Weight carried vs, uh, weight carried.

>> You just have to do what you can do, and keep at it.

Excellent advice. Most of us aren't athletes, we are hikers.

A lot of good points have been shared. I think the game changes a little when hiking for more than 7 days or so. Efficiency of movement and cardiovascular power become more important with elevation and long miles.

On my JMT hike last year I dropped about 15lbs over the 16 days. I am 6'2" and started the hike weighing about 205lbs. I purposely started the hike with some extra body fat and tanked up on calories at every stop in civilization. I had a 12lb base weight including the empty canister. You can only fit so many calories in a canister and it is easier to carry some extra calories around the midsection than in the pack. Makes the resupply strategy a little easier too! I couldn't have done the 130 miles from VVR to Whitney in 7 days with a Bearikade Weekender with out some extra love around the middle!

Ryan

"I purposely started the hike with some extra body fat and tanked up on calories at every stop in civilization…. You can only fit so many calories in a canister and it is easier to carry some extra calories around the midsection than in the pack. Makes the resupply strategy a little easier too! I couldn't have done the 130 miles from VVR to Whitney in 7 days with a Bearikade Weekender with out some extra love around the middle!"

It is a tried and proven technique. People have been doing it now for several tens of thousands of years, animals even longer. I use it all the time on trips in the 9-11 day range with great success.

Another thought I had is in regards to perceived effort. After dropping body weight and/or pack weight we may judge our current level of exertion to seem similar to past experiences. Judging the benefits based on your perceived effort can be misleading without tracking your gains in speed, distance covered, and calories burned. Soreness is not always a good indicator either.

No doubt you will be moving faster and more efficiently after dropping weight. For some this will mean bigger miles over tougher terrain which opens up the possibility of new challenges. Others will be content to cover the same distances and terrain as before, but it will be more emjoyable with more time for breaks and less fatigue at the end of the day.

Ryan