I'm just wondering what you guys and gals think. Is losing five pounds of fat getting into sheep shape the same as dropping five pounds out of your pack?
Or it gets rid of weight that doesn't provide meaningful comfort and allows you to carry some that is meaningful! I got rid of a bunch of weight by replacing my heavy traditional knives with two havalon that don't way as much as the lightest of my other knives for example. With a change like that I can carry a real shelter instead of a tarp!I prefer to lose the pounds. The extra 5 pounds in the pack helps a person feel a lot more comfortable in the backcountry (when not carrying it)!
When you walk across level ground, the force on your knees is the equivalent of 1½ times your body weight. That means a 200-pound man will put 300 pounds of pressure on his knees with each step. Add an incline, and the pressure is even greater: the force on each knee is two to three times your body weight when you go up and down stairs, and four to five times your body weight when you squat to tie a shoelace or pick up an item you dropped. - Harvard Health Publication / Harvard Medical School
Hopefully this doesn't come across the wrong way, as it's not meant to be critical or harsh in any manner..... I see and hear this question a lot, but have never understood it. If a person needs to lose a few pounds, then do it. If one has the ability to cut weight from their pack (typically through better, lighter gear... yes it does cost some $$$) then do it. Honestly, the ability to do one, in no way excludes a person from doing the other. Invest in lighter equipment, (don't buy a gym membership or dietary products) and start hiking hills as frequently as possible.... I know plenty of guys that could lose an extra 10 lbs around their belly, but due to their time spent in the mountains (I refer to as being in "Mountain Shape") they can run circles around the guy of similar stature and 10 lbs lighter who is "gym fit"..... Moral of the story, do both!
What would be the difference whether the weight is on your back or your gut? You're still packing it up the hill.
My final point, a shitty attitude weighs you down more than 5lbs.
Losing 1 pound of body weight is a benefit to your knees and joints by a factor of 4. Lose 5 pounds and you will have taken the equivalent of 20 pounds of load bearing weight off of your knees - 10 pounds is equivalent to 40. . . There is science - and my subject matter experience to back this up.