I've always known women make excellent backpackers. As a past Sierra Club National Outlings leader, I've seen us gals rock on the trail. But how do women fare versus men when backpacking for three months or more?

Pretty darn well. This study in Wilderness and Environmental Medicine lays it out nicely. Researchers collected surveys from 280 long-distance hikers on the Appalachian Trail (AT). These weren't weekend jaunts, the mean duration of hiking was 144 days (plus or minus 66 days), covering hundreds of miles. The general experiences of women and men were quite similar, including distance, duration and incidents of musculoskeletal problems. Men did lose more weight than women (not fair!), and women hauled slightly lighter loads. Interestingly, women disinfected their water more consistently, but good hygiene provided no advantage against diarrhea on the trail.

Menstrual changes were common. Twenty-two percent of women experienced amenorrhea -- cessation of menstruation. While this is convenient on the trail, serious bone loss can result. Whether hiking the AT or training heavily, if you ever experience amenorrhea, official recommendations suggest a 1500 mg calcium supplement every day. I think it would also be wise to call your doctor.