Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Altitude Acclimation

Morning Guys,

on the 13th I get to leave the doldrums of Connecticut behind and head to Montana for 7 days of back country elk chasing. I've been working out with a heavy pack (up to 80lbs) since the spring and have no problem cruising 10 or more miles. But, I live at sea level.

My pack weight will only be 40 pounds once we're on the trail. I wish that I could tell you I was the one pulling the trigger, but I'm really just going to help my friend try and bag his first bull. So I get to leave a lot of the fun/heavy stuff at home.

So my question is, how do some of you from low lying areas acclimate yourselves once you're hunting at 8000 feet? Are there any remedies besides water and rest?

I'm in decent shape, but I don't want to be the weak link that prevents a successful hunt.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

Spend a day or two at altitude to allow your body to acclimate. If you do feel the effects of altitude sickness on the trail, try a sheep hunter's trick of chewing a couple of Rolaids.

It works!!

I've been coming from MN to hunt elk since 1988 and have hunted 6 different states.

I feel a bit sluggish the first day or two, but I'm fine after that.

You'll be fine.

I also take a baby aspirin and a Tums each morning starting a couple days before I go out. Try to spend a couple days if possible hunting up and back down at an easy pace. Then go for it. First year out we camped at 10,000 ft;. the first night. I was winded some but my friend had sinus pressures that made his teeth ache. After a couple days and some sinus meds he was okay.I live at 800 feet and we now camp at 7000 and hike/hunt to 10-11000 feet.

CreekClub:

You haven't left much time for you to properly prepare yourself because the exercise that you have been doing is only minimally effective against altitude sickness.

In order to properly adapt to high altitude you should ascend at the rate of 1,000' per day. You won't have time to do that so you have to prepare your heart and lungs to operate in a low oxygen environment. Exercises such as swimming, running stairs, aerobics, etc., that work the heart and lungs are what you should concentrate on. Work your lungs until they burn and your heart will come along for the ride. It doesn't hurt to haul a heavy pack around but that's no substitute for preparing your heart and lungs properly. You should hit the gym twice every day between now and when you leave or get an exercise DVD and follow along three times each day. Get to the local stadium and run the stairs until your lungs burn, then run some more.

KC

All good advice.

Plus NO ALCOHOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting, do you know the physiology of this? Not questioning it, I just like to know how/why things work. Mostly whether Rolaids address the cause or just the symptoms.

I have never heard of taking Rolaids, Tums ,yes. Peter Kumberfelt( sp) was the survivalist trainer for the USAF academy for several years. In his classes he taught to use aspirin and Tums. Usually when you get back to camp in the evening. The theory was that the Tums help balance the acidic PH in the blood level. Particularly the lactic acid built up in the muscle tissue. The aspirin was strictly for aches and pains, but I'd guess the blood thinning properties also helped. He never mentioned that they do anything for the altitude sickness, which we are not talking about here, but only acclimation.

He also specifically said to use Tums, not Rolaids.

I'm definitely not an expert on this, not even close, I'm just passing on his thoughts.

If suffering from leg cramps, etc., my doctor recommended Quinine tables and they do work. They are sold in vitamin stores and are labeled for leg cramps. I get cramps in my hand and they work for that too. Put two under your tongue and let them dissolve and the cramps go away very quickly.

good advice above + drink lots of water.

This ^^^^ Start drinking water as soon as you depart CT. Keep drinking until your urine is clear. And then keep drinking until you get back to CT.

Our group drives out from KY. (800 ft ASL) Two day trip out. We start with the water at 4:00am on the first road day and keep at it until we are on our way home. Our cabin is at 8,500 ft ASL. Hunt up from there. We keep two large 5 or 10 gallon drink coolers in front of the cabin filled with kool aid / gatorade / sweet tea for the duration. (Yes, I know, water is best...) Make a habit of drinking something even when you are not thirsty. Plan that the first day or two, you are going to be a little lethargic. By the third day, you should be ready to rock.

Most importantly, Enjoy !

Thanks SS, I took one of his classes too but I don't recall that part of the discussion.

we've been hunting elk from ~8500-11k since 2007. last year was the first time we "packed in". our base camp was at 11k, and we hiked up to 12k daily.

on the 3rd day, my uncle got altitude sickness and we had to pack him out. he was fine after that, but wasnt worth a darn until we did. it was pretty scary. I was glad that he had tagged out already, so it was easier to talk him into leaving the mountain. since I had tagged out too, I went with him.

we're flatlanders (live 600 ft above sea level)

I've made multiple summer camping, hiking trips in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. Only been able to sneak in 1 hunt so far. My house is at 900', but I do most of my hunting at 2000-3000' elevation here in N. Gerorgia so I'm pretty used to climbing up and down hills. My wife and I get in a few hikes in Tennessee each year where we have a chance to get above 6000' which helps. While not the same elevation as the west, the mountains are just as steep here.

I've always been a little run down for the first 48 hours or so after getting above around 6000'. But by the 3rd day I don't notice any difference from being at home. At least so far. As I get older it may take longer next time.

I don't think there is much you can do to completely eliminate issues, but believe the better shape you are in to begin with the faster you will adjust. You are on the right track.

8K isn't too tough, 10K and you'll know it.. Take it easy the first day or two.

A poster above mentioned 1k a day, that's actually funny.

I live at 6491 feet but even so I find the change in altitude can have more effect than I like.

Besides lots of water and pacing myself I always take an aspirin a day to help keep the blood thin and flowing.

Of course if I cut myself that can be a bad thing...

Climb high, sleep low. This is of the utmost importance, unless you are just lounging at altitude doing nothing.

Tums work, Diamox works better, get some, see your MD.

There have been fatalities from HAPE (high-altitude pulmonary edema) as low as 8500ft. This happened many years ago to an Air Force Cadet at that altitude. If you get a bad cough, you need to drop as much altitude as possible NOW, sleep on it and you may not be able to walk the next morning.

Drink and piss clear, as stated. Headache is the cardinal first sign. Not drinking can cause headache, as can $100 binos. This messes up the differential diagnosis.

Also, keep track of your resting pulse, lying down in your bag. It'll surprise you how elevated it can be just from the altitude. Once the EPO kicks in a week or so, that will start to drop. Then you know you can take things up a notch.

Light exercise around camp the first day or two. Don't lay down and rest/sleep,as your resperations will shallow and worsen the effects of thin air. I'm asthmatic and was really worried about hunting up to 11,000ft. Coming from 1,500ft here. We hit camp 2 days early,and I just puttered around and did some light duty scouting. Tums,lot of water.Grapeseed and ginko daily 6 months out too. Did we mention water? We took cases of bottled water as we could truck it in,and there was one in my hand almost constantly. On the way out in the truck. Around camp. In the pack and I can tell you I was sick of water when we left Colorado. No problems with the alt though.

Without planning, I get relatively mild symptoms (not actual altitude sickness) every time I go up to altitude. However, the symptoms keep me from enjoying the first few day and I have found a few things that help me:

1) As stated, drink water, then drink some more. Avoid caffeine and alcohol until you are aclimatized (they dehydrate you)

2) antacids like tums do help. They are all my daughter has to take. She takes 3 tablets three times daily. As I understand it, your blood becomes somewhat acidotic as part of the altitude problem. The antacids couteract this problem.

3) Something for the actual problem: I used to take Diamox and it did work, but gives you some side effects (makes any carbonated beverage tast NASTY, makes you pee more, and can make your fingers tingle) I decided to look for something else. What I found that worked is ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT (made in Colorado). A 3 day pack costs $5, and I take 3 packages enough to do 9 days($15) but have never had to take them for more than 6 days. It contains several things including Ginko and Ginsing. All I can say is it does for me what the diamox did without the side effects. It is basically a herbal remedy that is available without a presctiption (Diamox is prescription only) Another similar product that has been widely reported to work is Altitude advantage by wilderness systems.

4) Aspirin or ibuprophen for sore muscles

Good luck

If you check the labels, Rolaids & Tums are pretty much the same thing - calcium carbonate. Rolaids also have some Magnesium added. Neutralizing acid is what they do.

I live at 8000ft, and i'll feel it going to 11,000ft for a little while. Never get sick, but feel a little sluggish.