Snickers bars are the most popular food on the trail. But what are Snickers bars? Refined sugar. Refined sugar gives a quick energy “rush” followed by a “crash.” After the crash you feel worse than before you ripped open that wrapper.
Wouldn’t hikers be better off chewing on granola and gorp (w/o the M&Ms)?
Crunchie
But that sugar rush can get you up a mountain at the end of a day or even keep you alive if you’re teetering toward hypothermia.
A normal-size snickers bar has 280 calories, of which 130 are actually from fat. That’s 4.77 calories per gram, which is pretty good. They also have good calories-per-volume, which is nice if you have limited space (say, because your food must fit in a bear can).
I’m not saying that you should subsist on them, but they certainly have a place in my food bag!
Eric
Actually I do not like Snickers or any candy bars. One, once in a Blue Moon is fine but on a regular basis, no. That said, were there Snickers in my food bag, yes. There were times when I truly needed that burst of energy. I never felt like I crashed afterwards… just returned to the sane exhausted hiker I was before I ripped open the wrapper, with the exception that now I was up and over the mountain. Sue/Hammock Hanger:girl
Hammock Hanger
I find that bagles,honey and peanut butter do more for me than a snicker.I love snickers and pack a few each hike,but grow tired of them after 3 to 4 days.The B,H and PJ stay with me longer.
Bill Harris
Personally, I don’t like snickers that much. But I have to agree with Hammock Hanger on this. It is a good idea to keep a few around in case you just need that kick in the butt.Then again, bring what you know will work for you. You’re the best judge of what you need out there. -peace
Waker
A calorie is a calorie. It gets pretty complicated, but in the end the physics is the same - Extra energy in gets stored as fat. If you have less energy in than out, you will use your fat as fuel. The trick is the rate at which you can use that fuel. Fat takes time to convert to ATP (the final form of energy that your muscles use), sugar is almost immediately available. That’s what those gels that runners use all the time are about. Anyway, “hitting the wall” is commonly thought to be the fact that you have essentially run out of ATP, and you only have fat to burn. You slow down, maybe to a walk, and can’t get going any faster. Typically, a moderate to brisk walk allows you to use 50% carbs, 50% fat. The faster you go, the less fat you burn, the more carbs you need. Carbs are good, both in a complex form and also in a simple form.
Anyway, this is pretty damn complicated stuff. The source that I’ve learned the most from is “Marathon Training for Non-runners” where it talks about this. It also is really good for long distance hiking because it uses a lot of mental games that could really help. Great book! Got me through my 18 mile run yesterday. Now I have one more 20 mile run before my marathon!
Gravity Man
Gravity Man
Snickers make an energy bar, you know. It’s in supermarkets as we speak.
Other than being much less tasty than an actual Snickers bar, I didn’t compare the two as far as energy goes.
Anyone have any info?
Kineo Kid
Gravity Man, way to do your research bro! That’s some helpfull stuff to know. thanks. -peace
Waker
When I was on the AT I would save my snickers until I was about two miles away from my day’s camping destination. I would then stop, drink a bit, eat my candy bar – find that I had enough energy to get up that last hill (there’s always a hill at the end of the day) and do my camp chores before collapsing.
At this point I don’t eat them as often - there is such a thing as too much of a good thing - but there is usually at least one in my food bag.
Ginny
Snickers are one of natures most perfect creations. How dare you question perfection.
Heatmizer
Even if snickers does have the refined sugars and are made by a company who puts out its produces using only the cheepest resources, and Mad GMOs, the combonation of chocolate and peanuts are a win win. There is someting I was once told by some member of the Hiker Trash comunity, about how the cemestry between the two inhance the energy out put you get and fill you with quick energy and also long term, keeping you up and not dropping you off a energy clif.
Having said that I try to make a more whole food GORP, with nuts, seeds, fruits, coconut, and chocolate/peanutbutter chips, And or M&Ms. Also much cheeper, and you don’t have to pack out wrappers. Ohhh! I almost forgot yogurt covered pretzels, sooo good in the GORP
Goof
I have 3-4 great cereal bars that I make with nuts, fruit, etc. But I still keep a couple of Snickers in the pack. SOmetimes just a handful of the mimi’s. I’m not into the science of it all, just what gets me where I am going. Hammock Hanger
Hammock Hanger
Cheez, does that mean I have to take the 15 Snicker’s Marathon Bars back to Wally World. By the way, you can find them in the Pharmacy Section at $.96 each. They have two types:
Chewy Chocolate Peanut and Multi Grain Crunch. Oh so good! as Mr. Food says. Nutrition Facts: Chewy Peanut, Fat 7g, Sa. Fat 1.5g Chol 5mg,Sodium 240mg, Potassium 190mg, Carbs 27g Diet Fib 2g, Sugars 18g, Protein 13g, 220 Calories 60 from fat. Multi Grain Crunch,:(Just the difference) fat 2g, sodium 210mg, Ptass 125mg, Carbs 32g, Protein 13g. Carlories and fat the same. I have tried both and found them scrumptious. My regime will be two a day, everyday as long as I am hiking.
uscgretired
Gravity man, sounds like a great book! Good luck on the race. try this website, if you hiked the AT, and you like to run, put the 2 together and challenge yourself again.
If you get crazy and start to turn your back on the great American refined foods industry you will find yourself eating out next to never.
Ever read the ingredients of a loaf of white bread? Bleached flour.
Pasta? More flour! White rice? It doesn’t just grow white I bet.
240 calories in a regular snickers if I am not mistaken. around 200 for a clif bar.
snickers cost: 3 for a buck, maybe .50$ in a small town AT store.
Cliff? try 1.99. You know you buy 20 of them when they are on sale for .99.
Lay off that large pizza when you get to town, and don’t fill your pack with liptons and ramen and mac’n’cheez.
Sooner or later you find that you need to be shopping in special stores if that is the route you take. Don’t worry, I get accused of being hypoglycemic all the time.
Fat Kid
the aforementioned website can help everyone take their competitive spirit somewhere it can be actually tested against others who are doing the same.
Save thru hiking and backpacking for what it is: The Appalachian Vacation.
Train for and run one of those races instead of questioning the integrity of someone’s hike. Have fun in the bush! :boy :cheers :smokin :girl
Fat Kid
I read all complicated stuff too, gravity man. But when it gets really down to it. A good cup of hot coffee and a Snickers bar first thing in the morning. And I’m good to pack up and go to the top of any peak and do my morning 8. Why is that then? Is coffee full of vitamins? And I’m not the only one that can’t move without my coffee.:boy
Greg
I found snickers bars to be a great source for a pick me up around 10am and 2 pm. But they are heavy. I was eating 2 to 3 a day, so for 5 to 6 days before resupply that was about15 bars in the pack. Maybe thats why I ate so many. I needed to get my weight down haha
Virginian
Snickers cost .50cents Power bars cost $2.00 for about the same amont of calories.You do the math over 6 months.
newb
Caffeine is a performance enhancer. It too can be found in the gels that long distance runners eat.
Gravity Man
gravity man