Start Walking with Your Hunting Pack
This should go without saying: every hunter needs to start walking with the pack they actually hunt with. Load it the way you would on opening day—water, gear, layers, first aid, everything—and start putting in miles. Hunting is hiking, just heavier and with purpose.
Most hunting packs weigh more than a standard hiking setup, so get used to it early. If your area allows open carry of rifles (always check your local laws), hike with your rifle in hand or strapped to your pack, however you normally carry it in the field. The goal is realism.
If you have a treadmill at home, crank up the incline and walk hills with your loaded pack and rifle. No treadmill? Bring your pack to the gym, hop on a machine, and grind out an hour of steep walking. Aim for at least 5 kilometers or 3.2 miles per session.
Train With What You Use
A lot of people feel awkward about training with their actual hunting gear in public. They’ll throw on some fancy gym shoes and lift weights, but won’t step on a treadmill with a pack because they’re worried about how it looks. That’s ridiculous. We’ve gotten too comfortable worrying about appearances instead of outcomes. You need to use and train with your gear—the real pack, the real weight, the real movement patterns you’ll rely on in the field.
If someone at the gym asks, “Why are you wearing a pack?” just tell them the truth: you’re getting in shape for hunting season. That’s it. You’re training for a purpose. Most people won’t get it, and that’s fine. People in mass tend to follow the crowd. Don’t be a sheep. Hunters don’t follow; we prepare, we adapt, and we test everything before it matters.
You should already be walking or running three to four days a week. That’s just basic conditioning. Replace those sessions with hill work while wearing your pack. Focus on time under load, not just distance. After three to four weeks of this kind of training, your stamina and endurance will be noticeably better. When opening day comes, your body will already know what it feels like to move under real field weight. You’ll go farther, stay sharper, and recover faster.
The bottom line: train like it’s real. Find what rubs, squeaks, or digs into your shoulders now and fix all those issues, not when you’re three miles into a pack-out with a quartered elk. The gym, the treadmill, the trail—it’s all preparation for the same mission: being ready when it counts. Test what you carry.
