Alternative Calorie/Nutrition Gels,Bars,Etc.?

[Point Man Chef]

I thought after 15+/- miles a day I thought I would be starving but...! After reading here on WB that the "hiker hunger" kicks in way farther down the trail than I am able to hike right now, I am looking into other ways to take in what I know my body needs. I am usually out no longer than 5 to 6 days at a time. I know there are Snickers, gorp, jerky, etc. but I am curious about all of those energy gels, clif shots, power bars etc. that are out there. I just really don't get that hungry for some reason for the first couple of days on the trail. Does anyone out there use these products? And if so what do you think about them? Thanks for the help!

[Llama Legs]

Check out ProBar whole food bars. More food value than a Mountain House 10 oz. meal with 1/10th or less the sodium. Great with morning coffee!

[leaftye]

I created my own meal replacement drink.

[maybe clem]

I don't like to cook in the mornings so I usually drink Carnation Breakfast Essentials and powdered milk with a little extra protein powder as I'm packing up camp.

[Smile]

http://www.rawindulgence.com/

YUM!

[Point Man Chef]

I created my own meal replacement drink.

I'm interested in anyone's OWN concotion! What's your recipe look like? Thanks!

[leaftye]

I found that the quality of powdered ingredients can greatly influence how my digestive system reacts. Most protein powders I've bought at b&m stores make my stomach sick. Same thing with Carnation instant breakfast. Protein Factory had some really good reviews, so I started trying them out a couple years ago. My own experience was good, so I went with them again when I decided to make my own drink.

I primarily wanted three things in my drink. Carbs, fat and protein. For carbs, I went with oat muscle. It is a complex carbohydrate with a low GI index. For fats, I went with an essential fatty acid powder. For proteins, I went with my previous stock. There's roughly 1/3rd of each, although protein makes up the smallest portion. I didn't want to go after a percentage of protein, just a certain number of grams of protein. I can't remember what number I was aiming for, but it was 100-150 grams of protein per day. At best, that's only 600 calories. I take 3000 calories of this powder every day on the trail.

Those three ingredients make up the base mix.

I usually carry a bag of Nestle Nido to add extra nutrients and flavor to my drinks. I also try to have one drink with some sort of electrolyte mix daily, usually Electro Mix or Emergen-C.

The drink I made is pretty simple, but works very well. In the future I may attempt to put together a better drink. For example: A protein powder mix that does not have any artificial sweetener. A higher grade of protein. Maybe some vitamins. I'd also request my daily portions to be packaged individually and for greater flavoring (concentration & variety). Maybe they'll even add my Nido and electrolytes for me too. I would love if they'd package all that for me. It's tedious and messy to do that in the kitchen.

[SurferNerd]

I use Gu. I love Gu. It works. It's cheap when its on sale. Lots of flavor choices. Best part, IT WORKS! I use it when I'm cycling, and it definitely gives an extra boost of energy for about a half hour.

[garlic08]

I stay away from engineered and highly chemical products. I manage to do OK with real food like rolled oats, walnuts and raisins for a cold cereal any time of the day, plus tortillas and cheese or peanut butter (lots of fat there), and instant potatoes and crackers and fig newtons and as much fresh fruit and veg as I can carry. One advantage of these foods, like Leaftye's drink, is that you can eat it cold anytime, or cook sometimes if you want.

I've tried energy drinks and protein bars when offered by over-stocked and well-fed section hikers, but I don't like the taste or their effects on my digestion. Plus they look pretty expensive.

[mweinstone]

when the difference between killing someone with your bare hands and smileing nicely and letting it go, is a bit of glucose, its needed. but other than for emergency mood arrest in a hypo low,...i wouldnt eat that crap if you gave me serials hair and dog and all his stuff. yuck. why anyone would volentarely choose to eat gloocose is far beyond my scope of horror.

meet stabby the dog and mr and mrs cose. and their son, stanly stabber cose.

[fredmugs]

I eat relatively little as well during my section hikes. I always have a MetRx Big 100 meal replacement bar of some type everyday. Eat one of those with a liter of water and you won't want to eat again for quite some time. I'm normally good for about 4 hours afterwards so I tend to have it during mid afternoon and then I'm good until dinner.

[Solrider]

As a cyclist I've stopped using GU and now use Hammer Gel. I like the taste better and I notice a significant difference in sustained energy vs the Gu.

I've also been turned on to the Honey Stinger products lately. Their gels also taste great and I love their energy chews. If you are looking for a bar try their peanut butter and honey bar! I haven't tried their honey waffle yet but its next on the list.

I also enjoy most of the Pro Bars.

[mweinstone]

i dont eat anything on the trail i wouldnt be normaly eating at home. the best thing you can do to eat when not hungry hiking, is to learn to enjoy a big amount of real oats with nothing but salt and butter and cinnomine every morning.

[stonedflea]

i took a few bars with me on the trail for a 5-day hike a few months ago. i'd had them before as breakfast replacements and they weren't bad but i'll never buy a bar with malitol in it again. there's talk that malitol can cause GI upset, but i never ate enough of the bar on the trail to experience that. once the bars froze overnight, trying to eat them for breakfast the next day was like taking a shot of vodka. the malitol/sugar alcohol was way too overpowering of a taste.

otoh, i really like the snickers "max" energy bars, or whatever they're called. not your normal snickers.

[caffeine]

Hey there. Java Juice is coming back to Amazon and you can get it from there
warehouse. It's highly caffeinated and not bitter at all. Mellow and fresh. I got the newest stuff at
a coffee house in Venice,. I know lots of folks are on a budget, but this stuff is from high
end beans- made for the gourmand hiker. It's not instant. It's brewed extract from
fair trade Arabica beans, and for my money 1.50 for organic brew in the am is way cheaper than a 4.00 latte at a corp coffee house. Yes. I've been a fan of their field coffee since I discovered it at Cumberland Gap. I have scoured the globe looking for something I could really enjoy on the trail...and Yes, I am one of those coffee snobs. But I've had the same tent and gear for 20 years and counting. Java Juice is my outdoor splurge. I like Filson too. And Probar is the best. I'm tall and skinny. Probar keeps me full for 3 hrs.