Thanks for the info! I had never really thought about the fact that your body may not be used to burning the type of energy you're trying to fuel it with (fats vs carbs, etc) My main tip after having spent 3 solid weeks on trail last summer: take what you'll actually eat! I spent so much time prepping food for my trip. I counted calories, weighed ingredients, calculated calories per ounce (so many calculations!), and came up with what I thought was a pretty solid food plan. And then I actually got on trail. My breakfasts and dinners were pretty good, but my snacks and lunches needed help. Turns out, I can only make myself eat one nut butter pouch per day. And when I just wasn't feeling hungry, the high protein high calorie stuff would sit in my pack untouched. But cheap and chewy quaker granola bars, or dehydrated (not freeze dried) mangoes, were always tasty and looked forward towards. Sure, they didn't have as good of calorie to weight ratio, but I would actually eat them. So in the end, it became more important to actually carry the food I would eat even if it might not have the best calorie denseness. It doesn't matter how great your food plan is, it won't fuel your body of you don't eat it!
Cliff bar 104 calories per oz. Snickers bar 135 calories per oz. A plain snickers is one of the most calorically dense bars ever made. Almond butter at 168 calories per oz is nice but sunbutter is the king of calories per oz at just under 177.
I never eat industrial sweet stuff in everyday life...but on the trail in some situations a Snickers is unbeatable...also for psychological/morale factors :-) (Same goes for Capri Sun ;-))
The S.A.S. are the ultimate back packers. The memoir of one of them says that for The Fan Dance he ate a Mars bar every hour. The Fan Dance is the final exercise of Selection. An orienteering race on Pen y Fan.
A very good and simple talk on Trail gd. I am a retired physician, diabetic and hiker. It’s vital t have both quick release crbs (fruit or candy) and complex or sustained release carbs though in order to get adequate calories als find it advisable to increase my intake of fats simply because they are more calorie dense
My son and I back country canoed for a few weeks for 14 summers in Alaska. We mainly carried things like granola, trail mix with some chocolate , venison jerky, rice to go with fish. And condiments. We would bring a few dried meals along with some soup packets. Nothing taste good for lunch on a rainy day is a quick soup break. We started when he was 4.
I switch my diet 2 weeks before a planned trip to replicate closer to my trip diet. I spend a lot of time fasting and low carbing but when I plan a trip I change my diet and incorporate more carbs, pastas, etc but Im also walking and preparing more for the trip leading up to that while eating that way. Its the only way I can do it, otherwise I have stomach issues the entire time, energy issues etc. I have found however that the be all end all diet that works for me on trips is a grazing diet. No big meals, just 300-400 ish calories at a time at the most throughout the day but I usually dont start eating anything until after I packed up and ready to head out.
thank you I have been arguing this point for many years, I will try the Peak meals. Varitey is the key to any packing situation. I am passed the age of realvence thank you!
With you on the Peak Refuel meals. After trying them on the northern Washington section of the PCT last summer I pack them almost exclusively. Added bonus of not using as much water is less fuel used. One 4oz canister lasted my partner 2 weeks using a typical canister stove and pot setup.
Congrats...you're learning to eat on the hike (as you hike) like a marathon runner does during a run. GU gels or the equivalent during the hike, along with some protein (beef jerky or cheese, or peanut/almond butter) after a few hours, and a carbo loading meal in the evening. Read how ultra-runners fuel and there are various types of ultra-runners just as there are hikers. These are good examples to learn from as most hikers are effectively hiking a half to full marathon (sometimes beyond) every day). Also look to how they train to learn how to hike on different days instead of always just pushing yourself till you need a nero/zero.
Spot on. Gummy bears, cliff bar (or sim.), nuts, and beef stick/jerky are my 'go to' snacks in my pocket depending how I'm feeling. I'll usually eat the bar and beef for lunch, oddly finding that I don't need a huge meal at lunchtime. The shared point is variety. Oh, and please tell Peak to stop printing instructions with gray ink on a black background for reading at dusk. Ha. I prefer dinner slightly soupier, so suggest adding a little more water to Peak meals.
I have been practicing IF for years and when hiking I hit "the wall" you talked about. Because I am hypoglycemic, my DR told me to "graze" throughout the day so I totally understand what you mean by the sugars giving you the quick energy release to get past that wall. Thanks for putting up this video!
At the age of 67... Starting to run ultra marathons and backing (and now, with a base weight of 15 lbs) at the age of 50... I was then diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes at 60... which meant no more junk carbs for any activities. Learning about how to become a fat burner during endurance activities has changed me. I no longer bonk. Because I dehydrate my own meals... I'd love to hear about your recipes for a lower carb meal. This video of yours is on the money... Thanks ... Mamma Gecko (Malta, NY)
Thanks for watching, and glad you found some value! We haven't tried dehydrating our own meals really, so don't have any recipes to share with you for that. But sounds like you've got a good thing going!
Don't forget the electrolytes! Bonking is often electrolyte related, especially during heavy exertion. I have rescued many friends with low energy and headaches during hiking by giving them a couple electrolyte capsules (I can't stand sugary energy drinks). As a keto-ish, intermittent faster, I also bring a little quick energy hiking food, but still manage the long haul with high-fat/low-carb. If you don't like drinking orange, green, or purple "energy slurry", make sure you bring some electrolyte capsules; take a couple before the hike, and then every few hours depending on exertion and sweat factor. You will discover its a game changer.
I agree you need a mix of fats and quick burning sugars. I mostly go no-cook for solo 1-2 nighters. I usually take some fresh fruit for the first day to keep that quick energy flowing and then live on a homemade trail mix of nuts, dates, Fritos, pieces of pop tart, sesame sticks - I like trail mix with big pieces so I can kind of pick and choose what I’m feeling like eating. This allows me to carry basically no food packaging. I hate having trash in my pack.
Love this video and great advice. I’m a big advocate for testing out your nutrition prior to any hike or event. One of my favorite quick energy snacks that work for me are peanut M&M’s. Plus they are a quick moral boost for those low times.
Unfortunately, not enough people understand the phases your body goes through when its doing "activity". Anyone that is an endurance athlete knows to keep skittles, gummy bears, etc on their person to push their body back into sugar burning mode and provide a quick boost of energy. We don't typically think about hiking/backpacking as an endurance sport, but it is! Climbing all that elevation and hiking for 10 hours a day is TOUGH This was a great video! Too many people don't think about nutrition on the trail. Its important!
I love this video - it is so true everyone's body reacts to food differently and you have to take advise from others with a grain of salt and try it out for yourself and see what works and what doesn't
You are so right about the bars. I bring Power Bars sometimes or Snickers, but chocolate and heat are a bad combo. I carry M&Ms to get me through bonks and times when my stomach is starting to growl but I still have some miles to camp and need to keep moving. Honey sesame sticks are a nice snack too. Baby Bels keep, also salami. A Knorr Rice Side bolstered by bacon bits is a great budget option.
This is probably pretty close to the *most* informative and important backpacking video I have watched...and I have watched *ALOT* You have won yourself a subscriber my friend! Thank you!
My advice is to eat a larger meal than normal the evening before setting off. This gives your body a calorific headstart, so eating less during your weekend trip won't affect energy levels as much.
Damn!!!! This kind of self-awareness regarding HOW you eat specific to how you pack and plan food for a trip.... Worth more than any product you sell. It's almost impossible to start doing that and not make improvements elsewhere :) Almost guarantee someone hears this, changes their life, and tells you a year from now
Hey I just wanted to let you know, I bought a couple of the Ultralight Stretch Pillows almost 2 years ago. I keep 1 in my summer gear and 1 in my winter gear. I love them and I've had no issues with them. They also fit great in the hoods of my winter sleeping bags.
For ultralong bikepacking, I use oatmeal and water. I eat this regularly every day, all day, so I'm used to it. A cup every 3 hours. That gets me 12 hours over the bars, and I can keep that going for a week. The second alternative is to go by the 3 category system, roughly equivalent to what you showed. Often a combination of the first and second system. That's in theory. In practice, I just munch as much as I possibly can, whatever I happened to find, without throwing up. It's an eating contest, with a bit of biking on the side.
I come from more of a distance runner mindset but I’m a big fan of PB+J, nuts, etc and packing some tailwind to mix with my water to keep my glucose levels topped off. Makes me virtually bonk proof
While trying your trail meals at home make sure to use the stove you plan on taking on your hike. I cooked my meals on the kitchen range and microwave and found very different results on the trail.
Mars bars quick sugar hit......... spent many a year suffering in SF in the Military, we broke down the 1 man packs for weight and they had a fine balance of proteins, carbs , and sugars, all carrying twice the weight you would. Food is king , you must look forward to it, cold or hot
Great video, I’m actually doing a MSc in neurophysiology, undergrad is exercise physiology. I’d love to chyme in for those who are more interested in the nutrition aspect. I’d like to preface this by noting that this comment is not made with the intention to be, in anyway, disrespectful. I’m just hoping it helps those who are interested! Your advice was good, those simple sugar will be effect when you “hit the wall”. But, if I may... Fasting is excellent, there is evidence that suggests it can improve digestive, health, contribute to neurogenesis (the creating of new neurons) and even reduce the chance of mutative cell diseases such as cancer: via increases in cell pruning. However, it wouldn’t necessarily induce ketosis. Thus, I wouldn’t say that it is causing your body to prefer metabolizing fats over carbohydrates (carbs). Your body will always prefer carbs as a fuel source, as it requires much less work to make into ATP (energy). However, it is likely that ,a healthier diet, while periodicity fasting, would contribute to improved mood, energy levels, and metabolism. Simply...it is the health benefits of fasting, and other health conscious behavior you adopt in conjunction with your fasting, that provide you “premium” fuel at the start of your hike, rather than the fasting altering the type of fuel your body consumes while on the hike. The conclusion, would be to eat health, maybe adopt fasting, 2 or so weeks before your trips, and you will perform much better during them! I hoped this helps
I hear you. I've had times where I run low on energy and eating right for my body is key. Nut butter, trail mix and other nut based things are not great for men in excess because there is too much iron. Glad you pointed out Peak Refuel as it has higher quality ingredients with lots of protein and looks great for a meal. Personally for backpacking lunches when I have time to boil water, I like taking rice or ramen and adding dry chicken or beef stock, tomato powder, fennel seeds, garlic powder, Kraft dry romano and parmesan cheese mix and Marshalls Creek vegetable flakes. I tend to use Tilda basmati rice. I feel good for hours on that and I like the flavor and that brand cooks fast. You can soak the rice for 5 minutes and then boil for 5-6 minutes and leave covered until its done to your liking. I find this tastes more like home cooked food. One tip is to mix the cheese after cooking, otherwise that can make a mess of your cooking pot fast and if its going to be really hot dry cheese can still go rancid so might but better to sub for something else. I also take trail mix, dried fruit, granola bars, Gatoraid powder but try to use those things only when needed and not for main meals or drinks.
Fighting that wall is why I like to bring trail mix that has dried fruit and chocolate like M&Ms that way there is a quick boost then a longer burn of energy out of one pick me up.
Range Bars worked well. It is very filling at 700 cal. GreenBelly Meal2Go at 660 cal worked great too. Peak Refuel eggs and sausage was awesome at a total of 680cal. Noka smoothy is my go to for natural fruit snack. To pick one, it would be the Range Bar. I ate one and I wasn’t hungry for 6 hours. Still had energy during activities. Or, Eat what you like. Be happy. Happy trails!
I like comparing macronutrients to fires... Carbs are tinder which burns bright, hot, and quick. Protein is the meat of your fire and fat is like the embers which don’t flare up but can keep warm all night~ Also for what it’s worth peak refuel meals taste great out there!
I once did a longer mud run where I hit a wall and was stuck on a literal mountain. If not for my friend having Honey Stinger Gummies I would have been stuck there until someone looked for me. I don't go out without a pack of some kind of quick carb now for just in case.
We have worked out a system that goes like this: Breakfast and lunch are typically a little variety but heavier on carbs/sugars. Snacks vary but early in day are usually like breakfast but later in day head into the protein category. Dinner is more protein. The idea is feed your body what it needs at the time it needs it. During exertion it needs more fuel so carbs are the thing. At rest it needs proteins to rebuild. Don't forget those electrolytes. You should be drinking a lot of water so you need to up your electrolytes. There are a lot out there but we use Nuun because they are fast etc, but they are heavier. Can't really say the flavor is all that great no mater which one you try but thats common with most of these products anyway. Something that surprised us was last year I was in a store and they had a sale on sour gummy worms. I'm not sure why, but every single person in the group thought those were the best trail snack ever. I would be interested in hearing from people who use sour gummy worms on the trail. Are they really that good to you too? Why are they so so off the trail but a big hit on it?
Going winter camping in my truck tonight and was just thinking about taking some MREs...then I looked up some stuff and found your channel! Good stuff man, subbing ya now. Probably watch more of your videos this evening in fact🤙-Josh
More intense cardio burns a higher percentage of glucose (depleting your glycogen stores); this would be the case with a steep fast climb, and in this case, you would need more carbohydrates. Slower steady hikes burn a higher percentage of fats, but your digestive system can only digest fats so fast, so don't eat too much at once. Tailor your diet to your hike and also your own body and your own preferences. I have found that listening to my body, and knowing how to anticipate what I need, makes a huge difference for the success and enjoyment of any hike. If you hike slow for a long time, you can actually utilize more fats so taking the higher calorie per ounce can work. I like having a mix of snacks for exactly the reason Tayson Whittaker says.
For me it's twice a day. But, the times may vary depending on what I'm doing which determine what I need to eat to finish the day. Some times it's just water....
Interesting and useful. Thanks! I eat a lot like you. Intermittent fasting, small snacks/ meals on non fast days. More carbs when I'm using my body hard (on my farm or on a mountain.) Fewer carbs on lazy days. I pack a similar variety. I really appreciate that in all your videos you emphasize "it depends"! There are different answers for different situations. Nut butter is great for keeping warm at night! It digests sloooowly. Those quick sugars are essential for working hard while moving. I haven't tried Peak Refuel meals. I'm fond of Good-To-Go brand meals, though they're often a bit TOO big if I'm out solo. They're a good size to share. Have you tried that brand? I'd love to see a review of several different brands evaluated for nutrition, taste, easy-ness, price, weight, etc.
Justin's butters smeared all over a Tahoe Trail Bar is 500 calories of awesome! To your note about fasting, I've found that in the summer months when I'm in full peak bagging mode, I just forget to eat all together and it just comes part of the routine. but yah as you called out "know yourself and what your physical limits are". If you have never trained to hike 10 miles w/o water (ie..ramped up) then dont! Fats like PB and such do take longer to digest, whereas the fruits you highlighted burn quicker and the sugars are more readily available (oh you did finally hit that).
@@TaysonWhittaker It's primarily useful for staying in a ketogenic state, which is easily achieved during backpacking stints. It's the continual switching back and forth from ketosis to non, that brings headaches and lethargy.
Some folks have dietary restrictions and really need to consult a doctor before going on these long hikes, too, let’s not forget. Good advice. ESP the PEAK meals. Good video.
I did week trip into the BWCA last year and did a direct comparison between M H and Peak Refuel, no contest! P R is much better. I was a lifelong M H user. If you haven’t tried them, do it. Life changing.
Yeah it doesn't really make sense to skip out on carbs, in particularly when hiking, considering how it's the macronutrient that your body utilities first for energy. If you're solely relying on fats, you'll start utilizing protein, and you're really going to feel like shit, and just not recover properly. Having a food that's high in sodium, or powder that contains sodium and vitamins is also helpful. Just so you're staying hydrated. Sorry if this sounded preachy, just figured I'd mention it since that was the first half of the video. Great video overall!
The only thing I would add is in winter or winter shoulder seasons, I would recommend eating your big meal for dinner. The reason being, your body having those calories to burn throughout the night will help with regulating your body temp. This can impact your quality of sleep, obviously, which will in turn help you the next day. Especially do this on longer trips where accumulating bad sleep night after night can really hurt your performance, which will ultimately lead to increased risk of injury and/or mistakes made on your hike. Plus, it just sucks sleeping cold. So fatten up for dinner before bed in the winter. Enjoy the cold early morning BM to start your day 😄
One biggest thing ive noticed especially on the prepping side is people dont weigh their good bags nesrly as often. Lots of preppers will pack things like mres and have 15lbs of food for a 3 day trip. Bit high when the pack weighs 50lbs dry
yeah backpackers and preppers have a huge difference in pack weight for some reason. My base weight is about 16lb (plus 5-8lb of food for 3-4 days) and I feel like most preppers packs are 30-40lb dry... maybe most of them don't actually go on trips and test them out?
@@bosengineer you would be correct in saying that most preppers dont go out and test. My first "bug out bag" was well over 55lbs then i went and actually walked with it. Current is 16lbs dry as well. Its all the same stuff for both parties. One just actually test and uses the gear the other leaves it in a closet in hope to never need it.
I've had an ongoing struggle with all the backpacker's dehydrated meals having a huge amount of sodium and I can't have it, and even a few year's back when I did alot of whitewater and camping and freestyle kayaking I still didn't sweat enough to justify eating that much salt and knew then I couldn't keep up doing the same thing, wish someone could share a company that has low sodium meals
I agree with you - mix it up - and don't forget nuts can cause constipation, so make sure you eat some dried fruits like prunes and figs to off-set that.
I have tried to educate my self about nutrition science, and the food choices that allow my body to function in the most efficient manner, whether I am exercising, or sleeping. I also make food choices based upon how they will affect my overall general health and well being, which I feel is important as we age, in order to prevent disease, and sickness, and to just create a strong, efficient, and fully functioning body, that is pain and disease free, all the while experiencing a feeling of confidence, peace and contentment. That being said, I have a few comments as it relates to backpacking food, the video content, and your choices. First, as humans our bodies need to consume foods that provide the macro nutrients consisting of Fats, Carbohydrates, and Proteins. Nutrition Science has clearly shown us that the breakdown, or percentage amounts of the macros that we consume are extremely important. In the past many people like long distance runners loaded up on carbohydrates, as it was thought that this was the best way to fuel the body, and people were told to avoid all fats, and purchase fat free food. We have since come to learn that the foregoing was bad advice, as our bodies actually function better when running on Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, and Saturated Fats, combined with Complex Carbohydrates, and when in a state of Ketosis; which is when our body has converted the consumed fats into Ketones that are used for energy. Note: Trans Fats should be avoided. Diets high in simple carbohydrates, or sugars, and high glycemic index foods, cause our pancreas to release or secrete excessive amounts of insulin, leading to insulin spikes, stored fats, and weight gain in many cases. In that state, our bodies are running on, or are fueled by sugars, or glycogen, which is a much less powerful, and long lasting fuel, and less energy efficient than ketones. Bodies that are fueled by Glycogen quickly run out of fuel, as simple carbohydrates are burned up quickly leading to an energy crash, and a feeling of weakness, or exhaustion. An ideal diet would be high in amounts of healthy fats, low to none in simple carbohydrates, low to moderate in fibrous complex carbohydrates like those found in leafy greens, berries, and cruciferous vegetables, along with a moderate amount protein. So ideally high in fats, low to moderate in complex carbohydrates, and moderate to high amounts of protein. The best macro nutrient requirement percentages, or sources can vary somewhat with each individual. Once your body stops running on Glycogen, and instead enters a healthy state of Ketosis, you will feel less hungry, you will lose excess weight, and you will have more energy from being fueled by Ketones. However, you won't be able to turn a switch to achieve Ketosis, especially if you are popping sugary, and starchy simple carbohydrates, and eating too frequently. It takes time, and you must eat the right amounts or percentages of the macro nutrients over time to achieve Ketosis. If you look at most of the prepackaged, freeze dried backpacking food, you will find very high carbohydrates, very high protein, and most times low to moderate to high fat content. I have tried Peak Refuel, and Mountain House, and though they can be tasty, they will bog you down, and fill you up with carbohydrates, and you will eventually crash, as your energy source of Glycogen becomes depleted, or used up, a short time after consuming them. A better choice would be to eat foods like Avocado, Eggs, Bacon, Peanut or Almond Butter, Salmon, Tuna, Sardines, Salami, Turkey, Duck, Chicken, Beef, along with some vegetables like Kale, Spinach, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, fruits like Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, and nuts like Pecans, Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts, Macadamias, Brazils, and Cashews. Some times it can obviously be inconvenient to carry all, or some of those foods when backpacking, but a company like Next Mile Meals does provide freeze dried backpacking food that meets the desired macro breakdown, instead of the very high carbohydrate filled meals made by Mountain House, and Peak Refuel. www.nextmilemeals.com/ Their meals are not all perfectly KETO friendly, however, they are high in fats, an low in carbohydrates, and are the closest that I have found for backpacking. Check out the nutritional content of their Next Mile Steak Omelette, and compare it to the breakfast meals from Peak Refuel, and Mountain House. www.nextmilemeals.com/products/steak-omelette High in fats, low in carbohydrates, and moderate to high amounts of protein. One important note...constant snacking or eating will also slow down Ketosis, and deprive you of energy. Intermittent Fasting is important. I try to eat two meals a day, sometimes with a little fat and protein snack here and there. I try not eat anything for about 12 hours, say from midnight until noon. Of course, while backpacking, or in a period of extreme exertion, or colder temperature exposure, you may have to adjust your eating schedule, and consume more during your two meals, or perhaps just add in another small meal depending upon how you feel. Bottom Line...the macro nutrients percentages found in the food that you consume are important! As an OV Tribe Live Ultralight Member, I'd like to see Next Mile Meals made available on the website. Anyway, just Food for Thought! P.S. One more thing, I listen to your podcasts, however, the podcasts and the medium that you use are not that user friendly, and somewhat archaic. I constantly have trouble with the user interface while listening on my phone while out walking. Frustrating to say the least. Why not just change the podcast format from all audio, to a video format, and just post on RUclips, like you do with many videos now? What is the attraction, and fascination with the podcast format? IMHO...A video is much more user friendly, and interesting. Thanks!
Thanks for the great feedback! You've done your homework! As for podcasts, we are looking at uploading them in video format in the future, and hopefully will have that as an option soon.
@@TaysonWhittaker Thanks! Watch this three minute video by Dr. Eric Berg for a great explanation on the fuel our body needs to operate efficiently and properly. ruclips.net/video/V7Ga0Cx0U1Q/видео.html
I am a vegan thru hiker. I love your suggestions and I live on nuts and seeds all day before my hot meal in the evening. That's when I carb up. No quick sugars. I never really hit a wall. Maybe completely skip quick sugars. Your body doesn't need it and maybe has become dependent on that. Your body will not run out of energy from nuts and seeds. Keep the carbs out of your day and your energy will be sustained. Save all your carbs for dinner.
That's exactly what I'm talking about in the video. Your body is trained to run off of energy from nuts and seeds. If someone consumes quick sugars in their day-to-day routine, then they will benefit from having quick sugars on the trail until they train their body otherwise.
I like Pecans for snacks @ 3200 calories a pound; (I usually bring 1 pound and eat it over 5-6 days). Meals are Carb based like Rice & Beans, Ramen + Chicken; Breakfast 1st choice is Raisin Bran + NIDO; and lunches are Tortilla based sandwiches like Meat & Cheese or Peanut Butter + Jelly, (or + raisins, or + M&M's)
Fats are 9 calories per gram where carbs are only 4 calories per gram. The kicker is when hiking your muscles use glucose (sugar from your blood) and this causes blood sugar to drop which can explain feeling terrible. The best thing to fix this low blood sugar problem is simple carbohydrates like sugary snacks, bread, rice, fruit or pasta.
Good video Tayson. I appreciate the disclaimer but sharing personal experience is good information to tweak one's own trail diet. I have found that even though I may be burning more calories when on trail I have less appetite. I always carry to much food and I also have the same result with trying to eat a quantity of trail mix. My question is how does the 2 serving size of the Peak Refuel meals compare to the Mountain House Propak? The propak is perfect for my needs. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching! The 2 serving size of Peak Refuel gives you more food the the Mountain House Propak, especially since the quality of the food is better and has less fillers. An average Mountain House Propak has about 600 calories, while the average Peak Refuel has closer to 1200 calories, plus Peak has about 10 more grams of protein on average.
I get that lack of appetite as well. I've heard that from a lot of backpackers. No idea why it happens. I do know that I need to ignore my lack of hunger and force myself to eat correctly.
I am curious as to why you don't make a gorp bag that has a mixture of all of these items in it. That is what I do when hitting the trail. It carries me through the day. I get the balance of the quick energy sugars from dried fruit, the medium energy from grains and the longer energy of the fats/proteins. One thing for sure I do not bring is any candy type snacks. The body requires too much water to break them down.
I'd like to know your thoughts on adding 1oz of lard to dinner meal for a caloric boost? 1oz=250cal was thinking of trying when I go goat hunting in mountains.
Runners have long known the importance of fast digesting carbs. Fats are nice but you definitely want ~100 calories per hour of hiking from sugar/carbs such as the GU gels, Clif Bloks, or even gummy candy.
It's your liver that stores the glycogen which is the quickly accessible stuff to covert to blood sugar(and to a smaller extent, your muscles have some glycogen). And steady supply of blood sugar is what you need for prolonged work. When you use up the readily accessible carb's in your your muscle glycogen, and in your liver glycogen , you "hit the wall." Those two sorts of glycogens are the ones needed for sustained, athletic labor. Changing glycogens to glucose also uses up water which is another reason you hit the wall. Get dehydrated, and your liver can't produce blood glucose quickly enough to meet high needs. For exhausting work, stay hydrated, and keep diet full of complex carbs(less sucrose and fructose), so your liver glycogen is both topped off, and ready to produce blood glucose at a relatively quick rate. If you're not exerting, those carbs turn to fat, or might be passed out the back way. So high carb diet ain't great for times of low exertion. Be sedentary and eat carbs in large meals, and you get fat, and your liver gets fatty. And a fatty liver doesn't work as well at making blood glucose. That's why carbs for breakfast on a big day is a good thing. And carb snacks during a hard day are good. And stay hydrated. And it's also why a big, high-carb breakfast with high carb snacks on a lazy day is a bad thing.
Thank you for sharing ur story disclaimer, as I'm walking ur path with keto-fasting and planning a big hike in the summer, to spread some of my Mom's ashes on a hike we did many times together. I'm still recovering from her loss, from brain surgery (good news, just spoke with my Neuro, he said, Freddy Jr, my inoperable brain tumor remnant, is still inactive so they're bumping my 6mo MRi's to 9mo😝) from torn meniscus, from CoViD, job loss & other stuff, a lil overweight, blood sugar not where it needs to be, but I'm motivated & this time I'm gonna get it done 👍 So thanks for the heads-up 😎
Thank you. This was extremely helpful. I have been wondering about these very things. I am GF and am struggling with the food part.. planning on the 2022 PCT thru hike... overly excited. Going to train on the california 6 peaks challenge to help get a better idea of my gear and food...
Thanks for the great content. I'm in process of revamping my BP gear to lose about 3-4 lbs off my base (big 3). Just found your channel and subbed both yours and Dan's. Its snowing in Tahoe so I'm binge watching you and Dan today. I struggle with the lunch thing as well b/c I'm often an intermittent faster too. I currently use peanuts, raisins, apple chips and a couple of pepperoni sticks. I may add in an Atkins Keto Bar as a fall back. Thanks again.......I'm watching!
I was wondering, with the freeze-dried meals, could you safely transfer them to a ziplock bag, so they pack down easier? Or can the original package be safely fully flattened anyway? I find due to the firm bottom, specifically of Mountain House packages (that’s what I currently have) they bilge out too far to be able to pack 9 meals (for my 3 day pack).
Tayson I love that you're an ultralight hiker that takes along a 10 pound beard.
Haha it just means I don't need to bring a topquilt! Just pull the beard down lol
Maybe that's why he goes ultralight on the backpacking! 😄
@@TaysonWhittaker His beard has its own sleeping bag...
The beard is on another level
Lol, I was just wondering how many liters his beard holds. 🤗
Thanks for the info! I had never really thought about the fact that your body may not be used to burning the type of energy you're trying to fuel it with (fats vs carbs, etc) My main tip after having spent 3 solid weeks on trail last summer: take what you'll actually eat! I spent so much time prepping food for my trip. I counted calories, weighed ingredients, calculated calories per ounce (so many calculations!), and came up with what I thought was a pretty solid food plan. And then I actually got on trail. My breakfasts and dinners were pretty good, but my snacks and lunches needed help. Turns out, I can only make myself eat one nut butter pouch per day. And when I just wasn't feeling hungry, the high protein high calorie stuff would sit in my pack untouched. But cheap and chewy quaker granola bars, or dehydrated (not freeze dried) mangoes, were always tasty and looked forward towards. Sure, they didn't have as good of calorie to weight ratio, but I would actually eat them. So in the end, it became more important to actually carry the food I would eat even if it might not have the best calorie denseness. It doesn't matter how great your food plan is, it won't fuel your body of you don't eat it!
Glad you found some value! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Cliff bar 104 calories per oz. Snickers bar 135 calories per oz. A plain snickers is one of the most calorically dense bars ever made. Almond butter at 168 calories per oz is nice but sunbutter is the king of calories per oz at just under 177.
I never eat industrial sweet stuff in everyday life...but on the trail in some situations a Snickers is unbeatable...also for psychological/morale factors :-) (Same goes for Capri Sun ;-))
The S.A.S. are the ultimate back packers. The memoir of one of them says that for The Fan Dance he ate a Mars bar every hour. The Fan Dance is the final exercise of Selection. An orienteering race on Pen y Fan.
A very good and simple talk on Trail gd. I am a retired physician, diabetic and hiker. It’s vital t have both quick release crbs (fruit or candy) and complex or sustained release carbs though in order to get adequate calories als find it advisable to increase my intake of fats simply because they are more calorie dense
boomer, im going to wendys.
My son and I back country canoed for a few weeks for 14 summers in Alaska. We mainly carried things like granola, trail mix with some chocolate , venison jerky, rice to go with fish. And condiments. We would bring a few dried meals along with some soup packets. Nothing taste good for lunch on a rainy day is a quick soup break. We started when he was 4.
Sounds like you both have some incredible memories!
@@TaysonWhittaker We did. When he got to be a young adult we did things like float rivers and hunt deer on the islands of Prince William Sound..
I switch my diet 2 weeks before a planned trip to replicate closer to my trip diet.
I spend a lot of time fasting and low carbing but when I plan a trip I change my diet and incorporate more carbs, pastas, etc but Im also walking and preparing more for the trip leading up to that while eating that way.
Its the only way I can do it, otherwise I have stomach issues the entire time, energy issues etc.
I have found however that the be all end all diet that works for me on trips is a grazing diet. No big meals, just 300-400 ish calories at a time at the most throughout the day but I usually dont start eating anything until after I packed up and ready to head out.
thank you I have been arguing this point for many years, I will try the Peak meals. Varitey is the key to any packing situation. I am passed the age of realvence thank you!
With you on the Peak Refuel meals. After trying them on the northern Washington section of the PCT last summer I pack them almost exclusively. Added bonus of not using as much water is less fuel used. One 4oz canister lasted my partner 2 weeks using a typical canister stove and pot setup.
Congrats...you're learning to eat on the hike (as you hike) like a marathon runner does during a run. GU gels or the equivalent during the hike, along with some protein (beef jerky or cheese, or peanut/almond butter) after a few hours, and a carbo loading meal in the evening. Read how ultra-runners fuel and there are various types of ultra-runners just as there are hikers. These are good examples to learn from as most hikers are effectively hiking a half to full marathon (sometimes beyond) every day). Also look to how they train to learn how to hike on different days instead of always just pushing yourself till you need a nero/zero.
Electrolyte / sweet drink mixes added to my drinking water seem to work great !
Spot on. Gummy bears, cliff bar (or sim.), nuts, and beef stick/jerky are my 'go to' snacks in my pocket depending how I'm feeling. I'll usually eat the bar and beef for lunch, oddly finding that I don't need a huge meal at lunchtime. The shared point is variety. Oh, and please tell Peak to stop printing instructions with gray ink on a black background for reading at dusk. Ha. I prefer dinner slightly soupier, so suggest adding a little more water to Peak meals.
I have been practicing IF for years and when hiking I hit "the wall" you talked about. Because I am hypoglycemic, my DR told me to "graze" throughout the day so I totally understand what you mean by the sugars giving you the quick energy release to get past that wall. Thanks for putting up this video!
At the age of 67... Starting to run ultra marathons and backing (and now, with a base weight of 15 lbs) at the age of 50... I was then diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes at 60... which meant no more junk carbs for any activities. Learning about how to become a fat burner during endurance activities has changed me. I no longer bonk. Because I dehydrate my own meals... I'd love to hear about your recipes for a lower carb meal. This video of yours is on the money... Thanks ... Mamma Gecko (Malta, NY)
Thanks for watching, and glad you found some value! We haven't tried dehydrating our own meals really, so don't have any recipes to share with you for that. But sounds like you've got a good thing going!
Don't forget the electrolytes! Bonking is often electrolyte related, especially during heavy exertion. I have rescued many friends with low energy and headaches during hiking by giving them a couple electrolyte capsules (I can't stand sugary energy drinks). As a keto-ish, intermittent faster, I also bring a little quick energy hiking food, but still manage the long haul with high-fat/low-carb. If you don't like drinking orange, green, or purple "energy slurry", make sure you bring some electrolyte capsules; take a couple before the hike, and then every few hours depending on exertion and sweat factor. You will discover its a game changer.
Great comment and we agree!
@@TaysonWhittaker I put Dioralyte in my chest strap drinks bottle
I agree you need a mix of fats and quick burning sugars. I mostly go no-cook for solo 1-2 nighters. I usually take some fresh fruit for the first day to keep that quick energy flowing and then live on a homemade trail mix of nuts, dates, Fritos, pieces of pop tart, sesame sticks - I like trail mix with big pieces so I can kind of pick and choose what I’m feeling like eating. This allows me to carry basically no food packaging. I hate having trash in my pack.
Outdoor Vittles, brought to by Outdoor Vitals.
Love this video and great advice. I’m a big advocate for testing out your nutrition prior to any hike or event. One of my favorite quick energy snacks that work for me are peanut M&M’s. Plus they are a quick moral boost for those low times.
Thanks for watching! Those are great quick energy snacks!
Unfortunately, not enough people understand the phases your body goes through when its doing "activity". Anyone that is an endurance athlete knows to keep skittles, gummy bears, etc on their person to push their body back into sugar burning mode and provide a quick boost of energy. We don't typically think about hiking/backpacking as an endurance sport, but it is! Climbing all that elevation and hiking for 10 hours a day is TOUGH
This was a great video! Too many people don't think about nutrition on the trail. Its important!
Thanks for watching!
If you see him coming down the the mountain carrying a couple of stone tablets, then you need to increase the O2 regulator.
Underrated.
Man, this is my biggest issue with backpacking. I still haven't figured it out yet
I love this video - it is so true everyone's body reacts to food differently and you have to take advise from others with a grain of salt and try it out for yourself and see what works and what doesn't
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it.
Me: “I love this trail mix it’s all I need it’s so delicious” 2 days later: “I need a burger NOW”
That is really how it is!
You are so right about the bars. I bring Power Bars sometimes or Snickers, but chocolate and heat are a bad combo. I carry M&Ms to get me through bonks and times when my stomach is starting to growl but I still have some miles to camp and need to keep moving. Honey sesame sticks are a nice snack too. Baby Bels keep, also salami. A Knorr Rice Side bolstered by bacon bits is a great budget option.
This is probably pretty close to the *most* informative and important backpacking video I have watched...and I have watched *ALOT* You have won yourself a subscriber my friend! Thank you!
Thanks for watching and subscribing! Glad we were able to help out!
My advice is to eat a larger meal than normal the evening before setting off. This gives your body a calorific headstart, so eating less during your weekend trip won't affect energy levels as much.
Thanks for sharing the tip!
Damn!!!! This kind of self-awareness regarding HOW you eat specific to how you pack and plan food for a trip....
Worth more than any product you sell. It's almost impossible to start doing that and not make improvements elsewhere :)
Almost guarantee someone hears this, changes their life, and tells you a year from now
👍
Hey I just wanted to let you know, I bought a couple of the Ultralight Stretch Pillows almost 2 years ago. I keep 1 in my summer gear and 1 in my winter gear. I love them and I've had no issues with them. They also fit great in the hoods of my winter sleeping bags.
Glad you've been enjoying the pillows!
For ultralong bikepacking, I use oatmeal and water. I eat this regularly every day, all day, so I'm used to it. A cup every 3 hours. That gets me 12 hours over the bars, and I can keep that going for a week.
The second alternative is to go by the 3 category system, roughly equivalent to what you showed. Often a combination of the first and second system. That's in theory.
In practice, I just munch as much as I possibly can, whatever I happened to find, without throwing up. It's an eating contest, with a bit of biking on the side.
Thanks for the input! Sounds like you are burning a lot of fuel!
I come from more of a distance runner mindset but I’m a big fan of PB+J, nuts, etc and packing some tailwind to mix with my water to keep my glucose levels topped off. Makes me virtually bonk proof
Thanks for the feedback.
At first I was confused. Watching to the end you give fantastic advice. You have to try these foods out before you hit the trail.
While trying your trail meals at home make sure to use the stove you plan on taking on your hike. I cooked my meals on the kitchen range and microwave and found very different results on the trail.
Mars bars quick sugar hit......... spent many a year suffering in SF in the Military, we broke down the 1 man packs for weight and they had a fine balance of proteins, carbs , and sugars, all carrying twice the weight you would. Food is king , you must look forward to it, cold or hot
Great video, I’m actually doing a MSc in neurophysiology, undergrad is exercise physiology. I’d love to chyme in for those who are more interested in the nutrition aspect. I’d like to preface this by noting that this comment is not made with the intention to be, in anyway, disrespectful. I’m just hoping it helps those who are interested!
Your advice was good, those simple sugar will be effect when you “hit the wall”. But, if I may...
Fasting is excellent, there is evidence that suggests it can improve digestive, health, contribute to neurogenesis (the creating of new neurons) and even reduce the chance of mutative cell diseases such as cancer: via increases in cell pruning. However, it wouldn’t necessarily induce ketosis. Thus, I wouldn’t say that it is causing your body to prefer metabolizing fats over carbohydrates (carbs). Your body will always prefer carbs as a fuel source, as it requires much less work to make into ATP (energy). However, it is likely that ,a healthier diet, while periodicity fasting, would contribute to improved mood, energy levels, and metabolism.
Simply...it is the health benefits of fasting, and other health conscious behavior you adopt in conjunction with your fasting, that provide you “premium” fuel at the start of your hike, rather than the fasting altering the type of fuel your body consumes while on the hike.
The conclusion, would be to eat health, maybe adopt fasting, 2 or so weeks before your trips, and you will perform much better during them!
I hoped this helps
Thanks for the additional insight and for sharing!
I hear you. I've had times where I run low on energy and eating right for my body is key. Nut butter, trail mix and other nut based things are not great for men in excess because there is too much iron. Glad you pointed out Peak Refuel as it has higher quality ingredients with lots of protein and looks great for a meal. Personally for backpacking lunches when I have time to boil water, I like taking rice or ramen and adding dry chicken or beef stock, tomato powder, fennel seeds, garlic powder, Kraft dry romano and parmesan cheese mix and Marshalls Creek vegetable flakes. I tend to use Tilda basmati rice. I feel good for hours on that and I like the flavor and that brand cooks fast. You can soak the rice for 5 minutes and then boil for 5-6 minutes and leave covered until its done to your liking. I find this tastes more like home cooked food. One tip is to mix the cheese after cooking, otherwise that can make a mess of your cooking pot fast and if its going to be really hot dry cheese can still go rancid so might but better to sub for something else. I also take trail mix, dried fruit, granola bars, Gatoraid powder but try to use those things only when needed and not for main meals or drinks.
I love the way you cover every aspect of the hike.👍
Thanks!
Fighting that wall is why I like to bring trail mix that has dried fruit and chocolate like M&Ms that way there is a quick boost then a longer burn of energy out of one pick me up.
Me too! Love that colour!
Range Bars worked well. It is very filling at 700 cal. GreenBelly Meal2Go at 660 cal worked great too. Peak Refuel eggs and sausage was awesome at a total of 680cal. Noka smoothy is my go to for natural fruit snack. To pick one, it would be the Range Bar. I ate one and I wasn’t hungry for 6 hours. Still had energy during activities. Or, Eat what you like. Be happy. Happy trails!
Thanks for sharing your proprietary wisdom. This helps.
Glad it was helpful!
Well done. Great info!
Thanks for watching!
I like comparing macronutrients to fires...
Carbs are tinder which burns bright, hot, and quick. Protein is the meat of your fire and fat is like the embers which don’t flare up but can keep warm all night~
Also for what it’s worth peak refuel meals taste great out there!
Great feedback!
I once did a longer mud run where I hit a wall and was stuck on a literal mountain. If not for my friend having Honey Stinger Gummies I would have been stuck there until someone looked for me. I don't go out without a pack of some kind of quick carb now for just in case.
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome information! Thanks!
We have worked out a system that goes like this: Breakfast and lunch are typically a little variety but heavier on carbs/sugars. Snacks vary but early in day are usually like breakfast but later in day head into the protein category. Dinner is more protein. The idea is feed your body what it needs at the time it needs it. During exertion it needs more fuel so carbs are the thing. At rest it needs proteins to rebuild. Don't forget those electrolytes. You should be drinking a lot of water so you need to up your electrolytes. There are a lot out there but we use Nuun because they are fast etc, but they are heavier. Can't really say the flavor is all that great no mater which one you try but thats common with most of these products anyway. Something that surprised us was last year I was in a store and they had a sale on sour gummy worms. I'm not sure why, but every single person in the group thought those were the best trail snack ever. I would be interested in hearing from people who use sour gummy worms on the trail. Are they really that good to you too? Why are they so so off the trail but a big hit on it?
Great feedback! Thanks for sharing!
Going winter camping in my truck tonight and was just thinking about taking some MREs...then I looked up some stuff and found your channel! Good stuff man, subbing ya now. Probably watch more of your videos this evening in fact🤙-Josh
MREs? n i c e / 10
More intense cardio burns a higher percentage of glucose (depleting your glycogen stores); this would be the case with a steep fast climb, and in this case, you would need more carbohydrates. Slower steady hikes burn a higher percentage of fats, but your digestive system can only digest fats so fast, so don't eat too much at once. Tailor your diet to your hike and also your own body and your own preferences. I have found that listening to my body, and knowing how to anticipate what I need, makes a huge difference for the success and enjoyment of any hike. If you hike slow for a long time, you can actually utilize more fats so taking the higher calorie per ounce can work. I like having a mix of snacks for exactly the reason Tayson Whittaker says.
Great advice mate
Glad you liked it
For me it's twice a day. But, the times may vary depending on what I'm doing which determine what I need to eat to finish the day. Some times it's just water....
I don't snack and frequently OMAD doing a KETO diet, out on a trail or on a bike tour I eat twice a day with some salty and fatty snacks.
Keto for the endurance win for sure. I've never bonked since keto. Endless energy source built in.
I am also dirty keto and the energy I have on that way of eating is amazing. The full healthy fats really sustain you and make you feel satiated. 👍
Caloric density, a concise phrase you could borrow.
Great information! Thanks for putting this out.
Glad you found some value!
Interesting and useful. Thanks! I eat a lot like you. Intermittent fasting, small snacks/ meals on non fast days. More carbs when I'm using my body hard (on my farm or on a mountain.) Fewer carbs on lazy days. I pack a similar variety. I really appreciate that in all your videos you emphasize "it depends"! There are different answers for different situations. Nut butter is great for keeping warm at night! It digests sloooowly. Those quick sugars are essential for working hard while moving.
I haven't tried Peak Refuel meals. I'm fond of Good-To-Go brand meals, though they're often a bit TOO big if I'm out solo. They're a good size to share. Have you tried that brand? I'd love to see a review of several different brands evaluated for nutrition, taste, easy-ness, price, weight, etc.
We haven't tried Good-To-Go meals, we'll have to give them a shot!
Justin's butters smeared all over a Tahoe Trail Bar is 500 calories of awesome! To your note about fasting, I've found that in the summer months when I'm in full peak bagging mode, I just forget to eat all together and it just comes part of the routine. but yah as you called out "know yourself and what your physical limits are". If you have never trained to hike 10 miles w/o water (ie..ramped up) then dont! Fats like PB and such do take longer to digest, whereas the fruits you highlighted burn quicker and the sugars are more readily available (oh you did finally hit that).
Great feedback! Thanks for watching!
Another tip I have is forgo the energy drink powders and use a keto powder like Keto+.
Thanks for the tip, we'll have to look into that!
@@TaysonWhittaker It's primarily useful for staying in a ketogenic state, which is easily achieved during backpacking stints. It's the continual switching back and forth from ketosis to non, that brings headaches and lethargy.
Some folks have dietary restrictions and really need to consult a doctor before going on these long hikes, too, let’s not forget. Good advice. ESP the PEAK meals. Good video.
This is real valuable advice. Thank you!
Thanks for watching! Glad you found some value!
Grams are so much easier to use and understand. Especially when limiting carbs, if something is 35 grams carb/ 100 gram, it's 35% .
Thanks for the tips!
I did week trip into the BWCA last year and did a direct comparison between M H and Peak Refuel, no contest! P R is much better. I was a lifelong M H user. If you haven’t tried them, do it. Life changing.
Yeah it doesn't really make sense to skip out on carbs, in particularly when hiking, considering how it's the macronutrient that your body utilities first for energy. If you're solely relying on fats, you'll start utilizing protein, and you're really going to feel like shit, and just not recover properly. Having a food that's high in sodium, or powder that contains sodium and vitamins is also helpful. Just so you're staying hydrated. Sorry if this sounded preachy, just figured I'd mention it since that was the first half of the video. Great video overall!
Thanks for sharing!
Can never go wrong with a couple PB and J sandwiches
They are definitely a great option.
The only thing I would add is in winter or winter shoulder seasons, I would recommend eating your big meal for dinner. The reason being, your body having those calories to burn throughout the night will help with regulating your body temp. This can impact your quality of sleep, obviously, which will in turn help you the next day. Especially do this on longer trips where accumulating bad sleep night after night can really hurt your performance, which will ultimately lead to increased risk of injury and/or mistakes made on your hike.
Plus, it just sucks sleeping cold. So fatten up for dinner before bed in the winter. Enjoy the cold early morning BM to start your day 😄
Great comment! Yes that's great advise to adapt like that in the winter
One biggest thing ive noticed especially on the prepping side is people dont weigh their good bags nesrly as often. Lots of preppers will pack things like mres and have 15lbs of food for a 3 day trip. Bit high when the pack weighs 50lbs dry
yeah backpackers and preppers have a huge difference in pack weight for some reason. My base weight is about 16lb (plus 5-8lb of food for 3-4 days) and I feel like most preppers packs are 30-40lb dry... maybe most of them don't actually go on trips and test them out?
@@bosengineer you would be correct in saying that most preppers dont go out and test. My first "bug out bag" was well over 55lbs then i went and actually walked with it. Current is 16lbs dry as well. Its all the same stuff for both parties. One just actually test and uses the gear the other leaves it in a closet in hope to never need it.
I've had an ongoing struggle with all the backpacker's dehydrated meals having a huge amount of sodium and I can't have it, and even a few year's back when I did alot of whitewater and camping and freestyle kayaking I still didn't sweat enough to justify eating that much salt and knew then I couldn't keep up doing the same thing, wish someone could share a company that has low sodium meals
Agreed....Don’t know if this is related but I ate 2 mountain house meals in 2 days. Headaches all next day and couldn’t crap for 2 days more...WTF!
I agree with you - mix it up - and don't forget nuts can cause constipation, so make sure you eat some dried fruits like prunes and figs to off-set that.
Very useful thanks!
I just love the taste of the Peak Refuel meals. They are outstanding.
Yes they are!
You can also try Happy Yak, really good and for those who are vegan they have some nice meal.
I have tried to educate my self about nutrition science, and the food choices that allow my body to function in the most efficient manner, whether I am exercising, or sleeping.
I also make food choices based upon how they will affect my overall general health and well being, which I feel is important as we age, in order to prevent disease, and sickness, and to just create a strong, efficient, and fully functioning body, that is pain and disease free, all the while experiencing a feeling of confidence, peace and contentment.
That being said, I have a few comments as it relates to backpacking food, the video content, and your choices.
First, as humans our bodies need to consume foods that provide the macro nutrients consisting of Fats, Carbohydrates, and Proteins.
Nutrition Science has clearly shown us that the breakdown, or percentage amounts of the macros that we consume are extremely important.
In the past many people like long distance runners loaded up on carbohydrates, as it was thought that this was the best way to fuel the body, and people were told to avoid all fats, and purchase fat free food.
We have since come to learn that the foregoing was bad advice, as our bodies actually function better when running on Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, and Saturated Fats, combined with Complex Carbohydrates, and when in a state of Ketosis; which is when our body has converted the consumed fats into Ketones that are used for energy. Note: Trans Fats should be avoided.
Diets high in simple carbohydrates, or sugars, and high glycemic index foods, cause our pancreas to release or secrete excessive amounts of insulin, leading to insulin spikes, stored fats, and weight gain in many cases.
In that state, our bodies are running on, or are fueled by sugars, or glycogen, which is a much less powerful, and long lasting fuel, and less energy efficient than ketones.
Bodies that are fueled by Glycogen quickly run out of fuel, as simple carbohydrates are burned up quickly leading to an energy crash, and a feeling of weakness, or exhaustion.
An ideal diet would be high in amounts of healthy fats, low to none in simple carbohydrates, low to moderate in fibrous complex carbohydrates like those found in leafy greens, berries, and cruciferous vegetables, along with a moderate amount protein.
So ideally high in fats, low to moderate in complex carbohydrates, and moderate to high amounts of protein. The best macro nutrient requirement percentages, or sources can vary somewhat with each individual.
Once your body stops running on Glycogen, and instead enters a healthy state of Ketosis, you will feel less hungry, you will lose excess weight, and you will have more energy from being fueled by Ketones.
However, you won't be able to turn a switch to achieve Ketosis, especially if you are popping sugary, and starchy simple carbohydrates, and eating too frequently. It takes time, and you must eat the right amounts or percentages of the macro nutrients over time to achieve Ketosis.
If you look at most of the prepackaged, freeze dried backpacking food, you will find very high carbohydrates, very high protein, and most times low to moderate to high fat content.
I have tried Peak Refuel, and Mountain House, and though they can be tasty, they will bog you down, and fill you up with carbohydrates, and you will eventually crash, as your energy source of Glycogen becomes depleted, or used up, a short time after consuming them.
A better choice would be to eat foods like Avocado, Eggs, Bacon, Peanut or Almond Butter, Salmon, Tuna, Sardines, Salami, Turkey, Duck, Chicken, Beef, along with some vegetables like Kale, Spinach, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, fruits like Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, and nuts like Pecans, Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts, Macadamias, Brazils, and Cashews.
Some times it can obviously be inconvenient to carry all, or some of those foods when backpacking, but a company like Next Mile Meals does provide freeze dried backpacking food that meets the desired macro breakdown, instead of the very high carbohydrate filled meals made by Mountain House, and Peak Refuel. www.nextmilemeals.com/
Their meals are not all perfectly KETO friendly, however, they are high in fats, an low in carbohydrates, and are the closest that I have found for backpacking.
Check out the nutritional content of their Next Mile Steak Omelette, and compare it to the breakfast meals from Peak Refuel, and Mountain House. www.nextmilemeals.com/products/steak-omelette
High in fats, low in carbohydrates, and moderate to high amounts of protein.
One important note...constant snacking or eating will also slow down Ketosis, and deprive you of energy.
Intermittent Fasting is important.
I try to eat two meals a day, sometimes with a little fat and protein snack here and there.
I try not eat anything for about 12 hours, say from midnight until noon.
Of course, while backpacking, or in a period of extreme exertion, or colder temperature exposure, you may have to adjust your eating schedule, and consume more during your two meals, or perhaps just add in another small meal depending upon how you feel.
Bottom Line...the macro nutrients percentages found in the food that you consume are important!
As an OV Tribe Live Ultralight Member, I'd like to see Next Mile Meals made available on the website.
Anyway, just Food for Thought!
P.S. One more thing, I listen to your podcasts, however, the podcasts and the medium that you use are not that user friendly, and somewhat archaic.
I constantly have trouble with the user interface while listening on my phone while out walking. Frustrating to say the least.
Why not just change the podcast format from all audio, to a video format, and just post on RUclips, like you do with many videos now?
What is the attraction, and fascination with the podcast format?
IMHO...A video is much more user friendly, and interesting.
Thanks!
Thanks for the great feedback! You've done your homework!
As for podcasts, we are looking at uploading them in video format in the future, and hopefully will have that as an option soon.
@@TaysonWhittaker Thanks!
Watch this three minute video by Dr. Eric Berg for a great explanation on the fuel our body needs to operate efficiently and properly.
ruclips.net/video/V7Ga0Cx0U1Q/видео.html
I am a vegan thru hiker. I love your suggestions and I live on nuts and seeds all day before my hot meal in the evening. That's when I carb up. No quick sugars. I never really hit a wall. Maybe completely skip quick sugars. Your body doesn't need it and maybe has become dependent on that. Your body will not run out of energy from nuts and seeds. Keep the carbs out of your day and your energy will be sustained. Save all your carbs for dinner.
That's exactly what I'm talking about in the video. Your body is trained to run off of energy from nuts and seeds. If someone consumes quick sugars in their day-to-day routine, then they will benefit from having quick sugars on the trail until they train their body otherwise.
I like Pecans for snacks @ 3200 calories a pound; (I usually bring 1 pound and eat it over 5-6 days). Meals are Carb based like Rice & Beans, Ramen + Chicken; Breakfast 1st choice is Raisin Bran + NIDO; and lunches are Tortilla based sandwiches like Meat & Cheese or Peanut Butter + Jelly, (or + raisins, or + M&M's)
Thanks for sharing!!
Absolute great advice!!!!!
Fats are 9 calories per gram where carbs are only 4 calories per gram. The kicker is when hiking your muscles use glucose (sugar from your blood) and this causes blood sugar to drop which can explain feeling terrible.
The best thing to fix this low blood sugar problem is simple carbohydrates like sugary snacks, bread, rice, fruit or pasta.
Thank you for sharing!
I’ve tried them all over the years but Peak Refuel meals are the only freeze dried meals I eat now! “They’rrrrrre great”! -TTT
Good video Tayson. I appreciate the disclaimer but sharing personal experience is good information to tweak one's own trail diet. I have found that even though I may be burning more calories when on trail I have less appetite. I always carry to much food and I also have the same result with trying to eat a quantity of trail mix. My question is how does the 2 serving size of the Peak Refuel meals compare to the Mountain House Propak? The propak is perfect for my needs. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching! The 2 serving size of Peak Refuel gives you more food the the Mountain House Propak, especially since the quality of the food is better and has less fillers. An average Mountain House Propak has about 600 calories, while the average Peak Refuel has closer to 1200 calories, plus Peak has about 10 more grams of protein on average.
I get that lack of appetite as well. I've heard that from a lot of backpackers. No idea why it happens. I do know that I need to ignore my lack of hunger and force myself to eat correctly.
Awesomeness and TRUTH! THANKS!
Thanks for watching!
Practical perspective. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
good balanced advice.
I am curious as to why you don't make a gorp bag that has a mixture of all of these items in it. That is what I do when hitting the trail. It carries me through the day. I get the balance of the quick energy sugars from dried fruit, the medium energy from grains and the longer energy of the fats/proteins. One thing for sure I do not bring is any candy type snacks. The body requires too much water to break them down.
I'd like to know your thoughts on adding 1oz of lard to dinner meal for a caloric boost? 1oz=250cal was thinking of trying when I go goat hunting in mountains.
have you ever thought about getting a food dehydrator and preparing your own food for the benefit of it being healthier and more nutritious?
What about just dehydrating and vacuum sealing your own meals? Full control and much cheaper than buying premade and pre-packaged meals
Runners have long known the importance of fast digesting carbs. Fats are nice but you definitely want ~100 calories per hour of hiking from sugar/carbs such as the GU gels, Clif Bloks, or even gummy candy.
Honestly just looking for all the freeze dry options. I only know of 2, MH and Peak. What else is there?
www.cleverhiker.com/best-freeze-dried-meals
Great video. One thing Ill add is take stuff you like and youll eat. No need to take it as its good for you if you gotta choke it down
It's your liver that stores the glycogen which is the quickly accessible stuff to covert to blood sugar(and to a smaller extent, your muscles have some glycogen). And steady supply of blood sugar is what you need for prolonged work. When you use up the readily accessible carb's in your your muscle glycogen, and in your liver glycogen , you "hit the wall." Those two sorts of glycogens are the ones needed for sustained, athletic labor. Changing glycogens to glucose also uses up water which is another reason you hit the wall. Get dehydrated, and your liver can't produce blood glucose quickly enough to meet high needs. For exhausting work, stay hydrated, and keep diet full of complex carbs(less sucrose and fructose), so your liver glycogen is both topped off, and ready to produce blood glucose at a relatively quick rate. If you're not exerting, those carbs turn to fat, or might be passed out the back way. So high carb diet ain't great for times of low exertion. Be sedentary and eat carbs in large meals, and you get fat, and your liver gets fatty. And a fatty liver doesn't work as well at making blood glucose. That's why carbs for breakfast on a big day is a good thing. And carb snacks during a hard day are good. And stay hydrated. And it's also why a big, high-carb breakfast with high carb snacks on a lazy day is a bad thing.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing ur story disclaimer, as I'm walking ur path with keto-fasting and planning a big hike in the summer, to spread some of my Mom's ashes on a hike we did many times together. I'm still recovering from her loss, from brain surgery (good news, just spoke with my Neuro, he said, Freddy Jr, my inoperable brain tumor remnant, is still inactive so they're bumping my 6mo MRi's to 9mo😝) from torn meniscus, from CoViD, job loss & other stuff, a lil overweight, blood sugar not where it needs to be, but I'm motivated & this time I'm gonna get it done 👍
So thanks for the heads-up 😎
Thanks Tayson. Appreciate your hard earned info.
Thanks Brain!
This was a great video! Thanks
Glad you liked it!
Thank you. This was extremely helpful. I have been wondering about these very things. I am GF and am struggling with the food part.. planning on the 2022 PCT thru hike... overly excited. Going to train on the california 6 peaks challenge to help get a better idea of my gear and food...
We're pumped for you to be able to take on the PCT! Glad we could help!
very helpful thanks
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the great content. I'm in process of revamping my BP gear to lose about 3-4 lbs off my base (big 3). Just found your channel and subbed both yours and Dan's. Its snowing in Tahoe so I'm binge watching you and Dan today. I struggle with the lunch thing as well b/c I'm often an intermittent faster too. I currently use peanuts, raisins, apple chips and a couple of pepperoni sticks. I may add in an Atkins Keto Bar as a fall back. Thanks again.......I'm watching!
I was wondering, with the freeze-dried meals, could you safely transfer them to a ziplock bag, so they pack down easier? Or can the original package be safely fully flattened anyway? I find due to the firm bottom, specifically of Mountain House packages (that’s what I currently have) they bilge out too far to be able to pack 9 meals (for my 3 day pack).
Truth. Everyone's body metabolise energy different. I don't digest fats. They sit in my tummy for hours before I have to vomit them undigested up.
Thanks for sharing! You are right this will not work for everyone! Everyone has their preferences.
Every body is different. Pure sugar will set someone with blood sugar issues on a rollercoaster. Some of us do wonderfully on nuts and trail mix.
Cal per ounce is nice for when you need the energy. Meals need to be something that "melts" in your body, it's a slow burn of cal.
Thanks for your input!
@@TaysonWhittaker thank you for your videos.
great video, a very realistic approach.
Thanks for watching, glad you found some value!
Kept this balancing act in mind on a really tough (for me) trip through the Trap Hills section of NCT and it really helped a lot thanks for the tips!
Great to hear!
Great advice
Great advice thank you!!!
Our pleasure!
That's some good info thanks
Any time!
What about some MCT oil? 130 cal/tbsp or 260 cal/oz. Requires almost no digestion. This is instant fat energy. Costs a little over $1/oz.
great observation!