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RokIzGud
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RokIzGud
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PostSun Mar 13, 2011 6:05 pm 
With all this chitchat going on about ultra-light gear, does anyone go extreme on having ultra-light food sources? I talked to a climber on Baker who thought he could use only use whey protein powder on three day climbs. He obviously didnt know how protein and carbs worked but it was a start...

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ChrisM
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PostSun Mar 13, 2011 6:26 pm 
The best ultralight food is ultra heavy food, that is, maximizing your calories per ounce, while still attempting to balance carbs/protein/fat to reasonable levels.

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Magellan
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PostSun Mar 13, 2011 6:28 pm 
Iron had a thread on this. I think he took peanut butter as a staple for calorie dense food.

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Slugman
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PostSun Mar 13, 2011 10:28 pm 
Most dehydrated dinners are somewhere "north" of 100 calories per ounce. 125 is a typical number. I figure any food is a good backpacking food if it has at least 100 calories per ounce, and it doesn't spoil unrefrigerated. It is also a benefit if nothing needed cooking, as that requires gear and time. Trader Joe's organic peanut butter crackers have 150 calories per ounce, plus a mixture of protein, fat and carbs. Four ounces makes a fine lunch if you are on the go. I think those going to extremes are more into simplicity than actual weight savings. They don't want to stop and cook. Unless they plan to just eat a minimum of calories as well, but you can refrain from eating all foods equally. You might as well say you are dining on lobster thermadore except you are fasting. embarassedlaugh.gif That reminds me of a joke from one of my favorite movies, Ninotchka. A man goes into a cafe and asks for a cup of coffee with no cream. After a few minutes the waiter comes back and says "We are all out of cream, can it be without milk instead"? lol.gif

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sarbar
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PostMon Mar 14, 2011 4:00 pm 
UL food should be getting the most out of your food in what you carry. So making sure your choices are: 1: EDIBLE (I cannot stress this enough!! Just because "x" food has say 140 calories an ounce don't carry it if it makes you gag) 2:Will fuel you up in a balanced way. 3:Is varied enough you don't snooze out in boredom. Sure you can take powders aplenty. But unless you are one of the few who loves an all liquid shake diet....don't. Texture is a big thing for many, as is taste. A shake or drink or two a day can be a boost if needed, but not as primary. In the same way a steady diet of junk food is also not a great choice. But with anything, the beauty of food is it weighs less with every bite you take. And that is a great thing!

https://trailcooking.com/ Eat well on the trail.
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Malachai Constant
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PostMon Mar 14, 2011 4:51 pm 
Spoke with a NW Pioneering Climber, he had the ultimate lightweight food, a small .22 pistol for Marmots hungry.gif

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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onemoremile
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PostMon Mar 14, 2011 6:53 pm 
Mmmm....Marmots sound tasty. .22 pistols are good for grouse too, if you hike during their season. If you're any good at identifying plant life and fungus, that can lighten the food load. The only mushroom I trust myself to correctly ID is the chanterelle. But you can eat fern tips, cat tails, and a few others. If it is berry season and there is a good crop, you could almost survive on those alone. Don't forget the fish either. In many cases the fish are non native and are a detriment to native amphibians, so eating those fish helps the other critters.

“Arbolist? Look up the word. I don’t know, maybe I made it up. Anyway, it’s an arbo-tree-ist, somebody who knows about trees.” G.W. Bush
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Allison
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PostMon Mar 14, 2011 6:57 pm 
Stocked fish is another discussion and they are not, in the vast majority of cases, harmful.

www.allisonoutside.com follow me on Twitter! @AllisonLWoods
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The Bubbly Hiker
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PostMon Mar 14, 2011 7:11 pm 
Starjumper say: Why bring any food?

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kbatku
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PostTue Mar 15, 2011 12:15 am 
My fave: dry salami. Works as a snack about any time, has about 6000 calories an ounce, a nice blend of protein and fat (carbs are easy in any diet), is CHEAP, doesn't spoil rapidly, needs no refrigeration (short term) , tastes good, salty (!!!) , and best of all - uhhhhh...hmmmm...I ran out of great things to say about it. frown.gif

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DIYSteve
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PostWed Mar 16, 2011 3:22 pm 
olive oil = lots of dense calories, the good kind of fat, easy to carry and super long shelf life

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RokIzGud
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RokIzGud
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PostWed Mar 16, 2011 4:11 pm 
Thanks for all the input, guys! up.gif up.gif Keep it up! I’ve been trying to adjust my meal plan for adventure racing trying to keep it light, simple and provide necessary energy for 24 hour events but this defiantly helps for general backpacking as well smile.gif …On a side note, does anyone does anyone add any special power drink mixes? Thanks again guys!

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jenjen
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PostWed Mar 16, 2011 9:58 pm 
I bring EmergenC pouches. They taste good, and you sure don't get much in the way of vitamins from dehydrated or freeze dried food. I also bring Carnation Instant Breakfast powder that I mix with powdered milk at home so I just have to add water on the trail. They're kind of gross when you're at home. Get out on the trail and start to lose it because you're planned meals aren't giving the energy you need, and those Instant Breakfasts rock. Fat, sugar, protein, and they're easy to gulp down and digest. As far as other food, dried salami, sharp cheddar cheese, and nuts pack a lot of nutrition for their weight. They aren't ultralight, but they sure keep you moving.

If life gives you melons - you might be dyslexic
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onemoremile
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PostWed Mar 16, 2011 10:22 pm 
One thing I like to do is mix food up ahead of time. Example: In one bag I'll have 2 cups of rice, some black eyed peas, then mix in salt, pepper, and other spices. The water is there when I get there. So I only have one package to deal with and not a bunch of little spice containers and separate bags. I ran into a photographer way back in the wilderness one evening and he said that before a hike he preps his veggies. He takes a cookie sheet and then slices up veggies (carrots/cucumbers/broccoli) and then puts the cookie sheet in the oven at a low heat to dehydrate the veggies. Then packs them up. When he is ready to eat them, he drops them in the pot with water and heats them up. And like jenjen is talking about, one of the backcountry rangers said she adds powdered milk to cereal ahead of time...just add water.

“Arbolist? Look up the word. I don’t know, maybe I made it up. Anyway, it’s an arbo-tree-ist, somebody who knows about trees.” G.W. Bush
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Token Civilian
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PostThu Mar 24, 2011 5:03 pm 
Rok AR and hiking strategies for food are probably a bit different, at least they are for me. For 24 hr AR's I lean toward the fast, no cook, tasty, easy for me to eat. A mix of gels, some bars, sandwiches, shot blocks and liquid (I'm a fan of hammer perpetuem - 4 scoops in a water bottle = 500 calories that's fast and easy to put down.) I also tried bacon on the last 24 I did (Trioba last year). Worked well. Bacon...is there any situation you're not good? biggrin.gif I've also done slices of cold pizza (yum). Hiking - so my criteria for food on the thru hike was sufficient complete protein, calorie dense by weight, calorie dense by volume, tasty, easy to prepare. Unlike a race situation, there is plenty of time to cook and still knock off 20-25 (or more) miles a day. Breakfast was instant oatmeal (yeah, a lot will say yuk) mixed with powdered milk, with instant coffee and hot cocoa mix to drink. Lunch was bagel sandwiches of dry salami and cheese. Dinner was typically a lipton rice side with instant mashed potato's, with a nice shot of olive oil mixed in and a 3-4 ounce can or foil pack of chicken (or a whole deluxe kraft mac n cheese, always the first night out meal as it's the heaviest). Snacks included nuts, zingers, fruit pies, bars, hard candies, chips, candy bars. I would include "Just Veggies" for the dinners going forward. I also carried a small spice kit I'd reload from the bounce box. Every morning with breakfast I also had a multi vitamin to fill in nutritional gaps. In the desert, I'd add a fat pinch of salt substitute (potassium chloride) to the dinners to help with the electrolytes. There was plenty of salt / sodium chloride in them. The cheese and powdered milk took care of the calcium. One of the keys for me on the thru hike was the 2nd breakfast and 2nd lunch. Trying to force down more at the 3 main meals didn't work - you can only eat so much. 2nd breakfast or lunch was at the first break after the 'main' meal - about 1 1/2 - 2 hours later. Typically it would be a fruit pie (or 3 pack of zingers) plus a power bar (or equivalent) - a good 600-800 calories.

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