View Full Version : Pack Weight vs Body Weight
I have a lot of mountain biking experience and have always made the argument that losing bodyfat will do just as much if not more good than spending extra money on ultralight parts. I feel like you should spend that money to get an edge after you have your body in check.
My question is, do you all feel this same principal applies to hiking? Would losing 5 lbs be as beneficial as dropping your pack weight 5 lbs?
I am not saying big men (and women) can't hike just as well as anyone, just that it seems silly to shell out all that money when you could just diet/exersize for free and reap the added benefit of getting in better physical condition.
Am I wrong?
Feral Bill
01-26-2011, 23:53
I recently lost about 15 pounds. It seemed to help on a snowshoe overnighter this week.
It's not as beneficial, but it certainly is beneficial.
Here's partly why...
Weight in the pack swings around. It takes energy to control that unintended motion.
A heavy pack rides hard on the hips and limits circulation. A lighter pack allows the hip belt to be fit more loosely, thus improving circulation.
As for dropping weight, it's also relative. I could probably drop about a dozen pounds out of my pack, and have a base weight of 0 pounds...which is just silly. I could drop 80 pounds of fat and be at the weight that I was at during most of my 8 years in the military. I could drop 10-20 more pounds and be at the weight I was in high school after I stopped growing, although I think I have more muscle mass now, so I might not be able to get that light. So even if I could have a base weight of 0 pounds, losing that 12 pounds is not going to be as beneficial as dropping 80 pounds of fat.
Slo-go'en
01-27-2011, 00:23
I would think when peddling a bike, your strength to weight ratio is important, hence all the serious bike riders you see are skinny dudes. Plus they have less surface area, hence less wind resistance.
Not sure it equates all that well to backpacking as a ratio of pack weight to body weight. A heavy persons pack isn't going to all that much heavier than a skinny persons. You can loose weight from your body a lot faster than you can loose weight from your pack, so the ratio of pack weight to body weight will actually be larger as you loose body weight.
Of course, not having a lot of excess fat to lug around does make the overall task easier (I would think, but since I've been lucky or carefull enough never to have been overweight, I can't answer from personal experiance).
Losing weight is just as important, if not more, then pack weight. However shaving pack weight is far easier then losing 5 pounds. Losing pack weight requires no effort. So its gonna be alot more popular. Even though that spare tire is carried even after you set the pack down.
My question is, do you all feel this same principal applies to hiking? Would losing 5 lbs be as beneficial as dropping your pack weight 5 lbs?
You are not wrong at all. In fact, if anything, losing 5 lbs of body weight is MORE beneficial than losing 5 lbs in gear.
Losing 5 lbs of body weight usually means you have exercised and eaten better so your body is also conditioned more. You'll be in better shape to haul your load.
But ask about conditioning and fitness for a thru-hike? The same people who say how difficult the approach trail is will then make another post about how you don't need to do any conditioning at all prior to a hike. :-?
We have a similar thread here:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=68389
I... have always made the argument that losing bodyfat will do just as much if not more good than spending extra money on ultralight parts. I feel like you should spend that money to get an edge after you have your body in check.
My question is, do you all feel this same principal applies to hiking? Would losing 5 lbs be as beneficial as dropping your pack weight 5 lbs?
Losing weight is just as important, if not more, then pack weight. However shaving pack weight is far easier then losing 5 pounds. Losing pack weight requires no effort. So its gonna be alot more popular. Even though that spare tire is carried even after you set the pack down.
You are not wrong at all. In fact, if anything, losing 5 lbs of body weight is MORE beneficial than losing 5 lbs in gear.
Losing 5 lbs of body weight usually means you have exercised and eaten better so your body is also conditioned more. You'll be in better shape to haul your load.
I find this question a bit humorous, I guess because I mostly see ultralighters as folks who hike a lot and probably don't have a lot of body fat to lose. Maybe the assumption is that we all could stand to lose 5 lbs, even for those which it would be hard to do, and thereby going through that effort would have the same net benefit, or better?
I think the OP is technically wrong. There is not a 1-1 relationship with body weight and carry weight, and there is not a 1-1 relationship with total weight (lumping the two together) and ability to carry that weight. And more importantly, there's not a 1-1 relationship with people and their bodies. Hiking for most anyone is about enjoyment. While on a certain level I agree with the sentiment, and it may apply in a lot of cases, it certainly does not apply as an overall principle for what is the best way to enjoy your hobby.
If you're talking about a sport, where there is more consistent purpose and expectation of performance, then I think its more or less correct to say that working on the body is of much greater importance than equipment. Nowhere do I see this more illustrated than on the recreational tennis tournament circuit, where I have friends updating their equipment all the time, but doing very little to actually improve their performance.
I find this question a bit humorous, I guess because I mostly see ultralighters as folks who hike a lot and probably don't have a lot of body fat to lose.
Ha! Go to many hiker gatherings (ADZPCTKO comes to mind with many hikers about to start) and that view may be changed.
As has been pointed out, easier to get new equipment.
No matter how you spin it, if you keep an active lifestyle..your recreation (which SHOULD be part of an active lifestyle) will be much more enjoyable.
If you are 20lbs overweight, I doubt hiking is as enjoyable as if you are in shape.
I started the AT at 195 lbs on my 5'6" frame at 24 yo. At 36 yo, I have more muscle definition, keep an active lifestyle and weigh slightly more than when I finished the PCT. I can assure you, being 25 lbs less (and in very good shape) makes the outdoors much more enjoyable for me.
garlic08
01-27-2011, 13:12
I believe the same principle applies in general, though I wouldn't nitpick about ratios. I'm thinking of the really active hikers (and bikers) I know and none of them have any extra body weight to loose. For them, equipment weight really makes a difference in performance. I would recommend loosing weight first to any overweight hiker, though I never do, since it would be extremely rude. And you see so many of them on the southern AT and at every gathering.
I remember passing pair of obese hikers on a steep hill on the AT, and I heard one of them say behind me, "I gotta get some of those hiking poles."
Blissful
01-27-2011, 14:23
Losing the body weight is easy if you are hiking every day. But it is nice to start out with less body weight. Better cardiovascularly
58starter
01-27-2011, 14:38
OK, I am 6'2'' tall and my weight is 225lbs. My pack weight with food and water for 5 days is 32lbs. If I get down to 215 can I now carry a 42lb back?
OK, I am 6'2'' tall and my weight is 225lbs. My pack weight with food and water for 5 days is 32lbs. If I get down to 215 can I now carry a 42lb back?
Yep, and if you're a real loser, and make it more like 30lbs, I see no reason why you couldn't carry a 62lb pack... although it might look a little funny on you. :rolleyes:
ON my thru i lost 45 lbs by Harppers Ferry. At that point i had very little fat on me, I had less energy and could hike only short distances with out snacking. I felt like a million bucks just needed more food at that point so i started carrying more and all was right then. But i lost as much weight as my pack weighted, My legs hardly noticed the pack near the end. So i say if you are only looking to lose 5 lbs then save it for the trail could mean longer days with less stops and more energy. HYOH