How much extra food do you eat on the trail? [Archive]

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msumax1985

12-03-2012, 14:33

Namaste

12-03-2012, 15:02

I keep a form of trailmix in my pocket so as I hike I can munch. I don't cook big meals at the end of the day because of that. There's never anything leftover. LNT says carry in, carry out so when I can't finish any food I pack it out and keep it handy so that I can get rid of it at the first road crossing, etc. in a garbage pail.

Dogwood

12-03-2012, 15:16

FarmerChef

12-03-2012, 15:20

I usually eat a good breakfast of oatmeal, grits or my favorite, granola. Then I munch on trail mix until snack time when I eat a 180 calorie granola bar (actually 2 in one pack). More trail mix until lunchtime where I eat something along the lines of peanut butter on a bagel thin or tortilla. Early in the hike, I'll add some cookies to that lunch and a stick of cheese. After lunch it's trail mix until afternoon snack when I eat some jerky for the heavy duty protein. Then more trail mix until dinner time when I have a bowl full of something (dirty rice, chicken alfredo, tuna helper, you name it) and a dessert (pudding with oreo cookie crumbs, teddy grahams, cheesecake mix, etc.). Oh and I wash all that down with a couple cups of gatorade at dinner and a cup of coffee or two.

Add all that up and it comes out to about 2,000 calories on a good day. If I hit a town, even on a 9 day section hike, I will eat until my sides pop out and then save some for later. Every hour you hike burns between 300 and 500 calories depending on speed, terrain, bodyweight, etc. The average calorie burn per day is around 5,000 calories. There is just no way (that I know of) to eat enough to equal that without towing a trailer behind you on the trail. So eat what you want and you'll almost certainly lose fat. :bananaI no longer lose weight on the trail but when I come back I usually drop around 3-5% bodyfat.

As for cooking too much and what to do with it, I first offer leftovers (from the pot, not my bowl) to others. IF there's any leftover my dog gets an extra ration. :D

Oh and one more thing. You mentioned not being able to finish a Knorr side on an overnight. That sounds right. Your body hasn't kicked in to high gear yet. Give it 2 or 3 more days and you'll be eating your socks, let alone your entire Knorr side. After a week to 10 days, you'll wonder how the AYCE restaurant is making any money off you. ;)

FarmerChef

12-03-2012, 15:23

Pedaling Fool

12-03-2012, 16:09

Most people actually eat less (way less) on the trail than they do at home, which is kind of ironic, since they need the calories so much more, but it's just too difficult to carry all that food; that is why so many hikers look for the lightest/least bulky foods with the greatest amount of fat and calories.

However, it is very common for people, especially those not use to a given activity, to have their appetite go in reverse, i.e. they're not able to eat as much when hiking or another type arduous physical activity. In fact most people don't get their famous "Hiker's Appetite" for at least 2 weeks of continuous hiking. There's actually been some studies on this effect, but trust me, it's relatively short-term; I've experienced some fantastic eating feats upon getting to town :) http://blog.teethremoval.com/exercise-makes-you-less-hungr/

Don't worry about throwing out food, just don't throw out gobbs of food directly in vicinity of you camp or a shelter area. However, if you're around any long-distance hikers they'll be more than happy to relieve you of your food; you'll probably even make a friend for life; either that or it'll be like having a dog follow you around everywhere you go :D

johnnybgood

12-03-2012, 16:48

Everyone's metabolism is different and therefore the question of how much extra food to carry can be very different. For starters, my metabolic drive doesn't kick in until day 4 on the trail so unless I'm hiking longer than that I don't take that much more for short hikes. The warmer the weather , the less my appetite I find. For some hikers their desire for food is under driven by the need to consume more water to stay hydrated in warm conditions.

I believe you do need to eat something every three to four hours when hiking even if it's just a protein bar so the body's metabolism has something to work with during physical activity. Do however be careful not to consume the simple sugars that will produce only a short term high and later cause fatique .

oldbear

12-03-2012, 16:52

I tend to over pack food for two reasons
I'm a solo hiker
and
about 40 years I came within 500' of dying of hypothermia while hiking of all places the Tuckerman Ravine Trail > I''m talking rapidly narrowing tunnel vision here
The combination of those two events and the reality of how limited my self-rescue options are put the fear of God in me and causes me to build fatter margins for error -read that as more pack-weight - into my system

Malto

12-03-2012, 17:09

Try this trail diet/regimen read. It's technical in nature written by a nutritionists who is also a thru-hiker(long distance backpacker).

http://thru-hiker.com/articles/pack_light_eat_right.php

I'll warn you ahead of time. Don't make the common mistaken assuming "keeping your energy up" while hiking, or for that matter, when not hiking, is just dependent on meeting your daily caloric needs. Food and supplying healthy nutrition isn't just about calories, protein, and carbohydrates or just about having the proper ratios of these in proportion to your activity. Proper nutrition entails other things like living enzymes, phtyonutrients, micro nutrients, etc. Food is even much more than its components! That's why people don't just live off a vitamin pill.

I would partially agree with the last paragraph if you are looking at the cumulative effects of a multi month hike. But I have done extensive tests on varying the type of calories consumed over very long days and the effect on performance. I can average three miles an hour for as many hours as I chose to do along as I consume about 300 calories per hour. I have tested with maltodextrin, a pure carb, chocolate donuts and even Pringles. I have seen no drop off in performance no matter what I eat as long as I maintain 300 calories per hour. So does that mean that you will need to eat 300 calories per hour as well? No, you will probably be able to get by with less since you will likely be going slower pace and taking some breaks. The slower pace will reduce the instantaneous calorie consumption allowing fat burning to fill a higher percentage of the overall load. The breaks will do the same thing as it will you energy stores to catch up a bit.

Also, the article that was referenced may be accurate for some but at least one part make no sense. She states that for lightweight backpackers, less than 15% weight without major Elevation change will have the same calorie requirement as normal. How can this be true? I would challenge anyone to go do 20 mile days on flat PA trail and see what happens to their weight after a few days. I found that I was burning well over 6000 calories per day hiking about 30 mile day at about 190 lb average total weight including pack.

Finally I believe there has been a huge disservice done around BPing nutrition. You will see that there are carb/protein/fat ratios thrown around. But these ignores the timing of the each of these nutrients and the impact it will have. My rule of thumb is that you hike with carbs with a bit of protein and then at the end of the day you finish with carbs to replenish your Glycogen stores, protein to help your body repair and rebuild and fat to gain enough calories (weight efficiency) to sustain you for the length of your trip. If you have an abundance of fat then carrying additional fat laden products is redundant and wasted weight.

Now for the disclaimer... I have developed my nutritional model to sustain very high mile days for a sustained period of time. For those doing shorter days or more zero etc, you can pretty much do anything you want. If you lose energy during the day, increase snacking. Lose too much weight, eat more calories.

One final note. No matter what you do make sure that you take foods that you can actually eat day after day. I found that trail mix and oatmeal get real old after a while but others have no problem eating it day after day. Carrying food that you don't want to eat is borderline criminal, right there after taking TP from a public restroom.

Stir Fry

12-03-2012, 21:52

I have done the section you are going to do, I did not get and appotite untill i was past Franklin. From Springer to Neel gap i was only able to eat what i planed the first night. Then I was only able the to eat a little trail mix and chicken or beef broth. I did not eat any of my planed meals. At neels gap I still had 3/4 of my food left. I gave away mopst of my mail drop. I had 4 day of meals to my next mail drop in Hiawassee. I kept the candy but left the rest in the hiker box. I did buy so extra beaf broth. Buy the time I reached Franklin I was struggeling I hand onlt eatin one meal and a lot of broth. I took the day off in Franklin had several good meals. When I got back on the trail I was able to eat everything planed and even had some extra. some of the group I was hiiking with were disapointed that I was not giving anything away. By the time I hit the Smokies I had a full blown hikers appatite. So my advice is go lighter to start. yYou will be able to resupply alot so ther is no reason to go nuts and carry alot. If you have done a longer sectin and you body is differant then go with that. Have fun. Its a great section that will eather turn you foo from hiking or as in my case hook you for life.

Dogwood

12-04-2012, 00:51

We're starting to get deeper into a "Golden Calf" topic, eating and nutrition, which to me is like openly discussing religion and politics, which often ellicit strong opposing opinioins. It's probably going to be no different on this thread.

I would partially agree with the last paragraph if you are looking at the cumulative effects of a multi month hike. - GG-man

I totally agree, there can, and often are, different considerations associated with a trail diet when the hike lasts for only a short period, say a wk or less, compared to a multi-week or multi-month hike. Since the OP specifically referred to section hiking from Mt Springer to Hot Springs, a distance of about 272 miles, a multi-wk long hike for most hikers, which is a equvalent length to thru-hiking the Long Trail, I think Brenda Braaten's thru-hiker trail diet/nutritional advice has definite merit. I think some of her advice can apply to even shorter distance hikes. BTW, Brenda Braaten has also written a book titled, "Pack Light, Eat Right." And, although I'm plugging her book and web info, I don't share 100 % of her conclusions. Find out what works for you and do it, but at least shouldn't we attempt to get informed, or at the least, be brave enough to examine things differently from some long held traditional perspectives or when nutrition info specific to backpacking is lacking?

But I have done extensive tests on varying the type of calories consumed over very long days and the effect on performance. I can average three miles an hour for as many hours as I chose to do along as I consume about 300 calories per hour. I have tested with maltodextrin, a pure carb, chocolate donuts and even Pringles. I have seen no drop off in performance no matter what I eat as long as I maintain 300 calories per hour. - GG-man

I don't know what you mean by "extensive tests" and "varying the type of calories consumed." If you are specifically referring to fats, carbs, and protein they most definitely have different effects on your body, as it seems you stated in you paragraph I reposted below. Over the short term, you might not notice any difference in performance while gnoshing chocolate donuts, Pop Tarts, potato chips, Twinkies, Snickers(now I got your attention), etc but there are reasons why these types of foods are commonly referred to as JUNK FOODS. They are generally of poor total nutritional quality! AND, THEY ARE STILL OF POOR TOTAL NUTRITIONAL QUALITY EVEN IF CONSUMING WHEN REQUIRING A HIGHER DAILY CALORIC INTAKE! Junk food is junk food even if gnoshing it on a thru-hike. Why do folks eat this stuff? It's the same as when hiking and when not hiking. It's convenient, relatively inexpensive, can easily be found, and it's what most folks are used to. No change in nutritional or eating habits, which may be poor to begin with, like when not hiking, required.

Do however be careful not to consume the simple sugars that will produce only a short term high and later cause fatique . - Johnnybgood

JBG, hit on JUST ONE important possible consequence of consuming mass amounts of junk food. It's often laden with simple sugars(simple highly refined nutritionally lacking carbohydrates) that give you a quick but short lived energy rush but over the long term leads to yo-yoing energy levels possibly making it harder to sustain an adequate energy level. Too often, the solution for this mass junk food eating consequence is to eat more simple sugar laden junk food perpetuating the cycle further. And, for anyone interested, too much simple sugars can be significant sources of inflammation, inflammation to your joints, muscles, organs, etc as well as furthering the aging processes.

Finally I believe there has been a huge disservice done around BPing nutrition. You will see that there are carb/protein/fat ratios thrown around. But these ignores the timing of the each of these nutrients and the impact it will have. My rule of thumb is that you hike with carbs with a bit of protein and then at the end of the day you finish with carbs to replenish your Glycogen stores, protein to help your body repair and rebuild and fat to gain enough calories (weight efficiency) to sustain you for the length of your trip. - GG-man

Well made points. GG.

If you have an abundance of fat then carrying additional fat laden products is redundant and wasted weight. - GG-man

Sounds good, at first. Not necessarily so though.

Getting back to the OP's original questions, it's generally advised most hikers carry about 2 -2 1/2 lbs of food per day, but that wt can vary too depending on some things like: actual daily calories needed, length of hike, avg cals/oz of food, repackaging(losing some of the package wt, etc), etc

As, GG-man stated his preferences, I also prefer constant snacking throughout the day, sometimes referred to as the calorie drip method, as often as I think I need to, usually while I'm still moving, as opposed to consuming three larger sit down trail meals during the course of the day. Doing this keeps me in my long distance rhythm and helps me to prevent hitting the wall with insulin/energy spikes.

If you do decide to take more food, at least initially, until you dial in your daily needs, and find you have too much, NO, DO NOT leave it anywhere on the trail. It can have negative consequences for wildlife and eventualy humans. It's a major contibutor to rising problems where hikers congregate, like at AT shelters. As John said, give some of it away if you find you have way too much. You'll make a few new hiking friends that way and it will make you more conscious of your trail food needs next time.

FarmerChef

12-04-2012, 11:41

For extra reference on the fats/protein/carbs balance and fats->inflammation responses might I recommend reading "The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing" by Dr. Phil Maffetone. As a distance runner and hiker for fun a lot of what he has to say is just as applicable to hiking as it is to triathlons, marathons and other long distance events. His work is where I first learned about dietary/physical fat balance and how that impacts inflammation. As a result, on our last 9 day section in Southern Virginia one week ago, none of our family consumed any Vitamin I for the entire hike. We felt awesome compared to just the hike before that.

With regard to junk food on the trail I have mixed feelings. In town, I try to eat as healthy as I can but recognize that putting fat back ON to my body will help me over the next few days. Plus with 5 total people to feed foods like Pizza are often the cheapest alternative to buying groceries and throwing out the remainder before we pull out again. The challenge there is that if I eat too many carbs coming from a lower carb diet, I may retune my system to prefer carbs over fat and hurt my overall aerobic (read: ability to hike long distance) performance. Probably not a lot in the short term but it's a bit of a shock to my system to return home and back to mostly protein and fat.

I agree that the too many simple sugars give you a boost of energy (caffeine too) like you could fly up the mountainside but leave you in the doldrums after your insulin spike has driven your blood sugar down low again. Some sugars are ok! But I will say that it's hard to avoid processed carbs in the form of potatoes, pasta and rices. Their whole-grain counterpart is nice (potatoes don't have one) but require longer cook times and more fuel. The more complex your carbs and the lower the glycemic index of the sugars you are consuming the smoother your blood sugar profile will look and the less likely you are to experience big highs and crashing lows of energy. Higher fiber also helps to delay the release of the carbs in foods and can help with a smoother profile. I find it challenging to manage this precisely on the trail without a lot of planning so I don't just reach for the quick and easy stuff while I'm walking.

Back to the OP's question: You can more easily manage the weight of your food and quality by preparing it yourself (dehydrating meals) but this is not as easy as buying Lipton sides and others in the store. Check out www.backpackingchef.com for some good ideas on preparing your own meals. Consider too that you can always add "mix ins" to pre-packaged meals as a great hybrid between preparing your own meals and buying Mountain House dinners. You can get dehydrated ingredients from Amazon or form places like www.harmonyhousefoods.com that allow you to add veggies or extra meat to mashed potatoes and gravy or chicken soup. Jerky is a great way to get a lot of protein in a light package. Again, I agree that your appetite will increase with the amount of contiguous days hiked so plan accordingly. Remember, if you hit a town or two early on, you can always pick up some extra food if you find you haven't brought enough to satisfy you. Otherwise, it really stinks to have to carry extra food to a resupply point.

cliffordbarnabus

12-04-2012, 15:48

Dogwood

12-04-2012, 15:48

Some good beta FarmerChef! My previous post was already way too long so I omitted the inflammation/Vit I(pain reliever) connection that can be so prevalent in hiking circles. A very good amount of pain hikers experience is due to inflammation. When popping Vit I or any pain medication, which is admittedly sometimes needed, like they are candy, you are addressing symptoms rather than root causes. Well, some of the very real reasons why so many experience so much inflammation is that they are adding to or creating a pro-inflammatory environment in their bodies through their lifestyle and eating choices!

The more complex your carbs and the lower the glycemic index of the sugars you are consuming the smoother your blood sugar profile will look and the less likely you are to experience big highs and crashing lows of energy. Higher fiber also helps to delay the release of the carbs in foods and can help with a smoother profile. - FarmerChef

There you go! Consuming an abundance of complex carbs with lower glycemic indexes as opposed to consuming an abundance of highly refined nutritionally lacking simple carbs starts addressing causes rather than just masking symptoms and solves or is productive in diminishing a lot of health/energy related issues pertaining to hiking as well as non-hiking activities!

Pedaling Fool

12-04-2012, 16:29

I'm the craziest eater ever. I don't eat a thing all day. and I gorge at night. I mean gorge. even other thru's are like, "dude, you're ~still~ eating?" after gorging, I sleep and sleeping doesn't make me hungry and I hike all day not hungry and then repeat at night...once I'm hungry. works for me, might not work for you...

I started this style after realizing I was habitually eating breakfast rather than eating brkfst bc I was hungry. I finally distinguished btw habit and hunger and despite "most important meal of the day" claims, realized it wasn't for me.That's almost how I do it, but I do eat a few small things during the day, but really eat big at dinner.

However, I do not eat the standard quantity of calories that so many say you must, nor do I eat 2 - 2.5lbs of food per day, about 1/2 that. I really question (very skeptical) how many calories one burns on a long-distance hike, the typical answer seems to be between 4 - 6,000 cals, but I really don't think anyone knows.

Malto

12-04-2012, 16:49

I agree that the too many simple sugars give you a boost of energy (caffeine too) like you could fly up the mountainside but leave you in the doldrums after your insulin spike has driven your blood sugar down low again. Some sugars are ok! But I will say that it's hard to avoid processed carbs in the form of potatoes, pasta and rices. Their whole-grain counterpart is nice (potatoes don't have one) but require longer cook times and more fuel. The more complex your carbs and the lower the glycemic index of the sugars you are consuming the smoother your blood sugar profile will look and the less likely you are to experience big highs and crashing lows of energy. Higher fiber also helps to delay the release of the carbs in foods and can help with a smoother profile. I find it challenging to manage this precisely on the trail without a lot of planning so I don't just reach for the quick and easy stuff while I'm walking.

For normal non diabetic folks... Is it true that there will be a sugar spike if you are continuously hiking and consuming even simple sugars. I know this is the buzz on the street for normal conditions but how can this be true if you are burning off calories faster than you are processing carbs? I have yet to see a sugar spike even eating candy or Maltodextrin (my preferred fuel) for hours on end. Maybe I'm lucky but I think this insulin spike and glycemic index is bunk in the context of continuous excersise. Agree completely in normal life but not while on the move.

Also, I take a caffeine pill every four hours. There have been studies suggesting that caffeine can help optimize fat burning for fuel. Again, I have had no issues at all with any kind of spiking. The advice on Vitamin I is good, I took way too much on my thru hike and would try not to repeat it.

MuddyWaters

12-04-2012, 20:08

I'm a newbie doing a Springer to Hot Springs section hike this March. How much extra food do you eat on the trail vs normal?

Some of the food lists I read seem to contain way too much food. But it's all relative to how much you normally eat. I want to loose some weight on the trail, but I also need to keep my energy up. On a recent overnight trip I couldn't finish a whole Knorr side. How do you dispose of the extra food? Cant dump it in the woods, can you, due to "leave no trace".

Thanks in advance.

(And thanks to everyone who posts on WB. I have already learned so much from all of you!)

Normally you will not eat as much as you burn. You also will have LESS appetite at first.
After 3 weeks, you will be hungry all the time and food is all you will think about.

Up to 10 days, 1.5 ppd
Week 10 days - 20 days , 1.75 ppd
Week 3+ , 2 ppd and whatever you can get your hands on.

Eat all your food, even if not hungry, or pack it out to the nearest garbage can.

JAK

12-04-2012, 20:16

I am 50 years old, currently 210 pounds but lean body mass is 150. On a typical sedentary day I get by on 1800-2000 calories without gaining or losing. When training, running or whatever, I can burn an extra 1000 per day, 2000 on a long day once a week. When hiking, 8-10 hours a day, I can burn an extra 3000 per day, for 5000 total, but will only eat 3000. If I was on a long hike, I would gradually increase my calorie intake as I lost body fat. Haven't put that to practice as my hikes, and weight loss programs, have been kept short. In theory you can burn about 1% of your body fat per day, so as you run low on body fat, you cannot lose it as quickly, so you have to eat more, or lose muscle.

Drybones

12-04-2012, 20:53

When I do a 3-4 day hike I need very little food, just don't get that hungry and always have left overs to bring home. It's a lot different on a long hike. After the first week I'll eat as much as I can lay hands on. It's a different kind of hungry that takes over, not just your stomach but your whole body starts craving food. After eating a big Mexican meal with desert and a few beers one night in Erwin, I ate a whole 18-oz loaf of raisin bread while waiting for the ride back to the hostel.

map man

12-04-2012, 21:22

I eat 50% more calories per day on the trail than normal and I still lose two or three pounds in a two week section hike. The first three or four days I have to make myself eat that extra food but after that "hiker hunger" kicks in for me.

I also change the way I eat when I'm on the trail compared to how I normally eat: small breakfast, decent dinner, and a whole lot of eating while I'm walking (the slow drip method). In this during-the-hike eating I alternate between energy bars and a handful of mixed nuts -- that comes to four energy bars and probably six ounces of nuts per day.

Dogwood

12-04-2012, 22:30

http://benjimester.hubpages.com/hub/Maltodextrin-Side-Effects

Try this for a read GG-man. I think I get where you are going with some of your comments and maltodextrin. I was experimenting a bit with Hammer Petalatum on the trail because it contains maltodextrin which is a quickly available long chain complex carb that's abundant, cheap, and calorie dense(NOT nutrient dense) that has a slower burn rate than some of the simple carbs in junk food that can result in quick yo-yoing energy levels and energy crashes. Although the verdict is still out with regards to my personal use of Maltodextrin I still MUCH prefer TOTAL nutrition, getting my complex carbs, from WHOLE foods or minimally processed foods that are also providing fiber, living enzymes, phytonutrients, micro-nutrients, polyphenols, etc. I'm not on the maltodextrin containing gels, blocs, or powders, etc bandwagon. I think it's bad practice to think you can get all your body's requirements from just the individual components of food when taken outside of the context of the WHOLE food.

CarlZ993

12-04-2012, 23:38

Normally you will not eat as much as you burn. You also will have LESS appetite at first.
After 3 weeks, you will be hungry all the time and food is all you will think about.

Up to 10 days, 1.5 ppd
Week 10 days - 20 days , 1.75 ppd
Week 3+ , 2 ppd and whatever you can get your hands on.

Eat all your food, even if not hungry, or pack it out to the nearest garbage can.

The author Mike Clelland wrote these food totals in one of his books. I know I have to force myself to eat all my food at the beginning of a hike. I've only gone as long as 17 days on a hike. I was pretty hungry then. I can't imagine what I'll be like a month into the hike. Yikes!

jacob_springsteen

12-05-2012, 03:12

Bring some fun food to eat. Maybe stuff you would not eat at home because it was borderline junky or too many calories. I eat potato chips, like Pringles and Fritos and crap like that when I go hiking. I figure I'll burn the calories up and won't be disinterested in eating this type of snack. Likewise, I'll bring Snicker bars and chocolate and cookies for easy and cheap calories. It will be easy to carry cheddar cheese in March if you like that type of food, for example. If you want to lose weight, start doing that now. Don't count on the hike to help you lose much if you think that the hike will jump-start your weight-loss. You'll possibly lose weight, but since you have some 3 months now before you go, getting leaner and training by walking and calorie restriction will make for a more seamless transition to the rigors of the hike. And there will be some rigors with the ups and downs of GA and TN/NC. If you want concentrated calories, get some Smuckers Honey Peanut Butter and maybe Nutella for the hike. For meals, Knorrs sides are easy and cheap. An occasional Ramen noodle cup or Oodles of Noodles cup of soup isn't a bad way to get a meal done in a pitch on the trail,especially if it is raining heavily and you do not want to wait for the hot meal to cook. I'd almost say go the non-cooking route for some portion of the hike and bring things like granola bars and Clif or Balance bars to live off of and maybe summer sausage and cheese too. The ease of eating that way helps when cooking gets to be too consuming of time or there are kitchen set-up and clean-up issues perhaps.

If I was going on another long-distance hike, I'd probably bring more ready-to-eat trail-mixes like the ones you get at Trader's Joes. They are heavy/bulky to mail, so buying along the way would be more to my liking. In fact, buying food from town as I hike is the way I'd do it now. More freedom of not having to count on hitting the post office when it is open and being limited to what you pre-planned ahead of mailing. Not too much hassle getting to town, btw, when re-supplying. Generally, the trail-towns from Springer to Hot Springs were excellent resupply points.

SassyWindsor

12-06-2012, 00:35

" How much extra food do you eat on the trail vs normal? "

Approx 3 times as much as normal. 6000 calories

garlic08

12-06-2012, 10:04

For every ten hikers, you get eleven answers to this topic, it looks like.

I'm one of those who eats moderately and well on the trail, less than two pounds per day for long, 25 mile days, including some fresh fruit and veg. My resupply "formula" is actually one pound for every ten miles, regardless of time. But I eat more in trail towns after a few weeks or so. The occasional AYCE definitely loses money on me. I do not binge--I did not do the ice cream challenge on the AT or the pancake challenge in Seiad Valley on the PCT, for instance. I'm more likely to crave a fresh salad. I don't really pay attention to "meals" on trail, I just eat something every time I stop for a break. It works for me because I maintain my body weight and energy level quite well and that should be your indicator.

I've learned that very few people die from lack of food in the wilderness, so I've learned to carry less food. In a survival course I took, food was only mentioned to say "don't worry about it--concentrate on staying warm, hydrated, and getting found again." I usually hike into a resupply after having eaten my last cashew 10 miles back. That last ten miles with no food and no water and a light pack are very pleasant and satisfying hiking for me.

Dogwood

12-06-2012, 14:47

For every ten hikers, you get eleven answers to this topic, it looks like.

Isn't that the truth.

I'm one of those who eats moderately and well on the trail, less than two pounds per day for long, 25 mile days, including some fresh fruit and veg....I maintain my body weight and energy level quite well and that should be your indicator.

I've learned that very few people die from lack of food in the wilderness, so I've learned to carry less food. In a survival course I took, food was only mentioned to say "don't worry about it--concentrate on staying warm, hydrated, and getting found again." I usually hike into a resupply after having eaten my last cashew 10 miles back. That last ten miles with no food and no water and a light pack are very pleasant and satisfying hiking for me.

That's me too. I think this stems from knowing your priorities, knowing your body, and having control of your eating habits, on and off the trail.

hikerhobs

12-09-2012, 09:06

I do my oatmeal and a couple of granola bars in the morning, light snacking during my hike, big dinner and snacks at night. :D

Rain Man

12-10-2012, 18:17

Most people actually eat less (way less) on the trail than they do at home.... It is very common for people, especially those not use to a given activity, to have their appetite go in reverse, i.e. they're not able to eat as much when hiking....

That's me. My appetite goes way down when hiking. This weekend I led a hike on the Cumberland Trail here in Tennessee. Yesterday I didn't eat breakfast (the thought of food made me queasy) or lunch (was chilly, windy, and foggy/rainy), nor snacked. I had an Odwalla citrus drink and later some Gatorade. Not uncommon for me during the first few days of a hike. Of course, my body has some fat reserves to burn. LOL

Rain:sunMan

.

maybe clem

12-11-2012, 16:21

For me it's not just about extra calories but the right kind of extra calories, and that means protein, not empty carbs. I am more fatigued if I try to supplement my usual caloric intake with Pop Tarts, Snickers and instant mashed potatoes. I can go much farther if those extra calories come from cheese, quinoa, whey protein powder and other sources of protein.

It took me about half of an A.T. thruhike to figure out what works for other hikers wasn't working for me - at all. HYOH.

Dogwood

12-12-2012, 17:25

Carbohydrates have been getting a bad rap lately. All carbs are not the same. Carbs can be simple or complex. The simple carbs are the ones you want to limit such as white refined sugar, white flour, white rice, some breads, HFCS, etc., crap that's usually in junk food. That's why they call it junk. These are not even empty cals. though. When you eat most fruits and vegetables what do you think you eat? It's mostly complex carbs. Unless you are dis-eased complex carbs are necessary. Even in quinoa, which is a seed, not only do you have good amounts of protein but you have lots of complex carbs. I've seen so much confusion with this. You do youself a dis-service lumping all carbs together.

waasj

12-12-2012, 22:10

I usually wind up with too much food, so I am still working on this. Usually a good two packs of grits/ oatmeal and coffee. Then snacking on trail mix through the day ( I keep it handy so I can gay to it anytime I stop, or carry a small portion in my pocket). Lunch of dried sausage ( chorizo, soprassetta, salami, etc) and/or beef jerky and cheese with tortilla, Wasa bread or some other starch. Snack through the afternoon. Noodles with dried veggies and reconstituted beef jerky, Dried Black beans and rice, or something similar for supper. I try to pre portion my suppers to prevent waste, and often find at the end of the day I am not crazy hungry because I eat through the day instead of just at breakfast and lunch. You can usually find some one ( through hiker, shelter troll, etc) willing to help with any leftovers or surplus food.

magic_game03

12-12-2012, 23:43

extra food? leftover food? really? oh wait.... oh god..... really? this is what I got to look forward to? Dam, I'm going to go eat a stick of butter rolled in sugar while I still got my mojo.

[notice how everybody in this conversation is over 50]

WILLIAM HAYES

12-12-2012, 23:44

I usually carry 1 days extra

IrishHiker

12-17-2012, 23:24

Give it 2 or 3 more days and you'll be eating your socks, let alone your entire Knorr side. After a week to 10 days, you'll wonder how the AYCE restaurant is making any money off you. ;)

LOL! That is what I have heard, and what a great way to put it.
Have not hiked in years, but routinely walk 2 to 3 miles here in Jacksonville, though it is flat land and in civilization.
I love walking, and can not wait to get hiking.

RED-DOG

12-18-2012, 13:28

I eat as much extra food as i possibly can.