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  1. #21
    Addicted Hiker and Donating Member Hammock Hanger's Avatar
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    Default I agree with the dropout idea..

    Some of my males friends that dd summit were just a bag of bones. Most of the women looked Great! Hammock Hanger
    Hammock Hanger -- Life is my journey and I'm surely not rushing to the "summit"...:D

    http://www.gcast.com/u/hammockhanger/main

  2. #22
    Registered User Amberchime's Avatar
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    Hi, I've always wondered how anything can be "extra virgin" but it is a debate better left to the purists. Any way, I do use extra virgin olive oil but only the certified organic brands. Yes, the dark green varities are very tasty.
    Eating a healthy diet on and off the trail for me is the only way to go. I don't load my body with empty calories for loading sake. The three healthist oils (all organic) are extra virgin olive oil, butter, and coconut oil. Clarified butter works and coconut oil is solid like lard at room temperature.

  3. #23
    Section Hiker 350 miles DebW's Avatar
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    Originally posted by SGT Rock
    I put about 1/2 ounce in my breakfast, 1/2 ounce in my lunch, and 1 ounce in dinner. That is about 480 calories a day on my 3000 calorie diet.
    The standard fare for winter hikers in New England when I was starting out in the mid 1970's was 1/4 stick of butter per person per meal. It went in the oatmeal for breakfast and the glop pot at dinner. Butter keeps fine in the winter, and winter hiking can really expend the calories. But there was the time the winter before last when I confused the butter and cheese and took a big bite of the butter Funny thing was, it didn't taste much different from cheese at that temperature. Now my friends don't trust me to know the difference.

  4. #24

    Default Re: Densest" Foods For Food Value

    Originally posted by The Weasel
    If you're packing to save weight, and don't have (as I do) serious cardiovascular issues, go for foods that are high in fats (although DO me smart and limit saturated and poly-unsaturated fats), such as tuna in oil, butter/margarine/mayo, and others.
    Saturated fat (and cholesterol) probably have nothing to do with heart disease (every study trying to link either was either inconclusive or ridiculously flawed). For more information, see this website: www.ravnskov.nu This doctor, Uffe Ranvnskov, has also written a very well-researched book on the topic, The Cholestrol Myths

    Furthermore, the trans-fats (hydrogenated oil) found in the ramen noodles and margarine most hikers love are very bad for your heart (and the rest of your body!). For more information about that, see this website:
    http://www.enig.com/trans.html
    Your body can't tell the difference between trans-fat and normal saturated fat, and uses it to build cell walls. Trans-fat doesn't have the same physical properties as saturated fat, however, and causes numerous serious problems; here's a specific list: http://www.enig.com/0001t1b.html

    If you are looking for a margarine replacement, you can use clarified butter, as someone previously mentioned. I believe it doesn't go bad, but is more expensive than regular butter. Almost all freeze-dried meals (including the army's MRE's) have trans-fat in them, all but Alpinaire's line. I have only seen a few of their packages' ingredients, but those I've seen remarkably didn't list any. They can show up as either "hydrogenated oil" or "fractionated oil"
    Last edited by Senor Quack; 10-19-2002 at 18:38.

  5. #25
    Registered User Peaks's Avatar
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    OK, so set me straight on butter & margerine.

    What margarine is bad for me?

    Squeeze Parkay OK?

    What about butter buds and that type of stuff?

    I looked at squeeze parkay and thought it was great because of the calories per ounce factor.

    Clarified butter? where do you buy that along the trail?

  6. #26

    Default

    Originally posted by Peaks
    [B]OK, so set me straight on butter & margerine.

    What margarine is bad for me?
    The easiest way is to look on the ingredients list: if you see anything hydrogenated or fractionated, stay away from it.

    The more solid the margarine is at room temperature, the more trans-fat it contains. This means that squeezable margarine is probably less harmful, but there's no reason to eat margarine at all, with clarified butter being a good substitute on the trail. Buy it in just about any grocery store, and to be sure you'll have it, include it in maildrops. You won't find it in the dairy section, as it doesn't need refrigeration and is instead in the specialty sections. I believe the most popular brand is called "Ghee" At home, just use butter: it's in no way unhealthful.

  7. #27
    First Sergeant SGT Rock's Avatar
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    I finaly found some extra-virgin Spanish olive oil. the flavor is sort of fruity, very nice - good for dipping totillas.

    Thanks for the tip.
    SGT Rock
    http://hikinghq.net

    My 2008 Trail Journal of the BMT/AT

    BMT Thru-Hikers' Guide
    -----------------------------------------

    NO SNIVELING

  8. #28
    Springer-->Stony Brook Road VT MedicineMan's Avatar
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    Default question on nuts

    I carry cashews as a rule but wonder what you all think about carrying nuts for fats/oils/calories? Seems like I saw somewhere that pecans/walnuts and the like are all calorically dense????

  9. #29

    Default What to store oil in....

    In ref. to Chris' q/ about what type of container to store oil in...how about those twist/sip top Gatorade bottles? I use them quite often when biking, working outdoors, etc. They seem fairly secure when closed.

  10. #30

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    for those carrying hard rolls ect. try dipping them in olive oil and pepper... mmmmmmmmmm!

  11. #31
    Registered User Trail Dog's Avatar
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    any good books on this topic? i have pleanty of good outdoor cooking books but they dont address the long term or thru hiking. i'd hate to leave on a hike as 220 lbs and have to quit because i was withering away at 170, no mater how hard that is for me to picture. and i wont suck butter from a tube!

    4000 calories seems a lot but i can see how that is nessisary. one great thing to eat, although not the tastiest is military MRE's Made Ready to Eat Meals. its easy, convienient no fire to heat, just water, and its all fortified with vitimins and chemicals(rumor has it something in it makes you less horny, but i have experienced non of that). produces too much waste the magnesium heater that heats on contact with water and the packaging tend to suck as far as garbage is concerned but you could eat the stuff even if it was covered in toxic waste. excelent benifit is it absolutly prevents animals from picking up a sent untill you open it. although it can be VERY expensive unless you are or you know someone who has the oportunity to swipe a few cartons from the millitary.

    Dog

  12. #32
    Registered User Peaks's Avatar
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    Trail Dog,

    Most people on the Trail keep things as simple as possible. That includes cooking. Meals don't get much fancier than Liptons, Ramen, or Mac & Cheese.

    When hungry, almost everything tastes good.

    If you are going to pack along much more than the usual faire, you will make plenty of friends.

  13. #33
    Registered User Trail Dog's Avatar
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    After i feed someone and MRE they wont want ot be my frind any more.

    Dog

  14. #34

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    MRE stands for Meals Rejected by Ethiopians.

  15. #35
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    Ethiopian food is really, really good, though. Of course they would reject MREs! It seems that MREs are gaining fashion in the weekend hiking world. I've spotted more MREs in the Smokys this fall over 3 trips than I have freezedried dinners.

  16. #36
    First Sergeant SGT Rock's Avatar
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    Trail Dog,

    The biggest problem with MREs is the weight. 4000 callories of MRE weigh about 5 pounds because everything is ready to eat and wraped in so much trash, just one could fill my normal trash bag while hiking. 5 pounds of food for most hiker will last 2-3 days and half fill a 1 quart zip lock.
    SGT Rock
    http://hikinghq.net

    My 2008 Trail Journal of the BMT/AT

    BMT Thru-Hikers' Guide
    -----------------------------------------

    NO SNIVELING

  17. #37
    Registered User Trail Dog's Avatar
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    5lbs per 4000 calories....

    is that even after you strip them down?

    take it out of the big bag, toss the cardboard and the other junk in the goody bag?

    so what is a good weight to calorie ratio. the fact that the MRE's have all that other enhanced junk in them dont matter?

    hey if they aint worth taking i wont. I suppose tha fact that they have so much water in them as opposed to freeze dried food make sthe difference.

    Thanks

    Dog

  18. #38
    First Sergeant SGT Rock's Avatar
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    The normal weight to calorie ratio that most hiker food is aimed around is about 100 calories to pack ounce. 2 pounds of dry pasta, grits, jerky, etc equal about 3,200 callories. If you are like me and add olive oil for taste and calories, then 1 pack ounce equal about 250 callories. So a combination of dry food and oils can get you to 4,000 calories.

    An MRE has 2000-2500 calories according to the nutrition info on the main course if you eat EVERYTHING, and weighs 2.5-2.75 pounds before culling trash and non esentials. But even after reducing volume, you are talking 2.25 to 2.5 pounds of weight, which is about 56 clories to pack ounce.

    Despite being nutritionally beefed up and having vitamens added, MREs are still too heavy and make too much trash. AND THEY SUCK AFTER A WEEK OF THE SAME OLD *****
    SGT Rock
    http://hikinghq.net

    My 2008 Trail Journal of the BMT/AT

    BMT Thru-Hikers' Guide
    -----------------------------------------

    NO SNIVELING

  19. #39
    Registered User Trail Dog's Avatar
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    I am happy to see this forum is a massive help in planning my trips. I just dodged the MRE as trail food bullet i suppose.

    hey sarg? are you following me?

  20. #40
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    Dog ---

    Don't just take Sarge's word about MRE's because he has to eat them in the field, but he's right. Here's your rule of thumb for trail food:

    If it can't be put in a ziploc bag without spoiling (except for tuna in a pouch, which you leave it in), don't use it. Some things you won't repackage (sort of a waste of effort to move Lipton noodles from their package to a ziploc), and there are a few exceptions (so don't flame, me folks, with your stories about liquid margarine or other good things that you won't put in a ziploc), but I think you get the idea. I can't picture a situation where I would carry something that was canned/bottled or had multiple layers of packaging, since after opening, all that packaging/cans/bottles has to be packed out, as dead weight, for up to several days. Ugh.

    One of the fallacies people fall into about ANYTHING that is "mil spec", i.e. military equipment, is that since "the Army walks" (it usually doesn't), it must walk so much that it is really, really, really good at lightweight backpacking. First of all, infantry and their ilk (including Rangers and Special Forces) don't usually backpack very long or very far (yes, there are exceptions), and have resupply brought to them. Second, as to food, MREs aren't designed to be backpacking food, but designed to be (1) nonperishable and (2) a complete meal and (3) easy to use. Weight of the food isn't a factor, and packaging is designed to withstand a variety of extremes (remember them being thrown out of airplanes from 5,000 feet in the dead of winter to the Afghanis?).

    Generally speaking (yes, Rocky, I know there are a few exceptions, and I have some of them), any military gear is unsuitable for long-distance backpacking of the type you will see on the AT.

    The Weasel
    "Thank God! there is always a Land of Beyond, For us who are true to the trail..." --- Robert Service

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