Dealing with pain on the Appalachian Trail
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ต.ค. 2024
- Plenty of hikers get mighty sore on the Appalachian Trail, too sore for ibuprofen to completely fix it. We look at some scenarios of how this can happen.
The AT is a rough place, physically - • Can we take it easy on...
How Flatbroke prevents blisters - • Blisters are worse on ...
The AT Conservancy numbers on thru hiking success rates (scroll down to see charts) - www.appalachian...
A look at knee pain and hiking - vtsports.com/sp...
Book by John Bargh - www.amazon.com...
Flatbrokeoutside on Facebook - www.facebook.c...
So happy to have you back!!!... I've missed all the great information that you give but most of all I have missed your VOICE... Happy Trails my friend 🤗
Thanks for being a great viewer!
Grandma Gatewood of Hocking County Ohio! After completing the AT she came home and helped found the Buckeye trail (a loop, roughly one county in from each edge of Ohio). The run between Old Mans Cave and Ash Cave in Hocking Hills is named in her honor!
I get the impression from reading AT hiker blogs and watching AT hiker videos that their pain is nearly always self-inflicted. Too many miles at a time, ill fitting packs and shoes, etc. After a day of hiking there should be fatigue, not pain. This goes for any sport, not just hiking. I was a performance cyclist for many years. If I experienced pain during a 100 mile ride I stopped and made adjustments to the bike. Same with hiking. If your pack is causing neck and shoulder pain make adjustments to it or lighten the load. A saying heard among hikers lately is, "Don't normalize your pain."
Lessons on the AT often are some type of near-torment. And thanks, as always, for being a great viewer!
Good advice! I attempted a thru hike in 2017. In the Smokys I started feeling ankle and foot pain. I took 2 zeros in Gatlinburg. The pain was still there at Hot Springs my foot swoll up like a ballon so I hiked back to Hot Springs for 3 zeros. Before Sams Gap every step was like a knife to my foot. I zeroed for 4 days. Had to get off the trail. I found out I had a compression fracture. I still have pain at times. My lesson I f.eel I was doing to many miles at the start especially in The snow. Hikers take your time till you get your hiker legs.
Sorry to hear things didn't work out last year. Hope you're able to keep hiking now. Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for watching!
Last summer I started out at Harpers Ferry and planned to go all the way to Mt Greylock, but I had to give up early from back and hip pain. I believe the problem was the rubble sized rocks on the trail. I've been training ever since on similar trails here in MA with my full pack nearly everyday. This time I will start at Mt Greylock and go south, so if I have to quit early, I won't be so far from home. I enjoy all your videos.
I bet that training pays off - keep us posted. Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for being a great viewer!
Stress fracture in my right hip years ago. Had it replaced this March. I'm doing well. Looking forward to backpacking again! The last few trips were slow, short, and painful. I have not been out in 2 years. I see the doctor in two days. I have my fingers crossed, that he says that I will be good to go soon.
I hope you get a good report from the doc and thanks for watching!
Great advice. Funny that the AT completion rate is declining while the number of registered thru hikers is increasing. Poor judgement can also take you off trail as happened to me with a much too heavy pack. Thanks for another great video. I really hope to run into you on the trail someday!!
Maybe we will! Keep hikin' and thanks for being a great viewer!
This is not about the AT this is a lesson for LIFE. Always pay attention to what you do, it's a walking meditation! :)
Good point, and thanks a million for watching!
I have never had trouble with my feet or ankles on the trail (except a blister here and there and I us KT tape for those). I often get questioned on the trail of why I would wear 8" boots. I never had a good answer other than I can blouse my pants in them and keep ticks out and I have always worn 8" boots, they work for me. You have provided several reasons that I have not had problems in these boots, more ridged sole among them. I have bad knees, don't need bad feet. I am a day hiker with some requiring over nights, but have had many 20 mile days. Love your Vlogs... keep them coming.
I recently got a pair of Brooks Cascadia and the soles are mighty stiff ..... but we'll see how they do. I might go to boots with super thick soles. Keep hikin' and thanks a million for being a viewer!
Another outstanding episode in the series, with lessons applicable to our non-hiking lives as well.
Glad you liked it and like I always say, thanks again for being such a great viewer!
Another great video. Like you, I have experienced fallen arches, as well as midfoot arthritis. As much as I love trail runners, all my longer hikes require stiff sole boots. A rigid, lightweight carbon fiber insert bought online has also helped. Thanks again.
I also have check out the carbon fiber inserts. Maybe I'll get a pair later. Thanks for the tip and thanks again for watching!
You earned a doctorate in Hiking from the school of hard knocks. I had to get some doctor Scholes 440 inserts from Wal-mart because I have flat feet. Modified my flat insoles in my boots. Arch support is important.
I might try a pair of those, thanks for the tip! And thanks for watching!
I have flat feet too and it directly caused a heel spur.
Well done!!! Need to get my weight back done to reduce pain and increase the enjoyment factor Can not overestimate the importance of training and adjusting expectations as you have pointed out. Thanks for .your many awesome videos. Learning lots. Coming late to the game but love the trail. All the best!
Good to hear you're having a great time hiking! Glad you like the videos and thanks for being a viewer!
Another great video and while hiking the trails a mechanical injury is my biggest fear. Watching my foot placement is key, especially when in the fall and and the acorns are out and ready to attack. Happy hiking
Thanks for being a great viewer!
Thanks for the info... your series was of great help to me prior to my thru last year. One thing that helped me was a routine of stretching; morning, at stops, end of day. All good. Again thanks for the effort.
Congrats on that thru hike! It's great to hear the videos helped! Good tips on the stretching - I also think it helps. And thanks for being a great viewer!
I’m glad your recovery has gone well an your back on the AT hiking, it’s equally as important that your giving advise an helping other hikers with info . You have a unique approach, don’t stop.
Glad you like the videos and thanks for being a viewer!
Enjoy learning from your experiences on hiking a trail such as the A.T. Recently hiked and spent the night on Springer Mt. then returned to the State park the next day as I was testing out my gear this trip. Every time going up hill I would think of your advice of 16 inch steps ( I was doing like 12 in. steps) and also, as your suggestion, used a cut down white plastic chobani yogurt container to obtain my water. It really helped to scoop tiny trickles of water and to visualize and keep out the forest debris as I transferred the water to my bottle. You have many videos and will continue to go through them. Thanks!
Glad you are finding the videos useful! Thanks for being a great viewer!
Great info flatbroke as always, I enjoy your videos greatly. Good to hear from ya.
Thanks for being a great viewer!
great advice good to see you again.
Thanks sir! And thanks for being a viewer!
When I had a knee injury last year the therapist used a stretchy elastic tape in the area that the knee was weak. Tape doesn't last long on my skin, but I think with the tape fix spray it might work. Learning to tape is not a bad skill to have on hand. It's not difficult to learn and I think it would work better than an elastic band which constricts the poplitial artery. That can result in leg cramps and blood clots, especially if left on over night and with the middle age to senior population.
You make a good point. And thanks for watching!
" Pain is Good , It lets you know you're still Alive " ~ Clint Eastwood ~ HeartBreak Ridge
Excellent and informative video as ALWAYS sir!
Thanks a million!
I am doing day hikes on the AT, increasing my distances each time, training to do multi-day hikes. I do notice knee and back pain at times. I wonder how much is normal verses when I need to seek medical advice. I am almost 50 years old. I saw another comment below about the Gatewood trail at Hocking Hills. I hiked there many times during a time I lived in Ohio. My friend from Zanesville had a shattered hip full of metal and he hike many miles with me over the years in OH and WV.
"...how much is normal verses when I need to seek medical advice" -- I think most folks will wonder about this. If we are unsure what caused the problem, and have no idea how long it will last and/or fear it might be something serious, then the case for seeing a doc grows stronger and stronger. If you haven't been to the backpacking trail at Zaleski, my advice is check it out. Keep hikin' and thanks for watching!
Great as always !
Thanks again for watching!
Tiny url isn't working. Are you same guy who had surgery for pain issues and taken a long time to heal?
I'd like to hike with you or like mined folks who understands pain and servere pain . I appreciate your work
Here's the full link to that book -- www.amazon.com/Before-You-Know-Unconscious-Reasons/dp/1501101218/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523071646&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=john+bargh+phd.
Yes, I was in the head-on wreck, couldn't walk worth a darn for three years, etc. The AT runs through the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia for about 90 miles. While it's still work to hike it, it's much easier than the average AT terrain. The hills are not as big in Shenandoah, and in most places the trail is quite smooth. Keep hiking and thanks for watching!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 thank you. I do appreciate your you tube!
Great information as always, thank you. You should read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. A great book about keeping your feet and legs strong. Long story short; less support equals stronger body. Evan, from Evan’s Backpacking Channel, is currently attempting a thru hike wearing the Luna sandals that were inspired by the above book. Check them both out if you’ve got the time. Thanks again.
Years ago I would see people in sandals along the AT but haven't seen another in a long time. Those I saw who did had really light packs and they were flyin' - Thanks for the book tip and thanks for watching!
Always enjoy and did so this time as well. Any plans for summer or fall this year? Sure hope so. Let me know how you are doing.
The good news is that left foot is greatly improved. We'll see what happens when it hits the rocks again. I'm going back and picking up where I left off. It's just a matter of when. I could handle October and if need be, November. A good deal of my stuff sits in the pack as I speak. For rapid organization! Thanks for asking and thanks again for being a great viewer!
I knew it was those freakin acorns lol I hate stepping on those.
Yeah, they're out to get us! :) Thanks again for watching!
One of the challenges for current doctors is that they (in general) they follow the protocol of "evidence based medicine" so unless they have the note-able paper work they are less likely to go by "instinct". So for any average Joe if you think something is wrong a twinge in your knee, redness on your skin make note of it. Write down (or type in your phone) the date, the time, the symptom and the duration, this will help the Doc figure out if you have a horse or a zebra (common mantra among doctors is "common things are common"; "If you hear hoof beats, think horse, not zebra." Sometimes, though, those hoof beats turn out to be freakin' zebras).
Thanks for this good advice and thanks a million for watching!
Wow, I could never hike rocky trails without hiking shoes/boots, it would kill my feet to hike in anything less.
I'm not far behind you in that regard. We'll see how my latest pair of shoes work out. Brooks Cascadia ... pretty rigid soles. And thanks for watching!
Good advice about hiking any trail , not just the AT. Pain is the 1st warning sign that something is wrong and it's smarter to listen to what it is trying to tell you. Anything from a hot spot to something a little more serious. In my case it was a triple-by-pass and after that I found a lighter pack and going slower is a lot more enjoyable. Each step is an adventure and the best location is the one I'm at , at that moment. It woke me up and made a whole new world for me to enjoy , no heavy packs and no rushing around. F.Y.I. Yes , Turtles have more fun ( but lose more races ) then Rabbits. lol
Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks again for being a viewer!
Pain is natures way of telling us to stop activity is damaging our bodies. You can ignore it, but that can cause permanent damage. For example 25% of high school football players end up with a lifelong injury. The general advice of coaches is to be macho and keep going, ignoring the pain. Is the sport and glory worth it? Everybody has to judge for himself. Hiking is pretty much the same way.
In any questionable activity, I ask myself what I lose if I lose, what I win if I win, and what it costs to get into the game. Then you pays your money and you takes your chances.
As far as boots, early on I bought a pair of heavy Galibier boots with rigid soles that flexed as much as cast iron. They were heavy, but even on hikes through days of walking on rock, carrying a 35 pound pack, I never had foot problems. I often wonder if the common modern foot problems are the result of ultralight trail sneakers ( not sure of the proper advertising jargon name).
Thanks once again for sharing your experience and being a great viewer!
Always get a second or third opinion on your health
Darn good advice and thanks for watching!
Wear ankle high boots not trail runners
I use both boots and trail runners and use them in different situations. Whenever I have had problems, the problems were worse when wearing boots. Love the cushion of boots, but I am more clumsy in them and they are less forgiving about it. Ouch! For me, boots are not safer, just a tad more comfortable. Want to hike with a group that requires mid-weight boots. Not convinced this is a great idea. May opt out.
I watched your videos before my thru hike back in 2016! your videos helped me prepare in ways I didn’t think of so thank you!
Congratulations on that hike! Great to hear the videos helped, and thanks for being a great viewer!