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Re: [at-l] (stress fractures?)
- Subject: Re: [at-l] (stress fractures?)
- From: MHOLMES@NETVA.COM (MARK HOLMES)
- Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 19:57:34 -0500
At 05:14 PM 1/30/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Make sure you have well fitting boots and make sure your backpack is not
>overloaded. I recently went back and reread Waldo's journals - he was
>carrying 65#!!! At one point he took out a few things and was carrying a
>"light" load of 50#. :P He also complained of back strain. I am going to
>make sure my pack is no heavier than 35#.
>
>--
>Diana ^(raven)^ * raven@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu
>http://www.geckoworld.com/~raven
>The Appalachian Trail 1998 * Georgia -> Maine
I agree with Diana - keep the weight down - Waldo was skinny too - I would
guess he weighed about 140 and was 5'11" - 65# is way too much. He should
have been carrying about 35-40# - of course when you have a laptop,cell
phone, 31" TV, etc....
I started with 53# and I was 173 lbs - still too much weight - hurts your
knees too in addition to possible stress fractures of your feet. After I
lost 32 lbs, carrying this kind of weight became even more difficult - I
started mailing part of our mail drops ahead to cut down on the weight. You
do lose upper body strength as well and after a while hoisting that beast
onto your back is not much fun and can cause back strain.
Not an easy task however to keep the weight down - some give up stoves,
others tents in favor of tarps, some trash their first aid kits, others
their sleeping bags, and still others their water filters - all part of
the fun and part of the experience determining what should go and what
should stay!
I wouldn't worry too much about the stress fractures - keep your mileages
down for the first month till you gain strength and by then you will have
the weight situation figured out as well. Too often these fractures come
about from overdoing it - lots of strong young folks crashed and burned due
to stress fractures brought on by big mileages too soon.
Mark
*************************************************************************
Mark and Janet Holmes
AT Journal at http://members.tripod.com/~Mark_Holmes/AT.html
Fox Hill Inn - Innkeepers 1-800-874-3313 (for reservations)
Troutdale,VA ( 4 miles from Dickey Gap on the AT)
Provider of shuttles in SW VA
Phone: 540-677-3313
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