Vegetarian thru hiking

[Trev302]

I'm wondering if any of you, or if you've known any thru hikers that were vegetarian. I'm thru hiking in 2013 and I'm a bit worried about getting enough calories. I'll be buying my food as I go. Any recommendations? Tips? Recipes? Can it be done?

Thanks!

[JAK]

Difficult in towns. Very easy on the trail.

[perrymk]

I am vegetarian also, although not vegan. I also like some ethnic foods that are not always readily available. My plan is to thru in 2020 using primarily mail drops. This will help ensure I get the food I like to eat.

I don't see it being an issue. I made it through army basic training and 3 years active duty as a vegetarian. It was inconvenient at times, but if it's who you are, then it's what you do.

[Tipi Walter]

Been a vegetarian since February 1973 but of course eat eggs and cheese. Backpacking food for me now is all about VARIETY. When I hiked the AT almost 30 years ago I had a Svea 123 stove and relied on long-cooking lentils, short or no-cook oatmeal, and whatever else I could find and eat from small little stores along the trail (peanuts, raisins, cheese and cream cheese, honey, etc). Being poor meant I spent much longer preparing cheap but long-cooking items like beans and rice. Nobody sits around a stove for 45 minutes anymore cooking up brown rice or lentils but it used to be a good way to stay out for a long time w/o resupply while carrying a few bags of these items.

I remember being up near Front Royal in '84 and augmented my lentils with wild edibles, especially wild mustard greens. Lentils, greens, and a hunk of cream cheese. Now that was eating.

[burger]

I'm a vegetarian. I've only done 2/3 of the AT, but I've never had a problem finding vegetarian food in restaurants in town or in grocery stores to eat on the trail. As for town food, it's easier to find good veggie food up north than in the South, but you should be able to find something in every town (like pizza or Mexican food). I remember a great veggie burger in Gatlinburg.

And grocery stores are pretty much the same everywhere. You can always find mac & cheese, Knorr's sides, rice and beans, couscous, etc.

Bottom line, you shouldn't have any trouble staying veg on the trail.

[garlic08]

Some need variety, but I've gone the way of simplicity. I've even stopped cooking. Give me a bag of muesli (make it myself with rolled oats, nuts, and raisins), a stack of tortillas, a jar of peanut butter, a bag of cashews, instant mashed potatoes, fig newtons, crackers, some fresh fruit and veg, and I'm good for the trail. In cool weather I'll carry cheese instead of PB. All that stuff is easy to buy on the way--I didn't do any food drops on the AT. I ate only "real" food--I did not carry any supplements or "engineered" food mixes or bars. I splurge a bit in trail towns (and there are so many of them on the AT), with decent meals with fresh salads (and ice cream). I can still remember some eggplant parmigiana at an excellent Italian place in a small town in New York. I paid nearly as much for town meals (about $700) as I did for trail food (about $800) on my AT hike in '08.

When I hike in remote areas, I carry more trail food. Average daily food weight in those conditions is about two pounds a day, somewhat less on the AT.

I kept my weight and energy up very well on my AT hike. I averaged just over 20 miles per day on the AT. I lost a few pounds in the South, gained it back again in the mid-Atlantic (deli-a-day hiking in PA, NJ, NY, and CT), then lost it again in the Whites and ME.

[markc7]

Depending in how restrictive your diet, mail drops might be a good idea. I'm a vegan and I have fine done mail drops during a longer section hike this summer. Just about every trail town has some restaurant items that are vegan/vegetarian. Check out the veggie burger at the Shed in Rangely. And if all else fails, you can survive a few days on the basic no cook foods. In short, you'll be fine!

[Tipi Walter]

I've had spurts of being a vegan over the years; maybe a year here, two years there---but I always feel like I'm missing out and return to eggs and especially goat cheese, my FAV-0-RITE! Nothing better than an apple or grapes and some raw goat cheese. On the trail, a good chunk of goat cheese is like, well, candy.

Being vegan on the trail is in my opinion a severe restriction since so many places will serve vegetarian fare like spaghetti and pizza but these are best with cheese.

BTW, many people enjoy peanut butter on the trail but it must be remembered that most small grocery stores do not sell natural p butter but instead use the fairly unhealthy hydrogenated peanut butters---except now maybe Skippy and Smuckers is making natural pb??

Finally, if a backpacker wants to really get his appetite going without resorting to town meals, I suggest he bring both a pot to cook oatmeal and mac and cheese and dehydrated meals etc ALONG with a small fry pan for scrambled eggs or toast or pancakes or whatever else can be fried. The combo makes meal variety better and tastier.

[Hitchin' Post]

If you're willing to do mail drops, MaryJane's Outpost has a terrific selection of vegetarian and vegan meals. Tasty, organic, and convenient.

[Seatbelt]

I'm wondering if any of you, or if you've known any thru hikers that were vegetarian. Can it be done?

Thanks!

The barefoot sisters were vegetarian, you could read their books (available in most city libraries) and find out good locations along the trail to eat. I think TIPI's suggestions makes the most sense..prepare your own food ahead and send it ahead. JMO

[Meriadoc]

Cheddar cheese and chia seeds were how I did it this year. I also brought high protein bread (sprouted grains when I could find it). Nuts were another source of protein and calories although I found myself not relying on them as much.

I started the trail as vegetarian, ran low on protein and went back to meat. But once I figured out nutrition on the trail it really was not very difficult to get enough calories. The last 600 to 700 miles or so I was completely vegetarian. All of my resupply was at the local grocery stores.

[Cookerhiker]

Some recent relevant threads. Happy reading...

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ght=vegetarian
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ght=vegetarian
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ght=vegetarian
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ght=vegetarian
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ght=vegetarian

[Dogwood]

I'm wondering if any of you, or if you've known any thru hikers that were vegetarian. I'm thru hiking in 2013 and I'm a bit worried about getting enough calories. I'll be buying my food as I go. Any recommendations? Tips? Recipes? Can it be done?

Thanks!

There are, I would say, many thru-hikers who are vegetarians. They maintain that life style on and off the trail. I'm a pesce vegetarian since 1997 enjoying some types of seafood but mainly wild cold water fish such as red sockeye salmon, some trouts, cod, halibut, sardines in EVOO, wild mackeral and some ocassional shrimp and scallops. I thrued the AT, and all the trails I've thrued, as a vegetarian, On the AT I almost entirely bought along the way. I did mail myself three boxes with resupply but that was mainly because I had an overload of trailfood stockpiled and I was mailing myself other items at the time anyway.

I don't think you would find it hard to get vegetarian cals on an AT thru-hike. Aim to resupply where mid to lg grocery stores are located and you should have no problema.

[prain4u]

As you know, being vegetarian (and/or being vegan) both encompass a wide range of definitions and practices. How "difficult" of a time you will have securing adequate food while on the trail will depend upon several factors:

1) Your particular definition of "Vegetarian".
2) How strictly you follow your particular brand of "Vegetarianism"
3) How much variety you want in your diet.
4) How much of your food you plan to buy while on the trail (and/or how much you plan on eating in towns)
5) How much you are willing to COOK--versus just heat water.

The more items that you exclude from your diet (i.e. eggs, dairy/cheese,fish etc) the greater the challenges that you will encounter (especially in the smaller towns). You will probably have to do more advance planning of your food resupply (than would a non-vegetarian). You may have times when your diet is very repetative or your choices are very limited (again--especially in small towns).

I live in a small town in Illinois (I do not live near the AT--but it is still a small town). In my town, you would have VERY limited choices at the local restaurant (especially in terms of protein) if you were a strict vegan. The two convenience stores in town would have little to offer as well. Many small towns are that way--whether they are located in Illinois or located along the AT. You can probably always find SOMETHING that matches your diet at the local restaurant--but your menu choices may be very limited. If you resupply in those towns you may be eating the same 2-3 items until your next resupply.

[cliffordbarnabus]

so many foods out there are not meat. non-vegetarians typically eat about 75% vegetarian. it's so easy. no worries. just plot out those ayce salad bars and go to town...when you go to town.

[Papa D]

Been a vegetarian since February 1973 but of course eat eggs and cheese. Backpacking food for me now is all about VARIETY. When I hiked the AT almost 30 years ago I had a Svea 123 stove and relied on long-cooking lentils, short or no-cook oatmeal, and whatever else I could find and eat from small little stores along the trail (peanuts, raisins, cheese and cream cheese, honey, etc). Being poor meant I spent much longer preparing cheap but long-cooking items like beans and rice. Nobody sits around a stove for 45 minutes anymore cooking up brown rice or lentils but it used to be a good way to stay out for a long time w/o resupply while carrying a few bags of these items.

I remember being up near Front Royal in '84 and augmented my lentils with wild edibles, especially wild mustard greens. Lentils, greens, and a hunk of cream cheese. Now that was eating.

Ha - Tipi - you know I thought you might be a vegetarian - I saw some Primal Strips in one of your posts once - I am too (though occasionally, if someone offers me some sustainable fish, I'll have a bit). I became a vegetarian on my thru-hike - - first because my girlfriend was doing it, then because meat was heavy (in cans then) and expensive - later I picked up on the fact that it really put my diet on a good healthy plant-based regiment that I could follow and the fact that it is likely the SINGLE most effective thing that an individual can do to help the environment and the fact that I simply don't like eating other animals (the cruelty-free angle) - - over the years, all of this has sealed the deal for me and with the addition of some dairy (scrambled powdered eggs on the trail, etc.) the practice is very natural and easy for me. On long-distance hikes and even in most trail towns, I don't have to put much thought into it. Town food might not always be quite as health conscious as I like, but there is meat free pizza and pancakes everywhere in a pinch.

[Tipi Walter]

Ha - Tipi - you know I thought you might be a vegetarian - I saw some Primal Strips in one of your posts once - I am too (though occasionally, if someone offers me some sustainable fish, I'll have a bit). I became a vegetarian on my thru-hike - - first because my girlfriend was doing it, then because meat was heavy (in cans then) and expensive - later I picked up on the fact that it really put my diet on a good healthy plant-based regiment that I could follow and the fact that it is likely the SINGLE most effective thing that an individual can do to help the environment and the fact that I simply don't like eating other animals (the cruelty-free angle) - - over the years, all of this has sealed the deal for me and with the addition of some dairy (scrambled powdered eggs on the trail, etc.) the practice is very natural and easy for me. On long-distance hikes and even in most trail towns, I don't have to put much thought into it. Town food might not always be quite as health conscious as I like, but there is meat free pizza and pancakes everywhere in a pinch.

Yeah, I went thru a heavy Primal Strips phase but now I'm into another raw goat cheese phase to augment my dehydrated meals and I'm thinking of hauling out my fry pan for some grilled cheese sandwiches and omelets as I prep for a trip into the Big Frog and Cohuttas.

[JAK]

A true vegan won't eat honey, or use shellac, or even wear wool.
Not even sure if they would ride a horse, but I think pets are ok.
No wool. Couldn't do it.

[slims]

You can also check out this website: http://www.packlitefoods.com/

[JAK]

I am happy going vegetarian 6 days a week, then go primaeval. :-)