Thru-Hike FOOD

[Winds]

I think hikers start burning their body fat more effectively those first few weeks.

I have a guess at this...
It may be similar to getting pretty ill.

Our bodies may go into a sort of shock, where our defenses are looking to utilize resources where needed most.
When we eat, a lot of resources are directed to digesting the foods and distributing nutrients.

So the first week(s) of a long hike may stun our bodies into crisis mode and actually not trigger hunger as normal to redirect needed resources say to our muscles, bones, tendons, etc as a natural defense.

When our bodies adapt, adjust or simply realize that we are going to live - the body regains a desire for more nutrients to make up for the loss and make way for new requirements or amounts our body needs.

This is just my theory.

[BrianLe]

For a NOBO thru-hike on the AT, I think that you'll just figure it out as you go. FWIW, most people will err on the side of carrying too much to start with. Over time try to go into grocery stores with people who have some experience at it and see what sort of things that they buy (and in some cases perhaps ask them why and how they intend to use particular items ...). Try stuff out, you've got months to get it right, and most of us start the trail with body fat to lose so you likely will have it figured out well enough before you're really lean and your metabolism is cranked up.

What I'm saying is that the stakes are a bit lower starting out, though admittedly with an early start you do want enough useable calories to generate the energy you need --- thank heavens most of us tend to be at least a little bit fat, eh?

[Tinker]

I like the peanut butter that uses non-hydrogenated fat, or good old raisins and peanuts.

I know for a fact that peanut butter goes awesome with bacon. I would like to try peanut butter with bacon and oats some morning. Maybe pour in a little oil from the non-hydrogenated peanut butter, then fry up the diced bacon in my pot, then dump in some oats to brown them up a bit, and then finally drop in some spoonfuls of peanut butter to goop it all up. Not exactly sure how it would all come together but I'll bet you could hike some serious miles if you could choke it all down, chasing it with cowboy coffee.

Peanut butter makes a fair replacement for bacon in some recipes. Bacon tastes better but it's especially bad for some people.

[bobtomaskovic]

It really depends on your stove how carried away you can get with hot food. More is the real answer when it comes to food but you'll learn that when the time comes. I ended up on a pretty regular menu on trail. 1st breakfast 2 oatmeal pkts and fresh brewed coffee. packup and walk 1 hr then dry cereal then granola, nuts ,snickers trail mix or any combo every hour or so till dinner. dinners velveeta shells and cheese, red beans and rice with summer sausage, bean burritos (carry dried refried beans,tortillas,sharp cheddar) Ramen w/tuna, instant potatoes w/ham or bacon or pepperoni and always a hot chocolate before bed if it was cold. I carried a wisperlight and it let me cook anything I wanted. I could hard boil a dozen eggs at a time and trade for other stuff on trail. I would stay away from any commercial backpacking food not enough calories and too expensive. Fig newtons 60-80 cal each are good and when you get far enough north whoopie pies are killer. Always pig out in town and carry something fresh out, fruit, subway ect. I had no real problem resupplying as I went for the most part. One notable exception was NOC resupply sucked there last year when I went thru.

[Papa D]

instant potatoes, cheese
knorr pasta sides, cheese
cheese
ramen noodles and peanut butter and soy sauce and hot sauce
hot sauce with anything
mac and cheese
pesto and cheese tortillini and tomato sauce
instant refiried beans, cheese, knorr instant taco rice, tortillas and taco bell sauce
oatmeal and peanut butter
peanut butter or almond butter with nutella
nutella
anything made with bisquick or powdered milk
chocolate

this is just a start -- you can make soooo much - get creative and have fun

[Derek81pci]

I LOVE these things! http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_...0Backup%20Meal)

I ate a million MRE's durning my time in the Marines, and these are better than those were. I also picked up some of their 2,400 calorie bars. They are like $3 a piece. I only got enough to get myself through the New England section (SOBO). Figured after that, resupply is way more trivial. Just a thought for some who either don't want to mess with a stove, or want a ton of calories in a small lightweight little ready-to-go-bag.

[Winds]

Derek, on the quick read... Are these $10+ PER MEAL? That seems so very steep however convenient.

[Lando11]

How has no one mentioned dehydrated milk + cereal? Milk is key, full of vitamins and other good stuff like potassium and calcium. Also, honey buns and whoopie pies in the northeast are amazing. Another great thing if you find them are big 100 protein bars. They have around 30 grams of protein and are about 400 calories. They may taste like cardboard but are a great way to recover protein

[Wise Old Owl]

For variety in dried & freeze dried foods I recommend shopping at Trader Joes if you find them nearby......


Just saw the above post - dehydrated fat free milk is aweful - lacks vitamins that has to be put back in suggest Nido and granola

[Derek81pci]

Derek, on the quick read... Are these $10+ PER MEAL? That seems so very steep however convenient.

Nope, the ones I ordered are $5.25 a unit, with the 12 unit discount. $5.75 individually.

As I said, I only ordered enough of them for the Maine section. I was concerned about resupply options and these are fairly lightweight, super high calories, and very convenient, ie; drop the main meal package into the heater bag, add some water, it boils instantly. The price is really good I think. This one meal bag is the majority of your food for the day, plus I ordered the 2,400 calorie bars for a super fuel boost on the steep climb days seeing as I'm starting at Katahdin.

[swjohnsey]

MREs are heavy, expensive and produce a lot of trash even when stripped. Each MRE weighs about 1 1/2 lbs and only furnishes about 1,200 calories. Those food "bars" weigh a pound each. We were forced to eat them on open water survival training. They come in the life rafts. They ain't 'xactly tasty. By comparison, a jar of peanut butter weighs about the same and contains about 3,000 calories.

I spent 20 years in the Army, mostly as a Ranger. I ate about a million MREs, too, plus Cs and LRRPs. You can break the 100 mile wilderness into two jumps, one around 60 miles and one around 40 miles by stopping at Whitehouse Landing. That's what I plan to do.

[Derek81pci]

The ones I got are not heavy or expensive. I can strip a good chuck of the excess weight out as well (each pack has a spoon, coffee, ass-paper, condiments, etc; I don't need any of that stuff). Main meal and sides are about all I'll take. I won't be packing a stove until Monson either, so it should work out. And the bars are only 2oz a piece, I don't think we are talking about the same ones, Millennium something or other. They aren't 2,400 calories a piece... 400, but 2,400 in the package. 9 flavors and a little over $1 a pop after my military and bulk discount. It's not ideal, I'm sure, but it's a comfort factor for me I guess, to go with this type of food for the part I am most concerned about. I will not be stopping at WHL, unless I need a resupply, which I read they are insane expensive there.

[jakedatc]

surprised no one has talked more calories per ounce. Pringles, fig newton Fruit thins, fig newtons, fritos, cadbury eggs , peeps? all are over 100cal per ounce.. fruit thins are 140cal/ounce PB filled pretzel bites are a close 2nd at 130/oz 24 servings for 5 bucks.

[Skid.]

Ramen has more salt than all the oceans of the world in one serving. They forgot to leave room for the taste.

I think SPAM may have a little more salt, ate it the first time out, would not take it hiking again.

[Hikes in Rain]

Spam is the end result of a long line of research to make meat Jello.

[swjohnsey]

Hikers need lotsa salt.