View Full Version : Average Weight of Food During Thru-Hike
irritable_badger
03-12-2006, 16:10
About how much weight should I factor in for food during my thru-hike? Does anyone have an average of food weight during their hike? How about a figure for daily weight of food? (meaning how much weight in food do you use carry for each day)
I have been doing my practice hikes and such with 13 pounds of food which lasts me about seven days; is this a reasonable assumption or have I over calculated? I know I will be able to resupply in most places at least once in seven days but I'm not sure about how much I will be eating once my appetite ramps up. Any advice or comments are much appreciated.
Personally, I would factor in a max of 12 pounds..which would be just under 6 days worth of food. Folks say 2.2 pounds per person per day.
Most of the time..you might be carrying only 4 days worth so then 8 pounds. Of course if you have an appetite and you can eat 10 days worth in five..then load up!
DavidNH
I would say during the first part of your hike, figure on 2 pounds per day. Later in your hike you can get the weight down. In my opinion if your ever carrying over 4.5 days of food on the AT, your probably doing something wrong.
Whistler
03-12-2006, 18:20
I leveled off at about 35-40oz/day [labeled weight, doesn't included packaging]. So, figure 4 days=10lbs or so.
-Mark
Most books say at least 2#'s of food a day.In the begining keep some no-cook items in the pack for dinner in case you're tired and don't feel like cooking.Your appetite will start ramping up after only a few days,by then you'll be more trail hardend and able to carry more food if you wish,but really 2#'s a day is a good rule of thumb.Also,I found the stores along the trail to have plenty of food available if your not too picky.
SalParadise
03-12-2006, 18:57
that is hugely variable per person, though generally about 2 pounds per day. Some people didn't mind the extra weight and carried a lot of luxury-foods and some people would save weight with Ramen and other super-light foods, but generally around 2 pounds. I think it also depends on how big of a person you are. Now, I'm no expert, but the smaller-sized hikers I was with could usually get by on less food than myself and other taller/bigger hikers, just because it would take more total energy to hike my rear end up a hill, and people did make comments about how heavy my food bag was. For a 4-5 day section I'd be around 12-15 pounds.
SalParadise
03-12-2006, 19:01
Most books say at least 2#'s of food a day.In the begining keep some no-cook items in the pack for dinner in case you're tired and don't feel like cooking.
I did just the opposite and even picked breakfast foods based on how quickly they could be eated (cold oatmeal rules!), because in the morning I'd always be anxious to get out and get going, especially in the beginning.
Old Spice
03-12-2006, 20:13
One of the advantages of having a low base weight is being able to carry more food! I am starving right now and must leave to make a hamburger.
Just Jeff
03-12-2006, 20:26
One of the advantages of having a low base weight is being able to carry more food! I am starving right now and must leave to make a hamburger.
Exactly! I like to mix it up with some luxury foods, too. I like fresh fruit (apples work well in spring/fall, oranges in summer) and sometimes I'll carry an MRE entree with heater so I don't have to worry about the stove.
Cold pizza works well, too - wrap it in aluminum foil and it'll last until the next morning, at least. I usually have at least one Ramen with me if it's at least 2 nights out...that helps balance out the weight.
I usually aim for 2lbs/day but end up carrying a bit more.
i carry 4 days food around 8 lbs total:cool: neo
KirkMcquest
03-12-2006, 21:35
If you use alot of freeze dried foods ( mountain house), doesn't this significantly reduce your weight, while still keeping calories high enough?
If you use alot of freeze dried foods ( mountain house), doesn't this significantly reduce your weight, while still keeping calories high enough?
the stuff sucks like :D shelters:cool: neo
workboot
03-12-2006, 21:37
4 days = 8 poundsgive or take a few ounces....of course that first day of resupply I usually throw in a little something extra for the evening meal if I`m not planning on eating in town
Kerosene
03-12-2006, 22:50
I actually have found that my appetite declines with strenuous exercise the first 1-2 weeks, so I average less than 24 ounces per day (male, 5' 9", 175 pounds) but after that it pops up to the 2-2.5 lbs/day range.
If you use alot of freeze dried foods ( mountain house), doesn't this significantly reduce your weight, while still keeping calories high enough?
First, I don't think that anyone eats only freeze dried foods like mountain house. While some may depend on freeze dried foods for their dinners, they probably don't depend on them for other meals and snacks.
Second, look at the calorie per ounce ratio. Freeze dried foods are in the typical range of 100 plus calories per ounce, the same as other foods that backpackers typically carry, such as pastas and liptons.
Bottom line, freeze dried doesn't significantly change your pack weight. But it does increase the amount of packaging that needs to be hauled out for disposal.
bulldog49
03-14-2006, 11:22
If you use alot of freeze dried foods ( mountain house), doesn't this significantly reduce your weight, while still keeping calories high enough?
Yes it does. Freeze dried food isn't for everyone but I like, and use, the Mountain House Pro-pack meals. They taste pretty good, weigh about 4.5 ozs and come in a small package. I'm able to get by with 1.5 lbs for food each day.
ARambler
03-14-2006, 12:25
...
Bottom line, freeze dried doesn't significantly change your pack weight. But it does increase the amount of packaging that needs to be hauled out for disposal.
What is the maximum amount of Freeze Dried food packaging that you have hauled out on the AT? The packaging weighs about 1 oz compared to 1.7 oz for an empty 1 lb box of lasagna noodles.
Considering the large variation in metabolisms, 2 lb/day is a very good number to work with. Note, the first and last day probably add up to 2.2 lb of food, but it is not so bad to have 1.8 lb left over. Even the second and third day out of town may be less 2 lb/day, particularly in the first 3 weeks. The increase in appetite between 2 to 4 weeks will be slow enough you will be able to adapt.
I agree that you seldom need to carry more than 4 days worth of food, especially in the south.
You should not count very heavy items, like fruits or even tuna in water. Small women may assume 1.5 lb/day.
Rambler
OK, let's go through the food issue.
Generally speaking, a long distance hiker needs over 4000 calories per day.
To keep weight down, a long distance hiker looks for foods that have a high calorie per ounce ratio. Generally this means foods that have at least 100 calories per ounce.
So, if you do the math, a typical thru-hiker should carry about 2 1/2 pounds of food per day. If you try to skimp on that, then you will not have the energy to hike, and probably drop out. Sure, weekend hikers may eat less, because they have not built up a thruhikers appetite. But, once you are out for several weeks then it really kicks in. And I'm sure that smaller people may eat less than larger people. But generally speaking, thru hikers eat a lot. Just ask someone at a hostel.
Packing weight. I never weighted it. But, I suspect that my Liptons packaging weights less than your Mountain House packaging.
I was planning on treating myself with the freeze dried (am I the only one who likes these better than Lipton noodles?) at least two dinners a week. I thought I would transfer them out of the thick packaging into ziploc bags and then dump the contents into the boiling water to soak before spooning in. Am I off base? Could this work to give me the best of both (yummy calories and light weight)?
bulldog49
03-16-2006, 12:26
I was planning on treating myself with the freeze dried (am I the only one who likes these better than Lipton noodles?) at least two dinners a week. I thought I would transfer them out of the thick packaging into ziploc bags and then dump the contents into the boiling water to soak before spooning in. Am I off base? Could this work to give me the best of both (yummy calories and light weight)?
I use the Mountain House Pro-pack meals because, 1. I like the taste and 2. they are very convenient. The pro-pack is much smaller than the packaging used for their regular meals.
With the zip-lock package I just pour the water into it, so I never have to wash my pot. And because they don't require simmering like the Liptons do, I use less fuel.
http://www.mountainhouse.com/bkp_fds.cfm
I was planning on treating myself with the freeze dried (am I the only one who likes these better than Lipton noodles?) at least two dinners a week. I thought I would transfer them out of the thick packaging into ziploc bags and then dump the contents into the boiling water to soak before spooning in. Am I off base? Could this work to give me the best of both (yummy calories and light weight)?
I transfered my freeze dried meals to ziplock sandwich bags and it did lighten the load.The only thing was I had to dirty a pot instead of hydrating in the bag.
Skidsteer
03-16-2006, 19:58
I transfered my freeze dried meals to ziplock sandwich bags and it did lighten the load.The only thing was I had to dirty a pot instead of hydrating in the bag.
Have you tried tranferring the meals to ziplock freezer bags and carrying on per instructions? It works!
And because they don't require simmering like the Liptons do, I use less fuel.
you can also just use a cozy instead of simmering... boil your water, add it to your noodles, stick it in the cozy, and in about 10 minutes (plenty of time to set up camp), you have dinner... no need to 'simmer' them...
River Runner
03-17-2006, 03:17
Have you tried tranferring the meals to ziplock freezer bags and carrying on per instructions? It works!
That's what I do. I take mine out of the original package, usually splitting them into two pint size freezer bags and then pour the boiling water into the freezer zip-lock, seal, and use a hat, pack towel, or fleece shirt for a cozy. Then I eat directly out of the freezer zip-lock. Works great!
Strange but true...
If you eat 2 pounds of food per day (at midnight), then over the course of 5 day hike without resupply your average carry weight is 6 pounds per day.
If you eat 2 pounds of food per day (at midnight), then over the course of a 10 day hike without resupply your average carry weight is 11 pounds day
So for an average extra carry weight of just 5 pound per day, you can spend 5 more days out in the woods between resupply....
:-?
Have you tried tranferring the meals to ziplock freezer bags and carrying on per instructions? It works!
Thanks Skidster,I'll try that.