View Full Version : What do you figure for food weight?
Traveler
11-26-2014, 10:07
A difficult question perhaps, given changes in seasons and personal tastes in food, but I am curious as to what folks are considering as an average food weight figuring a 5 day resupply. What are you using for condiments and spices that stay with you through resupply?
I've settled on about 2 pounds of food per day and try to get as close to 4,000 calories as possible for any hike over a few days in length. I've found that if I try to get by on fewer than 3,500 calories, I end up suffering more than I would if I just hauled the additional weight. The only "condiment" that I might carry more than needed between resupplies is olive oil. I usually carry an 8 ounce container but olive oil usually comes in 17 ounce containers and is pretty expensive. So I might end up carrying two 8 ounce bottles of olive oil rather than one, although I have sometimes given away excess olive oil.
I carry about 12 pounds for 7 days, or about 1.7 per day. That would be 8.5 pounds for 5 days.
colorado_rob
11-26-2014, 10:28
No condiments, small little container of salt/black pepper for spices, right at an average of 1.75 pounds of food per day on the trail at an average of 125-130 calories/ounce including packaging. this amounts to 3600-4000 calories per day, enough to keep me going without any significant weight loss or hunger, a small enough deficit to make up easily in town stops.
squeezebox
11-26-2014, 10:46
I'm currently drying some Trinidad Devil peppers. They will come with, and maybe some sent every once and a while, & tabascos.
My local grocery has a selection of spices in little 1"x1" plastic screw tops, can't be more than 1/2 oz at most. I hope I can find such things along the trail, inc. chopped dried garlic and onions. 3-4 oz of spices makes for a happier life on the trail. Life is too short to eat bad food.
for a 5 day resupply my food bag will weigh between 8-10lbs when it comes to food i don't skimp, if it looks good and i want it i carry it. In the winter i might carry a little more since my warm weather diet differs from my cold weather diet. but it also depends on the type of food you carry such as Ramen Noodles weigh less than a pasta side.
Condiments.
Black pepper.
salt.
small bottle of tabasco sauce this usually lasts 5 days ( if i can keep others out of it ).
single packs of Mustard ( you find these at Taco-Bell )
dried Mushrooms ( most Grocery stores carrry this ).
onions ( i will pick up two medium sized at each resupply ).
Olive Oil ( the smallest bottle i can find ).
Cinnamon ( a very small container ).
what i would suggest you do is take a trip to your local grocery store and buy what you think 5 days of food is with Breakfast, lunch, Dinners, snacks, condiments and the add ins such as summer sausage, pepperoni slices. put it in your food bag and weigh it.
Good Luck and happy hiking.
On my thru hike I was carrying between 3 to 4 lbs of food, 6000-8000 calories, per day. But I was also doing high mile days so a five day carry would have covered 150 miles.
I concur with Red-Dog and Colorado-Bob on the lbs. per day. I'm usually at 1.6 per day, although occasionally I'll need a little more.
Keeping it simple, for a 5 day food supply, wt is between 1.25lbs(20 oz) and 1.7lbs(27 oz). Much gets factored into this but generally the greater number of days food I carry the more anal I get about the daily food wt. The majority of my hikes I largely attempt to schedule resupplying every 3-6 days adjusting several things accordingly. Supplementing, when able, can very much bridge those very low gram weenie food day wts.
lonehiker
11-26-2014, 15:18
1.25 - 1.50# a day. No condiments.
bigcranky
11-26-2014, 16:20
5 days on the trail means, for me, 4 full days plus lunch and snacks for the 5th day -- so, about 9 pounds or so of food. I'll be eating breakfast on the first day in town, same with dinner on the last day.
Of course there are things that I carry for more than one section on a longer hike -- condiments, drink mixes, that sort of thing. No big deal, really.
Traveler
11-26-2014, 17:22
Great feedback, thanks.
Siestita
11-29-2014, 03:13
"What are you using for condiments and spices that stay with you through resupply?"
Olive oil is a "major food group" for me, not a condiment. But, I typically pack it for more than single week, for the reasons that Coffee mentioned previously. And, I've carried with me a multi-week supply of NIDO, tasty and calorie intense instant whole milk powder. It's available at Krogers and Walmart supermarkets here in central Kentucky, sold beside other "Hispanic" food items. But at some resupply locations there may be not be powdered milk of any kind available, or (for me nearly as bad) no NIDO.
Siestita
11-29-2014, 04:21
"A difficult question perhaps, given changes in seasons and personal tastes in food..."
Obviously, one 'personal taste' that varies is willingness to carry foods that are tasty but contain significant amounts of water or fiber, neither of which boosts calorie counts. Red Dog picks up two onions at each resupply. Some of of us snack extensively on fresh (translate that moisture laden) 'read items, (deli bread, rolls, bagels, tortillas, etc.) fully realizing that crackers, (more fat and less water) produce more calories per ounce. And, I've been known to start a hike carrying an orange in my pocket.
My point is not to disparage "heavier than necessary" food choices such those mentioned above. HYOH and EYOM! ("Enjoy your own menu.") But, our personal deviations from gram weenie convention probably vary somewhat from one resupply to the next, skewing our food weight totals.
Lately I've been leaving all of the onions and oranges at home. But I consume fresh breads on the trail, instead of crackers, and I also eat a foil pack of tuna, salmon, or chicken every day or two. Beside tasting good, the contents of those 'heavy' foil packets provide protein for muscle maintenance. My food now usually weighs 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 lbs. for each complete day of backpacking that I do. Your mileage may, and probably will, vary cnsiderably.
garlic08
11-29-2014, 08:01
Pretty much everyone above agrees on the two pounds per day average.
But Malto brings up a good point:
On my thru hike I was carrying between 3 to 4 lbs of food, 6000-8000 calories, per day. But I was also doing high mile days so a five day carry would have covered 150 miles.
How far are you hiking over those five days? So I developed a different math for myself. I carry one pound for every ten miles to the next resupply and that works out fine for those long days. On the CDT, I would routinely hike 100 miles in two nights out, three long days. Six pounds of food wasn't going to hack it!
takethisbread
11-29-2014, 08:04
I try to keep my daily weight to about 1.5lbs to 2lbs but I don't think about it ever and don't plan it. I buy what I like and deal with it. It's intuitive. I don't cook so it might add a few ounces
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colorado_rob
11-29-2014, 11:23
Pretty much everyone above agrees on the two pounds per day average.
Looking through this thread, and remembering older ones, I'd say the average is well less than 2 pounds.
It's all in your personal preference, carry what you want to carry eat what you want to eat period.
swjohnsey
11-29-2014, 12:26
Two pounds of food/day will get you 3,200 calories if you are careful.
Kerosene
11-29-2014, 12:32
For a hike lasting less than a week, I will average about 1.5 pounds per day as my appetite tends to be suppressed.
Beyond a week that average increases to about 1.7 pounds per day. I thought it would increase further in the third week of my recent section hike, but it actually didn't increase very much until Day 20.
TJ aka Teej
11-29-2014, 20:37
Here's something you could do now to help you figure this out - make a five (or three) day food bag. Eat nothing else but what you've packed. Find out if you love or hate oatmeal and ramen, find out what you've forgotten, find out what you've haven't finished or eaten. Once you figure out what your own food needs are, go weigh it if you must. Even the practice-at-home cooking will provide you with valuable experience!
On the trail, eat your heavy food first, and pack a treat like a sub or pastries when you head into the woods after a town stop.
... I carry one pound for every ten miles to the next resupply and that works out fine for those long days...
My favorite answer.
I agree with the 2 pound/day average. I do think it is important to try to carry the fewest days possible. If you know there are resupplies within 5 days, do not carry more than that.
My favorite answer.
I agree Colter. looking at food more as how much per mile vs. Day is actually a lot easier and more universal.
... looking at food more as how much per mile vs. Day is actually a lot easier and more universal.
Easier? Not so sure about that. I can see some issues that arise. A can of worms is opened up. What if your mileage per day varies widely? How do you plan for that before you leave for the hike in the context of food you'll need? How do you account for one 10 mile stretch being much more strenuous requiring more calories than a different 10 mile stretch? It can start becoming complex quite quick. I think it should be remembered that when one says they carry x number of lbs per day that it is an avg allowing some adjustment per day as needed based on such variables. Whatever approach individually works for you so be it.
Traveler
11-30-2014, 07:59
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/miscgreen/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by garlic08 http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/buttonsgreen/viewpost-right.png (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/107575-What-do-you-figure-for-food-weight/showthread.php?p=1924852#post1924852)
... I carry one pound for every ten miles to the next resupply and that works out fine for those long days...
My favorite answer.
I liked this one too, though the concept of getting the most calories per ounce of food was interesting as well. Others have a good handle on this as well using calculative systems that work for them. I was curious not only about how much food people brought with them, but also in how they calculated consumption per day.
Doing mostly weekends or short distances (up to 4-5 days), the temptation to carry more food is high, but appetites vary on short trips of that nature and I often come back with uneaten food, especially when food is shared with another person. By the responses here, clearly I am taking too much food for that type of hiking. However, trimming down for short trips may not be in best interests for long distances with resupply every 5 to 7 days.
Thanks all for sharing, hard sometimes to connect the dots without a bit of altitude that was provided here.
kayak karl
11-30-2014, 08:59
For a hike lasting less than a week, I will average about 1.5 pounds per day as my appetite tends to be suppressed.
Beyond a week that average increases to about 1.7 pounds per day. I thought it would increase further in the third week of my recent section hike, but it actually didn't increase very much until Day 20. goes from 1.5 to 1.7 ? what, you add a king size snicker bar to your daily menu? ;) i could not even guess after resupply my lbs. per day. maybe 2-3 lbs. cook and no cook changes weigh also.
garlic08
11-30-2014, 09:06
Two pounds of food/day will get you 3,200 calories if you are careful.
Two pounds of nuts like cashews or almonds will give you 5,100 Calories.
I wouldn't carry only nuts, but my resupplies are pretty loaded with them. I estimate two pounds of my typical food carry is well over 4000 Calories.
By the way, two pounds of olive oil will give you over 8,000 calories!
Just Bill
11-30-2014, 12:16
2lbs per day is a good start point, though if your metabolism isn't revved up, it may be too much.
I believe Outward Bound uses closer to 1.5lbs per person per day.
125/cal an ounce is a decent benchmark too, but shouldn't be a rigid goal, more of a good double check at the end or a guide as you sort through food you like.
The only thing that matters is if you want to eat it.
I've also been looking at volume/density too- say sunflower seeds vs. walnuts, or couscous vs. macaroni- you get more calories "per cup" But this is more of an issue when talking high mileages and the resulting big calorie counts. I have been able to get around 5500 calories/2lbs/2.5L
Calories/day- something to watch and can easily vary from 2000-6000 per day needed. But this is really only a factor for long duration hikes with few zeros or for speed hikes. I don't think the average hiker can mess this up too horribly, especially on the AT where town stops are frequent.
I do think that all hikers could do more to increase "drinkable" calories, especially in the warmer months.
bamboo bob
11-30-2014, 12:55
I think the two pound figure is from the pre freeze dried era, energy bar era. In the last 15 years I have not got past 1 1/2 pounds per day. Two pounds of "real" food might be accurate but not luna bars and jerky and mountain house. Liptons (knorrs) and dried fruit and gorp might be heavier.
My rules of thumb: If you have fat weight to lose, you can get by with 1.25 to 1.5 pounds of dry food/day and not feel hungry while you are losing up to a half-pound a day of fat weight. Once you have trimmed down, you should plan on 2.0 pounds (or more) a day to maintain lean body weight and not burn up your muscles to generate calories. Supplement this with town stop feasts and any other random access food that you encounter on trail.
It isn't only fat that gets "burned". The body robs protein to rebuild protein of "overworked" muscles.
It is better to eat well.
If one or two grain ingredients, for example, in a recipe aren't 125cal/oz look at the recipe.
The meal is what you are evaluating. 2,200-2,400 cal. is indoors and sedentary. Strenuous outdoor activities are 4,000-6,500 cal.
Diet at home.
it is better to get in shape, and, eat well.
swjohnsey
12-01-2014, 20:37
Fat (like squeeze margarine) is a calorie booster. A pound of fat has 3,600 calories while a pound of sugar only about half that.
If you're going to douse your food with fat (and I'm a fan of that) at least get something more healthy than squeeze margarine. Olive oil and coconut oil come to mind, but even straight butter would be an improvement.
Leanthree
12-01-2014, 22:09
I am 6'1 185 and I shoot for 100 cal/oz and 2.5-3 lbs of food a day. That gets me 4000-4800 cal/day when all my calculations indicate I need 5600-7000 depending on mileage which is small enough of a deficit that I can make it up in towns or at home for my normal week long hike. Some can do higher cal/oz but once I get into the 125 range I have a tougher time eating it because it forces less variety.
Heavier than most but I have had 3000 calorie days due to mis-rationing the beginning of my trip and I am very hungry on those days. I suck at being hungry.d
swjohnsey
12-01-2014, 22:21
If you're going to douse your food with fat (and I'm a fan of that) at least get something more healthy than squeeze margarine. Olive oil and coconut oil come to mind, but even straight butter would be an improvement.
Have you ever tried to get olive or coconut oil in a convenience store?
kayak karl
12-01-2014, 22:48
Have you ever tried to get olive or coconut oil in a convenience store? i was really surprised how easy it was to find olive oil in town.
swjohnsey
12-02-2014, 08:13
All oils have the same calories. Squeeze margarine is cheap and available. Would Bubba eat olive oil?
Possum Bill
12-02-2014, 14:01
For a hike lasting less than a week, I will average about 1.5 pounds per day as my appetite tends to be suppressed.
Beyond a week that average increases to about 1.7 pounds per day. I thought it would increase further in the third week of my recent section hike, but it actually didn't increase very much until Day 20.
Agreed. It depends on how long you are on the trail. I'm a big guy with a good appetite but I eat less than 1.5 per day on week long section hikes. Three weeks or so, and it starts to increase.