View Full Version : supply of fresh food, wild plants and animals, paleo or primal diet supply on trail
Hi everyone, I might try a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2019 and my greatest worry is to keep supplied with paleo or primal style healthy food. I look forward to hear from your experiences! Please do not discuss the health benefits or diet style here, this thread is meant only to discuss where and how to supply! If you feel eager to discuss this or other off topic related to this post, please open a new one and put the link here, I will answer there :-)
The food I am looking for would be:
grass finished beef (animals that have never been eaten anything else than grass) or organic meat
Butter from grass fed cows, native olive oil or raw coconut oil
Eggs from free range chickens
fresh vegetables, organically grown of preference
dried vegetables with no additives
banana flour, linseed, walnuts, sweet chestnut
wild plants
wild mushrooms
wild catch fish (if allowed)
wild hunt (if allowed)
maybe survival food like edible insects
Ideas
meal delivery services: ordering while I am some days away from next post office
do Farmers near the trail sell their products directly? Do Hunters in the area do sell meat?
Is there some chance to find at least Butter from grass fed cows or raw coconut oil and eggs from free range chickens in normal stores near the trail?
Slo-go'en
08-22-2018, 09:01
Short answer, no. If you want any of those things on a regular bases you will need to have them shipped in. The most common food store in towns along the AT is the Dollar General. If your lucky you get to shop at a Walmart. Every so often you can get to a Krugers or Food Lion (regional chain grocery stores). The Food Co-Op in Hanover NH is the only grocery store you'll walk pass with a wide selection of the kind of food your looking for.
I don't think I've ever seen a farmers stand or market in any towns along the AT (although there is one in Gorham NH one day a week for a few hours in the summer). Not even in the Cumberland Valley in PA where you walk through farm fields. Mostly your passing through these areas in the wrong season for fresh, local produce.
Forging for wild food along the AT is not practical.
You might spot some eatable things occasionally as you walk by, but not enough to be a significant source of nourishment. Picking a handful of wild blueberries is always nice if you happen to be in the right place at the right time, but is not something you can count on.
Then there is the WEIGHT and PERISHABLE nature of fresh food. When the temperature along the trail exceeds 32C for days on end fresh food won’t last very long. Storing fresh food safely from wild animals will be a real problem as well.
Good-To-Go meals from Maine might suit your diet. They can be sent to post offices along the trail.
A Google Search will find organic jerky, freeze dried fruits and vegetables, and backpacking meals suitable for mailing. All of this costs extra. Budget accordingly.
Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, etc. are beginning to stock organic grains, etc. The Bob’s Red Mill brand is widespread in USA food stores.
Good luck!
Wayne
Tipi Walter
08-22-2018, 10:13
When I backpacked the AT thru Shenandoah back in '84 and then in '87 I augmented my diet with wild edibles---mustard greens and violets and chickweed---and would boil them up in oatmeal and add a couple tablespoons of cream cheese. Plus, different cheeses are readily available at small stores. Otherwise, being a vegetarian helps in the meat department.
MuddyWaters
08-22-2018, 10:30
I couldnt find most of that stuff at home in area of 500,000 people.
Logistics of trying to maintain such a diet is extremely complicating for successful thruhiking.
I dry my own apples, pineapples, dinners, etc and ship to maildrops often.
Grass fed meats as jerky are readily available online and shipped.
Organic Ghee (shelf stable butter fat) is likewise available online.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, yogurt, etc. are common in even the smallest stores in small towns. Consume quickly in town or the first night back on the trail.
Balance your dietary desires with the realities of going to stores far from the Trail, food weight on the trail and food preservation in the heat on the trail.
There’s a reason why Thru Hikers carry light, unrefrigerated food and limit “cooking” to boiling water.
Nut butters are a trail staple.
Wayne
Alligator
08-22-2018, 16:07
The larger grocery stores, including Walmart, generally have "cage-free" eggs. Doesn't necessarily mean the birds go outside.
Native olive oil, do you mean locally grown and produced? The majority of US olive oil comes from California, however Georgia and Florida do have some production.
Walnuts, again mostly from California but other nut varieties are grown in the east, like pecans in GA. Pretty easy to get walnuts though in many grocery stores, sometimes loose with shells.
If you are looker for fresher produce, maybe southbound might help or a later northbound start or possibly even better a flip-flop hike.
This company comes up occasionally here at WhiteBlaze. I’m only providing the link. I have never used the products.
https://www.paleotogo.online
I have eaten the Good-To-Go products. I liked them.
Wayne
gpburdelljr
08-22-2018, 21:19
I see that you are from Germany. I’ve never been there, but I read the following on a website about hiking in Germany:
”Resupply is equally easy. Usually you come through a town or village at least once per day. Germans have very different shopping habits than Americans. There are relatively few huge shopping centers in Germany as Germans prefer small to medium size shops – that you will find in almost every little town of some size. Only keep in mind that everything is closed on Sundays. But if you are on a higher budget you should definitely sample some local food on the way and try out beer gardens and country inns. If you hike in fall you can save some money by eating fruit along the way. As you will hike through land that has been cultivated for centuries there is always some apple, pear or plum tree around.”
i think you you will find things quite different on the Appalachian Trail. Resupply points will be more like three to five days apart, on average, and you won’t find as good a selection of fresh foods in the smaller towns. Also you won’t find public transportation as good as Germany, so you may have to hitchhike from the trail to find the kind of fresh food you want.
Good Luck
Plenty of small animals,plants and insects along the trails. Bring a slingshot ;-)
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSb7uHu4Qrze2BKLoAEcrK6pG527puES gyPSo4JqoW-Mq35o3s2
It can be done... and it's a great idea because with the right diet you can mostly avoid the horrible "hiker hunger" that afflicts most AT hikers... and you can also avoid the massive weight loss and muscle wasting that happens to long distance hikers on the usual diet.
But it takes quite a bit of work, pre-packing, ordering online, and luck shopping.
Here's an interesting resource, keto backpack meals by https://www.nextmilemeals.com/
I have no experience with them. They look expensive but sound good to me. The owners have mega street cred. I mean trail cred....
This company comes up occasionally here at WhiteBlaze. I’m only providing the link. I have never used the products.
https://www.paleotogo.online
I have eaten the Good-To-Go products. I liked them.
Wayne
strangely they do have only one product at the moment: https://www.paleotogo.online/product/paleotogo-cleanola/
They sold out for the summer?
I do recommend Good-To-Go and Backpackers Pantry meals.
Thru Hikers in the US spend as little time as possible on resupply and carry as little weight as possible. Your dietary ideal may have to take a backseat to dietary realities along the AT.
Good luck!
Wayne
It can be done... and it's a great idea because with the right diet you can mostly avoid the horrible "hiker hunger" that afflicts most AT hikers... and you can also avoid the massive weight loss and muscle wasting that happens to long distance hikers on the usual diet.
.
thats the general idea, to stay healthy, but I would not like eating products from encaged animals, rather would eat vegan then.
that shop https://www.nextmilemeals.com/ does not tell where their meat ist from. And it is too expensive. One Meal for $14 with 470 kcal, while daily need is 2500 to 3000 kcal at least. https://www.paleotogo.online/product/paleotogo-cleanola/ does not inform about the energy content, their 500g Cleanola cost $ 29.99 -might be a day supply for one Person. This and the mail cost added ist far out of my budget.
Slo-go'en
08-23-2018, 09:38
The compromise is to eat well (and a lot) in town.
The compromise is to eat well (and a lot) in town.
Like in Hot Springs, NC. All of the burgers, fries, pizza, beer, ice cream and pie you can stand. 👍😄
Compromise is the name of the game.
Wayne
I see that you are from Germany. I’ve never been there, but I read the following on a website about hiking in Germany:
”Resupply is equally easy. Usually you come through a town or village at least once per day. Germans have very different shopping habits than Americans. There are relatively few huge shopping centers in Germany as Germans prefer small to medium size shops – that you will find in almost every little town of some size. Only keep in mind that everything is closed on Sundays. But if you are on a higher budget you should definitely sample some local food on the way and try out beer gardens and country inns. If you hike in fall you can save some money by eating fruit along the way. As you will hike through land that has been cultivated for centuries there is always some apple, pear or plum tree around.”
i think you you will find things quite different on the Appalachian Trail. Resupply points will be more like three to five days apart, on average, and you won’t find as good a selection of fresh foods in the smaller towns. Also you won’t find public transportation as good as Germany, so you may have to hitchhike from the trail to find the kind of fresh food you want.
Good Luck
thats true in Germany and most parts of western Europe you will find good opportunities to resupply at a high standard. Many villages have farm shops or Farmers that have outside shelves which open with money, they sell mostly eggs and potatos. Hunters often do sell their game. You have to ask the "native people" to get the adresses. I wonder why farmers in USA do not seem to use this possibility to earn money. Hitchhiking is no problem and the fresh supply will last for one day after that wild plants shall step in place.
I have been sick and cured myself with change of diet. Every time I stray away from that to much it turns out not to be good for me. I would soon not be able to do the hike anymore. So no, compromise is no option for me!
You are going to really have a hard time with food, then. The population density along the AT is no where near as high as in most of Europe. Farmers are not going set up stands where no one lives. Small famy farms are very rare near urban areas.
Starchild
08-23-2018, 10:53
You can, with some effort, go vegan, however going organic/preservative free vegan may not be possible. I would assume that going vegan is a method to get by but you would still grab meat when the right ones come along. Mail drops would be very helpful and can save lots of running around looking for things that may not exist.
As for wild eatables, there is enough for opportunistic supplementation and the occasional meal. Fishing basically requires a zero day, so a day off from the hike. Hunting, not sure, never seen or heard if that on the AT in terms of a thru hike except one hiker who would catch and eat shelter mice and besides that rare unplanned opportunistic hunts/scavenges, or trail magic wild game gifts.
I have been sick and cured myself with change of diet. Every time I stray away from that to much it turns out not to be good for me. I would soon not be able to do the hike anymore. So no, compromise is no option for me!
This is me exactly! Some folks think I am a food snob because I don’t eat a lot of classic hiker food (cheep, high processed carbs, long shelf life- lots of preservatives). The truth is I can eat a little bit and be ok, but much more and I am sick as a dog. I wish I could get away with inexpensive and easy foods, but not worth the pain, diarrhea, joint aches, exhaustion and brain fog.
I cant afford paleo to go everyday. I dehydrate foods, use freeze dried foods, use nuts, veg and fruit. Healthy fats including animal based fats, coconut, avocado and olive oils. If you need a specific diet usually best to send yourself resupply boxes and supplement with just a little ready made stuff. Very time consuming, but if that’s what it takes then you need to allow yourself the time.
When I backpacked the AT thru Shenandoah back in '84 and then in '87 I augmented my diet with wild edibles---mustard greens and violets and chickweed---and would boil them up in oatmeal and add a couple tablespoons of cream cheese. Plus, different cheeses are readily available at small stores. Otherwise, being a vegetarian helps in the meat department.
Is it true that there are many European nettles on the trail? http://appalachiantrailhistory.org/items/show/119 -These are excellent wild food and can be harvested from early spring to autumn, approximately 700gram of them gives all the Protein you need for a day with all essential amino acids. I love them with scrambled eggs or mixed in minced meat.
Slo-go'en
08-23-2018, 12:52
I have been sick and cured myself with change of diet. Every time I stray away from that to much it turns out not to be good for me. I would soon not be able to do the hike anymore. So no, compromise is no option for me!
Well then I would think a AT thru hike is not something you should attempt. The foods you're looking for are simply not available on a consistent bases, nor are they commonly available.
gpburdelljr
08-23-2018, 12:58
Is it true that there are many European nettles on the trail? http://appalachiantrailhistory.org/items/show/119 -These are excellent wild food and can be harvested from early spring to autumn, approximately 700gram of them gives all the Protein you need for a day with all essential amino acids. I love them with scrambled eggs or mixed in minced meat.
On the following link is a map of the US showing where this plant has been reported. It doesn’t look like it would be on much of the trail.
https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=22629
Tipi Walter
08-23-2018, 12:59
Is it true that there are many European nettles on the trail? http://appalachiantrailhistory.org/items/show/119 -These are excellent wild food and can be harvested from early spring to autumn, approximately 700gram of them gives all the Protein you need for a day with all essential amino acids. I love them with scrambled eggs or mixed in minced meat.
I've eaten nettles since I was in my 20s and still continue to drink nettle tea---and eat the greens. It's an excellent wild edible and easy to cook up in the hiking pot.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Backpacking2012/20-Days-to-Panther-Branch-and/i-qMrFJ8w/0/da9dcebf/L/TRIP%20136%20074-L.jpg
It's nettle time!!
And nettle can't be all that bad since the great Himalayan Yogi Milarepa lived on them---
https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/green-koans-the-green-yogi/
Slo-go'en
08-23-2018, 13:04
Is it true that there are many European nettles on the trail? http://appalachiantrailhistory.org/items/show/119 -These are excellent wild food and can be harvested from early spring to autumn, approximately 700gram of them gives all the Protein you need for a day with all essential amino acids. I love them with scrambled eggs or mixed in minced meat.
Maybe in some areas. It looks like this is most commonly brewed as a tea and has some medicinal benefits. I see nothing about eating it as an actual food.
Slo-go'en
08-23-2018, 13:05
Maybe in some areas. It looks like this is most commonly brewed as a tea and has some medicinal benefits. I see nothing about eating it as an actual food.
I stand corrected, apparently you can.
greatexpectations
08-23-2018, 14:20
speaking only for MA, the only issue i would see in meeting the OP's stated goals would be how the heck one would reasonably carry / keep / prepare the food items listed. i know that the Big Y grocery chain has these items, and they have trail-convenient locations in great barrington, lee (close to upper goose pond), and north adams. there is also a guido's in great barrington, and probably an analogous upscale market in north adams. all will involve a bit of a road walk / hitch into town but nothing out of the ordinary.
i think (not 100%) you can get grass fed meats, milk, and eggs from blue hill farm, visible from trail in monterey. there is also a trail stand in tyringham which sells fresh eggs. as for wild sources on (or very near) the trail near me i know of blueberries, blackberries, apples, ramps, nettles. i see mushrooms regularly but i can't speak to what is edible. this will all be seasonal though and likely not worth one's time for anything more than a surprise snack.
One example of the good and bad of supplying your diet:
Boone, NC. 26 miles from the AT in Elk Park, NC.
Earth Fare Supermarket in Boone will have 95%-100% of your grocery needs. Including an extensive bulk food section and nut butter grinding machines and grass fed filets.
A short distance away from Earth Fare is the Wautauga County Farmers Market. All of the grass fed, cage free, organic, non GMO exotic foods you ever hope to find.
Now. The bad news: The Farmers Market is only open on Saturday from 8 AM to 12 AM. As are most Farmers Markets.
You need a Trail Angel with a self-contained motor home to meet you at road crossings and serve meals.
Your exercise level during a Thru Hike might overcome the effects of a less than perfect diet.
Don’t obsess. Have fun!
Wayne
Traveler
08-24-2018, 08:20
In my view, a thru hike of the AT can be done with the stated dietary needs using pre-planned food drops. Granted, this would require far more logistical planning than not having any dietary restrictions but could be done. Determine how much food weight can reasonably carried from resupply to food exhaustion to assess how many miles/days between resupply points. Determining food perishability and the maximum number of days the food can travel in a pack should get you to a good estimate of X number of days between resupply. Get detailed maps of AT sections to mark out maximum day resupply points, then look for post offices or other business that can take a package (requires many phone calls) inside the max day envelope. Food storage options like vacuum packing various staples or pre-cooked food may provide some additional trail time. Timing of mail drops would need to be worked out by determining if the Post Office can be used for parcel receipt or another address that would hold it for you, even if you are a day or three late. Finding someone to prepare and ship the food would also be necessary.
So there is a way to do a thru hike with the food you need but it will have some financial costs associated with getting food to a pick up site and and time for planning/getting to drop points or retailers you buy food from near the trail. Necessity is the mother of invention. Anytime there is a great will to accomplish something that personal limitations make difficult, invention of work-arounds quickly follow. To me, the logistic planning of supplies to be dropped along the way would be worth the costs to avoid gambling on local markets and interrupting the hike frequently and for potentially long periods of time in search of food.
Alligator
08-24-2018, 16:37
To paraphrase Traveler:), he's talking about a mail drop strategy. It was used more commonly in the past by thruhikers. Not sure if the German mail system has the option but in the US we have general delivery. You can send the package to yourself directly to the post office and pick it up there. Most US post offices have it but I think little tiny ones may not due to space. You don't have to be there exactly on time but they won't hold it forever. Businesses that accept them, particularly hiker-friendly ones know you are hiking and will typically hold packages for at least a week. We used to have a whole subforum on mail drops but I think we may have merged it with another subforum. Lots of threads though.
I've eaten nettles since I was in my 20s and still continue to drink nettle tea---and eat the greens. It's an excellent wild edible and easy to cook up in the hiking pot.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Backpacking2012/20-Days-to-Panther-Branch-and/i-qMrFJ8w/0/da9dcebf/L/TRIP%20136%20074-L.jpg
It's nettle time!!
And nettle can't be all that bad since the great Himalayan Yogi Milarepa lived on them---
https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/green-koans-the-green-yogi/
nice story, but if he really lived only on nettles he had to eat a lot of them. fresh nettles have 420 kcal per kg...
but around 700 gram of them provide enough essential amino acids for a day. Wild nettles are edible, older plants must be cooked, younger can be eaten raw.
Traveler
08-25-2018, 11:19
To paraphrase Traveler:), he's talking about a mail drop strategy. It was used more commonly in the past by thruhikers. Not sure if the German mail system has the option but in the US we have general delivery. You can send the package to yourself directly to the post office and pick it up there. Most US post offices have it but I think little tiny ones may not due to space. You don't have to be there exactly on time but they won't hold it forever. Businesses that accept them, particularly hiker-friendly ones know you are hiking and will typically hold packages for at least a week. We used to have a whole subforum on mail drops but I think we may have merged it with another subforum. Lots of threads though.
Bah! I missed the Germany residency, thanks for picking that up. The mail drop may have glitches if its coming out of Germany.
You asked about grass fed milk butter.
Kerrygold Irish Butter made with milk from grass fed cows. Available in every regional or national chain supermarket. Albertson, Kroger, Publix, Lowes, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Fresh Market, Earth Fare, Safeway, Walmart, Walmart Neighborhood Market, etc.
Cage Free eggs are becoming more readily available from the same stores.
If you think that you’re going to be doing actual cooking, You’re going to need an appropriate kitchen arrangement.
This is all adding up to a lot of extra on trail weight, time, money, etc.
Good luck!
Wayne
Feral Bill
08-25-2018, 13:16
I stand corrected, apparently you can.
Still no Calories to speak of.
Tipi Walter
08-25-2018, 14:14
Still no Calories to speak of.
More calories could come from tubers and roots---like burdock root and Indian cucumber root and violet roots and solomon's seal root etc etc. And with some creek water processing Autumn acorns provide fat and calories---and don't forget the fantastic black walnuts.
Mother Natures Son
08-25-2018, 14:24
i would think that after hiking all day, the last thing that's on your mind is going out and hunt/forage for food. It can be done but you'll spend a lot time looking for food. As some have already said, Maildrops might be your answer.
Tipi Walter
08-25-2018, 14:30
i would think that after hiking all day, the last thing that's on your mind is going out and hunt/forage for food. It can be done but you'll spend a lot time looking for food. As some have already said, Maildrops might be your answer.
Foraging comes during the actual hiking as you stoop down to pick something edible.
gpburdelljr
08-25-2018, 15:10
i would think that after hiking all day, the last thing that's on your mind is going out and hunt/forage for food. It can be done but you'll spend a lot time looking for food. As some have already said, Maildrops might be your answer.
Maildrops wouldn’t work for fresh meats and vegetables.
Slo-go'en
08-25-2018, 16:57
i would think that after hiking all day, the last thing that's on your mind is going out and hunt/forage for food. It can be done but you'll spend a lot time looking for food. As some have already said, Maildrops might be your answer.
There is a reason farming was invented. Sure, if you happen to see something eatable along the side of the trail scoop it up, but your not going to find enough to live on. If your on the trail starting in March, there is nothing growing along the side of the trail until some time in April.
Tipi Walter
08-25-2018, 17:44
There is a reason farming was invented. Sure, if you happen to see something eatable along the side of the trail scoop it up, but your not going to find enough to live on. If your on the trail starting in March, there is nothing growing along the side of the trail until some time in April.
One of my favorite plants is Chickweed and it's a winter annual and is often seen growing in the snow. It's very succulent and a great salad edible.
See---
http://www.juliasedibleweeds.com/recipes/chickweed-abundant-in-winter/
You should have been along on the Lewis & Clark Expedition. They hunted, foraged, gathered and fished for most of their food.
However, they nearly perished from malnutrition brought about by their preference for venison, elk and bison.
Believe it not, AT hikers rarely die from a diet of Little Debbie’s, Twinkies, Moon Pies, Snickers, Tuna, Knorr Sides, Nut Butters, Pizza, Beer & Ice Cream. And the occasional all you can eat salad bar. Supplemented by mail drops of grass fed jerky, organic dried veggies and fruit, etc.
Wayne
Tipi Walter
08-25-2018, 18:06
You should have been along on the Lewis & Clark Expedition. They hunted, foraged, gathered and fished for most of their food.
However, they nearly perished from malnutrition brought about by their preference for venison, elk and bison.
Believe it not, AT hikers rarely die from a diet of Little Debbie’s, Twinkies, Moon Pies, Snickers, Tuna, Knorr Sides, Nut Butters, Pizza, Beer & Ice Cream. And the occasional all you can eat salad bar. Supplemented by mail drops of grass fed jerky, organic dried veggies and fruit, etc.
Wayne
Being a near-lifelong vegetarian I'd have a hard time on the Lewis & Clark Diet. I read in a book they ate 9 lbs of fresh meat a day. And in my opinion they mindlessly killed way too many grizzly bears in their trek of "discovery".