Need Advice: Backpacking meals and Exercise Calculation

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KMMRN
KMMRN Posts: 104 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am going on a 3 day (2 night) backpacking trip over the (Canadian) Thanksgiving weekend. Not really sure how to calculate calorie usage for this.....will be carrying a 15 kg pack.

Also, what are reasonable food choices for me to transport? I will have a small butane burner. Remember, I have to carry everything I bring, including water (the lakes and streams will be frozen by then). I will need 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 suppers and all snacks.

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  • bakeralison1
    bakeralison1 Posts: 43 Member
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    You should take an axe and break into a stream for water or melt snow, because water for three days of heavy activity will be, well heavy. Also with the amount of exercise you probably have to worry about taking enough to eat and not trying to diet. Depending on your taste and your budget there is a huge range of options. If your into cooking and want to make your own dehydrated meals check out the local library they might have a book on it or just google some recipes. I usually pack eggs and mix for pancakes for breakfast, dry pasta/rice/potato type mixes from the grocery store repackaged in ziploc to save room are great for dinner, a ton of trail mix, chocolate snacks. If it is actually cold out your options expand to carrying whatever you want as it's not going to spoil. I have premade marinated shishkobobs and vaccum packed them before for a fancier meal and they turned out great.
  • KMMRN
    KMMRN Posts: 104 Member
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    You should take an axe and break into a stream for water or melt snow, because water for three days of heavy activity will be, well heavy. Also with the amount of exercise you probably have to worry about taking enough to eat and not trying to diet. Depending on your taste and your budget there is a huge range of options. If your into cooking and want to make your own dehydrated meals check out the local library they might have a book on it or just google some recipes. I usually pack eggs and mix for pancakes for breakfast, dry pasta/rice/potato type mixes from the grocery store repackaged in ziploc to save room are great for dinner, a ton of trail mix, chocolate snacks. If it is actually cold out your options expand to carrying whatever you want as it's not going to spoil. I have premade marinated shishkobobs and vaccum packed them before for a fancier meal and they turned out great.
    Thank you Alison, that is helpful! I was mostly worried about bringing low calorie choices, but if I don't have to worry about that I will just visit my local MEC and the sky's the limit! Perhaps I don't need to worry about calculating exercise calories either; what do you think. I know that when I go on vacation I ALWAYS lose weight....so busy having fun.
    Thanks again.
  • ostrichagain
    ostrichagain Posts: 271 Member
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    Take along enough for an extra meal and a snack in case you find you are gone a little longer than you expected, or in case you find you are a little hungrier than you expected! I don't know if you have ever backpacked in winter, but you will probably be burning more calories. When we camp in the winter, we eat a lot more. Something else you can try is packing clean, fresh snow into a water bottle and tucking it into your coat or under your sleeping bag at night. Your body heat will melt it slowly.

    Yes!! Tons of chocolate trail mix. My favorite thing is basically soup. You kill the pathogens in the water as you cook your dinner, multi-tasking! Soup is very satisfying, warms you up and easy, light . . .
  • KMMRN
    KMMRN Posts: 104 Member
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    Take along enough for an extra meal and a snack in case you find you are gone a little longer than you expected, or in case you find you are a little hungrier than you expected! I don't know if you have ever backpacked in winter, but you will probably be burning more calories. When we camp in the winter, we eat a lot more. Something else you can try is packing clean, fresh snow into a water bottle and tucking it into your coat or under your sleeping bag at night. Your body heat will melt it slowly.

    Yes!! Tons of chocolate trail mix. My favorite thing is basically soup. You kill the pathogens in the water as you cook your dinner, multi-tasking! Soup is very satisfying, warms you up and easy, light . . .
    Well if backpacking in the winter means tons of chocolate trail mix is allowed, I might go every weekend. Thanks!
  • pepeleo
    pepeleo Posts: 49 Member
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    Where in Canada are you going that you think the lakes and rivers will be frozen by Thanksgiving?
  • KMMRN
    KMMRN Posts: 104 Member
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    Where in Canada are you going that you think the lakes and rivers will be frozen by Thanksgiving?

    Thompson, Manitoba
  • shadowess3
    shadowess3 Posts: 22 Member
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    I always find that I'm not up for large meals when backpacking/camping, the time required to just make and clean up the meal almost cancels out what I get from the meal.

    I suggest bringing some oatmeal for breakfast and have some options to change it up (different dried fruit, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, or even pumpkin pie spice to go with Thanksgiving), and then stuff for dinner (Rice, Pasta is good. I also love to take along some Instant India, basically it's foil packages of indian curried that you warm up by submerging the package in boiling water, makes you feel fancy having curry in the bush)

    Then just bring a bunch of snacking foods, trail mix, some rye or pita bread and peanut butter, dried fruit, granola bars, jerky, etc. for lunch time.

    I suggest having some chocolate something or jube jubes, something while your on the trail for a bit of a sugar boost. And really when you're backpacking with a 15kg pack I think you can get away with some slightly higher calorie foods.

    Here's a nice list of some food ideas: http://www.troop132.org/misc/bpfood2.html

    Also I'm 100% with the person who suggested to bring an axe to break into lakes for water, or melting snow, if you had to carry in the water you need it would be insanely heavy!

    Have lots of fun!!

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