Questions about eating on the trail.

[MannDude]

Hi there,

Excuse my ignorance but I have a couple questions in regards to eating on the trail.

-How far apart are areas where one could obtain more food? (Not a meal, but food to last the next few days?)
-What is the longest part of the trail that doesn't have a place to reup on needed food supplies? How many days of food should one have before entering that stretch?
-I'm a tall/skinny type with an incurable appetite. People like me, do they eat a lot on the trail as they usually would or after a while do they become content with eating smaller portions?
-Is there any safe way to store eggs for a couple days? I don't want eggs to go bad, but it'd be a nice treat to have an occasional fried egg sandwich or something for breakfast.


I think thats it for now.

[Odd Man Out]

Dude
On the home page there are articles about resupply options. Here is a link for a download version.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/articles/resupplybook.pdf

I searched "eggs" and found this recent thread on eggs.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?74927-How-long-will-eggs-keep-on-the-trail&highlight=eggs

Can't help you on predicting your food needs.

[garlic08]

Ditto on the planning information.

The absolute longest you need to carry on the AT is 100 miles. The time depends on your hiking speed, of course. Some hike that in four days or less, some need ten or more. A general rule of thumb is two pounds per day on the trail.

When you're hiking, you listen to your body as far as energy needs. If you get too skinny and run-down, eat more and slow down. How you do is impossible to predict. One huge variable is the load you carry. Others are your general health, how efficiently you hike, the condition of the trail, etc.

[bigcranky]

3-6 days between resupply, depending on your hiking speed.

100 miles, in Maine.

My best guess is that you will need even more food, as you'll be burning 4000-8000 kcal per day (again, depending on speed, pack weight, etc.) Most hikers cannot carry enough food in their packs, so they make up the calorie deficit by eating in town. AYCE buffets are popular....

Eggs are fine without refrigeration for several days at least. (And you can treat them to last for much longer periods.)