Hiking

laser 4.7sailor

New Member
Hi guys,
I know hiking is supposed to hurt, but I am fairly fit, and I just cannot find a position that I can sustain for an hour long race. As soon as I'm out in the strap, it starts to burn. Any tips/ideas?
 
Where is the burning located? How straight do you keep your legs/feet? How close to the gunwale are you trying to keep your knees? What kind of thigh support/padding and shoes/boots do you wear?
 
I wear zhik ankle cut boots (others are to hard to get on) and sometimes use zhik powerpads. I have tried a tight strap, a loose strap, and the burn is always in my upper quads. Everyday, I run to train, but not much improvemtn. I always straight leg hike, and my toes are pretty much full pointed so they are flat. My body is as extended out of the boat as possible, though I am only 5'3". So the gunnel is 2/3 of the way up from my knee to my but. Thanks
 
running is good aerobic but not what you need to stop the burn,

you need to build the quads by doing squats, lunges, and some time on the hiking bench.

Your toes shouldn't be straight either, more like 45deg angle w the strap half on foot and half on ankle.

have fun!!
 
Unrelated hiking question, I'm new to lasering and I can't seem to get back into the boat from the hiking position :oops: I can't seem to get any leverage to throw myself back inside and end up falling into the drink.
I think this might have something to do with the hiking straps being a bit too loose but I'm not sure.
Or maybe I'm just too weak?
 
for curieux: I found it the same way when I first started only half a year ago or so, but what I found is to a) build your strentgth to pull yourself into the boat b) I sometimes grab the toerail to pull my self in c) how do you hike, droop hiking or flat out hiking d) play the main, when you're heeled over a bit, let the main out a tad (though remember, if you are oveerpowered, vang sheet), if you start to heel to windward, trim in and go for more power. That's my two cents at least:

And for other stuff, is there a way to make a hiking bench out of household objects? This is because Tpink recommened the use of a hiking bench for my leg burn
 
I plan on building a hiking bench this week to help with this issue. I was only shown flat hiking and told to go out as far as I can, is there a benefit to droop hiking?

My issue is it feels like my feet are too high in the air where I feel inverted. I also think the winds change often or I'm not steering straight because one moment the boat heels leeward hard and I start hiking hard, next moment my hiking heels the boat windward and I feel like I'm going to fall any moment. That's also when I find myself unable to get back into the cokpit and end up falling overboard and capsizing. I tend to sheet in more to prevent windward heeling.
 
You can't droop hike on a Laser. The water is too close and the side deck is too wide for that. Also, it would be even harder to get in from that kind of position, and it kills your knees, too, in the long run.

Curieux, it sounds like your strap is too loose, and you're not working the sheet and rudder hard enough in gusty conditions.

(And by the way, it's funny how people still build, or at least talk about building, their own hiking benches, at a time when they can buy one that costs less than a new centreboard. Must be the last piece of boat equipment that is thought of being primarily homebuilt.)
 
I could only find ones online $200+. Building it myself would be <$50 so it seems to make financial sense.

I'll try tightening the straps next time I go sailing. Thanks for all the help!
 
Lali and all, sorry for the misunderstanding. I was asking curiex if he droop hiked, and then I would tell hime to flar out hike/straight leg hike.

I gave you the info about me: any tips? BTW, I always like the intput you have on this forum
 
I gave you the info about me: any tips?
Well... I think you're doing it mostly right, but as Tpink said (ignore his foot position advice), running won't help you much with your hiking muscles. What does is of course training in hiking conditions, and gym + hiking bench on light-wind days/off-season. Also, you probably meant that the gunwale is 1/3 (as it should, rather than 2/3) up your thigh?
Lali, also, what is the timing supposed to be for the rudder and bodymovement through the waves?
I don't know! Or rather, I have a hard time putting it in words. But I think this guy knows: Boat Whisperer Up Wind DVD - Chandlery - Rooster Sailing :D
BTW, I always like the intput you have on this forum
Thanks!
 
Thanks Lali, I see what you mean, some things are just hard to put into words. Anyways, how do you find the right hiking strap lenghth, and also just something weird I have, I find it harder to hike with my zhik powerpads than without (or at least I think).

Thanks,
laser4.7sailor
 
for curieux: I found it the same way when I first started only half a year ago or so, but what I found is to a) build your strentgth to pull yourself into the boat b) I sometimes grab the toerail to pull my self in c) how do you hike, droop hiking or flat out hiking d) play the main, when you're heeled over a bit, let the main out a tad (though remember, if you are oveerpowered, vang sheet), if you start to heel to windward, trim in and go for more power. That's my two cents at least:

And for other stuff, is there a way to make a hiking bench out of household objects? This is because Tpink recommened the use of a hiking bench for my leg burn
If you wanna stop the burning in your legs, stop running and start biking. You use different muscles when you run than when you sail. Sailing uses pretty much the same muscles for biking. Thats also why bikers dont really run cause it actually is bad for quad endurance. Hiking benches are good though, I built one myself, forgot what the website was but just search homemade laser hiking bench or something on google.
 

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