Food suggestions and reviews:

[Newb]

I haven't thru-hiked, but I've gone out as long as a week before. I have a few suggestions to "mix it up".

First: I haven't seen anyone here mention that you can carry a bag of dried beans (like red beans, or pintos). When you start out in the a.m. throw a handful into a ziploc freezer bag with some water and let them soak until you stop in the evening. Then, you just boil them up for a while and you have yummy beans. To add some flavor carry a little brick of salted fatback in another ziploc in your food bag. Slice off a bit of the fat back and let it fry in your pan before adding the beans and water. Cook uncovered to reduce the water (don't fill it above the level of the beans). Add pepper and salt or whatever else you've got.
Now you're marching like a civil war soldier!
If you learn how to use salt pork to produce grease while on the move you'll really open up a new world of trail cooking.

While you're at it learn how to make sassafras tea. http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrol...s/salbidum.htm

[stickman]

I really hate to sound like a dumbass, but what is fatback? Does it require refrigeration?

Stickman

[ArmyHiker]

Stickman, fatback is the fat layer taken from the back of a pig. It's heavily salt cured, so I would think it could keep for several days without refridgeration. It really is good for seasoning beans of all kinds.

[Newb]

Yep. You can keep salted pork in salt indefinitely. A piece of fatback will last quite a while if you keep it out of the air. Sometimes it's hard to find, but I would be 10 to 1 that you can find it at a Piggly Wiggly in Gainesville, Georgia and I've never been there. We did have a family farm in Dahlonega for many years, that's where I learned about salting pork.

Anyways, I've been studying edible plants lately and I read that Civil war soldiers loved to get Cow Peas and cook them with fat-back.

[minnesotasmith]

It's basically lard, which is heavy in saturated fats, something everyone should try to limit. Much better IMO to bring a bottle of olive oil.

[Newb]

Nonsense. I've eaten food made with lard all my life and i'm just fi..just fi...I'm just ***ack...arrrghhh****

j/k. Really, It's not rendered fat, so it' not lard. It won't kill you if you don't make it a staple of your diet for 20 years.

[chris]

On the subject of fats, now that it is winter time, try taking a hunk of butter with you to add to dinner. Although Liptons are a staple for me during the summer, butter makes them a lot better (even better than with olive oil). Olive oil in the summer packs a good punch: Double Liptons with 1/4 cup or so of olive oil gives a lot of fuel for the body.