Doing fitness training using a weighted pack. Leading up to a hike I will increase the weight of my training pack and use up to three 5kg bags of rice and blankets inside my pack which gives me an all up weight of 18kg which is heavier than I use when hiking. Alternatively I will also use a water bladder. This means that when I do my trip is seems easy.
Don’t use metal gym weights or kettle bells as these won’t sit properly in you pack, don’t replicate a full hiking pack, and can end up causing injury to you and damage to your pack.