Hiking: off the beaten fitness path

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The Fatpacking company, based in Hull, Massachusetts, likes their hiking-for-weight-loss treks spiked with camping and wilderness training.

"I also call it 'fitpacking' because people don't want to tell other people they're going to Fatpacking," said company founder Steve Silberberg.

Silberberg, who left a career in computer programming to indulge his inner boy scout, said his expeditions, while geared to weight loss, are not for the morbidly obese or the faint of heart.

"It's not for couch potatoes or 'Big Loser' types," he said, referring to the popular television show that helps people lose weight. "Over steep terrain with a huge pack on your back, you get a cumulative fatigue. Thighs and butts tend to get a bit bigger because of increased muscle mass. Body composition changes a little bit."

Bree Gotsdiner, an occasional co-guide, said people often use Fatpacking treks to jumpstart a diet.

"People always lose fat, always gain muscle," she explained. "(Food) portions are limited to what we carry," the former firefighter, said, adding all guides are EMT and wilderness certified.

"You need different skills when you're in the forest than when you're in the city."

Silberberg said the most important thing to pack is a good attitude, but he admits the expeditions may not be for everyone.

"We hike whether it's rain or shine or snow," he said. "If you think you're going to be unhappy without electricity or plumbing, maybe it's not for you."

This winter Fatpacking plans to tackle the Haute Route in the Alps. But that journey may see clients forgoing sleeping bags for warm beds.

"We work with what's available," Silberberg explained. "People are not as willing to camp out if they know that there's an inn a mile away."