Taking Suppements on the Trail

[BirdBrain]

I take a lot of supplements in an effort to stave off the effects of traits passed down.

How do others that hike (and take supplements at home) deal with this issue.?

I will include an option for those who do not take supplements.

[StylinLP38]

Well, I refuse not to take Salmon Fish pills, CoQ10, and Flaxseed. Probably should bring MSM Joint pills and Vitamin C when I get the flu.

[JAK]

I take one multivitamin once a week.
Not against multivitamins but try to get it all from my diet.

[HikerMom58]

I take them all BB.... flaxseed,Salmon Fish pills, Powered fruit and veggie pills... Oh yeah. I don't take cheesecake or pie tho..If they made them in pill form, I'd do it. :D

[BirdBrain]

Hmmm... had to vote on own poll to see results and comment all at once. Voted 2nd option, because that is the way I am leaning.

[Karma13]

Right now (pre-thru) I'm taking a calcium supplement, glucosamine/chondroitin, and a multivitamin. But I don't as a rule take anything, and I'm not planning to take anything with me to start. I figure if I need to, I'll pick something up at a resupply.

But I have the luxury of not really needing them. Like any other medication, if I needed it to stay healthy, I'd find a way to carry it.

[Liminal]

the only problem I encountered is cayenne... I stir a spoonful each day into tomato (or V-8) juice and knew I couldn't do that on the trail... so I just bought cayenne capsules to take with me... *great way to keep sickness and infection at bay

[Hosaphone]

I like to do the Carnation breakfast essentials in the morning and those are like 1/4th a multivitamin per packet. If I was thru-hiking I'd probably add in protein shakes at night or near the end of the day.

[BirdBrain]

Here is my list: Glucosamine Sulfate, Fish Oil, CoQ10, Saw Palmetto, E, 91mg Bayer, Multivitamin (will replace with Tumeric when they are gone), D3 (only in winter), and Oil of Oregano if feeling cold come on.

[Dogwood]

I sincerely hope this thread doesn't dissolve into a long deep discussion of the pro/cons of supplements or degenerate into a discussion on vitamins because, as I've experienced so many times on websites, including White Blaze, that's the way things tend go.

I take quite a few supplements, like 14 different ones once daily, both on and off trail. The same ones in both situations. I take supplements to increase brain function, prevent issues with and soothe joints and muscles, anti-oxidants, improve stamina and cardiovascular performance, increase oxygen uptake, and for blood thinning(conventional western medicine demands I be on Warfarin/Coumadin but I instead thin my blood through lifestyle choices and taking several supplements and herbs). So, supplements(and food and lifestyle decisions) are my medicine in a very real sense. Supplements, including the herbs I take DEFINITELY make a positive difference in my physical and mental health! I choose to get my vitamins from the food I eat.

I'm mainly a long distance hiker or thru-hiker so this and the amount of supplements I take can pose challenges when hiking. Here's what works most economically and efficiently, FOR ME. As an ULer I don't desire to have large supplement bottles or large packages of supplements when hiking. Not only does this add wt but also decreases volume in my pack for other things. It can also be problematic, as I recently experienced in a National Park, to have large amounts of legal supplements IF exposed to law enforcement(LE). I periodically priority flat rate mail myself supplement packages while on thru-hikes of LONG distance. Since I'm doing that I also tend to mail myself other things like food, fuel, extra gear, batteries, hygiene products, etc in the same resupply package. Usually, I don't carry anymore than 2-3 wks of supplements at a time. I warn you, IT CAN BE extremely time consuming, difficult to nearly impossible, be cost prohibitive, and quite possibly wasteful if you decide to buy along the way on a long hike AND take many, expensive, and/or hard to locally find supplements. In my double baggied supplement packages, which I'm intimately knowledgeable about(type, dosage amt, physical description, etc), so I can know what I'm taking and adequately describe them to anyone(LE) that asks, I write down on a small paper how many days supply I have, a description of what they look like, and the daily dosage. You might also consider a bounce box with larger amts of supplements that you periodically hit up for short term supplies.

[BirdBrain]

I sincerely hope this thread doesn't dissolve into a long deep discussion of the pro/cons of supplements or degenerate into a discussion on vitamins because, as I've experienced so many times on websites, including White Blaze, that's the way things tend go.

Option 4 is for the detractors. This is not a debate about the pros and cons. It is a plea for help to those that do. Now back to reading your long answer. Probably the stuff I am looking for.

[HikerMom58]

I put my supplements in one of those 7 day plastic snapping containers. That way I don't have to mess with pills flying everywhere on the trail. I put the container is a ziplock baggie 2. When I'm at home, I like to get most all of my nutrition from the food I choose to eat. I do eat 2 TBSP of ground flax seed, 2 TBSP's of wheat germ,every day. I take Salmon Fish Oil & powered fruit and veggie capsules + Calcium chew w/vitamin D every day at home. All that comes with me on the trail.

[coach lou]

I take them all BB.... flaxseed,Salmon Fish pills, Powered fruit and veggie pills... Oh yeah. I don't take cheesecake or pie tho..If they made them in pill form, I'd do it. :D

K, vitamin Cheesecake is an important part of Lou's daily requirements, contains high doses of vitamin D and the essential mineral....chocolate chip!

[BirdBrain]

K, vitamin Cheesecake is an important part of Lou's daily requirements, contains high doses of vitamin D and the essentail mineral....chocolate chip!

I am lobbying for trail magic if I am ever in HM territory. That may be the only way I get that vitamin on the trail.

[Rasty]

Does caffeine count as a suppliment?

[HikerMom58]

K, vitamin Cheesecake is an important part of Lou's daily requirements, contains high doses of vitamin D and the essential mineral....chocolate chip!

Hey L... I'm not knocking it. :) I can't wait to have a piece.... :)


I am lobbying for trail magic if I am ever in HM territory. That may be the only way I get that vitamin on the trail.

You know I'll hook you up with some trail magic when you come to VA but I have to determine my "pie" competition. I remember those fresh Maine Blueberry Pies back in the day... I don't know if I could "measure up".:mad:

[rocketsocks]

Ooh, you just reminded me, gotta take my vitamins. I guess I'd bring em all...ABCDEFG

But seriously C, D-3, fish oil, multi, B-6, and a couple a Zincers to stave off and impart a bump!

4 week trip....1 lb.2oz.s :rolleyes: