Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#196128 - 07/22/16 05:29 PM Clumsy Hiker
KIB1288 Offline
newbie

Registered: 07/22/16
Posts: 4
Loc: New England, USA
Hello, this is my first post.

Some background:

I've been hiking for three years, less than two in the rugged NH White Mountains. I hike every week, I've climbed 42 of the 48 4Ks, all seasons. I'm female, late 40s.

I fall when hiking - often! I do use trekking poles on the descents, but I still find myself falling. Tripping, slipping, sliding, you name it, I've done it. I fall on most of my hikes. I am not a fast hiker, if I try to go quicker to catch others, I fall more. I look down while hiking to watch where I'm placing my feet.

I was a competitive figure skater, so it's not really a balance issue. I have not tried other brands of boots - I have a few pairs of Keens.

Does anyone have similar issues? Any recommendations other than trying different boot brand?

On the rare occasion that I do not fall on a hike, I do a celebratory dance at the end.

Thanks!

Top
#196130 - 07/22/16 06:12 PM Re: Clumsy Hiker [Re: KIB1288]
aimless Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3292
Loc: Portland, OR
I am only guessing here, so be aware of that. It sound to me like your brain is well-programmed for balance and grace while figure skating, but for some reason it is failing to retrain itself for keeping balance on uneven ground, with ruts, roots, and rocks that sometimes stay put and sometimes shift position.

The key might be learning to quickly see the area where your foot will fall next and finding the best placement for it. This evaluation process goes on continuously, for every footfall on broken terrain. I do not have any golden key for learning this skill, except to encourage you to continue to pay close attention to your foot placement until the problem abates. If you bagged 42 of the 48 4Ks, you've certainly demonstrated the necessary perseverance to lick this.

Good luck!

Top
#196131 - 07/22/16 07:01 PM Re: Clumsy Hiker [Re: KIB1288]
Glenn Roberts Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 12/23/08
Posts: 2208
Loc: Southwest Ohio
How do you feel about those poles - do you find them a reliable tool, easy to use, quickly able to put out an additional support point where you need it? Or do they make you feel clumsy and uncoordinated?

I think poles are great; but to use them effortlessly requires practice. To me, they're now second nature, but the first few times I used them, I really struggled to get the rhythm and coordination right. (I still occasionally get them crossed, or caught in a root or crack in the rock - at which point I question whether the designer's parents were really ever married.) Have you tried walking without them, and if so, was there a difference in the amount of falling?

There's always the middle ground: one pole. Since I began my backpacking career by copying Colin Fletcher, I used a single, 5-foot-long pole for many years. I always found that a very natural thing to do, as opposed to my initial reaction to double poles. I still occasionally threaten to return to the single fixed length pole.

Good luck, and hang in there. And welcome to the forums.

Top
#196133 - 07/23/16 09:53 AM Re: Clumsy Hiker [Re: Glenn Roberts]
KIB1288 Offline
newbie

Registered: 07/22/16
Posts: 4
Loc: New England, USA
Thanks for the feedback and welcome. I do think I may need more practice with poles. I will admit to sometimes leaving them strapped to my pack, as they get in the way on a steep descent when I like to use my hands.

Cheers.

Top
#196135 - 07/23/16 02:11 PM Re: Clumsy Hiker [Re: KIB1288]
bluefish Offline
member

Registered: 06/05/13
Posts: 680
Depth perception? Conditioning? Are your legs tired on descents? Are you tensing up and falling because your being too rigid from fear of falling?
_________________________
Charlie

Top
#196136 - 07/23/16 02:17 PM Re: Clumsy Hiker [Re: bluefish]
balzaccom Online   content
member

Registered: 04/06/09
Posts: 2232
Loc: Napa, CA
Eyes on the trail. Skating assumed the ground is flat. When I stumble on the trail, it's almost always because I am enjoying the view and not paying attention to where I am putting my feet...
_________________________
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/

Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963

Top
#196137 - 07/23/16 05:26 PM Re: Clumsy Hiker [Re: balzaccom]
Glenn Roberts Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 12/23/08
Posts: 2208
Loc: Southwest Ohio
"Ah," you say, "but isn't the whole purpose of hiking to see the beauty of the natural environment around you?" No, I reply. The whole purpose of hiking is to get from point A to point B in one piece, and so I agree with those who say, "Eyes on the ground while moving."

The whole purpose of stopping, on the other hand, is to enjoy the beauty of the natural environment around you. And I stop. A lot. For me, a trip is not about piling up miles. Yes, the sheer exercise feels good. And yes, you often do have to do your daily allotment of miles to keep a trip on some kind of "schedule." But I will pause for a couple of seconds to look into an intriguing glade, or observe the sandstone cliff on the other side of the creek, or maybe just to observe the creek. And I usually stop for about 10 minutes an hour to get the pack off and sit down - and I try to pick an overlook, or someplace interesting to be part of for those minutes. Another hour for lunch, and maybe a nap, and arrive at camp, 8 - 10 miles away from last night's camp, with enough time to explore for half an hour before or after supper, then quietly sitting in camp and letting it get dark around me - can't ask for a better day.

Stopping is highly underrated.

Top
#196145 - 07/24/16 08:34 PM Re: Clumsy Hiker [Re: Glenn Roberts]
KIB1288 Offline
newbie

Registered: 07/22/16
Posts: 4
Loc: New England, USA
When I'm moving, I am looking down probably 99% of the time, with the exception of the occasional logging road.

I don't think it's conditioning, but thank you for all of the feedback.

Admittedly, I do tense up when I am afraid of falling downhill. Someone told me I just need to "go for it" more.

I love to stop and look at the scenery too!

Top
#196173 - 07/27/16 10:11 PM Re: Clumsy Hiker [Re: KIB1288]
KyHiker40 Offline
newbie

Registered: 01/09/12
Posts: 14
Loc: Louisville, KY
You don't mention anything about pack weight. I will say that when I first started backpacking I tended to carry a lot more gear and hence a lot heavier pack. With a heavy pack every slippery spot of trail becomes much more dangerous.

Over the years I've slimmed down the pack weight, very rarely carrying more than 12-15 pounds before food & water. As a result, I don't really notice the pack on my back and I feel much safer on questionable terrain.

Just a thought.

Top
#196174 - 07/27/16 10:45 PM Re: Clumsy Hiker [Re: KyHiker40]
Glenn Roberts Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 12/23/08
Posts: 2208
Loc: Southwest Ohio
Very good point. I think that, as a site where most of us are lightweight backpackers, we sometimes forget that not everyone is like us. A heavier pack does make it harder to walk on tricky footing. Along a similar line, how is your pack loaded? It works best when it is balanced from side to side, front to back, and top to bottom - with a low center of gravity, close to your back. An unbalanced load will work against you, and tend to pull you off-balance.

Top
#196210 - 08/02/16 01:05 PM Re: Clumsy Hiker [Re: Glenn Roberts]
Snappypepper Offline
member

Registered: 08/02/16
Posts: 18
I find myself to be much more clumsy in beefier shoes. I'm not sure what type of Keens you are using, but maybe if you are just day hiking a more minimalist type shoe would work better. You can feel the terrain and there's less bulk to get in the way.

Top

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 160 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum