Would Like to know other UL Hikers experience with different meal replacement options such as Powdered meals. If it get's me more miles with a lighter weight, then i'd stomach eating/drinking the same stuff everyday(like pet-food for hikers). There are other thing I realize that might make it actually not be the best UL hiker option, Issue with weight and that is the extra water you need to carry to fill your meal if using powders (even the powdered peanut butters)... Or what has been you other preferences for UL Food options ?? (lighter, faster, easy down, and virtually no cleanup or trash left over) Bonus points if mice and bears wont find it attractive...
If it's just a powdered meal replacement then shipping and mailing a post drop-box ahead would be a breeze no doubt... despite the idea of eating it everyday, always have the option of stopping in town to eat...my current powdered meal preference is RAW Meal plus the bulk value of using it would make each meal less than $20 a day so go out and hike a 30, and your at less than $1 per mile.
Some of my experience starts out with my First 1000 mile section hike (fall sobo 2012) I was considering high calorie density with all my food and had around 140 Calories/oz. Sad thing is I calculated my miles expected and number of calories i'd be burning, I used a variety of Calculators some hikers posted online. I wound up Never really eating much, almost as if my hunger went away while I was hiking. I've heard it's not to uncommon. But i also made some mistakes that resulted in me carrying steel cut oats for the first 100 miles... Never again! plus i didn't eat many of my probars either as solid food just lost it's appeal. I did send somethings home and gave plenty to some hiker boxes, and covering over to UL Hiking
Stove:
While I did pack a stove and tried being ultralight i had a Esbit/alcohol jet stove. I'm never packing Esbits again (the burn time and control is rather hard to maintain and putting them out when done) and I switched to a canister stove later on For my hike. And Now i don't consider stoves unless i'm hiking during the winter. (I biked through Shenandoah Park and froze my ass off in my tent stealth camping in January) My water containers started freezing the first hour being on the range. But for the warm weather if find the stove pointless if doing UL
During my Hike I enjoyed many different foods and pasta sides and goodies, but sometimes involved heavy cleanup. Always preferred the no cook dinner options, and so later during my bike ride i used meal replacement powders, tail mixes, fewer probars tea(for caffeine), Plain peanut-butter/mixed with coconut oil, Despite it being biking for hiking the level of activity is still the same level of hunger.