pounds to 14 pounds. The same section of trail can expect a typical backpacker to be hiking with 25-35 pounds of gear on their back. I have always noted that there are 3 main components that a trail runner can strip down in order to save a bulk of the weight in their pack: the shelter, the food, and the water. The vast majority of the weight a trail runner saves comes from stripping down the structure of the shelter and the form of the food, while the water component is typically saved by bringing along a single water bottle and a water filter, as opposed to lugging around 3 liters of water and a water treatment system. Once the shelter, the food, and the water have been stripped down to their bare minimums, the remainder of the saved weight can be used to fine-tune other components of the runners’ packs. For example, if a runner has 14 pounds of gear instead of 30, they are able to hike at a pace of 3-4 miles per hour on rolling terrain instead of 2 miles per hour. This results in a 90-mile loop being completed in 4 days as a runner instead of in 7 days as a backpacker. Also, although the runner is burning more calories per hour than the backpacker, the runner is also spending fewer hours per day hiking. This results in the total daily calories required by the runner to be roughly equivalent to that of the backpacker, but with a focus on consuming calorie-dense food that is easy to digest while on the move, as opposed to the typical varied and heavier dinners that a backpacker would typically bring along. In addition, the instant rebrews and gels and energy bars that a runner might typically rely on for fuel the runner for longer periods of time than a typical dinner would fuel a backpacker, thus requiring less resupply from town.
Water logistics on the move
The biggest constraint for running long sections of trail is often water, and it can cause many multi-day trail running attempts to fail. My personal experience on long sections of trail such as the PCT is that there are not enough reliable sources of water for long enough distances to carry enough for 18 miles or so of dry trail. Some people do haul heavy loads of water for long sections of trail, but this style of running is generally not what people signing up for a multi-day trail running trip have in mind. I have found a water filter or treatment to be the best solution, and I can move quickly while treating water at a reliable source, while carrying 3 liters of water would slow me down greatly. My current setup with a Sawyer Squeeze and a 1L Cnoc Vecto soft flask allows me to filter and then drink water while moving without having to stop for 10 minutes to sit down and treat water, allowing me to continue running on the trail while keeping my weight down. This single piece of gear makes running long multi-day sections of trail practical for me.
My budget for such adventures is around $60 per day. I tried to give good advice in this article.
Trails where the lighter pace wins
There are trails that are better for fastpacking than others. As a general rule for trail running on long multi-day routes, the trail should be runnable with good water sources and camps. The Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier is a great fastpacking route for its good water sources and moderate elevation gain. The Tahoe Rim Trail at 165 miles of trail is also a good fastpacking route for its runnable terrain, good water sources, and well established camps. However, for the very technical and elevation heavy High Sierra Trail, the running benefit for fastpacking over regular backpacking is diminished. Some sections of the trail will have you walking regardless and you won’t have as big of of a time gain over a fast backpacker.
Sleep and recovery on the trail
Multi-day trail running is harder than running a single long distance event. The biggest issue is sleep. When you are running long distances each day, the worst part of your body will be your feet, but the worst part of your body after three nights of poor sleep on a 7 oz bivy is your body as a whole. And after three nights, your running will be 15-25% slower than it was before. Even the fittest fastpacker will see a huge decrease in performance after three nights of poor sleep. Recovery food is more important on long runs of consecutive days than it is on a single long run. This means that, on long runs, you can get by with running on gels, bars and instant re-brews of your favorite coffee drink. But on a multi-day fastpack, after the third day of running, you will start to under perform if you have only been consuming gels, bars and instant re-brews. The best recovery food is real food and this can be found in towns along the trail. Shoes on long runs destroy much faster than most people give them credit for. It is not uncommon for a pair of trail running shoes to last only 80 miles, and then fall apart on you for the remainder of your trip. This is why it is a good idea to bring a second pair of shoes with you on long trips, especially those over 80 miles in length. This way, when your first pair of shoes wear out in the second half of your trip, you will have a fresh pair to run in for the remainder of your time on the trail.
Who this approach is wrong for
Running long distances on trails can be a very different experience for different travelers. There are many trails where running would be an poor choice for a long distance trip and many more where the experience of long distance running could be poor for the traveler. Trail running on multi-day sections of trails is best for strong backpackers and runners that have a good amount of experience before hand. Many of the skills needed to be a good backpacker are also needed for a good fastpacker and also for long distance runners. Those that have never before gone on a long distance hike before should start by going on a long distance hike and then going on a long distance run. While there are some section of trails that would be good for long distance running and also for fastpacking there are also many section of trails that would be terrible for both types of travel. For example, on a section of trail where there are many side trips and the experience of each camp is very important to the traveler running long distances would be terrible. But for someone with plenty of experience with both backpacking and running that wants to see all of a region in a short amount of time fastpacking could be a great choice for a long distance trip. As with all travel it is best to do some research before hand and decide if or not fastpacking is right for the person traveling.
I made a version of this trip three times. The cheapest was in the middle.
Practical first steps to become a fastpacker
Just make sure you have enough backpacking experience under your belt before you start running long distances on the trails as a fastpacker. Try a 25 mile out and back on a trail you are familiar with using all of the equipment and then go from there. First start with a 2 nighter, where you have real tent and water filter and then start to work your way up to a 4 nighter on that same trail that you have already done in a backpacking mode. This is when the majority of the injuries happen, as the 1 day fastpacker trip does not translate well to 4 days of fastpacking as the same amount of running is not as demanding, but the amount of wear on your body is. As a fastpacker you will realize quickly that the lightest shoe is not the best for you, and what a great running shoe is for you, will not be the same for your long distance hiking. Also, most fastpacking will lead to going back to normal backpacking. And that is just fine too.
— Marcus Webb This report corresponds with what I have found on fastpacking trips regarding water logistics.
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