Winter Trail Snacks

[BrentD22]

Do people like the gels?

I just bought some of those gu gels. I am wondering on how they seem to help you on the trail. Do they freeze?

Put some jello mix in with your gatorade or other juice drink. It adds tons of calories. Hot jello works pretty good too.

To help utilize all your calories you bring do this. If you cook pasta reuse the water if you make tea or a dehydrated meal. The strach that cooks off from the pasta you cooked helps some.

 

[Frodo]

For winter snacks I like bring some Pheasant under glass with Truffles from the Bordeaux Valley (goes well with some CHATEAU POUPILLE - Merlot 2000), AND when I am in the mood I like to bring some fresh Alaskan King Crab Soufflet with Huckleberry Crepe's for dessert (yummmmm)

When those items are hard to find, I usually bring a bag of peanuts and some goldfish crackers...

 

[Pete_Hickey]

OK, so I just packed my food for a trip over the next few days, so let me look and see what I have.... Hmmm nothing out of the ordinary. Red licorice, spicy salami, smoked jarlesburg cheese, almonds, Christmas M&Ms (on sale, 'cause it's past Christmas), spicy sessame 'things' I get at the health food store, and salted corn nuts.

I used to take a thermos filled with something, but I've given up on it the past few years. I'll fill it with hot water, and leave it in the car so that I can make either hot coco, jello, or soup when I get back/before I leave.

Hot jello is magic.

Oh yeah... keeping those gel things soft... Just shove them down your pants for a bit of a while. Take my word for it. It works a lot better than putting it in your boot.

 

[MtnMagic]

I caught that Long Trail, Double Bag ale, Arm. My favorite!

 

[Orsonab]

Oh, the irony

Ironically, I like to bring slices of Summer Sausage on my winter hikes. But then I also bring them on my summer hikes and where's the irony in that?

 

[JimB]

I have had good luck with the Nutri-Grain type of cereal bars. They have some sugar and some grains so they seem to have some long lasting energy. They also never get hard in the freezing weather. I also have good luck with any of the gel packs. They're quick and easy to use. My son always brings the hard candies in an assortment. Cinnamon for the cold weather and wintergreen for warmer stuff. I have also made my own gu from Karo syrup, honey, chocolate syrup, molasses, whatever. You can put it in Hammer Gel flasks or the little Nalgene containers in the accesory kits. I like food that I can eat on the move or on a very short break. When packing for a trip I like to take a handful of quart size ziplock bags and into each one put 2 cereal bars, 2 chewy granola bars, 2 Gu/Hammergel packs and a handful of hard candies. I keep one bag in my pocket and another in the top of my pack. These are usually enough for a full day of winter hiking. If I use Power Bars or something else with a wrapper that is hard to open with glove liners on I'll cut the end with scissors before I pack them to avoid removing my gloves in the field.

 

[TCD]

Pepperoni and string cheese are good. If you have a favorite bar such as Power, which turns rock hard, cut it into little pieces at home and throw them in a ziplock bag.

 

[Cath]

Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Smoothies! I carry them both Summer & Winter. They haven't spoiled or froozen while being lugged around in my packs. They pack nicely, offer 250 calories per bottle, 46g Carbs, 10g Protein. Easy to digest, don't need to "wash" them down. I found that I would hardly ever eat the sandwiches that I would bring, so these are perfect. On longer trips, I bring 2 or 3.

 

[Nadine]

If I bring a sandwhich, I make it on those mini bagels with salami and cheese. For sancks I like goldfish, raisins, almonds and chocolate bits. Dry salami and cheese....and those french crackers with chocolate on the top. I keep a thermos of hot tang with a tea bag thrown in, and usually some regular tang in a nalgene bottle.

 

[Jim lombard]

Chocolate covered graham crackers.......they won't break your teeth! For salt Chex mix is very good.

 

[OCgirl]

Energy Drink & Gels

I'm not a big eater during the hike - but I carry most of my calories in my drink. For hikes of 5 hours or less, I carry 100 ounces of water mixed with 5 scoops of grape or fruit punch Cytomax, and 2 scoops of Grape or fruit punch Whey Fruity Protein Powder & 10 grams of powdered glutamine . This tastes great and carries about 700 calories with (500 in carbs & 200 in protein, as well as replacing electrolytes & the amino acids in the protein powder & the glutamine aid in recovery). I also carry gel flasks which holds 5 cliff shots (100 calories a shot) - I've tried several of the different gels, Rasberry Sorbet by Cliff Shot is my favorite. The flask works better in the winter because the cold does cause the gel to thicken which makes it hard to get out of the individual packets. I also fill flasks with honey (cheaper), and peanutbutter. If the hike is longer than 5 hours, I throw in a PB & J sandwich on whole wheat - and more energy drink - a minimum of 20 ounces an hour.

 

[bpschroder]

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

Thanks all for your suggestions.
I'll be throwing everything in one pack this weekend and trying it all out. "Arghh... whew this pack is heavy!" I'll have to take out the canned octopus...

Hmm... Maybe I'll try carrying some chocolate fudge along the way to see how chewy it stays.

 

[ripple]

"Arghh... whew this pack is heavy!" I'll have to take out the canned octopus...

Your Loss. You don't know what you are missing.

 

[expat]

Another good snack is to make or buy a Stromboli. Cut it into one inch width pieces and carry those in a ziplock.

 

[Jasonst]

For winter snacks I like bring some Pheasant under glass with Truffles from the Bordeaux Valley (goes well with some CHATEAU POUPILLE - Merlot 2000), AND when I am in the mood I like to bring some fresh Alaskan King Crab Soufflet with Huckleberry Crepe's for dessert (yummmmm)

I think I saw this suggested in Backpacker Mag this month

 

[proszach]

Two words...Fruit Leather!!!

 

[BrentD22]

The gels work!

I used several gels on the hike up and down and I'm not sure if it was the placibo affect, but they seemed to give me an energy boost. This is the first winter trip I decided to eat, eat, and do some more eating. I usually have a hard time consuming food while hiking. I just don't have very much of an appetite. I forced food down my throught to start and after some time it became easier. It made everything better. My energy level, I felt warmer, I especially felt warmer than normal in the morning. For breakfast I made outmeal with green apple gu in the oatmeal for flavor and added boost.

 

[the starchild]

reeses peanutbutter cups

i've never had a problem with them in colder weather. the cold is actually probably a much better backpacking environment for them since they are easily melted and crushed.

chocolate, peanut butter, calories and fat and tasty, can't beat that!

 

[escapee]

trail snacks

Dehydrated fruit, especially pineapple, and crystallized ginger (which helps circulation). On day-hikes, a thermos of tea in the car wrapped in a fleece pullover or woolen sweater waiting for me.

 

[SherpaKroto]

Kit Kat Bites with a Dr chaser