I've been going stoveless most of my trips for the past decade; only bring my stove in cold weather when a hot meal can be a morale booster or I need to mail a resupply package where I'm worried about the cheese holding up for weeks in a hot storage. As my cookset only weighs 3oz without the fuel, it doesn't save any weight to leave it home. But I've been getting lazier in camp as I get older and don't want to do anything extra. Summer Sausage, Pepperoni slices, Italian Salami slices, and beef sticks all work well. When I hiked the 104 mile Uinta Highline Trail last summer, I carried 3 pounds of cheddar and 2 pounds of Italian Salami for all my lunches and dinners. For nutrition, I carried some green super food powder that I made into drinks at meal time. Don't forget about carrying fast food out. Hamburgers, burritos, and sandwiches, if they don't have any mayo or sour cream, hold for days due to all the preservatives they have. I've often done 2-3 day trips eating nothing but fast food that I bought on the way to the trailhead. Even cold, it tastes better than most backpacking food. It can be economical if you order off the value menu.
I hear you on being lazier in camp and not wanting to do anything extra. I feel that way too, most nights. I forgot to mention summer sausage and salami in the video, so thanks for bringing that up. One thing about summer sausage, it tastes great cooked over a fire! Although I rarely have fires these days. That's also a great point about fast food, I might start doing a little more of that. I will often pack out some pizza or chicken strips from town. Chicken strips do pretty well for a day or two, especially if it's colder out. A whole 2-3 day trip on just fast food is impressive though!
@@SeekingLost I saw a RUclips video a couple of years ago, where a PCT thruhiker did a 4-5 day section only eating McDonald's Mcdoubles off the value menu and was happy. I could immediately relate. ruclips.net/video/yE5PGe6B95o/видео.html His follow up video on doing the next section with nothing but McNuggets didn't work out as well, which didn't surprise me as days old nuggets didn't even sound good to me.
I have similar view. I look forward to a well-cooked dinner after a long day of hiking. Most of the day is snacking already so for me it's worth it to play kitchen at least in the evening. Possibly oatmeal in the morning, but for sure some instant coffee to start the day. I do respect the no cook no cold soak idea, especially if the hiking pace is faster. It's not necessarily being lazier it's just a different strategy
One of the ways to prevent critters from getting into your food at your camp site is to eat before you get to camp. For years I have carried a baguette. They store vertically in the pack or carried on the outside of the pack and you tear off a piece of bread. Because of back problems I have had to give up kayak and hiking trips, I'm now limited to bike touring I carry the baguette on the rear rack. Another bread option I like is a dense round country style loaf of bread. Nibbling on cheese and Salty dried meat is a slow burn which prevents you from bonking and you can go meatless at the evening meal. I avoid candy, there is too much of a Spike and Crash. If I'm taking noodles I take egg noodles. My home made egg noodles cook up in 5 min. My drinks of choice are putting a tea bag in my water jug or a adding powdered gigger crystals to my water. Whole powdered milk 28% butter fat really makes a meal special . The go to found world wide is Nestle's brand DIOO I like to carry a non melt farmer's India style cheese called Pannier. I cut the cheese into dice size bites at home and fry them with my favorite spices to nosh on during the day.
I take everything in snacking style. Eat about every 2 hours. Jerky, bars, trail mix, Wasabi almonds, cheese sticks, etc. I haven't been cooking on the trail since I graduated hs in 04. So yes it works.
@Brianodell1043 - Good selection info. For 2 days after town some vegetables plus fruit may reduce body pain. Risky for me to not add alkaline vegetables during long term endurance hiking.
I did my own version of this on the PCT and it worked great. For meat, I like to bring a summer sausage. For cheese, try pecorino romano. It's what the Roman legions ate on the march. A hard and salty cheese -- delicious!
I like to combine the best of the three different methods. I don't do dishes when camping. I use the Freezer bag method and I make my meals at home , pack them in freezer bags for later. In camp it's hot water in the bag , stir and let it sit for a few minutes. Then take the bag and have my meal. Clean up is licking the spoon and putting the bag in the trash bag. The 1st emptied zip lock becomes the trash bag. As far as fuel , I use a small titanium wood burning stove ( firebox Gen 2 Nano , 4 oz ) ( Toaks 750mm pot , 3.3 oz ) and fuel is always around since I hammock camp. I like to cold soak my breakfast for convenient sake and it goes well with a hot cup of coffee. For lunches it's neither cold soak or cook but your style of meals. I really like a Tortilla with peanut butter and chopped Spanish Olives ( the green ones with the pimento centers ) The salt from the olives is appreciated here in Florida's heat and humidity. I don't mind the extra time for cooking since I go out there to relax and enjoy being there. I've even been known to spend more the one day in a good camping area. It's a rare occasion if you manage to see another person.
Thanks great ideas! I've been thinking about going stoveless and I agree cold soaking is not appetizing to me at all. One of the main reasons I would bring a stove was for my coffee. But after listening to a talk by Dr. Barbara Oneal on the effects of caffeine, she says it leaches water and magnesium out of our cells and actually dehydrates us. As a substitute the first thing in the morning is to place a bit of Celtic salt on your tongue and drink about 16 oz of water. I do this whenever I drink on the trail not just mornings. The salt has 92 minerals, so no need for manufactured electrolytes. My main dilemma is about resupply whether going stoveless or not. Sometimes the selection of items I started my hike with are not available at the resupply place. For instance I've never seen sesame sticks at a Dollar General store. And I doubt they have dried strawberries or mangos. But I'm pretty sure they have alternatives like raisins.
I agree about cold soaking being totally gross. I too go no cook no cold soak. I like hard boiled eggs (peeled) with salt, salami on sandwich thins, nuts, chips, and those Fit Crunch bars.
I have a lot of no cook foods backpacking, but I have to go low carb due to diabetes. I bring a 1 pound bag of Pecan Halves (3200 Cal/Pound) and It accounts for 600 of my daily calories for 5 days. I alternate with Walnuts (3000 Cal/Pound). I can eat SPAM (Squirrels Possum And Mice) which are 0 carbs and so is Salami, Pepperoni, Precooked Bacon, & Cheese. Most commercial jerky's have sugar, so read labels. I can also have nut butters. I make a fat bomb by mixing 1/3 Coconut Oil + 2/3 Peanut Butter in a microwave bowl, heat and mix well, then pour back into jar. I switched to meat, cheese, nuts, & eggs at home and that diet lowered my blood sugar back to normal levels. Plus that diet lowered my Cholesterol, Liver Enzymes, and Blood Pressure. I didn't realize how unhealthy carbs were. For a treat, I mix a packet of Jello "No Sugar" Pudding mix with 1/3 cup NIDO in a freezer bag. On trail, add 10oz cold water and stir a couple minutes to get lumps out. Pudding will set up in about 10 minutes. Eat right out of the bag.
Seeking Lost this video is GREAT. I never once thought about no stove AND no cold soaking, and the attendant idea that you can literally not take cups, spoons, bowls, ALL the kitchen stuff. Wow! that’s a game changer. Also I never thought of the protein cookies, although I have eaten them at the gym (I like the chocolate mint version). A lot of this stuff is carb-based, which I avoid in real life due to swallowing issues and heartburn- but I will definitely try some of the ideas you mentioned! I also like the idea that bagels 🥯 or the bread rolls are compressible, but also hold up!
Glad there were some helpful ideas here for you! It took me a while to start looking at bread products as a legitimate option, but now I love the idea. Also, packing out some "town food" like leftover pizza, or chickens trips... these last a day or two depending on the temps, and taste great!
I have tried this a handful of times and I'm slowly handling it better. I really do miss a nice hot mashed potato or noodles at night, but eliminating the cooking system is pretty darn nice. Also, when I do the tortilla and pepperoni (or pre-cooked bacon) I always bring hot sauce packets from Taco Bell and it really spruces it up. Good vid. Hope all is well!
I’ve been doing this same exact thing for years. If your budget allows there lots of nice higher quality salty meats and cheeses at Whole Foods that require zero refrigeration. My favorite topper on a wrap or baguette is onion mixed with olive oil and salt and pepper. Also the first day or two you have options. Salad bags, pizza, lots of different options.
Yeah this is the most comfortable way to get in big miles and ditch the stove. I’ve been thinking a lot about this, thanks for showing some new ideas. Food is really hard to go lighter on for me and I’ve been looking at all the ways to just carry meat out there. Unfortunately, from what I can tell the only way to save weight on food is to use dry rice, oats, and other stuff like that cold soaked at either end of the day then just pull out precooked meat and snacks and keep going during the day.
Thank you for your video water is one of the heaviest things you can carry as you know. I like the concept of drink your water don't eat it and I like your logic of simplicity. Be safe stay healthy
This 2 yr old video just popped up. It's Kinda What I've Started Merging Into! I am a small old woman who carries a small light pack compared to the rest of y'all, and I hate dirty cooking dishes. Most of the time I'm in arid environments & I'm a bit afraid of starting a fire. Also the wind. I bring an extra little bottle just for cold coffee in the morning & I'm good with that. Cold soak is gross.
I really like your idea with no stove fuel cookware. I could easily do this. Not into the hot meals. The only thing I would probably take though would be a titanium large cup. Just to heat water over a fire for coffee or tea. Have you ever thought about the granola/fruit freeze dried pouches. Just add water and eat. Mountain House makes a good one.
I mean, i wish i had a hot meal, but it would be a Burger or something, not a cup of noodles. So for me it's easy. Haven't tried those granola/ fruit packages. The mountain house route gets expensive on a long hike!
I foresee this video doing quite well. Great thumb man! Could do without the gagging though 😜 I definitely respect this approach, but I don't know if I could do it. I love the warmth of a cup of coffee or hot chocolate in the morning and at night. But year, it water low areas this would be great.
Thank you so much for this. I’m about to partake in a 24 intense night out in the woods* and I really needed some food to pack that I wouldn’t need to stop to cook and keep my energy up. I was really worried about lack of ballast and not enough salt/protein. And I’m glad I found this video first everything else is telling me to soak things. Which is an absolute no. *basically the Hunger Games.
I've always cooked on longer hikes and never considered seriously cold soaking or your strategy. I don't particularly like cooking or doing dishes but on the other hand it doesn't take a lot of time either and I do enjoy hot food in the evening. I basically cook as soon as I reach camp - turn on the stove and boil water while setting up my tent or occasionally a tarp. Dinner is basically done when the camp is ready and waiting time is just a couple of minutes (if that) when the food gets cold enough to eat it. I use my pot again next morning and that's somewhat time consuming as I use breakfast cereal and powder milk and it just take some time to eat it, but most of the time is spend getting the tent down and packing. Since I know the next use of the pot is for boiling water again in the evening I don't have to get it super clean. I don't really see why you'd use less water with your strategy. The amount of water I need on a hot (or cold) day is the same regardless if I drink it or if it's part of the food. I actually add more water than the instructions say to my food making most of my suppers soupier than they are supposed to be just to get more variation than just drinking plain water all the time. My strategy is to maximize the percentage of the food that need rehydration as that's water I don't need to carry until I'm going to prepare the food. I don't have a super low base weight though - certainly not ultralight - and don't claim my strategy is better or make my food + cook kit lighter than your food, but I also doubt that you save weight compared to cooking or cold soaking. What I do envy with your strategy is that you avoid the constant hunt for (the right amount of) fuel on town stops - and thanks for an interesting video!
Strategically that is a good combo for the types of foods I would crave as well. When I did the one day whitney hike last july, Dry items were the key. I would add perhaps some kind of caffeine for me
Interesting strategy. I love variety, and esp fruit and veg, so this would not be for me. But I can see how the simplicity is attractive when you're doing long mile days - no decisions to make other than chow down and hit the sack. Have you tried other no-cook items like peanut or other nut butters, instant hummus? Another one I love but is expensive is Packit Gourmet's chicken salads, which are cold soak but intended to be, so they taste good. I will probably keep cooking though.
I also have a similar diet without cold soaking, but I eat more nuts and chocolate and try to avoid ultraprocessed foods. Plus, I'm from Europe and here almost every day you walk through some place where you can buy hot food and beer.
Have you, or do you like, tuna? The vacuumed sealed foil packs are good! I would need a "cleaner" protein on trail other than cured meats. What about vitamins and supplements? Lastly, as strange as it sounds, could you do a video about hygiene and going to the bathroom? Nobody really talks about this on any hiking channel. Thanks again!
I love tuna steaks, but not the pckaged stuff so much. There was this kid in elementary school that had tuna fish sandwiches everyday for lunch.. He was kind of a disgusting kid, It was always Falling out of his mouth And Making a mess. I can't stop thinking about that every time I look at those tuna packs. Ruined me for life haha. Good call on the vitamins and supplements.. I forgot to mention that. I usually do bring a multivitamin. I get the GNC greens supplement... supposed to give to a daily dose of greens, which i obviously don't get on trail. The general consensus is that multivitamins really don't do that much. I have heard that heard that the better quality ones do a better job, that is, allow for more absorption of the vitamins and minerals.. How true that is, I don't know. I always figure it can't hurt to take them. When I get into town I'm definitely craving something thing something big and greasy like a Burger or pizza, but I also make sure to eat plenty of fruits when I get into town…. bananas, strawberries, blackberries, apples etc. Oh boy, hygiene on a desert hike, that would be a short video... use wet ones wipes! Lol
@@SeekingLost Haha..."falling out of his mouth..." -- gross! Once you see that you can't unsee it. BTW, I'm heading out on the CDT in April. Your channel is the very best for stoke and info.
_"All of this results in a lower base weight."_ Going stoveless, yes. Going no cold soak, absolutely not. Food weight per calorie in a no-soak diet is not so great. Bagels and bread have a particularly poor weight to calorie ratio.
Base weight is lower. Food weight is higher. Water is the heaviest thing you carry. Cold soak is nasty but you can't beat the low weight. High fat foods are very calorie dense, but your body can't tolerate too much fat except in extreme cold ( think arctic people eating blubber). So it depends on what your body can tolerate. Cold soaking freeze dried or totally dried food and adding oil or fat seems to be lightest for areas with abundant water and a warm climate. In the desert you would have to carry the soaking water as well as drinking water so it doesn't save you anything to cold soak over carrying food you can eat as is. In freezing temps you can eat summer sausage and high fat foods as is. Water is more challenging without fire or a stove.
Seriously thinking of taking this advice to heart, especially in warm to hot weather. Maybe even cold. My stove is less than 1/2 Oz, my "cook pot" is just a few OZ, & fuel w bottle, 9 OZ. so not saving much weight, but I like the less work per meal, actually did that a few times on my AT thru attempt & found it pleasant & Quick!
I got to looking at my (poorly kept) notes from my 21 AT attempt, in 24 on trail days, I actually "Cooked" 5 times, , , , Yea, my cookset is now in the "Extra gear" closet. Thanks for the advice!
I can’t have any gluten, can’t have nuts because of a walnut allergy, and most nuts are processed together, but the exception being a few brands of peanuts. So I take a lot of proteins, sausage, gluten free pepperoni, etc. and dried fruits, and gluten free snacks. Unfortunately I can’t stand corn tortillas, so I don’t buy them. I’m now learning to make dehydrated meals to take.
Good strategy. Those processed beef sticks are terrible for you tho. Also fixating on hot meals is arguably the same as fixating on weight. Just a choice in the end.
Fruit and vegetables, beans? You should consider taking a multi vitamin if you are going to live off this diet for an extended period of time, your liver and pancreas need it.
You have been eating like this for a while I remember noticing this on your CDT hike when you were unpacking your resupply box … I saw that nothing needed cooking … but I just thought that you were at the end and just liked beef sticks lol
Thank you! I usually do some form of this for the first week or two. Ha, never thought about extending the idea. I think ill give it a go. Regular bread may be smashed also. But i agree, bagels are terrific. -White Mexican
Those new flavors from Thomas Bagels are great... the apple cinnamon flavor... my new go-to on trail, if you can find them in the store. Give the no cook diet a go, if that's your thing... the convenience is tough to beat
Man, if I ate all this processed food I’d feel pretty awful. Not knocking your setup- you’ve probably got a 100x more trail time than me- but it’s honestly always surprising to me seeing you do things like whip pizza out of a garbage bag and eat that for trail fuel lmao. I also go stoveless, but for me it’s “trail gruel”. To make my trail gruel I combine no sugar added peanut butter, honey, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and protein powder into a container and mix. Extremely calorie dense and lasts forever in a sealed container Oh, and I keep a little veggie greens powder to mix into water 1x a day I’m gonna give those bags a try
Hey pizza is great trail fuel! And TASTES great! Even if it does come out of a garbage bag haha. I always say, the best trail food is the food you can eat. If you can eat healthy on trail and like what you're eating, by all means I would do that. I just get sick of most healthier options pretty quick on trail, and I need to be able to eat my food without choking it down. Even less healthy foods are better than no food. I tried the veggie greens powder once a few years ago and it made me gag! I used to take a GNC greens supplement pill though. That reminds me, I should buy more.
Can’t argue with that- at the end of the day you gotta get the calories in one way or another. I wouldn’t be surprised if my healthy foods approach broke down a bit for me if I tried covering some of the distances you do. I’m not on the trail for more than 3 or 4 days, and even then I’m getting tired of my food!
As a descendant of Neanderthals, only the beef sticks and cured meats would work for me. I, like most humans, cannot tolerate (junk)processed grains and sugars for very long (1 day or more). May I recommend homemade pemmican. Plains Indians (among others) relied on this staple. It has the perfect fat/protein ratio for the human body. Lasts months without refrigeration.
Pemmican is a great idea. I've made it. I use dried beef from Iowa because it's super dry. I grew up in a Dutch town in Iowa. Best dried beef I've ever had. I like using different fruits if I can get them dry enough. Make powder with a Vita Mix. I wish I had a dehydrator. I use my oven. Great idea with the Pemmican.
Pemmican is good! That would work great if sending yourself a box from home, but pemmican isn't readily available in most towns. If it is, it's super expensive. I try not to send boxes of food unless absolutely necessary. That gets expensive quickly.
I agree, this food is heavier and bulkier than the dehydrated food itself. Any weight savings by not carrying stove fuel etc Could be negated by the extra weight of this food. Either way, i would never cold soak even if it saved me 10 pounds... don't want to choke down my food. But to each their own!
i'm usually a no cook person.. for years. my wake-up is a few jelly babys and and some caffeine pill but i do miss coffee.. not the instant but proper coffee.. my sieve weighs 10g but the extras burner.. cup etc it's not worth it.. & that's what towns are for right.. or should i suck it up and carry the extra 300g?
This is practical and tasty! My concerns are mainly dehydration and constipation, though. I'm not sure a dose of dried fruit in the morning addresses the second one well enough?
Although no one is gonna appreciate cold soaking Top Ramen 🤢 the macros are pretty similar to your pepperoni bacon taco dinners; in reference to nutrition.
Pepperjack is on the softer side, and so I'd think it wouldn't be one of the better performing cheeses. With that said, all cheese does well enough unless in the most extreme temperatures. I say go for it.
Would you have any idea what a vegetarian can do instead of the pepperoni and bacon for protein source in a no-cook/no-cold-soak plan? Really like the plan, BTW, only the protein source is holding me up right now.
@@pawpawmike7372 yeah, I think I'll alternate... Peanut butter and honey at lunch, and cheese for dinner. I like this powdered peanut butter that's higher in protein than usual, pb2.
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No cold soak for me. I have no problem carrying the weight of a stove, fuel, and other stuff. Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as abrasive. I was just saying many people may not want to eat items like that. My apologies.
@@spuriouseffect Dried fruit Dehydrated fruit Granola Oat milk Vegan protein powder Vegan protein bars Rice Peanut butter Jelly Vegan bread Beans Vegan pasta Etc.
Same here. I've only done 1 trip where I wasn't keto, and really didn't enjoy how frequently I had the urge to eat. Not to mention the bonking. I make my own pemmican. It doesn't taste great, but with enough salt I can get it down.
@@tanimowo Even 5 months of eating McDonald's is not going to kill you, or shorten your life by 5 years. Keep it up over a lifetime and sure, but not temporarily. Plus you eat half of your calories when off trail on a thru-hike.
I've been going stoveless most of my trips for the past decade; only bring my stove in cold weather when a hot meal can be a morale booster or I need to mail a resupply package where I'm worried about the cheese holding up for weeks in a hot storage. As my cookset only weighs 3oz without the fuel, it doesn't save any weight to leave it home. But I've been getting lazier in camp as I get older and don't want to do anything extra. Summer Sausage, Pepperoni slices, Italian Salami slices, and beef sticks all work well. When I hiked the 104 mile Uinta Highline Trail last summer, I carried 3 pounds of cheddar and 2 pounds of Italian Salami for all my lunches and dinners. For nutrition, I carried some green super food powder that I made into drinks at meal time.
Don't forget about carrying fast food out. Hamburgers, burritos, and sandwiches, if they don't have any mayo or sour cream, hold for days due to all the preservatives they have. I've often done 2-3 day trips eating nothing but fast food that I bought on the way to the trailhead. Even cold, it tastes better than most backpacking food. It can be economical if you order off the value menu.
I hear you on being lazier in camp and not wanting to do anything extra. I feel that way too, most nights. I forgot to mention summer sausage and salami in the video, so thanks for bringing that up. One thing about summer sausage, it tastes great cooked over a fire! Although I rarely have fires these days. That's also a great point about fast food, I might start doing a little more of that. I will often pack out some pizza or chicken strips from town. Chicken strips do pretty well for a day or two, especially if it's colder out. A whole 2-3 day trip on just fast food is impressive though!
@@SeekingLost I saw a RUclips video a couple of years ago, where a PCT thruhiker did a 4-5 day section only eating McDonald's Mcdoubles off the value menu and was happy. I could immediately relate. ruclips.net/video/yE5PGe6B95o/видео.html
His follow up video on doing the next section with nothing but McNuggets didn't work out as well, which didn't surprise me as days old nuggets didn't even sound good to me.
I have similar view. I look forward to a well-cooked dinner after a long day of hiking. Most of the day is snacking already so for me it's worth it to play kitchen at least in the evening. Possibly oatmeal in the morning, but for sure some instant coffee to start the day. I do respect the no cook no cold soak idea, especially if the hiking pace is faster. It's not necessarily being lazier it's just a different strategy
Bell peppers last a while without refrigeration and are packed with vitamin C. Cut into strips they go well in wraps with cheese spread
Got to respect a guy who is not afraid to smash his baked goods.
One of the ways to prevent critters from getting into your food at your camp site is to eat before you get to camp. For years I have carried a baguette. They store vertically in the pack or carried on the outside of the pack and you tear off a piece of bread. Because of back problems I have had to give up kayak and hiking trips, I'm now limited to bike touring I carry the baguette on the rear rack. Another bread option I like is a dense round country style loaf of bread. Nibbling on cheese and Salty dried meat is a slow burn which prevents you from bonking and you can go meatless at the evening meal. I avoid candy, there is too much of a Spike and Crash. If I'm taking noodles I take egg noodles. My home made egg noodles cook up in 5 min. My drinks of choice are putting a tea bag in my water jug or a adding powdered gigger crystals to my water. Whole powdered milk 28% butter fat really makes a meal special . The go to found world wide is Nestle's brand DIOO I like to carry a non melt farmer's India style cheese called Pannier. I cut the cheese into dice size bites at home and fry them with my favorite spices to nosh on during the day.
I take everything in snacking style. Eat about every 2 hours. Jerky, bars, trail mix, Wasabi almonds, cheese sticks, etc. I haven't been cooking on the trail since I graduated hs in 04. So yes it works.
not long term...your body will eventually reject it.
@Brianodell1043 - Good selection info. For 2 days after town some vegetables plus fruit may reduce body pain. Risky for me to not add alkaline vegetables during long term endurance hiking.
I did my own version of this on the PCT and it worked great. For meat, I like to bring a summer sausage. For cheese, try pecorino romano. It's what the Roman legions ate on the march. A hard and salty cheese -- delicious!
I like to combine the best of the three different methods.
I don't do dishes when camping. I use the Freezer bag method and I make my meals at home , pack them in freezer bags for later. In camp it's hot water in the bag , stir and let it sit for a few minutes. Then take the bag and have my meal. Clean up is licking the spoon and putting the bag in the trash bag. The 1st emptied zip lock becomes the trash bag.
As far as fuel , I use a small titanium wood burning stove ( firebox Gen 2 Nano , 4 oz ) ( Toaks 750mm pot , 3.3 oz ) and fuel is always around since I hammock camp. I like to cold soak my breakfast for convenient sake and it goes well with a hot cup of coffee. For lunches it's neither cold soak or cook but your style of meals. I really like a Tortilla with peanut butter and chopped Spanish Olives ( the green ones with the pimento centers ) The salt from the olives is appreciated here in Florida's heat and humidity. I don't mind the extra time for cooking since I go out there to relax and enjoy being there. I've even been known to spend more the one day in a good camping area. It's a rare occasion if you manage to see another person.
Thanks great ideas! I've been thinking about going stoveless and I agree cold soaking is not appetizing to me at all. One of the main reasons I would bring a stove was for my coffee. But after listening to a talk by Dr. Barbara Oneal on the effects of caffeine, she says it leaches water and magnesium out of our cells and actually dehydrates us. As a substitute the first thing in the morning is to place a bit of Celtic salt on your tongue and drink about 16 oz of water. I do this whenever I drink on the trail not just mornings. The salt has 92 minerals, so no need for manufactured electrolytes.
My main dilemma is about resupply whether going stoveless or not. Sometimes the selection of items I started my hike with are not available at the resupply place. For instance I've never seen sesame sticks at a Dollar General store. And I doubt they have dried strawberries or mangos. But I'm pretty sure they have alternatives like raisins.
I agree about cold soaking being totally gross. I too go no cook no cold soak. I like hard boiled eggs (peeled) with salt, salami on sandwich thins, nuts, chips, and those Fit Crunch bars.
I have a lot of no cook foods backpacking, but I have to go low carb due to diabetes. I bring a 1 pound bag of Pecan Halves (3200 Cal/Pound) and It accounts for 600 of my daily calories for 5 days. I alternate with Walnuts (3000 Cal/Pound). I can eat SPAM (Squirrels Possum And Mice) which are 0 carbs and so is Salami, Pepperoni, Precooked Bacon, & Cheese. Most commercial jerky's have sugar, so read labels. I can also have nut butters. I make a fat bomb by mixing 1/3 Coconut Oil + 2/3 Peanut Butter in a microwave bowl, heat and mix well, then pour back into jar. I switched to meat, cheese, nuts, & eggs at home and that diet lowered my blood sugar back to normal levels. Plus that diet lowered my Cholesterol, Liver Enzymes, and Blood Pressure. I didn't realize how unhealthy carbs were. For a treat, I mix a packet of Jello "No Sugar" Pudding mix with 1/3 cup NIDO in a freezer bag. On trail, add 10oz cold water and stir a couple minutes to get lumps out. Pudding will set up in about 10 minutes. Eat right out of the bag.
Thanks for adding your take on no cook foods! Sounds like you have your diet pretty well dialed in.
Seeking Lost this video is GREAT. I never once thought about no stove AND no cold soaking, and the attendant idea that you can literally not take cups, spoons, bowls, ALL the kitchen stuff. Wow! that’s a game changer. Also I never thought of the protein cookies, although I have eaten them at the gym (I like the chocolate mint version). A lot of this stuff is carb-based, which I avoid in real life due to swallowing issues and heartburn- but I will definitely try some of the ideas you mentioned! I also like the idea that bagels 🥯 or the bread rolls are compressible, but also hold up!
Glad there were some helpful ideas here for you! It took me a while to start looking at bread products as a legitimate option, but now I love the idea. Also, packing out some "town food" like leftover pizza, or chickens trips... these last a day or two depending on the temps, and taste great!
Great video. Love the presentation and speaking ability. Smashed bagels . . . yum. Stay happy, safe and healthy.
Smashed bagels, smashed chips, pop tart dust... 'tis the hiker way :)
I have tried this a handful of times and I'm slowly handling it better. I really do miss a nice hot mashed potato or noodles at night, but eliminating the cooking system is pretty darn nice. Also, when I do the tortilla and pepperoni (or pre-cooked bacon) I always bring hot sauce packets from Taco Bell and it really spruces it up. Good vid. Hope all is well!
Good call on the hot sauce, i love that stuff. The Louisiana brand is my favorite. I wish they made it in small bottles like tobasco!
Have you tried warming/making a meal with the hot pocket warmers lasting 18 hours?
I’ve been doing this same exact thing for years. If your budget allows there lots of nice higher quality salty meats and cheeses at Whole Foods that require zero refrigeration. My favorite topper on a wrap or baguette is onion mixed with olive oil and salt and pepper. Also the first day or two you have options. Salad bags, pizza, lots of different options.
Yeah this is the most comfortable way to get in big miles and ditch the stove. I’ve been thinking a lot about this, thanks for showing some new ideas. Food is really hard to go lighter on for me and I’ve been looking at all the ways to just carry meat out there. Unfortunately, from what I can tell the only way to save weight on food is to use dry rice, oats, and other stuff like that cold soaked at either end of the day then just pull out precooked meat and snacks and keep going during the day.
Thank you for your video water is one of the heaviest things you can carry as you know. I like the concept of drink your water don't eat it and I like your logic of simplicity. Be safe stay healthy
Thanks John!
This 2 yr old video just popped up. It's Kinda What I've Started Merging Into! I am a small old woman who carries a small light pack compared to the rest of y'all, and I hate dirty cooking dishes. Most of the time I'm in arid environments & I'm a bit afraid of starting a fire. Also the wind. I bring an extra little bottle just for cold coffee in the morning & I'm good with that. Cold soak is gross.
Interesting, I think I will test this route too
I really like your idea with no stove fuel cookware. I could easily do this. Not into the hot meals. The only thing I would probably take though would be a titanium large cup. Just to heat water over a fire for coffee or tea. Have you ever thought about the granola/fruit freeze dried pouches. Just add water and eat. Mountain House makes a good one.
I mean, i wish i had a hot meal, but it would be a Burger or something, not a cup of noodles. So for me it's easy. Haven't tried those granola/ fruit packages. The mountain house route gets expensive on a long hike!
I foresee this video doing quite well. Great thumb man! Could do without the gagging though 😜
I definitely respect this approach, but I don't know if I could do it. I love the warmth of a cup of coffee or hot chocolate in the morning and at night. But year, it water low areas this would be great.
Thank you so much for this. I’m about to partake in a 24 intense night out in the woods* and I really needed some food to pack that I wouldn’t need to stop to cook and keep my energy up.
I was really worried about lack of ballast and not enough salt/protein. And I’m glad I found this video first everything else is telling me to soak things. Which is an absolute no.
*basically the Hunger Games.
Hunger games, haha. Cold soaking grosses me out too. Good luck on your 24 hour adventure challenge!
@@SeekingLostThank you. It’s basically the hunger games. So I foresee a lot of jerky and cheese wraps in my future. I’m not mad about it.
Nice video. I cold soak a lot but looking for more variety. Hitting the AT in a few weeks and will try the wraps on some of my resupplies.
I hear a lot of people get sick of the wraps, but i never seem to. They are worth a shot. Good luck out there on the AT!
I've always cooked on longer hikes and never considered seriously cold soaking or your strategy. I don't particularly like cooking or doing dishes but on the other hand it doesn't take a lot of time either and I do enjoy hot food in the evening. I basically cook as soon as I reach camp - turn on the stove and boil water while setting up my tent or occasionally a tarp. Dinner is basically done when the camp is ready and waiting time is just a couple of minutes (if that) when the food gets cold enough to eat it.
I use my pot again next morning and that's somewhat time consuming as I use breakfast cereal and powder milk and it just take some time to eat it, but most of the time is spend getting the tent down and packing. Since I know the next use of the pot is for boiling water again in the evening I don't have to get it super clean.
I don't really see why you'd use less water with your strategy. The amount of water I need on a hot (or cold) day is the same regardless if I drink it or if it's part of the food. I actually add more water than the instructions say to my food making most of my suppers soupier than they are supposed to be just to get more variation than just drinking plain water all the time.
My strategy is to maximize the percentage of the food that need rehydration as that's water I don't need to carry until I'm going to prepare the food. I don't have a super low base weight though - certainly not ultralight - and don't claim my strategy is better or make my food + cook kit lighter than your food, but I also doubt that you save weight compared to cooking or cold soaking.
What I do envy with your strategy is that you avoid the constant hunt for (the right amount of) fuel on town stops - and thanks for an interesting video!
Strategically that is a good combo for the types of foods I would crave as well. When I did the one day whitney hike last july, Dry items were the key. I would add perhaps some kind of caffeine for me
Caffeinated gum or chocolate. Skoda chocolate has alot of caffeine.
Some of the drink mix flavors also have caffeine. I never really notice anything from caffeine personally, but i still drink it 😀
Duke's Beef Sticks and Chips were my favorite lunch/snack on the Colorado Trail this past summer. They will be a staple for me going forward.
Those duke's sticks are good. Lately though, I've been addicted to the takis fuego sticks. A little extra kick of flavor!
You know what you’re onto something. I dig the loaf of bread approach. I also use the opsaks.
Interesting strategy. I love variety, and esp fruit and veg, so this would not be for me. But I can see how the simplicity is attractive when you're doing long mile days - no decisions to make other than chow down and hit the sack. Have you tried other no-cook items like peanut or other nut butters, instant hummus? Another one I love but is expensive is Packit Gourmet's chicken salads, which are cold soak but intended to be, so they taste good. I will probably keep cooking though.
I'm with you, bro. 👍🐾🐾🐾🐾🌻
Excellent video. But you caught me off guard with the sour patch children comment. 😂😂😂
I also have a similar diet without cold soaking, but I eat more nuts and chocolate and try to avoid ultraprocessed foods. Plus, I'm from Europe and here almost every day you walk through some place where you can buy hot food and beer.
Have you, or do you like, tuna? The vacuumed sealed foil packs are good! I would need a "cleaner" protein on trail other than cured meats. What about vitamins and supplements?
Lastly, as strange as it sounds, could you do a video about hygiene and going to the bathroom? Nobody really talks about this on any hiking channel. Thanks again!
I love tuna steaks, but not the pckaged stuff so much. There was this kid in elementary school that had tuna fish sandwiches everyday for lunch.. He was kind of a disgusting kid, It was always Falling out of his mouth And Making a mess. I can't stop thinking about that every time I look at those tuna packs. Ruined me for life haha.
Good call on the vitamins and supplements.. I forgot to mention that. I usually do bring a multivitamin. I get the GNC greens supplement... supposed to give to a daily dose of greens, which i obviously don't get on trail. The general consensus is that multivitamins really don't do that much. I have heard that heard that the better quality ones do a better job, that is, allow for more absorption of the vitamins and minerals.. How true that is, I don't know. I always figure it can't hurt to take them. When I get into town I'm definitely craving something thing something big and greasy like a Burger or pizza, but I also make sure to eat plenty of fruits when I get into town…. bananas, strawberries, blackberries, apples etc.
Oh boy, hygiene on a desert hike, that would be a short video... use wet ones wipes! Lol
@@SeekingLost Haha..."falling out of his mouth..." -- gross! Once you see that you can't unsee it. BTW, I'm heading out on the CDT in April. Your channel is the very best for stoke and info.
_"All of this results in a lower base weight."_ Going stoveless, yes. Going no cold soak, absolutely not. Food weight per calorie in a no-soak diet is not so great. Bagels and bread have a particularly poor weight to calorie ratio.
Pringles can trick is the best.
Base weight is lower. Food weight is higher. Water is the heaviest thing you carry. Cold soak is nasty but you can't beat the low weight. High fat foods are very calorie dense, but your body can't tolerate too much fat except in extreme cold ( think arctic people eating blubber). So it depends on what your body can tolerate. Cold soaking freeze dried or totally dried food and adding oil or fat seems to be lightest for areas with abundant water and a warm climate. In the desert you would have to carry the soaking water as well as drinking water so it doesn't save you anything to cold soak over carrying food you can eat as is. In freezing temps you can eat summer sausage and high fat foods as is. Water is more challenging without fire or a stove.
Seriously thinking of taking this advice to heart, especially in warm to hot weather. Maybe even cold. My stove is less than 1/2 Oz, my "cook pot" is just a few OZ, & fuel w bottle, 9 OZ. so not saving much weight, but I like the less work per meal, actually did that a few times on my AT thru attempt & found it pleasant & Quick!
By the time I get my tent set up, it's usually dark and I'm whooped. Not having to cook anything is awesome. Give it a shot some time!
I got to looking at my (poorly kept) notes from my 21 AT attempt, in 24 on trail days, I actually "Cooked" 5 times, , , , Yea, my cookset is now in the "Extra gear" closet. Thanks for the advice!
i lost it when you said sour patch children... LMAO
One bad thing not mention
For people dealing with high blood pressure
Any of those over 200 mg of sodium
Should be left alone
I can’t have any gluten, can’t have nuts because of a walnut allergy, and most nuts are processed together, but the exception being a few brands of peanuts. So I take a lot of proteins, sausage, gluten free pepperoni, etc. and dried fruits, and gluten free snacks. Unfortunately I can’t stand corn tortillas, so I don’t buy them. I’m now learning to make dehydrated meals to take.
I love tuna packets in pita bread and p butter and honey in a pita pocket
Cold soaking is pretty much the same thin, just add water. Bring a peanut butter jar.
Sounds like this would be perfect for those who are homeless
Good strategy. Those processed beef sticks are terrible for you tho. Also fixating on hot meals is arguably the same as fixating on weight. Just a choice in the end.
Shout out to Sour Patch Children 🤣
The best kind of children
Packets of Salmon in olive oil with Sesame seed seaweed. If I feel extravigant then I might cut some green apple and green onion to mix in my salmon.
Fruit and vegetables, beans?
You should consider taking a multi vitamin if you are going to live off this diet for an extended period of time, your liver and pancreas need it.
Legendary protein pastries are really good, they taste better than Lenny and Larry cookies. Especially the red velvet ones.
You have been eating like this for a while I remember noticing this on your CDT hike when you were unpacking your resupply box … I saw that nothing needed cooking … but I just thought that you were at the end and just liked beef sticks lol
Yup nothing new for me. Find something that works, stick with it!
Love it. I do like a warm dinner on a cold day, but I really don’t mind taking mainly just a big bag of nuts and then some other snacks as well.
Have you tried taping both sides of the "zipper" on the Opsack with some tenacious tape to increase the lifespan of that seal?
I've done this as a repair, but not pre-emptively. Not a bad idea!
@@SeekingLost it's worked well for me, but I put in way less days on the trail than yourself. Let me know how it works for you!
J eat just fruit allegedly but can let go of the crisp/potato chips with just salt.
Try adding pizza squeeze sauce to that pepperoni, cheese and tortilla
Thank you! I usually do some form of this for the first week or two. Ha, never thought about extending the idea. I think ill give it a go. Regular bread may be smashed also. But i agree, bagels are terrific. -White Mexican
Those new flavors from Thomas Bagels are great... the apple cinnamon flavor... my new go-to on trail, if you can find them in the store. Give the no cook diet a go, if that's your thing... the convenience is tough to beat
Man, if I ate all this processed food I’d feel pretty awful. Not knocking your setup- you’ve probably got a 100x more trail time than me- but it’s honestly always surprising to me seeing you do things like whip pizza out of a garbage bag and eat that for trail fuel lmao.
I also go stoveless, but for me it’s “trail gruel”. To make my trail gruel I combine no sugar added peanut butter, honey, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and protein powder into a container and mix. Extremely calorie dense and lasts forever in a sealed container
Oh, and I keep a little veggie greens powder to mix into water 1x a day
I’m gonna give those bags a try
Hey pizza is great trail fuel! And TASTES great! Even if it does come out of a garbage bag haha. I always say, the best trail food is the food you can eat. If you can eat healthy on trail and like what you're eating, by all means I would do that. I just get sick of most healthier options pretty quick on trail, and I need to be able to eat my food without choking it down. Even less healthy foods are better than no food. I tried the veggie greens powder once a few years ago and it made me gag! I used to take a GNC greens supplement pill though. That reminds me, I should buy more.
Can’t argue with that- at the end of the day you gotta get the calories in one way or another. I wouldn’t be surprised if my healthy foods approach broke down a bit for me if I tried covering some of the distances you do. I’m not on the trail for more than 3 or 4 days, and even then I’m getting tired of my food!
lol…. 😂😂😂🤡
And it's cheaper.
This is fascinating! When hiking in the desert, how many days do you generally pack for? Especially when going lengthy distances without resupply?
Depends on the section... usually 3 to 7 days. Probably average 5 days.
As a descendant of Neanderthals, only the beef sticks and cured meats would work for me. I, like most humans, cannot tolerate (junk)processed grains and sugars for very long (1 day or more). May I recommend homemade pemmican. Plains Indians (among others) relied on this staple. It has the perfect fat/protein ratio for the human body. Lasts months without refrigeration.
Pemmican is a great idea. I've made it. I use dried beef from Iowa because it's super dry. I grew up in a Dutch town in Iowa. Best dried beef I've ever had. I like using different fruits if I can get them dry enough. Make powder with a Vita Mix. I wish I had a dehydrator. I use my oven. Great idea with the Pemmican.
Pemmican is good! That would work great if sending yourself a box from home, but pemmican isn't readily available in most towns. If it is, it's super expensive. I try not to send boxes of food unless absolutely necessary. That gets expensive quickly.
Naw this is tasty and why not use this method for your home if the electricity is not on when something happens.
homie is surviving on snacks
How many days is that resupply for?
Hey there, this was for a 6 day segment
i really dont think the weight argument stands compared to dehydrated food cold soaked
I agree, this food is heavier and bulkier than the dehydrated food itself. Any weight savings by not carrying stove fuel etc Could be negated by the extra weight of this food. Either way, i would never cold soak even if it saved me 10 pounds... don't want to choke down my food. But to each their own!
Advantage 1) I can do it on my kayak
Thanks for this video
i'm usually a no cook person.. for years. my wake-up is a few jelly babys and and some caffeine pill
but i do miss coffee.. not the instant but proper coffee.. my sieve weighs 10g but the extras burner.. cup etc it's not worth it.. & that's what towns are for right.. or should i suck it up and carry the extra 300g?
We all have our luxury items, i say go for it. I carry like 6lbs of camera gear and electronics, that's my luxury, so i sacrifice anything else i can!
@@SeekingLost yeah i do that too (maybe someday i'll upload all that shit) but i get your point.. cheers fella
Will this work for a tr hike? I'm hiking Pct next year, and thinking, just cooking for dinner
Sure will, I've done multiple thrus on this diet now including the CDT. Give it a shot, and good luck on the PCT!
This is practical and tasty! My concerns are mainly dehydration and constipation, though. I'm not sure a dose of dried fruit in the morning addresses the second one well enough?
How much extra water do you get from cooking a day? 2-4 cups? So just drink a few extra cups of water a day.
Although no one is gonna appreciate cold soaking Top Ramen 🤢 the macros are pretty similar to your pepperoni bacon taco dinners; in reference to nutrition.
would pepperjack cheese keep good on trail?
Pepperjack is on the softer side, and so I'd think it wouldn't be one of the better performing cheeses. With that said, all cheese does well enough unless in the most extreme temperatures. I say go for it.
Dried Parmesan mixed with a little olive oil is a tasty treat!
@@Twobarpsi that does sound good!
Would you have any idea what a vegetarian can do instead of the pepperoni and bacon for protein source in a no-cook/no-cold-soak plan? Really like the plan, BTW, only the protein source is holding me up right now.
peanut butter or nutella maybe???
@@pawpawmike7372 yeah, I think I'll alternate... Peanut butter and honey at lunch, and cheese for dinner. I like this powdered peanut butter that's higher in protein than usual, pb2.
Fruits and veggies?
That's what town days are for.
🙏🏼
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90 %of that is ultra processed food. Worst type of food if you want to be in tip top condition on the trail.
Hot meals🤮
🙈 P r o m o s m.
What does that mean?
Looks like a good way to get Scurvy…
Additional drawback, the food sucks
Maybe to you. I like this food better than rice and noodle meals. Enjoy your cold soak.
No cold soak for me. I have no problem carrying the weight of a stove, fuel, and other stuff. Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as abrasive. I was just saying many people may not want to eat items like that. My apologies.
@@shane2808 Could you provide a list of what healthy food you carry?
@@spuriouseffect
Dried fruit
Dehydrated fruit
Granola
Oat milk
Vegan protein powder
Vegan protein bars
Rice
Peanut butter
Jelly
Vegan bread
Beans
Vegan pasta
Etc.
@@shane2808 Is that dehydrated oat milk, or do you just carry a small bottle of it? Thanks again.
That's WAY too many processed carbs for me.
Same here. I've only done 1 trip where I wasn't keto, and really didn't enjoy how frequently I had the urge to eat. Not to mention the bonking. I make my own pemmican. It doesn't taste great, but with enough salt I can get it down.
Processed foods, especially grains = very bad
this has to be a joke
you're cutting off like at least 5 years of life eating like this
Eating this for a temporary hike is not going to shorten your life.
@@spuriouseffect isn’t a thru hike like 5 months bro that is definitely not good
@@tanimowo Even 5 months of eating McDonald's is not going to kill you, or shorten your life by 5 years. Keep it up over a lifetime and sure, but not temporarily. Plus you eat half of your calories when off trail on a thru-hike.
@@spuriouseffecthysterics will be hysterics… as they take advice from quack o proctors and contemplate leaving their basements one day. 😂