Add backpack weight?

[Scratch45]

Greetings!

I hike long distances most weekends (15+ miles).

Is there any benefit to adding the weight of my pack to my bodyweight for these longer hikes?

Thank you!

[JohnnyRow]

I think changing your body weight, and back again, would just cause more problems.  In a sense, you still get credit for carrying the weight reflected in higher heart rate than walking same speed without it.  And heart rate is the key to calorie burn, Active Zone Minutes, etc.

[Heybales]

To add to the correct response there - you can look at past hike in your 24 hrs daily graph, and see if HR went high enough to auto-move into a workout mode - I'd think it would hiking and carrying pack.

You can look at calorie burn section of chart and probably see the increase when it does.

Now frankly, calorie burn would be more accurate per distance normally, formulas for mass moved and pace are very good - but you have changing terrain, incline, even extra weight beyond the pack, ect.

So per HR is probably the best you get - just make sure you start a workout so it's using HR-based calorie burn.

[JuanJoFitbit]

In my case, adding weight to my backpack would be a risk since I have a lumbar hernia and the doctor told me to forget about carrying so much weight unfortunately.

If you have a strong spine and back, I'd recommend to be careful in order to avoid injuries.

[Ennay · Accepted solution]

Your backpack is not metabolically active.  Muscle is highly metabolically active, but even fat has a metabolic component. 

A significant portion of the calorie burn, even during a hike, is what is needed to live.   The extra effort from carrying the backpack will be reflected in your HR which will change the calorie burn estimate, but it is not changing the basepoint. 

Also, the calorie burn is at best an estimate anyway.  

[JuanJoFitbit]

Wow, that's an excellent fact @Ennay, I didn't know that. Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information since I'm pretty sure that many people will find it helpful and informative.

[Heybales]

Ditto's to the estimate aspect. Decent hiking pace 2mph for many is 3 x their base burn, in other words 3 METS. Or more if faster.

And seeing what the weight difference would cause for calorie burn up front could be interesting if you really need the extra calories to eat from carrying extra weight. If true hiking pack with hipbelt at least no back issues then, but still good to see if worth it.

Because your HR is probably not that high if you are doing this regularly, and if long distance and saying hike you don't mean jogging it.

So HR-based calorie burn at the bottom of the aerobic range is going to be inflated, which is likely where it's at.

Might take a prior workout where Fitbit has it's estimate for the whole block of time. That may include stops and rests too though, so may have to math out the true difference to an otherwise sedentary day, not hard to do though.

Use this. If you had ups and downs, I'd suggest at least 2% incline unless you are talking up a mountain and back to get more accurate. Use Gross option to compare to Fitbit, which is also giving Gross (includes the base burn).

https://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs

For myself when I estimated a recent backpacking trip food needs, was planning on normal 2 mph for only 6 hrs to have some leisure time.

Compared to naked weight estimate of 1412 extra for the distance, was to 1854 extra for weight and clothes my muscles had to carry around.

I would have missed that extra 440 calories or more burned daily carrying the extra weight over 4 days, especially in winter trying to stay warm anyway - don't need an accidental diet then.

You can use the NET option to just compare what extra would be added to your normal day.

[JuanJoFitbit]

This is an awesome input @Heybales! I'll have it in mind when I'm able to go for a hiking activity. The link you shared to have a better calculation is also an excellent tool. Thanks a lot for sharing.

[abragred]

I actually used to do this before the pandemic hit by mistake. I mean, not by mistake, but without the exact intention of doing more cardio. I used to backpack through Europe and often times I just took my backpack and went hiking, it was just an integrated part of hiking. I just got a new one last month cause I saw this article https://backpacks.global/best-wheeled-backpack-buying-guide-to-rolling-backpacks/ and realized that if we are allowed to travel again after the vaccination, I really needed a new backpack. I can't wait to break it in and have some nice adventures together.I'm talking about it as if it's a person.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @abragred thank you for sharing your personal experience about using some weight on the backpack while hiking. It's great to know that it works for you. I'm sure you will have the opportunity to travel again soon. 😎