[Slide Alder Slayer]

Packpup and I have done many 6-7 day trips. One of the obvious facts of packing food for that duration is volume and weight. The other consideration is the weather. Nothing is worse then preparing a complex meal in foul weather, so getting a custom forecast from Washington Online Weather really helps us decide what to take. For breakfast it's Muesli with some dried milk and protein powder pre mixed in a zip lock bag, add water, and I have an instant 500 calories. For lunch it is Pilat Bread, and peanut butter and jam squeezers from Enertia Trail Foods, another quick 500 calories. For dinner we use Enertia Trail Foods. The dinner meals are already vacuum-sealed and the weight is considerably less then other pre-packaged meals. Also, Enertia does not freeze dry their foods, and boost calories with very tasty sauces that reconstitute easily. For desert there are short bread cookies at 100 calories apiece. On a long trip there are two taste buds that we need to feed, salt and sweat. Our snacks consist of Zen Mix for salt, and Golden Grams mixed with honey-roasted peanuts for sweet. In all over 2,500 calories at about 1 1/2 pounds per day. You mentioned that cookware and stoves would not be a problem. For two people and seven days we use one titanium pot to boil water and less than one large MSR/Snow Peak canister, or considerably less that one large (300g) Coleman Powermax canister. Stove selection is based on conditions and varies from our Snow Peak Gigapower Titanium for fair weather, to a Coleman Max Extreme with MSR windscreen or MSR Rapid Fire for higher altitude and windy/foul weather conditions. For mid winter it’s strictly white gas, and for snow camping in the early spring, it’s Coleman’s Max Extreme again with MSR windscreen. Hanging or storing 8 days worth of food is also a consideration. For long trips we use Outdoor Research Hydroseal Stuff Sacks. Basically waterproof, hang easily from trees, and compress nicely as the volume of food shrinks. All different sizes available. Two medium stuff sacks might work better than one large sack, as 8 days of food in one large sack would be a challenge to store in any backpack under 5,000 cu in. Have a great trip!

[Allison]

[Jeepasaurusrex]

Buy a case of Military MREs. You can break the boxes down so that there is only the food packets and necessary componets you want to take. When I was in the Army, I could pack a weeks worth of food into what many would consider a daypack. High in calories, and on a plus side, you wont have to goto the bathroom for a week!

[Jeff R]

I have just recently contemplated filling a 3 liter camelback bladder (or Nalgene) with "Espresso love" Gu,.. kinda like a hamster bottle, you know, the watering apparatus , ala lab rat style!

[jenjen]

[sarbar]

Heck I just ate that for breakfast (I test all new boxes of freezer bags I buy at home) Chopped up a piece of turket, threw in some cheese, cracked in 2 eggs, sealed out the air, and mixed it up good and plenty. Then pop the bag in water that is simmering, (but had been brought to a boil) Pull it out a couple times and squish it around carefully to make sure it is cooking evenly. Oh yeah, and the eggs just slide on out......talk about nonstick. Tasty!

[tennessee treader]

Does the applesauce stay good without refridgeration?

[tennessee treader]

MRE's!!!!! one case of food poisoning is all you would need to stay away from those. I gave them up after being fed involuntarily in the Marine Corps (God bless 'em).

[aestivate]

Bring fat, in one form or another. It has the best calories-to-weight ratio. Personally, I favor olive oil. I add it to hot foods. Peanut butter, almond butter, salami are good lunch foods, being fatty.

[Malachai Constant]

Fat has the most calories but it takes too long to metabolize for most short trips if you are on an eight week sealing trip in the arctic it's great

[aestivate]

[mpaul_hansen]

RE: balanced diet - long backcountry trips.... This is based on years of experience leading groups on backcountry trips of 1 week or more in the Cascades, Olympics, Rockies and Alps. Suggest to all participants to bring along a supply of MULTI-VITAMINS. Even if your diet is less than perfect [ie the recommended food pyramid], this seems to be beneficial for maintaining health. PS also bring other non-prescription medicines for GI system upsets, etc. ...my preference is also to bring along a small amount of dried fruits... which are relatively inexpensive being purchased from the Grocer.