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View Full Version : How much trail mix do/can you eat per day when hiking?



Canam
03-09-2013, 11:45
I just weighed out a pound and I could easily knock it out in a couple hours bumming around the house. In fact, I've gone back for two handfuls since I started writing this post. I think I could take down over two pounds a day while hiking - and probably last a whole week without getting tired of it.

Old Hiker
03-09-2013, 11:51
I got tired of it after about 3 weeks or so. I went to candy bars instead, Not sure why. I still bought $ Store bags, but I didn't really eat as much as nibble occasionally. I wanted more, solid food.

Northern Lights
03-09-2013, 11:54
I get tired of trail mix really quick. I prefer the peanut butter filled pretzels.

Rocket Jones
03-09-2013, 12:02
I take regular GORP, and usually I'm fine with it. But on one hike I found myself picking out and eating only the m&m's, on another I ate almost none at all. I don't hike long enough stretches for the hiker hunger to really kick in, so I guess it's just what I'm in the mood for at the moment.

Kookork
03-09-2013, 12:09
I get tired of Trail mix after about two weeks but before it happening I can eat around one pound of it daily. Some brands are easier to eat.

The problem with consuming trail mix as the only food source is that when you need to go to washroom then you NEED to go right away( due to very high fiber content). The urge of defecation comes like a hurricane and if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time , then ...

When you get tired of trail mix switching to other food sources for a few days let you switch back to trail mix again.

yellowsirocco
03-09-2013, 12:32
Trail mix is hiker food, I try to eat real food when I am hiking. Give me some apples instead, I don't complain about the weight.

max patch
03-09-2013, 12:35
Early in a thru you'll see a few really h-u-g-e bags of gorp.

mrcoffeect
03-09-2013, 12:43
I like to add dry cereal to the trail mix, like honey nut cherrios. I'll buy small box, eat some in town with real milk, put three or four handfuls in 1lb trail mix. and pack the rest for on the trail with powdered milk or nido if i can find it.

4Bears
03-09-2013, 13:28
When I put to gether a batch of GORP I tend to use less raisins, prefer mixed nuts, and mixed dried fruit, for a variety. I also throw in some jerky for the extra protien boost, and some cereal like Cherrios, Chex or whatever looks good at the time.

Slo-go'en
03-09-2013, 13:51
I usually leave town with a big bag of GORP of some kind. Since it's heavy, I eat most of it the first couple of days out. My new favorite is "Great Value" Peanut butter trail mix with Reese's pieces, peanuts, peanut butter drops and pretzels.

Drybones
03-09-2013, 13:56
I have trouble consuming enough food, I took a large mouth plastic bottle and filled it with trail mix to feed out of like a water bottle as I'm hiking, doubt that I'll be able to consume enough while walking to get tired of it, been eating it for a couple of weeks around the house and still enjoy it, a cup a day of the mix I have will give me an additional 760 calories.

Carry-On
03-09-2013, 15:25
I love the Wal-mart Great Value brand of Mountain Trail mix. Then I add fruit chews, peanut m&ms, sour patch kids, craisins, whatever I have or am craving at the moment. Often I would eat that as my lunch, or pour it out on top of my flour tortilla with peanut butter for lunch. Sometimes I even ate it for dinner, when I didn't want to put any effort towards cooking or cleaning.

I loved it before my thruhike and never got tired of it during my hike. I actually had to ration it so I would still have some left after a couple of days. It is heavy, though.

Blue Mountain Edward
03-09-2013, 15:35
I prefer deluxe mixed nuts or dry cereal.

rocketsocks
03-09-2013, 15:36
After seeing it posted here, I've started carrying my gorp in a gator aid wide mouth bottle, lot easeir to eat that way for me, and I don't have to keep digging my dirty hands in a sticky bag. My gorp mix is what ever is in the house at the time, but usually the standard peanuts, raisins, chocolate morsels (or in hot weather, M&M's) coconut shaved and sweetened, pretzels, dried apricots cut and quartered...and whatever else is on hand.

Oops I didn't answer the OP question...I can eat quite a bit of trail mix at least 2 16oz bottles worth a day. so 32 ozs dry measure...whatever that is? 3 or 4 cups?

prain4u
03-09-2013, 16:44
I have always made my own trail mix. I was also experiencing some significant "trail mix burnout".

So, in the past couple of years, instead of making batches of "trail mix"---I have started carrying each of the trail mix ingredients separately in small ziplock-style bags ("snack size" bags are ideal--but harder to find).

I find that I enjoy "trail mix" more--if I am eating just one ingredient at a time. During the course of the day, I might snack on raisins for a while in the morning. Later in the day I might be snacking on peanuts. A bit later I might eat some M&Ms, etc. By the end of the day, it is the same ingredients and same calories as having eaten traditional trail mix. However, eating each ingredient separately tastes very different on the taste buds than 8-12 hours of snacking on the same darn "trail mix" taste hour after hour, day after day.

I have also found that I enjoy "trail mix" more if I change (or rotate) the ingredients/recipe often. Raisins, peanuts, M&Ms, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seed kernels, cashews, dried fruit, dry cereal etc. The choices are almost limitless.

I rarely eat a real lunch when hiking. I just snack throughout the day on my "trail mix", power bars, dried fruit, sausage, jerky etc.

If I had to guess (depending upon the day)--I probably eat 1/2 pound to pound of trail mix ingredients daily.

hikerboy57
03-09-2013, 16:46
roasted salted cashews and Almond Joy m&ms

Sara
03-09-2013, 16:59
Dried kiwi is amazing a great way to liven up boring trail mix. :)
I usually eat a small ziplock each day while hiking.

MuddyWaters
03-09-2013, 17:24
I usually dont eat all I bring.
and I love trail mix.
I dont have the appetite for it when hiking that I do at home.

leaftye
03-09-2013, 18:52
I eat about a pound a day. I don't get sick of it, but after a while I prefer the fruitier blends.

BirdBrain
03-09-2013, 18:59
Macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, and plain M&M's

Kookork
03-09-2013, 19:01
Dried kiwi is amazing a great way to liven up boring trail mix. :)
I usually eat a small ziplock each day while hiking.

Dried kiwi is tastier than fresh kiwi for me. Love it.

Dogwood
03-09-2013, 19:34
How much trail mix do/can you eat per day when hiking?Not all Trail Mix is the same! Some Trail Mixes one can probably eat more of than another kind. I mail myself different mixes to keep it taste bud lively and interesting. Just look at what Bird Brain listed as his trail mix. How much Macadamia and Brazil nuts mixed with M&M's do you think you can consume before feeling full? There can be lots of fiber in Trail Mixes too so that has the additional benefit of making one fell satiated which is another reason why I avoid most junk foods while on trail. Junk foods just do not stay with me keeping me full but instead have me yo-yoing on a sugar crazed roller coaster eventually leaving me in an energy deficit.

Dogwood
03-09-2013, 19:48
Lately, as a change, I've been taking Snack Salad baked Snappea Crisps to the trail as a snack. Not overly expensive. 150 cals/oz. 17% of cals in the form of veggie protein.

Prime Time
03-09-2013, 21:34
I get sick of GORP along with the hassle of opening, closing, and stowing of the package, sticking my filthy hands from my mouth to the bag for more GORP, God help anyone who wants to have some :) I have switched to a variety of trail bars (better portioning control, endless variety, just easier), and my all time favorite, Pay Days. They are sweet and salty and best of all, won't melt like a Snickers.

rocketsocks
03-09-2013, 21:52
I get sick of GORP along with the hassle of opening, closing, and stowing of the package, sticking my filthy hands from my mouth to the bag for more GORP, God help anyone who wants to have some :) I have switched to a variety of trail bars (better portioning control, endless variety, just easier), and my all time favorite, Pay Days. They are sweet and salty and best of all, won't melt like a Snickers.Pay Days are my goto bar, maybe try eating your gorp out of a wide mouth bottle...works for me.

colorado_rob
03-09-2013, 22:21
A pound of trail mix? Yikes, that would be about 2400 calories of the stuff I buy (plain old raisins, various nuts, m&m's, abou 150 calories per ounce). I might try to get about 1/4th of my calories from trail mix, which would be about 6-7 ounces a day. Satisfying stuff, salty/sweet mix, I don't really get too tired of it. I would if I ate a pound of it a day.

Tuckahoe
03-09-2013, 22:23
I stopped carrying trail mix. The carb count for the 1/4 cup serving size just wasnt worth it and not enjoyable enough. I like the choice of a variety of fun size candy bars and the ability to mix them up, or dehydrated or freeze fruit, or Target's fruit bars. Rather than that trail mix I could pick a funsize Payday and a funsize butterfinger; much more enjoyable.

I really try to mix up my snacks so I get to enjoy a lil of this or a lil of that and not have the samethings all the time.

Dogwood
03-09-2013, 23:25
I stopped carrying trail mix. The carb count for the 1/4 cup serving size just wasnt worth it and not enjoyable enough. I like the choice of a variety of fun size candy bars and the ability to mix them up, or dehydrated or freeze fruit, or Target's fruit bars. Rather than that trail mix I could pick a funsize Payday and a funsize butterfinger; much more enjoyable.

I really try to mix up my snacks so I get to enjoy a lil of this or a lil of that and not have the samethings all the time.

See that's just the pt I was trying to make, Tuckahoe. Trail mixes can be infinitely tweaked for flavor, texture, nutrient content, cals/oz, fiber content, fat content, carb content, etc

Nutbrown
03-10-2013, 09:49
Honey roasted cashews covered in sesame seeds are my favorite addition. Get em at Trader Joe's. Heaven in a bag!

slow mind
03-10-2013, 11:35
I can't remember the exact wording but someone on WB once called trail mix " a bag of M&M's and dissapointment"

rocketsocks
03-10-2013, 11:44
You know the difference between Beer nuts and Deer nuts? Beer nuts are a Dollar, deer nuts are under a buck.:D

Rocket Jones
03-10-2013, 12:03
I can't remember the exact wording but someone on WB once called trail mix " a bag of M&M's and dissapointment"

ROFLMAO Best laugh I've had in a while.

Dogwood
03-10-2013, 12:38
Honey roasted cashews covered in sesame seeds are my favorite addition. Get em at Trader Joe's. Heaven in a bag!

Ever try the Roasted Coconut Chips or Dried flattened Mashed Bananas from TRADER JOES? Simple, healthy, good for you, reasonably priced as the occasional trail treat, AND WITH INGREDIENT LISTS I CAN UNDERSTAND!

ROASTED COCONUT CHIPS INGREDIENTS: coconut, bit sea salt, bit of natural sugar(THAT"S IT!)

DRIED FLATTENED MASHED BANANAS INGREDIENTS: dried bananas(THAT'S IT!)

I also like some of TRADER JOES dried fruits like the dried MANGO, Asian Pears, and Dragon Fruit.

UNSWEETENED DRIED MANGO INGREDIENTS: dried mango(THAT'S IT!)

You might want to try Nori chips/wraps such as the assorted flavors sold by Annie Chuns. I've bought them on sale at TRADER JOES and a few Walmarts for about $1 per package. They make a healthy trail treat that is super compact that can be eaten dry on the go or added to meals like soups in place of the Ramen seasoniong packets which are extremely high in sodium and MSG. I've heard it said, "gram for gram, seaweed is higher in vitamins and minerals than any other food. Seaweed contains significant amounts of protein, is rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, iodine, and sodium". You can also get dried Miso soup packets to replace the SAME OLD not so healthy Ramen seasoning packets. Heck, I'll even try some natural peanut butter(NO hydogenated oils!), a bit of red pepper flakes(I pick up small packets at Pizzerias or Italian Restaurants while on trail), and a bit of dried or chopped chives(green onions) in place of those Ramen seasoning packets. BE CREATIVE!

The Blue Diamond brand flavored almonds are tasty too. I especially like adding the Toasted Coconut Almonds to trail mixes. For a little something different I'll also add Wasabi flavored Almonds to TRAIL MIXES. I like almonds because lb for lb they supposedly have the GREATEST amt of calcium than any food! I bet no one heard that from their western educated doctor when addressing calcium needs or absorption!

People talk about trail diets being boring. IT DOES NOT have to be that way! Hikers mention their desire to eat healthier while lowering their trail food weight and trail food volume. TRAIL MIXES are one of the AWESOME WAYS to accomplish this! I'll say it again! With a little creativity a hiker can tweak their TRAIL MIXES affording an INFINITE VARIETY of tastes, textures, costs, and health and nutritional benefits. This even applies to healthier and overall higher nutrient content from wiser food choices purchased at many small convenience type stores along many trails in the U.S.! TRAIL FOOD DOES NOT HAVE TO ENTAIL CONSUMING MASS QUANTITIES OF "JUNK FOOD" FOR THE SAKE OF CONVENIENCE OR BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT SOME OF US HAVE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO! Just because our bodies and minds are demanding GREATER caloric loads while backpacking IMHO we should NOT NEGLECT the OVERALL nutrient content of that trail food by taking a VERY NAIVE approach to nutrition by mistakenly assuming ONLY cals/oz or carbs or protein or fat content/ratios matter while backpacking! Consuming "junk food" as part of your trail(and off trail) diet has its consequences that are not very appealing to me! You may think differently. Don't be fooled; it's called "junk food' for good reasons. It's junk!

BTW, Trail Mixes DO NOT ALWAYS contain M & M's! Some people are candy/sugar crazy. Everything DOES NOT have to be sugary to be good!

For those who don't care what they put in their bodies this post is not for you. Continue doing what you are doing. The govt(and the money they get from people like ME) will help subsidize your health care costs if you can't afford it yourself.