4 ms·

With baggage, a typical human can only travel about 12-17 miles a day (half that of a horse)

wongarsu 2y ago
About 30km/18 miles per day is a common value used in Europe. On a single day you can easily do twice that if you don't carry too much and are used to walking long distances, but it would be difficult to sustain. Also the number allows for time to set up camp (and tear it down in the morning), prepare meals, etc.
- xandrius 2y ago
  Saying that 60km "can be easily done" is quite a stretch. After 30-40km, even on flat, most people wouldn't do it easily at all. And I walk about 10km daily in one session and often do 30+km hikes.
  - reaperducer 2y ago
    When I was in elementary school, we would do charity walks every year to raise money for the poor. They were 20 miles. It took us all day, but if a bunch of kids between fourth and eighth grades and their nun teachers can do it, I'm surprised how many adults on this web site think it's too far.
    - hammock 2y ago
      Did you do it with a suitcase of stuff for a week- or month-long stay in another city, and contingencies like extra water, food, stove etc if you get laid over in a remote area without facilties? Did you do it rain or shine, on paved roads or muddy rutted-out dirt roads?
    - xandrius 2y ago
      Was it nicely paved and mostly flat? And how did you feel at the end of it? Would you do it again the next day?
      - reaperducer 2y ago
        Mostly paved, but absolutely not flat. Some of the hills I wouldn't tackle on my bicycle.
    - mr_toad 2y ago
      > I'm surprised how many adults on this web site think it's too far. Kids these days are often a lot fitter than adults. I know people who think a 10 minute walk is too far.
  - chewz 2y ago
    When I was a boy scout (so 16 -18 yo) we were walking as a team 50-70 km per day and could sustain that for 2-3 days. More perhaps, but there was nowhere to go any further. We were wearing 20 kg in rather uncomfortable backpacks. On forced marches we could keep 7-8 km/h speed. And sometime we have practiced legionary walk which is alternating 200 steps jogging and 700 steps walking. One of the badges was for walking 100 km in a day and lot of my friends got it. But back then we were generally walking a lot, day by day, every year. Good shoes and good motivation. I am not doing this anymore.
    - pantalaimon 2y ago
      They also have a forced march event here where participants do 100km in 24h but it doesn't look easy https://mammutmarsch.de/ https://mammutmarsch.de/
      - xandrius 2y ago
        And doesn't sound like fun at all. Especially given the connotation of a "forced march".
- lstodd 2y ago
  Well I did 30km with ~1500m height gained three-four times a week for a while. If I pushed I maybe could do 60km, but that would be no fun. Tops was 40 km on trails and 2500m gained, but that was extreme. You need enough water, good shoes and nice weather for that. Or a flatter terrain. On flats, 20km takes ~3.2 hours and yes you can walk 60 or 80 in a day and not drop dead at the end of it if you take care.
insane_dreamer 2y ago
I wonder how long can a horse sustain that pace vs a human. Those who hike the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), which takes 4-5 months, might do ~20 miles per day with a “zero” (rest) day every ~10 days.
- hammock 2y ago
  The average PCT thruhike in 2012 was 152 days, or over 5 months (https://www.pcta.org/2013/how-long-does-a-pct-thru-hike-take-10050/ https://www.pcta.org/2013/how-long-does-a-pct-thru-hike-take...). Only skilled and experienced thruhikers are able to complete it, so there is serious selection bias in that figure as well. It's only with advancements in backpacking and outdoors tech that anyone is able to do that. I don't know why everyone in this thread seems to think titanium tent stakes and frame backpacks and gore-tex jackets and polarfleece and plastic pump-driven charcoal water filters and chocolate bars and first aid (that wouldn't kill you) were a thing during ancient rome.
  - insane_dreamer 2y ago
    I was comparing hikers with horses not Romans
Melatonic 2y ago
Not true at all - experienced thru hikers blow that out of the water
- hammock 2y ago
  TIL typical human = experienced thru hiker. Looking forward to seeing your mom out on the PCT this summer
moi2388 2y ago
Not really, 40km or 50km is easily doable, there are multiple events laying multiple days in which this is done. You are thinking about military marches, which include supplies, setting up camp etc.

About 30km/18 miles per day is a common value used in Europe. On a single day you can easily do twice that if you don't carry too much and are used to walking long distances, but it would be difficult to sustain. Also the number allows for time to set up camp (and tear it down in the morning), prepare meals, etc.

xandrius 2y ago
Saying that 60km "can be easily done" is quite a stretch. After 30-40km, even on flat, most people wouldn't do it easily at all. And I walk about 10km daily in one session and often do 30+km hikes.
- reaperducer 2y ago
  When I was in elementary school, we would do charity walks every year to raise money for the poor. They were 20 miles. It took us all day, but if a bunch of kids between fourth and eighth grades and their nun teachers can do it, I'm surprised how many adults on this web site think it's too far.
  - hammock 2y ago
    Did you do it with a suitcase of stuff for a week- or month-long stay in another city, and contingencies like extra water, food, stove etc if you get laid over in a remote area without facilties? Did you do it rain or shine, on paved roads or muddy rutted-out dirt roads?
  - xandrius 2y ago
    Was it nicely paved and mostly flat? And how did you feel at the end of it? Would you do it again the next day?
    - reaperducer 2y ago
      Mostly paved, but absolutely not flat. Some of the hills I wouldn't tackle on my bicycle.
  - mr_toad 2y ago
    > I'm surprised how many adults on this web site think it's too far. Kids these days are often a lot fitter than adults. I know people who think a 10 minute walk is too far.
- chewz 2y ago
  When I was a boy scout (so 16 -18 yo) we were walking as a team 50-70 km per day and could sustain that for 2-3 days. More perhaps, but there was nowhere to go any further. We were wearing 20 kg in rather uncomfortable backpacks. On forced marches we could keep 7-8 km/h speed. And sometime we have practiced legionary walk which is alternating 200 steps jogging and 700 steps walking. One of the badges was for walking 100 km in a day and lot of my friends got it. But back then we were generally walking a lot, day by day, every year. Good shoes and good motivation. I am not doing this anymore.
  - pantalaimon 2y ago
    They also have a forced march event here where participants do 100km in 24h but it doesn't look easy https://mammutmarsch.de/ https://mammutmarsch.de/
    - xandrius 2y ago
      And doesn't sound like fun at all. Especially given the connotation of a "forced march".
lstodd 2y ago
Well I did 30km with ~1500m height gained three-four times a week for a while. If I pushed I maybe could do 60km, but that would be no fun. Tops was 40 km on trails and 2500m gained, but that was extreme. You need enough water, good shoes and nice weather for that. Or a flatter terrain. On flats, 20km takes ~3.2 hours and yes you can walk 60 or 80 in a day and not drop dead at the end of it if you take care.

insane_dreamer 2y ago

I wonder how long can a horse sustain that pace vs a human. Those who hike the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), which takes 4-5 months, might do ~20 miles per day with a “zero” (rest) day every ~10 days.

hammock 2y ago
The average PCT thruhike in 2012 was 152 days, or over 5 months (https://www.pcta.org/2013/how-long-does-a-pct-thru-hike-take-10050/ https://www.pcta.org/2013/how-long-does-a-pct-thru-hike-take...). Only skilled and experienced thruhikers are able to complete it, so there is serious selection bias in that figure as well. It's only with advancements in backpacking and outdoors tech that anyone is able to do that. I don't know why everyone in this thread seems to think titanium tent stakes and frame backpacks and gore-tex jackets and polarfleece and plastic pump-driven charcoal water filters and chocolate bars and first aid (that wouldn't kill you) were a thing during ancient rome.
- insane_dreamer 2y ago
  I was comparing hikers with horses not Romans

Melatonic 2y ago

Not true at all - experienced thru hikers blow that out of the water

hammock 2y ago
TIL typical human = experienced thru hiker. Looking forward to seeing your mom out on the PCT this summer

moi2388 2y ago

Not really, 40km or 50km is easily doable, there are multiple events laying multiple days in which this is done. You are thinking about military marches, which include supplies, setting up camp etc.