Daily Calorie count for packing in

[25contender]

Hey guys I have been going through my gear regrouping and one thing stands out to me. For the past few trips I have made packing in I have struggled with daily calorie count yet packing light. I normally pack in for five - seven days at a time. I am not quite as high tech as some here but would like to be more efficient when packing in food. What are you guys packing in for meals to get that calorie count. Also how are you efficiently packing that food in your pack. I feel like I need 2400-2500 calories a day to keep up my energy level as I am constantly on the move. I will be honest I have never pack in any freeze dried meals and feel this my be a good way to lighten up the pack significantly. I have packed in some MRE meals but find they are just as bulky but at least they have that calorie count needed. Any tips would be appreciated. Mark

 

[Eric Bailey]

I pack freeze-dried meals, high calorie low sugar bars, jerky, trail mix with lots of nuts, and lots of caffeine to kick start a second wind if I need it.

 

[Eric Bailey]

I'm pretty sure I burn > 4,000 calories a day hiking 6 or more hours with a pack on my back. I don't eat that many because I tend to lose my appetite when working that hard, but I eat as much as I can possibly get down. Lots of water too.

 

[JMSZ]

I'm pretty sure I burn > 4,000 calories a day hiking 6 or more hours with a pack on my back. I don't eat that many because I tend to lose my appetite when working that hard, but I eat as much as I can possibly get down. Lots of water too.

I'm like you, I lose my appetite when I'm working like that and it bit me last year. I didn't eat nearly enough and after three days I was wiped out.

To 25Contender, in regards to MREs, another good thing about them is that they can be eaten straight out of the package with no prep and you don't need to carry extra water to reconstitute them.

I took a bunch of MREs last year and they were nice, but as you mentioned, they're bulky, heavy and expensive.

I'm planning a mix this year - Bridgford MRE sandwiches (you can buy them from the company that makes them), instant ramien with tuna fish (my one planned hot meal per day), Carnation Instant Breakfast + instant milk + instant coffee, Cliff Mojo Bars and Honey Stingers (Kudos to arrowslinger and dhershberger for turning me on to those).

That puts me at 2850ish calories per day and there is only one meal I have to boil water for, everything else can be eaten with cold water or straight out of the pack.

The sandwiches, mojo bars and honey stinger waffles are small and come in single packages, so it's easier to grab one and munch on it while I'm taking a break or even walking.

I found last fall that I was in a hurry in the morning and I just wasn't stopping much and I didn't want to have to take the time to pull everything out, set up my stove, etc, during the day.

So, this year I'm planning one hot meal per day for dinner, when I'm bedding down for the night.

 

[Musket Man]

I pack mountain house freeze dried and mix single serve instant mashed potatoes into them for dinner. Pop tarts, cliff bars, tuna, crackers, granola bars, trail mix, ect during the day. I always take a water filter and normally can find water close enough to camp that water for the freeze dried stuff is not an issue. David Longs book gives alot of good info on this too.

 

[25contender]

Yes I am good on the water I carry a filter as well. Water is fairly close by. I think I need to make up a list of some of the suggestions and from some of the other threads here and see what will work the best. I have never tried the Cliff bars or the Mountain House dinners. I have been a big Tuna Pack and Kipper Snack fan in the past but it gets old after a few days. Lots of homemade trail mix, some olive oil and honey stinger waffles. Does anyone vacuum seal any of their individual daily meal packs? I was thinking about doing that this year.

 

[Montana]

If you have interest I can email you my spreadsheet. I have a breakdown that has calorie count, weight, sodium, carb, and protein count as I felt those were the most important categories. I make myself eat 5 times a day and at certain times, it may just be a cliff bar at 10:30 but I watch the clock and stick to it. Never know when it will turn to go time and I don't want to run out of juice.

 

[25contender]

If you have interest I can email you my spreadsheet. I have a breakdown that has calorie count, weight, sodium, carb, and protein count as I felt those were the most important categories. I make myself eat 5 times a day and at certain times, it may just be a cliff bar at 10:30 but I watch the clock and stick to it. Never know when it will turn to go time and I don't want to run out of juice.

That would be great . It would be nice to see your breakdown. I like the point about not running out of juice. I have been there and done that!! Thanks Mark e-mail [email protected]

 

[MacDonald]

Mark, take a look at the energy replacement drinks that are sold at cycling and running shops. Mixing them in your water will not only supplement your calorie burn, but help to maintain your electrolyte balance and allow your body to recover quicker from heavy exercise. I'm taking in freeze-dried stuff for morning and evening, and adding cheese, Costco crumbled bacon, nuts and fruit for modified trail mix, and I'm snacking frequently during the day. Since I'm an "old guy", I also take in plenty of Tylenol and some cognac in a small Platypus bladder. It's nice to have a little thimble-full of something while I'm hovering over my spotting scope in the evenings!

 

[tttoadman]

I pick up a big bag of dried fruit. The bananas, apples, and cranberries add a great tasting treat a couple times a day and are light. I haven't explored the nutritional value of these too much. I consider these to be my mid day treats. the cliff bars are a standard for me also.

lipton noodle soup packs light and is one of my favs. it cooks quick and you can throw it in the water prior to boiling. nice to help warm up before bed at night. I would agree with some others that early morning cooking is not for me.

I could shave a few pounds and a pile of mountain house meals if I went with cold only, but I can't quite decide if i want to do that. We are looking at staying on top for 9 to 10 days, and i may need to ditch the hot food to save weight and space.

 

[Elk Hunter]

I agree with Eric Bailey about the calorie burn and appetite lose. Just the high altitude ups your calorie burn. They say it takes two weeks for your body to adjust to what your doing to it. If your out that long your appetite may catch up, but otherwise I think the only way you could keep up would be to take a day off during the week, and who's going to do that? I try to minimize weight lose but it always happens. Getting your weight up before you go can help.

I look at calories per ounce when choosing what to take. I have found energy bars to be a waste, except maybe for the Snickers Marathon bar. Most have a lot of sugar and I can't get ten feet on one. For breakfast I have Old Fashioned Oatmeal with Nido freeze dried whole milk, Spiru-tein protein powder, and raisins. Sometimes I add peanuts. Just add it with boiling water to a insulated bottle and let it cook. Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Granola can be substituted for for the oatmeal for a faster breakfast, but cold. I plan to add flax seed meal to the mix this year (something I read). Oberto's pork jerky, peanut M&M's, cashews, dried tomatoes, walnuts, and peanuts are good snacks. Mountain House is good. The Sweet & Sour and Chili Mac with Beef are my favorite, two serving size only. Get the propak type or it gets bulky fast. Mission Wraps (Walmart) are good, high calorie, hold up well, and can be used with the MH chili mac to make a burrito. I also carry Bear Creek freeze dried soup (Walmart). Tortilla and Hot & Sour are my favorite. I add twice the recommended amount to boiling water in the insulated bottle to up the calories. Tyson's sausage crumbles are good if the OAT cooperates and are high calorie. Add to the Mountain House or the soup. High fat is good. Foil packaged tuna IN OIL and salmon are good for lunch and when taking a break. I also take Alpine Apple Cider mix. Great before getting into the tent for the night and helps you get more water down. Hard boiled eggs are good for the first few days, but I don't do that much. A frozen steak would be good the first day too, but you would have to build a fire, and I never do that.

A hiking buddy goes all week on peanuts, raisins, and jerky. Thats all he eats all week, every snack, every meal. For me variety is important, otherwise consumption goes down.

 

[az.mountain runner]

Check out wilderness athlete products a little pricey but good drink mixes to help that energy need , I'm in my late fifties and I'll start using some of their products a week before the hunt starts ,they make a noticeable difference for me.

 

[Eric Bailey]

I agree with Eric Bailey about the calorie burn and appetite lose. Just the high altitude ups your calorie burn. They say it takes two weeks for your body to adjust to what your doing to it. If your out that long your appetite may catch up, but otherwise I think the only way you could keep up would be to take a day off during the week, and who's going to do that? I try to minimize weight lose but it always happens. Getting your weight up before you go can help.

I look at calories per ounce when choosing what to take. I have found energy bars to be a waste, except maybe for the Snickers Marathon bar. Most have a lot of sugar and I can't get ten feet on one. For breakfast I have Old Fashioned Oatmeal with Nido freeze dried whole milk, Spiru-tein protein powder, and raisins. Sometimes I add peanuts. Just add it with boiling water to a insulated bottle and let it cook. Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Granola can be substituted for for the oatmeal for a faster breakfast, but cold. I plan to add flax seed meal to the mix this year (something I read). Oberto's pork jerky, peanut M&M's, cashews, dried tomatoes, walnuts, and peanuts are good snacks. Mountain House is good. The Sweet & Sour and Chili Mac with Beef are my favorite, two serving size only. Get the propak type or it gets bulky fast. Mission Wraps (Walmart) are good, high calorie, hold up well, and can be used with the MH chili mac to make a burrito. I also carry Bear Creek freeze dried soup (Walmart). Tortilla and Hot & Sour are my favorite. I add twice the recommended amount to boiling water in the insulated bottle to up the calories. Tyson's sausage crumbles are good if the OAT cooperates and are high calorie. Add to the Mountain House or the soup. High fat is good. Foil packaged tuna IN OIL and salmon are good for lunch and when taking a break. I also take Alpine Apple Cider mix. Great before getting into the tent for the night and helps you get more water down. Hard boiled eggs are good for the first few days, but I don't do that much. A frozen steak would be good the first day too, but you would have to build a fire, and I never do that.

A hiking buddy goes all week on peanuts, raisins, and jerky. Thats all he eats all week, every snack, every meal. For me variety is important, otherwise consumption goes down.

These are great suggestions. Going to have to try some of them this year to get a little more variety.

 

[Eric Bailey]

I'm not sure how they compare in terms of calories per ounce to what you normally carry, but I eat a bear valley pemmican bar most days for lunch along with some trail mix. They have 420 calories in 3.75 ounces (112/oz) . While they do have a fair amount of sugar they have more complex carbs than the average energy bar (about half of total carbs) along with 17 grams of protein. They don't taste great, but nothing tastes "good" to me in the middle of the day when I'm backpacking.

I too eat granola for breakfast. I eat the mountain house Granola With Milk and Blueberries. It is the meal that is easiest for me to get down every day. It has 520 calories and less than 1/3 of the carbs are from sugar. I only bring a spork and my jetboil stove with me so I like that I can just eat it out of the bag. I think I'll try bringing some protein powder this year and mix it in. Good idea.

 

[Graylight]

Be aware that the first two to three days, you're appetite will be almost gone due to the elevation changes. While your body is aclimating, the urge to eat is diminished greatly by the fact that you may not feel nauseous but the effects of elevation will make your stomach sensitive and at best you might squeeze down a few snacks and a mountain house meal... Just be sure to hydrate to help with the headaches and suppliment additives to your water with something like Wilderness Athlete "Hydrate and Recover" with glucosamine to reduce muscle and joint fatigue.

 

[Kevin Root]

I typically lose my appetite for three days or more depending how active I get and or how high in altitude I get or how hard I push myself. Fortunately I don't get much of an altitude sickness, sensitive stomach other than some slight headaches. Some of my friends get out right sick unless they acclimate slowly. I have to almost force and remind myself to eat and drink. Last week I went from 400 ft elevation where I live and drove a few hours up to 7,200 ft where I started my backpack hike in several miles up to a gain of 9,000 + ft. and then setting up camp. Keeping hydrated and some calories not only helps with my energy level, mind and muscles from fatigue but helps with me keeping warm when it's cold out or cool when it's warm out. I used to like to push myself on less when I was younger because I thought I could get away will less, perhaps I could but I think it's just wiser and safer to keep gas in the truck so to speak instead of trying to get around the mountains on an empty tank whenever possible.

 

[Multi-SpeciesHunter]

I didn't read all above posts, but size of the person is VERY important. I'm about 6'2 190lb. I need a lot more than my 5'7 160lb hunting partner. But I also dont need as much as a guy who is 6'4 250lb. And I might want 3500 while sheep hunting, but only 2500 while mule deer hunting rolling hills. I'm sure my post isn't as detailed as above posts, but hopefully my 2 cents helped someone.

 

[Elk Hunter]

Your pemmican bar and granola sound like good ideas Eric. I will look those up. Know what you mean about things not tasting good. I've had things that taste great at home just refuse to go down by the third day. Cliff bars are the worst for some reason.

Headaches, I believe, are a early sign of dehydration. I start drinking water, whether I need it or not, on the way out. A camelback type system is essential I think to maintaining hydration on the trail. I at least will tend not to go to the trouble of dragging out a water bottle as often as I should on the trail. With a camelback I drink water every time I think about it, especially the first three days.

I know what Kevin Root is saying about maintaining body temperature. I have read that dehydration will cause the body to lose its ability to regulate temperature, just not sure its the same thing. Maybe just not getting enough calories for the activity level. You do have to feed the engine if you want it to work. The body will get what it needs, even if its muscle mass, which is why I try to minimize weight loss.

 

[Elk Hunter]

I didn't read all above posts, but size of the person is VERY important. I'm about 6'2 190lb. I need a lot more than my 5'7 160lb hunting partner. But I also dont need as much as a guy who is 6'4 250lb. And I might want 3500 while sheep hunting, but only 2500 while mule deer hunting rolling hills. I'm sure my post isn't as detailed as above posts, but hopefully my 2 cents helped someone.

That is a good point Multi-SpeciesHunter. I am 5'11" and around 180lbs. Not sure how to determine calorie needs, but for me its not based on how hungry I am. I have a worksheet that will calculate the calories per day that I am carrying, but many times I think I am probably doing only 1300 to 1400 calories per day on a 7 day 70 mile section of the CDT. Never hungry, eat all I can, and weight is down to around 165lbs by the time I get off the trail. One of the other hikers, who is bigger than me, carries about twice what I carry, eats almost all of it, and doesn't lose nearly as much weight as I do. I've tried but I couldn't begin to eat that much. He also lives in Colorado Springs while I'm in Missouri. To many variables to say definitely cause and affect, but when I found doing research that it takes two weeks for your body to adjust to what your doing to it, it got my attention.

 

[JMSZ]

Be aware that the first two to three days, you're appetite will be almost gone due to the elevation changes. While your body is aclimating, the urge to eat is diminished greatly by the fact that you may not feel nauseous but the effects of elevation will make your stomach sensitive and at best you might squeeze down a few snacks and a mountain house meal... Just be sure to hydrate to help with the headaches and suppliment additives to your water with something like Wilderness Athlete "Hydrate and Recover" with glucosamine to reduce muscle and joint fatigue.

I need to try something like this for this year.

Last fall was my first time hunting at high elevation, I was aware of the really important altitude sickness symptoms (the ones that would put you in the hospital), but I guess I didn't get well enough versed on the more subtle effects of altitude adjustment.

I didn't get headaches or nausea, I just slept like crap (sleeping pad contributed to that plus a sore back), I just wasn't all that hungry and by the third day, my body just hurt. I did drink plenty of water, maybe not quite as much as I should have, but I made sure to drink regularly.

Letting the cold creep up on me like I did (stupid mistake on my part) didn't help matters either, but at least I recognized the symptoms of that, which contributed to my decision to leave early.