calorie intake
how do i keep my calorie intake up on the trail?
Highlight every time the letters AYCE appear together in your guidebook and plan to visit these places. Take along some very dense calories like nuts and olive oil to add to your meals.
Eat... I gained weight.
One way, often neglected, is to reduce the work you do. Every ounce you lighten the pack load, the less food you need to carry. Pay special attention to the amount of extra food and water you carry. Most packers carry way too much of both and that's often the heaviest thing in the pack. If you're facing a stiff climb and you have verified that the spring on the descent is good (info from hikers coming the other way), drink your fill and dump the rest, and climb light. Way less energy expended, way less food needed. I often saw hikers carrying three extra liters (seven pounds) of water when not even remotely needed. That's a lot of extra work for which more food is needed, which takes more work to carry, etc. Try to get on the other end of that spiral.
For sure, carry calorie-dense foods; that is, fat. Cheeses and peanut butter are cheap and easy to carry. Fats have roughly twice the energy density of carbs (bread, pasta, grains) and fruit. Most hikers aim for roughly 130 calories per ounce average. Pure fat is about 200 calories per ounce.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
ok thanks guys. any "weird" food suggestions
Weird food suggestions? Well, since you asked, try this--cold food only. It's not for everyone, but some have made it work well. On a long hike, the main benefit is the futz factor--not having to worry about fueling a stove in small towns, no shipping of cannisters, no fire building, etc. Meals are quick, clean, and very little water required so dry camps are more fun. There's more time to hike, if that's your goal. Lots of hikers are out there more to camp than to hike, so this is a really lousy suggestion if that's your goal.
It took an embarrassingly long time for me to figure that out for myself. I wish someone had told me when I was your age that a stove is not required equipment for backpacking.
There are already a couple of threads on this topic, so do a search if you want to read more about it.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
What is weird is you will soon find yourself reading labels opposite of what you're supposed to read them for. Instead of looking for food with a low calorie count or low fat ratio you start choosing the stuff that has 50% or more fat or comparing two items and choosing the 250 calorie one over the 180 calorie one. Or you'll add up the total calories in the whole package and start thinking 1200 calories really isn't that much.
Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane.
I hiked the PCT: Mexico to Mt. Shasta, 2008. Santa Barbara to Canada, 2009.
One way, often neglected, is to reduce the work you do. Garlic08
Good suggestion often overlooked. Not only does reducing pack wt translate into having to do less work, which really is just another way of saying using less energy, requiring fewer cals, but expending energy wisely as you hike in other ways does the same thing. For example, I don't normally max out my pace while going uphill. It's not that I can't, I just choose to spend less energy going uphill because the input(cals, muscle use) doesn't justify the output(miles) Use your cals(energy) most efficiently(where you get the most bang for your calorie buck, so to speak!). Walking/hiking efficiently at little (less than 3 ft) rises, on steps, water crossings, etc does the same thing. The energy saved or often needlessly expended eventually adds during the course of a day or during priods between resupplies. If you want a hint as to how to hike more efficiently watch experienced hikers. Watch where and how they place their footings and where they tend to speed up and slow down. Don't be a shotgun hiker, fast out of the gate, but lacking stamina!
Diners, Drive-in's, and Dives....
I once saw a thru hiker in New England buy and consume a whole tub of chocolate instant cake icing. Extreme, maybe.Originally Posted by Benjamin Putnam
Personally I craved orange juice, beer, and ice cream (in that order) when I got into town.
Couscous is right...... you'll come to love AYCE's. The Ming Garden Chinese Restaurant in Waynesboro, VA was the best I experience- YUM!!!!
"Fish Camp Woman.... Baby, I like the way you smell"
- Unknown Hinson
My favorite AYCE Chinese on the AT was that place too Spokes!
Hometown familt Restaurant(I think that's the name of it) in Catawaba was second.
Saving Energy :
Yes , I agree with Digwood .
If you have hiked for awhile i'm sure you look where you put your feet .
Never step UP on a small rock / root . or DOWN into a depression ! Keep the " plane " of your travel / momentum even as possible . Sound silly ? Say you way 180 pounds and carry a 30 pond pack . That is over 200 pounds ! Every " useless " inch you lift it is wasted energy . Multiply it out over a day or two or three .
Talk about " PUD" s !!
David V. Webber
You said it better than me DaveSail!
Couldn't have said this better myself. I frequently find myself dumping out my water when i know there will be more ahead. One of the bonuses to haveing bottles on the outside instead of a bladder.
AT - Georgia to Maine '09
PCT - Mexico to Canada '10
CDT - Canada to Mexico '11
Yeah, you gotta love them AYCE places. I was always on the look out
I can't really add anything else to what's been said, other than hunger is a part of long-distance hiking. And one thing you'll learn is that we eat way too much food when in society. I was actually surprised at how efficient the body is. I figure I was eating 1/2 (probably more) of what I usually eat at home and at the same time expending tons more energy walking up and down mountains with a pack that averaged between 50-60 lbs. I never felt stronger than I did after my thru.
I watched a TV special where they were investigating how people/societies live longer. The ONE unifying factor/aspect of those that lived longer was that they ate less or ate moderately, not over eating! Studies done with rats show that those rats who ate the least or ate just enough to meet their caloric needs lived the longest, but the rats who were able to eat as much as they wanted, and they wanted a lot, died the fastest and had the greatest incidences of disease! Made me say, "HUMMM" and not "YUMMY!, GIVE ME MORE MORE MORE!"
Absolutely! I remember laughing out loud at labels that promised "REDUCED FAT." Why would anybody want reduced fat?
During my thru-hike I found great pleasure in wandering the aisles of a well-stocked supermarket. So much food!
~~
Allen "Monkeywrench" Freeman
NOBO 3-18-09 - 9-27-09
blog.allenf.com
[email protected]
www.allenf.com
I've never looked at it that way, but dang, that's brilliant!
I definitely need to consider losing some more of the 45 pounds of fuel I'm still carrying around.
Weird. I guess you could do like the infamous PCT hiker that ate a whole stick of butter. Some people claim to drink olive oil.
High density food is important, but it's even more important to find food that you would be willing to consume enough of. For me this was a powdered diet. I can drink and drink and drink, especially when my drinks are flavored. I can't stuff my face with more than about 4000 calories a day, even if I'm at home all day with nothing better to do. I can't do it at all on the trail. Obviously going liquid was the way for me. I put together a custom mix of powdered supplements that gives me at least 3000 calories a day. I could do more, and sometimes do get more by supplementing with Nido or electrolyte drinks, but I still try to get 1500 calories a day from gorp. I don't really think powdered drinks are weird though. It's pretty damn common for fitness enthusiasts to use protein drinks and for some weight lifters to use meal replacement bulking drinks.
Liquid is a good way to add calories. Also, if you want to down a bunch of fat, it's a lot easier to do it if it's mixed with sugar. I don't think I could eat a whole stick of butter or half a cup of olive oil (they're equivalent). But mix butterfat with sugar, egg yolks and vanilla and I'm definitely sure I can eat a pint.
Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane.
I hiked the PCT: Mexico to Mt. Shasta, 2008. Santa Barbara to Canada, 2009.
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