View Full Version : What do you eat? thru-hikers/long distance hikers
Dholmblad
06-08-2007, 02:12
One of the reasons I had to take some time off my thru-hike was my health. I was noticing I was coming down with a case of the Virginia blues. There was obviously something missing from my diet packed with sugar and simple carbohydrates. And before I head back out I need to completely revamp my daily intake of calories, I have started with more whole grains instead of white bread. But after that I don’t really know where to go.
Dholmblad
06-08-2007, 02:16
Forgot to add before I got off I was doing 25+miles a day(most days) and was eating a large number of calories(but what hiker isnt...)
Johnny Swank
06-08-2007, 10:21
2 things I learned from my thru-hike that I applied later when we paddled the Mississippi River.
1) you can only go so far eating crap food. Fresh, heavy food is worth it's weight in gold.
2) trying to put in big miles every single day will catch up with you. If you have to take a zero every few days to recuperate from the big days, you're just running yourself into the ground for no overall gain in mileage. I'm convinced that doing more moderate miles just about every day with very few zero days are far better. You'll cover more miles and feel much better. I took 30-40 days off on the AT and felt like crap most of the time. I took 6 off on the Mississippi (over 2.5 months) and felt like a champ. Putting in a few miles, no matter how few, every single day really adds up quick.
I posted some articles awhile back on thru-hiking that you might want to check out (Thru-hiking on the Cheap, What I'd do Differently, Cutting Down on Town Time, etc) Here's the link.
http://sourcetosea.net/Articles/articles.html
I think many long distance hikers (and canoers?) do not get their protein intake. You need protein to repair those exhausted muscles.
Some summer sausage with some tuna at night helped me along.
As for miles. Yep consitency is the key. In my own hikes, I saw several people do monster days, only to zero in town for two days or so. The people who did lower days would actually be ahead on the trail.
I remember one time here in Boulder, some person asked me "How can you just hike? It is boring. I go further in one day trail running then you do hiking. I did a 40 mile run..blah blah blah".
I sipped my java porter. Smiled and said "So..how many miles did you do the following day? And the day after that?"
He smiled back. He got the point. :)
Same story applies. Do an XX mile day and you may have to take a zero. (The "big mile" quotient is different for everyone.)
hammock engineer
06-08-2007, 10:47
I can't speak for my thru, I leave later this month, but I try to add sweets to my foodbag. I have noticed probibly due to bad eating habbits at home, that when my blood sugar crashes I crash energy wise. Adding m&m's, cookies, candy, or even tic tacs makes a huge difference. Not something I try to sustain myself on. Just something to get a little something in me.
As others said, good food is the best overall solution. I want to add to try to take a luxory food. Something that you like that you can have as a pick me up when you need it. Myself I am a mint addict, so they work great for me. Coffee if you are into it helps out too.
Johnny Swank
06-08-2007, 11:03
I ate approximately 23423423 pounds of Peppermint Patties on my thru-hike. YMMV.
I agree on the protein intake. I've taken to going back and drying more jerky and meats these days for an upcoming trip.
i've known some thru's to start taking a protein powder, mix it w/ water, add some type of flavor.
mweinstone
06-08-2007, 18:22
add fuel, cooking time , oil and weight to your diet.carry bread and pepperoni and cheese and butter and tuna and steak.i carry 12 lbs of food for 4 days.
Scary and or amusing. (http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=30)
:D
mweinstone
06-08-2007, 18:41
maggs thats cool as ****.
budforester
06-08-2007, 19:26
Have any of you tried adding gelatin as a protein source? It has the right mix of amino acids to build bones, hair, and hide. Gelatin is easily included as a hot- jello- drink, as a wiggly dessert, or add the unflavored kind to soups, gravies, one- pot meals.
superman
06-08-2007, 20:42
and/or you can be throwing your electrolights off?
Those plastic packaged ham steaks are EXCELLENT when warmed up with some mashed potatoes and vegies. Makes a great trail meal, but you might have to fight off other hikers.
My experience is that they will last for at least 24-48 hours, even in fairly warm weather. Ham doesn't spoil as easily as most other meats, plus they are sealed in the heavy plastic.
Have also used them to make complete boiled dinner, ham, potatoes, onion, carrots, cabbage. Go together with several other hikers and have a feast on the trail. Will have to split it up between several pots. I used a Svea stove when cooking this, before the alcohol revolution. Could make a fire tho and accomplish the same.
I agree with what others have said: real food, as often as possible, is important. It's also not all that hard to accomplish at least one day during each stretch on the trail.
Just have to keep you eyes open for "outside the box" ideas when in the grocery stores, also pay attention to what other hikers are cooking, especially the ones that actually do cook.
fiddlehead
06-09-2007, 00:24
dried apples too. an apple a day...................recently retold to me by a physician.
I agree with pepperoni sticks, bread (good bread is very hard to find in the south though), tuna, etc.
But drying food gives you lots of options. Burritos are excellent and have been known to be one of the only things some hikers eat. (I'm thinking of Doug Walsh who hiked the PCT and CDT on a raw diet only, i've seen his food and ate some, it is delicious, nutricious and full of protein and carbs)
i like carring an apple or two out of town, one little jif to go (peanut butter) container is the perfect size for one apple, too bad they don't make a crunchy 'to-go'
guavaguy
06-19-2007, 22:41
Also another interesting way to go is mixing some TVP (veggie or soy) or some quinoa (it's an amazing grain that has all 8 amino acids for the bod). Neither of these have much flavor so spices or buillon help.
my .02
I threw in a bit of TVP into every cooked dinner I had. As well as some dehydrated veggies.
A typical "ramen" or "Liptons" meal. i'd throw in the tvp and dry veggies at tghe same time I put the water in the pot to heat up. Everything seemed to rehydrate about the same time as the actual meal was done cooking.
I ddint get the "i desperately need fresh veggies and such" cravings in towns. Only the Ice cream (fat) cravings.
mmm mmm good. There have been times on the trail that others have looked at my food with envy. Dehydrated turkey, preseasoned with garlic salt and pepper. Add to mac and cheese or pasta or potatoes, delicious. Turkey will hold up better than beef since there is a lower fat content. dehydrate tomatoes preseasoned as well adds great flavor to anything. Hell - I've even made chocolate covered cheesecake filled strawberries on trail. My morning boost is a double wammy of carnation instant breakfast (lots of vitamins and minerals x2) and 3 packages of instant oatmeal. Lightweight and packed with power!
:dance :dance :dance
gold bond
06-30-2007, 14:00
TVP, Quiona can someone please eloborate? I do not know of thiese two items.
I as well have added "GU" to my food pack. I like the Power Bar Gu. I had to litterally choke it down some mornings but it seemed to make up for any shortcomings I was having in my diet. Only thing...the trash can get sticky so keep the used ones in a seperate zip-loc bag.
I as well have a good multi-vitamine that I take on trail. Now whether that helps or not I don't know. I got into the "minimilist" mode there for awhile and litterally almost did myself in cause I cut back on my food in all the wrong ways! After that someome recomended adding the vitamins.
I also cut back on my daily miles, 12-15 MPD. I seem to take less brakes and seem to have more energy when it comes to going uphill. I now keep a more steady pace and with the proper eating have felt so much better at the end of the day, but most importantly I feel better when I first wake up in the morning.
I also like the gorp with the brand name "Bare Naked". It comes in several flavors. I like the Vanilla Crunch. I add dried berry mix and extra slivered almonds. When I feel myself getting sluggish I'll drop the back...mix up some gatorade and eat 2-3 hanfulls of that and move on!
Chaco Taco
06-30-2007, 14:50
Breakfast, Grape Nuts trail Mix Cereal with a carnations instant breakfast powder and water, snickers. I agree with everyone and have also been reminded that starting the day off with a good breakfast always determines how I will hike.
Lunch, I love my trail lunches. i get the tortilla's and put the individual packs of shredded carrots and cabbage with some of my homemade sesame/ginger dressing, doesnt need refrigeration. And top it off with some of that foil bag chicken or tuna. I have found that Carrots and any other roughage really is essential to my body at mid day, especially in summer. PLus these wraps are perfect on the go. Plus the usual snickers and peanut M+M's or raisinets. I must have eaten about 60 Snickers through the Smokies. Never gets old to me.
Dinner- use the rest of my foil bag Chickjen or tuna, tater flakes, dry veggies. Being a cook, I have been able to play around with Olive Oil, so I have three different oils I carry for different flavors in my little Nalgene squirt bottles. The "pasta sides" by Lipton are ok. Cant say enough about peperoni and crackers as my little night cap.
I love these threads. ALways gives me some cool ideas about being flexible with my trail diet.
I'm thru-hiking in 2008 and I agree that proper nutrition is going to a real problem. I have spent a lot of my life making and getting educated in the ways of great food and I cannnot honestly see myself resorting to a long term diet of sugars and carbs. Both my body and the part of my soul that worships Escoffier and Julia Child would revolt. During the next 9 months I'm going to be in my kitchen doing serious no bs food experiments,
Right now I have 1/2 c. of dried pasta-bow tie - sitting in 2c .of cold water and I am trying to find out how long it will take to bing the pasta to an al dente stage and what will happen to the pasta if I leave it for 8-10 hours unattended. If this experiment works the way that I think it will ,it will allow me to toss the pasta in a container or zip-lock over night and have basically cooked pasta available for breakfast . Do a quickie ala minute sauce and I'm done.
I'll keep you guys posted on my progress or lack of.
One of the problems I'm having is that a lot of the readily available sources of protein -foil pack chicken , fish and the more traditional dried stuff like baccala , proscuitto, hard cheeses - tend to be smelly and therefore I believe would be of more than normal interest to the local bear population.
Has anybody used the foil pack meats in bear country ? Are you still here ?
As far as using gelatin goes, I think that it's a great idea. It does come in bulk so you don't have to buy those expensive little packets.
In theory it would be vey possible to make a high protein fruit mousse on trail, that would satisfy both ones nutritional and spiritual needs..
One more thing : Don't afraid of using big flavors; red pepper flakes , ginger , dried peppercorns, capers ,freshly grated nutmeg. your soul will thank you for it.
superman
06-30-2007, 17:36
The only time I eat good trail food is when I hike with Pat from Maine...she cooks. She uses lots of garlic in everything she can.
When I hike with out her I do not measure anything and it's usually just plain wrong. My AT diet is better described by the foods I got sick of eating.
I started with a big bag of gorp and that was the first food I couldn't eat any more of. Then it was oatmeal. I know it's good for me but I still don't like it. By the time I got to Gatlinburg I finally realized that shopping without wearing my glasses was a problem. I found myself with foods that I wouldn't buy under any circumstances but I did. Those powdered potato meals are good the way Pat cooks them but I thought they were nasty the way I cooked them on the AT. Since I'm lactose intolerant many of the Lipton meals were a problem. I carried a bag of lactaid. By the time I got to Maine I didn't want any more trail food. I carried sliced ham, etc, loaves of bread and squeeze mustard. I supplemented my food bag with ramen noodles all the way to the end. The only place I eat ramen is when I'm hiking. Snickers were invented just for me, they are my reward for suffering all the other food I eat when hiking.
Hiking food for me is just something I do to keep my stomach from touching my back bone.
Scary and or amusing. (http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=30)
:D
That is totally awesome!
I agree with the notion that getting enough protein is important. If you don't eat enough protein, you'll burn up what's already in your body, i.e., your muscle. Some of you guys have enough muscle to spare that you can keep on hiking while burning youselves up from within, but I need every bit of muscle I've already got, and would welcome having some more.
I don't worry about getting whole foods when I'm hiking (too much trouble), but I worry about three things: protein, electrolytes/minerals, and carbs. Lastr year I tried to get 30 g. of protein at breakfast and supper; I drank a liter or two of water with Cytomax added every day, and usually a well-balanced energy bar or two; I ate lots of candy. I town I made sure I ate salads and vegetables...as well as pizza, ice cream, and beer. It worked for me.
I hope you get things sorted out so you can be strong and hike well!
Marta/Five-Leaf
Update on the pasta experiment : It does basically work After 3 hours of soaking the pasta looks and tastes like fresh pasta-very wheaty tasting
I had first thought I had soaked it for too long because it too soft . I need to work on that
After cooking in salted boiling water for 3 minutes or so the pasta firmed up as one would expect to happpen when heat is applied to a protien [gluten] and for all intents and purposes was undistinguishable from any other cooked pasta.
Clearly overnight won't work unless there is an urgent need for wallpaper paste in a shelter-Ya never know......
Skidsteer
06-30-2007, 18:59
TVP, Quiona can someone please eloborate? I do not know of thiese two items.
TVP is textured vegetable protein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textured_vegetable_protein), basically soy flour.
Quinoa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa) is a seed from the Goosefoot family that has a respectable amount of protein for a non-meat food. Pretty good stuff, actually.
Oldbear, if you preccok pasta at home, and dehydrate it, it becomes basically "instant pasta" and needs only a sitting in hot water to come back :) I under cook my pasta by about 2-3 minutes, it finishes up in the sitting of water.
Appalachian Tater
06-30-2007, 21:31
Ramen is precooked pasta.
hopefulhiker
06-30-2007, 21:39
The Backpack Goumet is a good book for dehydrated food recipes. I ate a lot of dehydrated fresh fruit and homemade beef jerky and dark chocolate on the trail...
gold bond
06-30-2007, 21:46
Thank you Skidsteer I am going to look into those products. Where might one find them? Organic store, speciality food store....?
Oldbear, if you preccok pasta at home, and dehydrate it, it becomes basically "instant pasta" and needs only a sitting in hot water to come back :) I under cook my pasta by about 2-3 minutes, it finishes up in the sitting of water.
True , But if you can toss 4oz dry pasta into a container full of water and let it re-hydrate as you hike you not only saved a couple of steps in the manufacturing process , you also gave yourself the flexibility to create it any time and anywhere .
Route Step
06-30-2007, 23:03
I tried jell-o but it was hard to clean my bottles afterwards. So I put protein mix in my oatmeal in the mornings and cleanup went smoothly.
I Both my body and the part of my soul that worships Escoffier and Julia Child would revolt.
You'll be surprised what you eat when on the trail and in town. I don't worship Julia Child, but the Magnanti clan was no slouch when it came to fantastic cooking.
I still ate the crappy trail food (as shown by my pie chart). :)
Has anybody used the foil pack meats in bear country ? Are you still here ?
Yep. In grizzly country, in the Sierra but not the AT (we had canned tuna back in the dark ages of 1998. :) )
I wouldn't worry about bears too much on the AT. Have the tuna, eat the dried salami and enjoy the trail.
Thanks I will I do know about the " interesting " combinations that hikers eat on trail. Prior to sustaining a major orthopedic injury about 16 years ago , my favorite gourmet trail dinner was M & C w/ rehydrated freeze -dried peas & diced pepperoni pieces -really good stuff
Then there was the Chimney Pond Cocktail ; Snow melt water. powdered Wylers lemonade & Southern Comfort-
CoyoteWhips
07-02-2007, 09:43
Cinnamon Raisins:
Take a bag of raisins, pour in a bit of powdered cinnamon, shake, serve.
sixhusbands
07-02-2007, 10:28
I always carry fresh fruits and veggies. The benefits of these foods will far out weigh the extra few pounds in your pack. A real key item that you are missing is the benefits from citrus. Many a sailor got deathly ill from lack of vitam c. The orange is unmatched for its benefits... the juice gives you the viatmin c that you need.. the pulp helps clean your colon and the peal has many uses.. plus the smell is wonderfull. and fresh is always better than cooked!
sixhusbands, you can get the same amount of vitamin c with a handful of pine needles stew in hot water for 15 minutes as you would get in eating a whole orange also the flowers off of wild roses are full of vitamin c .hemlock sprigs and birch are my favorite
CoyoteWhips
07-02-2007, 10:56
Many a sailor got deathly ill from lack of vitam c. The orange is unmatched for its benefits... the juice gives you the viatmin c that you need.. the pulp helps clean your colon and the peal has many uses.. plus the smell is wonderfull. and fresh is always better than cooked!
Geeze, how many months are you out there? :-)
As a mostly raw vegan, I say yay for fruits and veggies, but it amazes me how many years people can live on cheeseburgers, fries and Mt. Dew.
Orange trivia: an orange peel discarded on the ridge of Bryce Canyon can remain preserved in the dry air for fifty years. At least, that's what Ranger Bob told me.
Geeze, how many months are you out there? :-)
I was wondering the same thing. The average AT hiker is going into town every 3-5 days. If you suffer from serious malnutrition on AT hike, something is terribly wrong.
Scurvy? On the AT? Just have an OJ with the breakfast...
shelterbuilder
07-02-2007, 21:27
I met up with some thru-hikers in Mass several years ago. One of their springside rituals was to mix Jello puddings and powdered milk with ice-cold spring water. It wouldn't set up, but it turned into this wonderful pudding-slurry. I don't know how nutritionally complete it was, but it sure was a tasty way to boost your calcium intake!