Vitamins on the trail????

[yotarunner77]

I have heard and read about hikers taking vitamins while thru hiking. What do you all think, yes or no? I can see why it would be good living on doughnuts and snickers and eating very little fresh fruit and vegies for six months. I also was told by one thru hiker I meet that he took mens one a day, or should I go for a more athletic combinaton from GCN or some other health store????

[ScottP]

"iving on doughnuts and snickers and eating very little fresh fruit and vegies for six months"

Or just try to avoid that.

[LDog]

I'm thinking of packing a basic multi vit, and may be a glucosamine chondroitin supplement.

[lush242000]

I do not take a daily vitamin nor plan to anytime in the future. If you feel it is needed or your doctor advises you then by all means, go ahead and pack the extra weight. I would be more concerned about living off donuts and snickers bars as opposed to worrying about a vitamin. I know you are probably joking about that diet, but I would hope you would eat something more than sugary foods.

[YohonPetro]

I don't see how a vitamin supplement could hurt! You'll be losing nutrients climbing and sweating up some mountains.

Glucosamine Chondroitin MSM doesn't have much fact behind it:
http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/gait/
I'll stick with the placebos I take daily!

[Jack Tarlin]

A typical thru-hiker diet contains a lot of processed food, a lot of heavily chemically preserved food, a lot of over-salted food. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often not available for days at a time, and when hikers are in town, what they choose to eat right away is not necessarily the healthiest item available. For all these reasons, I think a good multi-vitamin is a good idea on a long hiking trip; nutritionists can debate on whether they'll do much good, but I've never seen anyone say they can do any harm.

[hikerboy57]

todays placebos are much more effective than the old placebos. I do take multis with me, as I know Im not getting a complete and balanced diet. B1 also has the added benefit of helping to keep mosquitos away, they dont like the smell.

[TallShark]

Lets see, I chew up B-12 when i feel i need it, generally about 500 mcg at a time, and of the brands i've tried the tablets have been sweet to the taste. I take 1 GNC's mega men sport at breakfast, It has all sorts of beneficial ingredients. I took a joint health complex with me last time but the verdict is, as someone has mentioned, still out on those. And the ever important vitamin-I. Overall I think they are worth it, minimal weight for what they do, and if there were ever an activity vitamins were needed hiking is it.

[Spokes]

I had a complete physical after my thru-hike and told the doctor to take a slice of my blood for testing. Too funny.

Anyway, yes, I maintained my schedule of a daily multi-vitamin along with supplemental doses of sublingual B-6/ Folic Acid/ B-12. It made a difference IMHO.

[Feral Nature]

I will take my multi-vitamin and minerals tablet. Also, B1, calcium and glucosamine. And fish oil capsules. probably something else that i can't think of right now.

I did not know that B1 helps with detering mosquitos. Funny, I have taken B1 for several years now, for growing healthy and long, strong hair. Mosquitos don't bite me and now I know why!

[Serial 07]

i worked at a health food store for years before i thru hiked the first time...i was and am still a regular user of supplements and what not so i thought i'd like them on the trail...vitamins are heavy and a powders are a pain...if you really need the nutrition provided by a multi, then bring'em, but if you can do without, i'd say leave'em at home...it sounds a lot better than it really is...are you willing to carry a few weeks worth of multis with you at a time...looking at those little pills and knowing you've got weeks of them on you...and if you are thinking about packing a "one-a-day", those are worthless...no one vitamin pill is gonna provide you with much nutrition...that's a marketing scam...

[Feral Nature]

I will be packing a lot of medicine. I take 10 different medications daily so will be carrying those anyway. Two suppliments are prescribed for me also. I need to figure out a system.

[Happy Feet]

I'm thinking of packing a basic multi vit, and may be a glucosamine chondroitin supplement.

We do the same on all long distance hikes. Doesn't weigh much and certainly cannot hurt.

[ChinMusic]

We do the same on all long distance hikes. Doesn't weigh much and certainly cannot hurt.

Same here. It only makes sense to me that with the rigors we put our bodies through on even a section hike, the body can use all the help it can get.

[Destiny2012]

Warren Doyle eats that crap and does fine.