Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Lunch on the trail

In light of the fact I have decided to go forward with my 95 day hike this summer I once again have to consider what I can do on the trail for food.

Dinner and breakfast are easy meals but the one that always causes me problems with ideas is lunch. No one wants to have to stop and take out a stove and cook so other then the typical food such as G.O.R.P., bars of some kind, peanut butter & crackers etc what sort of foods do any of you find make a good lunch meal?

In the past I have done salami & cheese on tortillas but I have pretty much lost the desire for that and it also is not practical in a resupply package.

MooseGoo. On crackers, tortillas, apples, etc. Google it.

Whoa! I'll have to make a batch of that and try it.

          Moose Goo

Mmmmmmmm, Pemmican! Modern version with Crisco butter-substitute shortening (OK or rendered bear fat if you kick it old school), variety of dried fruits & nuts: cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, mango, papaya, apricots etc. pistachios, cashews, macs, almonds etc. Different flavor every day. Never another raisin or peanut. Keeps at room temp, forms to whatever shape fits best. Especially for long distance hikes: high fat content in nuts and shortening: fat is much more efficient energy by weight. 9 cal/gm vs 4 cal/gm for carbs & protein. For every additional ounce of fat you carry, eliminate 2+ ounces of carb or protein. And how do you spell flavor? F-A-T. Wash down with real lemonade or limeade made from powdered juice. Mmmmm.

I recall DUG's claiming that cans of frosting were his favorite trail snack. He would take them on his marathon hikes -- mostly walking, very little stopping to sleep.

That stuff sounds interesting. As long as it wouldn't dry out after sitting in the tube for 2 months. Some of my resupply packages will probably be assembled up to 3 months before getting to them.

I can't imagine a combination of peanut butter and honey drying out too much in a few months, especially if stored in a tube that is at least semi-air tight.

I'm really looking forward to trying this Moose Goo. The tubes are on the list for my next REI visit, and I'll throw some together for my next hike for sure.

These are awesome, and you can customize the ingredients...I use Justin's for my nut butter base...

Disco's Homemade Energy Bars

I just read in Backpacker magazine that Bridgford food has ready to eat sandwiches kind of like MREs but better. No refrigeration or heating required and there individually wrapped and have a 3 year shelf life if stored at 80 degrees or less the website is: Bridgford Foods

I've seen those at REI. They scare me...

I have heard about those. I thought about the idea of if you had those then bring some honey mustard or something and it might be very good.

They sort of scare me to though lol.

Ive never tried any of those products myself I just saw the add in Backpacker magizine and thought WOW! this could be good,finally I dont have to eat trailmix bars for lunch which can get old real fast. I normally eat a big breakfast like a MountainHouse and a few packages of oatmeal which packs lots of carbs and it usually holds me over till dinner,but those sandwiches from Bridgeford will be something I will have to experiment.

Amazon sells individual (restaurant) sized containers of peanut butter, nutella, jelly. High fiber (flax) minibagels and wraps last forever without drying out or crushing and taste good.

I have been toying with trying a homemade/reconstitutable chicken salad from dried chicken, mayo packets, and dried fruits (apples, cranberries)and veggies (celery). Amazon sells chicken in 7 oz pouches (like tuna) but that is heavy for LD hiking.

Also I have had thoughts about making a Doctor McDougall noole bowl or soup at breakfast in a wide mouth nalgene bottle and eating it as a leftover at lunch at ambient temperature--no more weight than carrying the equivalent in water if you are hiking in a dry area.

LOL a five year old's dream lunch! Now fess up: how many of us stuck a finger into a cake a stole a big dollop of frosing when the grownups had their backs turned?

The trouble with those sandwiches is they don't have a ton of calories and are a bit expensive for lunch. If I spent 15 dollars a day for total consumable supplies on this hike my cost would be 1500 dollars. But I can easily average less then 2 dollars for dinners and 2 for breakfast. If I ate only 1 of those sandwiches for every meal at REI's price not including tax or shipping it would be 450 dollars for lunch. Throw in beef jerky that averages 30 dollars a pound and it adds up.

Agree with the expense issue.

Have you tried any home dryer/home dried foods? Homemade stews and noodle dishes can be reconsituted with a bit of boiling water from an alcohol burner. Just need to factor in a long lunch break instead of eating on the run.

No I have never put anything together myself like that. It would probably be better in the long run. But besides a long and messy lunch it would mean more fuel also.

the classic marmot poop sandwich won't break the bank:



squeezable cheddar cheese, minimus.biz procured about a year ago. That stuff will last forever.

Nutella also a favorite, and we don't even bother with the small packages. Just pack a half pounder plastic jar for a 8 day stretch. It'll get eaten

Have you seen the pre-cooked bacon in the grocery stores? (Oscar Meyer Ready to Serve Bacon). The box contains a vacuum sealed package of about 16 strips of bacon, and the shelf life is about 5 months. Not too much weight. I've taken some on overnights, and have some for breakfast and lunch, without heating up the bacon. The package mentions to refrigerate after opening the plastic pouch, but I took some on a 3 day hike with no problem without refrigeration.

Blah Fish that stuff reminds me of my 2009 trek when you ran into me. I had crackers like that made out of rye bread with a cheese spread. The rye bread was so disgusting I could not choke it down after 3 days on the trail. My lunch then consisted of squeezing that cheese into my mouth and eating a Snickers bar that did not do much for me either.

I don't know about the bacon. Could catch fish and stuff bacon into their bellies and fry them up.

I'm tellin ya... Pemmican...

True. I remember people using ZipZtoves where they burned wood chips and twigs years ago. Wonder if they still make them? As long as you are in a wooded area fuel is theorhetically unlimited and free.

I don't think I could make due with a wood burning stove with high sierra hiking. There is just too much time spent above 10,000 feet.

I once met a guy in the hills of West Virginia who made dew with a wood burning stove.

Dale B. Dalrymple
http://dbdimages.com

...and did you get a taste of that "dew"?

saltydog mentioned the Zip Ztove a while back, so I looked it up. Here's the link with pictures and videos included:

    Pressure Cookers on WhitneyZone

Two big improvements over the Zip now available. Wood gas stoves burn cleaner, steadier and longer than the Zip. The second one is really cheap, light, no batteries, motor or fan. Pack your lunch in it and cook in your cup. Plenty of fuel for these above treeline including your accumulated paper and plastic trash or previous night's charcoal.

http://www.woodgas-stove.com/

http://cgi.ebay.com/BACKPACKING-CAMPING-...#ht_1160wt_1051
(also available without the pot set)

I'll take my Dragonfly with 22oz of fuel on a 10 day trip over something like the wood burning stoves anytime. I just can't see the advantage of them. What if it rains??

To each . . .Rain, shmain. I'll take a little reliance on wilderness craft over two pounds of metal and gasoline. Advantages include weight, space, and absolute dead simple mechanical reliability. Silence. Renewable free fuel. Hot lunch. The simplest one I have is the size of a quart paint can and weighs 8 or 9 ounces. Since it runs on gasification principle, fuel burns in two stages: the wood (or pine needles, pine cones twigs, duff etc) gasifies and burns to charcoal, then the charcoal burns. Put it out after stage 1 and keep the char to get you through that shower or next cold camp, or find plenty of dry stuff under the top layers of duff. Or enjoy a mini camp flame* and make enough char for the next day or two or three. Carrying it with a full charge of fuel adds only a few ounces, less than that 22oz Sigg bottle empty.


*Its a stove, so I don't consider it a "fire" for purposes of wilderness regulations.

I'm sure that if you carry all your own fuel for your trips, the rangers might consider it a stove too.

In some of the fire restricted areas of the High Sierra, it will take a few centuries of global warming for duff to form.

Dale B. Dalrymple

Without helmet, goggles and ice: zoom in on the far, far right.
http://www.gigapan.org/gigapans/11610/
or for both the bio:
http://dbdimages.com

Dale B. Dalrymple

Favorite lunch: tuna in the pouch, mustard packets from mcdonalds, pita bread from trader joes. Light, flat, not dry, and the tuna pouch is an excellent "trash bag" for mustard packets and any other trash.

Fancy dijon mustard is also a good variation as is salmon and some of the pre seasoned fish in a pouch.

Might be too simple for most on these boards, but I find it really great for spur of the moment hikes. Plus I can eat it almost every day just by changing the condiment.

(Hate mayo so my bias is always towards mustard)

Cheers!

Wow, dbd, you look like an entirely different person standing on the pier. What an amazing transformation. Your avatar reminds me of a character in the movie, "Around the World in 80 Days".