Food budget - The Long Trail - Vermont

imported
#1

What is a reasonable food budget for two people doing an LT through-hike? I am afraid I’m going to come up short on the trail and none of the resources I’ve checked have any info on that.

Lyra

#2

I initially spent about $250 (1 person) to buy most of my food for an 18 day hike on the LT. My best guess is I was eating 5000 calories a day and the average cost was $1.00 per mile. Its hard to eat that much the first few days out but it helps the body recover from all the activity. You might check your resources for more info on calories per day and then check your favorite food’s nutritional information to estimate costs.

Celt

#3

I suggest you contact the Green Mountain Club of Vermont. They maintain the trail and they have a mentor program for just the sort of things you are asking. I would also think that an 18 day trip is a bit quick. 10 to 12 miles a day would be a more comfortable pace.

Tenter

#4

Thanks for your help- I’m new at this and wasn’t expecting so many quick responses. It’s great! As for the trip length, we’re going slow-only about 8 miles per day. We’re allowing 35 days.

Lyra

#5

Calores are important as well as protein, minerals and don’t forget the vitimins. Recommend vitimin packs for each, but one-a-day would be okay—but need some vitimins. Would figure 4000 calories a day for each of you, multiply that by 2 (2 of you) and then by 35 days-----that means both of you together need 280,000 calories for the total trip. Now go to the store, look at a large jar of peanut butter, it will tell you calories per serving and number of serving per jar (a large jar will have 3000 to 4000 calories). Also look at Ramen noodles (10 cents a pack)—about 400 calories a pack (200 calories a serving and two serving per pack) and a pack weighs only 3 ounces. Tuna is good, Spam is good, vienna sausages are good, crackers, etc. Try to get as many calories per ounce as possible since you will be carrying the food, i.e. 100 calories per ounce is considered good. Using a little math, you should be easily able to figure out the approximate cost of food for your trip and also the amount of food you will need. I think that if you shop wisely, that both of you should be able to eat okay and eat 4000 calories a day and have a somewhat varied diet for $10.00 to $15.00 (maybe less) a day total for the both of you. Anyway that is my take on it and my opinion and I hope it helps. Good luck on your hike.

Maintain

#6

Another concern…my boyfriend is diabetic. He’s a pretty experienced backpacker, but somehow the food responsibility has fallen on me. Any suggestions?

Lyra

#7

I would get some of those test strips so he can check his blood sugar often. Also you need to keep a close eye on him and if he seems disoriented/gets a little goofy, give him a little orange juice immediately as his blood sugar may be low. I would take along a bunch of those little cans of orange juice in case I needed them/understand you can also use candy bars. Diabetics can do anything anyone else can do, it is just that they have to constantly watch their blood sugar level, and make sure it does not get too low. Suggest you read up on it a lot, study it, etc. If blood sugar gets really low, diabetics can go into shock (called insulin shock) and it can get serious. That’s why testing and testing often (as the TV commericals say) is very important. “Wilderness First Aid, Emergency Care for Remote Locations” put out by the National Safety Council has a lot of information in it about diabetics being out in remote locations, etc. You might want to get a copy of it, and read what it has to say about diabetics. Good luck to both of you on your hike. Hope this helps.:slight_smile:

Maintain

#8

Yup, we’ve got all that stuff (test strips, etc.) and I’m pretty well versed in emergancy diabetic treatment. I’ll definately pick up a sopy of that book, though. I guess I know he’ll be ok, I’m just trying to figure out if I should plan certain meals. Mainly I’m just being nuerotic :wink: It’s just one extra thing to be nervous about… But I’m doing this to ESCAPE stress, right? Anyway, thanks for your help.

lyra

#9

Lyra- At ALDHA’s 2001 Gathering in Hanover NH I went to a program presented by Cesar Becera & Maud Dillingham a husband & wife who were thru hiking at the time. One of the subjects of their program on “Throrough Hiking” was how Cesar was managing his diabetes while hiking. He had lots of good information. I won’t try to repeat what I remember here for you and their own website is not accessable anymore (www.peaksforprogress.com) but their personal info (including a e-mail address) is still in the trailjournals hiker directory. If you can contact Cesar I’m sure he’d have plenty of advice. here is their Hikerdirectory page address: http://www.hikerdirectory.com/hikerinfo.cfm?id=1481

Celt

#10

Just a couple of other thoughts: If you have a dehydrator, canned/pouched chicken, tuna, turkey, beef dehydrate and rehydrate really well. A 7 oz pouch of tuna will dehydrate down to 2 1/2 oz. Consider spreading your calories out over breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, supper and a powdered sports drink (ie, eat fairly constantly). My husband and I did this when hiking the AT and it worked well for us. Our goal was 4500 cal for him (6’4" and 190 lbs) and 3500 cal for me (5’4" and 130lbs). Couldn’t eat that much the first week or so, so no sense toting that much (cut it by 500-1000 cal). Do pay attention that you get enough protein…we drank 1/2 a quart of milk each a day (Milkman powdered milk, which is 1% milkfat) besides having the dehydrated meat. I try to include corn nuts now…not too much fat, different flavors, travel well, and nice protein.

Dos Dilberts