View Full Version : Food Weight for four days
I realize the answer is probably "depends on what kind of food you carry", but I wonder if anyone has an estimate on what four days of food would/should weigh? I plan to use Mountain House dinners the first four dinners, after that not sure how much for food from Springer to Walasi.
Thanks in advance for not saying out loud this is a stupid question....
daddytwosticks
11-07-2008, 20:31
No such thing as a stupid question :). Being just a section hiker, I only go out for just a few days at a time. I've never weighed my food! If I had to guess, maybe 1.5 to 2. The first day out I'm usually at my heaviest because I bring fresh fruit, sandwiches, etc.
garlic08
11-07-2008, 20:54
Two pounds per day always worked for me.
karoberts
11-07-2008, 21:55
About 6-10 lbs total.
WILLIAM HAYES
11-07-2008, 23:42
I would not bother with mountain house go to the food section in walmart and check out the instant potatos/mac and cheese/rice dishes /flour tortillas etc I repackage everything in zip locks Mt house is heavy and the foil cannot be burned so you have to pack it out. when I first started hiking I used Mt house and while I liked some of the selections I found that the portions were often too much for me ,took up too much space in my pack and then of course you had the issue with disposal of the foil container-you will have to pack it out. you may want to experiment with dehydrating your own food Mt house is also expensive compared to off the shelf options
Hillbilly
bigcranky
11-07-2008, 23:55
If you are out for four days, your food load is usually 3 days plus a lunch, b/c you'll eat breakfast on the first day and dinner on the last day on the road. That'll weigh about 6 pounds, give or take.
Tipi Walter
11-07-2008, 23:58
Four days of backpacking is so short that any type of food can be carried and won't be a heavy load. On so short a trip, I'd take stuff like pears/apples/avocados, heck, even canned foods. I mean, who couldn't hump a food load just for 4 days? On four day trips into Pisgah me and Johnny B would hump in fruit juices in quart bottles, canned sodas, canned beans, bag of grapes, even once a whole watermelon. There's really no limit to what kinds of food you would want during a four day trip.
1.5 to 2 lbs per person per day is kinda the standard middle-of-the-range for long-distance hikers. Many folks experience suppressed appetite for the first few days out. Tipi makes good points, though.
There's no "proper" answer to your question... circumstances are everything. If you're planning on having a great time camping and not covering huge distances -- bring good eats & drinks as you please!
I find that just doing short hikes, not a long distance, continual hike, that I am not eating the hordes of food that most suggest. I find 1.5 to 2 #'s per day very high. I dont get a real appetite on the first day out, but I do make sure that I do eat something whether I am hungry or not in order for the muscles to stay fueled. My food, dehydrated at home and some store bought stuff weighs in around 4-5#'s for 4 full days of hiking.
Homer&Marje
11-08-2008, 10:48
My food weight is generally pretty low. On a week long trip I might bring 1 mountain house dinner, I think they are way over priced these days, but still pretty tasty. I buy ramen in bulk for about 10 cents a pop and that covers dinner. I like to "Carefully" put some eggs into the food bag and pack that in, on the first night you can make egg drop soup by just cracking a few into the ramen noodles. Like Tipi and Terrapin said though, short trips you can take a lot if you want. A steak and Baked Potato shouldn't be out of the question if your going to be in an area with a fire.
Season the steak, put in a plastic bag and keep it in the fridge, when you are about to leave take 8-10 little ice cubes and put them in the bag with the steak. Then you'll have a little "juice" to pour over the steak mid cook:D
(Applicable only in legal fire areas)
It all depends on what you carry and how much you like to eat ;)
On BPL they were talking about this recently and how they had some basis for 1.6 lbs a day to which I say "Hah!". My kid can eat 2-3 lbs a day and me? 1 or so is fine. I carry about 2 or more a day though - I have ihm carry 2 lbs a day on average, then I take the rest in my pack.
So usually a guy with a massive logger appetite will carry more food, even if he carries all dried foods.
So I say, carry what sounds good and don't stress the weight in food. Cut weight everywhere else. Food is what makes hiking great! (Ok, well for me it is) And hey, everyday your pack gets lighter.....
lonehiker
11-08-2008, 14:07
If you are out for four days, your food load is usually 3 days plus a lunch, b/c you'll eat breakfast on the first day and dinner on the last day on the road. That'll weigh about 6 pounds, give or take.
This was a good post. Many people carry way too much food.
It's way too easy to carry too much food.
4 days ....
Breakfasts .... 3 cups of Your favorite granola and powdered milk in ziplocks. Can be eaten warm or cold. Oatmeal or Grits works too ... or try hot rice with splenda.
Lunches ..... bag of jerky, quart ziplock of assorted dried fruit, small bag of combos, energy bars, snickers, cheese, etc.
Dinners .... ramen, instant rice. Or mac and cheese, etc.
Meals like: dice flavored Jerky and one beef flavored ramen packet, add to 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Add rice, cover, and let set for 10 min. Snickers for desert.
Boil ramen in 1 cup of water and add powdered alfredo sauce mix when done .... mix. Add some chicken jerky. Fruit for desert.
Mac and cheese with a packet of tuna.
Cook simple and you can save a lot of weight and eat very well .... this type of menu can be a little as a pound per day.
Blissful
11-09-2008, 20:36
Not a stupid question.
Mountain House takes up a lot of room in your pack and is expensive. You can take other stuff, but if it works for you and you have the room, go for it.
1 1/2 lbs per day is about right for me anyway.
I realize the answer is probably "depends on what kind of food you carry", but I wonder if anyone has an estimate on what four days of food would/should weigh? I plan to use Mountain House dinners the first four dinners, after that not sure how much for food from Springer to Walasi.
Thanks in advance for not saying out loud this is a stupid question....If it adds up to about 15000 calories for the 4 days/3 nights you should be fine, with some left over, especially if you have a great supper and breakfast before you leave. You might burn more than that but just 2 pounds of your body fat will supply another 7000 calories, plus you can have another great feast after your done. 15000 calories could weigh as little as 4 pounds if its all dry or as much as 12 pounds if includes stuff like meat, cheese, wine, fresh fruit and vegetables. Bring what you want to eat and are willing to carry. Personally, I like to eat a little different on the trail than at home, but keep it simple without much variety. I usually eat healthier on the trail though, which for me is a bit of a novelty in itself. ;)
I would suggest you bring a variety of different things to find out what your really like.