View Full Version : Anyone section hike "cookless"?
Heading back out on the trail late April from NOC. Trying to shed some weight. Would it be prudent to leave my cooking gear at home and eat only items that don't require cooking? I will be on the trail for 7 days or so. I don't usually have much of an appetite anyway.
MuddyWaters
12-05-2016, 19:49
Its commonly referred to as "stoveless"
Usually only about 600 of my 3500 cal/day or so comes from cooking dinner.
So I could easily do without it
But hot food is comforting, which is why we eat it.
We like it at home
We like it on the trail too
If your cook kit is light enough, it wont matter anyway
ScareBear
12-05-2016, 19:50
Items that don't require cooking....
Peanut butter
Trail bars
Cheese
Cured/smoked meats
Canned tuna
Bread
etc....
Sure, you can do it. What's your water purification back up? Do you enjoy coffee/tea/cocoa?
Hikes in Rain
12-05-2016, 19:53
Not me. Coffee. No point to morning without it. I'll carry a stove just for coffee!
I always have lots of food that does not require cooking. I do enjoy coffee though. I am trying to be lighter and avoid making myself smell better for the bears as I will be passing through GSMNP. For water I am using a platypus filer and iodine tabs.
I guess that it doesn't weigh too much, but I am trying to shed some weight and not get eaten. My clothes are heavy, but I think that I am bringing only what is necessary.
I've gone stoveless. I do 5-hour energy as coffee substitute (I get the cheap store brand from Kroger). i like not having to deal with cooking at all. No cooking, no clean-up, no weight, no nada. No problem for a couple days at a time. On a longer hike I usually come to someplace that sells cooked food (restaurant/store/gas station/hostel/something) in which case I chow down.
About clothes: In my opinion and experience, if I am bringing anything that I wouldn't be wearing in the worst reasonably expected conditions, I'm bringing too much. I don't pack any "extra" anything. My clothes in the summer are: shorts, tank shirt, houdini jacket, one pair socks, ball cap. For a hike in shenandoah this mid-october I added only a cap 3 long sleeve shirt and cap 3 long underwear bottoms. The chance of rain was so low on that hike that I didn't pack any rain gear. No need for rain gear in summer.
That's my $.02.
Starchild
12-05-2016, 20:10
I've done it - once, but I really like hot coffee, so I don't plan to do that again. YMMV.
Greenlight
12-05-2016, 20:47
I'm with you. I've been known to be a coffee snob in civilization, own a one pound drum roaster and have an extensive history of roasting my own coffee, owned a top of the line espresso machine, still have my Rocky burr grinder and can make you a cup of coffee so good you'll be transported to nirvana.
But out on the trail, even the suckiest cup of joe as the sun is coming up and the dew is still dripping off the leaves (three tubes of Folgers instant) is one of the happiest times of day. Of course, having excellent coffee on the trail puts you that much further ahead, but I'll take what I can get, what I can afford, what I have with me, etc.
Not me. Coffee. No point to morning without it. I'll carry a stove just for coffee!
FrogLevel
12-05-2016, 21:36
I've tried it a few times and its find for a 1-2 nighter but after that I want the comfort of a warm meal! Having a cup of coffee in the morning is pretty darn nice, too.
Greenlight,
Go to Target.
Invest $1.00 in a box of 6 individual servings of Cafe Bustello instant coffee.
Night and day compared to Folgers Junk.
Wayne
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Spelling:
Cafe Bustelo.
Sorry.
Wayne
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Heading back out on the trail late April from NOC. Trying to shed some weight. Would it be prudent to leave my cooking gear at home and eat only items that don't require cooking? I will be on the trail for 7 days or so. I don't usually have much of an appetite anyway.
I've gone stoveless quite a bit. For me it's easy. I just walk around a grocery store and pick foods that don't require cooking. There are usually plenty of items to choose from and not just the standard things that most of us list. Think outside the box!
I don't have a problem drinking cold coffee in the morning, either, or going without coffee for that matter.
bigcranky
12-05-2016, 22:52
I hike in the summer without a stove. I'm happy with Starbucks Iced Via for coffee (it's actually pretty decent). I don't miss hot meals in warm weather. I do think that I'm not really saving any weight -- yeah, the cook kit weighs something, but no-cook food weighs more than food I need to cook.
Also, in April, I think hot food is really useful.
I've gone stoveless on every backpacking trip I've done, and I imagine I always will. I don't do it to save weight -- I do it to avoid the hassle (carrying the fuel, dealing with the stove, cleaning up, etc.). I don't miss hot meals or hot drinks -- I know this is a little peculiar.
...no-cook food weighs more than food I need to cook...
I respectfully think that may or may not be true and depends totally on food choices.
bigcranky
12-05-2016, 23:20
I respectfully think that may or may not be true and depends totally on food choices.
Of course. I'm just relaying my own experience.
pilgrimskywheel
12-05-2016, 23:28
Hated it! Cold coffee - ugh! I found that not having hot supper especially left me hungry and I ripped through what bars etc. I was carrying at twice the normal rate. (I'd wake up and eat.) I love my old pocket rocket which fits in my seagull pot, (a gift from Ms. J) and my partner carries the famous German model pot and alcohol stove the name of which escapes me. Rockit tank sizes are variable for different duration hikes, and you always have a backup with the alcohol. I found us always searching for alcohol or Heet. I didn't like alcohol alone for myself, but it's perfect for two-party meals. Hers for a big pot boil - mine for short runs: cocoa etc. Especially in spring and fall the value of hot fluids cannot be ignored, and could be critical in an accidental drenching. Which is happening. I carry a small home made beer can bottom alcohol stove with me too, it's a backup for the backup, is good trade bait, or makes a magical gift when you meet someone out there frowning because they'd kill for a cocoa right now. And no, I'm not boiling you water my friend!
Rain Man
12-05-2016, 23:28
Not me. Coffee. No point to morning without it. I'll carry a stove just for coffee!
I drink lots of coffee with no stove.
Would it be prudent to leave my cooking gear at home and eat only items that don't require cooking? I will be on the trail for 7 days or so. I don't usually have much of an appetite anyway.
I only take a stove, and fuel, and pot, and etc. in cold weather. Like you, I usually don't have much appetite anyway.
.
jj dont play
12-06-2016, 01:09
Stoveless is the way to go. Especially only having to do it for 7 days, shouldn't be a big deal.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Don's Brother
12-06-2016, 01:20
I did my entire 164 day thru-hike "stoveless" in 2013. Since I only spent 19 of those nights in the woods, I ate a lot of restaurant food.
https://www.amazon.com/Dons-Brother-Method-Thru-Hiked-Appalachian/dp/1530473012/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481001449&sr=8-4&keywords=Don%27s+Brother
Feral Bill
12-06-2016, 02:21
I've done a few days at a time in summer stoveless. Worked fine. I prefer cooking though, for the most part.
ScareBear
12-06-2016, 06:35
I did my entire 164 day thru-hike "stoveless" in 2013. Since I only spent 19 of those nights in the woods, I ate a lot of restaurant food.
https://www.amazon.com/Dons-Brother-Method-Thru-Hiked-Appalachian/dp/1530473012/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481001449&sr=8-4&keywords=Don%27s+Brother
OK, I read the description for your book plug.
I don't get it.
Do you have an injury or a disability?
It looks like you took an average to below-average length of time to complete the thru hike, yet you slack packed the entire way, spent 90 percent of evenings tucked warm, dry and snug in a bed with a shower in the morning and a hot breakfast that you didn't have to pack.
Summary=you slack-packed almost the entire trail and you took at least as long, if not longer, than most who thru hike it. What am I missing here?
garlic08
12-06-2016, 09:51
A section hike is a perfect time to try it out for yourself. As you can tell from the responses, food is highly personal. I'd never hike with someone else's food bag, and seldom take advice on what I should eat--ask my mother. Certainly not from the internet!
If you're taking a commercial airline flight as part of your trip, stoveless eliminates one more hassle. My pack meets requirements for carry-ons, for example.
Dry, energy-dense food is readily available in supermarket aisles--if you can stomach it. It's hard to beat rolled oats (already cooked in processing) mixed with walnuts and raisins as muesli--whole grain, fats, protein and quick sugar. Add a bag of nuts and a bag of raisins, a stack of tortillas and a block of cheese and/or jar of PB. Instant mashed potatoes rehydrate readily in cold water. Getting less healthy, Ramen noodles can be eaten out of the package as a large, cheap, 300-calorie cracker--they're already cooked (fried in commercial oil).
I've always enjoyed not messing with a stove. If you hike enough, sooner or later you'll see a stove accident, causing personal injury or fire (saw a major one of each on my PCT thru, a few close calls and minor scalds, etc).
The first day of resupply can get heavier for a stoveless hiker, especially if, like me, you offset the stove mass with fresh food. But the last day makes it all worthwhile. You finish your food bag at breakfast and with no stove, pot, windscreen or fuel bottle, you sail along into town.
Did a ten day AT section this past summer stoveless, will do the same this summer as well. Only had one day where I wanted hot coffee and I actually got some in trade for filtering water for someone who had ran out of tabs.
Greenlight,
Go to Target.
Invest $1.00 in a box of 6 individual servings of Cafe Bustello instant coffee.
Night and day compared to Folgers Junk.
Wayne
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is true
I usually don't cook. I find it faster and more convenient. I hot meal is nice, but so is a shower, a full sized bed, and cotton clothing. I'm willing to make some sacrifices while I'm backpacking.
If you are a coffee addict, try to wean yourself off before you go. I really enjoy drinking it too, but I also am able to stop drinking it at various times throughout the year if I choose too. I usually don't drink any for one week prior to a backpacking trip.
saltysack
12-06-2016, 12:18
This is true
Now try.....Mt Hagen...even better!! Love them both....dump a stick of it in your 24oz Gatorade bottle w water add chocolate instant breakfast and lil nido....delicious cold or hot...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
fghester
12-06-2016, 12:47
I just did that last summer and it worked out fine. Springer to Bly Gap. Nine hiking days (I'm slow and savor the experience ha ha). Made my own trail mix of various nuts, seeds and dried fruit. That along with occasional "real" food at places like Neel Gap, Dick's Creek Gap, etc. worked out great. Cut down on weight and saved a lot of time. It was great to hike out at dawn without having to cook. Also didn't have to worry about what time I ended my day. I could eat anywhere and night hike if I wanted. Loved the freedom from cooking! / Wobbly Woody
daddytwosticks
12-06-2016, 17:22
I've gone stoveless a few times for very short trips in warmer weather. I definitely enjoy warm food and drinks during the non-summer weather. A setup like a titanium esbit wing stove with fuel only weighs a few ounces, by the way. :)
Mr. Bumpy
12-06-2016, 17:31
I would never hike cookieless. Little Debbies are the best.
Ashepabst
12-06-2016, 18:07
the Starbucks Via packs are surprisingly satisfying.
Don's Brother
12-06-2016, 18:08
OK, I read the description for your book plug.
I don't get it.
Do you have an injury or a disability?
It looks like you took an average to below-average length of time to complete the thru hike, yet you slack packed the entire way, spent 90 percent of evenings tucked warm, dry and snug in a bed with a shower in the morning and a hot breakfast that you didn't have to pack.
Summary=you slack-packed almost the entire trail and you took at least as long, if not longer, than most who thru hike it. What am I missing here?
I just don't like to camp. What I did do was utilize roads to get from and back to the trail many days. Others joined me along the way and also enjoyed hiking with "The Don's Brother Method."
By the way, I only slackpacked 77 of the 164 days. The other days I carried my full gear into town and back to the trail. Or I stayed at a hostel directly on the trail or in close proximity to it. Still I didn't carry a tent or cooking utensils.
It's just another way to thru-hike the A.T. After all, it's called a "thru-hike;" not a "thru-backpacking trip. Most other hikers around me marveled at my ingenuity. Very few criticized my method. Check out either of my two books about the hike for more info, including a day-by-day chart in the appendix of The Don's Brother Method. Thanks for your response.
saltysack
12-06-2016, 18:26
I tried it on last half of JMT and it's not for me....I do like premixing my trail mocha the night before so no fooling with cooking breakfast or hot coffee in the morning but there's something satisfying about a warm meal and mocha at night.....never again
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
ScareBear
12-06-2016, 19:15
I just don't like to camp. What I did do was utilize roads to get from and back to the trail many days. Others joined me along the way and also enjoyed hiking with "The Don's Brother Method."
By the way, I only slackpacked 77 of the 164 days. The other days I carried my full gear into town and back to the trail. Or I stayed at a hostel directly on the trail or in close proximity to it. Still I didn't carry a tent or cooking utensils.
It's just another way to thru-hike the A.T. After all, it's called a "thru-hike;" not a "thru-backpacking trip. Most other hikers around me marveled at my ingenuity. Very few criticized my method. Check out either of my two books about the hike for more info, including a day-by-day chart in the appendix of The Don's Brother Method. Thanks for your response.
But.....you slacked over 40 percent of the time without tent weight or stove or much food. I don't doubt you enjoyed it. I'm just wondering what the hell took you so long? The hike to/from the hotels????
I feel that the only thing I may miss is the coffee. I will give it a go without the cookware this time. It seems like more hassle than it is worth. Thank you.
Don's Brother
12-06-2016, 21:16
But.....you slacked over 40 percent of the time without tent weight or stove or much food. I don't doubt you enjoyed it. I'm just wondering what the hell took you so long? The hike to/from the hotels????
It's still a very tough and demanding trail despite a lighter pack. I was 62 years old and took 18 zero days which are included in the 164. Four of those were due to injury; the other 14 were planned days off.
I averaged 15 miles a day for the 146 days I hiked. I had two days of over 25 miles and 17 others of over 20 miles. But I also had 18 days of fewer than 10 miles. Sometimes I had to hike a shorter distance in order to finish the day at a road to get to a town. Again, it's just another way to thru-hike the A.T.
ScareBear
12-06-2016, 21:49
Yep. You did it your way. And for completing it on two legs without physical assistance, you have my heart-felt congratulations! CONGRATULATIONS!
I just was trying to wrap my head around your marathon running experience and your inability to average better than 15 miles a day with essentially no load to carry. That should depress the hell out of any average 61 year old who is considering a traditional backpack thru-hike of the AT!!!! "Yeah this dude who ran competitively, was a cross-country coach and completed 48 FREAKING MARATHONS could only average 15 miles a day, without more than 5 lbs on his back for 40 percent of the time. The best he could do in the flats was a couple of less-than marathon walks...no way I'm going to try the AT!"
saltysack
12-06-2016, 21:50
I feel that the only thing I may miss is the coffee. I will give it a go without the cookware this time. It seems like more hassle than it is worth. Thank you.
You've got lots of other unnecessary items I'd ditch before the stove if nothing else keep a ti pot/mug with a few esbit tabs....just my $.02...if your concerned with hiking in the park why not start north and hit Max patch or Roan highlands area....lot less bears also...wouldn't be concerned with them though...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Don's Brother
12-06-2016, 23:33
Yep. You did it your way. And for completing it on two legs without physical assistance, you have my heart-felt congratulations! CONGRATULATIONS!
I just was trying to wrap my head around your marathon running experience and your inability to average better than 15 miles a day with essentially no load to carry. That should depress the hell out of any average 61 year old who is considering a traditional backpack thru-hike of the AT!!!! "Yeah this dude who ran competitively, was a cross-country coach and completed 48 FREAKING MARATHONS could only average 15 miles a day, without more than 5 lbs on his back for 40 percent of the time. The best he could do in the flats was a couple of less-than marathon walks...no way I'm going to try the AT!"
You sound a little hostile, ScareBear. I'm sorry if you don't approve of my method. By the way it was 42 marathons. The last was in 2009 in NYC. My slackpack was usually around 12 pounds with water. It was around 24 pounds for the 87 days when I carried a full pack.
If you don't mind, I have a couple of questions for you. How old are you? Have much of the A.T. have you hiked? Even hikers in their 20s often find themselves hiking no faster than one mile an hour in the Whites and in southern Maine.
If you're under 60, you probably don't realize how much more challenging pretty much all activities are in this decade. If you haven't already, please read the description of my first book at Amazon. Don's Brother: A Hike of Hope on the Appalachian Trail. It gives more insight about why I was even attempting a thru-hike. If you're planning a thru-hike attempt yourself, I wish you well.
You can do it. Think high nutrition density. Meat, cheese, ollive oil, butter, eggs (yes, eggs), nuts, all very satisfying. You don't need to eat much.
Carbs and sugar; not so much, leave you ravenous and undernourished, empty junk calories.
garlic08
12-07-2016, 00:30
Y...Carbs and sugar; not so much, leave you ravenous and undernourished, empty junk calories.
Well, let's not totally discount whole grains, root vegetables, and fruit, for example, as empty calories.
Find it hard to fathom that one is so UL already that the next most useful valid wt saving step is to go stoneless just to save wt. Find me 100 people from the general backpacking community who say they are at the stage where to save wt they believe they must take this approach to save wt and I betcha I can find more wt in their kit, consumable wt, and via their logistical approaches that save more wt if they were tweaked rather than ditching UL cook systems or cooked food in at least 85-90 of these people.
Going stoneless never saves wt. :D
ScareBear
12-07-2016, 07:22
You sound a little hostile, ScareBear. I'm sorry if you don't approve of my method. By the way it was 42 marathons. The last was in 2009 in NYC. My slackpack was usually around 12 pounds with water. It was around 24 pounds for the 87 days when I carried a full pack.
If you don't mind, I have a couple of questions for you. How old are you? Have much of the A.T. have you hiked? Even hikers in their 20s often find themselves hiking no faster than one mile an hour in the Whites and in southern Maine.
If you're under 60, you probably don't realize how much more challenging pretty much all activities are in this decade. If you haven't already, please read the description of my first book at Amazon. Don's Brother: A Hike of Hope on the Appalachian Trail. It gives more insight about why I was even attempting a thru-hike. If you're planning a thru-hike attempt yourself, I wish you well.
I am well past 50. I have hiked over 1/3rd of the AT and have hiked and climbed all over the world. I suffer from RA/PA, spinal stenosis and have lost one thumb completely to RA. My left knee has been completely rebuilt and will need a replacement before I hit 60. From skiing, I've broken both arms, both wrists, seven ribs and my lower jaw. Not at the same time even!!
And, I can still do 15 miles a day through Georgia, NC or TN, if I feel like it. That's with around 20 to 25 lbs on my back. And, that's why I don't get how you hiked your hike. I know you raised money for ALS, and I think that's great. My Mom died of ALS, so I know the horror, first hand. But, with such light weight, even in my condition, I'd be banging out no less than 15 every day. I mean, yeah, I get that you don't like sleeping in the woods. But, for all that money flying out of my wallet on a daily basis(its like you took a vacation with a cheap motel for 5.5 months!) I for sure would have sped my ass up!!!! But, I guess money was no object to you.
I don't mean to sound combative. You wrote a book and all. That's another CONGRATULATIONS! But, I just don't get why the mileage wasn't higher. And, it is off-putting to a 60 something to read your description and come to the conclusion that it is unlikely for them to average 15 miles a day with a full pack load and thus unlikely that they can complete their thru-hike, unless they start in February and make a 7 month ordeal of it....
42 marathons....that's awesome....
ScareBear
12-07-2016, 07:31
Which....actually....you may be doing many 60 year olds a service....I guess the majority can't average 15 miles a day or complete an AT thru hike...
Water Rat
12-07-2016, 11:40
Yep. You did it your way. And for completing it on two legs without physical assistance, you have my heart-felt congratulations! CONGRATULATIONS!
I just was trying to wrap my head around your marathon running experience and your inability to average better than 15 miles a day with essentially no load to carry. That should depress the hell out of any average 61 year old who is considering a traditional backpack thru-hike of the AT!!!! "Yeah this dude who ran competitively, was a cross-country coach and completed 48 FREAKING MARATHONS could only average 15 miles a day, without more than 5 lbs on his back for 40 percent of the time. The best he could do in the flats was a couple of less-than marathon walks...no way I'm going to try the AT!"
In response to your questions, I offer my perspective after reading the book Don's Brother wrote. This wasn’t a book written on “How to Hike the AT When You Are Over 60.” This was a book about Don’s story and his brother’s hike. It was not an AT-How-To book. It was simply one person’s hike with no reflection as to how one should (or shouldn’t) hike their hike.
I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on whether or not Don’s Brother was physically capable of hiking more miles per day. When I read the book I felt Don’s Brother took his time in order to process his grief, to spend more time remembering and reliving the happy moments of his brother’s life, and to accomplish something his brother would have loved to do. In doing all this he got what he needed from his hike. Don’s Brother hiked the hike that he needed to hike, not the hike others might expect of him.
When I put the book down, I felt Don’s Brother had found a sense of closure through this journey. It allowed him peace, rather than just the vivid memory of his brother’s last 3 months on this planet. This is a rhetorical question - if one has the time and means, why hurry through something that is such a gift?
I would also like to add that the grieving process can be exhausting on its own. Even with the good memories it takes a lot of energy to process it all. Add trying to thru-hike on top of that, and I can see how the mileage would not be what it could be under other circumstances.
If anyone is reading a book to receive instruction on how they should hike their own personal hike, then they probably will not get what they want out of the hike they end up hiking.
If anyone lets one person's experiences persuade them not to thru-hike, then they really didn't want to thru-hike.
Don's Brother
12-07-2016, 11:46
I am well past 50. I have hiked over 1/3rd of the AT and have hiked and climbed all over the world. I suffer from RA/PA, spinal stenosis and have lost one thumb completely to RA. My left knee has been completely rebuilt and will need a replacement before I hit 60. From skiing, I've broken both arms, both wrists, seven ribs and my lower jaw. Not at the same time even!!
And, I can still do 15 miles a day through Georgia, NC or TN, if I feel like it. That's with around 20 to 25 lbs on my back. And, that's why I don't get how you hiked your hike. I know you raised money for ALS, and I think that's great. My Mom died of ALS, so I know the horror, first hand. But, with such light weight, even in my condition, I'd be banging out no less than 15 every day. I mean, yeah, I get that you don't like sleeping in the woods. But, for all that money flying out of my wallet on a daily basis(its like you took a vacation with a cheap motel for 5.5 months!) I for sure would have sped my ass up!!!! But, I guess money was no object to you.
I don't mean to sound combative. You wrote a book and all. That's another CONGRATULATIONS! But, I just don't get why the mileage wasn't higher. And, it is off-putting to a 60 something to read your description and come to the conclusion that it is unlikely for them to average 15 miles a day with a full pack load and thus unlikely that they can complete their thru-hike, unless they start in February and make a 7 month ordeal of it....
42 marathons....that's awesome....
First, let me say that I am very sorry about your loss of your mother to ALS. I met several folks during my hike, on the trail and in towns, who had a direct connection to the awful disease. It helped me with the grieving process to be able to talk about my brother with them and to listen to their stories.
From the description of your physical injuries, you are to be commended for continuing with your outdoor pursuits despite your limitations.
I think we've gotten away from the original intent of this thread which dealt with hiking "cookless." I have more that I would like to say if you will email me at
[email protected]. I'd also like to send you a copy of my first book, if you will include your address in the email.
I'm glad we started this conversation. I hope to hear from you in an email soon.
Don's Brother
12-07-2016, 11:51
In response to your questions, I offer my perspective after reading the book Don's Brother wrote. This wasn’t a book written on “How to Hike the AT When You Are Over 60.” This was a book about Don’s story and his brother’s hike. It was not an AT-How-To book. It was simply one person’s hike with no reflection as to how one should (or shouldn’t) hike their hike.
I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on whether or not Don’s Brother was physically capable of hiking more miles per day. When I read the book I felt Don’s Brother took his time in order to process his grief, to spend more time remembering and reliving the happy moments of his brother’s life, and to accomplish something his brother would have loved to do. In doing all this he got what he needed from his hike. Don’s Brother hiked the hike that he needed to hike, not the hike others might expect of him.
When I put the book down, I felt Don’s Brother had found a sense of closure through this journey. It allowed him peace, rather than just the vivid memory of his brother’s last 3 months on this planet. This is a rhetorical question - if one has the time and means, why hurry through something that is such a gift?
I would also like to add that the grieving process can be exhausting on its own. Even with the good memories it takes a lot of energy to process it all. Add trying to thru-hike on top of that, and I can see how the mileage would not be what it could be under other circumstances.
If anyone is reading a book to receive instruction on how they should hike their own personal hike, then they probably will not get what they want out of the hike they end up hiking.
If anyone lets one person's experiences persuade them not to thru-hike, then they really didn't want to thru-hike.
Thank you for your sincere response. I appreciate that you seemed to get from my book exactly what I had hoped that readers would. When I read your comment I got a little choked up at first, but then I smiled, remembering Don and the hike that he inspired. My best.
lyagooshka
12-07-2016, 12:43
I'm not sure that going "stoveless" would shed that much weight.
Let's say you're replacing your dehydrated meals, and keeping the snacks and stuff.
A stove weighs about 1#.
Dehydrated stuff is about 0.5#.
You have 2 of these a day, so 1# times 7 days, so that's 7# total (8# including the stove and dropping 1# daily).
Again, meals, snacks are snacks, not counting those.
So replace that with "cookless" food like sausage, cheese, etc.
You're looking at about the same weight.
Mountain House is about 125-150 calories per ounce.
Cheese is about the same.
Sausage, a little less, but in the same ball park.
So you're really saving (maybe) 1# on the stove.
You could argue that it saves time too, but how long does it really take to boil water and add it to a pouch?
Probably only thing I can think of as a down-side is having to keep the old pouches until you pass a trash can and cost of meals.
Downside to stoveless, smell attracting fauna, spoilage, and 2 oz of cheese won't 'satisfy' like 2 oz of dehydrated food reconstituted to about 1#.
So I guess I'm thinking it's a wash either way.
Stick to what you like, or switch it up.
Or maybe I'm overthinking it and someone with more experience can weigh in.
Good hiking...
Alex
garlic08
12-07-2016, 13:06
I'm not sure that going "stoveless" would shed that much weight...Or maybe I'm overthinking it and someone with more experience can weigh in.
On the first day, pack weight is probably a wash, but that last day before resupply is lighter. And you don't have to restock fuel when you get to town. That, in my opinion, is where it really pays off.
Braveheart_SOBO13
12-07-2016, 15:31
I found this interesting article on thetrek.co (the new Appalachian Trials website)....https://thetrek.co/pacific-crest-trail/joy-stoveless-no-cook-backpacking/?ref=slider
I say go stoveless but hike with someone who lets you use their stove. :D
What no one has inquired about is how the OP plans on hiking i.e.; solo, with others in a group, etc. When you start backpacking in a small party, even if it's just a party of two, the wt of cookware, stove, and fuel can be shared decreasing the wt allotted to cooking per person. The wt saved per person under this multi person/party scenario with everyone not cooking can be minimal. Shared gear can save wt carried per person!
Correct me if I'm wrong but Garlic don't you solo hike mostly or want to be a self contained unit totally responsible for yourself and the wt you carry? How often are you going cookless/stoveless with your wife in your party? Do you also go cookless/stoveless when hiking with others or do you share the wt hauling responsibilities of shared gear. How often are you sharing a shelter, and sharing the wt and bulk of it, etc?
the Starbucks Via packs are surprisingly satisfying.
Agreed. But they are expensive compared to Cafe Bustelo. I carry both and trick myself into thinking that I'm treating myself to a real treat with the Via. Terrible sentence, but you get the idea.
Wayne
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
saltysack
12-07-2016, 21:12
Agreed. But they are expensive compared to Cafe Bustelo. I carry both and trick myself into thinking that I'm treating myself to a real treat with the Via. Terrible sentence, but you get the idea.
Wayne
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Try these....$.25 each but you got to buy 100 on amazon....good stuff!http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161208/54099d49a2b969fa160021343f3360db.jpg
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I still have about a gross of the Cafe Bustelo and 2-3 dozen of the Via Italian.
I'm good for awhile. I need to go backpacking and I need to go NOW!
When it warms up a bit.
Wayne
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Elaikases
12-07-2016, 23:06
I turn 61 this year. Have only done a two short section hikes. Biggest change between the first and the second was that I lost about twenty pounds. Made a difference. As did hiking poles.
I'm immune to caffeine, so coffee never grabbed me. But making hot food, even when it was warmish, has been fun. I've read about a fair number of older guys hiking on the trail and am planning on working towards a flip flop through hike in the future (using the official definition of finishing the trail inside of a twelve month period).
I am a section hiker, and I usually carry a stove. I did go stoveless two years ago for a 10 day stretch. I ate protein bars, tuna packets, trail mix, hardboiled eggs (first two days), cheese (cheddar for two days), other nuts, peanut butter, tortillas, etc.
If you drink coffee, you MUST bring something to prevent the "coffee DT's!" There have been a lot of suggestions. What I did was to bring those Gatorade/Powerade Type Energy Drops, which have caffeine in them. I added those to my water in the morning to prevent the caffeine withdrawal headache.
Some have suggested no-stove = more weight in the end... I can see that idea.... Freeze dried meals, such as Mountain House, etc. or Ramen are lighter. I do STRESS that you make sure to get at least 60-90 grams of protein a day... Good luck!
garlic08
12-08-2016, 00:55
...Correct me if I'm wrong but Garlic don't you solo hike mostly or want to be a self contained unit totally responsible for yourself and the wt you carry? How often are you going cookless/stoveless with your wife in your party? Do you also go cookless/stoveless when hiking with others or do you share the wt hauling responsibilities of shared gear. How often are you sharing a shelter, and sharing the wt and bulk of it, etc?
My initiation into the long trails was the PCT with my wife GreasePot (AT'02) in '04. Trying stoveless was her idea, a way to reduce chores and smooth out camp life. Neither of us liked cooking or cleaning and we both got tired of the usual packaged 'carbs'n'sauce' garbage. We started bouncing the stove in longer and longer sections until we found out everything got better without it. Neither of us has carried a stove since. The rest of my long trail hikes have been solo or self-supported, no shared gear, and the couple of partners I've joined have been stoveless as well.
Pickle and I hiked the CDT then AT together, completely stoveless both hikes, and also completely independent--either one could hike separately at any time. An interesting point, though we've hiked nearly 10,000 miles together, both stoveless, our diets could hardly be less alike. Neither could hike with the other's food bag. I'm vegetarian, my buddy likes meat. I don't like processed sugar, he has a sweet tooth. I'm frugal, he's not.
I don't know if I could hike a long trail with someone with a stove. Meal times would take so long, I'd get antsy. That's another aspect of stoveless hiking, you have more time to hike. That's not necessarily a good point for everyone, though.
So, it was Grease Pot that got tired of cleaning up your stove so she initiated the cookless approach. :D Poor lady. You slave driver. Does her trail name have anything to do with not wanting to clean up cookware? :p
Wife and I section hike stoveless. Only shared item is the tent, last year we shared the weight of it. This year I am carrying it all. Went from a Alps Mountaineering Lynx 2P to a SMD Lunar Duo Explorer. Dropped almost 4lbs in the swap. Only other shared piece is the battery brick, although she mainly uses it as she tends to forget to put her phone in airplane mode. She does like her coffee though and just mixed the instant with cold water in the morning. I started mixing it in with my AM protein shake while we were out as well.