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Thread: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

  1. #21
    Rio Oso shooter
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    Re: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

    Hey J V! Good going! I did the same thing about 10 years ago when I was 45. I will never go back. I do not have to tell you how well you are doing both for yourself and your family. I am guessing that you will see many things for the first time on your trip in June.
    Congrads,
    Richard Adams

  2. #22

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    Talking Re: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

    Quote Originally Posted by J V McLure View Post
    The good doctor told me, "What you need to do is eat less and exercise more."
    J V McLure
    Gosh, when I exercise more, I eat more
    Laurent

  3. #23

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    Re: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

    When you lose fat, there's both a strength-to-weight ratio gain, and a cardiovascular gain. So losing fat is a great thing, but you're working against a few million years of evolution. (I think it would be much less effort to hike when 6 lbs lighter and with an extra 6 lbs than vs.) Generally, when you lose body weight, you lose about 25% muscle. So the idea of slow weight loss is to allow for rebuilding lost muscle.

    I did a cardiovascular test (VO2Max test) when I was quite light (133 lbs) and fit. At 133 lbs and 5'8", I still had 15% body fat. The exercize physiologist said it's really rare for guys over 40 to be less than 10% body fat. Now I'm about 15 lbs heavier, and people still think of me as thin. My point is, most people have a lot more fat to lose than they believe, including me.

    Jay

  4. #24
    Abuser of God's Sunlight
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    Re: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay W View Post
    When you lose fat, there's both a strength-to-weight ratio gain, and a cardiovascular gain.
    It's a good idea to lose the weight slowly. For annoying physiological reasons, it's very difficult to lose fat without also losing some lean body mass. The best way anyone knows to combat this is to continue strength training while you lose the weight, make sure you get adequate protein, and be patient.

    When I train for alpine climbing trips in the summer, I often take off about 10 pounds. I've regretted the times I've done it in a hurry, because I could feel the harm it was doing to my strength. If you lose 10lbs, but can't do any more pull ups than you could before, you know there's a problem! So I try to lose a maximum of 1 lb a week, and I keep up the strength training, and try to get at least 1.5g of protein per kg of bodyweight a day. This doesn't eliminate muscle loss, but it seems to reduce it a lot.

    And it makes life a lot easier. I just have to motivate myself to start a month or two earlier.

  5. #25

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    Re: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay W View Post
    When you lose fat, there's both a strength-to-weight ratio gain, and a cardiovascular gain. So losing fat is a great thing, but you're working against a few million years of evolution.
    That's not entirely true. Our bodies store fat in response to gorge/starvation cycles, which is to say, the way that people tend to eat: large meals with long periods without nutrition between them.

    One step toward slimming down is to eat less food at a time, more frequently. When your body acclimates to this, its tendency to store fat will lower.

    Add excercise to this, and then you can start burning off that fat as long as you eat the right balance of protein and carbs.

    (I think it would be much less effort to hike when 6 lbs lighter and with an extra 6 lbs than vs.) Generally, when you lose body weight, you lose about 25% muscle. So the idea of slow weight loss is to allow for rebuilding lost muscle.
    If you lose bodyweight primarily by eating less, that's true. If you lose it by stepping up your excercise regimen while eating regularly, then you'll improve your conditioning rather than losing muscle mass.

    Not that I'm one to talk; every time I decide to lose weight, I end up putting it on while I slim down, because I invariably end up stepping up my excercise... either more time and more intensity in the dojo, more hiking, more bicycling, whatever it is...

    My point is, most people have a lot more fat to lose than they believe, including me.
    That I believe, and I'd be willing to bet that you could include me, as well.

    It does work though; training harder and doing more hiking has gotten me in visibly better shape. I noticed that my pants were getting looser and falling down more, and others noticed that I looked slimmer, and the other folks in the dojo felt the strength I was building

    Also, for hiking with big packs... I'd also definitely second the hiking poles idea. I have bad knees due to a volleyball injury (torn ACL), and after a moderately challenging hike (around 10 miles with a 2300 foot elevation gain), my knee was very sore. Enough that I was struggling to walk. Recently, I got some nice titanium hiking poles (I chose titanium for weight), and they did wonders on the next long hike (14.5-15 miles, 2200+ foot elevation gain with steep climbs); my knees held up much better.

  6. #26
    Abuser of God's Sunlight
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    Re: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

    Quote Originally Posted by Rakesh Malik View Post
    One step toward slimming down is to eat less food at a time, more frequently. When your body acclimates to this, its tendency to store fat will lower.

    Add excercise to this, and then you can start burning off that fat as long as you eat the right balance of protein and carbs.
    have you seen any research that supports timing of meals, or macronutrient ratios (protein to carbs, etc.) as influencing weight loss? i look for it every time a new fad diet comes along and have never found any.

  7. #27

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    Re: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

    Quote Originally Posted by paulr View Post
    have you seen any research that supports timing of meals, or macronutrient ratios (protein to carbs, etc.) as influencing weight loss? i look for it every time a new fad diet comes along and have never found any.
    Yes. It's been a long time, but basically, the idea is to ward off the body's starvation response. When you eat a lot at a time and wait a long time between meals, your body conditions itself to maintain a store of fat for what it thinks is a starvation period.

    If you eat more frequently, you tend to eat less, which leaves less excess energy for the body to store into fat, and it also conditions your body to store less since you're not going hungry for long periods of time.

    For protein to carb ratios, you can find information about that if you talk to a trainer. I don't know much about it specifically, only that it does matter. You need protein when you work out to reconstruct damaged tissue, because we can't synthesize amino acids. Carbohydrates are a good source of energy for long endurance activities. That's why you'll hear, for example, bicyclists telling a newbie to load up on carbs (eat pasta, etc) before a 100-mile bike tour. You need some glucose also, because your brain needs it.

    Another reason that protein helps to reduce weight is that our bodies actually burn energy to metabolize it, rather than gain energy.

    The best ways to lose weight if you want to do so while staying healthy, and you want to keep it off, are to eat more frequently, adjust your diet for better balance relative to your lifestyle (i.e. if you don't work out as much as I do, you probably want to eat less carbs than me), and do more excercise. Depending on your goals, that could be anything from walking for 20 minutes a day to an intense workout every day.

    Hiking even short distances is a great way to improve one's physical health. Using hiking poles will get your upper body some excercise while reducing strain on the knees, and even if you only do moderate distances and take your time, you're still getting quite a bit of excercise. Add a heavy pack, and you might as well be doing squats if you hike up and down even moderate hills.

    Obviously, that won't prepare you to run a marathon, but if health is what you're after, hiking is a great way to go.

  8. #28
    Jean-Louis Llech
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    Re: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

    I have never be able to consider saving pounds by leaving some lenses or accessories at home. I just take only what is necessary, never more. On the other hand, I do not want to sacrifice the protection just for having a less heavy bag.

    At the beginning, a few years ago, I used a Super-Trekker Lowepro backpack, which of course carried everything in excellent conditions, but was huge and heavy. I became quickly aware that the side torsion movement when loading or unloading such a heavy backpack on the shoulders was very dangerous for the spinal column.
    Now, I carry the Super-Trekker on a baby stroller, and I don't carry anymore the weight on my shoulders.

    But, if I need to carry my gear without the stroller, I experimented another system : I divide the total weight into two bags or more.
    • A smaller (and lighter) backpack for five lenses, films, sheet film and Pola holders, rollfilm backs...
    • A shoulder bag for the camera with a lens mounted on it, and a few accessories,
    • A few pouches on a belt (for spotmeter, small accessories and film holders which I frequently use)

    These bags are lighter and easier to carry, and the weight is divided on the body. I am much less tired than when I carried the huge Super-Trekker. I carry a carbon-fiber tripod either in a bag or hand-eld..

  9. #29
    Jean-Louis Llech
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    Re: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

    The next operation that I will do is to change my Gnassgear lens bags (I have two of them with three lenses each) for Photobackpacker individual bags. I think that it is easier to access to a smaller individual pouch than to open a large three-lenses bag. And putting them individually in the bags is probably easier too. I will only keep the Gnassgear bags for sheet film holders and Quickload holders, as these bags are second to none.
    For Photobackpacker, the only problem is that ordering six small lens bags in the USA is very expensive because of delivery costs, customs VAT and taxes on taxes... ;>). Unfortunately Photobackpacker has no resellers in Europe.

  10. #30
    naturephoto1's Avatar
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    Re: Backpacking & Weight - Stupid Question

    Jean-Louis,

    The problem of going that route of replacing the Gnassgear lens case with the individual Photobackpacker lens cases is adding volume and weight to your pack. When size and weight are an issue, I have opted for the Kinesis Gear V092 front opening module case. I set my Gnassgear lens case aside for when size and weight are not as much of an issue. I use this case to carry several lenses along with my Toho Shimo FC-45X field camera in 2 pieces.

    Also, Photobackpacker does have multi lens cases that are lighter than the Gnassgear lens case, will be more compact and lighter than the individual lens cases.

    I only use a single Backpacker individual case for my Top hat mounted Fujinon f12.5 450mm lens or my Nikon EDT 500mm lens.

    Rich
    Richard A. Nelridge

    http://www.nelridge.com

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