3-Day backpacking trip - need help with food ideas. page 3

[mstrudle]

Pulse some nuts in a food processor and mix with coconut oil and some honey and/or dried fruit, which makes a delicious paste. Feel free to add some almond butter or potato flour or something to make sure it doesn't turn into a liquid on the trail.

Jerky is always a good option, and you can also dehydrate canned wild salmon ($2.29 a can from Whole Foods). I've never made pemmican and don't intend to, as I've heard it tastes like dog food. From my experience backpacking, you better enjoy your food if you want to enjoy your trip.\

Dehydrate some vegetables, fruits, and sweet potatoes. Take along some pre-dehydrated sea vegetables as well.

Make a primal GORP; add macadamias, hazelnuts, almonds, raisins, dates, chocolate pieces (eschew cacao nibs and enjoy life), and other such fare.

Nestle NIDO powdered whole milk is high calorie and light; don't neglect bringing processed foods, as a good treat after a long day is great psychologically.

[Paleo Man]

A heart rate monitor or heart rate watch would be a good adjunct to the low-carb higher fat food for backpacking.

It is very easy when backpacking to "violate" PB principles by getting your heart rate into the 75% plus range for extended periods of time. If you don't watch it, you can spend a lot of time in the really counterproductive range of 85% to 95%, which should be reserved for occasional brief sprints.

If you hike and backpack for extended periods in these upper ranges, you will need to burn carbs and you won't have any. If you refer to the HR monitor, you can hold yourself back to a pace where you stay in the 55% to 65% range where you will burn fat rather than carbs.

Just a way of matching the fuel you burn to the fuel you have.

You can get a Sportline heart rate watch in the exercise equipment dept at Wal-mart for about $29, and it is the type that has no chest strap. Or you can get an ordinary monitor with a chest strap. It will also help keep you alert to certain unusual acitivity of your heart such as tachycardia.

The plus of backpacking or hiking at this fat burning pace is that you feel so good when you arrive, even when the trail is tough. You don't arrive with the total fatigue that you might otherwise have, and you feel good over the next several days and without the high recovery costs of extended time in higher heart rates.

The negative of this pace is that you and others may find it slow, especially those folks who are driven to rush everywhere. And you might find it hard to maintain if you are pushed to keep up with others who are faster. I'd ignore the social pressure if it is there and just hike at a comfortable pace at an ideal heart rate.

Some years ago I hiked with a group in the mountain west on several occasions. A few of us, including me, were always dead last to arrive at the hiking destination. Others were drumming their fingers waiting for us to arrive. It wasn't a matter of fitness, those of us who were last were at least as fit as the rest. But we compared notes and found something interesting and Primal. We slowpokes all had our introduction to the outdoors as backcountry hunters, mentored by older men. Whenever we were in the backcountry, we naturally walked cautiously, so as not to spook game, we stopped to look at tracks and sign, and looked for wildlife. The speedy folks had their intro to the outdoors through hiking organizations and came from urban backgrounds. So my advice, approach your walking on the trails as if you are a hunter!

[hiker]

Having hiked the PCT in Oregon, I recommend Shelter Cove or Elk Lake Resort. Both are very nice.

Forgot to mention Diamond Lake (north of Crater Lake). Lots of fishing here.

[hiker]

I found some turkey jerky at Costco. It has soy and wheat, as well as lots of sugars. Plan to use it for snacks on the trail. Right now I'm dehydrating organic soups - lunches. I also have canned turkey to dehydrate. I cook and then dehydrate brown rice, barley, and quinoa (I know these are grains, but they offer variety) and add veggies and meat for dinners. Small bottles of olive oil and hot sauce go a long way in spicing up your food. On trips lasting more than a week, variety is the key.

[hiker]

A heart rate monitor or heart rate watch would be a good adjunct to the low-carb higher fat food for backpacking.

It is very easy when backpacking to "violate" PB principles by getting your heart rate into the 75% plus range for extended periods of time. If you don't watch it, you can spend a lot of time in the really counterproductive range of 85% to 95%, which should be reserved for occasional brief sprints.

If you hike and backpack for extended periods in these upper ranges, you will need to burn carbs and you won't have any. If you refer to the HR monitor, you can hold yourself back to a pace where you stay in the 55% to 65% range where you will burn fat rather than carbs.

Just a way of matching the fuel you burn to the fuel you have.

You can get a Sportline heart rate watch in the exercise equipment dept at Wal-mart for about $29, and it is the type that has no chest strap. Or you can get an ordinary monitor with a chest strap. It will also help keep you alert to certain unusual acitivity of your heart such as tachycardia.

The plus of backpacking or hiking at this fat burning pace is that you feel so good when you arrive, even when the trail is tough. You don't arrive with the total fatigue that you might otherwise have, and you feel good over the next several days and without the high recovery costs of extended time in higher heart rates.

The negative of this pace is that you and others may find it slow, especially those folks who are driven to rush everywhere. And you might find it hard to maintain if you are pushed to keep up with others who are faster. I'd ignore the social pressure if it is there and just hike at a comfortable pace at an ideal heart rate.

Some years ago I hiked with a group in the mountain west on several occasions. A few of us, including me, were always dead last to arrive at the hiking destination. Others were drumming their fingers waiting for us to arrive. It wasn't a matter of fitness, those of us who were last were at least as fit as the rest. But we compared notes and found something interesting and Primal. We slowpokes all had our introduction to the outdoors as backcountry hunters, mentored by older men. Whenever we were in the backcountry, we naturally walked cautiously, so as not to spook game, we stopped to look at tracks and sign, and looked for wildlife. The speedy folks had their intro to the outdoors through hiking organizations and came from urban backgrounds. So my advice, approach your walking on the trails as if you are a hunter!

Good idea on the HR monitor. I wear the watch part, so I'll just need to remember the strap.