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Thread: No-cook plan

  1. #1
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    Default No-cook plan

    I've been toying around the idea of a no-cook approach. I've thought up a quick menu that sounds good, and am interested in opinions and advice from those who have gone this route.

    Breakfast:
    Instant Oatmeal/hot chocolate mix

    Snacks:
    Granola Bars (usually 3/day consumed)
    Snickers bar (usually 2/day consumed)

    Supper:
    Combo's (1 pack)
    Ramen (1 pack minus flavor pack - I don't do MSG)

    Note: I don't do lunch, ever. I tend to snack all day at home and on the trail.

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    It totally depends on what works for you. When it comes to food, I recommend different flavors.

    Where's your gorp?

    I ended up using liquid meals because it was a sure fire way for me to consume lots of macronutrients without gagging and wasting lots of time.

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    Sorry Joe thats not a plan... we have threads on that before and to be honest, you will be bored with that quite quickly. Try the AT Food planner for fixing it.
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

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    I've eaten dry, instant oatmeal for breakfast forever....
    I eat 3 granola bars each day, throughout the day
    I usually grab a chocolate bar of some sort during the day
    Diner, for me, is usually a large salad, peanut butter and crackers, chips and hummus, or mac-n-cheese.

    I don't get bored with food. I eat to fuel myself, and I eat what keeps me going best. Boredom is a choice, IMO.

    I searched for threads on this.... didn't come up with anything.... will try again.

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    WOO - Thanks for the input... but I'm looking to hear from those who have gone this route.

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    That cool Joe - there have been several good thread on this - I am not sure how to search on it but they are all posted in the food forum....
    AND CLICK HERE


    http://www.amazon.com/Appalachian-Tr...dp_ob_image_bk
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

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    Don't know why but this thread reminds me of the guy who thought all Ramen was the same and came in no flavors- He had been throwing out the flavor packets thinking it was an oxygen absorber packet. Too funny.

    Yep, whatever works for you but I enjoy at least a good hot beverage on a cold morning to get the bones going before a hike.

    Good luck.

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    Spokes - that's what I've been weighing in my mind. Nothing like a good hot tea/cocoa/etc... on a cold or damp day. But, the simplicity of non-cooking has it's appeal too. So, I've been wondering how'd things would fare to just go without cooking.

    I'm heading out for a 3 day trip the end of the month, and think I'll try it out. I was hoping to get a few more ideas, for the record and all.

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    How much carbs, protein and fat are in your proposed meal?

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    That's nowhere near enough daily energy for a thru.

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Cross View Post
    I've been toying around the idea of a no-cook approach. I've thought up a quick menu that sounds good, and am interested in opinions and advice from those who have gone this route.
    Joe, check out King Krawler’s (GA-ME 2010) advice on Trail Journals: “I contacted a 2009 thru hiker whose journal I had followed. His advice and suggestions were invaluable.”
    http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=331405

    A lot of bench warmers on WB (like me) are online to sniff the trail from afar, either laid up from wounds, or in between section hikes, or just generally sniffing in lieu of doing. Find a thru hiker’s journal you like, go to the well and drink up. And FWIW I hate cooking even more than I hate lugging the components. Good luck, Joe, and have a good hike.

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    First, nothing wrong with going "no cook" on a thru. I tried it - mailed my stove ahead 3 weeks in CT and tried it myself - and discovered it wasn't for me.

    Your proposed diet is lacking in calories and nutrition; supper is woefully inadequate. There are threads where people have listed no cook" diets which you should review.

  13. #13

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    About 8 years ago (???) Ray "Wall" Greenlaw set the speed record on the PCT unsupported.
    He did it without cooking.
    He wrote a book about it called "The Fastest Hike"

    I remember that he drank a lot of powdered drinks.
    I thought it would be very hard to do but talked to him later and found out he runs a lot and often drinks powdered drinks for his fuel.

    Good luck.
    I think you will get tired of Ramens and instant oatmeal
    Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams

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    Do whatever makes you happy. If I were to attempt no cook, I'd still bring a small ti or aluminum mug and an esbit tab or two. Nothing like a hot drink in the morning every now or then or to beat hypothermia.

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    You've got almost zero protein on that menu, maybe a few grams from the peanuts in the Snickers, nuts in the granola bar, and the milk in the hot chocolate. No fruit except maybe some raisins in the granola bar, no vegetables, little protein.

    What a horrible thing to do to your body. Why would you want to deliberately subject yourself to malnutrition while hiking over 2,000 miles?

    Look up basic nutritional requirements and the components of a balanced diet, then double them and add in some more calories from fat.

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    I'm one of the confirmed no-cook guys. I haven't carried a stove for many years. Here's a link to my diet summary: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=213108

    I say lay off the bars. No need for them--they're expensive and you have to carry the packaging. Make your own cereal with oats, nuts, and dried fruit. Old fashioned oats work just as well for me as instant or quick, and I like the consistency better. Carry good old raisins and peanuts (hey, that spells GORP) in bags instead of bars. Go heavy on the nuts and cheese (and dried meat if you eat it) for protein and fat. A bag of cashews is a real treat, in addition to the gorp. I carry a ramen or two for emergencies or when nothing else is available, but that stuff is pretty nasty on a regular basis. Tortillas (whole grain if available, which is seldom) make a great vehicle for just about anything--cheese, meat, or peanut butter. With the weight I save in fuel, I always justify carrying at least one fresh fruit or veg per day, maybe just a carrot, pepper, or piece of celery.

    I went stoveless on my AT thru. It worked fine for me. I lost hardly any weight or muscle mass and came right back to my firefighter job without skipping a beat. It was pretty cheap too. My trail food budget for the AT thru was $800.

    I wish someone had told me about stoveless hiking earlier. I learned about it from a guy I met early on the PCT. I started bouncing my stove ahead a few hundred miles at a time, alternating cook with no-cook, and figured out that I like no-cook better.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

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    Joe, I knew a couple thru's last year who ditched their cook kits in lieu of going cold. They all ended up including a lot of power/energy bar/supplements stuff.

    As others have mentioned, maintaining your protein intake is important. Don't forget the potassium levels too otherwise those leg muscle of yours will cramp up and make you look like a pretzel on the side of the trail!

    Keep us posted on what ends up working best for you.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Spokes View Post
    Joe, I knew a couple thru's last year who ditched their cook kits in lieu of going cold. They all ended up including a lot of power/energy bar/supplements stuff.
    .......
    Obviously I didn't meet garlic08!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Appalachian Tater View Post
    You've got almost zero protein on that menu, maybe a few grams from the peanuts in the Snickers, nuts in the granola bar, and the milk in the hot chocolate. No fruit except maybe some raisins in the granola bar, no vegetables, little protein.

    What a horrible thing to do to your body. Why would you want to deliberately subject yourself to malnutrition while hiking over 2,000 miles?

    Look up basic nutritional requirements and the components of a balanced diet, then double them and add in some more calories from fat.
    Thanks, not what I was looking for. I posted twice that I was seeking advice from someone who has done this. You obviously don't qualify, so I don't understand why you attempted to answer my question. There are many things you fail to consider, like town stops and the food that will be gained there. My list was basic, and I was looking for input to supplement it. Please do not reply to my post unless you intend on answering my question. I found your post to simply be annoying, not helpful.

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    Quote Originally Posted by garlic08 View Post
    I'm one of the confirmed no-cook guys. I haven't carried a stove for many years. Here's a link to my diet summary: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=213108

    I say lay off the bars. No need for them--they're expensive and you have to carry the packaging. Make your own cereal with oats, nuts, and dried fruit. Old fashioned oats work just as well for me as instant or quick, and I like the consistency better. Carry good old raisins and peanuts (hey, that spells GORP) in bags instead of bars. Go heavy on the nuts and cheese (and dried meat if you eat it) for protein and fat. A bag of cashews is a real treat, in addition to the gorp. I carry a ramen or two for emergencies or when nothing else is available, but that stuff is pretty nasty on a regular basis. Tortillas (whole grain if available, which is seldom) make a great vehicle for just about anything--cheese, meat, or peanut butter. With the weight I save in fuel, I always justify carrying at least one fresh fruit or veg per day, maybe just a carrot, pepper, or piece of celery.

    I went stoveless on my AT thru. It worked fine for me. I lost hardly any weight or muscle mass and came right back to my firefighter job without skipping a beat. It was pretty cheap too. My trail food budget for the AT thru was $800.

    I wish someone had told me about stoveless hiking earlier. I learned about it from a guy I met early on the PCT. I started bouncing my stove ahead a few hundred miles at a time, alternating cook with no-cook, and figured out that I like no-cook better.
    Awesome, exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a million!!!

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