Here's a practical tip to lighten your load.
Train with a heavier load than you will be hauling in the field.
Have trouble finding motivation to simply train?
Park a designated distance from the grocery store. Ie, a public park. Take your pack to do your shopping.
Haul it back to the vehicle or home.
Get into a routine and you'll be closer to your fitness goal.
In the field, your load will feel lighter. Chances of injury reduced.
Aside from looking like an insane person at the grocery store, just carrying a heavier pack isn't going to beneefit you much.
College towns a bunch of folks have backpacks.
A heavier pack carried a significant distance is a good routine for a lot of reasons. If you have trouble on streets, you'll not do so well on mountain trails. A backpacker met me walking home today knew I was training and appreciated that.
