When do you stop to eat along the trail?

[LittleRock]

Just curious - If you're hiking all day, how often do you stop to eat on the trail? How long do you stop each time? Do you wait to reach a shelter, a good view, a nice rock or log to sit on, etc. or do you just stop wherever?

[Lone Wolf]

there are no set times. you eat when you feel a need

[nsherry61]

Pretty much all of the above. I often don't stop to eat, I often nibble while walking. I rarely stop to eat at a shelter unless the weather is bad because I'm out to enjoy the outdoors not some dirty old shelter. I try to keep my stops to 15 minutes or so because longer and I start getting stiff. If the view or swimming is good I might stop for quite a while and even take a nap. If I'm tired, I'll stop right where I am and just rest for a minute or two, maybe take a bite of something and then move on.

[colorado_rob]

I'd say most days never (stop to eat). I'm a grazer. I eat continuously all day, every day as I walk. All trail food is in one of my huge hip-belt pocket, easily accessible.

However, it is nice to stop at great views, etc, and consume snacks there. But mostly, just while walking. Unless it's a steep uphill..... thankfully not many of THOSE on the AT.....

[DavidNH]

I'd say most days never (stop to eat). I'm a grazer. I eat continuously all day, every day as I walk. All trail food is in one of my huge hip-belt pocket, easily accessible.

However, it is nice to stop at great views, etc, and consume snacks there. But mostly, just while walking. Unless it's a steep uphill..... thankfully not many of THOSE on the AT.....

Not many steep hills on the AT? did I read that right??? or was this a sarcastic remark? I remember quite a few steep hills!

[colorado_rob]

Not many steep hills on the AT? did I read that right??? or was this a sarcastic remark? I remember quite a few steep hills!YES! Sarcasm. I should have used a smiley. The AT really surprised me as I'm used to the kind, gentle trails here at west.

[soilman]

I stop whenever I am hungry. I ran into 3 hikers who I had met in the Smokies at the bottom of Big Bald who were eating lunch. They said to me as I passed, "It's noon why aren't you stopping for lunch?" I asked if they were in a union. I also told them I had no watch and that I ate when I was hungry. Often times I stop and eat dinner then continue hiking because I was hungry but not ready to camp.

[nsherry61]

. . . Often times I stop and eat dinner then continue hiking. . .
I love eating dinner early and then hiking a while before making camp. That way I can stop at eat near a water source and/or a good view, and don't need to worry about cleanup and animals around camp, and I can dry camp without having to carry a bunch of water with me.

[rafe]

Whenever I feel like it. A nice rock or log to sit on, or a nice view... maybe a patch of sun when it's been cold, or a patch of shade if it's been hot or a shelter when it's been raining. I often have to remind myself to eat during the walking part. Not so much at camp.

[Pedaling Fool]

The nice thing about hiking is that you gotta carry your own food, there are no stores along the trail, so you really don't have enough to stop and have a meal; more like, just stop, get out a few bites' worth of grub and move on, that's a good thing, because than you train your body to feed off your fat stores for energy, as opposed to feeding off the more easily attainable fuels you throw down your gullet. This is why anyone that has failed in life to lose weight can succeed at losing weight on the trail.

The extreme hunger is the best part of a long-distance hike. It sucks why your going thru it, but what comes out at the other end is a new you. And that's why those that say you should enjoy yourself on a hike are wrong! Go thru hell, then enjoy the results.

[LoneStranger]

I stop to eat when I'm taking my pack off for a break. The rest of the time I don't stop and eat while I'm walking. :)

[Kerosene]

I power-up with little snacks I put in my pocket before I start for the day, but I do tend to stop for more structured meals at a target location (view, water source, shelter) or when I run across a nice spot and it's time for a break. As others have mentioned earlier, stopping to eat an early dinner (3-5 pm) at a water source provides a ton of energy to keep hiking into early evening, allowing me to camp without much concern for water. This worked really well on an early June hike just north of Damascus, turning a 19-mile day into a third consecutive 24+ mile day with a strong finish. On nice mornings where I know of a view 2-4 miles away I will break camp early and stop for a prepared breakfast. If nothing else, it breaks up the day a bit more.

[hubcap]

I love eating dinner early and then hiking a while before making camp. That way I can stop at eat near a water source and/or a good view, and don't need to worry about cleanup and animals around camp, and I can dry camp without having to carry a bunch of water with me.

Me too! Some of the joys of backpacking are eating and sleeping in awesome locations.

I tend to carry a snicker or Cliff, or some kind of bar in my hip belt for those gotta-have-a-snack but need to keep moving times.

[Busky2]

I eat when I feel the need to, I don't stop so much as I just graze. I'll have a cliff bar twice a day as I walk and I also have breakfast a mile or two down the trail, PopTarts on the move yummy. If it coincides with a view all the better cause I stop for views, sometime for too long. Cargo pockets are just the trick for food and one pocket is the trash pocket, till I eat the evening meal.

[garlic08]

In my style of hiking, stopping every two hours or so for a small meal works very well. The concept of three meals a day just evaporates when I'm hiking.

[Leo L.]

Usually I start out of camp just like that - hungry and chilly, munching one or two granola bars on the go, until I find a nice spot to have a first break maybe an hour or two in.
During the day I usually take two lunch breaks at random times and points. Nice view, water, good place to sit down are welcome.
Given its not raining I take the shoes off at every break to dry out.
I found, similar to what mentioned above, breaks of 10-15minutes most efficient.
I never sleep during breaks, in order to sleep really well during the night.

[lonehiker]

I eat breakfast and snacks on the move but usually stop for 10-15 minutes for lunch. I eat snacks/lunch on basically a set "schedule". This ensures that I eat all of my food and go into a resupply totally out of food. This schedule is especially useful early in a long hike before the hiker appetite kicks in.

[Casey & Gina]

I love eating dinner early and then hiking a while before making camp. That way I can stop at eat near a water source and/or a good view, and don't need to worry about cleanup and animals around camp, and I can dry camp without having to carry a bunch of water with me.

+1 to this. The midday is the best time to dry things out too, so I like a midday break to spread anything damp out, cook up the biggest meal of the day, wash anything that needs it with water nearby, and then set out for the second session. Breaking the day's hiking up into two sections makes it less fatiguing as well, or so it seems.

[Traillium]

+1 to this. The midday is the best time to dry things out too, so I like a midday break to spread anything damp out, cook up the biggest meal of the day, wash anything that needs it with water nearby, and then set out for the second session. Breaking the day's hiking up into two sections makes it less fatiguing as well, or so it seems.

Interesting idea to make mid-day the cooked meal! I'll try that.
I'm thinking that I'll break camp sunrise-ish, hike until I'm warmed up and loosened up, stop for coffee & breakfast, then hike and browse snacks/food on a loosely continuous basis, stop late afternoon for a cooked meal, hike until nearly sunrise or a good camping spot, snack, and sleep. The mid–day cooking is a nice option.
I'm a paddler by experience, wilderness canoeing. Snacks and lunch were as-things-developed, based on good spots appearing and on conditions. I'm thinking the same flexibility will happen on the trail (though we always ate breakfast after camp was struck, and stopped to camp well before dark, eating supper in camp).


Bruce Traillium

[swisscross]

Eat when your hungry not by a clock.

[Deadeye]

All of the above! I try not to go more than 2 hours without getting off my feet, letting the dogs breathe, and eating something.

[Trance]

I force myself to eat when I wake up, I carry quick stuff like nuts, protein bars, candy in my backpack side pouches to eat as I move, then I suually eat right after I pitch my tent at night.

Once you get into the groove of hiking, you think more about food than you actually eat it.... atleast in my case. I never stop "just to eat" mid day. I do stop to get a drink though.

[Dogwood]

No set food times. Mostly graze on the go.

[Gambit McCrae]

Just eat when your hungry

[WILLIAM HAYES]

usually eat in the evening snack as I hike

[rocketsocks]

Eat when I'm hungry
Drink when I'm dry
I the moonshine don't kill me
I'll live till I dies

[LittleRock]

Thanks all! I've seen everything from hikers who graze all day while walking to hikers who stop for an hour mid-day and cook a full lunch. Just curious as to where most people fell within that spectrum.

Seems like my routine is more structured than most people's. I can't make myself eat while walking - too afraid of getting distracted and turning an ankle. So I usually stop twice for 10-15 minutes to eat during the day. First time is roughly around noon or halfway through my miles, eat a protein bar and some dried fruit. Second time is about 3 miles before I stop for the night. Eat a candy bar, and the sugar rush usually allows me to power through the last 3 miles in an hour or so. I try to stop at a shelter or a good viewpoint, if it's convenient. If not, I just wait for the next good rock or log to sit on.

[Traveler]

Eat when I'm hungry
Drink when I'm dry
I the moonshine don't kill me
I'll live till I dies

"Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
If the Persimmon juice don't get cha
The crick mud must" Muskie