It has been years but I just bought a Mars Bar and am reading the wrapper. I bought this while in Canada so I dunno if the wrapper is the same in the States but it says "Energy Bar" right on the label just above the main logo. Also says 260 calories on the back. Just wondering, have any of you taken these Mars "Energy Bars" on a hike? I had forgotten but they taste great but I would think they would get kinda goo-e in the heat.
I've had pretty good luck with those Kudos Bars before though. Not too bad after some summer hiking but a Mars Bar?

A little trivial history: The Mars family once lived near where I do in Tennessee. They had a big spread called the Milky Way Farm which is in a state of revival as a somewhat restricted "big lot" residentual area, perhaps for those music folks out of Nashville....

They do get gooey. The Mars Dark is much better. I've been known to keep Mars and Snickers in the freezer and then throw them in my pack frozen for day hikes. By the time I am ready to eat it the bar is perfectly thawed. Bryan occasionally takes Snickers on Fall trips where the heat isn't an issue.

Off on a limb but LaurieAnn I got to meet Eric Peterson, who plays Oscar Leroy on Corner Gas, the other day. Seems he lives next door to my cousin Greg.

You know, I've never watched Corner Gas.... seems the food channel doesn't air that particular show... lol.

Snickers, particularly the tiny ones widely available going into the Halloween season, are great for the trail. Cut up, they make a good addition to gorp (I dust 'em with oat bran to cut down on the stickiness). The freezing trick is a good one as it is with so many foods on the trail.

But candy is candy. There is a calorie limit, usually around 120-160c per ounce. And that holds regardless if "energy" is on the label or not. It's always been my not-so-educated opinion that 'energy bars' provide an average amount of energy given their weight and content and that the attibuted nutritional boost is way overpriced (if not exaggerated).

And that makes the Snickers more desirable...even with the marketing on the label.:)

FB

In addition to placing your candy bars in the freezer before heading out on a hike, another handy trick is to place the still-wrapped candy bar in your water bottle to prevent melting. Although your water may warm up a little, it is very unlikely that it will reach a temperature that will cause your snack to melt. Just a handy little trick that I thought I would share.

-Donnie

The good thing about snickers is the peanuts. The protien slows the absorbtion of callories and the energy boost lasts longer(my wife is diabetic and I learn all kinds of wierd stuff about sugar). On the other hand, all chocolate is good on the trail.

The nuts certainly do help. The thing with sweets like Mars is that you get a sudden burst of energy followed by a crash and that's where things like nuts and seeds can be helpful. We always try to combine protein with anything that happens to be sugary to help with the quick release of the sugars. Generally I make my own power bars and such because it gives me better control.

I went to sleep once in my hammock in the middle of January with a Snickers in the bag with me (I have no idea how it got there). Needless to say it was a mess!!

lol Bulldawg... that would be quite the mess for sure.

lol Bulldawg... that would be quite the mess for sure.


Does show that you can be warm in 15*F weather in a hammock though!!:-?:-?

i'd recommend you focus on electrolyte replacement (ep) but the snickers are great. i swear by them, but have found EP to be the most beneficial way to recoup strength. ep maybe better than temporary energy bursts.

Snickers Marathon bars give me real quick recharge. 'Specially on the ups.

I have a case of Snickers Charged bars that I ordered off Amazon. Love them.