Resupplying for Stoveless Backpacking
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- What do hikers eat that don't bring stoves?
This is a common question that I got asked all the time by many of my followers during my 2016 Thru-Hike. Today, we go on a trip to my favorite Trail Resupply. C'mon and check it out, you know you've asked yourself this question.
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I think after eating this menu more than a day, I'd be pooping petrified coal.
+John Outdoors Haha, that's one thing I can proudly say was I had no problems pooping!
Wouldn't be a great idea to carry powder protein shake mix? Just add water... full of vitamins and everything your body needs... vegan plant base... tastes great!
Thanks George!
I'm curious why more people haven't done this? I'm a new guy to the game - any reason why not? I would imagine the calories per oz is somewhat decent (esp with a mass gainer)?
The first problem that pops into my mind is that unless you carry one of those blender bottles, it's hard to get it mixed well. If you just put it in your regular water bottles, you're going to end up with unmixed clumps of it stuck inside the bottle and that stuff is harder than hell to get cleaned out. And any that you don't get cleaned out is a perfect medium for bacterial growth. Think about it... a warm, humid, environment full of protein for bacteria to munch on.
Protein powder does sound like a good idea, especially with a little powdered milk thrown in for richness. It might almost make it worth carrying a blender bottle. It would have to be a healthier replacement for some of the stuff in this video... if I ate like that, I'd be spending all of my time off trail looking for a place to dig a hole and never get any miles hiked. No wonder in other videos when talking about his toilet kit, he's mentioned that he likes to keep it in an outside pocket where he can get to it fast, because when he needs it he usually needs it right away! LOL. Now I see why!
Follow Bigfoot hey ! I've actually given this I try I used pea protein mixed with blended oats to extend the burn as much as possible it worked fairly well and I do use this every so often but the big problem is that in such a processed form it will be digested extremely quickly and leave you hungry again great if you're bulking but terrible if you're on the trail !
Some proteins leave foul odours on bottles/cookwear you mix em in if you dont clean it really well making them unusable
NONE of the artifacts (fake food) in your shopping cart should ever be eaten. EVER! IMHO.
That's how we ate when I was a Boy Scout 40 years ago, stoveless is nothing new. But, that was because we were all too lazy to cook and then clean up the mess. Haha! We also took a can of Dinty Moore to throw in the camp fire if we wanted something hot. Not a very good diet, but convenient.
Oh god, I brought a can of that Dinty Moore based on a recommendation from my G’dad. Ate it right before climbing Moosilauke going southbound. Must have been a spoiled tin-I was so sick. Don’t think I can ever look at another can again 😂
I love a hot meal but would consider going stove-less. Great info!
Roaming Gnome same here
+Roaming Gnome Always welcome my Friend.
Hehe you ate like my ten year old. When we let him. I'll stick to my stove.
+Sinfonian Barelytone I tried so much different food out there. It was a challenge to try and consume 5000 calories a day, remember I was burning about 7-8000 while I was hiking 25-35 miles a day. I found the food in here worked well for me as well as try to offset some of the calorie deficiency I had all the same time with food that was practical from a weight and calorie/carb/fat and protein standpoint.
Follow Bigfoot I wasn't being critical on the slightest. I'm just not showing this to my 10 year old. He would think that food is ok all the time. Frankly I could go stoveless with this menu, unlike the fru fru seaweed powder etc. that you will never find on any trail. I just laughed because if he had his way he'd eat like this all the time. Sorry it came across negative. I'm still happy with my stove, but I'm not a thru hiker. I just like these for trail food ideas. Thanks again for sharing.
Thanks! I didn't take the comment as negative, but I have gotten a few comments on the "Healthy" choices I made. Many don't realize what life on the trail is like and the balance you must find in your diet out there. To your point, many of the healthy things you could eat other there you can't find in the stores out there or it is way too heavy to tote around. I wouldn't be eating most of this back home though, so good point on not showing it to your 10 year old haha
@@FollowBigfoot "New Challenge"¿. Hike 100 miles on nothing but Honey Buns and Kosmic Brownies!!! Lmao ✌️
Chic-fil-a has real honey packets!(Pro fat kid tip... put them inside something that won't crush)
I thru hiked stoveless and ate more caloric dense foods, WAY more protein, healthier foods, not so much processed sugar and empty calories and on a vegetarian diet.
Edit: BCAA's daily really helped me. I didn't think about it until a week after I started and drinking it was an absolute life saver
What is BCAA ?
Branched chain amino acids, available as a powder which is light and easy to carry and reconstitute. Boosts the protein content.
Looks very unhealthy to me, except for the Beef Jerky, cheese, pepperonis, peaches and the Granola, processed sugar over and over... :-/ There are some great alternatives for all this kind of junk food out there, even for an stoveless option! :)
+McRüssel I will tell you I tried all sorts of things and this is what seemed to work the best for me. I found that if I didn't get things that I wanted (craved), eating was more of a chore and my moral would plummet.
There are other options out there that are healthier, even with a stove setup. I will tell you it is much more difficult to eat healthy on a Trail, hiking 15 miles a day (25-30 in my case) for 3-6 months.
What are some of your go-to Trail foods that you recommend? The thing I love about the comments is it gives a chance for others to share their stories and what they do to give a variety of ideas for all to enjoy!
I love Cliff Bars (which you seem to hate), dried fruits like cranberries, figs or peaches and cashew nuts. I mix carnola with milk powder and cocoa powder, very old salami with high fat also work great for me with some type of bread.
Honey roasted nuts, whether almonds or nut mixes, can be great. Nut butters as well. Nut butters can be added to other things (like slathered on a tortilla or a pop tart). Nuts can be thrown into other things for variety, like into your granola, or mix and match to make your own mixes, perhaps with the M&Ms. Nuts have a moderate amount of protein, good fiber, and healthy fats.
I wonder how many vegitarians/vegans dont make it...Compared to people who eat like this.
+R.P. McMurphy It's a good question, I have no clue. I know there are more choices for them now but it would be tough. I just saw Ram Alignment hang up the bag after she got the Harper's Ferry because of not being able to eat the foods that really make her happy
Even top ramen soups are pure junk. I add dehydrated onions, mushrooms, diced green and red bell peppers, and lentils to make it into a healthy meal. You get the carbs you need but your getting the nutrition and real vitamins needed to really go the long distance and get better healing during sleep. I know that you really burn thousands of calories on a thru hike but all that pure sugar and candy would cause anybody over 50 to get high blood sugar spikes and loose their energy with a deep sugar crash (I mean take a nap for an hour crash.) I would go for more slow burning and constant energy foods and keep your sugar, glucose levels steady.
Definitely one of my favorite hiking food tip videos. So much details!
+joanofarch38 Glad you found it valuable.
Going the Tahoe Rim Trail this summer. I just bought a Snow Peak 750ml titanium pot but you might be convincing me to go stoveless! I've been trying to rehydrate various oatmeals and dehydrated meals (Mountain House) in a 24oz. plastic peanut butter jar. Not the most tasty things in the world but when I try them after my prep workouts, the hunger makes them taste great! :-) Also, why not Nido powdered whole milk instead of Carnation? It has almost 2x the calories.
I just didn't know about the Nido at the time. I will be bringing this when I hit the Trail again for my FKT of the Superior Hiking Trail later this Summer.
Nido and Klim (spell it backwards, honest) are both Nestle products, one for the central american market, the other for south america. Both were grey market imports in the US, Nestle didn't sell them here. Slightly different and often more expensive if the label is bilingual! There's chocolate flavor as well.
An empty peanut butter jar! That's absolutely perfect! I never thought of that, I've been trying to weigh in on what to use that's resealable for cold soaks. Seriously thank you soo much first time I ever heard of that!
I enjoy your informative, well presented and laid back videos. Love Crunch suggestion: Replace instant non-fat milk with Nestle's NIDO. It's a fortified dry whole milk product. It has 160 calories/serving (nearly doubling the 90 calories/serving provided by the non-fat option). Tastes better, to me. Bonus: Its available at Walmart! Thanks, again, for all your helpful videos.
+William Gibbs Thanks William. I heard about Nido sometime after I did this video and wish I would have known about Nido on the Trail.
Do I really need all those stuff sacks? Can't I just stuff things that must stay dry such as sleeping bag, liner, hammock, clothes etc in a trash compactor bag.
I can tear down faster and save weight! Your thoughts? Thanks in advance Rick
You can. I just like to have some more organization with my stuff. I have tried it both ways. I would recommend getting a stuff sack for your sleeping bag. It's better to have the extra protection because you are screwed if that gets wet.
Watching from the UK. I am familiar with the USA, but have not been over (American family) for ages. This video is one in a million. I've been planning to do these hikes for years, but as a disabled person, planning takes time, cannot just turn up sadly. This is a fantastic video as it gives me a lot of information on a key topic! Thank you! Would love an REI version of this! Hehe. Thank you so much! Subscribed, as I was watching your gear videos. Thank you. Warm regards. DP
Walmart has pulled pork in packet now it is GOOD, and Fruitbreakfast bars
I don't know if I can get use to all the snack foods.
Lot of criticism about your diet, but no suggestions as to items to improve it. Ohhhh, TH-cam message boards. I'm debating trying to bring some whey protein recovery powders endurance racers use (Recoverite or something like it)...is this just something I'll start with two pounds of, hate the weight, and never use again? I'm hoping a little extra something for the first few weeks might be useful.
Yeah, I knew I would get some criticism. I was honestly really looking forward to seeing what others have done that have actually worked. Many find it really hard to actually do this on the Trail that have no experience long distance hiking on a completely processed-free, organic and healthy diet. I suppose they didn't have suggestions from experience and that's why they didn't respond....too bad.
You could do this and chop it up a bit by sending chunks of it up the Trail in areas you know that you will be stopping by. This is the hard part though with sending resupply boxes. You are obligated to stop there, maybe stay there too, and your taste preferences change on the Trail and in my experience I didn't want half the food I sent myself in the beginning.
Hey BF! I'll have to tell you about my family big foot hunting adventures at every family reunion sometime! But that's not why I'm hollering at you. What's your insider tip for cooking frozen pizzas on the trail? I'm guessing wait for the big tourist areas of the trail because they'll most likely have grills? Thanks!
+Fitness Maxx I actually would always cook them before I left town. Every hostel has a stove and some motels have them. I would pack them out in big zip lock bags and munch on them all day
Great video Bigfoot!! One question I have besides food what was recovery attack at the end of your day for your body to heal? Thanks!
You should consider buying nuts. Some of them are extremely high in calories and full of protein and nutrients. If I remember correctly I think macadamia nuts have 190 calories per ounce. They are rather dry though so I wouldn't eat only that but they are a great option.
+Imasphere I did do nuts a lot in the beginning, especially when I took a break from peanut butter for 500 miles. Sometime after the half point I was getting sick of nuts and didn't buy them very often. I agree though, nuts are some of the best calorie efficient food to weight on the trail for the stove-less folks
Where did you put your packs when you were in walmart with your friends? Can 100% of customers of a walmart miles off the trail resist the temptation to steal an unattended pack sitting outside? Or does walmart differ from other businesses and let packs inside the store?
+mausershooter100 Great question. It's probably courtesy for most businesses to ask to bring your packs in, but I honestly never did. I saw most hikers leave their packs outside but I never did. I never wanted to have someone else's actions dictate me having to end my journey because my pack was stolen. Noooo way.
I would either wear my pack around or throw it in the cart. I never once got asked on the trail to put my pack outside. I heard many horror stories of Hikers packs getting stolen, especially in Pearisburg, VA.
I like your answer. Thanks!
If they ask you not to carry it around with you I know a lot of places may let you leave it behind the service desk or registers.
You forgot about snickers... worth their weight in gold
Ha ha ha ! I hate Snickers but this is giving me an idea. I'll buy at least 3 Snickers every resupply and when on the trail trade them for items others have that I don't have and have a craving for that particular night. That way I wouldn't have to guess what I'll be craving beforehand. Maybe get some Mountain House meals which I don't buy because they are too expensive for me ?? 2 Snickers for 1 MH. Who wants to trade ?
You need to do a new video like this one but with your new diet at Walmart
Just constructive critisism, but you and people in general would feel a lot better while hiking and have much more energy if they bought more whole foods and less processed refined foods. While much of the stuff you are getting is calorie dense it is nutrient deficient and lacks what your body really needs. Just from a nutritional stand point. It's not the easiest when packing for backpacking, but it's doable. Natural peanut butter, avocados, tuna packets, canned beef although very high in sodium(bad for stress), less candy and junk food. Of course you should do what makes you happy and confortable on the trail, just wanted to give my 2 cents. Happy hiking.
My goodness thank you! Like I don't understand how that doesn't even register with some people ! Eat garbage + look like garbage = feel like garbage.
I wanted to ask if you know of anyone who used Pemmican on the AT and generally what did they think of it, would they use it again, stuff like that. I would appreciate your take on it as I debate making some for my own challenge.
+Neil Badger I never heard of anyone using it. I have never really looked for it at a store... do more large retailers carry Pemmican?
You have to make it yourself as far as I am aware. The early polar explorers used it around the 1900's. I do know that both Scott and Shackleton used it, though not sure about Amundson.
It is based on an old native American recipe. about 40% dried beef (beef jerky) shredded. 10% dried fruit and 50% reduced buffalo fat (or beef fat). Mix the dry beef and fruit together and add the melted suet. Form into bars. It is fantastic for protein, fat and calories, however the taste is really something else. A bit like licking the bottom of a grease tray.
It is not really designed to be a food you would cheer about as I know both Scott and Shackleton said that at times they would prefer starvation over pemmican. However I have seen someone use hard setting honey to substitute part of the reduced fat content, to make it more.... well edible to be honest with you.
Interesting. I will have to try it out sometime.
Yes, fry spam to a good crisp on campfire, add a fried egg and pepper Jack cheese and lots of pepper!!! yummy and avocado if u like!!
+Michael Bauer nom nom nom!
How do you carry eggs on the trail ? Do you have one of those camping 6 egg plastic containers ?
Every hiker food video I have found on TH-cam has the exact same problems. They stress calories (while still falling short), undervalue protein, and completely ignore fiber. A typical thru-hiker will hike 8-12 hours a day. A moderately difficult hike will burn 500 calories an hour in addition to your Basal Metabolic Rate of about 1500 calories per day (depending on age, gender, and weight). That means a 10 hour day will require 6500 calories a day just to replace the calories you burned. For a short 3-5 day hike, it is not a problem if you fall short. For a long thru-hike of 4-6 months, you can't afford not to replace all the calories you burned.
That same 10-hour hike pushes up your daily protein requirement to 80 - 120 grams (1.5 - 2.0gm/kg of bodyweight depending on gender, age, and weight). That would be 10 of those Spam Singles (WHICH I DO NOT RECOMMEND DUE THE FAT CONTENT). When hikers come to a resupply point and are absolutely starving, it is just as likely due to a significant protein deficit.
If you have ever been constipated, you know it is not comfortable. Fiber is the key to avoiding constitiption. The diet described in this video has almost zero fiber. That might be a great thing for a short hike (go ahead and leave the TP at home), but that will not work for a thru-hike. The amount of fiber your body needs is heavily dependent upon what your body is used to and how much water you drink.
And WTF is the deal with PopTarts and M&Ms. All that sugar gives you an energy boost for about 30 minutes and then you are in trouble.
Thanks for the stove-less demo.
Being a section hiker I guess I could suffer with no stove. At some point I am going to try it. Nothing ventured, Nothing gained. Thanks for the video.
I don't understand where you guys are talking about needing calories and you buy light brands. The regular taste better and has more calories. I love to bring fig newtons and raisins with me. I also try to stay away from things that have caffeine, items with more than 40% sodium, and spicy foods. Dried fruits are also good. Foods with a lot of carbs are better than foods with lots of sugar, the sugar burns off quickly. But kudos for the jolly ranchers, those are my fav also.
Very informational video. Out of curiosity, do you ever check on your blood at the doctor? I’m trying to collect data from backpackers about how is your health condition after eating so much sugar sodium and other chemicals. I did not mean to criticize anyone. This is just strictly A data collecting purpose. The reason I am trying to collect this data is because I developed a heart condition and suffered chest and join us and was prescribed high blood pressure medication because of the way I eat which is similar to what you were describing in this video. After changing to a different life style, my heart condition improved big time but I had to maintain a vegetarian organic lifestyle. I canceled a procedure on my heart ID hospital surgery room to pursue a therapy with natural remedies, distilled water, exercise, eight hours of sleep going to bed early and other healthy habits. I try to encourage people to avoid sugars, sodium, GMO, MSG, and or there’s chemicals found in non-organic animal-based food. Please do not take my comments as criticism sense is not my intention. I am just trying to collect data to put it all together and share it in a video with the purpose of opening the eyes to the backpackers about good health eating. Thank you so much for sharing. I find lots of good organic food at Walmart myself when I go backpacking and four of my daily food intake. God bless you.
Going in the store dressed as a hiker...lol
Thanks for the tips, going to store today to look for items..
I would add Himalayan salt, lemon and or orange juice for electrolytes. It's better for you. I'd probably order beef jerky from Amazon, it's just cheaper and you get more. I like your idea of tuna and spam packs, smart water bottles, and carnation mik. I would probably make my own fruit rolls.
Great info Bigfoot. As usual, thank you so much for giving back like you're doing. As for the stove, I feel like I would sell this long adventure short if I didn't start each/most days with some quiet time to ponder life with a cup of coffee. Did you find a majority of hikers who are regular coffee drinkers taking the time in the mornings to make it?
Birdman and Friends Outdoor Adventures If they were big coffee drinkers they did most of the time from what I remember. Many people went to the instant coffee packets that could handle the difference.
Always good stuff! Did you actually buy anything or did you put everything back? Lol no cart or rustling bags in hand as you left (not that I could tell anyways). The things you do to educate :) thanks! thanks
I am curious: What kind of subway sandwich did you order, and did you include veggies (and did they get gooey in your pack during the day)? Great videos!
Hey Ty, I usually always got the chicken terriaki loaded with onions, green peppers and banana peppers. If I kept them in the wrapping and plastic bag, I never had problems with it leaking out, but it was a little messy.
typical concentration of sh*t food.
obesity, diabetes, cancer & inflammation related illnesses are rampant in our society.
with a little creativity & discipline one can eat MUCH healthier on the trail.
a long distance hike is an opportunity to get in the best shape of your life.
satisfying occasional cravings is one thing, but habitual consumption of processed foods is detrimental to your health, present & future. im sharing my opinion not to attack you personally, only so others may be inspired to explore other options. plenty of info online for healthy trail foods. to each their own. hike your own hike. thanks for the vids.
Thanks for this ! Almost made me consider stoveless....but I need my oatmeal :) Your videos are always helpful !
+One Backpack You would be surprised after 400-500 miles on the Trail how much you change your mind on something like this. So many hikers ditched their stove along the way. I can definitely understand a good, hot meal. With the food that is available, I found that not to be a big issue for me.
One Backpack Follow Bigfoot I have to agree. My cravings changed constantly. I've seen people dehydrating meals for their entire trip, it's a waste. You really get tired of the same meals quickly. Recently I discovered crispy cream apple tarts. I could live off of those...until I got tired of them. The beauty of this is that you can eat what you want while hiking. You are burning 5-7k a day. Chow down and enjoy while you can. Good luck on your 2018 thru. I'll be following.
Hey Bigfoot, I know this video is over a year old. But how did you keep your meat and cheese cold while hiking? It seems like especially with the cheese you would only be able to eat it that night after resupplying before it goes bad.
It's too bad we have refrigerated eggs in USA stores. If they weren't, one wouldn't have to think twice about packing them out, with padding protection of course.
I'm diabetic and almost passed out just from the sugar you eat. two peaches are not enough to keep you healthy. Do you worry about spoilage of food that is kept above 40* F.?
Thanks for a lot of great ideas. Have not considered stoveless but many a section Hike I have carried a dinner and not eaten it. Lots of dry nights so no freeze dried meals. No stove, less weight. The more I consider this approach the better I like it.
I boycott wally world. Is it possible to thru hike and not use walmart?
Absolutely. There are plenty of places to resupply. Any place that was big enough to have Walmart had many options.
There are a great amount of stores closer to the trail. Walmarts usually are closer to the highway. Eg. Food Lion is somewhat prevalent in Virginia.
This is such a great, instructional video!
Ah, I was really looking for a "How to hike big miles" resupply list and I was hoping you would have one. Thx Bigfoot!
Great. Thanks Kate for the idea!
This is so damn unhealthy lol so much sugar and sodium, looks like a child's grocery shopping list and breast milk with your granola, gross!
Congrats to you for having the stomach for all this food. I feel like I would feel like doodoo eating these things. Very detailed video. Not hating.
alot of people think they know what they are talking about when it comes to eating healthy yet they have never done a thru hike or even a multi day hike so dont worry about them great video thanks for the info
Thanks for the comment Julio
Really good video, keep up the good work :D
Nice video! I never really considered hiking without a stove before but now its a good possibility that I'll try it. Keep up the good work man.
Luke Dankwalker lol same here
+Luke Dankwalker I never did it before the A.T. and I never really missed the stove. Once I figured out what I really wanted and actually craved on the Trail, then it was great!
Not a stoveless fan (yet anyway) and I STILL found this video to be ridiculously helpful! I usually end up feeling kind of lost with most backpacking videos. Plus, they usually name all these different sources for food, and you ONLY named Walmart! I really appreciate this video and even saved it in my backpacking list. Thanks and happy trails!
+Christian Warren Thank you!
Good vid as always Bigfoot. You're answering all the questions and doubts I have as an "out of towner" Cheers mate!
Glad it was helpful!
How often do you "stoveless" resupply? when you are on the go on long trails like the AT?
+Besalu 3-5 days. Average was probably on day 4. Easy on the AT because of all the resupply points
Could you pleeeeese, take a look at my ultralight base gear list and comment on it at your earliest conenience. I managed to get down to 10.5 lbs. Here is the link with lighter packs: lighterpack.com/r/1r64sy
+Besalu I'll take a look at it this week. Can you send me the link to my email followbigfoot@yahoo.com as it will be easier for me to locate it then digging back through my YT comments.
Forgive my questions but Ive never experienced, been on, seen... heck, I probably can't even spell the AT trail! But how often did you have to resupply? You wouldn't buy like everything you had in this cart at once right? This was just examples of some stuff that you'd buy...? Do you buy enough food for like 3 days, stuff it in your pack, hope it didn't get too squished, then eat it till you could resupply again in like 3 days? I assumed the AT was in the middle of the woods and didn't realize there were towns along the way. what did you do with your garbage also? Did I hear you mention staying in rooms... as in hotels!?!?
Thanks for the video and the very honest comments. I'm trying to train for my upcoming thru hike and part of it is my diet. This is more of a plan B for me, this diet, but the realist in me is expecting it. I am trying to adopt a high fat plan A diet. More oils and nuts, but keeping in line with a light breakfast, a long snacking period and a tortilla based dinner. I can't stress enough how much I appreciate your real diet, and not some fake diet to make you look healthier.
+spadam0 Yep, a lot changes once you get out there and hike a few hundred miles. Best of fortunes on your upcoming thru hike
great video as usual. what did you eat for dinner the nights that you didn't pack out subway or other food? just the normal snack foods or spam wraps? did you ever try rehydrating cold food in a peanut butter jar or see anyone else doing that?
+Jonathan Wooddy Yes, I started with that and honestly I wasn't feeling it. Many hikers did that and it worked, for me it didn't. I would normally have a few PB&J wraps and a bunch of Doritos. I would usually eat a spam packet as well.
I would love to do a thru hike but I can't eat all that stuff. i have diabetes.
Love the video!!!! Does the pepperoni and the cheeses have to be refrigerated?
I really appreciate the time it takes to make these videos. I have a comment and a question. Comment: I wish that everyone who took the time to leave a comment about the "un-healthy" nature of the food choices that you made would have given some alternative suggestions. I think that based on the volume of water you need to drink to avoid dehydration and the amount you sweat out there sodium levels are fine. also i think the average hiker is burning 3 to 4k calories a day so you can really go bananas on the fat and sugar and still probably lose weight. I would not suggest living off of these foods in normal life but for the 100 days you were on trail? come on...
Question: Did you see any other hikers rehydrating/"cooking" foods with extended soaking while hiking. I mean adding water to noodles or something and letting time and the heat of the day "cook" them?
Sorry for digging up the dead with a comment on a 7 month of video, but somehow I missed this one when it was first posted.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience. i dont long distance hike, but these tips make my weekend adventures more interesting.
+Dave M Hey Dave, I did see Hikers doing some of the rehydrating of the food. It was more of the experiences Hikers that knew that they were doing that I saw that.
Yeah it was interesting trying to solicit feedback about food choices when they commented about my un-healthy choices. My upcoming thru-hike food will look completely different, but when you are out there pounding out 30 mile days, you start eating whatever the heck you really crave. I think there was a time I was burning close to 7k calories a day when I was going mid-30's in the mid-Atlantics and the southern New England section. It was difficult to even eat more than 4000-4500 calories.
Check out my reply. I mentioned Himalayan salt, lemon and or orange juice for electrolytes, you could prep your own fruit rolls, I would recommend walnuts or macadamia butter and or make your own m&ms with both. Buy beef jerky from amazon or make them yourself. Carnation mik is good for creating creamy dishes.
sugar for breakfast lunch and dinner lol
This isn't food and walmart is a horrible company.
why no nuts ore dates ??
I would do some nuts from time to time. I usually would do some other dried fruit, I really loved the mangos if the store had them. One bar that I am really digging that I will be bringing on some of my upcoming short thru hikes are the Rxx bars. They are loaded with dates and are awesome!!!!!!
Where did he get the car to get to Walmart? Did he rent it? Was the rental near where he exited the trail or maybe he hitch hike to the car rental, hmmmmm.
He did this way after he finished the trail
How much weight did you drop from start to finish? You definitely look like you lost weight.
+Jay Bryant I dropped 45 pounds total.
A couple of things I found.
1) Instead of granola, Quaker has a couple of granola cereals that are all clusters (no flakes) that are much cheaper per ounce. Any shedding from those clusters is just loose oats.
2) Propel powdered drink individual packets are cheaper than most other powders with electrolytes and are ultimately lighter than the liquid Mio mix. NUUN makes some effervescent tablets with electrolytes as well, but not any real savings there. Just another alternative and can come in handy for avoiding jet lag.
Good afternoon. I just found your video's I have a question. What sandwich with condiments do you recommend from subway. I have never thought of having a subway sandwich on a trail. Also, why do you go stoveless?Have a good day and be safe..
As a fairly healthy vegan backpacking chef, this is just scary. I love ya and all your videos tho!
+SiJaeJee I ate what my body craved on the AT that would keep my spirits high. I think you will see a big difference in my diet for my upcoming thru-hike when I do my food video in a few weeks. Most of everything I learn is from my own experience and learning from them! Glad you enjoyed the videos so far
Follow Bigfoot I can't wait to see the new foods!
would love to see the new foods
SiJaeJee,
If Bigfoot had taken the time to find "healthy," "palletable," "motivating" foods...he would not have finished.
He literally had to "grab something and run" to keep up the extreme mileage.
I'm so glad he made it!
Awsome!!
The original Spam is really good when it is cooked ( Heated since it was already cooked ) over a fire. It can be cooked down ( reduce the fat ) in a pan and resemble a really thick chunk of Bacon in looks and taste. The Turkey Spam makes a good sandwich with the condiments of your choice. One can makes several sandwiches to share with friends.
Clif Bar Energy Granola, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut is my favorite granola. I just recently discovered it on the cereal aisle. It's amazing!!
The drink mix really helps when the water has a bad taste! The purple Mio is my fav.
great video as usual. what did you eat for dinner the nights that you didn't pack out subway or other food? just the normal snack foods or spam wraps? did you ever try rehydrating cold food in a peanut butter jar or see anyone else doing that?
I am a short distance trekker, but I have always loved going stove-less. I have no interest in carrying the weight or having to do the mandatory cleaning; there are so many food choices to be had. Great videos!!!
This is so helpful!! Thank you!
You're doing an excellent job with this channel. Loads of useful information. Excellent presentation.
That said, I'd never go on an overnight trip, let alone an extended trip like the AT without a stove. There's too much enjoyment in a delicious hot supper in a famished hiker's belly, and a steaming cup of satisfying coffee on a crisp morning.
Personal choice, mate. If stoveless works well for you, that's all that matters.
I shop at that Walmart😂
great info thanks!
Tons of great knowledge. Thanks!
good thinking on the carnation vs great value... I made the mistake of getting great value to use in my granola for some trips this summer.it was tolerable but not very good.lol
Yes, I was not impressed with the Great Value. As a matter of fact, many of the Great Value products were not for me like the after taste on their drink mixes was a little gross.
This is just absolutely awesome detail and information! I always wanted to see more of thru hikers in town and resupply. I especially liked seeing what you guys eat. Did you spread peanut butter with your spoon? In the am, would you have both the pop tart and the milk/granola? You just eat the granola right out of a ziplock with your spoon? Also, you mentioned Bullet last video and Rocket this video. Wasn't Rocket the guy from Virginia Tech that completed the trail in 72 days? Did either of them do videos (you mentioned Bullett's). Thanks. -David
+swatsullivan I would spread peanut butter with my spoon. For the AM I would always have pop tarts and most of the time I would have granola unless I didn't feel like eating it while walking, then I would eat a bar with the tarts. I would eat my granola straight out of the zip lock bag with no problems.
Bullet is the Hiker I met in New York and we ended up doing the 52 mile Conneticut state challenge on the same day. Bullet did go to VT and he finished in 70 days I believe. I am friends with him on FB, but to my knowledge I don't think he has done any vids. I'm glad you enjoyed the vid!
My son and I are going on our first overnight hike this coming June. I chose to go without a stove just to make things easy on our first trip and glad I came across your video to get some ideas and help confirm what ideas I had already. excellent video
Thanks mate!
Very interesting video!
Good video, always wondered what stoveless people ate all the time. Kind of odd to see all the people criticizing your "diet" choice who don't seem to realize you're walking through the woods and mountains for 10-35 miles a day. The key to doing that thousands of miles is to consume a lot of calories, have something to look forward to and enjoy at the end of a horrible day of hiking 25 miles in the cold rain with blisters all over your feet and pain in your knee and some chaffing on your shoulder.
Andrew Skurka would sometimes just drink plain olive oil. I've never heard of anyone with a realistic "healthy" diet plan for doing a thru hike like this. At the same time, is it healthier to not get enough calories but eat non processed or high sugar meals day after day? I don't think so. Not to mention you're usually on a budget. These people are acting like this this is what you eat everyday at home. Also the same people who don't go on that Saturday hike because its drizzling outside.
Yeah, I met a lot of stove-less hikers on the AT last year and it was rare that you saw many that just didn't eat similar to what I had. There are some better choices I could make and am changing for my FKT attempt for a hike I have in July. The main thing that drove what I ate was what I was craving. I tried so many things from healthy to crap and in between. If I tried to force myself to eat something that I was not craving when I was walking 30 miles a day, draining 7000+ calories from my body and drinking 8-10 liters a day I found eating to be a chore and my moral plummeted. So I just ate whatever worked for me at the time.
I am always learning and will change up my diet a thousand more times, but this is what worked for me on this grueling 99+ day thru hike. Thanks for commenting Nathan!
The ambient noises in the background along with the almost too loud ambient music sometimes made it hard to hear what you were saying
@Follow Bigfoot, your food bag and mine would be very hard to tell apart.
GREAT video!!
This food doesnt seem to healthy
This helps a lot to understand the resupply and what you eat when you go stoveless. I've pondered the stoveless issue because I just can't imagine going without a hot cup of coffee or soup when it's cold out. How do you deal with cold when you go stoveless?
+DC Chiasson I started really late, April 24th. If I started in early Spring I might go with a stove till it warms up. I am also not a coffee drinker so it wasn't hard for me to go that route. If you have to have your coffee and you can't deal with the instant coffee, it's tough to give t up.
thanks for all the video's and info. I will bring a stove on my thru hike but I will only use it when I'm in camp early. mostly will do cold meals. figure when I'm really hungry I'll go into a town or pray for trail magic.
+MC Sojourner (Mawaca) Glad you found the vids helpful. I would always eat a hot meal into town and out of town. I honestly didn't miss cooking at all on the Trail. Trail magic happened a lot in the first section, was scarce in the mid-Atlantic states and very rare in the New England section of my Hike.
This is a great video, I am trying so hard to backpack with stove-less meal ideas.
All that is yummy, I eat it to but I also eat a can of spinach or a bag of Kale salad mix, got like 5 super foods in there!!!
Dixie (Homemade Wanderlust) buys a bag of fresh spinach and adds a few leaves to her sandwiches. She says it keeps about 3 days. Could always cook up the rest and eat it once it starts to look less than fresh.
Great demo of stove-less menu items. I've gone stove-less on my last few PCT section hikes to save weight. I didn't really miss the hot food.
+Rich Holtzman Same here!
Sweet! Thanks for the ideas, brother! I'm planning on doing 2 cold meals and 1 hot a day. I'm guessing the hot will either be breakfast or dinner, depending on how I'm feeling at the time. If this works well for me I may stick to it, but if I like the no cook meals I may send the stove home at some point.
Thanks again for the videos and the effort you put into them. Very concise and filled with good information. I like your style!
+Assaultlife5.56 You're very welcome!
Most of the time you are probably not going to want to cook for breakfast because you are going to want to get going in the morning, unless you need coffee.
I went 220miles on tortillas, tuna and cliff bars
Boxed.com, Cliff bars case of 12 I think, 89 cents each bar.
Did you go into your hike with the intention of being stove-less the entire time? You may have mentioned in previous videos, but I don't remember...
OK, so being without a stove, how often could you count on actually being able to get a hot meal - whether they were purchased or given?
+Francis Kemp Yes, I started the beginning with no stove. I could count on a hot meal at least once-twice every 3 days. I was moving so fast that I would either be in town or somewhere the trail crossed to grab something(during certain sections) I never really missed hot meals to be honest. I would always get breakfast on my way out of town and always get lunch/dinner or both. So really I wouldn't go longer than 2 days without a hot meal, 3 at most when I did a 5 day resupply.
Follow Bigfoot I think I could live with that - you probably saved a lot of prep time, cleaning time as well.
Thanks Bigfoot! Any more long distance hikes in your future?
+JPOutdoors Yes. I will be Thru-Hiking the Superior Hiking Trail in the Summer. I will actually be attempting to set a speed record on the SHT while I Hike it.
I also will be Thru-Hiking another Trail but I am waiting to announce it to make sure I actually get the time off and everything works out. I'll communicate this sometime at the end of March
Follow Bigfoot That's great to here! look forward to following you in the future. Thank you for all of your informative videos. I'm going nobo on the AT 2018 and you have really helped me get ready.
Awesome. It will come faster than you realize... at least that's what happened to me.
This seems so counter-intuitive to me.
Communing with nature while gorging on pure trash food ?
Dorito's, Pop Tarts and Little Debbies ??
Are there just stoners hiking the AT, now ?? lol
Basically, you've got a basket full of sugar !
I've been on a keto diet for 6 months, I gained 10 lbs just watching this !
Doing a stoveless thru hike in 2018... should be interesting. ;)
Learning a ton of great info from your gear vlogs, though ! Thank you ! :)
+Danny Curry It is amazing how much your thoughts change in the middle of a thru-hike. It's much more difficult to eat entirely healthy when you are burning 5000+ calories a day (I was averaging 7-8000 with my mileage).
I craved things on the Trail that I never crave in normal life. I ate pretty much whatever my body craved and most of the time I was always hungry. It was hard to consume more than 4000 calories a day.
I learned in the very beginning that if I tried to eat whatever was healthy, eating became more of a chore because I didn't feel like some of the things I bought. Because of that I bought whatever would boost my morale because that and attitude were the most important things mentally out there on the Trail.
Everyone's diet will be a little different. Sometimes you are really at the mercy of what the resupply he to offer.
Watch my conneticut state challenge trial video and you'll lose that 10lbs you just gained 😂
I did watch it, brother !! That was one wicked trek ! Very impressed !
It's been a very long time since I've broken 25 !
My own thru hike will be, decidedly, a bit more leisurely. lol
But, I won't have any time constraints, other than a bitter Maine winter.
Food is still really my only concern. I've invested some serious commitment to getting healthy, ( repairing my adrenals and keeping my insulin resistance in check). I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 8 months ago...I've since reversed that and have lost 50 lbs. since Dec. 1st..
I hope to depend largely on mail dropped food of my own making....for me, sticking to that will be the challenge. ;)
Thanks for the reply back Danny, glad you enjoyed the trek mate!
For your health, it will be very important to monitor what you eat and will need to rely on some food drops. Congrats on losing 50 pounds, that's amazing. I lost 45 pounds on the trail last year and couldn't believe what my body was able to do.
Food can definitely be a challenge, but with some well planning, you can do it. It is tough to give in out there on the Trail when you just want to eat everything in site.
Sight*
I'd need a stove.