[pct-l] Weight question

[Paul Robison]

I had not intended to imply that you don't want any bodyfat... Just that gaining extra fat is not as efficient as carrying more food... Pound for pound.  

Yu don't want to hit the trail already starving... 
You'd want your normal healthy layer of fat, if anything to keep warm that first ten days ; )

I think there is a happy medium.  I work outside and in winter I always get a little rig around the middle ... Come spring it's gone.

Also the feast and famine argument doesn't help when comparing bodyfat to carrying food.  Obviously if there is no food then bodyfat beats nothing... But this should never be the case on the trail


Sent from my iPod

On 2011-03-05, at 12:56 PM, Brandon McGinnity <bmcginnity at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have to disagree with you all. Of course excessive weight is bad, but humans evolved in a feast and famine world. That's why we gain weight as we do: for the lean times. If you're in good health otherwise, some extra pounds won't hurt you too bad for the trail. But you're right, it will go quick.
>  
> Unfortunately my system is such that I can't gain, so I'm gonna be bordering starvation again. Ah well, these long hikes, and just being out there, is worth it. 
> 
> On Sat, Mar 5, 2011 at 7:57 AM, Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Think of it this way... Bodyfat is ALWAYS straining yur joints... Your ankles etc.
> 
> ... Instead of gaining ten pound ... You could just carry more food, the. At least close to the next town your not carrying the weight.
> 
> The food bag gets lighter much faster than a beer gut does
> 
> ~Paul
> 
> Sent from my iPod
> 
> On 2011-03-05, at 1:20 AM, Scott Williams <baidarker at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > The lighter you are, the easier it is from the start.  Don't gain weight
> > before you start.  Even the skinny people I hiked with lost weight on trail,
> > but they did just fine, and finished with those of us who had a bit extra
> > when we started.
> >
> > Shroomer
> >
> > On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 6:30 PM, Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <
> > diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:
> >
> >> I don't think it's worthwhile to put on weight before the hike.
> >> You'll lose all your excess weight in the first few weeks. I met a
> >> guy near Tehachapi who had lost 50lbs. I, a woman who is
> >> metabolically gifted for long distance hiking, lost 25lbs by Big
> >> Bear. If you are metabolically gifted for sitting on your butt eating
> >> potato chips without looking like you do, you'll lose any extra
> >> weight in a week.
> >>
> >> Unless you can keep extra weight on longer than a couple weeks, it's
> >> probably not going to help you.
> >>
> >> Diane
> >>
> >> On Mar 4, 2011, at 4:53 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> >>
> >>> But not packweight - this one is querying those experienced thru-
> >>> hikers:
> >>>
> >>> Is it better to put on some bodyfat before hiking the trail?  I can
> >>> gain and
> >>> lose weight pretty easily, so I was wondering if people found it
> >>> was better
> >>> to lose weight to have less to cart around on the trail, or to gain
> >>> a bit of
> >>> fat they could then burn off while hiking and not be as hungry/rely
> >>> on if
> >>> they didn't have enough food.
> >>>
> >>> Thoughts? Opinions?
> >>>
> >>> Thanks!
> >>>
> >>> Regards,
> >>> Eric
> >>
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>