The QR-Poids Challenge
The ARS Sojourner
As Adventure Radio Society members, we take great delight in minimizing the weight of our trail-friendly radio equipment: In monthly Spartan Sprints, we celebrate our ability to establish radio contacts with the lightest stations we can assemble, and in planning our "to the field" adventures, we're always searching for new ways to lighten the pack.
And yet, many of us - especially those who sit in an office five days a week - cart along an extremely heavy and unnecessary accessory. In Ontario, we refer to it as a "Molson's muscle." ("Budweiser bulge" might be an appropriate stateside translation.) Other than the insulation value these extra pounds may have provided during FYBO, there is no value to being overweight and out of shape when heading to the field. The fact is, as we become older and more involved in sedentary activities (in the shack, at the computer, or lounging in front of the TV), it becomes more and more difficult to get in shape for our adventure pursuits.
Just the thought of "being in shape" to better enjoy that weekend hike or paddle should be motivation enough to "do it". But for me, this wasn't enough of a spark (I'd rather sit hunched over the rig digging out weak signals than "working out" on stationary exercise equipment!). Somehow, I needed a different carrot (note the politically correct fat-free analogy) to dangle in front of my treadmill. And I think I may just have found it …..
As many of you are aware, there's nothing I like more than combining QRP with my love of cycling. If you saw my bike mobile setup at Dayton '99, then you know I have tended to spend more dollars on the QRP gear than on the cycling gear! But this year, Santa Claus brought me a Gary Fisher Big Sur Mountain Bike to replace my trusty "Canadian Tire" special. The Gary Fisher features a much lighter aluminum frame (an improved ground plane for my bike mobile antennas ?!?) and components and performance that I could only dream about before!
And so I began thinking about modifying my radio gear for the new bike, and contemplating ways to reduce overall weight. I happened to pick up one of the cycling manuals on my bookshelf, and came across this passage: "So go ahead - spend yourself silly in upgrading to ultralight components or on ultralight accessories. Yet ... there's a much cheaper and more sensible route to weight savings: GET IN SHAPE"
And then it hit me! If I could shed the twenty or thirty pounds of extra weight I'm carrying around, I could replace it with an awful lot of K2's, Sierra's, antenna wire, solar panels, and battery packs! By conceptualizing weight loss as "freeing up pounds for additional gear" (on the bike or in the pack), I now have a strong incentive to get up a half-hour earlier each day and head down to the Walkfit. By "canceling out" the added weight of the radio gear through healthy body weight reduction, my new mountain bike and my Camptrails backpack will view the radio gear as a "freebie"! Of course, my improved fitness level, stamina, and cardiovascular function will be most welcome bonuses when the warm hiking, biking, and paddling weather rolls around in a few months!
To add even more motivation to get on the treadmill, position your exercise equipment in front of the TV, and watch tapes of your favorite outdoor activities. Pick up copies of the "Anyplace Wild" series, produced by Backpacker magazine and shown on PBS. Walking on a treadmill while watching others hike or climb will NEVER replace a hike through a mountain pass, but it can put you in a remarkably good frame of mind to face the day (and that horrid exercise equipment).
It occurred to me that other members of the ARS might like to share in the QR-Poids challenge. The time between now and Dayton seems like a good time frame for achieving some "QR-Poids" goals - perhaps we could schedule a photo shoot at FDIM'00, of any participants standing with the radio gear that equals the pounds they've shed. If you'd like to set a QR-Poids "target" to reach by Dayton, or you have other suggestions for a friendly wager or competition to add further motivation, drop us a line.
Good luck, and hope you'll see (somewhat less of) me on the trail !
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John Cumming, VE3JC, is a Contributing Editor for The ARS Sojourner. John's outdoor interests include cycling, canoeing, and backpacking. He operates HF QRP mobile (CW and SSB) from his mountain bike, and enjoys QRP "to the field" contesting.