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trlhiker
04-18-2007, 16:51
Not sure if this is the proper place to put this so mods move if needed. Anywho, my wife needs a heathy dose of caffine in the am to get her up and alert for the day because of the meds she takes the night before. There is no way I will carry several bottles or cans of Mountain dew for her while backpacking and she doesn't want to carry them either. Has anyone used or do you know of a powder or pill that has as much or more caffine than the Dew?
Thanks

Frolicking Dinosaurs
04-18-2007, 16:55
Call a pharmacist and ask what is available in your area.

jlb2012
04-18-2007, 16:58
No-Doz - 200 mg caffiene per tablet

Hana_Hanger
04-18-2007, 17:03
There is a Jolt Gum and these two products
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Cooking%20and%20Hydration/Caffeinated%20Products/index.html?

jrwiesz
04-18-2007, 17:07
Not sure if this is the proper place to put this so mods move if needed. Anywho, my wife needs a heathy dose of caffine in the am to get her up and alert for the day because of the meds she takes the night before. There is no way I will carry several bottles or cans of Mountain dew for her while backpacking and she doesn't want to carry them either. Has anyone used or do you know of a powder or pill that has as much or more caffine than the Dew?
Thanks

Guarana[spelling?] is a South American caffiene like herb, should be available over the counter at most chain pharmacies and health food stores.

Ender
04-18-2007, 17:12
You may have already, but if not, check with your Doc first to make sure that she can take concentrated doses of caffeine while taking her meds.

trlhiker
04-18-2007, 17:12
Thanks for the quick replies. She hates coffee so I'll try the other suggestions.

Ewker
04-18-2007, 17:18
chocolate covered coffee beans

fivefour
04-18-2007, 17:25
i have these packets (about the size of a kool-aid packet) of apple flavored powder you pour in your mouth and they serve up 150mg of caffeine along with some apple extract. they work well! i just swish them with some water and swallow. try www.up-time.com (http://www.up-time.com). the herbal packets (3 pills each) work wonders too with no caffeine.

fivefour
04-18-2007, 17:26
chocolate covered coffee beans

those work as well !!!!

Froggy
04-18-2007, 17:39
The dark chocolate covered espresso beans are great! Note, they'll melt into a big lump if it gets too warm.

There are several caffine pills sold in supermarkets. The two major brands are Vivarin and No-Doze. Often there are house brands in the major supermarket chains that are similar. I prefer the house equivalent myself, because at least locally, they are easier to break or cut in half.

They all seem to be 200 mg per tablet. One advantage for cutting them in half is that the halves are a little irregular, and you can choose to take a bigger half or a smaller half. Half a tablet is about a small cup of coffe, or about three chocolate covered espresso beans.

They all last about three and a half hours, more or less. It's not a sudden jolt.

Frosty
04-18-2007, 17:40
Has anyone used or do you know of a powder or pill that has as much or more caffine than the Dew?
Thanks
http://folgers.com/coffees/instant/crystals.shtml

hopefulhiker
04-18-2007, 17:46
PENGUIN MINTS each have a third the caffeine as in a cup of coffee

kevin
04-18-2007, 18:38
I'm a diet Mt. Dew junkie and drink way too much of the stuff. This means caffeine withdraw headaches when I get away from the caffeine for awhile (which should be telling me to cut back anyway, but I've never been accused of being all that bright). Anyway, since there aren't a whole lot of soda machines on the trail and I've never been a fan of coffee, I started carrying these -- Morning Spark Drink Mixes (http://www.sturmfoods.com/products/morningSpark.html) last year...loved 'em. Our Wal-Mart carries them.

freefall
04-18-2007, 20:16
There is a Jolt Gum and these two products
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Cooking%20and%20Hydration/Caffeinated%20Products/index.html?

I don't know how much caffeine the Jolt gum has in it but I had a pack at work and one of my co-workers said I was practically bouncing off the walls with 3 pieces. Just remember to drink extra water as I have read that caffeine is a diuretic.

You might also check with her doctor how the caffeine affects the absorption of the medication. I know that it leaches certain vitamins and minerals from the blood stream.

I carried the powdered tea mixes with me last year (like the Kool-Aid and Crystal Light ones) and they kept me from getting the caffeine headaches as well as quelled my soda desire until I got to the next town. Again, not sure how much caffeine they contain, just know they work.

Dances with Mice
04-18-2007, 20:31
I have a magic dark powder that I steep in near-boiling water for a few minutes then strain out the solids and drink. Made out of some sort of bean, I hear.

It either causes the sun to rise or it causes me to notice if it has.

firemountain
04-18-2007, 20:35
caffeine powder? *sniff sniff* put me down for one of those sub 40 day thru hikes! sounds like a bad idea...

Seriously though, I use powergel double latte with double caffeine. Available from most bicycle shops.

Patrickjd9
04-18-2007, 22:09
No-Doz - 200 mg caffiene per tablet
No-Doz on an empty stomach is awful. The gum may be a better idea.

jlb2012
04-19-2007, 07:59
No-Doz on an empty stomach is awful. The gum may be a better idea.

yeah - as I remember from my college days No-Doz really is rough on an empty stomach - I should have mentioned it

StarLyte
04-19-2007, 08:20
I would say chocolate (http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/ID/3464/). Why take pills or substitutions when you can eat something that tastes great and has nutritional value.

Good luck.

peanuts
04-19-2007, 08:51
I would say chocolate (http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/ID/3464/). Why take pills or substitutions when you can eat something that tastes great and has nutritional value.

Good luck.

righ on sista!!! chocolate.....the cure to all troubles!

StarLyte
04-19-2007, 08:53
righ on sista!!! chocolate.....the cure to all troubles!

off-topic....
When I see you again I'm going to have for you the best cut of bourbon cooked pork too. I'm going to hide it this time :rolleyes:

mudhead
04-19-2007, 10:28
yeah - as I remember from my college days No-Doz really is rough on an empty stomach - I should have mentioned it

So can coffee be rough.

Probably a little shot of calories helps as much as the caffine. Very handy to have when fading.

bfitz
04-19-2007, 11:16
There's coffee that comes in tea bags, I carry those. I also carry caffiene pills in my little medical kit. They come in handy sometimes.

Creek Dancer
04-19-2007, 11:25
Better yet, how about chocolate covered coffee beans. On our section hike of the GA AT, Ewker kept feeding me these things for some reason.:-? I guess he wanted me to get on down the trail. lol

peanuts
04-19-2007, 11:39
starlyte.....mmmm my mouth is watering....hope i can make my way to td....:):)

Ewker
04-19-2007, 12:04
Better yet, how about chocolate covered coffee beans. On our section hike of the GA AT, Ewker kept feeding me these things for some reason.:-? I guess he wanted me to get on down the trail. lol


no comment :D

DawnTreader
04-19-2007, 12:05
There is a little yellow pill called Vivran.. 200 mg caffine tabs, also rough on an empty stomach.. I carry 2 or 3 on a section and use them when I need that extra couple of miles..

EWS
04-20-2007, 01:37
I did some work for Intranasal Therapeutics they were developing pharmaceutical inhalers; caffine mixed with some potent stuff was one, and THC was the main ingredient in another. So maybe the inhalable kind is out there over-the-counter somewhere.

fivefour
04-20-2007, 09:15
I did some work for Intranasal Therapeutics they were developing pharmaceutical inhalers; caffine mixed with some potent stuff was one, and THC was the main ingredient in another. So maybe the inhalable kind is out there over-the-counter somewhere.

:eek: ? wow ... that's crazy.

Smile
04-20-2007, 11:03
You can get raw, organic, from equador pure Cacao nibs - unadultered caffeine with a crunch, and yummy !http://www.growgreens.com/page/page/2345565.htm

RadioFreq
04-20-2007, 18:09
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/070415/23caffeine.htm

Photofanatic
04-20-2007, 18:19
Wake up in the morning at home and grab a Mt. Dew or a cup of coffee. I wouldn't recommend carrying the Mt. Dew but coffee is light weight. Put some in a zip lock bag even buy a little coffee filter so you can make it right. The coffee filter will pay for itself in no time because you won't be buying the Mt. Dew. You could carry a bit of sugar and some whole milk powder if you don't like it black.
There are just a few extras that I carry that make a huge difference in being comfortable on the trail. Coffee is one of them, a nice hot cup before breakfast or taking some time off my feet just makes the hike all that much better.

Lumberjack
04-21-2007, 09:52
I found a very small coffee perculator I like to carry :D

hadacol
04-21-2007, 10:45
I second the vote for Penguin Mints. Chocolate covered espresso beans do not stand up to heat very well. You actually have to est a fair number of coffee beans to get a respectable amount of caffeine, which is easier if you actually like coffee.

The mints are convenient, sugar free, and I believe have something like 15-20mg each. They come in several flavors. A true Seattle addict (who does not feel less than several hundred mgs) might find them too mild, but they should be fine for normal folks.

You can find them here:

http://www.peppermints.com/html/products.html

If you like the idea of a beverage, Red Bull has twice the caffeine in half the weight of Mountain Dew.

If you absolutely want a pill, there is nothing really wrong with No-Doz. In the old days, it came as 100mg tablets but now is normally "extra-strength" 200mg caplets (probably to go head to head with 200mg Vivarin). I am not a huge fan of the "medicinal" approach and do not tolerate 200mg (about 2-3 cups of coffee in the old days, now one of any of Starbucks larger creations) in one shot. You can sip a beverage, a 200mg tablet is going straight to the brain.

Another thought, a stint on the trail is a perfect time to be away from coffee. Be prepared for withdrawal symptons (bring tolerant company an something effective for headaches). Caffeine both generates dependence and creates tolerance, doing without now and again for a long enough period to reset your tolerance level is not a bad thing.

SuperTroll
04-23-2007, 09:28
NEW DRINK MIX... WALMART

Saw it where the crystal Light is kept...mix for bottled water and it's CAFFINATED Apple Juice......