Skills >Backpacking Fitness Thru-Hiking Probably Won't Help You Lose Weight—and That's a Good Thing Even the longest hikes are too short to spend worrying about how you look. Scan through a few threads and you’ll notice that the most popular photos tend to fall into two categories: massive beard growth and massive weight loss. Increasing or adding a daily exercise habit to your routine can lead to weight loss for many people. If you’re rapidly losing weight on the trail, you’re likely losing fat—but you’re probably losing muscle tissue, too. You don’t need to eat the exact perfect right amount, and you don’t need to come home lighter than you left.