Separating Moving Time And Stopped Time
Overview
Separating moving time and stopped time distinguishes the hours actually spent walking from breaks, camp tasks, and in-town pauses, offering a clearer view of both pace and rest.
Key points
- Moving time refers to periods when a hiker is actively travelling along the route.
- Stopped time includes breaks, navigation pauses, conversations, and camp tasks.
- Tracking both helps clarify whether slower days are due to pace, rest, or conditions.
- Some hikers log these values manually, while others use timing devices or apps.
- Understanding time patterns can guide adjustments to daily routines and expectations.
Details
Distance alone does not explain how a hiking day feels. Two identical mileage totals can involve very different experiences depending on how much time was spent in motion, how long breaks lasted, and how often progress slowed for navigation, photos, or social interaction. Separating moving time from stopped time allows hikers to see how their day is balanced between activity and rest.
Moving time can be estimated by noting start and stop times around breaks or by referencing devices that record motion. Stopped time might include snack breaks, water collection, route discussions, unplanned delays, or simply resting at viewpoints. Over several days, patterns often emerge, such as longer midday pauses in hot weather or frequent short breaks on steep climbs.
This information can help hikers understand their natural rhythm. Some may find that their actual walking pace is fairly consistent, but total daily distance varies because of longer or shorter breaks. Others may notice that they move more slowly in the mornings or evenings and adjust expectations accordingly.
Separating time categories is also useful for planning future itineraries. If a hiker knows they typically walk a certain distance within a set number of moving hours, they can estimate how long a given day might take in similar terrain. These estimates remain approximate and are often treated as flexible guides rather than rigid schedules.
This article describes time tracking as a voluntary tool for self-awareness, not as a requirement or standard for long distance hiking.
Related topics
- recording-daily-and-cumulative-mileage
- tracking-sleep-time-rest-days-and-zero-days
- using-logs-to-refine-future-planning-and-gear-choices
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