For everyone who is asking, It's actually 3,200 Calories per "Full Day" & that's NOT counting the Nuts. 1oz of Macadamia/Cashew/Almonds is about 200 Calories (mainly because of the Macadamias). There is 14oz of Nuts in that bag, so about 700 Calories a day just from Nuts. So in this resupply, I have about 3,900 Calories a "Full Day". That's more than enough for me. 😉 Hike On, Darwin
Do you end up eating the entire packet of Knorr/Idahoan with your tuna packet each night? I've tried your tuna and couscous dinner and that's a tasty meal! I'm mainly a weekend warrior and take some time in the summer to do some longer sections (music educator here).
Was this video shot in Flagstaff or Mogollon Rim or somewhere else? Arizona is my home (Scottsdale) and this video looks like where I like to hike/camp. Beautiful AZ!
Personally, I always try to leave town with an extra day or so of food for every 3-4 days I think I'm going to be on trail. That way if I'm delayed I don't have to ration. If I'm not delayed, then I can either have a feast before town and be less likely to spend tons of money on massive restaurant meals, or I can save that extra portion to be my first day's food on the next leg. It means an extra 2 lbs in my pack I may not need, but it's kept me from being hungry more than a couple times when the climbs wound up being slower than expected, or a low flat section wound up being boggy mud and I was working my tail off for sub-1 mile per hour paces. Some segments are easy to adjust and make up time, others not so much and those are usually the ones where you need every calorie you can get and rationing is just going to slow you down more and make you cranky to boot.
Ever since I started watching your videos about six months ago I've been inspired to go backpacking for the first time and I finally got all the gear I need and miraculously inspired my wife as well so we will both go backpacking. Very exciting times, thank you for all the time and hard work you put into these videos.
As a personal Rule of Thumb, I always make sure I have at least one extra days worth of food in case of an emergency. You never know what might happen. There could be a fire deviation or weather that might stall you for a day. So it is always good to carry at least one extra day worth of food.
I do this too. If I’m just preparing for a week hike, I do +2 meals for myself and +1 cup of dog food for my pup. Do I use it? Eh most likely not. But it’s there just in case.
I sent resupply boxes for my LASH. They worked great. Yes, it takes a lot more upfront planning, but the payoff for me was that when I went into town to pick up a box, I could really enjoy the town or unwind. I didnt have to worry about what the resupply options were. I had a family member send my boxes, each was numbered and packed before I left, but left open with an address written on the mailing label, and a blank mailing label if I needed to switch pick up points. That way anything could be taken out or added (in my case 5 days of food was just too heavy, so I had to adjust) as needed. Worked great, and it helped my mom's peace of mind because that meant I was in regular contact with her.
My wife, who is very, very Gluten sensitive (but not celiac) survived fairly well on our 2018 AT hike. Certainly it took some creativity and more money but we did not use food drops. A couple of apps were helpful. The Gluten Free app and scanner were essential to negotiate different food options and, of course, Walmart’s app which allows you to order ahead a specific product you want at your next Walmart stop and have it available and waiting! Tuna, spam, mashed, GF trail bars - Kind/Luna type bars, pre cooked bacon (which was surprisingly available in most grocery stores offered a great lightweight protein, calorie dense, and tasty option. Walmart and most all of the grocery stores were pretty good, especially Publix. By far the hardest stores were the Dollar General type stores Actually some of those super gas/convience stores you would run into were great (but very pricey!) We actually found precooked hard boiled eggs, tunas,spam and even some fresh and dried fruit options, nuts and jerky galore at most of those. Creativity is key to GF hiking and expect to pay more but not a big problem! Actually a lot of fellow hikers became familiar with my wife’s unique approach of strapping a full loaf of Schar GF bread on top of her pack as she hike out of town! One word of caution...Hostels were very difficult to deal with...frozen pizza and pancakes (typical Hostel fare) are not an option so be prepared! Hope that helps someone not to worry too much and let them leave their donkey at home!
As an experienced Florida Trail thru hiker... I need to start a v/blog about specifically gas station resupply recipes! Grocery and Dollar General resupplies are easy... make some gourmet from a gas station, that's where the fun begins! On the FT, usually that's all we have, not many post offices or hostels or hiker towns or towns at all, just gas stations as far as the eye can see. Thanks Darwin for all your awesome videos!!! You inspire us all! Love ya, Love ya show!
I dreaded hiking gluten free, but it's actually surprisingly easy. Definitely more expensive, but some of the hiker basics are already GF (oatmeal packets usually, corn tortillas, instant mash usually). One note about hiking with diabetes - there really isn't an umbrella diet. Not only are their huge differences between Type 1 and Type 2 (T1 generally don't have dietary restrictions due to diabetes itself), but hiking it strenuous enough to lower both type's blood sugars, both short term and long term. I've known T2s who eat the normal hiker garbage and don't have bg problems with it while hiking. And for my T1 son, we needed to lower his basal insulin for over a month after a 2 week AT section, AND he was eating a lot of uncovered (not taking insulin for) carbs. Everyone with diabetes should consult with their doc first, but a special diet while hiking, especially thru hiking, probably isn't necessary. Just managing lows and carrying extra juice or glucose tabs.
Great info Darwin, as always. Thank you and it’s truly impressive how you’ve become a steward of hikers in a way. Good on you, we all appreciate the effort that you put into the content of your videos.
Can't tell you how much I appreciate how informative yet basic your videos are, Darwin! Thanks for keeping it simple and to the point. I look forward to following your next hike!
Definitely one of the better topics I’ve seen him cover, the small details that can be overwhelming when you’re trying to plan everything out. Stuff that is commonly looked over.
@@jonathanmayer1247 I've got a dehydrator machine and a vacuum sealer. Its possible to do it with just an oven on its lowest setting. Main thing is when you're cooking the meal not to use extra fats if you can avoid them. I have recently posted a video of how I do it
I love those Salmon packets. I take green onion, apple, carrot, cellery and avocado to cut up and make tuna salad! It's my no cook first day or two go to meal! Yummy!
I spent my whole day worrying about resupply and what the hell I think I'll want to eat in Washington 6 months from now. This is a big help. Thanks, dude.
I enjoy your videos, but always had a different outlook on backpacking, than most people. I carried heavy packs, for about 2000 miles, over high passes, for 20 summers, in King's Canyon/Sequoia N.P. and the John Muir Wilderness. My (and my friend's) philosophy was to hike fewer miles; but get to the high country, and fish, take photos, eat GOOD food (all pre-packed, at home, and carried on our backs), climb, and PARTY! (It was the 70's!) I may be the only person to ever play the fiddle, on top of Mt. Whitney. One of my friends carried his french horn, on his pack, all through the Sierra. It was awesome, echoing off the cliffs! I guess we all have our own way of enjoying backpacking; but it's important to do it; so we'll stay dedicated to protecting it. Personally, I'm heading to the N. Fork of the King's River, this summer, to celebrate my 50th anniversary of my first backpacking trip in the Sierras. I'm 77, so I'll be carrying a lighter pack, than I used to. See you on the trail!
Really good offering Darwin. I appreciate the reasoning behind trying hard to eat healthy and at the same time getting enough calories and being practical about cost and availability.
1 1/2 months out there in 2018, and 6 months of PCTs in 2019 and I'm still learning how it works. It can be very tricky, especially on a budget, and bearded hikers with big packs Do Not get easy hitches into town or back to trail. To and from Wrightwood CA was pretty much the only exception - Awesome town for hikers. Some places did have local buses with stops close to trail, but they are tricky too. Internet information is sometimes dead wrong, like the non-existed bus run through Aqua Dulce.
Touched on a good subject. I plan PCT 2020. While doing my research I bumped into Wrightwood to KOA/Acton saw 81 miles. About the same distance as Lake Morena to Warner Springs but with no resupply in between, more snow, higher elevations. I'm also a type 2 diabetic. Our channel used to be "D2 and Oliveoil hike" but I changed it to "Felipe and Oliveoil hike" because I despise talking about diabetes. I'm still working on it.
Started watching so many videos, so i can be prepared. Every video i watch of yours gives me new notes to work with to add to planning. Its a bit aways, but can't wait to hit the AT in full. And EMBRACE THE SUCK.
Retiring September 2020 ! This is so helpful as I prepare for PCT and AT next few years. My major stress level and fun challenge as well has always been how to resupply. At my age , I believe the nutrients in my diet are critical as I seem to breakdown a bit faster than all the younger trail hikers that I have been surveying recently. Well done Darwin !
Where I don't eat couscous in normal day life I do bring it when in the field. I usually add flakes of dried seaweed or goji berries and put that into a small plastic bottle. This way I can leave the packaging at home and the bottle is reusable for the water supply.
I am just getting back into backpacking after a 30-year hiatus. Really enjoy the videos and even though I'm nearly 63-years old I'm getting the urge to attempt a thru-hike. Oatmeal has been my go-to food while backpacking. I've mixed it with dehydrated veggies and fruits and then having a Complete Cookie for dessert makes for a satisfying breakfast or dinner. Anyway, thanks for the tips Darwin and good luck on your 2020 endeavors!
My gf and i spent 7 months hiking in France. There were some very rural parts that had limited options. Although generally we stuck to the same stuff, one of the greatest pleasures was being able to get local cheese that we couldn't get anywhere else in the country due to the way their distribution laws work. Of course, occasionally sleeping at a locals house/garden meant we also got some incredible local cuisine. I remember a cheese and potato dish that was almost chewy, that had us full up for 2 days of hiking. Never came across is again as that cheese was only made in that one small area. While walking there was pretty easy game and we have since done much harder hikes (and set our eyes on a modified E1, Norway-Sicily), the food was just about my favourite thing in France and what I'd consider doing it all over again for. Haven't ever done the resupply boxes, but it's certainly a consideration for the E1, as my gf is vegetarian she'll find it hard to get enough nutrition is areas heavily dominated with meat and fish products. Thanks for the video, it's given me some ideas that I hope to be able to replicate in the UK and Europe!
Glad you loved your hiking in France. The creamy potato and cheese was probably some Aligot. I use some dehydrated one when I go on the trail. Not as good as a fresh one but still tasty and gets your belly full.
I know this is an older video but thank you so much for this! I have severe dairy allergies so it’s definitely a challenge resupplying on longer hikes. Definitely great to hear some more advice.
Less carbohydrates and more fats! Yes! We need a video on your discoveries in this area! I do keto, bordering carnivore, and I'm realizing that I'll need to be a bit more open with my diet on the AT next year, but I'm still going to hug to my diet as best as I can. So I'm doing a lot of research.
Thanks for the tips Darwin. I am preparing for a small thru hike in May on a 70 mile trail. I want to make sure I take enough food knowing it has to be dry/non perishable. I will be fortunate enough to have a hiking buddy join halfway through so it makes my resupply easier since there is no towns, stores, etc. in between.
Great video! The day is quickly approaching to the start of my PCT hike this year. I like what you talked about the first leg of your thru-hike. Very helpful tips for my first thru-hike.
@@whotubeblows1The second week in March. Originally, it was the first week, but I forgot I had a prior engagement. I was incredibly lucky that I could change it today (Jan. 14).
Top tip. If you pick up a can of Betty Crocker cake icing, it makes a fantastic desert, and it's loaded with calories. Empty calories to be sure, but it's still mighty tasty.
Darwin,really cool you talked about this today,my friends and I thought we had to mail our items to areas where we would be,we were wrong of course...very informative vid,as all your vids are that's what makes them so good,other than you know your shit, literally,anyway thanks for always being there,we all appreciate it,even if we don't say so...
Awesome as usual Darwin. I am trying to set myself up for another AT thru hike this year (fingers crossed), so hopefully we can meet at some point. Thanks for what you do for the community.
Darwin I love your stuff and I know this video has been out for awhile and you are on the AT but I got some food ideas for you anyways. My favorite trail meal is Refried Bean Soup - refried black bean flakes, instant rice, cheese, Frank's hot sauce water and maybe a squirt of olive oil (Avoid refried bean flakes that come already seasoned).Andrew Skurka makes this with taco seasoning and fritos. (why i didnt think of fritos - doh) Cheesie Hash browns. - the hash browns come in a milk carton. Fill the carton with water and soak for at least an hour - you can soak them while hiking. Add oil to pan and fry the hash browns add cheese near the end. Your pot is more upright if you have a pot that is more squat this will work better. Ramen Bomb - but I think about everybody makes those - but they are tasty. Squeeze Parkey Margerine - it doesn't spoil and you can add that to every Knorr meal to up the calories and flavor. Bacon Pieces (or bits) - you find them in the salad dressing section of the grocery store. - get the real ones and not the fake. - Bacon goes with everything. - peanut butter and bacon sandwich, refried bean and bacon soup. You get the idea. Bearcreek Potato Soup with dehydrated corn and bacon - The package has too much for one meal - so you are going to have to bust it up at home or split it with somebody. Rehydrate the corn 1st - either soak while hiking or boil water and throw the corn in and then turn off and let it soak. When corn is ready follow the instructions on the package add corn and bacon to the soup. ....Now if you want to pack a frying pan...you could make some upside down pizza
Great info, good job Darwin. Always a joy. You'll be happy to know that I'm watching this video in my bed after getting off the Pinhoti today. I took my mom for her first hike out to McDill point in the Cheaha wilderness via the Pinhoti and camped there and tried out my cousin's duplex for the first time before investing in one myself, or going all in on hammocking. Waiting on Zpacks to come out with an ultralight hammock bug net to pair with their 7 oz hammock rainfly and a 5 oz hummingbird hammock... Gonna try no underquilt hammocking since I got the new NeoAir Xlite for Christmas. That should cut down the need and weight of an underquilt with the new 4.2 R-Value on that bad boy. Awesome sunset on the trail last night. Anyway, great video as always! Liked!
Good tips. For my part, I'm a worst-case type of guy. Most community will have stuff you can bring. Might end up being mostly beef jerky & dried soup packets with some spaguettinis, but it's still a thing. I bought up ALL the jerky in a small town once. If not, you'll find someone will to resell a bit of stuff to get your thru.
Hey Darwin. you may have mentioned this before, but I suggest, when giving advice to newbies, to tell them to try 1- or 2-nighters at campsites so they can figure out as many little kinks as possible. It's a great way to learn little things no one can teach you.
My wife and I have been following you for while, love the video! Planning our food for Patagonia in late February. Always appreciate the tips and advice from your experience on the trail. Happy Trails, Ben & Amy
Hey Darwin, I'm really enjoying your videos as I prep for my first thru-hike, the Colorado Trail. I'm going for a mix of boxes and buying as I go because some places will be hard to get good, nutritious vegan foods. In planning my resupplies, I've found I will frequently have partial days as I come into town for my resupply, based on mileage. However, unless I take each of those days as a nero, finishing up the rest of that day will change my pacing for the next resupply section. For instance, if I come in to town with a 10 mile morning and leave to do another 10 (for an average of 20 miles per day), that would slightly offset my mileage to the next town (an 80 mile segment would then technically be only 70). So, I would need a dinner for the first day, 3 full days of food, and then a breakfast to go into the next town. It seems like this is how you plan your food as well, although you generally do this planning once you get into town. Does this make sense as a strategy? Would you suggest I round all partial days up? Am I overthinking my resupply strategy? Thanks!
My last hike I tried something new and loved it. Now that you are cooking again, you might like it too. Mountain house sells a #10 can of ground beef. I divided that up into individual ziplock freezer 1l bags. I added taco seasoning, instant retried beans and cheese powder. I would cook this and either eat it by itself or bring tortillas and make a backpacking burrito. It was delicious. My only suggestion is to err on the side of using less water. I think I used half of what the packages may have calculated to use to reconstitute the food. It should be the consistency of a burrito from Taco Bell for example. Looking forward to watching you hike the AT again. My turn comes in 2025!
My longest hike here in the Netherlands was 2 weeks and almost everyday you will get into a town. I would carry all my breakfast stuff and 1 or 2 'emergency' meals and the rest I would pick up daily in local supermarkets
When you do the Colorado Trail, I would recommend bikepacking it instead of thruhiking it. I know you like to bikepack and this is the best trail to bikepack that is nearly all single track. It is definitely worth the bikepack.
I tend to over pack on food when section hiking. I did do a small resupply when I hike for six days in SNP. It was at the Elkwallow Wayside. Ate a burger and bought some dehydrated meals and snacks.
My meal prep looks very similar to yours. I also always carry an extra pound of brown rice. I tend to hike primarily during the winter so the guarantee of the next town is never there. I also do a lot of fishing to supplement my diet and theres nothing better than fresh cooked food on a cold night.
I did the JMT and loved cream of rice for breakfast, I pre-bagged in freezer bags so that was my eating container, mixed in a bit of cinnamon and some dried berries and splenda... Awesome to get me going in the morning! For lunch I did tortillas and moose goo (google it) and dinner pretty much what you use.
Great information and tips. I usually just put everything in my bag but think I will split the days up like you have it. I tend to eat constantly and mindlessly while I am on the trail and will end up eating way more in a day than I should lol.
I"m always thinking about total calories and try to hit about 4000 calories a day. Yours looks a bit short. A few things I rely on: 1) light olive oil: I always carry a bottle and add ~1.5 oz to breakfast and dinner meals. 2) Dehydrated and vacuum sealed mixed vegetables that I prepare myself: broccoli, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, zuccini and sweet peppers. Cooked, dried and packed at home. Great for GI health and nutrition. 3) Breakfast: a mix of granola, raisins, shredded almonds, dried milk, protein powder and olive oil -- a hearty meal requiring no cooking. Pack each day's it in a sandwich baggie, add water and eat.
While it must be incredibly nice to have towns every 3 days or so, I would always have contingency for problems. Carry an extra b'fast, dinner, snacks, in case delayed by weather, injury, illness.Even more may be needed if chance of delay in very cold environment. Mainly walking routes and wilderness travel.
When I got out of prison I told myself I was gonna see the world to make up for lost time. One thing I couldn’t escape from no matter how far I hiked, the ramen noodle concoctions I’ve seen people throw together and call a meal 😂
I’m definitely a resupply in town guy. I know there are trails that don’t always allow for that but most do and you can more easily vary what you’re eating if you wanna change it up. Plus there is no added shipping cost. When I did the AT I didn’t see the purpose of buying stuff at home and paying to send it to a town where I could’ve bought the exact same things at.
I'm lucky that I live in England, Tesco meal deal for dayz. Sandwiches, sushi, wraps, crisps, baby sausages, and so much more! Tesco meal deals are the best! AND! Tesco is in almost every city and town (and I've even seen them in the outlying villages) around the country. Its brilliant.
SECRET: SAVE 50% ON PRIORITY MAIL FLAT RATE BOXES. Your post office won't stock them, but if you drill into usps.com, you can order "flat rate a" (and "b") boxes. They take about ten days to be delivered, free, from USPS. They are MUCH cheaper than plain flat rate, if you are going something like 500 miles. Yes, the "flat rate" is based on distance zones, and again, you've got to drill down on the web or interrogate phone support to find out, based on zip codes. If you can plan ahead, you can save 50%.
you should eat more beans! white beans, brown beans, also precooked lentils... they fuel you like nothing else... healthy stuff! if you spot nettle, pluck the tops, great soup! garlic, salt, pepper are extras you need
Thx for making this vid. I am looking at the AT in 2021. And I'm diabetic. I'm not sure about how or what to plan. I would prefer to resupply in town, but I'm taking your advise about, doing research. This is the second video I've watched and I'm really liking your advise. So I subscribed. Maybe I'll see you on the trail. Embrace the suck!
Besides breakfast and dinner (which are a lot like what Darwin has in this video) I usually have homemade beef jerky, a bar of some sort, some GU or better yet energy jelly cubes, individual cheeses (Tillamook is great), and a packet of cup-a-soup (usually some of the tomato ones from the UK but Lipton chicken noodle is ok), and that makes my entire day. I usually make myself take a soup break in the afternoon.
Just for me id pack rations aside from your normal food, regular rice or oats, soup mixes ya know stuff thats simple , or just throw in some extra bars that if you dont eat can sit at the bottom of your pack for that "rainy day". Also a good multivitamin, for an extra boost, or even meal replacement powder that has a decent mix all be it synthetic micronutrient components. im not really a hiker, but ive been wanting to do a thru hike of the AT for a while, just college is kinda a thing rn.
This looks like a tasty 4 days. I agree on your improvisation, eating on the cheap with Cheetos or whatnot. That's some good advice, to eat high calorie fatty stuff, and stuff that's readily available. All too often I hear from hikers who waste money on fancy prepared mixtures when a perfectly sufficient Idahoan mashed potatoes would suffice. Next time I'm on the trail I should try that delicious looking and innovative tortilla avocado Cheeto burrito of yours. Very comprehensive and helpful video, Sir. Liked and subbed!
#1 drawback to post office resupply for me turned out to be the very short hold time at many post offices (about 2 weeks). Sadly, I lost several packages due to this because I had nobody "back home" doing the logistics for me. Non post office locations to send packages to have other pros and cons. They tend to hold boxes longer, but many add on fees and they often don't check identification. Anyone can claim to be you and get your package. I've seen this happen myself. It was accidental, but still disconcerting. Note that some people do get packages with unexpected items coming from back home, so there's no guarantee a hiker will always catch a mistake. Just exercise caution, especially if you have a common name.
Great video Darwin. Hopefully 2021 will be safer for me to do some group hikes and get my gear dialed in. I love the budget gear videos you do for us day hikers who are just getting started. Stay safe!
You could always Cache your supplies along the trail, that way you wouldn’t even have to get off the trail. Yes, that would take some foresight and good planning, but just think About never having to come off trail??? We do that for bug-out scenarios, I have 8 caches buried in 4 directions (2 for each direction) to get me to one of my 4 bug-out locations.
Another great video. Most of my trips are short duration at the moment and I have recently lost 50 pounds and started to really focus on my food intake. This year I am starting to learn how to dehydrate food and preparation on trail. Going to make videos of my process of learning, like a backcountry cooking show lol. Looking forward to your hikes this year!
Thank you so much for mentioning dietary restrictions. As a diabetic who can't eat things like pastas, potatoes and rice, I am finding almost no information on what I can take as in food for hiking. I am just starting out and won't be doing a lot of long distances but I would like to have some sort of food and water when I do start to go hiking. I'm hopeing soon that you can post some sort of video on diabetic foods for hiking, or at least point us in the right direction. Thank you for posting the video!
@GarouLady - my son is type 1 and does a lot of hiking with me. For day hikes, trail mix is his best friend, especially the nut heavy ones with m&ms because the nuts slow down the sugar digestion, so he stays more level. For multi day trips, you'd be surprised what you can get away because the exercise makes your body much more insulin sensitive. He doesn't have the diet restrictions of a type 2, but there have been trips he's eaten some pretty high carb stuff without taking insulin for it because the hiking made him so insulin sensitive that his basal was more than enough. If you're on FB, look for the All Women All Trails group, lot of ladies with diabetes hiking there!
I don't know precisely what you can eat not eat but you could try outdoorherbivore.com because they do some nut based meals and offer bean based meals. For others that are reading this they do gluten free and vegan dishes also. Maryjanesfarm.org also might be another place to look around. Now she does have a lot of pasta but there is some legume dishes also in there. Another thing is googling for freeze dried foods for a diabetic. Besides this hobby there is people prepping for the future apocalyptic event that need food for the future that would work with the diabetics and by googling you might get some ideas from them. Try also going through REI, Backcountry, Moosejaw, Enwild, Backcountry Gear and others food section on their web site because you will never know what will pop up. Now that paleo is popular there is some people offering paleo only meals.
GarouLady, suggest checking a few vids and blogs about eating the diabetes-killing keto diet whilst backpacking. I think it's possible to resupply keto most of the time. Following is a list of foods that are core for me: hard cheese, hunk of salami or similar, nut butter (hopefully almond) mixed with butter, small container of olive oil, trail mix-mixed nuts with high cocoa chocolate bar pieces, low carb wraps, and a couple of avocados. I suspect I'll need to order online powdered eggs, heavy cream powder, maybe some freeze-dried hamburger. I don't know your diabetes type and status but please do what is necessary to understand the impact of all-day exercise and dietary changes on any diabetes meds you are taking. GK
Thanks, my section hikes on the AT are getting further and further from home so by necessity, they will be getting much longer. For the one 12 day hike I went on, I resupplied in towns, which in NJ and NY is really easy, plus lots of meals available along the way. I feel like the AT is really several different trails - Maine is far different than NJ (haven't gotten further south yet.)
You missed two points that are mildly important? The resupply boxes can get bounced from one post office to the next. It does mean you have to either call the post office or go there in person to either pickup the package or send it ahead. You can also throw in other items that you might need like winter gear, neoprene socks or gourmet coffee? Town food! Since I’m in one of the towns on the PCT I’ve talked with hikers before and dropped them off on the trail. A small percentage will go to a fast food restaurant and brown bag a late night dinner or a lunch prior to hitting the trail.
Thank you very much for the videos. I am new to backpacking and want to do a thru hike of the AT soon. I have only so far watched a handful of your videos but each one has been valuable to me in preparation. Just wanted to let you know that what you're doing is appreciated and maybe I'll run into you on the trail sometime!
Darwin.. if you have never tried the powdered peanutbutter, you should. I get mine at Walmart. Its really light to carry, just add a few drops of water to it when you are ready to eat. It is actually very good, in comparison to regular peanutbutter IMO. I separate it into small ziplocks for each day bag ( which I learned from you).Just thought I would throw in a trick that I learned.
For a healthier salty crunchy snack / lunch, I totally recommend roasted seasoned beans, edamames and chickpeas. Not sure if those are available in the US though. In Germany I buy those in turkish or asian supermarkets. They are great as snacks but can also be thrown into any cooked meal :)
a factor of safety isnt over-packing, its reasonable, plus ive ran into alot of hikers who didnt have enough, also if you build variety into your extra you get to live that plush life.
I tend to think most hikers under estimate their caloric needs. I'm 6ft 1, 250lbs+ multiple calculators say i should eat 3000 calories a day. just to maintain my weight, not even considering carrying a backpack through the wilderness. 1000 cal per meal isn't easy. consider. a cup of oatmeal is only 300 cal. a banana is like 100 cal. One of those tuna packages. is like 180. a knor side. maybe 250 cal. his ghee packet is 20g of ghee... so, 45 cal times 4. for another 180 cals...so, maybe 610-650 cals for one of his "meals". Darwin had 4-5 bars per day... at 200 ea. that's 800-1000 there. Depending on his weight and height... maybe that's enough. (i find the mileage some of these guys do super impressive... i top out at like 10-15 miles a day... some of these youtubers are doing 20-30 miles a day) But for me it wouldn't be. I would probably double the tuna packets. Or add more snack bars... or some sort of sweets. for just raw sugar/calories. The real kicker is, it's hard to eat that much food on the trail... The trick is calorie dense foods. fats. oils... high calorie to weight. sweets. chocolate. high fat foods. nuts. My advice, is to think of it as a math problem. When hiking, it's basically fuel, i've known people to eat straight jars of pea nut butter. Look up what is reasonable for your body to need in a day. consider what you're bringing and what it provides, and pad a little extra. maybe you are carrying too much. If the numbers tally up to be over what you need. try cutting it back a little. but if not. keep it the same, and eat what you feel your body needs. but consider... a 160 lb person... will burn something like 400 cal per hour hiking. and 200 lb person. it might be 500 cal. So even if i were at 3000 cal eaten in a day. just hiking... i'd prob be at a deficit of 1k or more... which is an extreme calorie short fall. For a weekend. that's no big deal, but if you do that for weeks, on end, that's not a healthy way to live. As long as you're not wasting food, or carrying so much that it's hindering you, don't sweat a little over packing. but if you want to know... just look into the math. you'd probably be surprised.
My family is less hungry when we start hiking but in a day or so we get more hungry and I wouldn't even say that is what true hiker hunger feels like. So far it has always been good that hubby and I bring ample food for ourselves because the kids are still underestimating. Bless their teenage soles/souls.
Let me clarify that I am not b.c. enabling lazy teens but my teens are amazing troopers who are finding themselves on bigger, longer, more strenuous, more adverse weather challenges than they have known before. They are taking more foods because those times when they mooched from us were severe reality man! Thank you, Amicalola Falls, Rich Mountain Fire Tower in cold sleet, beyond Skull Rock Joshua Tree in the heat, flood stage "carwash" up Vernal Falls Yosemite. No problems at Big Bend! LOL!!! It's a learning process! Education!
Janet Starr I plan out good for family backpacking trips and I feel like no matter how much I pack it would always all get eaten. We are all so hungry! We haven’t done longer than 4 nights 5 day’s and I don’t know how we’d carry more food than that!
Good lord I'd love to hike the AP, however I don't think my knee would take it. :( Thanks for posting all these awesome videos man! I live vicariously through you!
Kind bars are my favorite trail food but next time I am on the AT I will have to try packing my meals like this. Looks very organized and I am a snacker as well could help me with that:) Much love -TTO We normaly resupply in town but I have had packages sent if I wanted specific items like local home candys and honey . We were worried that they wouldnt have them wherever we are visiting.
For everyone who is asking, It's actually 3,200 Calories per "Full Day" & that's NOT counting the Nuts.
1oz of Macadamia/Cashew/Almonds is about 200 Calories (mainly because of the Macadamias). There is 14oz of Nuts in that bag, so about 700 Calories a day just from Nuts.
So in this resupply, I have about 3,900 Calories a "Full Day". That's more than enough for me. 😉
Hike On,
Darwin
Do you end up eating the entire packet of Knorr/Idahoan with your tuna packet each night? I've tried your tuna and couscous dinner and that's a tasty meal!
I'm mainly a weekend warrior and take some time in the summer to do some longer sections (music educator here).
Was this video shot in Flagstaff or Mogollon Rim or somewhere else? Arizona is my home (Scottsdale) and this video looks like where I like to hike/camp. Beautiful AZ!
Thanks good ideas Darwin.
14 oz nuts is 2800 calories.
That's about the same that used to feed us in the in the army each mre is round 3000 calories
Personally, I always try to leave town with an extra day or so of food for every 3-4 days I think I'm going to be on trail. That way if I'm delayed I don't have to ration. If I'm not delayed, then I can either have a feast before town and be less likely to spend tons of money on massive restaurant meals, or I can save that extra portion to be my first day's food on the next leg. It means an extra 2 lbs in my pack I may not need, but it's kept me from being hungry more than a couple times when the climbs wound up being slower than expected, or a low flat section wound up being boggy mud and I was working my tail off for sub-1 mile per hour paces. Some segments are easy to adjust and make up time, others not so much and those are usually the ones where you need every calorie you can get and rationing is just going to slow you down more and make you cranky to boot.
Ever since I started watching your videos about six months ago I've been inspired to go backpacking for the first time and I finally got all the gear I need and miraculously inspired my wife as well so we will both go backpacking. Very exciting times, thank you for all the time and hard work you put into these videos.
AWESOME!!! Get Out Here! 🤙
Are you guys still backpacking?
@@daisychain4096 actually I am but not my wife, we had a baby. Once he’s old enough we’ll go on some trips. It’s car camping for now!
As a personal Rule of Thumb, I always make sure I have at least one extra days worth of food in case of an emergency. You never know what might happen. There could be a fire deviation or weather that might stall you for a day. So it is always good to carry at least one extra day worth of food.
I do this too. If I’m just preparing for a week hike, I do +2 meals for myself and +1 cup of dog food for my pup. Do I use it? Eh most likely not. But it’s there just in case.
I sent resupply boxes for my LASH. They worked great. Yes, it takes a lot more upfront planning, but the payoff for me was that when I went into town to pick up a box, I could really enjoy the town or unwind. I didnt have to worry about what the resupply options were. I had a family member send my boxes, each was numbered and packed before I left, but left open with an address written on the mailing label, and a blank mailing label if I needed to switch pick up points. That way anything could be taken out or added (in my case 5 days of food was just too heavy, so I had to adjust) as needed. Worked great, and it helped my mom's peace of mind because that meant I was in regular contact with her.
My wife, who is very, very Gluten sensitive (but not celiac) survived fairly well on our 2018 AT hike. Certainly it took some creativity and more money but we did not use food drops. A couple of apps were helpful. The Gluten Free app and scanner were essential to negotiate different food options and, of course, Walmart’s app which allows you to order ahead a specific product you want at your next Walmart stop and have it available and waiting! Tuna, spam, mashed, GF trail bars - Kind/Luna type bars, pre cooked bacon (which was surprisingly available
in most grocery stores offered a great lightweight protein, calorie dense, and tasty option. Walmart and most all of the grocery stores were pretty good, especially Publix. By far the hardest stores were the Dollar General type stores Actually some of those super gas/convience stores you would run into were great (but very pricey!) We actually found precooked hard boiled eggs, tunas,spam and even some fresh and dried fruit options, nuts and jerky galore at most of those. Creativity is key to GF hiking and expect to pay more but not a big problem! Actually a lot of fellow hikers became familiar with my wife’s unique approach of strapping a full loaf of Schar GF bread on top of her pack as she hike out of town! One word of caution...Hostels were very difficult to deal with...frozen pizza and pancakes (typical Hostel fare) are not an option so be prepared! Hope that helps someone not to worry too much and let them leave their donkey at home!
As an experienced Florida Trail thru hiker... I need to start a v/blog about specifically gas station resupply recipes! Grocery and Dollar General resupplies are easy... make some gourmet from a gas station, that's where the fun begins! On the FT, usually that's all we have, not many post offices or hostels or hiker towns or towns at all, just gas stations as far as the eye can see. Thanks Darwin for all your awesome videos!!! You inspire us all! Love ya, Love ya show!
We eat section hikers, ya know, for the protein.
😂
What???
@Blenselche dude lol
Yeah, not much fat there.
Lol...
Thats because you come from the “TERMINUS“
I dreaded hiking gluten free, but it's actually surprisingly easy. Definitely more expensive, but some of the hiker basics are already GF (oatmeal packets usually, corn tortillas, instant mash usually).
One note about hiking with diabetes - there really isn't an umbrella diet. Not only are their huge differences between Type 1 and Type 2 (T1 generally don't have dietary restrictions due to diabetes itself), but hiking it strenuous enough to lower both type's blood sugars, both short term and long term. I've known T2s who eat the normal hiker garbage and don't have bg problems with it while hiking. And for my T1 son, we needed to lower his basal insulin for over a month after a 2 week AT section, AND he was eating a lot of uncovered (not taking insulin for) carbs. Everyone with diabetes should consult with their doc first, but a special diet while hiking, especially thru hiking, probably isn't necessary. Just managing lows and carrying extra juice or glucose tabs.
Great Points! Thanks!
4:46 Did you really just eat Fritos with gloves on? I knew I couldn't trust you lol.
"Do you want norovirus? Because this is how we get norovirus."
Great info Darwin, as always. Thank you and it’s truly impressive how you’ve become a steward of hikers in a way. Good on you, we all appreciate the effort that you put into the content of your videos.
Can't tell you how much I appreciate how informative yet basic your videos are, Darwin! Thanks for keeping it simple and to the point. I look forward to following your next hike!
Definitely one of the better topics I’ve seen him cover, the small details that can be overwhelming when you’re trying to plan everything out. Stuff that is commonly looked over.
I'm making my own dehydrated meals for the majority of my hikes this year, it'll save me money and I know I like my own cooking!
Cool! How do you do that?
@@jonathanmayer1247 I've got a dehydrator machine and a vacuum sealer. Its possible to do it with just an oven on its lowest setting.
Main thing is when you're cooking the meal not to use extra fats if you can avoid them. I have recently posted a video of how I do it
@@DanOutdoorsUK Thanks man!
Cheers
@@jonathanmayer1247 No problem, hopefully it'll help 👍
I love those Salmon packets. I take green onion, apple, carrot, cellery and avocado to cut up and make tuna salad! It's my no cook first day or two go to meal! Yummy!
still looking for a place here to get them
omgosh... great idea. I imagine that you could also dehydtrate the fruits and veg. if needed as well ; )
I spent my whole day worrying about resupply and what the hell I think I'll want to eat in Washington 6 months from now. This is a big help. Thanks, dude.
Separating out each day of food sounds like a great idea. I need more for breakfast tho.
I enjoy your videos, but always had a different outlook on backpacking, than most people.
I carried heavy packs, for about 2000 miles, over high passes, for 20 summers, in King's Canyon/Sequoia N.P. and the John Muir Wilderness.
My (and my friend's) philosophy was to hike fewer miles; but get to the high country, and fish, take photos, eat GOOD food (all pre-packed, at home, and carried on our backs), climb, and PARTY! (It was the 70's!)
I may be the only person to ever play the fiddle, on top of Mt. Whitney.
One of my friends carried his french horn, on his pack, all through the Sierra. It was awesome, echoing off the cliffs!
I guess we all have our own way of enjoying backpacking; but it's important to do it; so we'll stay dedicated to protecting it.
Personally, I'm heading to the N. Fork of the King's River, this summer, to celebrate my 50th anniversary of my first backpacking trip in the Sierras.
I'm 77, so I'll be carrying a lighter pack, than I used to.
See you on the trail!
Really good offering Darwin. I appreciate the reasoning behind trying hard to eat healthy and at the same time getting enough calories and being practical about cost and availability.
Perfect timing for me! I need to put together my PCT resupplies this weekend! Thanks for the organization tips!
Was literally talking to a friend yesterday about possibly doing a thru hike, but had no idea how the resupplies worked. Thanks!
1 1/2 months out there in 2018, and 6 months of PCTs in 2019 and I'm still learning how it works. It can be very tricky, especially on a budget, and bearded hikers with big packs Do Not get easy hitches into town or back to trail. To and from Wrightwood CA was pretty much the only exception - Awesome town for hikers.
Some places did have local buses with stops close to trail, but they are tricky too. Internet information is sometimes dead wrong, like the non-existed bus run through Aqua Dulce.
Touched on a good subject. I plan PCT 2020. While doing my research I bumped into Wrightwood to KOA/Acton saw 81 miles. About the same distance as Lake Morena to Warner Springs but with no resupply in between, more snow, higher elevations. I'm also a type 2 diabetic. Our channel used to be "D2 and Oliveoil hike" but I changed it to "Felipe and Oliveoil hike" because I despise talking about diabetes. I'm still working on it.
Started watching so many videos, so i can be prepared. Every video i watch of yours gives me new notes to work with to add to planning. Its a bit aways, but can't wait to hit the AT in full. And EMBRACE THE SUCK.
Retiring September 2020 ! This is so helpful as I prepare for PCT and AT next few years. My major stress level and fun challenge as well has always been how to resupply. At my age , I believe the nutrients in my diet are critical as I seem to breakdown a bit faster than all the younger trail hikers that I have been surveying recently. Well done Darwin !
I can’t be the only one shocked there was no cous cous for dinner...
👍
Also porridge for breakfast if cooking is a staple for me on cooler days
%)) I guess a lot of the same food make it unbearable )
I hear that!
I was shocked that he walked passed a movie theater playing Deadpool without stopping.
Where I don't eat couscous in normal day life I do bring it when in the field. I usually add flakes of dried seaweed or goji berries and put that into a small plastic bottle. This way I can leave the packaging at home and the bottle is reusable for the water supply.
I am just getting back into backpacking after a 30-year hiatus. Really enjoy the videos and even though I'm nearly 63-years old I'm getting the urge to attempt a thru-hike. Oatmeal has been my go-to food while backpacking. I've mixed it with dehydrated veggies and fruits and then having a Complete Cookie for dessert makes for a satisfying breakfast or dinner. Anyway, thanks for the tips Darwin and good luck on your 2020 endeavors!
I tried to eat "healthy" on the AT... by Va I was packing out a pound of candy on average 😅
Snow: it has "no" right there in it.
OldSchool Jeremy ahahahhaha omg too true
Thank you for all the informative videos, they really make planning less daunting
My gf and i spent 7 months hiking in France. There were some very rural parts that had limited options. Although generally we stuck to the same stuff, one of the greatest pleasures was being able to get local cheese that we couldn't get anywhere else in the country due to the way their distribution laws work. Of course, occasionally sleeping at a locals house/garden meant we also got some incredible local cuisine. I remember a cheese and potato dish that was almost chewy, that had us full up for 2 days of hiking. Never came across is again as that cheese was only made in that one small area.
While walking there was pretty easy game and we have since done much harder hikes (and set our eyes on a modified E1, Norway-Sicily), the food was just about my favourite thing in France and what I'd consider doing it all over again for. Haven't ever done the resupply boxes, but it's certainly a consideration for the E1, as my gf is vegetarian she'll find it hard to get enough nutrition is areas heavily dominated with meat and fish products.
Thanks for the video, it's given me some ideas that I hope to be able to replicate in the UK and Europe!
Glad you loved your hiking in France. The creamy potato and cheese was probably some Aligot. I use some dehydrated one when I go on the trail. Not as good as a fresh one but still tasty and gets your belly full.
I know this is an older video but thank you so much for this! I have severe dairy allergies so it’s definitely a challenge resupplying on longer hikes. Definitely great to hear some more advice.
Less carbohydrates and more fats! Yes! We need a video on your discoveries in this area! I do keto, bordering carnivore, and I'm realizing that I'll need to be a bit more open with my diet on the AT next year, but I'm still going to hug to my diet as best as I can. So I'm doing a lot of research.
Thanks for the tips Darwin. I am preparing for a small thru hike in May on a 70 mile trail. I want to make sure I take enough food knowing it has to be dry/non perishable. I will be fortunate enough to have a hiking buddy join halfway through so it makes my resupply easier since there is no towns, stores, etc. in between.
Great video! The day is quickly approaching to the start of my PCT hike this year. I like what you talked about the first leg of your thru-hike. Very helpful tips for my first thru-hike.
I'm starting my thru hike of the PCT this year also, when are you starting?
@@whotubeblows1The second week in March. Originally, it was the first week, but I forgot I had a prior engagement. I was incredibly lucky that I could change it today (Jan. 14).
Top tip.
If you pick up a can of Betty Crocker cake icing, it makes a fantastic desert, and it's loaded with calories. Empty calories to be sure, but it's still mighty tasty.
Darwin,really cool you talked about this today,my friends and I thought we had to mail our items to areas where we would be,we were wrong of course...very informative vid,as all your vids are that's what makes them so good,other than you know your shit, literally,anyway thanks for always being there,we all appreciate it,even if we don't say so...
NICE! Glad you dig the Video! 🤙
Hike On,
Darwin
You talked me into trying Bobo's oatmeal bars for breakfast, instead of regular oatmeal. I hope it works as well, and no mess.
Awesome as usual Darwin. I am trying to set myself up for another AT thru hike this year (fingers crossed), so hopefully we can meet at some point. Thanks for what you do for the community.
EXCELLENT!!!! I hope to see you out there ER!!! 🤙
You and Frozen do make some of the best backpacking videos. Videos like this help a lot! 👍 The waterfall at 5:15 is amazing!!
Darwin I love your stuff and I know this video has been out for awhile and you are on the AT but I got some food ideas for you anyways. My favorite trail meal is Refried Bean Soup - refried black bean flakes, instant rice, cheese, Frank's hot sauce water and maybe a squirt of olive oil (Avoid refried bean flakes that come already seasoned).Andrew Skurka makes this with taco seasoning and fritos. (why i didnt think of fritos - doh)
Cheesie Hash browns. - the hash browns come in a milk carton. Fill the carton with water and soak for at least an hour - you can soak them while hiking. Add oil to pan and fry the hash browns add cheese near the end. Your pot is more upright if you have a pot that is more squat this will work better.
Ramen Bomb - but I think about everybody makes those - but they are tasty.
Squeeze Parkey Margerine - it doesn't spoil and you can add that to every Knorr meal to up the calories and flavor.
Bacon Pieces (or bits) - you find them in the salad dressing section of the grocery store. - get the real ones and not the fake. - Bacon goes with everything. - peanut butter and bacon sandwich, refried bean and bacon soup. You get the idea.
Bearcreek Potato Soup with dehydrated corn and bacon - The package has too much for one meal - so you are going to have to bust it up at home or split it with somebody. Rehydrate the corn 1st - either soak while hiking or boil water and throw the corn in and then turn off and let it soak. When corn is ready follow the instructions on the package add corn and bacon to the soup.
....Now if you want to pack a frying pan...you could make some upside down pizza
Great info, good job Darwin. Always a joy. You'll be happy to know that I'm watching this video in my bed after getting off the Pinhoti today. I took my mom for her first hike out to McDill point in the Cheaha wilderness via the Pinhoti and camped there and tried out my cousin's duplex for the first time before investing in one myself, or going all in on hammocking. Waiting on Zpacks to come out with an ultralight hammock bug net to pair with their 7 oz hammock rainfly and a 5 oz hummingbird hammock... Gonna try no underquilt hammocking since I got the new NeoAir Xlite for Christmas. That should cut down the need and weight of an underquilt with the new 4.2 R-Value on that bad boy. Awesome sunset on the trail last night. Anyway, great video as always! Liked!
Good tips.
For my part, I'm a worst-case type of guy. Most community will have stuff you can bring. Might end up being mostly beef jerky & dried soup packets with some spaguettinis, but it's still a thing. I bought up ALL the jerky in a small town once.
If not, you'll find someone will to resell a bit of stuff to get your thru.
Hey Darwin. you may have mentioned this before, but I suggest, when giving advice to newbies, to tell them to try 1- or 2-nighters at campsites so they can figure out as many little kinks as possible. It's a great way to learn little things no one can teach you.
My wife and I have been following you for while, love the video! Planning our food for Patagonia in late February. Always appreciate the tips and advice from your experience on the trail.
Happy Trails,
Ben & Amy
Hey Darwin, I'm really enjoying your videos as I prep for my first thru-hike, the Colorado Trail. I'm going for a mix of boxes and buying as I go because some places will be hard to get good, nutritious vegan foods. In planning my resupplies, I've found I will frequently have partial days as I come into town for my resupply, based on mileage. However, unless I take each of those days as a nero, finishing up the rest of that day will change my pacing for the next resupply section. For instance, if I come in to town with a 10 mile morning and leave to do another 10 (for an average of 20 miles per day), that would slightly offset my mileage to the next town (an 80 mile segment would then technically be only 70). So, I would need a dinner for the first day, 3 full days of food, and then a breakfast to go into the next town. It seems like this is how you plan your food as well, although you generally do this planning once you get into town. Does this make sense as a strategy? Would you suggest I round all partial days up? Am I overthinking my resupply strategy? Thanks!
My last hike I tried something new and loved it. Now that you are cooking again, you might like it too. Mountain house sells a #10 can of ground beef. I divided that up into individual ziplock freezer 1l bags. I added taco seasoning, instant retried beans and cheese powder. I would cook this and either eat it by itself or bring tortillas and make a backpacking burrito. It was delicious. My only suggestion is to err on the side of using less water. I think I used half of what the packages may have calculated to use to reconstitute the food. It should be the consistency of a burrito from Taco Bell for example. Looking forward to watching you hike the AT again. My turn comes in 2025!
My longest hike here in the Netherlands was 2 weeks and almost everyday you will get into a town. I would carry all my breakfast stuff and 1 or 2 'emergency' meals and the rest I would pick up daily in local supermarkets
When you do the Colorado Trail, I would recommend bikepacking it instead of thruhiking it. I know you like to bikepack and this is the best trail to bikepack that is nearly all single track. It is definitely worth the bikepack.
I tend to over pack on food when section hiking. I did do a small resupply when I hike for six days in SNP. It was at the Elkwallow Wayside. Ate a burger and bought some dehydrated meals and snacks.
Thank's Darwin for your hard work and research. I've learned a lot from your videos. My 2021 thru hike of the AT will be much better.
Thanks for braving the cold Darwin you know we love to see you outside!
Good looking meal plan! I would add some dehydrated fruits and some sort of dessert. On those lazy days, a mountain home will do the trick.
Thanks for chilling out with us Darwin & sharing more great information. 👍🏻🙏
🥶🥶🥶
Was just researching this on Google load up TH-cam and here it is. Thanks so much!
Great edition for beginners! Really informative. A gold star for braving the cold today ⭐️ ! Happy new year 🥳
My meal prep looks very similar to yours. I also always carry an extra pound of brown rice. I tend to hike primarily during the winter so the guarantee of the next town is never there. I also do a lot of fishing to supplement my diet and theres nothing better than fresh cooked food on a cold night.
This is amazing and informative Darwin. AT2020 starting on March 16th! Hope to see you out there!!
Getting close!! Good luck! Have fun! :)
I'll be section hiking the AT in 2020. Thanks for the advice and I hope to see you on the Trail!
So will I Jason. Gonna do all of Virginia in late March
I did the JMT and loved cream of rice for breakfast, I pre-bagged in freezer bags so that was my eating container, mixed in a bit of cinnamon and some dried berries and splenda... Awesome to get me going in the morning! For lunch I did tortillas and moose goo (google it) and dinner pretty much what you use.
Great information and tips. I usually just put everything in my bag but think I will split the days up like you have it. I tend to eat constantly and mindlessly while I am on the trail and will end up eating way more in a day than I should lol.
I"m always thinking about total calories and try to hit about 4000 calories a day. Yours looks a bit short. A few things I rely on: 1) light olive oil: I always carry a bottle and add ~1.5 oz to breakfast and dinner meals. 2) Dehydrated and vacuum sealed mixed vegetables that I prepare myself: broccoli, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, zuccini and sweet peppers. Cooked, dried and packed at home. Great for GI health and nutrition. 3) Breakfast: a mix of granola, raisins, shredded almonds, dried milk, protein powder and olive oil -- a hearty meal requiring no cooking. Pack each day's it in a sandwich baggie, add water and eat.
While it must be incredibly nice to have towns every 3 days or so, I would always have contingency for problems. Carry an extra b'fast, dinner, snacks, in case delayed by weather, injury, illness.Even more may be needed if chance of delay in very cold environment. Mainly walking routes and wilderness travel.
Previous question I had about your ways of tracking has be answered in this video, thanks Darwin
Awwww... thanks for going out in the cold for us! Totes preesh.
No Prob! 🥶🥶🥶
@@DarwinOnthetrail C'mon, Darwin! Turn the camera around and show us the parking lot! (JK!) ;-)
When I got out of prison I told myself I was gonna see the world to make up for lost time. One thing I couldn’t escape from no matter how far I hiked, the ramen noodle concoctions I’ve seen people throw together and call a meal 😂
I’m definitely a resupply in town guy. I know there are trails that don’t always allow for that but most do and you can more easily vary what you’re eating if you wanna change it up. Plus there is no added shipping cost. When I did the AT I didn’t see the purpose of buying stuff at home and paying to send it to a town where I could’ve bought the exact same things at.
Im not a hiker but. I keep following your videos because you make everything so interesting. Please dont stop creating!
I'm lucky that I live in England, Tesco meal deal for dayz. Sandwiches, sushi, wraps, crisps, baby sausages, and so much more! Tesco meal deals are the best! AND! Tesco is in almost every city and town (and I've even seen them in the outlying villages) around the country. Its brilliant.
SECRET: SAVE 50% ON PRIORITY MAIL FLAT RATE BOXES.
Your post office won't stock them, but if you drill into usps.com, you can order "flat rate a" (and "b") boxes. They take about ten days to be delivered, free, from USPS. They are MUCH cheaper than plain flat rate, if you are going something like 500 miles. Yes, the "flat rate" is based on distance zones, and again, you've got to drill down on the web or interrogate phone support to find out, based on zip codes. If you can plan ahead, you can save 50%.
you should eat more beans! white beans, brown beans, also precooked lentils... they fuel you like nothing else... healthy stuff! if you spot nettle, pluck the tops, great soup! garlic, salt, pepper are extras you need
Thx for making this vid.
I am looking at the AT in 2021.
And I'm diabetic.
I'm not sure about how or what to plan.
I would prefer to resupply in town, but I'm taking your advise about, doing research.
This is the second video I've watched and I'm really liking your advise.
So I subscribed.
Maybe I'll see you on the trail.
Embrace the suck!
Excellent video and comments everybody! I really learned a lot from this video 😁
Lmao when the Sherpa is carrying more than the donkey😂🤣
I think the Sherpa was carrying more than their own body weight. lol
Shadow Prince I’d want to be carrying group gear with him
Besides breakfast and dinner (which are a lot like what Darwin has in this video) I usually have homemade beef jerky, a bar of some sort, some GU or better yet energy jelly cubes, individual cheeses (Tillamook is great), and a packet of cup-a-soup (usually some of the tomato ones from the UK but Lipton chicken noodle is ok), and that makes my entire day. I usually make myself take a soup break in the afternoon.
Just for me id pack rations aside from your normal food, regular rice or oats, soup mixes ya know stuff thats simple , or just throw in some extra bars that if you dont eat can sit at the bottom of your pack for that "rainy day". Also a good multivitamin, for an extra boost, or even meal replacement powder that has a decent mix all be it synthetic micronutrient components. im not really a hiker, but ive been wanting to do a thru hike of the AT for a while, just college is kinda a thing rn.
This looks like a tasty 4 days. I agree on your improvisation, eating on the cheap with Cheetos or whatnot. That's some good advice, to eat high calorie fatty stuff, and stuff that's readily available. All too often I hear from hikers who waste money on fancy prepared mixtures when a perfectly sufficient Idahoan mashed potatoes would suffice. Next time I'm on the trail I should try that delicious looking and innovative tortilla avocado Cheeto burrito of yours. Very comprehensive and helpful video, Sir. Liked and subbed!
#1 drawback to post office resupply for me turned out to be the very short hold time at many post offices (about 2 weeks). Sadly, I lost several packages due to this because I had nobody "back home" doing the logistics for me.
Non post office locations to send packages to have other pros and cons. They tend to hold boxes longer, but many add on fees and they often don't check identification. Anyone can claim to be you and get your package. I've seen this happen myself. It was accidental, but still disconcerting. Note that some people do get packages with unexpected items coming from back home, so there's no guarantee a hiker will always catch a mistake. Just exercise caution, especially if you have a common name.
Great video Darwin. Hopefully 2021 will be safer for me to do some group hikes and get my gear dialed in. I love the budget gear videos you do for us day hikers who are just getting started. Stay safe!
You could always Cache your supplies along the trail, that way you wouldn’t even have to get off the trail. Yes, that would take some foresight and good planning, but just think About never having to come off trail??? We do that for bug-out scenarios, I have 8 caches buried in 4 directions (2 for each direction) to get me to one of my 4 bug-out locations.
Imagine walking along the trail and a guy with a donkey walks past the other way haha
Stock animals are pretty common on some trails! I've been passed by stock in California and Washington, and I've heard of people llamapacking the CDT
i’ve been passed by a whole group of llamas
I have seen the porters in Nepal. They just fly by you, it's amazing
Another great video. Most of my trips are short duration at the moment and I have recently lost 50 pounds and started to really focus on my food intake. This year I am starting to learn how to dehydrate food and preparation on trail. Going to make videos of my process of learning, like a backcountry cooking show lol. Looking forward to your hikes this year!
Excellent video!! I look forward to watching you hike the AT again.
Good info Darwin. Folks can follow your guidance with confidence.
Thank you so much for mentioning dietary restrictions. As a diabetic who can't eat things like pastas, potatoes and rice, I am finding almost no information on what I can take as in food for hiking. I am just starting out and won't be doing a lot of long distances but I would like to have some sort of food and water when I do start to go hiking. I'm hopeing soon that you can post some sort of video on diabetic foods for hiking, or at least point us in the right direction. Thank you for posting the video!
@GarouLady - my son is type 1 and does a lot of hiking with me. For day hikes, trail mix is his best friend, especially the nut heavy ones with m&ms because the nuts slow down the sugar digestion, so he stays more level. For multi day trips, you'd be surprised what you can get away because the exercise makes your body much more insulin sensitive. He doesn't have the diet restrictions of a type 2, but there have been trips he's eaten some pretty high carb stuff without taking insulin for it because the hiking made him so insulin sensitive that his basal was more than enough. If you're on FB, look for the All Women All Trails group, lot of ladies with diabetes hiking there!
I don't know precisely what you can eat not eat but you could try outdoorherbivore.com because they do some nut based meals and offer bean based meals. For others that are reading this they do gluten free and vegan dishes also. Maryjanesfarm.org also might be another place to look around. Now she does have a lot of pasta but there is some legume dishes also in there. Another thing is googling for freeze dried foods for a diabetic. Besides this hobby there is people prepping for the future apocalyptic event that need food for the future that would work with the diabetics and by googling you might get some ideas from them. Try also going through REI, Backcountry, Moosejaw, Enwild, Backcountry Gear and others food section on their web site because you will never know what will pop up. Now that paleo is popular there is some people offering paleo only meals.
SOME GREAT INFO HERE! Thanks for chiming in Gang!!!
GarouLady, suggest checking a few vids and blogs about eating the diabetes-killing keto diet whilst backpacking. I think it's possible to resupply keto most of the time. Following is a list of foods that are core for me: hard cheese, hunk of salami or similar, nut butter (hopefully almond) mixed with butter, small container of olive oil, trail mix-mixed nuts with high cocoa chocolate bar pieces, low carb wraps, and a couple of avocados. I suspect I'll need to order online powdered eggs, heavy cream powder, maybe some freeze-dried hamburger. I don't know your diabetes type and status but please do what is necessary to understand the impact of all-day exercise and dietary changes on any diabetes meds you are taking. GK
Love your work, sir. Super helpful. Your integrity shines through.
Thanks, my section hikes on the AT are getting further and further from home so by necessity, they will be getting much longer. For the one 12 day hike I went on, I resupplied in towns, which in NJ and NY is really easy, plus lots of meals available along the way. I feel like the AT is really several different trails - Maine is far different than NJ (haven't gotten further south yet.)
You missed two points that are mildly important? The resupply boxes can get bounced from one post office to the next. It does mean you have to either call the post office or go there in person to either pickup the package or send it ahead. You can also throw in other items that you might need like winter gear, neoprene socks or gourmet coffee? Town food! Since I’m in one of the towns on the PCT I’ve talked with hikers before and dropped them off on the trail. A small percentage will go to a fast food restaurant and brown bag a late night dinner or a lunch prior to hitting the trail.
Thank you very much for the videos. I am new to backpacking and want to do a thru hike of the AT soon. I have only so far watched a handful of your videos but each one has been valuable to me in preparation. Just wanted to let you know that what you're doing is appreciated and maybe I'll run into you on the trail sometime!
Hi Darwin Great video. Would you mind also adding the approximate weight to the "Pin" at the beginning of the thread? Thanks!
Always good info. Still new to backpacking and learning alot. Thanks for sharing and putting out positive vibes and great tips.
I would love to meet you when you pass through near me on the AT.
Your advice and delivery is great.
Darwin.. if you have never tried the powdered peanutbutter, you should. I get mine at Walmart. Its really light to carry, just add a few drops of water to it when you are ready to eat. It is actually very good, in comparison to regular peanutbutter IMO. I separate it into small ziplocks for each day bag ( which I learned from you).Just thought I would throw in a trick that I learned.
The downside to powdered peanut butter is they remove the oils/fats which lowers the overall caloric value.
For a healthier salty crunchy snack / lunch, I totally recommend roasted seasoned beans, edamames and chickpeas. Not sure if those are available in the US though. In Germany I buy those in turkish or asian supermarkets. They are great as snacks but can also be thrown into any cooked meal :)
Thought this was an older video.. and then I realized it was made four hours ago lol this is perfect
I tend to always over pack food. Running out is my fear. Your 4 days is my two days. I always come home with extra. It's something I need to work on.
a factor of safety isnt over-packing, its reasonable, plus ive ran into alot of hikers who didnt have enough, also if you build variety into your extra you get to live that plush life.
I tend to think most hikers under estimate their caloric needs. I'm 6ft 1, 250lbs+ multiple calculators say i should eat 3000 calories a day. just to maintain my weight, not even considering carrying a backpack through the wilderness. 1000 cal per meal isn't easy. consider. a cup of oatmeal is only 300 cal. a banana is like 100 cal. One of those tuna packages. is like 180. a knor side. maybe 250 cal. his ghee packet is 20g of ghee... so, 45 cal times 4. for another 180 cals...so, maybe 610-650 cals for one of his "meals". Darwin had 4-5 bars per day... at 200 ea. that's 800-1000 there. Depending on his weight and height... maybe that's enough. (i find the mileage some of these guys do super impressive... i top out at like 10-15 miles a day... some of these youtubers are doing 20-30 miles a day) But for me it wouldn't be. I would probably double the tuna packets. Or add more snack bars... or some sort of sweets. for just raw sugar/calories. The real kicker is, it's hard to eat that much food on the trail... The trick is calorie dense foods. fats. oils... high calorie to weight. sweets. chocolate. high fat foods. nuts. My advice, is to think of it as a math problem. When hiking, it's basically fuel, i've known people to eat straight jars of pea nut butter. Look up what is reasonable for your body to need in a day. consider what you're bringing and what it provides, and pad a little extra. maybe you are carrying too much. If the numbers tally up to be over what you need. try cutting it back a little. but if not. keep it the same, and eat what you feel your body needs. but consider... a 160 lb person... will burn something like 400 cal per hour hiking. and 200 lb person. it might be 500 cal. So even if i were at 3000 cal eaten in a day. just hiking... i'd prob be at a deficit of 1k or more... which is an extreme calorie short fall. For a weekend. that's no big deal, but if you do that for weeks, on end, that's not a healthy way to live. As long as you're not wasting food, or carrying so much that it's hindering you, don't sweat a little over packing. but if you want to know... just look into the math. you'd probably be surprised.
My family is less hungry when we start hiking but in a day or so we get more hungry and I wouldn't even say that is what true hiker hunger feels like. So far it has always been good that hubby and I bring ample food for ourselves because the kids are still underestimating. Bless their teenage soles/souls.
Let me clarify that I am not b.c. enabling lazy teens but my teens are amazing troopers who are finding themselves on bigger, longer, more strenuous, more adverse weather challenges than they have known before. They are taking more foods because those times when they mooched from us were severe reality man! Thank you, Amicalola Falls, Rich Mountain Fire Tower in cold sleet, beyond Skull Rock Joshua Tree in the heat, flood stage "carwash" up Vernal Falls Yosemite. No problems at Big Bend! LOL!!! It's a learning process! Education!
Janet Starr I plan out good for family backpacking trips and I feel like no matter how much I pack it would always all get eaten. We are all so hungry! We haven’t done longer than 4 nights 5 day’s and I don’t know how we’d carry more food than that!
I can’t wait I going hiking Appalachian trail on April 2020!
Maybe after Appalachian trail, I will hiking on pacific crest trail on June or July 2020
Laufield uh, you’re not doing the whole AT, right? Because your schedule would be a bit off if you are.
Good lord I'd love to hike the AP, however I don't think my knee would take it. :( Thanks for posting all these awesome videos man! I live vicariously through you!
Your channel (and similar) inspires me. When my preschooler is older, I want to start taking him on section hikes. :-)
Kind bars are my favorite trail food but next time I am on the AT I will have to try packing my meals like this. Looks very organized and I am a snacker as well could help me with that:) Much love -TTO
We normaly resupply in town but I have had packages sent if I wanted specific items like local home candys and honey . We were worried that they wouldnt have them wherever we are visiting.
As always you sir are a cornucopia of wisdom. Thank you, love your videos.