Backpacking Diet, finding the balance of Fat-Carb-Protein

akork

I'm trying to plan a diet for a backpacking trip I am doing this summer. I am a 6' tall man weighing 165 pounds and probably something like 17% bodyfat. Unlike with any other diet the weight of the food itself is a critical factor here as I can only carry so much. As a result I want HIGH calorie to weight foods while still maintaining a balanced good diet that will keep my energy high. I have about 10% bodyfat I could potentially lose before I run into health risks or feelings of starvation. There is no way I can eat enough to not lose weight on this hike (I'll be burning about 6000 calories per day) so I'm not aiming for balancing my calories with my usage but aiming for 2500-3000 calories per day would be good so I'm not losing more than a pound per day.

My current diet plan has me consuming 2600 calories daily from about 1.5lb of food with the percent breakdown from Fat-Carb-Protein it coming to 45-35-20, so 45% of my calories will be from fat, 35% from carb, 20% from protein. Thats 135g protein.

The amount of fat probably looks counter intuitive to any "diet" that is typically on this site but keep in mind I'm trying to maximize calories to weight here and protein and carbs are heavier by calorie than fat. So my question is will I be getting enough carbs to keep the fat burning engine stoked and is that sufficient protein to prevent muscle deteriation? Also any suggestions on foods that are easily carriable, do not spoil and have high calorie to weight?


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frogmommy

If you have access to a food dehydrator (and will be taking a camp stove and iodine to purify water), my husband and son have had luck dehydrating ground meat prior to backpacking trips. They add it to dehydrated veggies and Minute Rice (ok, not the best carb, but they don't carry enough fuel to cook real rice or quinoa).

If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, they have a great selection of dried fruit (including freeze dried), nuts and jerkeys.

UpEarly

We enjoy backpacking, too! I liked freeze-dried hamburger crumbles - super lightweight and they're high in protein and fat. I get the large canisters made by Mountain House and sold through Amazon. We make all kinds of dehydrated meals - cheesy rice with ground beef and sun-dried tomatoes is one of my faves. Peanut butter in squeezy tubes instead of jars is good. Packets of olive oil come in handy. Have you shopped Packit Gourmet yet? They have a ton of stuff. We also pack lots of oatmeal, instant rice, instant pasta (like ramen), couscous and quinoa.

I don't worry about sugar at all when I backpack, because it gets burned off and used. So, actually I eat a lot of Snickers Bars - good mix of sugar, fat and protein! There was actually a study that came out recently (maybe in Outside?) that covered research about hikers endurance/performance with and without sugary drinks. Hikers with sugar were more optimistic and hiked stronger than those who just had water or used artificial sweeteners.

How long are you going out? How far do you plan to go each day? I usually aim to eat about 4000 calories a day when we're backpacking, and I still lose weight.

akork

Yeah dried fruit nuts and jerky are definately on my list. I've found that nothing quite beats almonds for ease of carrying, taste and calories to weight. Beef Jerky may not have that many calories but it is super satisfying during a hike and the extra protein is a good thing. Dried fruit is decent calories and the sugar will help maintain your energy. For diners I'd planned on bringing freeze-dried meals from Mountain House which basically are the dehydrated ground beef and rice that you suggest.

I've been on long packs before and this type of food has always served me well. I just read that you are supposed to be eating high carb and I'm getting close to 50% of my calories from fat on this trip. I honestly don't understand how someone could eat 70% carb and not be carrying like 3 lb a day worth of food.

robinaddison

I love Probars - approx 350 cal in a 3 oz chewy bar of goodness. Organic, yummy and high carbs/fat with some protein as well - I like them better than snickers personally.
Also, here's another vote for the freeze dried hamburger crumbles.
Yay for hiking - I'm headed out for a couple of days tomorrow!

akork

Its a 13 day trip and we are going about 170 miles. We usually start our mornings with 1 cup of granola each mixed with dehydrated milk and protein powder. For snacks we do dried fruit, almonds, jerky and hard candies which we find help with steep hills (sucking on something sweet just seems to make the elevation seem less). We keep a snack-pack close by and munch as we walk. Lunch is usually a thin bread like pita or sandwich thins with salami and string cheese. Dinner is freeze-dried Mountain House pouches. Also bring extra string cheese and Luna bars to eat on a snack break or pad out dinner a bit more.

I bet we are burning considerably more than 4000 calories a day however I am unwilling to go much more than 1.5lb of food. The most I can pack into that without just carrying around sticks of butter seems to be about 2600 calories. I have enough of a spare tire that I'm not going to keel over after 13 days I just don't want to short change myself on energy. I'm actually on the slimmer side of my usual weight and its certainly the thinnest I've started a long hike at so I'm a bit concerned that my body will freak out if I hit 10% bodyfat and start changing my metabolism in a way that makes me lethargic.

I'll check out the freeze-dried hamburger crumbles. It sounds similar to what I get with Mountain House but perhaps cheaper and maybe a good way to just add bulk to our dinners.

akork

My only issue with things like Snickers Bars is that chocolate doesn't tend to stay particularlly solid on warm days. We usually take some Luna bars or other similar energy bars that don't melt.

UpEarly

My only issue with things like Snickers Bars is that chocolate doesn't tend to stay particularlly solid on warm days. We usually take some Luna bars or other similar energy bars that don't melt.

LOL - I like them melty. :-) In the summer, I practically suck them out of their wrapper. Energy bars are always too solid/chewy for my preferences - like a weird nutrition brick! I'll eat them, but I don't love them.

pkelly638

For an easy, calorie dense food, try this recipe for "hudson bread" http://www.holry.org/essays/baybread.html
This was something that we used to always eat on backpacking trips and provides a very satisfying fill. Obviously you should probably try making it ahead of time and make sure you like it, but I am yet to meet anyone who hasn't. We generally ate the "bread" with peanut butter and jelly for a very tasty and easy lunch.

Also, as an alternative to the mushy snickers bar, try "nut roll" bars, which you can probably find at your local gas station or convenience store. They are pretty similar to a snickers, but wont melt when they're sitting in your pack all day. They're packed with protein and carbs for a great snack along the trail.

frogmommy

Loving the on-line resources for backpacking food that everybody has suggested. Dehydrating food for the boys has always been the biggest pain in my behind when they get the backpacking urge! Thank you, all!

Almiel

Hello fellow backpackers! I searched backpacking and found this thread. I know it's old but am looking for others who like to go wilderness tripping in various forms. We also like to canoe camp.

Akork, how did your trip go? What did you decide on and did it work for you? I wish I'd seen this thread back when it was fresh. I'd suggest emergency food bars. They're high in fat and taste like coconut. They're really not bad and would pack a lot of calories for the weight. I'd be worried about a high ratio of fat because it's not converted to energy as fast but I don't know. Maybe for a 2 week or longer trip you would need it. Our trips are a max of 5 days. I usually pack about 2 lbs of food per day per person. That's the rule of thumb I always read. We usually will cache food (and water if necessary) at a mid-point.

Anyway, send me a friend request if interested. My avatar is me on the Ouachita trail in Arkansas. We've been working our way across this trail section by section and are about halfway done.

Play_outside

I'm a backpacker too. I usually use my food dehydrator to make my own meals. Also, if you go to the backpacker.com forums there is a food and cooking forum which can be VERY helpful! I also mountain bike, kayak, surf, and canoe. I am looking forward to some kayaking trips especially-it is like super luxury backpacking since you don't have to be quite as careful about weight