gorp/trail mix?

[Stan]

This recipe is patented so if you copy it please send me a modest license fee:

peanuts (lightly salted or regular salted during hot weather)
raisins
dried cranberries
M&Ms (they melt in your mouth, not your hand but, if you're hiking with the Turtle Sisters, only use the yellow M&Ms)

 

[Gris]

I usually cramp up when I get home (4 hours after the fact).

Since yer not "bonking" but cramping, sounds like maybe fluids and/or potassium deficiency may be the culprit.

I'd recommend a diluted sports drink before and during early part of hike (25% color-75% clear), followed by straight water. And for muchies, bananas and raisins with just a few salty nuts. Just me $0.2.

 

[Stan]

Hikers have been known to get cramps for too much dehydrated fruit (raisins, cranberries, bananas etc.) because they draw water out of your system so if you're loading up on dried foods, compensate with extra water.

 

[rhihn]

Hikers have been known to get cramps for too much dehydrated fruit (raisins, cranberries, bananas etc.) because they draw water out of your system so if you're loading up on dried foods, compensate with extra water.

Interesting theory. Is there a study of hikers who ate too many raisins, cranberries, bananas, etc.? Sounds plausable on the surface, but it seems to me that there are other non-dehydrated foods with little water content that would do the same thing. How does the body know that the food eaten is dehydrated?

I'm not debating you, I'm just curious about the theory and don't understand the process.

Dick

 

[DougPaul]

I'm not debating you, I'm just curious about the theory and don't understand the process.

I think the phrase "they draw water out of your system" might have been a little overdramatic.

Dehydrated food absorbs water after you eat it and you should drink enough extra to compensate.

Actually, pretty much any food requires some water to digest it--which is why you shouldn't eat if you are out of water in a survival situation.

Doug

 

[Mark]

A little of this. A little of that.

Whatever's in the pantry. My mix is never the same twice.

Care should be exercised for your winter mixes to make sure the stuff is still edible when hard frozen. The few Nestle morsels I threw in my trail mix for a March hike up Washington were like chewing pebbles.

 

[brianW]

Wow I never new there were actual recipes for trail mix. I just raid the pantry and throw in a bag any dry fruit, nuts, m&m's and what ever else looks interesting. If this doesn't work a quick stop at a store for a bag or two of nuts, m&m's will do the trick.

What Dugan mentioned about having the trail mix in arms reach makes sense to me. I do not like to stop just to get one hand of mix. I did fing out this past week though that a bag of it in your pant pocket is not really the best place. The m&m's all melted and formed a "glob" of trail mix. A little messy but still very good.

 

[Mark]

Gorp Bottle

I use a 1/2 liter Nalgene bottle for my gorp. It lives in a small pouch on my pack belt. In the winter, it's handy to be able to grab a quick mouthful of gorp without taking off your gloves or digging through your pack. If I am using any sticky gorp ingredients (raisins, dried fruit, etc.), I mash up some pretzels or graham crackers and mix it with the sticky stuff so nothing sticks together.

 

[DougPaul]

I use a 1/2 liter Nalgene bottle for my gorp.

Been using a gorp bottle since before Nalgene bottles were marketed for hiking... Not only does it make it easy to eat with mittens, but it also allows one to eat through a facemask. Minimal mess eating in the rain too.

Keep in an insulated location on warm sunny days if you have meltables in your gorp.

Doug

 

[Stan]

Interesting theory. Is there a study of hikers who ate too many raisins, cranberries, bananas, etc.?

I'm not aware of any studies. Just passing on what I learned from a sports nutritionist who presented at an AMC outdoor leader training.

"... draw water out of your system ... " may be dramatic but not entirely inaccurate. At the least it deprives water that would otherwise go into your system sooner. This is easily confirmed by observing what happens to dehydrated foods when they become reconstituted ... they absorb water and expand.

I will offer this theory on Adk's cramps but it assumes a generous consumption of dried fruit. The dried fruit becomes reconstituted and expands somewhere in the digestive track, perhaps somewhere between the lower stomach and small intestine. Here the expansion causes pressure on the organ linings and the pain appears as cramps.

From my own experience I can say a day of snacking on gorp does go a long way to filling that void, seemingly filling me up beyond the amount eaten.

The example presented at the AMC was somewhat excessive, like a whole bags of banana chips or something like that, so I wouldn't raise a false alarm, just an awareness that, once again, moderation is virtuous.

 

[CraigW]

Great suggestions for gorp. I wrote down most for future reference. I might add jelly belly jelly beans. I found some tea biscuits that are maple syrup between two thin waffles. chop em up into the gorp...

I use a 1 pint rubbermaid container that has a flip up spout. $2. it fits in my water bottle holder, easy one hand access even with gloves on.

One suggestion is to make your own spiced nuts. Lots of recipes online. 5 minutes prep and no extra cost since everything is probably in your cupboards. most recipes I've seen look like this:

1 your prefered seed - Walnuts,Pecans,Almonds,cashews,or peanuts
2 put a thin amount of binding agent on them (melted butter,olive oil,or eggwhite and water)
3 add whatever spice you like (chili powder,curry powder,cayenne pepper,sugar, honey,maple syrup,cinnamon,salt,black pepper,brown sugar,allspice,pumkin pie spice...)
4 bake for 20 minutes at 250. (some recipes say 300)

yum.