What Does This Hiker Eat On The Trail

Day 36

Friday April 28, 2017

Time: Slept In

Miles: Zero

Weather: 85 degrees and sunny

Of course it is sunny outside we decided to take two zero days in a row due to a huge mileage and wet week. So the sun shines now and wet weather is expected again once we hit the trail tomorrow. Hopefully the weather man will be wrong as they often are. But what I have noticed is that with 20% chance of rain it is more likely to rain. So why then when it's 20% chance of sun it doesn't shine?

Today we have rested and resupplied our food bags. It took a stop at Publix, Ingles, and Walmart. Most hikers get by with a stop at Dollar General. But me and my special dietary needs makes resupplying challenging. So what does this hiker eat?

On a normal given day I consume the following:

Breakfast: 2 bars of some kind and a few pieces of precooked bacon or a couple spoonfuls of Jiffy.

Lunch: Cheese, crackers, pepperoni or beef stick.

Supper: If I cook its pasta or a rice meal. If I am stove less it's a Peanutbutter sandwich. 

Snacks: I usually have four to five snacks packed for each day consisting of any combination of trail mix, pretzels, stroopwaffle, bar, crackers, dry cereal. 

Treats: Always a handful of jelly beans. Sometimes cookies. 

Vitamins: glucosamine, calcium w/magnesium, a Multi and echinacea and energy supplement as needed. 

Food is our heaviest item we have. The average hiker packs about 2 pounds of food per day and we have to carry 4-5 days at a time. My food is gluten free so it's much harder to find items that actually taste good, provide nutritional value, and is low weight and volume. I make it work. On days we head out from basecamp or slack pack I get creative and carry fresh fruit and foods like a real meat sandwich. Mmmmm.

Shortcake resupplying

Black Bear's Resupplying Choices

Hiking requires 4,000-6,000 calories a day and there is no way we can carry that many calories. Hence, long distance hiking is a great weight loss and strength building program. You can eat what ever you want and still lose weight. No gimmicks. The only draw back is you can't continue to have the same menu when you get off trail. It is great though being worried about not eating enough then having to quit at round one at the buffet. And desserts, make those a double also! Hiking is great. 

Happy Hiking.