Knox Keranen

How To Rest Like An Elite Athlete

Published on January 20, 2021 By Knox Keranen

Rest is an essential part of training, regardless of what you’re training towards.

The stress and load of your workout must be tempered with downtime, where your body hits the ‘rest and recover’ switch, and actively promotes muscle recovery.

Not really. It turns out a little movement and light exercise is good for muscles during recovery. On the other hand, refusing to allow your muscles to recover by overtraining can actually set you back in your training program, and even do serious harm to your body.

You just finished a tough workout. You really went all out and now it’s time to hit the couch, watch Netflix and chill all weekend, right?

It’s why most elite athletes actually spend the majority of their days chilling out.

What?

That’s right, they spend more time on the couch than they typically do training.

This is because:

i) they’ve got all the time in the world to dedicate to their physical performance (no pesky day job to distract them),

ii) they understand how essential good rest is.

In this article, I’ll explain the tools and tricks pro athletes use to achieve deep, meaningful rest and recovery periods, and how you can incorporate these techniques for how to rest like an elite athlete. We’ll cover:

Active vs Passive Recovery

Examples of Active Recovery Exercises

7 Recovery Tools and Tips for Runners

How To Optimize Your Sleep As a Runner

Ready?

Let’s jump in!

How To Use Active Recovery

There are two types of recovery: active and passive.

Passive recovery is the situation I described above, basically lying down and doing nothing.

There is a clear consensus among training experts that active recovery is more beneficial than passive. So, while passive recovery is needed, today we’re gonna cover active recovery.

Active recovery means what it sounds like; letting your muscles rest a bit while maintaining movement.

But, let’s break that down a little more. There are three different types of active recovery:

Type #1: Between Sets

Staying active and mobile during the in-between periods of an intense workout. Hence, “between sets.”

This can mean a slower lap in-between fast intervals or hill runs or jogging in place in between weightlifting sets. Really whatever you do to keep moving will work, as long as you are going easy.

Type #2: Cool Down

A cool-down simply means remaining active after a workout. Often, this refers to a “cool down run,” which means a post-workout jog or even brisk walk.

Cooling down after a run or workout allows gradual recovery of your heart rate and blood pressure to pre-workout levels. This is important especially for endurance athletes, including marathon runners because it helps regulate blood flow, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Type #3: Rest Days

A rest day might seem like the perfect time for passive recovery, but this is when staying mobile is most important.

“When an athlete plans a productive rest day, active recovery is the name of the game,” said Dani Singer, certified personal trainer and director of FIT2GO Personal Training.

“A day that is not spent on training is a day full of opportunity for mobility work. Use this time to take care of any muscle tension or joint stiffness you might be carrying around. For example, if you’re a distance runner then you’ll likely find all sorts of knots in your hip flexors, hamstrings, and low back. Use a drill like the “Squat to Pike” to identify and address any issues in these areas,” said Singer.

When we workout intensely, tiny tears form in the muscles. Eventually, our muscles repair themselves and it’s during this repair process that they grow larger and stronger (it’s also why we feel sore in the hours and days after a workout.)

Staying active on rest days increases blood flow to those muscles, helping them to repair themselves faster and make us feel less sooner.

Examples Of Active Recovery Rest Day Exercises

These light exercises will help you stay mobile and recover faster, so that your body is ready for the next intense workout.

Walking, or power walking

Gentle jogging

Cycling

Pilates or yoga

Swimming

Using a foam roller

Gentle gym sessions (less than 50% your normal weight).

7 Rapid Recovery Tools and Tips For Runners

1.Foam Roll!

Standard foam rollers can help massage the soft tissue, ligaments, tendon that surround a heavily used muscle. It can increase blood flood and promote recovery in those areas.

When using a foam roller, stop whenever you hit a tender spot, inhale, and as you exhale roll your way down. Treat your body in sections and focus on the sorest muscles.

2. Massage guns

Alternatively, electronic massage guns can achieve the same tension release and increase in blood flow as foam rollers do, however, they are more suitable for passive recovery because they require little effort.

3. Recovery Boots

Recovery boots are similar to the blood pressure monitors that fit over your upper arm. They look like oversized boots that you fit onto your legs up to your hips.

The boots inflate pneumatically, compressing around the legs like a blood pressure monitor would around your upper arm. Recovery boots increase blood flow to your muscles after a tough run or workout, and promote faster muscle recovery.

4. Resistance Bands

Light workouts with resistance bands can keep muscles active on rest days. There are many exercises good for stretching out muscle groups that can take a beating during long distance running.

5. Use a Wall!

If you don’t have any of the equipment I listed above, don’t fret! Simply find a wall and lay down perpendicular to it, bring your legs up into the air with your heels gently resting against the wall.

Hold this position for 6-8 minutes or until your feet start to tingle. This technique helps more oxygenated blood flow into your sore legs.

6. Recovery Runs

Marathoners should have recovery runs installed into their programs, if you aren’t following a program, find one here.

It’s key to reduce your effort and keep these recovery runs gentle, or you will risk overtraining and injury.

7. Maintaining Hydration

Maintaining hydration is vital for athletes during workouts, but also on rest days. Drinking water with electrolytes is a great way to stay hydrated longer than you would if you were drinking just water. Here’s a recipe to follow for a DIY electrolyte water!

Sleep Tips For Athletes

We’ve all heard the old wisdom about getting 8 hours every night, but did you know that athletes can aim for 10 hours of sleep? In this section, we’ll discuss best sleep practices for athletes.

“Getting above average sleep warrants above average performance,” said certified personal trainer and founder of The Fitness Tribe Brandon Nicholas.

Athletes – even us regular humans, after a hard workout – should get 10 hours of sleep each night because athletes expend energy and put strain on their muscles at a higher rate than non-athletes, therefore athletes should sleep for longer periods of time comparatively, in order to fully repair and recover.

Power naps can be an athlete’s best friend, but they have to be done right. A good power nap is a short rest during the day.

Power naps for athletes is only a 10-30 minute shut-eye at any point during the day. This brings out a two-three hour boost in energy and performance, while long naps that usually last for up to two hours can cause grogginess and is detrimental for your athletic performance later on,” said Nicholas.

Additionally, naps should be scheduled so that they don’t interrupt your night’s sleep, the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School recommends short naps before 5 p.m. to prevent a restless night.

I personally enjoy a pre-workout power nap a couple days each week. I usually set a timer on my phone for 25 minutes after I lay down. When I wake up, I don’t feel any sense of grogginess, rather recharged and ready to shift into a workout mentality.

A consistent sleep schedule is key for athletes who require high amounts of energy to get them through tomorrow’s workout. Going to bed and waking up at a regular time will contribute to aligning your body clock. A regular sleep routine can speed up muscle recovery and boost the body’s ability to recharge.

Keeping distractions like phones, computers and TVs out of your bedroom can promote an uninterrupted sleep, while solidifying your bedroom as a place to sleep, not a second living room or office.

I am guilty of this. When I crawl into bed it’s not sleep that’s on my mind, more often than not it’s, “what should I watch?” The truth is our minds will start to associate a place (the bedroom) with sleep, if we consistently train it to do so by using our bedroom for the sole purpose of sleeping.

Conversely, if I continue to watch TV in my bed before I attempt to fall asleep, it will be harder for me to fall asleep quickly than if I didn’t treat my bedroom like a movie theater.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. These chemicals, along with nicotine, have been shown to either prevent or interrupt sleep, according to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Why Rest Is Important

If you aren’t completely convinced that rest is an integral aspect of a top athlete’s performance, here’s some insight from professional Triathlete and Rower Nick Karwoski.

When training for a particular race, event or goal, rest becomes as important, if not more important, than the training itself. The only way for your body to perform at its best is to make sure that you are giving everything it needs to recover. This means more than just rolling out or stretching; it means hydrating, fueling, sleeping and timing your days off that are optimal in your training. The harder you push your body and ask of it, the more it may need to recover in order to repeat that training session.”

Rest and recovery are essential to any athlete’s training program; whether they are a pro, or training for their first half marathon.

Use these tips and try to dedicate the same amount of time, effort and concentration toward your rest as you would your workout.

Eating proper foods, maintaining hydration, stretching, and sleeping well are all pieces of the “feel-good-puzzle.” When they all fit together you perform your best!

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Here’s How To Do Dry January: Hit Reset, Feel Awesome

Published on December 31, 2020 By Knox Keranen

As New Year rolls around, doing a Dry January gives you an opportunity to hit reset on your health habits, feel good going in to next year, and take control of your wellbeing.

While it’s easy to draw up a list of resolutions or goals (that are usually forgotten about within a couple of weeks), choosing to stay sober and do a Dry January is something that you take immediate action with, it only lasts 31 days – so is easy to complete -, and is a tangible goal that just requires a little willpower every day.

Doing a Dry January fosters other healthy habits, and can act as a nice reset after the excesses of the festive period.

In other words, it’s the perfect way to kick off the New Year.

In this post, we’re going to walk through:

Our guide to acing your Dry January

A few interesting statistics on January

The benefits of doing a Dry January

Some tips for making sure you don’t fall off the wagon!

Ready?

Let’s jump in!

What Is Dry January?

Dry January, just like Sober October, means giving up drinking alcohol for the month of January.

The Dry January movement is fairly recent – it was launched by Alcohol Change UK in 2013 with 4,000 people signing up; within 7 years, this had grown to 4 million. The campaign actually started when Emily Robinson, one of the directors of Alcohol Concern, was training for a half marathon and wanted to abstain from alcohol to help her prepare.

More recently, the Dry January concept has spread from the UK to other countries across the globe, particularly France and Switzerland.

Some people choose to add on other health and fitness challenges, but the core principle is simple – no booze for 31 days.

And it turns out taking an extended break from booze can dramatically improve your health; both body and mind.

As the countdown to the New Year begins, we make resolutions and hope to improve ourselves in a measurable way. Improvement can mean acquiring a new skill, reading more, or conquering a lofty challenge. Running a marathon, for instance. But, one of the most popular resolutions is to improve our health: exercising more, eating healthier, drinking less.

January Statistics

A study led by Sussex psychologist Richard de Visser had over 800 people participate in Dry January 2018.

Research from that study showed that the majority of participants noticed dramatic impacts on their physical health: 54% self-reported better skin, 58% lost weight, 67% had more energy, 71% slept better and 70% reported generally improved health.

The Benefits Of Doing A Dry January

1. Better Skin

To better understand how quitting drinking can improve your skin, we need to examine what happens in the body when we drink.

Most of us know that we have to urinate more frequently when we are drinking, this is because alcohol acts as a diuretic, meaning it increases the production of urine.

Frequent urination means we can become dehydrated, leading to damaged skin, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

2. Weight Loss

While you shouldn’t count on losing weight from cutting out alcohol, abstinence can potentially lead to weight loss. A domestic light beer in my fridge right now contains 100 calories, but heartier beers can contain more than 200 calories. Multiply that by two or three drinks and it’s as if you have eaten a meal.

Wine, beer and mixed drinks also contain sugar, which the body eventually stores as fat.

Not only that, but boozing is often combined with eating more and being less active. The trickle-down effects of cutting out booze will help you shed those pounds.

3. Sleep Better

When we get a good night’s sleep we wake up revitalized, and will probably have more energy throughout the day. But, how does drinking alcohol impact our sleep?

Alcohol is deceptive in more ways than one. While it’s easier to fall asleep after drinking, as alcohol induces sleep, it also disrupts and reduces REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, according to health writer Denise Mann.

REM sleep is vital because it is the stage when people dream and it is generally considered to be restorative. When someone doesn’t get enough REM sleep, they can feel drowsy during the day and may notice a lack of concentration.

4. Mental Health Boosts And Healthy Habit Fostering

Taking a break from alcohol can also have a positive impact on mental health, including helping us examine why we drink in the first place. Remember the study I mentioned before about the 800 people who tried Dry January in 2018? The self-reported changes on their mental health during the dry month are even more surprising than the changes regarding physical health.

The study mentioned earlier showed that:

93% of participants had a sense of achievement after completing the month,
82% thought more deeply about their relationship with alcohol,
80% felt more in control of their drinking,
76% learned more about why they drink,
and 71% realized they don’t need a drink to enjoy themselves.

The impact on mental health and self-examination the participants experienced while taking a dry month are, to me, the most profound results from the study.

After the dry month was over, the participants didn’t go on a week-long binge like some might expect, instead, they drank less per week on average.

Seven months after the study concluded, participants reported they were drinking an average of one day less per week.

Improve Your Running With Dry January

Here's How To Do Dry January: Hit Reset, Feel Awesome 4

As your general health improves, so will your running performance! Running experts agree that taking a break from drinking can help you bag more miles and run for longer periods of time.

“Taking a month break from drinking can help your running immensely,” said Marnie Kunz, certified running coach and founder of Runstreet, a New York running tour company.

“Alcohol is very dehydrating and can lead to muscle cramps and poor performance running. Drinking too much alcohol can also deprive your body of more important nutrient-dense calories as you fill up on alcohol and often, when tipsy or drunk, late-night junk food like fast food,” said Kunz.

Every runner is looking to be cramp-free while running. A Dry January can help them achieve an easier, more fun workout.

Athletes with a high-training load, like a runner in a marathon training program, will have a speedier recovery from intense workouts if they are abstaining from alcohol.

“For runners that have a high training load, long-distance runners and endurance athletes for example, additional stress from alcohol will add to the total recovery time needed between workouts. Giving your body a month-long break from alcohol can help it get more of the nutrients it needs, reduce your total stress load, and help it upgrade its ability to repair and recover, often leading to improved health and performance,” said Laurie Villareal, health and wellness coach.

Waking up with a hangover may make it harder to motivate yourself to get your shoes on and go running.

Avoiding alcohol can keep you on track toward your fitness goals!

Dry January Can Save You Money

Here's How To Do Dry January: Hit Reset, Feel Awesome 5

Recently, my fiance and I were trying to calculate how much money we spend on alcohol per month, and we came to a surprising result. Although we only drink alcohol about twice per week, once at the bar and once at home, we calculated that we spend about $120 each month on alcohol.

I was shocked. That’s $1,440 per year for our household of moderate drinkers. Additionally, people tend to make poor financial decisions when they are under the influence, like buying a round for the whole bar, or participating in unnecessary online shopping.

By cutting alcohol out of your restaurant tab, eating out at a restaurant is more affordable. As for social situations like getting drinks with friends or coworkers, they won’t judge you if you ask the bartender for a ginger ale rather than a beer. Abstaining from alcohol is more common than you might think.

Non-Alcoholic Alternatives for Dry January

For those who want to try Dry January but think they will miss the taste of a cold craft beer (me, especially after a workout) there are tasty, non-alcoholic alternatives.

Athletic Brewing out of Stratford, CT is one of the first breweries dedicated to brewing solely non-alcoholic, yet tasty, craft beer. They offer a range of beers; from IPAs to darker beers, all of them alcohol-free.

Brooklyn Brewery makes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers. They offer two varieties of non-alcoholic beer in their “Special Effects” line of beers, an IPA and a hoppy amber.

In the UK, BrewDog’s line of AF beers has proven popular and is widely available, especially in January.

If you want to participate but would rather have a glass of wine with dinner, ARIEL vineyards makes dealcoholized Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Why To Try A Sober Month

After researching for this article, I’m inspired enough to try Dry January myself. What appealed to me most was how it can improve my running performance, something I’m really interested in as I begin to train for an upcoming marathon. I’m also intrigued by saving all that money!

Tips For A Successful Dry January

If you are struggling with Dry January, be patient with results. Remember to take it one day at a time, and there is only 31 days to complete.

You might not see your skin clear up in a week after cutting out booze, or notice your stomach getting flatter, but don’t quit. Sticking with your plan can only bring you closer to your goals.

Because change comes slowly and the results might not be incredibly apparent right away, taking notes each day about your sleep, physicality and mental state will help you discover changes you may have missed without them.

Treat yourself with all the money you saved from being alcohol-free. You could go out to a restaurant more than you usually do, or try cooking with more expensive ingredients at home. Yes to the lobster tail!

Plan to be challenged by urges and triggers. A sober month is easier for some and harder for others. If you know you are likely to drink while doing a certain activity, or at a place (like a bar.)

Then avoid those triggers. However, this doesn’t mean you should avoid socializing or doing things you like, but be aware and stay focused on your goal. You may be surprised at how much willpower you possess, and it only takes one “no” to gain momentum.

Most importantly, ask for support. Telling friends and family about your plan to try a sober month will help you commit to the idea, and they can be there to hold you accountable.

Take Our 7-Day Motivation and Mindset Challenge

We’ve developed a 7-Day Motivation and Mindset Challenge which pairs perfectly with kicking off your Dry January!

It involves being active every day of the 7 days – whether through running or another workout – and we layer on other challenges and habit-forming tasks throughout the week!

Interested? Check out the full guide below!

Take Your Running Further With Our Resources...

Half Marathon Resources

How To Train For a Half Marathon (Article)
Best Half Marathon Running Shoes
Half Marathon Training Plans
Free 5-day Half Marathon Bootcamp
The Half Marathon Masterclass

Marathon Training Resources

How To Train For a Marathon
Best Marathon Running Shoes
Marathon Training Plans
Free Marathon Meal Plans
Free 5-day Marathon Training Bootcamp
The Marathon Training Masterclass

Ultramarathon Training Resources

How To Train For an Ultramarathon
Best GPS Watches for Ultrarunners
Ultramarathon Training Plans
Free 5-day Ultra Runner’s Bootcamp
The Ultra Runner’s Playbook

The Ultimate Guide to a Fastpacking Adventure: How To, Gear List, and More

Published on December 28, 2020 By Knox Keranen

Fastpacking is a new form of adventure: a blend of distance trail running, hiking, backpacking, and camping, fastpacking is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, explore nature, and have some fun!

In this guide to fastpacking we’re going to cover:

What Fastpacking Is All About

How To Start Fastpacking

Tips for a Successful Fastpacking Journey

Our Recommended Fastpacking Gear List

Ready to go?

Let’s jump in!

What Is Fastpacking?

Fastpacking is covering long-distances on a trail by jogging, running or power hiking, with a light backpack on, usually over the course of more than one day.

More simply, fastpacking is “hiking the ups, jogging the flats and running the downs,” wrote fastpacker and writer Clint Cherepa.

It appeals to a slew of outdoor enthusiasts, including backpackers, hikers, trail runners, ultramarathoners, and adventurers. Fastpackers want to cover long distances on a trail in a short amount of time and camp out in the backcountry far from the buzz of modern life.

How To Start Fastpacking

1. Start Small

Going out on a multi-day, 100+ mile hike without any training is not the place to start.

Instead, try trail running short distances on local routes with a packed backpack to help your body get acquainted with moving fast with extra weight while building up your fitness. Doing practice runs over shorter distances like this can also help you determine what you like about your gear setup and what isn’t working, then you can tweak it before your long distance trip.

2. Bring a Buddy or Support Crew

When you decide you are ready for a longer haul, bringing along an experienced partner, or crew, is important. Not only will it be more enjoyable to share this awesome experience with someone else, it’s much safer to have a buddy who has done this before.

3. Choose Your Level of Support – and Plan Ahead

There are three ways to approach a fastpacking trip: unsupported, self-supported, and supported.

Unsupported fastpacking means all the supplies you will need for the entirety of your trip are in your pack. This is considered the purest form of fastpacking.

A self-supported trip is when the fastpacker stashes food, clothes, or stove fuel along their route ahead of time so that they can resupply. Resupplies are generally stashed in towns along the route in post offices or shelters.

Finally, supported fastpacking means getting a little help from your friends. A supported fastpacker has a crew ready at strategic checkpoints along the route to provide their resupply and any other assistance that might be needed. Supported fastpacking is typically for those attempting to set a trail record.

4. Scale up gradually

You wouldn’t walk into a gym and try to squat the heaviest weight you can find. Instead, start with a shorter fastpack trip, maybe a one-nighter, and see if you enjoy it. If you do, scale up from there. Starting small also prevents burnout from a brand new sport.

What’s most daunting to rookie fastpackers is all the expensive gear it seems like you need. I’ll talk about gear later, but the best advice I can give is to start small with your gear setup and gradually acquire more stuff when money allows. Additionally, there are used options for all of the gear I will list below.

Don’t be put off by expensive gear, it doesn’t cost a lot to start fastpacking!

5 Tips For Fastpacking Success

1. Know Your Route

Know the landmarks, the terrain, nearest towns, gas stations, hospitals, water sources.

Consider your research the most important part of your preparation. The more information you have, the better you will feel about the trip and the more fun it will be.

2. Plan Your Route According to Your Stamina

Meaning, if your longest run is eight miles, plan to fastpack about 6-8 miles each day. It’s always better to end a day with extra fuel in the tank than bite off more than you can chew and be exhausted.

3. Check Weather Reports

It’s good to know what is typical of the weather in your location, but it’s also important to continue to check the weather up until the day of your trip, and if you can, on the trip too.

4. Be Mindful of Wildlife

Research what wildlife you might run into along your route and plan accordingly.

If you know there could be bears along your route, for example, you might need a bear bag to store your food in at camp. A bear bag is a kevlar sack that can be slung around a tree branch and hoisted to keep out of the reach of bears or other critters.

5. Know The Terrain

If your trip involves dramatic changes in altitude, understand the differences in weather at all of the altitudes you plan to encounter. Most of the time just a few hundred feet in elevation change can have a huge impact on weather conditions.

Bring a paper map and compass. Even if you have an GPS it could fail, or tumble off a cliff.

Our Fastpacking Gear Guide: Here’s What You Will Need

When considering what to bring for a fastpacking trip or really any long-distance hike, keep in mind that you want to be light, so each item should be carefully analyzed for its utility out on the trail.

So, while a smoothie would be a great post-hike treat, you probably shouldn’t bring that blender.

With that said you will need the essentials: a pack, extra clothes, a sleep system, a cooking system, water and first aid.

I’ll explain each of these categories more in-depth and provide some links to where you can purchase this gear online. Of course, there will always be dozens of other things you can bring, lighting for instance if you plan to hike in the dark, or trekking poles for more stability when running downhills or on uneven ground.

Your Fastpack – The Pack For Your Fastpacking Adventure

The most important thing for a fastpack trip?

The pack.

A good pack is light, deep, and comfortable. I recommend a vest style pack, which redistributes the weight of your pack off of your lower back and prevents your pack from bouncing too much while running, jogging or power hiking, which could lead to painful chafing, “pack rub.”

You also want to get a pack which has enough capacity for whatever you’re planning – the will change depending on whether you’re going supported, unsupported, or self-supported. A 25 litre pack is a good volume to head for if you want room for a change of clothes, a couple of meals, and lightweight camping gear.

The Ultimate Guide to a Fastpacking Adventure: How To, Gear List, and More 6 — **Our Recommended Fastpack**: **The Ultimate Direction 25l pack** (*check on Amazon*)

Fastpack Clothing

Lightweight, waterproof clothes are handy because you want to be light and dry. For your base layer, you generally want garments that wick moisture to prevent sweat from accumulating. Polyesters and spandex are your best bet. Keep in mind that your base layer is your last line of defense against the cold or the wet. You can never go wrong with an extra pair of socks.

The Ultimate Guide to a Fastpacking Adventure: How To, Gear List, and More 7 — Ultimate Direction Men’s Ultra Jacket V2

The Ultimate Guide to a Fastpacking Adventure: How To, Gear List, and More 8 — Ultimate Direction Women’s Ultra Jacket V2

Hydration: Water Storage and Purification

Water is essential for life, and especially essential for fastpackers. But, it’s impossible to pack all the water you will need for your long-distance, possible multi-day hike. That’s why it’s incredibly important to source your water along your route.

That means identify on a map where you know you will be able to find fresh water: rivers, streams or lakes, and pack a small, light water bottle with a removable water filter, or some water filters are attached to the cap of the water bottle.

The Ultimate Guide to a Fastpacking Adventure: How To, Gear List, and More 9

The Katadyn BeFree 1.0L Water Filter and Bottle is a Collapsible 1.0L hydrapak soft bottle flask which you can roll up and stash in your pocket or pack, and contains a 0.1 micron water filter removes harmful organisms like bacteria 99.9999% and protozoa like Giardia & Cryptosporidium 99.9%, surpassing EPA standards – in other words, suitable for filtering and cleaning water from streams and rivers.

Bivvy Shelter

A bivvy is the shelter of choice for most fastpackers. A bivvy is a shelter that looks like a narrow bag just large enough for you and your sleeping bag. They aren’t as spacious as most tents (much less headspace,) but they are significantly lighter and can be set up and broken down faster because there are less parts. All good things when you wake up on the trail and want to get moving!

winterial fastpacking — **Recommended bivy tarp/shelter**: the Winterial Single Person Bivy Tent *(total weight: 2.9 pounds*)

Sleeping Bag

Alternatively, if the weather conditions allow it, you could skip the bivvy and sleep in your bag under the stars. Your conditions will determine what degree of thickness your sleeping bag will need to be. If the temperature will be close to freezing, make sure you have at least a zero-degree bag. If it’s warm enough, a lighter bag can be used.

The Ultimate Guide to a Fastpacking Adventure: How To, Gear List, and More 10 — **Recommended Sleeping Bag**: Teton LEEF Lightweight Mummy Sleeping Bag

Stove or Cooking System

If you want a hot meal after a long day on the trail, you’ll need a cooking system. Which means a burner, a small pot and fuel. That sounds like a lot, but luckily there has been a great deal of innovation in engineering these parts to make them smaller and lighter. If you want to be light and you are willing to spend a little cash on cooking gear, your cost in weight will only be about 10 ounces for the entire cooking system.

Recommended ultralight stove: the MSR PocketRocket 2 Mini Stove Kit

No-Stove Alternative: Cold Soaking

Let’s say you are willing to sacrifice warm meals to make your pack even lighter, or you would rather just eat a meal that is already prepared by the time you get to camp rather than set up a stove. Well, you can do something called cold-soaking your food. Cold soaking is a technique that uses cold water and a sealed container to “cook” your food. Ramen noodles is one of the most popular cold-soaked dishes. To cook, simply add water to a packet of dry noodles and seal in any plastic or glass container and it’s ready to eat in about thirty minutes!

First Aid Kit

It’s the morning of day three on the trail and your blisters have blisters. You would rather go barefoot than put your trail shoes back on. This is why a first aid kit with basic blister care supplies is integral to the essentials list. That means bandaids, safety needles, and petroleum jelly. Ibuprofen, salt tabs, sunscreen and lip balm are also a good idea. A first aid pouch is also a good place to store a paper map and compass, which you’ll need in case your electronic navigation loses service (maybe the whole point of your fastpack,) or fails.