How do you get your caffeine intake on the trail? [Archive] - WhiteBlaze

trippclark

11-19-2009, 09:42

What do you use to get your caffeine while making long hikes?

I don't.

I used to get headaches on day 2 of hikes that would not go away for many hours. I figured out, finally, that it was withdrawal from caffeine. That was it. Benign or not, I did not like the idea of having any drug in my body that would effect me like that when I did not have it, so I cut out caffeine or at least anything with any significant amounts of it. With rare exception, I now avoid soft drinks with caffeine, coffee and tea (will drink decaf sometimes . . . I love sweet iced tea). For at least 3 years after I "stopped" caffeine, on those occasions when I did have something with caffeine, I could count on a headache a day or two later. Finally, that has gone away and I can now have the occasional caffeinated beverage without the negative effects later.

Lone Wolf

11-19-2009, 09:47

NoDoz http://www.shopinprivate.com/nodpilnodoz6.html

Plodderman

11-19-2009, 09:49

Brian039 thanks for the suggestion and TrippClark I have went on may hikes without any caffeine but the older I get the more I like my caffeine on the trail. I have used some crystal light packages and might move to making coffee.

Hikes in Rain

11-19-2009, 09:55

Coffee. Fresh roasted, fresh ground. With a dab of honey and either cream (from the single serving thingies I get during hotel stays) or Nido.

Alligator

11-19-2009, 10:16

photojojo

11-19-2009, 11:29

Hot chocolate, powdered cappuccino, or folgers singles. I've tried the little liquid pouches of coffee extract but didn't like them. The cappuccino is good because you don't have to worry about sweeteners or other stuff you might add.

Mags

11-19-2009, 11:47

Quit cold turkey on long hikes..but it is one of the first things I get when in town!

(Or use two tea bags when crashing at your friends' non-coffee household! :eek:)

fredmugs

11-19-2009, 12:11

No caffeine. I drink lots of coffee at work each day but never drink it anywhere else. I have never had the withdrawals that other people get. I pretty much only drink water.

ShelterLeopard

11-19-2009, 12:26

What do you use to get your caffeine while making long hikes?

Very good chance that I'll forgo caffeine completely on my thru, and I'll definitely start caffeine free, but what I'd do if I did go with caffeine every day (as I've done before):

Coffee, made cowboy style and strained through a homeade (awesome) filter, usually Green Mountain Vermont Country Style, sometimes mixed with hot chocolate to make mocha.

Mana energy shot (only once in a while, half straight, half mixed with a helf nalgene of water), like those five hour energy shots, but better.

Caffeinated cookies (yep- about as much as one cup of coffee in two cookies)

But, as I said before, I'm not going to do much caffeine, if any on my thru. I want to clear my body of all that jazz. (Which I'll do before, so I don't get the headache) Though I may have a cup of coffee every morning if I really feel like it. We'll see.

ShelterLeopard

11-19-2009, 12:27

No caffeine. I drink lots of coffee at work each day but never drink it anywhere else. I have never had the withdrawals that other people get. I pretty much only drink water.

You know what, I don't think I do either. Drink coffee all during the week, and during the weekend or holidays, I'm fine.

DrRichardCranium

11-19-2009, 12:34

At home I normally only have a cup of tea for breakfast, and then SOMETIMES a very small cup of coffee in the morning at work, and ice tea with lunch. That is the extent of my caffeine intake in civilian life.

So I don't get withdrawals when I don't have caffeine.
On the trail I might have a cup of tea in the morning sometimes, and that's it for caffeine.

I do not understand these people who drink a dozen cups of coffee a day. Doesn't seem natural.

Grinder

11-19-2009, 12:44

At home, I can't imagine starting my day without a pot of coffee. Preferrable fresh ground in a french press.

On my first hike, four years ago, I carried a plastic french press.
Weight be damned!!

But, much to my surprise, I found I didn't bother making it on the trail.

The fact that you sleep pretty much sun down to sun up, plus the fact that mornings in spring are pretty raw , led me to drinking an instant breakfast and eating a bagel on the move for my morning sustenance.

Who'd have thought??

Bobbo

11-19-2009, 13:07

ChinMusic

11-19-2009, 14:34

I discovered that my headaches on trips were from caffeine withdrawals. I thought for a long time it was just the stress/sun/air/etc of backpacking. I now carry Jet-Alert tablets. I bite off half of one in the morning and take the other half in the afternoon. Problem solved. I don't drink coffee so I don't have that option.

Caffeine withdrawal headaches suck bigtime.

http://www.amazon.com/Jet-Alert-Each-Caffeine-Tabs-Count/dp/B001QVCSZC

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31IBep7BScL._SL500_AA200_.jpg

Pootz

11-19-2009, 14:40

Excedrin has caffeine in it. I have seen hikers that take it in the mornign to replace their coffee. Not sure of the affects on your stomach.

Dogwood

11-19-2009, 15:08

Quit cold turkey on long hikes..but it is one of the first things I get when in town! - Mags

Me too! I'm trying, sometimes unsuccessfully, to ween myself off coffee though. Coffee contains a moderately powerful addictive psychoactive drug called caffeine.

Personally, I'd rather seek to feel energized and alert by the simple act of waking up after a restful night's sleep along a stream in the forest or from a mountain top with a view or by just getting an early sunrise hiking start, feeling the first rays of the sun on my face, while watching nature wake up all around me or by doing some lite stretching in the morning. I know some will sneer and think it more convenient, but there are lots of ways to FEEL ALIVE AND ALERT other than by introducing an outside drug into the body!

I'm glad to see that many posters realize caffeine is just one ingredient in coffee. Coffee and caffeine are not the the same although they are often treated as such.

mudhead

11-19-2009, 15:17

Last time I weaned off coffee, I used decaf to lead into it.

It still stank.

Walmart has a bargain version of those NoDoz. They are handy.:)

I can figure out how to eat stoveless, but instant coffeeless? I don't think so.

Maybe some day.

4Bears

11-19-2009, 16:06

You can take an aspirin or two, as they are mostly cafine as it is needed to make them work, the only adverse effect, unless you are allergic to them, is it thins your blood which most cardiologists want you to do anyway. I would recomend taking them with some food though as they can irritate the stomach othewise.

Marta

11-19-2009, 18:32

Tea and Swiss Miss Pick-Me-Up. A lot of the energy chews and goos and whatnot have caffeine, too.

AggieAl

11-19-2009, 18:44

Try the new instant Starbucks coffee. It is pretty good and saves weight and avoids having to mess with grounds.

ShelterLeopard

11-19-2009, 18:48

If you want a lightweight, no cook, serious caffeine buzz, check this out:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/candy/

Thinkgeek is awesome!!!

UHFox

11-19-2009, 20:58

I am normally a serious caffeine addict, but I usually wean myself from coffee in anticipation of a long hike. This takes a couple of weeks of gradual withdrawal, but I can then drink just water during the hike. It keeps things simple on the trail, and my hiking partner doesn't have to put up with any grumpiness.

ATBuddy

11-20-2009, 00:54

You Dont Need Caffine! Just Get Enough Sleep.

ATBuddy

11-20-2009, 00:55

ok it wont let me edit it, so I mean to say *CAFFEINE

rickb

11-20-2009, 06:27

Too bad Snickers Charged never made wide distribution.

Perhaps we could start a letter writing campaign?

http://candyaddict.com/blog/2008/02/04/candy-review-snickers-charged/

Tagless

11-20-2009, 07:34

My wife and I started every day with a Breakfast Shake mixed in a liter Gatorade bottle the night before. Ingredients included water, 2-3 Instant Breakfast packets, Protein Powder (Muscle Milk), Nedo, and 3 heaping tablespoons of instant coffee.

Cookerhiker

11-20-2009, 14:47

In my everyday life, I need my coffee every day including when I'm car-camping. But while backpacking, I somehow do without it. I make do with a cup of hot chocolate, sometimes using 2 envelopes in one cup. And nowadays, you can buy envelopes of dark hot chocolate.

Wise Old Owl

11-21-2009, 09:07

Tea in the morning and powdered ice tea mix in the afternoon. Those powdered ice tea mixes have about 20-25 mg of caffeine which is about a cup of teas worth. That leaves me a cup short for the day but as long as I get the two in the morning I don't get a caffeine headache while hiking.

Excedrin has caffeine in it. I have seen hikers that take it in the morning to replace their coffee. Not sure of the affects on your stomach.

Both excellent solutions here, I am a big tea drinker and yes I get afternoon headaches when I don't get enough. I often thought about the value of drink mixes that contain potassium and vitamins should also contain caffeine. When I stop for lunch I make a "homemade" Gatorade mix with just that replacement electrolytes and caffeine from a No-Dos. What a kick! :cool:

ShelterLeopard

11-21-2009, 09:20

http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/candy/9f5d/zoom/

This spray has more caffeine than an energy drink in three sprays.

ShelterLeopard

11-21-2009, 09:21

Please bear with me while I try to post the darn picture.http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/candy/9f5d/zoom/

ShelterLeopard

11-21-2009, 09:22

Does anyone know how to successfully post photos???

Never mind, I give up. Just follow the first link.

Wise Old Owl

11-21-2009, 10:03

Does anyone know how to successfully post photos???

Never mind, I give up. Just follow the first link.

:D
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/9f5d_primer_caffeine_breath_spray.jpg

ShelterLeopard

11-21-2009, 11:27

AHHH! How did you do that???

PS- Thanks

ShelterLeopard

11-21-2009, 11:28

And PPS- I just ordered an assortment of weird caffeinated things from thinkgeek.com, will report back soon.

tiptoe

11-21-2009, 22:06

When not hiking, I drink two cups of coffee a day, but when hiking, I like to drink green tea with my evening meal. To avoid headaches early on in the hike, I carry "medicinal" espresso powder in a ziplock. Of course, when I get to a town, I treat myself to real coffee.

Father Dragon

11-21-2009, 22:34

Caffeine is not that essential for me on the trail, but I do enjoy a morning cup with a sunrise. I think it is more the ritual aspect of having it than the need.

Connie

11-22-2009, 03:52

Maybe coffee isn't that important to me?

When I quit, I have a coffee headache now and then for 10 days to 2 weeks.

hopefulhiker

11-22-2009, 06:59

Penguin Mints... They are used by computer geeks.. Each one contains aboutthe same amount of caffeine as a 12 oz can of Coke .... Light weight too!
Also I liked to mix Carinatinon Instant breakfast with a little instant coffee..
http://peppermints.com/html/products.html

Tinker

11-22-2009, 07:59

Two years ago I tried some semi-hard candies from Trader Joe's. Strong coffee flavor, and they supply a steady stream of both caffeine and sugar to your tired body. They keep me going all day. I've tried others, but these are my favorites because you can't just chew and swallow them.
For real coffee, I just bring grounds, put them in my bandanna, and soak them in a pot of boiling water. Using a rubber band around the bandanna keeps the grounds in place. Some solids make it into the water but I just consider them to be added fiber :D.

Fiddleback

11-22-2009, 11:01

Canation Instant Breakfast (now called "Essentials", I think), NIDO, and a spoonful or two of Cafe d'Oro instant expresso. Served hot.

That, with a couple Logan Bread bars makes up my trail breakfast. Lots of calories, lots of vitamins and minerals, lots of fat, lots of fiber...but still a light breakfast that doesn't weigh down my gut on the trail and takes little prep or cleanup time.

FB

spindle

11-22-2009, 13:06

Starbucks Via, Shot Bloks, and tropical flavor Hammer Gel.

Caffeine is a food group! *twitch twitch*

Plodderman

11-22-2009, 17:38

Many great suggestions and I appreciate everyone pitching in. I agree coffee and caffeine are a separate food group, probably the top of my pyramid.

saimyoji

11-22-2009, 18:11

surprised nobody mentioned chocolate covered espresso beans

davechi

11-29-2009, 23:14

My two cents... (If anyone wants to know)

I don't drink coffee very often. But I do need a hot beverage in the morning, on and off the trail. There is something thats just really satisfying about it. I figured I'm already boiling water for hot cereal or something anyway. Just some tea or powered drinks -- it'll make a gross day seem not so bad if you start off with a warm belly.

Also, they make a powered instant green tea too. It's not bad and has a good amount of caffene in it.

Cookerhiker

11-30-2009, 07:56

......Also, they make a powered instant green tea too. It's not bad and has a good amount of caffene in it.

I'm a green tea fan. Do you know who makes it, where is it available, and is it made from real tea?

Also, is powdered tea significantly lighter or less bulky than tea bags? At least you don't have anything to pack out. And it's faster to brew.

ShelterLeopard

11-30-2009, 10:06

If you've got a fire going, just burn the tea bags. Or take loose tea and use a re-usable tea bag. But, you have to wash those...

There is a very different taste between bag tea and powdered instant tea. I like the powdered stuff hot, and do not like it cold. I love the bags hot, and they're just as good cold. So, in conclusion, I have absolutely nothing helpful to add.

XCskiNYC

12-03-2009, 01:04

The little one-cup plastic tubes of Taster's Choice (the best instant regular coffee; much like drip coffee tastewise).

Tea bags. Very light. Burn well. More for a hot drink in the evening than for the caffeine.

Sugar in an empty vitamin bottle.

That's my portable coffee shop.

Nido some day if I can ever find it.

The Mechanical Man

12-03-2009, 01:35

Hiking or not, I don't use Caffiene on a regular basis, but for those of you that always seem to need a Caffeine fix, I would suggest asking your doctor for this product. :eek:

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/caffeine-ergotamine-suppositories.html

............Remove the wrapper and moisten the suppository with cool water. Lie down on your side. Insert the pointed end of the suppository into the rectum, then use your finger to push it in completely. Wash your hands thoroughly after using Caffeine/Ergotamine Suppositories...............

ShelterLeopard

12-03-2009, 07:49

You live in New York- you can go to an ethnic foods store, if you really want it. In Jersey, I can get NiDo either in the powdered milk or beef boullion section of shoprite.

Chaco Taco

12-03-2009, 08:02

Lipton makes crappy Green Tea bags, but Yogi Tea company has great tea. We carry a tea ball to make coffee and tea on trail. Very easy to store in my pot and easy to clean. They cost about $3
http://tealove.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/teaball.jpg

Chaco Taco

12-03-2009, 08:02

ShelterLeopard

12-03-2009, 08:12

Heck yeah! (Mocha...)

58starter

12-03-2009, 08:41

maxwell house coffee bags makes a good cup of coffee. make two cups of hot water one for the coffee and one for my hot oatmeal breakfast.

Zoooma

12-22-2009, 16:16

I used to get headaches on day 2 of hikes that would not go away for many hours. I figured out, finally, that it was withdrawal from caffeine.

I used to get those from not drinking coffee. No amount of ibuprofen or anything over the counter would make those headaches go away. So horribly annoying.

My suggestion: QUIT YOUR COFFEE ADDITION!!!!!

I quit. I was unemployed and I turned to starting a 6-pack at 8 or 9 in the morning instead of coffee. Didn't do much as far as me being capable of finding a job for awhile . . . but it got me off coffee!!!

Finally I quit the beer and turned to green tea. I'm so much better off!!!! Anti-oxidants, baby!!! I still drink some occasional coffee but I no longer need 2 to 3 cups a day and no more headaches from lack of caffeine. I can go a week without, no problem. It's purely an addiction. It's not needed.

On the trail in the morning when it's chilly or downright cold (but NEVER on a warm morning) I want a hot drink to "warm the bones." What floats my boat is hot chocolate or General Foods latte mix...
http://www.kraftfoods.com/images/ocpimages/43000/00250CL.GIF (http://brands.kraftfoods.com/gfic/products.html?Site=1&Product=4300000250)
http://brands.kraftfoods.com/gfic/products.html?Site=1&Product=4300000250

There are different flavors so it doesn't get boring for me. Never again do I wanna be hooked on coffee. Bad!

mumbles mcgee

12-27-2009, 18:19

Chocolate covered espresso beans :) Available in bulk at some health food stores or ask about them at your local coffee shop.

mak52580

01-06-2010, 15:26

Try the new instant Starbucks coffee. It is pretty good and saves weight and avoids having to mess with grounds.

Agree with you here. I tried it the first time a couple of weeks ago at home to see if I'd like it and i LOVE it. It isn't perfect but it's by far the best tasting instant coffee that I have ever had. With a little cream and sugar in it, you can't tell it from any other cup of coffee and certainly doesn't have any of the "instant aftertaste" to it.

300winmag

01-07-2010, 01:57

Them thar leetle tea bag coffee packets is real nice in the mornin'.

SassyWindsor

01-08-2010, 00:31

I use homemade (2 cup yield each) coffee bags, similar to the ones tea comes in. I grind fresh (as possible), non-blended, Kona beans, package it up. Makes a very good coffee. I rarely drink more than 2 cups per day, so it lasts a while. An indulgence, as well as a caffeine fix, I have learned to live with.:)

Scooby99

01-08-2010, 03:26

If you are the person that likes gum and caffeine, try Stay Alert chewing gum. I work in the ICU at nights and use this on the nights that are either dragging or exhausting, one piece works pretty well for 3-4 hours in an exhausted state. I prefer the arctic mint flavor, can buy at amazon, 20 bucks for 100 pieces I think.

Furlough

01-08-2010, 10:56

What do you use to get your caffeine while making long hikes?
My coffee cup. :)

pattydivins

01-09-2010, 19:38

What do you guys put your hot coffee into to drink out of? Does anyone put it in a nalgene or similar plastic bottles, or are you scared of BPAs and such..

ShelterLeopard

01-09-2010, 23:26

Wise Old Owl

01-10-2010, 21:53

Just picked up a great mug from an outfitter- MSR mug, double walled with a lid and no handle. The outside gets warm, but not hot, and keeps the inside hot much longer. And it's just as light as the lightweight mug I was using before! (On which I always burned my hands and lips)

Both Msr & Gsi offered new mugs last month and after reading your post what did yours weight and how much can it hold?

I read your post, got to the EMS store and bought the wrong thing....

I came home with a Gsi, single wall lexan covered with thin neoprene and weights 3.2 oz holds 17 oz and even with boiling water only gets warm...

Pretty close to a double wall titanium, appears OK for the weight and size.

wudhipy

01-10-2010, 22:25

:DOk...the only piece of gear I have yet to find a justification to shed after years of backpacking is my french coffee press. 1. A caffiene withdraw headache really sucks the life out of me. 2. I enjoy coffee.3. if i'm going to drink coffee, then I'm going to drink coffee. Don't worry...ole wudhipy is willing to share a cup.

Doooglas

01-10-2010, 22:55

Don't forget the Prozac in case you didn't get your 17.675 milez.

Red River Falls

01-10-2010, 23:48

I'm hoping Starbucks Via instant coffee proves to be good. I've tried some instant coffees, the coffee bags (Maxwell House), and have been offered fresh brewed on the trail. Of course, the fresh-brewed was far and away the best. I've passed up on the opportunity to buy a French press and small filter for fresh-brewing...just seems like too much hassle for me personally.

I haven't field-tested the Starbucks instant, but I am hoping it is quite better than other instants I have had. Unfortunately, I take coffee with some creamer and sugar, so that is another minor nuisance.

I'd rather have the option of coffee than not to. It's an addiction, but a reasonably healthy/harmless one. I am glad to read of the other suggestions on this thread. Good stuff.

ShelterLeopard

01-11-2010, 11:10

I'd like to carry a french press, but in the interest of lightening up my pack weight, I bought an MSR mugmate. Works quite well, though a french press is better.

I carry my coffee gounds in a small nalgene container, and it keeps them fresh.

ShelterLeopard

01-11-2010, 11:11

Both Msr & Gsi offered new mugs last month and after reading your post what did yours weight and how much can it hold?

I read your post, got to the EMS store and bought the wrong thing....

I came home with a Gsi, single wall lexan covered with thin neoprene and weights 3.2 oz holds 17 oz and even with boiling water only gets warm...

Pretty close to a double wall titanium, appears OK for the weight and size.

I saw both in the store as well- the MSR weighs about half an ounce more, but I like the shape a lot more than the GSI. I just hope my MSR mugmate fits inside, I just realized that I forgot to test that.

LaVista

01-11-2010, 12:40

There is a pretty sweet French-Press accessory to the Jetboil PCS stove. If your a coffee drinker it's another reason to make the bulk of a Jetboil worthwhile.

ShelterLeopard

01-11-2010, 13:29

I'm a pocketrocket fan- I'm not planning to do jetboil. I like it, but not enough. I'd rather carry a french press than get the jetboil.

Wags

01-18-2010, 17:13

instant coffee or chocolate covered coffee beans. depends on how lazy i am when i wake up

ShelterLeopard

01-19-2010, 10:44

I saw both in the store as well- the MSR weighs about half an ounce more, but I like the shape a lot more than the GSI. I just hope my MSR mugmate fits inside, I just realized that I forgot to test that.

Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief, the mugmate fits!

JAK

01-19-2010, 11:33

I thought I would move this thread up and go get a coffee.
Anyone care to join me?

I'm using one of those reusable filters. It fits nicely into the top of my hiking mug.
I pour it back and forth with my drinking mug a few extra times.
I haven't tried this on the trail yet, but I think I got the idea on here.

Jaybird

01-19-2010, 11:38

What do you use to get your caffeine while making long hikes?

i take a HEAPING SCOOP of INSTANT (FREEZE DRIED) CAFE BUSTELO
per LARGE TITANIUM CUP O' COFFEE!....gets those boots a-movin'!:D

JAK

01-19-2010, 11:41

Whoa. That stuff must pack a punch. lol

JAK

01-19-2010, 11:45

OK. Dark roasted brewed. Feeling mellow. Feeling good.:sun

JJJ

01-19-2010, 12:52

I love my coffee! I make my own trail mix and will more often then not add really good coffee beans to the mix. - so i guess the short answer is that I eat coffee beans.
I also carry some instant coffee mixes and add them to both hot and cold water. They are light, cheap and easy to use.

This seems like a good idea to me.
I only use caffeine recreationally. It really picks me up near the end of a long run on the trail. -almost a pain killer practically.
I use the caffeinated sports gels.
Rarely drinking coffee and such, probably makes it more effective for me when I do.
But eating or chewing the beans sounds the most practical.
Actually coca leaves (http://www.compra-segura.com/index.php?ref=20&affiliate_banner_id=3) would probably be best. :D:sun:sun:sun:sun

lilricky

02-12-2010, 22:58

Since we're talking about coffee, something I was wondering. When disposing of your grounds, is it frowned upon to scatter the used grounds away from the shelter? I'm all for Leave No Trace, but I would assume grounds are ultra compostable/biodegradable material. Am I wrong in that assumption? BTW, I love my Jetboil coffee press, worth the extra weight almost just for the coffee.