Every year we get a box of food from Swiss Colony from friends for Christmas. Usually it's a collection of food that we look at and say "ewww" and try to get rid of. This year the box had some things in it we'd actually eat! Among them is a box of small sausages - the little sizes that would be perfect for us to carry on the trail. This stuff pretty much has a half-life and is not going to spoil between now and summer. There were also some hard candies, nuts, and chocolates that would last for months. So if you get one of these gift boxes put the food aside for furture hikes!