Backpacking: Food Intake
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Backpacking is the one time I'll actually look around the center aisles of the grocery store. You'd be surprised at how much on offer can be made by simply boiling water. In terms of protein, go for the meats in a pouch rather than a can - much lighter and easier to open. Some favorites:
Breakfast - Instant Oatmeal (Make your own and put into ziplocks)
Lunch - crackers & cheese (think babybels) & summer sausage (e.g., pepperoni)
Dinner - Couscous mix + chicken packet, Ramen + beef jerky, Instant mashed potatoes (the loaded variety)1 -
SierraFatToSkinny wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »SierraFatToSkinny wrote: »
I was wondering if what I had was a good amount. You say more?cwolfman13 wrote: »When I'm packing, the last thing I'm worried about is calories...actually, I am...about not getting enough. I pack and I eat...it is far superior to the alternative.
As you have it set, your pace is about 1.2 mph. I'm sure the MFP calorie burn is based on a much more reasonable pace, probably at least twice that speed. So no, I don't think more calories makes sense because you are already over-estimating calorie burn.
It really depends on the terrain/elevation gain. I find it really hard to estimate calories burned from a hike due to so many variables. If she's new to backpacking, carrying a 30 pound pack, and trudging up rough terrain, that pace may not be too unreasonable. But, I am not familiar with her route, so it's hard to say.
Yes, the elevation change is relevant. A 30 lb. pack isn't too much, probably not far off from what is used by MFP to estimate calorie burn. I think MFP is basing their calculation on "moving time" and not total time. While she may stop frequently to catch her breath, that shouldn't be included for calorie burn estimates. It's tough to determine that without an activity tracker (which would probably help with elevation gain and calorie burn anyway), but unless MFP includes stopped time (it wouldn't seem likely), then the pace still seems very low.
The telemetry of my phone picks up on miles and elevation gains. But that'll be post hike recalculation.
Unless the route is unbalanced, i.e., uphill on the way in, downhill on the way out, if you have a telemetry app, you'll have an idea of your day 1 burn while you're sitting around the campfire telling ghost stories, and an idea of your intake needs for the hike out on day 2.0 -
Backpacking is the one time I'll actually look around the center aisles of the grocery store. You'd be surprised at how much on offer can be made by simply boiling water. In terms of protein, go for the meats in a pouch rather than a can - much lighter and easier to open. Some favorites:
Breakfast - Instant Oatmeal (Make your own and put into ziplocks)
Lunch - crackers & cheese (think babybels) & summer sausage (e.g., pepperoni)
Dinner - Couscous mix + chicken packet, Ramen + beef jerky, Instant mashed potatoes (the loaded variety)
Summer sausage! Good idea. I'll do that for lunch!0 -
What's the question? How much food to pack to cover the cals that you expect to burn on the trek? Forget about it!
You just need to eat/drink enough to remain hydrated and to keep your strength/energy up and keep you feeling full during the 2 day trek.
Carry foods high in fat, sugar and protein. Coffee/tea or just water for drinks. Instant oatmeal and/or trail or protein bars for breakfast. Nuts, dried fruit, beef jerky and/or trail/protein bars for food on the move plus caffeine/energy packs if you like. Prepackaged dehydrated meal packs (w/coffee/tea or just water) for dinner; I can eat a meal for 4 by myself after a day of backbacking.
All of these things are light and only require water for prep where required. Don't carry anything that requires you to do more than open a package and boil water to prepare it.
For a 2 day/1 night trip, all of the food you need shouldn't weigh more than 2-3# at most. At about 4 lbs, 2 quarts/liters of water will be heavier. Don't forget your water filter!
If you're not sure how much food you'll need, do a test run by eating only trail food one day at home doing what you normally do. Try to keep what you eat that day to a min and then pack double that amount (per day) to allow for increased energy needs on the trail. You should end up carrying more food than you need and can reduce the amount you need to carry on future trips.
Have fun!
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Unless I missed it, you don't mention how many backpacking trips you've done--is this your first? My husband and I did several trips about 11-13 years ago. One particular hike was 6 days/5 nights in the White Mountains, and involved a lot of elevation change. I had calculated the amount of calories I thought we would need, and packed a ton of food. As it turned out, we didn't have nearly the appetite we thought we would during the trip. It was a tough hike! We ended up dumping dried fruit and trail mix along the trail, as it was heavy and we didn't need it! It was like a scene from the book A Walk in the Woods, lol.1
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My personal favorite snack for hiking is Hershey's snack mix. I munch on it when I need a little boost. It has chocolate, almonds, and pretzels in it. Its around 200 calories and delicious. I also usually take a tiny can of no drain tuna with crackers to eat which has a lot of protein. The downside is that you have to pack out the tiny can.0
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It's been a while since I've done overnight hiking. I've simplified my outings to be 6-8 hour day hikes from a starting location. That means that it's breakfast at base, packed lunch, plenty of snacks and water, and dinner back a base, skipping the need for a camp stove, fuel, water filter, etc.
What I take on a day hike:
- 2L water bladder
- sandwich (meat & cheese) on a wrap. roughly same macros as bread, but nothing to crush, and packs nicely
- alternately, dried meats, some cheese, flat bread (e.g. pita)
- homemade trail mix (peanuts, almonds, cashews, raisins, chocolate chips). One pouch in my backpack, a smaller pouch in an accessible pocket, for nibbling along the way
- an apple and/or a banana
- if i'm lucky, my wife has baked cookies (oatmeal/raisin/choc-chip, mmm).
- maybe some dried fruit
- heavy duty zip-lock baggies to keep the trash from soiling the pack.
But sometimes we plan hikes that pass through a village that serves great pub food.
As someone else said, the water outweighs the food, for the most part, so I don't mind carrying a bit of extra food, preferring to play it safe. Inevitably, someone else on the walk under-packs, and then they are in your debt for that extra energy bar you were carrying ... i.e., they're buying the beer at the pub on the next night out. Anything not used during the day goes back in the bag for the next day.
Hopefully the weather will hold for you.0 -
jparker3363 wrote: »My personal favorite snack for hiking is Hershey's snack mix. I munch on it when I need a little boost. It has chocolate, almonds, and pretzels in it. Its around 200 calories and delicious. I also usually take a tiny can of no drain tuna with crackers to eat which has a lot of protein. The downside is that you have to pack out the tiny can.
I never thought of taking tuna backpacking, because of having to deal with the can, but a pouch of tuna, and an extra-ziplock to seal-in the post-meal scent, might be the way to do it.0 -
jparker3363 wrote: »My personal favorite snack for hiking is Hershey's snack mix. I munch on it when I need a little boost. It has chocolate, almonds, and pretzels in it. Its around 200 calories and delicious. I also usually take a tiny can of no drain tuna with crackers to eat which has a lot of protein. The downside is that you have to pack out the tiny can.
I never thought of taking tuna backpacking, because of having to deal with the can, but a pouch of tuna, and an extra-ziplock to seal-in the post-meal scent, might be the way to do it.
Yes, when I take tuna, I bring pouches and a spoon to just eat it straight from the pouch.
ETA: Sometimes you can find chicken in similar pouches if you prefer that.0 -
I do a fair bit of hiking and backpacking. ALbeit in the Netherlands and well - it's not exactly high altitude or too excessive but I have done things like that in the past.
One of the nicest foods I've fond for walking is something called Roggebrood. I think in the US it's called Rye or Black Bread? It's a really dense bread (no yeast) made from well rye and molasses. There is a fair bit of protein in it and a whole load of complex carbs - great for slow energy release. It's flat and easy to pack;)
I often have this with cheese. If it's cold, I'll take a Camembert with me or something like that that I can melt and dip the bread in - much like Swiss Fondue. All in all it's energy dense but pretty healthy. I'll wash it down with hot tea.
I find that if you are camping over night then you need a bit more for the evening because of the cold air. ALtitude also requires a few more cals and certainly more fluid.
Breakfast is usually eggs and bacon with more cheese. Again - lots of dense energy and protein.
For the trail - maybe a few boiled eggs & bananas. These can put in much needed sustenance after a lot of exertion and help with muscle repair.
Keep up the good work and the main thing is to enjoy the overnight.
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chrismellor01 wrote: »I often have this with cheese. If it's cold, I'll take a Camembert with me or something like that that I can melt and dip the bread in - much like Swiss Fondue. All in all it's energy dense but pretty healthy. I'll wash it down with hot tea.
You have fondue while backpacking? I've been doing this all wrong!2 -
Hi there everyone, figured I'd update you all.
I'm back from backpacking! Turns out it was about 26 miles altogether! Split the toenail on my second toe, pulled a groin muscle, got dysentery, have blisters on both my feet, didn't eat nearly enough, exhausted, and hobbling around like an old lady.
Gonna do it again!
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SierraFatToSkinny wrote: »Hi there everyone, figured I'd update you all.
I'm back from backpacking! Turns out it was about 26 miles altogether! Split the toenail on my second toe, pulled a groin muscle, got dysentery, have blisters on both my feet, didn't eat nearly enough, exhausted, and hobbling around like an old lady.
Gonna do it again!
Excellent!0
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