This just so happens to be one on my favorite trail topics. So let me say my piece, my testimonial. To answer your question, Yes. I believe many hikers try to focus on consuming a large quantity of calories rather than quality calories. Let’s face it, at the core, the body is a precise system designed to operate on a premium fuel. If a NASCAR driver used inferior fuel to run his car designed to operate at peak performance on premium fuel, he would lose the race, right? The concept is transferable to the human body. That is science.
I would argue that the body cannot heal, build or maintain itself with typical hiker food – nutella, peanut butter, white flour (crackers, snacks, etc), snickers, coffee, ramen, butter, mayo, liptons, candy, chips, etc., although it can function and survive.
The question, then, is how to include nutrient dense, good tasting, light, quick-n-easy food to a long distance hike. The answer to that question was, to me, dehydration. I researched methodology and technique and discovered dehydration was a great way to preserve food without adding harsh chemicals or preservatives, or stripping the food of beneficial nutrients.
For instance, rice, a staple on the trail, right? Instead of using the cook-in-five-minute rice as most do (with chemical flavorings and artificial colorings), pre-trail, I cooked wild grain rice at home then dehydrated it. I eventually made a “rice meal”, as if I was making dinner for myself that night, but instead of eating the “meal”, I dehydrated it. Of course, I made enough rice each time to have eight dehydrated meals. Now, I have a trail meal all ready to eat, just add water.
Most fruits do great dehydrate—my favorite was bananas with cinnamon.
All veggies do well with exceptions.
I would suggest thinking in “meals”. Instead of taking noodles and adding dehydrated tomato sauce, just cook the noodles, add the sauce, add broccoli or whatever, then dehydrate the entire meal at one time, again, making enough for more than one meal.
Nuts and seeds are very nutrient dense—an abundance of healthy fats and plant proteins.
Overall, I hiked on about 80% homemade meals, nearly 300 lbs total. It was a daunting task but worth the reward. I walked the trail without gaining or losing any weight. I was full, nourished, energetic, and most of all, rarely woke up with soreness or cramps. I took not one aspirin, anti-inflammatory, or multi-vitamin the entire hike. I drank at least four to six liters of water everyday—straight water, too—no sugar drinks like kool-aid or crystal light. I really feel like my diet was a cornerstone of my thru-hike success.
I might add another comment, if I may. I do not feel the average person burns the 6000 calories per day as commonly believed. First, sight the study suggesting hikers use that many number of calories? The numbers may reflect a time in hiking when the gear was much heavier, demanding more energy, therefore more calories are burned. Second, in the last several years, due the modernization of hiking gear (lighter is better), food, water treatment, trails, development of hostels, mail drops, etc., hiking has become less demanding than it was 15-20 years ago. I would purport we use less calories than 6000 given an average of 15 miles per day. If that is true, then the need to include the quantity of calories is not as important, and therefore including quality calories becomes paramount and the focus of a trail diet.
It was a good balance for me. Not everyone will see it my way. That is cool. I know, and understand, we are all different, what motivates us is different. For me, I wanted to maximize my chances of completing the trail and a diet rich in dense, usable nutrients was the right bet.
I hope that helps. All the best to you and your hike,
Trail Dawg
NoBo Oh Fo
PS - I vacuum-seeled my meals.
Trail Dawg
