Backpacking Doesn't Have To Take Years Off Your Life 

Thank you ! I amm 66 also and geting ready to try doing the A T from south to north. Have the gear just got to get the OK from my Drs. Ive had foot surgerys for the past year. Mentaly I am ready but my feet ? Might do it 3ds with in a year. TAKE CARE and STAY WELL

I was just thinking that packing light resistance bands could be helpful! If you can find the energy to do some upper body exercises with them lol

I tried to bring bands once and it was just extra weight. Instead I can use rocks in the mountains and logs in the woods.@@carriehagstrom9777

What do you do off trail to strength train? You want to start out with a strong upper body. It's unlikely you're gonna build muscle off trail, without recovery days, in any case. Remember, you don't build muscle when exercising so much, you build it when recovering. Dude, 66 is not that old. Do remember that as you get older you don't process protein as well, so you want extra protein, especially to build muscle.

I agree 100% I have been Whole Foods Plant-Based 6 years. I'm 53 now and do hikes that I could not 20 years ago, It is so worth doing!!!!

Complete bunk science. Just look at who wrote it 😂

"One can hardly call it food" 🎯

Yes, scroggin (US: "trail mix") seems to have disappeared some time this century. A mix of various nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts), and dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries), maybe some oats, with a few treats like chocolate chips (the kind used in baking cookies) in there. For snacking while walking. With that you're getting protein and meso- and micronutrients along with the calories.

I second the thanks, Dixie. Generally sound advice: you have largely stuck to well established principles ... with a couple of exceptions. 1 There's a pandemic of vitamin D deficiency. It's essential for your immune system to function properly (which includes detecting and eliminating cancerous cells). Everyone needs natural light on their skin, to manufacture vitamin D (unless you're eating a lot of oily fish). Yes, of course you should avoid burning, and yes, you should do it as fas as possible with physical barriers rather than chemical ones. But vitamin D deficiency will result from always plastering all exposed skin, and ironically, INCREASE your likelihood of getting skin cancer, even without the effects of the chemical carcinogens. Avoid putting petroleum products on your skin! That includes "lip balm" and detergents (use old-fashioned soap). I'm doing a series of articles on backpackin on my Substack, and recommend whatdoino.substack.com/p/copy-travel-hygiene 2 You don't have to look hard to find the decades of scientific research showing harm from microwave-sized electromagnetic radiation. Make sure your phone is on airplane mode (or completely off, of course) as much as possible and definitely at night. Make sure all other emitters - especially routers - in your vicinity are off at night at least. Don't wear an I-watch! 3 Quite right about sugar, but most Americans need to train their bodies more towards using fats for energy rather than starch. Obviously that means healthy fats, not seed oils removed with petroleum products, and animal fats from animals not contaminated with glyphosate. You have a tough time finding food fit for human consumption in the US. 4 Don't overdo it. Make your long hikes days of quality rather than quantity. The experience is more important than how many miles towards some arbitrary end-point. Time in camp in the morning means you can air your bedding and night-clothes - essential for avoiding highly allergenic mould spores. This is especially important if you use a tent rather than a tarp or hammock (and sleep in a puffy jacket!). Time in camp in the evening means you can wash yourself and your clothes if you are up to it. I recently had to fall back on the contents of my lightweight backpack for 5 months, when covid (and things) meant I couldn't get to my home country. I would spend 10 minutes most evenings washing the day's shirt and underpants. Of course I use a tarp rather than a tent, which means it can be drying overnight, even if there's some rain. See whatdoino.substack.com/p/copy-travel-hygiene 4 (I was most relieved to hear you had managed to avoid the covid "vaccine". I was concerned after some of your comments during the lockdown).

"Backpack is too big and so am I" 🤣

Start with eliminating sugar. Substitute fruit.

@@TryingTheHardHikeATAdrieWashne I will getting off sugar is going to be hard

@@hodgepodgelife I was addicted to it. Yes it is. I used fruit as a substitute. Then I reduced fruit too because it is also sugar. One step at a time. One day at a time. Just start.

Yes it's so crazy how people of all ages are eating like unsupervised 12 year olds.

Me too!

It’s in everything! Natural sugars are better if there’s fiber in it (like fruits and veggies) but our fruits in the US are genetically modified now where even apples are so sweet now! 😢

​@@myphone9831I go with heirloom and organics. It's the one expenditure where I don't scrimp.

Check out James Nestor interview on Andrew Huberman podcast. Wish I knew if his breathing research and techniques as a young person. I've experienced amazing benefits after practicing for a few months.

Yes and I've been vegan for 10 years and vegetarian before that since I was in my late teens and also have zero problems with inflamation. Blood pressure is closer to that of an athlete for someone 64. Also normal cholesterol. I do eat fruit but minimized grain, plenty of greens and vegetables and more plant based proteins as I age. Every body is different and this works for me. One little trick on trail is that I make my own nut mixes then chew really well to bring out all of the nutrients. I make my own meals for thru hikes and change it up. The post would be too long if I included recipes, but it's delicious. When leaving a town I will bring things like apples, cucumber, oranges in lieu of a full water bottle for the first few days. I also have vitamins of b12 and omega 3. Oh and my bone density is also really good... bacpacking my guess is great for that. Oh and just started with nasal breathing techniques... James Nestors book Breath has been an incredibly life changing experience. So many benefits that I wish I'd known about it before. Deep slow and gentle breathing thru the nose. Incredible. Several exercises on yt with buteyko breathing videos for example.

Thanks, well said!

Nowhere to go, nowhere to be. Know where to go, know where to be 🍄

Well spoken@@nugsieb

Yup! a person cannot exercise their way out of a bad diet.

May I recommend an original song written about an old backpacker ? THE HOBO SONG (C)2006 From james monahan original songs. @jamesmonahan1870 Thank you for listening. 😊

Hi. I’d love to hear more about what you ate on your thru hike. I’m vegetarian and eat very well at home, and don’t want to be eating junk on my PCT hike.

We do the best we can. I follow nutrition closely and eat gorgeous healthy fresh and clean foods. But sometimes we socialize at restaurants or travel and have to make the best choices we can.

A great response - thanks for sharing! Perhaps of interest Dr Chris Van Tulleken - a British medical doctor - has written a book and done some great RU-vid interviews on what science has to say about Ultra Processed Food - not only is most food intensively processes - it doesn't do our health any good at all! Why all the additives? They are cheap and provide flavour / texture / technical preservation attributes. I completely agree home prepared real food, dehydrated is the way to go...😊

Money ain't worth your health, but if you're willing to make that tradeoff that's on you!

​@@h00k57 what are you on about?! sometimes people (especially in my region and especially female) have no option - you need money for basic food and shelter, so that is why I wrote that it's a luxury to be able to not be on corporation's clock. So I won't judge anyone who has to be on corporation's clock. Your comment makes no sense - how are people supposed to keep health without food or being homeless? I'm not talking luxury, I'm talking having to work to be able to survive and having the basic needs met! And you know why I now have this luxury? because I know I don't have much time left. money ain't worth your health - what the hell, honestly, you sound like a privileged first world ahole who has no idea that people have to bend backwards just to survive!

This is true, your body tends to fall into deeper sleep at certain times and if youre forcing yourself to get up in the middle of that cycle you wont feel rested. Some people fall asleep more easily later in the evening and then hit that deep sleep later in the morning.

It’s been proven that’s your eyes to need to see the sun rise, they need to see the sun at mid-day and the sunset as there are many benefits to this. Many studies have been done and books written on this…I’d say you need to look into this further.

Artificial lights and all the artificial stimulation we get has a lot to do with how we sleep or don’t sleep. If you actually think about it we have been living a much different lifestyle for very short period of time. We all have to do what is best for ourselves but I find getting up early and hitting the trial before 6am I get a lot done and makes my day so much more enjoyable and relaxing.