View Full Version : "Fat Guy Walking" across America
There was an article about this guy in the Atlanta AJC today. Evidently this guy weighed right at 400 lbs. when he left his house in southern CA with the goal to walk to NY. He is down to 350 lbs. but going slow. Wish him luck- gotta really appreciate his willingness to take his health seriously and to try and reclaim his life!
http://www.thefatmanwalking.com/index.html
SavageLlama
07-10-2005, 21:57
Saw that article.. it's been in a few papers. damn is he fat. He thought he'd be half way across America by now but he hasn't gotten far.
http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050710/WIRE/50710001/1117/news
Forget walking, he ought to try the AT thru-hiker diet: Just hike all day, then you can eat like a pig. :D
There was an article about this guy in the Atlanta AJC today. Evidently this guy weighed right at 400 lbs. when he left his house in southern CA with the goal to walk to NY. He is down to 350 lbs. but going slow. Wish him luck- gotta really appreciate his willingness to take his health seriously and to try and reclaim his life!
http://www.thefatmanwalking.com/index.html
I applaud his efforts but...what the hell is with the 75-lb pack weight??? For a guy spending most of his nights in motels??
News stories say he was given most of his gear by an outfitter...what the heck did they give him? Also check out this pic:
http://photos.signonsandiego.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=bigambitions&id=ECwalking240161x008
It shows him sitting inside of what looks like a cheap, oversized (for one person) tent, reaching out from inside with the can and trying to spray the outside of the tent (duh) with a whole can of bug spray. The caption says something like "steve sprays his tent with bug spray". Who carries a whole can of bug repellant (it looked like RAID, not even the Off stuff) with them? And why the hell is he spraying bug repellant on his tent anyway?
Just seems to me that whatever so-called "outfitter" he chose did a piss-poor job of outfitting this guy. Either that or he is just a doufus. Cuz no one needs to carry a 75 pound pack these days if he's just going from town to town...
I applaud his efforts but...what the hell is with the 75-lb pack weight??? For a guy spending most of his nights in motels??
News stories say he was given most of his gear by an outfitter...what the heck did they give him? Also check out this pic:
http://photos.signonsandiego.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=bigambitions&id=ECwalking240161x008
I see you replied to this guy's photo album. Now that you've successfuly pissed off Bramble with your meddling, is this guy your next internet project? Your trail name needs to be changed. The Rub would be much more appropriate.
Why don't you just leave this guy alone.
There was an article about this guy in the Atlanta AJC today. Evidently this guy weighed right at 400 lbs. when he left his house in southern CA with the goal to walk to NY. He is down to 350 lbs. but going slow. Wish him luck- gotta really appreciate his willingness to take his health seriously and to try and reclaim his life! http://www.thefatmanwalking.com/index.html
Is he packin' SUBWAY sandwiches along the way???? :D
dougmeredith
07-11-2005, 09:58
Oh great, now I have wasted an hour of work time reading his entire journal! Stop with the interesting threads!
In all seriousness, I really hope the guy makes it. What a great way to turn his life around and get into shape.
Doug
icemanat95
07-11-2005, 09:58
Hey,
The guy is doing something REALLY hard, WAY out of his normal comfort zone and he's persevereing. No it isn't a thru-hike, yes he's getting a ton of support. But the guy is trying to change his life. The last thing he needs is someone busting his cajones about things he may not know yet, but is probably learning. Wnat to do him a favor? Send him some info he can really use about Permethrin sprays for his tent, smaller tents (that will still accomodate his size), and things like that. Calling the guys a doofus is utterly unhelpful.
And yes some people, under some conditions, do indeed need to carry a 75 pound pack. A gallon of water weighs 8 pounds. This guy is probably going through at least a gallon a day just to drink, let alone cooking. He's probably carrying 2 gallons per day and using every drop. He may be needing to carry multiple days worth of water. 4 gallons for two days is adding 32 pounds to his pack on top of the weight of the pack (probably about 5 pounds, tent (at least another 5 pounds) Food at about 2 pounds per day or more depending upon what he is carrying. Sleeping bag, spare clothes, that honking can of insect spray, cell phone and batteries, etc.
He's not walking in the mountains, he's walking highway, so he doesn't have access to springs and other mountainside water sources...roadside water isn't going to be that great a resource either...so he needs to carry more than the 1 liter your average thru hiker carries.
Tent size...when you are Vaught's size your tent options are limited. He could undoubtably get something lighter and smaller, and he may yet...has anyone bothered to offer a suggestion or a donation?
Instead of heaping abuse on him for inexperienced gear choices, try giving him some encouragement.
orangebug
07-11-2005, 10:33
... No it isn't a thru-hike, yes he's getting a ton of support....I figure actually something like a quarter ton of support depending on how much his clothes weigh. :rolleyes:
Given that he is starting in California and working his way east, I am certain that water weight has to be a significant factor for his packing. I doubt he could use a typical lightweight hiker's tent and bet he uses a large tent we consider only worthy of car camping. If he makes it to the Mississippi, I'll bet that his pack weight will fall along with his BMI.
I hope this character can make his goals, or at least enjoy his journey.
good luck fatman walking:cool: neo
I doubt he could use a typical lightweight hiker's tent and bet he uses a large tent we consider only worthy of car camping.
There doesn't seem to be any reason why he couldn't use a lightweight tent, I mean the guy is big but he's not freakishly huge like 600 lbs or something. It just looks to me like he's using some cheap walmart-type car camping tent which prob weighs 8 or more lbs when he could be using something half that weight. Not if he was on a budget and that was all he could afford, well, that would suck. But news stories say that all his gear was provided free by "an outfitter". Why would any decent outfitter set a hiker up with such a heavy tent?
And I still can't figure out for the life of me why the dude is carrying an entire can of RAID...I just went and looked at the can in my garage...it weighs 15 oz, almost a whole POUND!
Like I said, I applaud the guy's goal and all, but he is making it WAY harder for himself than he needs to with these poor gear choices.
Well he clearly has not had a lot of hiking experience but that is ok- we all start somewhere. i think it is good that this guy is getting off his rear end and trying to improve not only his health but his perspective on life. it would be great to see someone in his neck of the woods with packing experience to really try and work with him and get his pack weight down. As we all know his journey would be a lot more fun if his pack was more managable and he could focus on other stuff besides what is poking him in the back. I applaud his attempt to regain control of his life and health and willingness to set out and do something that seems "crazy." I mean, can you imagine being pretty badly overweight, having no experience, not used to camping out or sleeping on the ground, etc. and then leave your wife and children to just start walking? I hope he makes it.
SGT Rock
07-11-2005, 14:15
He is just learning the hard way. I bet a few of ya'll had some equipment and plan issues when you first went into the woods and probably none of you weighed 400 pounds to start with. I bet he learns as he goes.
There doesn't seem to be any reason why he couldn't use a lightweight tent...
Why don't you buy him one and send it to him? I'm sure that he'd appreciate it.
Tha Wookie
07-11-2005, 14:52
The pack's probably packed with shoes. Can you imagine how he must demolish his footbeds?
Save yourself a long walk.... go on a short one right now!!
it would be great to see someone in his neck of the woods with packing experience to really try and work with him and get his pack weight down.
Y'know, that's actually a really cool idea. If he were anywhere near me, I'd certainly offer to meet him and talk gear. Alas, I'm on the opposite side of the country from him. His website isn't loading for me right now, whereabouts is he right now? Wondering how we can get in touch with hikers in his area and see if anyone would like to meet up with him...
dougmeredith
07-11-2005, 15:06
He is just learning the hard way. I bet a few of ya'll had some equipment and plan issues when you first went into the woods and probably none of you weighed 400 pounds to start with. I bet he learns as he goes.
It certainly sounds like he is capable of this based on his journal. I just hope he learns quick enough not to get any kind of serious injury. I would think he would have a very high risk of that with the weight he is carrying.
Doug
saimyoji
07-11-2005, 22:26
From his web site, his wife is reading and updating the online journal as he goes, and would get an email sent from any one of us. Why not email him explaining your interest and offer some friendly advice. I'm sure there is a reason his pack is so heavy. He is a former marine, right? I'm not qualified to give him any advice, but I know some of y'all are...
My guess is that he took the free gear he was given and didn't complain for a second about the weight.
He's well under the 1/3 packweight to bodyweight rule, actually under 20%. My husband says 15% max should be closer to ideal. This means 60 lbs would be his ideal pack wt. Still sounds heavy to me. Maybe it should be based on ones IDEAL bodyweight.
From what I read ("...when I was 25, I killed two people in an auto accident. They got off a bus at a bad intersection, and I didn't see them." - NY Times Magazine 7/10/2005) this sounds like a 'walk of atonement.' This walk could be one of the many ways he's atoning for a momentary screwup that cost two people their lives. It's entirely possible that he may not WANT to reduce his pack weight.
If he makes it, his life may change dramatically. I foresee continued publicity, maybe even a run on the talk show circuit, and a book deal, not to mention an improved self image and a healthier body.
SGT Rock
07-12-2005, 08:36
He's well under the 1/3 packweight to bodyweight rule, actually under 20%. My husband says 15% max should be closer to ideal. This means 60 lbs would be his ideal pack wt. Still sounds heavy to me. Maybe it should be based on ones IDEAL bodyweight.
Just an aside to the thread but addressing this topic. Since we all have different builds, I always recommend 25% of Lean Body Mass (LBM). A 140lb skinny person with 7% body fat has a LBM of ~130 pounds and should be able to comfortably carry 32.5 pounds. A guy that is 200 lbs and has 20% body fat has a LBM of 160 pounds and should be able to carry about 40 pounds comfortably. Thus a 240 pound man that is 33% body fat (that is quite a bit for a man) only has a LBM of ~160 pounds which means he could also carry 40 pounds comfortably, but he also has an additional 40 pounds of body weight over the guy in the previous example so he puts as much effort into just walking as the other guy does when carrying a pack.
So take a 400 pound man that had been a "muscular Marine" might have a LBM under all that of about 180 pounds, which means he could comfortably carry 45 pounds, but he already has 220 pounds of extra weight.
peter_pan
07-12-2005, 08:47
I think is great that he is walking back to health....God speed and God bless him.
Pan
Trail Dog
07-13-2005, 07:08
sorry about the duplicate post before i need to look before i post from now on.
I was wondering if perhaps Steve's journey is more dangerous than anything you could do in the woods? I mean all that traffic, being close to the road. People often ask me if i am afraid of being attacked and robbed and mugged as i sleep. I know being under a bridge in Las Vegas in a tent smelling of bug spray would make me a little nervous about who might happen across as I sleep.
Either way i hope anyone in the Trail Comunity who will have Steve pass by their neighborhoods is willing to show everyone the meaning of Trail Magic.
God Speed Steve.
Trail Dog
07-13-2005, 07:24
Maybe when he crosses the AT we can have a group waiting to greet him? Cant go east without crossing the trail unless too far north or south. We do it all the time at road crossings this would be a change of pace having one at the trail crossing waiting for someone to come down the road.
Maybe when he crosses the AT we can have a group waiting to greet him? Cant go east without crossing the trail unless too far north or south. We do it all the time at road crossings this would be a change of pace having one at the trail crossing waiting for someone to come down the road.
That's a great idea Trail Dog! I wonder approximately when and where he will cross...
I'm rooting for Steve, but am very concerned that with that pack weight, he will end up aborting his journey due to injury caused by the weight. I sure hope not.
BTW, looks like all the media attention overloaded the servers his site was on...it's been suspended. That sucks. Hopefully he can get someone like maybe Backpacker.com to give him some space.
Bryforce
07-13-2005, 12:54
uh... how did his wife ever approve. What a life changing experience. And quit with the low blows. Your mom would not be proud. Encourage and help.
Toolshed
07-13-2005, 17:15
I am glad for him. For anyone who is blasting him due to his inexperience at the amount of gear he is carrying or the weight of it, Keep in mind that it wasn't too long ago that many of us were carrying 5-6 lb tents 3-4 lb sleeping bags, 2 lb MSRs and stainless steel pots along with heavier packs... and...considering most of us devote our lives and much of our time to finding ways to go lighter, we are the cutting edge of the overall population.
Here's a guy who is just diving in and doing what he can - He probably doesn't have a lot of knowledge nor money having 2 children and living in an expensive part of the country - It'd also be a lot easier to quit now with the attitude that if I can't get lightweight gear, I am not going, but I don't see that happening with him.
I have a lightweight freestanding 1-man tent I was thinking of seeling on Ebay - I just might contact his wife and send it to him to help him out. I wish more big folks like that were taking a stand to do something different in their lives.
Trail Dog
07-13-2005, 17:40
[QUOTE=Toolshed
I have a lightweight freestanding 1-man tent I was thinking of seeling on Ebay - I just might contact his wife and send it to him to help him out. I wish more big folks like that were taking a stand to do something different in their lives.[/QUOTE]
Thats a great idea. we could all do a little pitch in to help this guy. Make him a soda can stove, send him old but decent gear stuff like that. We could even dehydrate some veggies and other things most hikers lack in their diets like carrots and greens. Rada (my soon to be wife) can do some dehydrating and mail them to him as mail drops.
Spread the good will. Show the rest of the world the meaning of trail magic.
Where in NY is he going? I think the question has been asked, but approx when and where will he cross the AT?