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Absolutely not. At most they help strengthen the diaphragm, at the worst, they do nothing and limit your workout capacity. They make it harder to breathe but the air you're still breathing has exactly the same ppO2 as the atmosphere you're in.
By elevation training what are you asking about? How to get fit so when you get to altitude you minimize risk of AMS? If so then I hate to break it to you, but there is nothing "specific" you can do outside of somehow finding a hypoxic tent to work out in or living at altitude. The general approach to fitness for the mountains is a combination of strength and conditioning. The go to textbook for this is Training for the New Alpinism.
I'm not going to pretend to know if you assessed the situation correctly but this:
> This is a run just outside of the main pistes
and this:
> My friend in the orange has been riding this area his entire life, and assured me
Are two huge reasons that people die in the backcountry. If you're off piste like this everyone in your group should have a beacon, probe, and shovel at minimum. If this is a thing you do often or want to do more in the future, then I would recommend at least reading a book like this.
To me, diffusion of responsibility and thinking "well he knows what he's doing and is ok with this" is not something I want to bet my safety on. Gaining knowledge for yourself so that you can make your own intelligent decisions is the best way to go.
Hopefully this didn't come across as a lecture, just trying to provide the right information. Like I said, your friends decision could have been fine, but if you read up on it a bit you'll be able to at least know what to look for and make a judgement of your own next time you end up in this situation.
If nothing else, at least remember this for judging if something is steep enough to slide.
Check out Training For The New Alpinism and Training For The Uphill Athlete. I've been reading TFTNA and it has a lot of good information on how to periodize your lifting and aerobic training, along with recommendations for specific workouts.
My advice is that most of us are climbing to live, not living to climb.
Steve Bechtel and Charlie Manganiello of ClimbStrong both advocate cutting down on cardio to truly hit your climbing peak, both of them ski and run, and have put plenty of thought into progressing while being a multi-sport athlete.
It also depends on your current goals. Trying to cut weight? eating right and engaging in some mild cardio can help. Trying to climb long trad routes and be a mountaineer? Buddy there's a whole massive debate about how to become the most insane cardio machine possible.
You should do the thing you feel is most rewarding. I tend to cycle in and out of climbing-heavy and running-heavy periods of my life because they both make me happy. Am I the strongest at either that I could be? Definitely not.
Personally "SAS Survival hand book" by John Wiseman. It's not a prepper book in the sense your looking for, but it is important in that it teaches mental preparedness.
SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062378074/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HzorDbTMVBCZP
You need a load bearing hipbelt, you really should have a dedicated avalanche tools pocket, and no, 32L is not big enough for overnight even during the summer let alone during the winter with avalanche gear. Don't try cut corners with winter backcountry gear.
Pick up a copy of Freedom of the Hills and read it if you are serious about this kind of thing. You really shouldn't be doing a winter overnight in the backcountry if you have to ask this kind of stuff. I mean that with safety in mind, not to be a jerk.
Strength training and running keep me busy while I'm working now.
Read Freedom of the Hills, it'll likely take a year.
1.5 years is a really long time though. If you prioritize it, getting on trail is totally doable in that time frame. Being a weekend warrior is definitely a skill that takes time to learn and perfect.
The top 5 bowel movements of my life have been outdoors. Seriously, a spade, some paper, and some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet. Somebody even wrote a book about it...https://www.amazon.com/How-Shit-Woods-3rd-Environmentally/dp/1580083633
But to just go willy nilly in your neighbors yard?
SAS Survival Guide and the Bushcraft 101 books are two good ones.
Quarantine restlessness is definitely a big reason how I stumbled on the PCT, too. It's encouraging to see that you didn't phase right out of it and wen ton backpacking trips, too. As I mentioned, that is where I'd like to get. However, I definitely do not relate to you about having outdoor experience. Do you have any resources (such as books, guides, etc. -- I've recently stumbled on How to Shit in the Woods which looks promising)?
And yes, this thru hike is such a commitment, I'm sure careers are holding a lot of people back. I hope you enjoy your future hikes, though! Thanks for your anecdote.
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. I do have a high degree of trust in the book as it is often refereed to as the bible of Mountaineering; however, as you pointed out testing it would yield better insights/improvements. Here is a link to the book on amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594851387
In addition to powerlifting/strongman, I'm also an avid hiker. In prepping for a backpacking trip coming up, I've been reading a lot from "uphill athlete" and "training for the new alpinism" (one of the authors is on the uphill athlete site). Another endurance coah, Phil Maffetone is very similar. They are all big fans of long slow cardio based around a measurement of aerobic threshold.
Basically, they argue that's how you improve your aerobic system and that most of us exercise at too high of an intensity. I've not done it long enough to notice big improvements myself, but I can't deny it's also healthy, so that's a perk.
I started thinking about it b/c I could keep up with my wife hiking, albeit with a heart rate that was in the 150's while hers was in the 120's. I was strong, I could move weight quickly, I could push myself hard, etc., but boy was my heart rate up there.
​
*edit: +1 on seeing a doc to make sure there's not an underlying condition
How to Shit in the Woods, 4th Edition: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art https://www.amazon.com/dp/1984857134/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AS6LFbWQ5X5T7
It’s up to the fourth edition 😂😂 I love this book. It makes a fabulous gift!
It's great you are approaching the skill of anchor building with caution, but I wouldn't put too much weight into what any stranger on the internet (myself included) says. You could learn a lot more by reading a book, taking a class, or hiring a guide. A lot of people put a lot of weight into finding a mentor, but you also have to be cautious to not blindly trust that they know what they're doing - I've met people who have climbed trad for a while but with terrible gear knowledge who just don't fall often enough to know that their gear is shit.
I use dailies specifically because of backpacking. I actually usually wash my hands before I go to bed (I use Dr. Bronners but Campsuds is also popular) if I can't because water is really scarce I'll sanitize before bed. Then I'll put new contacts in first thing in the morning. I'm sure my eye doctor would not like that but I've never had an incident.
"How to Shit in the Woods" by Meyer (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1984857134/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_NCWBBBKKQVZZJ23K04S3) is a pretty good reference on environmentally acceptable waste disposal but generally you're always okay carrying our your TP and wipes. Depending on the bioactivity of the soil and human use load of the area you may be okay burying your TP if you dig an adequate hole. You are never okay leaving wipes.
Depending on trip length I may go to a restaurant if I go through a town but I would also eat something so I don't really feel bad about using their restroom as a customer.
Still highly recommend acquiring "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills". Read the parts that interest you first, and then eventually, read the whole thing. The book is 600 pages long and will teach you safety and skills. https://smile.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers/dp/1680510045/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2N2B4Y2MS4FF0&keywords=mountaineering+freedom+of+the+hills&qid=1664170043&sprefix=mountaineering%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-1
US Marine here and I think a great place to start would be the book they give us in boot camp. It has tactics for firefights to intelligence, guides on weapons systems and standard military gear. Can't find it on Amazon but here's a link, $12
https://marineshop.net/product/guidebook-for-marines-pb-0940328151/
For survival tactics I recommend the SAS handbook which covers basics on survival in any climate or situation. This is to include how to protect yourself in a nuclear event.
Godspeed
There is a book written 30 years ago that has sold 3 million copies called How to Shit in the Woods. Are you aware of that book? If so, how is yours different?
For something a bit more specific, you might check out Training for the New Aplinism - Steve House is always a good read. Sold all over the UK.
Survival means water, food, and shelter, more or less in that order depending how how dangerous conditions are. You can survive three weeks (possibly longer) without food, but you can't survive three days without water.
As with food, your body has enough salt to live for many days without needing more, so if your water is really limited the last thing you want is to taint it by adding seawater. Drink plain water, drink slowly and steadily, rationing as you can, and meanwhile use everything available to collect water to fill up your reserves. Fill every container, and then whatever else you can find that will hold some water, and then keep those out of the sun.
If you have no food and plenty of drinkable water, then at some point I suppose you'll feel the need to drink some sea water to get salt. Someone else mentioned pathogens in sea water but really in a survival situation that's the least of your worries. If you get hungry enough you'll eat anything that looks edible, and spit it out if it tastes bad. That's the kind of conditions humans evolved under, and we're pretty well adapted to stay alive even if we eat really noxious stuff. If you read survival manuals there's a process you can go through to determine if something is edible, first by smell, then rubbing it on your skin, then putting a little on your tongue, then ingesting a small amount, each time waiting long enough for any poisons to take effect.
If this kind of thing piques your interest, then "SAS Survival Handbook" is a classic. For it to be really useful you have to practice everything in there, but some people adopt it as a hobby, going out in the middle of nowhere and trying to survive with just a knife and maybe a few other tools, or with nothing at all.
So I’m in the process of trying to be able to survive with as little as possible. Here’s what I recommend. Basically start with reading and practice. Bring a lot of stuff for your first backpacking/camping trip out. Then learn what you don’t need. Get rid of what you didn’t use or didn’t necessarily need. That’s the first step.
Then try to go camping often to get practice and try to do something different and/or new each trip. That’s what I’m doing. Each trip camping I try to accomplish something new and at the same time reduce what I bring. For example, learn how to hunt and gather, then you don’t need to bring so much food. Learn how to master building a shelter, then don’t bring a tent. But the unfortunate reality is it’s damn near impossible to survive for an extended period of time with nothing but the clothes on your back. So it’s a tough goal.
I recommend this SAS survival guide this book is great and is a guide to do just about everything you need to know to survive with very little materials.
I’ve learned a lot in the last year that I’ve been in the practice. But I’m still a novice. Your goal is huge and something that will take years and decades to master. You’ll need to be dedicated and patient.
Get this book and take it with you. It will answer all your questions.
lol these comments are so salty.
Go pick up Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. This book is going to give you a LOT of detail on gear and how to use it, but it's only theoretical. You need to find someone with more experience than you, be it a formal teacher, or a guided climb, or someone from a local climbing group to show you how to do everything in practice.
From the Amazon preview, that book seems to be a bit lacking in content, less than 200 pages and mostly just photos - sounds like the kind of thing you would read over once and never pick it up again.
Consider the library as a resource, you may be able to find instructional books for free (maybe including the one you listed). I read John Long's Climbing Anchors from the library just to say that I've read it (I already know how to build anchors, was looking to supplement my knowledge). Okay book, but over-reliant on SERENE anchors which is not necessarily important.
As an alternative to the book you listed, consider instead Rock Climbing: The AMGA Single Pitch Manual, it's probably a bit more detailed, covers similar content, and is well regarded as a beginner's handbook.
People mention Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills, but it's pretty broad on all mountaineering, not specific to rock climbing. Good resource to thumb through, but not something to read as a book.
You might want to look locally for guidance — is this a park, private property, wilderness area, or? Different ecosystems have different guidelines; different jurisdictions have different rules.
If you do the bucket you gotta pack it out — it’s not cool to bury all that plastic from the bags. If you do cat-holes do it right.
There’s a great book called How to Shit in the Woods.
SF - Tijuana took about 2.5 weeks.
It's essentially Highway 1 the whole way down, except through urban areas. The "Pacific Coast Bicycle Route" is signed almost the whole way through CA.
I bought this book and it was worth its weight in gold.
Alternative position: the Tripod! Squat, then lean back to put a hand on the ground behind you. This position uses different muscles, plus can make it easier to aim for people who are nervous about that sort of thing.
It sounds like your butt might also be shy about pooping in the woods in general, which is extremely common! You may want to get a Squatty Potty for your home toilet to get your body more used to the position.
Here is an extremely helpful book that every hiker should own
Just did mine in January. The online coursework is a great pre cursor and has a ton of the info from the in person part. Reading this book before hand really helped nail down a lot of concepts and made the course make a lot more sense for me. https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1680511386/ref=nodl_
https://www.amazon.com/How-Shit-Woods-4th-Environmentally/dp/1984857134
This is os actually a great book, sold in USA National Parks.
Haven’t ever had to really use it but I take it anywhere where I might get “stuck” SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062378074/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_7DFKXH339WX536G739YF