How many miles per day?

I know there are many variables involved, but I want to know how far you think you can reasonably travel with your current BOB load per day (on foot). I'd like to know how much weight you carry in your BOB also.

10-15max miles w/ 35-40lb pack, any more than that and id be too tired to care if someone was trying to kill me. If I was an avid hiker/backpacker, I could build up endurance to go 15-20miles. But after doing 20milers in USMC, Id rather not.

With a full load(food, ammo, shelter) on the road in true bug out fashion I would kick about 20-25 in a full day if hard pressed but the toll would be high. On trail I would say 12-15. Let's say 60 pounds, which is a huge pack and would suck beyond belief.

Moving with the bare minimum gear(for SHTF), as in getting home, would afford more milage. Let's say 30 pounds give or take. this is much more reasonable. You better have good backpacking gear and a good supply of freeze dried to get to this weight. In this range you could go practically forever day after day.

Keep in mind I am in decent shape, but those miles would hurt and I would have to throw in easy days or even complete rest days if I were going for an extended period of time. Also this is me going solo, the wife would slow this down.

Also allowing time for foraging would have to be accounted for.

ETA: this is just a guess based on my past experiences. Reality may surprise me or kick me in my ass. I do know that fear is a powerful motivator. If you are afraid for friends or family you tend to dig deep. I also know from the Marine Corps that packing those stupid loads hurts, but it is 80% mental.

With my current BOB in my current shape, depending on the hurdles I encounter, I expect I could do 300-350 miles. Oh, you mean travel ala walking? I would be lucky to go 5 miles. Not due to the weight of my BOB, expected hurdles, or my current physical condition, but because my walking/travel distance will be heavily limited by the 6 and 7 yr old scurrying along behind me.

Bugging-out on foot is a last resort in my situation. If a bug-out is going to happen, it will be in my BOV.

My expectation is only 5 miles per day as I would have to travel with my young kids and wife.

Probably around 35 lbs pack. I did 5 miles w/ it 2 weeks ago, in about 1:40, no problem. On a relatively well maintained dirt trail at a local park. So, overland, probably around 20 miles, assuming I'm not breaking a trail. And, yes, it would hurt (done numerous 50-milers back in Boy Scouts). I'm sure I could do more if needed, but you have to allow time for scouting and setting up camp, avoidance of heat or cold injuries, possibly crossing barriers or avoiding crowds, foraging, etc. Fortunately just my wife, but if we were joining w/ other families, kids become an issue immediately.

Could I carry it 30 miles in 24 hours? Yes ... but that would probably mean stops limited to 20 minutes. Assuming weather was conducive (ie, no 3 feet of snow or 120 degree days). And Day 2 would probably not be another 30-miler.

About the same for me 2 young kids my expectations are low for bugging out on foot.

I can cover 30 in a day on a nice road or 20ish depending on the trail I'm on. The problem comes in when I have to move the next day. I won't push that hard unless I know that I don't have to cover more ground the next day. 20 on the road or 10 to 15 on the trail is sustainable for me. If my wife is with me, and I sure hope she would be, cut a couple miles off each. That is with my BOB that weighs in at 40 pounds. That is 18% of my body weight and if water was looking scarce I could fill up and take it to 55ish ~25%. Luckily I'm in a river valley and shouldn't need to worry about that for several days of travel.

If I'm just trying to get home, my bag is much lighter at 22 pounds. I can make much better time and still be able to go the next day. 40 on a forced day or 30 sustainable in that situation.

Fitness is key in being able to the sustainability of a forced march. I walk at least 3 miles every day and throw my pack on and hike 10 miles at least once a week. I also ride my bike to work at least 3 days per week.

Glad to know I far prefer a bug in, vs a bug out.

87.

If the SHTF so bad that hoofing it is required, and folks don't have vehicles, I think the number of 'miles per day' would be more predicated on how many times folks 'molested' the traveler per mile ––than how many miles/day he could walk.

That's prolly the harsh reality.

from having \hosted many hikes.. i can say that the avg "day" distance is 8-12 miles. The hotter it is the shorter the run and folks are hurting.

I know what i can do now. or at least till my injury was 2.5mph all day long with 40 lbs. 12-15 miles at a time was a non issue.
SHTF dealing with "bad people" ,staying in cover, trying to get to point B alive. I will say speed will drop in half, which means more time on foot per day to achive the same results as i would if it wasnt shtf.

I also have a wife and kid in tow. So my expectations are 5-6 miles in good weather( due to teh kid not the wife)

Walk miles & miles??? Where are you going to walk to, and what are you going to do when you get there? I can't forsee many situations where walking across the country is going to be required (ala "The Road").

I dropped off my vehicle the other day for maintenance, instead of taking a cab home I threw my BOB and my MP3 player on. Went the 8 miles home. Learned (or relearned a few things) I keep good socks, a small bottle of gold bond as well as (anti chaffing) under armor shorts and a long sleeve shirt in the ruck. Good idea.

To answer your question I can probably go 10-15 miles without much trouble, after that there is the law of diminishing returns.

Next purchase, a folding 10 speed BMX bike

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So how many miles per day and how much weight?

Walkers might be herded, for their safety from predators up and down the road, -to a makeshift TSA run FEMA camp where their supplies wil be taken 'for the common good'.

Besides how are you going to avoid predators staged prolly along all the roads looking for 'food' if a SHTF is so bad that folks are forced to walk?

Now a tornado or hurrycane, that's more of a possibility of success. But then there will likely be vehicle transportation.

I kind of agree with that but there always can be some far fetched scenario where you get displaced and have to walk somewhere. Think of WWII- not a likely scenario here but I'd still bet there were a lot of East Prussians who thought they'd never have to walk anywhere until the Red Army was at their doorstep. Plenty of other examples from the past where people knew it wasn't in their best interest to be overrun.

My question is not about scenarios. The question is how far do you think you can travel by foot with your current bob in one day.

Bah!! thats boring.

I think some have answered well. I based my answer on Non-SHTF scenerio aka just causal backpacking. I know most could push themselves but realistic, id rather not kill myself hiking all day before going into camp. I believe in the adventure getting to the destination but also want to enjoy the destination itself. So 10miles is what Id be willing to do on a "normal" hike.

Not if you are paying attention to your surroundings.

Folks seem to place an overly-large (IMO) emphasis on speed of travel. What does it matter how fast you are moving if you never get to your destination because you didn't see that ambush? In any kind of dangerous travel situation, you are better off moving more slowly and really paying close attention to what's going on around you, than just blundering down the trail at top speed. Move a couple of minutes at a walking pace, pause and look around, then repeat. Watch the terrain, look for hazards, choke points, and ambush-friendly areas. Do not be afraid to divert around questionable areas, even if it will cost you some time.

There are times where balls-out fast travel is required (an asteroid will hit your town in 20 minutes, you have to reach the FEMA truck before it leaves with your family, etc), but generally moving slower and taking care is a much safer travel mode, even if it means some extra travel time. Again, IMO.

Personally, I'd rather walk than bike in SHTF. On a bike you are much more vulnerable. Both your hands are occupied (and at least one MUST be occupied), and you are easy to knock off balance. You can't move or react quickly to somebody rushing you from the side. You also can't take cover or get low without a lot of awkward fumbling. You're upright and an easy target.

All good points but not what the OP asked. At the present time, I'm not too worried about an ambush here in Boise. Sure, if tshf I'll be forced to slow down. If my car breaks down 60 miles from home and I have no cell service I'm hauling ass to the closest point I can call for help. You can still maintain good situational awareness while moving 3-4 miles per hour.

Guess that depends on what is after me or what I'm walking away from and what level of motivation I have to get as far away from wherever it is I started. Human beings have an amazing ability (or at least some of us do) to push ourselves beyond our physical limitations when properly motivated. Normal day with my pack? Probably could do 15-20 miles if I wanted to. Pouring rain? Probably less. SHTF civil unrest/societal collapse scenario where I have to be highly cautious about moving and staying behind cover is a high priority? Might be lucky to go 5-10 miles in a day. Pack of hungry zombies ambling after me? I'd probably set a distance record for miles walked in a day.

That's good!!!

On a road with no load I can comfortably stumble along at 3mph... Make it 1~2mph with a 25lb+ pack.

I work 20 miles away from my home and if for some reason I am forced to walk home I hope to do it in less than 8 hours... I try to walk at least 3 miles per day to try and keep myself in some kind of shape other than round.

When training for the Bug Out Drill at TIGER Valley, I work up to going 15 miles with my backpack loaded to about 35lbs. I fill it up with old phone books for practice. If I had to, I know I could go farther, depending on the variables like weather. This is also assuming I'm hoofing it without the family, cause if they were with me, we'd be staying put.

32.3lbs 12 mile averages on standard trail type terrain.. Mountainous terrain 8miles average. Urban environment 9-10 miles average.

I don't intend to walk, I plan on staying home. But................if I happen to be on the road I drive a 4x4 Jeep or a 3/4 ton PU, both of which can go just about anywhere. Walking is a desperation tactic that down here in this semi-desert area wouldn't work due to high heat and almost no water, which is why we find dead or dying illegals in the bush all the time that tried hiking cross country.

My problem is not the BOB, it's the family. Unfortunately I cannot stuff them in the bag, so it would be very slow going. I and the wife could probably make 10-15 miles in a day (it is of course very variable depending upon weather and terrain), but the kid probably could manage only 5, give or take a mile or two. Mother in law couldn't make it a mile.

We are going by vehicle or not at all, unless MIL is already a goner.

Through the mountains? 5-10. On or around a road? 10-20.

How prepared are you? Are you in shape first? if not, get in shape ! Just try rucking it after work on your Friday.
My scenario is that I work 62 miles from home. So after work on Thursday (off on Friday) I began my ruck with my 28lb BOB.
This is the North Charlotte area to South of Winston Salem NC. I left at 4pm and began my hike mind you this is just a
straight route no scenario diversions.My goal was to average 3.0 mph, I reached my goal of half way before I would
take a few hour nap. At 4 am I was at the 36 mile mark made camp rested for 3 hours and continued on. I made it home
before 4pm on Friday. Now we can make up every scenario there this, but this was not a E&E or just a Evade trek it was just a
straight up trek. I was in Spec Ops for 8 years and have continued my training as it it my lively hood and life style.
So my suggestion is to try your own trek home to see if you can make it and what you do and don't need in your BOBs.
Good luck.

15 miles w/50 lbs.

10 miles of suck.

And that is a bad thing?

Imagine this scenario: Zombies are chasing you and your family:
You say to your wife and kids "quick guys, run ahead and get across that bridge while I bravely slow down to help mom in law who is slowing us all down.
Mom in law says to you "Oh thank you, those zombies are getting awfully close and they look very hungry."
You check to see that your wife and kids are out of sight/ear shot, smile at your mom in law, then pull a Tonya Harding on her knee with that crowbar you have been toting around and the scoot off after the wife and kids.
Zombies catch up to your mother in law and snack on her allowing you and your wife/kids ample time to get some distance between you and the zombie horde.
Life is good!






jk

With a pack more than 12 miles a day would not be sustainable for me.

You will travel exactly as you train, may bee another 20% and no more.

A big part of how many per day depends largely on how much total distance do I need to cover and how quickly must it be covered. If I have to hike 150 miles to my destination I had better pack for several days and I had better plan to hike at a pace that is sustainable for that duration. 50 miles? Much easier to turn that into a two day sprint and travel with a much lighter pack. I'm in excellent physical condition –– last time I did Grand Canyon rim-to-rim I did it 7.5 hours. Granted, that was with a light daypack on a trail well supported with water stops and carrying no firearm, ammo, or shelter. But I'm certain I can do 15+ miles in a day with a "bug out" load of 50 lbs.

You need to hike from water source to the next water source, plan accordingly. This will add much time & distance to your plans.

I feel I could walk the 20 road miles from work to home, in a day, but that would be crossing feilds too. I think I can still do 10-15 pretty easy.

hard to say. I can get pretty motivated if my ass is on the line. but, I am also old and fat and motivation won't change that very much.

I have done casual hikes with the beagle as long as just shy of 12 miles fairly recently. we average about 2 mph on typical trails. a little faster on bike trails and sidewalks. slower on hilly terrain. My load is usually pretty light for those kind of short hikes.

So my guess is somewhere in the 5-10 miles per day with a 20-30 pound pack. Probably more the first day. I don't know how sustainable it would be.

My guess is that the vast majority of people seriously over estimate how much they can carry how far. Often this seems based on things they did when they were teenagers or in the military. But, few of us are teenagers or in the military anymore.

The only way to know for sure is to put on your pack and go hiking and see.

Last year I finished the Tiger Valley Bug Out Drill with the same GBH gear I have with me every day. I drive a 100 mile roundtrip urban commute. My pack, rifle, optic, pistol, ammo, gear, rope, clothes, food, and water totaled just under 40 pounds. I completed all of the stations/drills and the 15 miles in less than 5 hours, still better than 3 miles/hour even with shooting, filtering water, overcoming obstacles, and watching for TJ's tripwires and paintball ambushes. Weather was very hot, but I felt great afterwards and could have easily kept going or repeated the next day. Hydration, good equipment, and a positive mindset were the keys for me, a mid 40s office worker.

My personal goal/standard is to always be ready, willing, and able to walk the 50 miles home in 95 degree heat and humidity within 48 hours.

At my age, probably 10 or 12 on a nice smooth reatively flat surface. Broken, unever terrain, likely half that. Then again, if things are that bad, I'm going to be moving very slowly and in the dark. Night is your friend if you let it be.

I started exercising about a month ago (after a 2 year hiatus from exercising post tearing my rotator cuff and generally just becoming lazy) to try and shed an excess 20 pounds (and about 1.5-2") that have accumulated around my waistline over the past 5 years. I know this isn't a true answer to your question, but I'm up to jogging/walking (with no extra weight or pack) about 3 miles (every other day) in about 25 minutes. A part of this route takes me up/down a fairly steep and lengthy switchback path from a housing tract down to a stream/park area. I also go for a day hike with the family every weekend where I carry ~20lbs in a pack and the paths are over semi-rugged terrain and up/down small hills. We do about 3 miles on this hike and it takes us 1.5-2 hours (granted, the wife and I could go faster but our pace is set by our 6 yr old and 7 yr old).

So, jogging with no pack, no wife and kids nipping at my heels, and at my current age (39 yrs old) and current physical fitness level I can do a mile every 8 minutes. Walking/hiking with a fairly light pack (less than 20 lbs), over low rolling hilly wilderness terrain/trails, with two young kids in tow wanting to stop ever few minutes to pick flowers, I can cover slightly less than a mile every hour.

Based on these real world numbers if I was carrying a much heavier pack (BOB), my loaded AR and 1911, spare rifle and pistol mags on my hip, two kids in tow, but more of a focus on traveling than picking flowers, I would guess we could keep up a pace of one mile per hour with a break every 3-4 hours to rest/eat. At that pace, might be lucky to then cover 5-8 miles per day. Without two young kids in tow, and some determination, wife and I could probably double that.

This is why I have little intention of ever bugging out on foot since our BOL is 350 miles away. Of course depending on the situation, that could be the only option left to us (BOV is dead in its tracks and no other vehicles nearby function, zombie horde heading our way, etc.). And as each year passes (and no EOTWAWKI event happens) I have to factor in how much my age may play a factor in my plans should an EOTWAWKI event that necessitates bugging out transpire.

zero, I dont have a BOB.

I have a small GHB in my cars.

If i have to leave due to a normal reason like a fire or tornado that one thing, but im not BOB'in out of here unless its in a body bag and i have a couple JIC.

40 miles a day, on beans and hay...

Sounds like you're looking for MAX miles for one day and no travel the next? If you really had to create as much distance as possible and you're in reasonable condition 25 miles in one day would be doable long as the terrain didn't vary by elevation to much. After that you would run out of sunlight anyways.

I feel the same way. ala "The Road". Finished it last night, what a disappointing book. We will bug in until forced out by another event.

It varies GREATLY.

Are you hiking through snow in the mountains? I guarantee you'll be going slow.
So, some factors:
Elevation changes
Foliage density
Temperature
Humidity
Precipitation
Trail conditions (trail?)


Physical fitness
Loadout
Are you moving to get somewhere by a certain time, just trying to end up someplace, or trying to E&E?

Depends on how my knees are acting on that particular day.

I could easily do 10, anything more than that will need to be vicodin fueled.

In my prime? 27miles in 8-ish hours (MCRESS hump) with a lost BC, over some broken terrain.

or 20 miles with a broken metatarsal ( an involuntary experiment in pain disassociation)

now, with a kid, 8-10 MAYBE.

Cross country or being careful, I'd say about 10KM's. (5 mi)
Open country, flat roads or don't give a crap who sees and hears? About 20km's. (10 mi)

Keep in mind that the average guy isn't going to be in the best shape - he ill probably have a family with him and he will have a substantial pack. If I had to hoof it with my family, I'd probably make it about 2 mi before my oldest one collapses in the dirt crying and wailing about how unfair it all is. Good God I hate teenage hormones...

Five miles a day with my GHB.

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