“Mountain Tough” — Real Fitness for Real Hunters

You don’t need to be a gym rat to be a strong mountain hunter — but you do need to be prepared. The mountains will find your weak spots fast, and when they do, it’s usually at the worst possible time: three days into the hunt, two miles from camp, with a heavy load and daylight fading.

This isn’t about being ripped. It’s about having the legs, lungs, and grit to get in — and get meat out.

You Don’t Have to Like “Exercise”

Let’s get this out of the way: I don’t love structured workouts. I’d rather be working, scouting, climbing a ridge, or packing salt for the horses. But that is fitness — and it translates far better to hunting than a treadmill ever will.

The best way I know to get hunt-ready is to train like you hunt. That means:

• Hiking uphill with a pack
• Long days on your feet
• Real elevation gain, not stair steps in a strip mall

If you don’t have hills nearby, find some stairs or bleachers and hike them with weight. Not exciting — but incredibly effective. If you do have hills? Side-hilling is great for ankle and knee strength, and it builds balance fast.

Train With Your Actual Gear

If you’re going to train with weight, use the pack you plan to hunt with. Toss in a bag of water softener salt — they’re cheap, shaped like meat, and just heavy enough to be honest work. Over time, add more weight. And practice taking your loaded pack on and off during your hikes. It might sound basic, but being smooth and efficient with your gear makes a difference in the field — especially when you’re tired or working in tight spaces.

Bonus tip: Every now and then, wear your actual hunting gear — boots, pants, bino harness — just to get used to moving in it. You’ll catch small issues now instead of mid-season.

Can You Get Up Off the Ground?

If you’re training with a pack, here’s one quick check: can you sit down in the grass with your loaded pack — and then get up without help?

It’s not glamorous, but you’ll end up on the ground more than you think during a real hunt — crawling through deadfall, glassing, or taking cover from weather. Knowing how to move with your pack on makes a big difference in staying safe and reducing fatigue.

Mental Strength Is Half the Battle

Fitness isn’t just physical. The guys who do best on tough hunts are usually the ones who can suffer a little, keep their head in the game, and not shut down when they’re cold, hungry, or tired.

You don’t need to be fast. You don’t need to be young. You just need to be prepared. I’ve seen 60-year-old clients out-hike guys half their age because they stayed active year-round and didn’t come in soft.

Start Early. Stay Consistent. Forget Perfect.

I don’t have a program or rep scheme for you. I have this: don’t wait until the month before season to get moving. Do something most days. Get outside. Break in your boots. Haul some weight. That’s how you get mountain-tough.

Come hunting season, you’ll thank yourself.
And when the packout starts, your knees, back, and buddies will too.

— Ryan Berard
Owner & Head Guide, Sawtooth Outfitters