@@GearSkeptic Great stuff. One consideration you missed ... how much of the total food you can get out of the package and into your system. This is especially an issue with nut butters in jars and squeeze packets with the rigid screw-caps.
@@GearSkeptic Your videos are very well thought out, and you take the time to discuss and explain. Don't worry about the video lengths; you cannot rush quality.
Yes! Heck of a video! I can’t even begin to imagine how much time and effort went into making it. If he ever decides to publish it, in book form, let me know; I want to be first in line to buy it!
I'm simply...blown away! The hours and months of work that went into this presentation boggles my mind. This is my Go-To list for all my hikes. Thank you so very much!
There's a video game called "The Long Dark" in which you play a downed pilot trying to survive in the northern Canadian wilderness, but really it's just Hiking Simulator. It's very detailed with random variables like weather, temperature, wildlife spawns, resources, and gear condition affecting your chance of survival. What's funny is you're optimizing caloric densities of food to figure out what goes best in your pack the exact same as I do when I play. Art imitates life. Thank you for cataloging this, it's a phenomenal tool!
I've been out of the video game scene for a long time. But when computers first came to the classroom decades ago, the only good software was life simulation games like Oregon Trail. Where can I get the game you're speaking of, thanks.
@@rschmot It's on Steam, PS4, Xbox live, etc. I play on PC, it's the original platform the game was developed for and I prefer it over the xbox version I played. Be aware, it's an incredibly challenging game and each "run" can save progress, but if you get injured the game autosaves, if you die your run is over forever. Just like life, there is no chance of going back and fixing a mistake. Better luck in the next life. Let me know how you like it!
This has to be one of the most underrated RUclips videos I've ever watched... Thank you so much for taking the time to do this research and break this down in such a convenient format.
Jesus Christ the amount of work you must've spent on this, and then made everything available for free alongside an easy to digest presentation. Completely changed the way I pack my food bag. And ontop of that you already provide the metric conversions. Thanks so much!
Pardon my French. This is absolutely the best goddamn thing that I have ever seen. I mean seriously, the amount of effort and the amount of care and raw intelligence that goes into this is something that is severely lacking in today's social sphere and there is a lot of money that needs to be thrown at people like you so you can further produce this kind of content. If you don't have a patreon you need to make one pronto. I'm not going to get into it right now but you are potentially saving people's lives with this kind of information by getting rid of ignorance and by showing people what kind of good reasonable options that they have. Because you want to know another great thing about ultra light food? It's cheap. And they're found in a lot of stores in major metropolitan areas. A lot of people are going to really appreciate the numbers on this chart. Now all they have to do is surf through price tags themselves. Never stop doing this.
As someone who has a spreadsheet, with every gasoline fill up I have put in a car since 2005, the spreadsheet is one of the most exciting things I’ve seen in the last few years. Thank you very much, fantastic work, and a very interesting video
I’ve been watching hiking RUclips videos for years and never found your channel. This video was the most well-researched and informative food analysis that I’ve ever seen. I even laughed out loud several times. It’s the most underrated thru hiker video out there!
My theory why these videos are not all over the recommandations: When you make a video like this, where you put in EVERYTHING about a topic (extremely well thought out), you will for a loooong looong time have no reason to make another video Like this the youtube algorithm thinks you are not active enough I apreciate this video more than every other video i watched about backpacking! Thanks a lot Especially that you share your file! Just awesome
Is there a way i can help your channel grow? I really want that these informations spread more! For example recommending you in the comment section of other youtube videos? Unfortunately my reach over social media is not big at all....
Just my luck, Coconut and I don't get along well. My throat would hate me if I ate it. I have to say however that I've watched tons of videos on hiking food and this is by far the most comprehensive and best presented video on the topic. Seriously, thank you for your efforts.
Dude, I have watched three of your videos today. Came here from a Reddit post and you, my man have got backpacking food science down. Keep up the great work and I am looking forward to new videos. Cheers.
I seriously think this series should be mandatory watching for anyone hiking longer than a weekend, great info, well organized. I'm going through for my 2nd time now, taking notes this time
*The Greatest, most thorough hiking (bug out bag) food review I've ever seen!* *I can only imagine the hours & dollars spent creating this valuable content. Thanks!*
This was possibly the most helpful video I have ever watched. Seriously. I had started building my own spreadsheet and looking into lightening my food since I have a trip with a 10 day carry this summer. The amount of work that went into building the spreadsheet and the video must have been enormous. So thank you!
Thank you for your diligent research! I’m shocked that this video isn’t more popular. I’m prepping for a hike of the JMT, and this definitely made me rethink my food strategy. Very well made video!
Absolutely FANTASTIC! Love the actual data and the spreadsheet. You've saved me hours cracking math and research. Now I can sort/filter/shop and save myself from carrying extra pounds. Truly appreciate all the work you put into this (and your other videos) - best thing I've found on the internet in several years!
Wow. I was watching bug out videos and came across this. I am blown away by the amount of research that went into this and the value of content. Thank you!!! I'll be shopping from this list 🙌.
By my maths (could be wrong) - within the meat category, Billtong comes in nicely as ultralight. Barbell foods here in Australia has 70-gram packs that have 389.5793 calories or 1630kJ which gives a rating of 5.565 / ultralight. I think the main difference with biltong (a south African preservation method) is that, at least with this brand, they definitely leave the fat on and it's much chewier / not as hard as jerky. Thanks for all your hard work on this!
So useful! Made some changes on my last 150 mile trip. Adding a small pouch of Ghee to every Mountain House meal made them so much more tasty and satisfying. Thanks! I never would have thought of it.
One of my favourite bars: Nature Valley Protein bars in salted caramel and almonds flavour. I'd categorise them as savoury, they have almost 142 kcal/oz or 5 kcal/gram (200kcal per 40 gram bar) and they contain 10(.3) grams of protein. They're also pretty affordable to boot.
This is pretty friggin' sweet. I'm a Data Analyst and eat this kind of stuff up (Pun Intended). I'm prepping for the AT next year and would love to use the massive chart you provided to help in that venture - do you happen to have a version as an Excel Workbook or .CSV file? That would make it much easier to hop around to areas of concern. Cheers!
Oops! My apologies. It was in a pinned comment on another video. Same chart but expanded with additional columns that are explained in subsequent videos (see the ones on Performance Nutrition for Backpackers). Here is the link: www.mediafire.com/file/lqsrekfp3it3qwu/Hiker_Food_Chart.xlsx/file
Great to move from opinion about food to facts about food. This video will forever change how I think about food on the trail going forward. Many thanks.
I’m kinda impressed that this type of spreadsheet style video still made me laugh. You’re good. Thank you for all you’re work on this one, can’t imagine how long this took to edit. Thumbs up sir & thanks for sharing your findings.
That excel/PDF file is a labour of love for all us hiking folk. Such information as to seriously improve the contents of my rucksack and gut! Thank you!
Between the incredibly detailed and useful information...and the unexpected moments for laughter, I am very thankful. Thank you so much for sharing so much time and research!
I kinda think if you made a pemmican - that skewed the base ratio in favor of tallow over jerky (maybe 60/40 or higher) and either eliminated, or reduced, the amount of dried fruits, but go generous with fatty nuts or seeds - you might end up with something that beats out everything on that list as far as calories per gram.
People used pemmican for hundreds of years because it was the ultimate trekking food. There haven't been many improvements made to it. I believe the British used pemmican as rations in the Boer War and added cacao because it is a high stearic acid fat, energy dense and contains a stimulant called theobromine.
You rock brotha. Loved the dry humor and above all the surgical way in which you’ve researched and broken down all this info into a tasty vid. About to hike Rae Lakes Loop in a few weeks. This was eye opening and mind bending.
This video should be stickied to the top of RUclips. Very well made, you put in a ton of thought and work for the benefit of all of us. Well spoken and well made, like a more family friendly AvE. Excellent job sir, I hope you and your channel find the success you’ve already earned.
I never write comments on videos, until now. This is the most in depth video I have ever seen about ultralight food. I was absolutely mesmerized by it. I will follow your guidance as well. When I go looking for info about something, I look for this much detail. Rarely, it is delivered. You came through. Thank you! I have liked and subscribed.
Just discovered this video and very surprised it doesn’t have more views. By far the best hiking, backpacking, bike packing, outdoor food video I’ve ever seen, great job!!! Thank you for putting all of this information together and for sharing. I can’t wait to see more of your videos.
Excellent research and presentation, and I enjoyed the touches of humor too! I'm going to visit your page and see what else you've got in your library. Thanks!
Thank you so much. I am a Food Technology teacher and hiker from New Zealand. Ive just watched all your videos and I have learnt an incredible amount. I am hoping to do the PCT in the next few years. America has so many more food choices than we do in NZ. We are very limited here. It is great to start learning what brands I should be buying when I get to America. I will share my new knowledge with my hiking friends.
I feel fortunate to have finally come across these videos. This one really helps make sense of almost all aspects of food I have scattered in my mind when selecting food while bike touring. The only aspect I hadn't noticed yet was that of cost. Looking forward to going into the more of the materials and follow up video(s) you've been so kind to offer the communities.
Absolutely wild how informative this is and the fact you made the spread sheet available. this is the most kickass thing on youtube. Bless your work man.
You are an amazing human for not only doing all this research, but also to share your work with downloadable charts!!! Thank you so much! This is so so helpful!
Planning my first thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail next summer, and this video is incredible!!! I downloaded the pdf of the spreadsheet, and it will be my go-to reference for life. Thanks so much for your contribution to the backpacking community :)
I’m amazed by the amount of time and effort that went into this research and video and I’m am so thankful!! My husband and I are getting ready to long-distance backpack with our 10 and 12 year olds. Our teen can carry his own but we’ll have to carry some of the gear/food for the younger kiddos. This will help tremendously!! Thank you so so much!!
This is the best backpacking info video I've ever seen. THANK YOU! And thank you for making your research downloadable like this. I've now watched five of your videos and counting!!
Thank you so much for this video. As I am preparing to take my whole family (2 adults and 3 kids) on a 500 mile section of the PCT (Oregon section) in July this has been eye opening. As a person who considers himself to be UL and has a ton of miles/trips/years on trail this has been a God send. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
What was the main components of your meals mainly? I'm getting a gear kit ready for the car in case of any back country situation we may need to hike out of. I have alot of info saved but would love some insider suggestions from personal experience. I have 4 children and a wife.
Gear Skeptic! We studied your videos in preparation for a (hopefully) 3-week burro packing thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail. I'm packing up right now. We are obviously not carrying our own stuff so we don't need as many calories as someone carrying a backpack. I just weighed our food for 6 days inside the largest Ursack available and it came out under 16 pounds total for 2 people including the Ursack. Unbelievable. I used the chart to decide what to order online for the trip. We'll see how we feel on the trail and if it was enough calories per day or too many or just right. Thank you SO much!!
This was the most information dense (bytes/sec) video I've seen on this subject. I love the data driven approach with the data organized in a spreadsheet. Thanks for providing a downloadable version. That was super awesome. I also loved your presentation with just the right amount of wry humor to make this much information enjoyable. No doubt many people's biases and assumptions were corrected by the data that was counter intuitive based on "common knowledge".
First timer viewing your channel. This was excellent. Very educational and entertaining. Taking a subject that could be long, drawn out and boring, and to do the exact opposite is true talent. Great job!!! I'm subscribing.
Fantastic, the single most valuable source of information applicable to the most critical topics of backpacking to this sport that I have ever seen on the net.…. Click-off the “sponsored gear monkeys” for a minute and pay attention. Weight reduction, energy and health for thru-hikers, realizing objectives, the list goes on. Thank you very very much !!! the amount of selfless effort and countless hours of research that you performed and then providing it for free and for the best interest of participants. You don't find people like that these days. Very Cool
Just finished a 15 mile day and watching this video has me so energized. Never seen your videos. Just subscribed. I carry a heavy but so comfortable Mystery Ranch pack so I try to maximize the weight of my contents as backcountry hunting and caloric intake is so important.
Excellent presentation delivered with class and humor. Love the look-down perspective and choreographed hand gestures! I very MUCH appreciated the quality that made this valuable information both relevant and fascinating. You've got a gift there, James! I've subscribed to your channel and look forward to viewing more of your content. I've also liberally shared the link to this video so others can benefit as I have. Thanks too for making the spreadsheet available. It will serve me well as I plan my trail meals/snacks.
This is an awesome vid! Seriously! So much time I spent doing what you did, but you could and I couldn't. The trees trough the forest Thank you so bloody much! Especially for being so kind to share a excel/pdf!
I'm absolutely blown away by the content and research that went into this video. It satisfies me on a deep level. One thing I would mention with the Knorr and Idahoan side dishes, is that is where you would use those "additives" like coconut oil, butter powder, cream powder, and bacon bits. You can't really use those things on their own, you need a base, such as these. I'd like to see a "doctored up" version analyzed.
This is genius. Thank you so much for such a valuable resource. Between this account and Matt Shafter's channel, hikers have the thinking hikers resources to tackle any long distance trail. I'll be attempting a PCT thru-hike in late May and the solid gold on this channel will get my ruck as light as possible and keep these old bones moving north.
This is the most amazing and eye opening backpacking food video I have ever watched. I started watching past midnight not thinking I would finish and now its 1:30 and I just wanna watch more. This video needs more views!
Wow just wow. I never put that much thought in the food I brought with me when hiking as I've never really done a hike more than 3-4 days. Thanks for the detailed breakdown of all the different options, I can imagine a lot of effort and time went into making it !
I'm really enjoying the videos, both content and humor. As both a dog musher and long distance hiker (not at the same time) I've learned a lot about glycogen replacement strategies and menu options to optimize caloric density. It occurred to me several years ago that high fat diets were much more efficient to carry and I wandered in that direction even before your finding your videos. I even did a few spreadsheets to plan food for trips. Your spreadsheets and planners are just what I need as looking at nutrition content web sites and labels is so time consuming. Thank you so much! A couple of thoughts I had that I would like to share: 1) Regarding hiking after having a glycogen replacement drink> If the exercise intensity is kept low, digestion and absorption should be unimpaired and fats will be burned and not glycogen. Excercising at a high intensity after the drink could both impede adsorption and use up glycogen that one is trying to replace; 2) Besides macronutrients and electrolytes, there are so many vitamins and minerals that are important that we may not be getting eating caloric-dense processed foods. A strategy for getting those over the course of a thru hike should be explored at some point. Thanks again!
0:00 - Introduction
2:23 - Defining "ultralight" food
7:52 - Gear shakedown (virtual gear shakedown for food bag)
10:18 - Nutrition
11:01 - The chart
The rest of the video is examining the details of the chart:
12:35 - Food bars
19:21 - Emergency bars
20:47 - Savory bars
21:55 - Bread
22:21 - Bumps (products to add to dishes to enhance caloric density)
23:42 - Cans
24:27 - Candy
26:35 - Cereal
27:46 - Cheese
28:53 - Cookies
29:52 - Chips and crackers
30:56 - Drink mixes
32:47 - Fruit
34:35 - Gels
35:33 - Jerky
36:16 - Meat
38:16 - Nut butter
41:00 - Nuts and seeds
42:01 - Pastries
43:27 - Side dishes
46:08 - Soup packets
46:25 - Trail mix
48:42 - Package weight
50:46 - The missing class (freeze dried meals)
Thanks for this! I should have done it.
@@GearSkeptic My pleasure. Thanks for putting your informative videos together :)
bump
Thanks. Thought I pinned it, didn't seem to take. Tried pinning again.
@@GearSkeptic Great stuff. One consideration you missed ... how much of the total food you can get out of the package and into your system. This is especially an issue with nut butters in jars and squeeze packets with the rigid screw-caps.
If you measure units of info per RUclips minute, this video is hyperlite. Simply outstanding.
Thanks much!
The fact that you share your excel sheet and pdf with viewers is a real gift and I really really appreciate it. Thanks!
Most welcome!
It's the most excellent old-school sense of the word "amateur." Doing it for the love of the thing and sharing it with society. 😊
51 minutes of hands and spreadsheets! Yet I am left wanting more. Excellent job!!!
Thanks! 👍🏼🤚🏼😜
This is easily the most useful information I've ever seen presented in a backpacking video. Excellent presentation as well. Thanks so much!
Thanks very much! I was worried it was too long, too slow. I'm working on trying to talk a little faster and more smoothly.
@@GearSkeptic Your videos are very well thought out, and you take the time to discuss and explain. Don't worry about the video lengths; you cannot rush quality.
concur!
@@GearSkeptic It's OK, we can play you back at 1.5 speed!
Yes! Heck of a video! I can’t even begin to imagine how much time and effort went into making it. If he ever decides to publish it, in book form, let me know; I want to be first in line to buy it!
I'm not an outdoors guy. I have no idea how I got here, but I am completely fascinated by this information. Great Job!
Thank you! I appreciate that.
I'm simply...blown away! The hours and months of work that went into this presentation boggles my mind. This is my Go-To list for all my hikes. Thank you so very much!
Thanks much! I’m very glad to help.
There's a video game called "The Long Dark" in which you play a downed pilot trying to survive in the northern Canadian wilderness, but really it's just Hiking Simulator. It's very detailed with random variables like weather, temperature, wildlife spawns, resources, and gear condition affecting your chance of survival. What's funny is you're optimizing caloric densities of food to figure out what goes best in your pack the exact same as I do when I play. Art imitates life. Thank you for cataloging this, it's a phenomenal tool!
Wait till you see the video on Volumetric Calorie Density 😁
I've been out of the video game scene for a long time. But when computers first came to the classroom decades ago, the only good software was life simulation games like Oregon Trail. Where can I get the game you're speaking of, thanks.
@@rschmot It's on Steam, PS4, Xbox live, etc. I play on PC, it's the original platform the game was developed for and I prefer it over the xbox version I played. Be aware, it's an incredibly challenging game and each "run" can save progress, but if you get injured the game autosaves, if you die your run is over forever. Just like life, there is no chance of going back and fixing a mistake. Better luck in the next life.
Let me know how you like it!
Is there a version to start out with or the best version. I'll be using PC.
This has to be one of the most underrated RUclips videos I've ever watched...
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this research and break this down in such a convenient format.
Thanks very much! I really appreciate it.
This has completely changed how I think about food when out on multi day hikes! Thanks for putting in all the hard work, truly appreciate it.
My pleasure, and thank you!
Jesus Christ the amount of work you must've spent on this, and then made everything available for free alongside an easy to digest presentation. Completely changed the way I pack my food bag. And ontop of that you already provide the metric conversions. Thanks so much!
Thanks much! I am glad if any of it can help :)
Pardon my French.
This is absolutely the best goddamn thing that I have ever seen.
I mean seriously, the amount of effort and the amount of care and raw intelligence that goes into this is something that is severely lacking in today's social sphere and there is a lot of money that needs to be thrown at people like you so you can further produce this kind of content.
If you don't have a patreon you need to make one pronto.
I'm not going to get into it right now but you are potentially saving people's lives with this kind of information by getting rid of ignorance and by showing people what kind of good reasonable options that they have.
Because you want to know another great thing about ultra light food?
It's cheap. And they're found in a lot of stores in major metropolitan areas.
A lot of people are going to really appreciate the numbers on this chart.
Now all they have to do is surf through price tags themselves.
Never stop doing this.
That is very, very kind and generous of you! Much appreciated, and I take it to heart.
As someone who has a spreadsheet, with every gasoline fill up I have put in a car since 2005, the spreadsheet is one of the most exciting things I’ve seen in the last few years. Thank you very much, fantastic work, and a very interesting video
Always good to meet a fellow spreadsheeter!
I’ve been watching hiking RUclips videos for years and never found your channel. This video was the most well-researched and informative food analysis that I’ve ever seen. I even laughed out loud several times. It’s the most underrated thru hiker video out there!
Thanks very much! It is much appreciated.
As a This Old Tony fan who's getting into backpacking, this is exactly what I needed to see. Thanks for all the work-and money-you put into this!
@This Old Tony would be proud of your on-screen hands, GearSkeptic!
I'm also a big fan of the 'hand model' presentation style.
Ya gotta have the hands to pull it off.
My theory why these videos are not all over the recommandations:
When you make a video like this, where you put in EVERYTHING about a topic (extremely well thought out), you will for a loooong looong time have no reason to make another video
Like this the youtube algorithm thinks you are not active enough
I apreciate this video more than every other video i watched about backpacking! Thanks a lot
Especially that you share your file!
Just awesome
Thank you so much!
Is there a way i can help your channel grow? I really want that these informations spread more! For example recommending you in the comment section of other youtube videos?
Unfortunately my reach over social media is not big at all....
I appreciate the thought, but what would happen if there got to be too many comments to answer them all? 😇
If your videos were backpacking food, they would be bottles of olive oil.
LOL! Dense, but you can't take too much all at once :)
That was sweet..... because he'd be under appreciated by uneducated people
So smooth ;)
@@GearSkepticcoconut oil is much better because it contains almost no pufa
This comment is olive oil
Just my luck, Coconut and I don't get along well. My throat would hate me if I ate it. I have to say however that I've watched tons of videos on hiking food and this is by far the most comprehensive and best presented video on the topic. Seriously, thank you for your efforts.
Thanks very much, and you are most welcome! Consider seeds and seed butters. Tasty, and high in density.
Dude! how does this video not have 10 million views? You are a freaking rock star. Thanks you so very much
Thank you! Very kind kind of you to say 😊
Dude, I have watched three of your videos today. Came here from a Reddit post and you, my man have got backpacking food science down. Keep up the great work and I am looking forward to new videos. Cheers.
I seriously think this series should be mandatory watching for anyone hiking longer than a weekend, great info, well organized. I'm going through for my 2nd time now, taking notes this time
Thanks much! Very kind of you to say.
9 minutes in and I'm baffeled by the density of information in this video. You have done the backpacking world a huge favor by uploading this video.
Thank you! It is kind of you to say.
This video research on the comparison of food calories versus weight carried is a “must see” for all outdoors enthusiasts. Job well done!
Thank you!
This video is so good that I’m both humbled and hungry. Great job.
*The Greatest, most thorough hiking (bug out bag) food review I've ever seen!*
*I can only imagine the hours & dollars spent creating this valuable content. Thanks!*
Thanks very much!
@@GearSkeptic *I subscribed because of this video. I'll be digging through your past work for more gems!* 💎
This is golden, i'm so glad i found your channel. GearSkeptic watchtrhrough marathon starting now!
I love hiking, food, and spreadsheets. This entire video is my aesthetic. Informative and entertaining, thank you for this!
Thanks! I appreciate that.
Never seen so much love in the comments of a RUclips video. So well deserved!!
Thanks very much! I do appreciate every bit! 😄
This was possibly the most helpful video I have ever watched. Seriously.
I had started building my own spreadsheet and looking into lightening my food since I have a trip with a 10 day carry this summer. The amount of work that went into building the spreadsheet and the video must have been enormous. So thank you!
Very glad to hear that! Much appreciated.
Easily one of the most helpful videos on youtube. THANK YOU!
You’re most welcome! I hope it can be useful.
Thank you for your diligent research! I’m shocked that this video isn’t more popular. I’m prepping for a hike of the JMT, and this definitely made me rethink my food strategy. Very well made video!
Thanks very much! I hope it helps.
The fact that you did all of this work and you just give it out for free is so freaking cool. Honestly you’re a hero for this!
I hope it can be helpful!
Absolutely FANTASTIC! Love the actual data and the spreadsheet. You've saved me hours cracking math and research. Now I can sort/filter/shop and save myself from carrying extra pounds. Truly appreciate all the work you put into this (and your other videos) - best thing I've found on the internet in several years!
Wow. I was watching bug out videos and came across this. I am blown away by the amount of research that went into this and the value of content. Thank you!!! I'll be shopping from this list 🙌.
I hope it helps! The chart has been updated quite a bit since the video 🙂
You sir, have broken my heart by educating me about the food I love on trail!
Thanks for the video, truly great and very helpful.
You can always bring any treat you like, just call it your luxury item!
@@GearSkeptic No, I will find a way to freeze dry my Snickers and will wash the result down with olive oil. ;-)
I am absolutely amazed that you put this information up here for free while obviously, a ton of work went into it. It makes me happy.
By my maths (could be wrong) - within the meat category, Billtong comes in nicely as ultralight. Barbell foods here in Australia has 70-gram packs that have 389.5793 calories or 1630kJ which gives a rating of 5.565 / ultralight. I think the main difference with biltong (a south African preservation method) is that, at least with this brand, they definitely leave the fat on and it's much chewier / not as hard as jerky. Thanks for all your hard work on this!
biltong is delicious!
So useful! Made some changes on my last 150 mile trip. Adding a small pouch of Ghee to every Mountain House meal made them so much more tasty and satisfying. Thanks! I never would have thought of it.
Oh, ghee sounds even better than olive oil!
One of my favourite bars: Nature Valley Protein bars in salted caramel and almonds flavour. I'd categorise them as savoury, they have almost 142 kcal/oz or 5 kcal/gram (200kcal per 40 gram bar) and they contain 10(.3) grams of protein. They're also pretty affordable to boot.
I didn’t expect to sit through this whole video but…I laughed, I cried, I even learned something. Great job and thanks for all the hard work.
Thanks! I really do appreciate that!
This is pretty friggin' sweet. I'm a Data Analyst and eat this kind of stuff up (Pun Intended). I'm prepping for the AT next year and would love to use the massive chart you provided to help in that venture - do you happen to have a version as an Excel Workbook or .CSV file? That would make it much easier to hop around to areas of concern. Cheers!
Yes! Just uploaded a link. See the pinned comment at the top (and the technical notes, since you're a fellow data junkie).
@@GearSkeptic Hi I can't find your comment, was it deleted?
Oops! My apologies. It was in a pinned comment on another video. Same chart but expanded with additional columns that are explained in subsequent videos (see the ones on Performance Nutrition for Backpackers). Here is the link:
www.mediafire.com/file/lqsrekfp3it3qwu/Hiker_Food_Chart.xlsx/file
Late to the party, but from a data viz guy, I have to say I nerded out too. Awesome video.
Great to move from opinion about food to facts about food. This video will forever change how I think about food on the trail going forward. Many thanks.
Thank you! I appreciate that, and am glad if it can help!
If you watch this video with x1.5 speed it has a higher information density than just watching it on normal speed
It goes from peanut butter to olive oil!
@@GearSkeptic I feel so Ultralight now! btw, thanks a lot for your videos
I’m kinda impressed that this type of spreadsheet style video still made me laugh. You’re good. Thank you for all you’re work on this one, can’t imagine how long this took to edit. Thumbs up sir & thanks for sharing your findings.
Thanks! I appreciate that. Yah, editing is a whole phase of its own. It can take me as many as 5 days (at 2-3 hours per day).
Invaluable. Thank you so much for this breakdown.
That excel/PDF file is a labour of love for all us hiking folk. Such information as to seriously improve the contents of my rucksack and gut!
Thank you!
Most welcome! I hope it helps.
well that was my quickest subscribe in a while. thanks
This is too much information in one video and can easily be a research paper. Subscribed.
This is fascinating.
Thanks! I thought I was the only one.
Between the incredibly detailed and useful information...and the unexpected moments for laughter, I am very thankful. Thank you so much for sharing so much time and research!
Thanks very much! I do hope some of it can be useful.
I kinda think if you made a pemmican - that skewed the base ratio in favor of tallow over jerky (maybe 60/40 or higher) and either eliminated, or reduced, the amount of dried fruits, but go generous with fatty nuts or seeds - you might end up with something that beats out everything on that list as far as calories per gram.
You're basically eating lard then. Why not drink olive oil?
People used pemmican for hundreds of years because it was the ultimate trekking food. There haven't been many improvements made to it. I believe the British used pemmican as rations in the Boer War and added cacao because it is a high stearic acid fat, energy dense and contains a stimulant called theobromine.
I have been looking into this for years and this is by far the most complete review I’ve ever seen. 👍🏻
This is truly incredible info. I will 100% support you on Patreon if you're interested in starting one.
Thanks! I really appreciate the thought, but I'm good.
You rock brotha. Loved the dry humor and above all the surgical way in which you’ve researched and broken down all this info into a tasty vid. About to hike Rae Lakes Loop in a few weeks. This was eye opening and mind bending.
Thanks! I appreciate that. Have fun and be safe on your trip?
3:58 Just take a swig of olive oil and eat a square of toilet paper. You'll get all the fiber you need haha.
This video should be stickied to the top of RUclips. Very well made, you put in a ton of thought and work for the benefit of all of us. Well spoken and well made, like a more family friendly AvE. Excellent job sir, I hope you and your channel find the success you’ve already earned.
Thanks very much! I sincerely appreciate that.
This man is the "This Old Tony" of backpacking. Two thumbs up.
I never write comments on videos, until now. This is the most in depth video I have ever seen about ultralight food. I was absolutely mesmerized by it. I will follow your guidance as well. When I go looking for info about something, I look for this much detail. Rarely, it is delivered. You came through. Thank you! I have liked and subscribed.
Thank you so much! That is kind of you to say and I appreciate it!
Just discovered this video and very surprised it doesn’t have more views. By far the best hiking, backpacking, bike packing, outdoor food video I’ve ever seen, great job!!! Thank you for putting all of this information together and for sharing. I can’t wait to see more of your videos.
Thanks very much! I appreciate that.
Excellent research and presentation, and I enjoyed the touches of humor too! I'm going to visit your page and see what else you've got in your library. Thanks!
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words!
Thank you so much. I am a Food Technology teacher and hiker from New Zealand. Ive just watched all your videos and I have learnt an incredible amount. I am hoping to do the PCT in the next few years. America has so many more food choices than we do in NZ. We are very limited here. It is great to start learning what brands I should be buying when I get to America. I will share my new knowledge with my hiking friends.
You are most welcome! That trip sounds awesome. You should have an amazing time!
I feel fortunate to have finally come across these videos. This one really helps make sense of almost all aspects of food I have scattered in my mind when selecting food while bike touring. The only aspect I hadn't noticed yet was that of cost. Looking forward to going into the more of the materials and follow up video(s) you've been so kind to offer the communities.
Thanks! I hope it can help.
Absolutely wild how informative this is and the fact you made the spread sheet available. this is the most kickass thing on youtube. Bless your work man.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
This was so fascinating and informative. Thanks for taking the time to put it together. Excellent work.
Thanks much! I appreciate that.
You are an amazing human for not only doing all this research, but also to share your work with downloadable charts!!! Thank you so much! This is so so helpful!
Thank you so much! I figured nobody would care about this stuff but me. I put it out there anyway and, it turns out, I’m not the only one! 🤓
I really appreciate this video and time you put here to help others and sharing your chart. It is an uncommon act of kindness and selflessness.
Thanks! That is kind of you to say, and I’m very glad if it can help!
Planning my first thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail next summer, and this video is incredible!!! I downloaded the pdf of the spreadsheet, and it will be my go-to reference for life. Thanks so much for your contribution to the backpacking community :)
My pleasure! I am very glad if it can help.
I’m amazed by the amount of time and effort that went into this research and video and I’m am so thankful!! My husband and I are getting ready to long-distance backpack with our 10 and 12 year olds. Our teen can carry his own but we’ll have to carry some of the gear/food for the younger kiddos. This will help tremendously!! Thank you so so much!!
I’m so glad to help!
This is the best backpacking info video I've ever seen. THANK YOU! And thank you for making your research downloadable like this. I've now watched five of your videos and counting!!
Thanks very much! I’m glad it could be of some use.
@@GearSkeptic Absolutely. I'm on a quest to reduce my base weight, and now with your help I'll reduce the weight of my consumables too!
You sir, are a legend for this resource. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for this video. As I am preparing to take my whole family (2 adults and 3 kids) on a 500 mile section of the PCT (Oregon section) in July this has been eye opening. As a person who considers himself to be UL and has a ton of miles/trips/years on trail this has been a God send. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
You’re welcome!
What was the main components of your meals mainly? I'm getting a gear kit ready for the car in case of any back country situation we may need to hike out of. I have alot of info saved but would love some insider suggestions from personal experience. I have 4 children and a wife.
Gear Skeptic! We studied your videos in preparation for a (hopefully) 3-week burro packing thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail. I'm packing up right now. We are obviously not carrying our own stuff so we don't need as many calories as someone carrying a backpack. I just weighed our food for 6 days inside the largest Ursack available and it came out under 16 pounds total for 2 people including the Ursack. Unbelievable. I used the chart to decide what to order online for the trip. We'll see how we feel on the trail and if it was enough calories per day or too many or just right. Thank you SO much!!
That sounds awesome! Have fun and be safe!
This was the most information dense (bytes/sec) video I've seen on this subject. I love the data driven approach with the data organized in a spreadsheet. Thanks for providing a downloadable version. That was super awesome. I also loved your presentation with just the right amount of wry humor to make this much information enjoyable. No doubt many people's biases and assumptions were corrected by the data that was counter intuitive based on "common knowledge".
Thank you! That is kind of you!
hands down one of the most informative and best videos on this important subject, thank you.
Thanks! I appreciate that.
How does this video not have more views. Absolutely phenomenal. Thank you for your dedication.
Thanks!
I'd call this a definitive video on the subject. Excellent presentation too.
Thank you very much! I appreciate it.
This is by far been my most easily to understand and explain an explanation for calories versus weight.
Don't know how I haven't found this video before. Probably the best hiking food video out there!
Thank you very much! That means a lot.
First timer viewing your channel. This was excellent. Very educational and entertaining. Taking a subject that could be long, drawn out and boring, and to do the exact opposite is true talent. Great job!!! I'm subscribing.
Thank you! I really appreciate that!
Fantastic, the single most valuable source of information applicable to the most critical topics of backpacking to this sport that I have ever seen on the net.…. Click-off the “sponsored gear monkeys” for a minute and pay attention. Weight reduction, energy and health for thru-hikers, realizing objectives, the list goes on. Thank you very very much !!! the amount of selfless effort and countless hours of research that you performed and then providing it for free and for the best interest of participants. You don't find people like that these days. Very Cool
You are most welcome, and thank you! Very much appreciated, and I hope it can help,
Amazing what level headed analysis yields! Great video!
Thanks!
I made a weird noise and got chills when he busted out “The Master List” 🤯
Just finished a 15 mile day and watching this video has me so energized. Never seen your videos. Just subscribed. I carry a heavy but so comfortable Mystery Ranch pack so I try to maximize the weight of my contents as backcountry hunting and caloric intake is so important.
Excellent presentation delivered with class and humor. Love the look-down perspective and choreographed hand gestures! I very MUCH appreciated the quality that made this valuable information both relevant and fascinating. You've got a gift there, James! I've subscribed to your channel and look forward to viewing more of your content. I've also liberally shared the link to this video so others can benefit as I have. Thanks too for making the spreadsheet available. It will serve me well as I plan my trail meals/snacks.
Thanks so much! Very kind of you. Glad it could help!
As a data analyst and backpacker this was solid ultralight GOLD!!!
Thanks!
..after all your hard work, I like the way you organize the information to make it all far more easy for us.
This is an awesome vid! Seriously! So much time I spent doing what you did, but you could and I couldn't. The trees trough the forest
Thank you so bloody much! Especially for being so kind to share a excel/pdf!
Thanks! I hope it helps!
@@GearSkeptic Defo m8! cheers!
I'm absolutely blown away by the content and research that went into this video. It satisfies me on a deep level. One thing I would mention with the Knorr and Idahoan side dishes, is that is where you would use those "additives" like coconut oil, butter powder, cream powder, and bacon bits. You can't really use those things on their own, you need a base, such as these. I'd like to see a "doctored up" version analyzed.
I like to add the bumps to freeze dried meals, but that’s a really good idea! I’m thinking about loaded Knorr mashed potatoes 😋
What a fascinating presentation! Thank you for all your hard work and even sharing your files! I can’t wait to watch more.
Most welcome!
As a Keto hiker this video on top of its insanely useful information totally vindicates my eating style!
Thank you so much. This is a real treasure for the hiker world!
This is genius. Thank you so much for such a valuable resource. Between this account and Matt Shafter's channel, hikers have the thinking hikers resources to tackle any long distance trail.
I'll be attempting a PCT thru-hike in late May and the solid gold on this channel will get my ruck as light as possible and keep these old bones moving north.
Awesome! Best of luck.
Trail life enhancing information, thank you for your service! Absolutely wonderful series! Cheers!
Thanks very much!
How does this not have more views?
Well organized. Easy to understand. Fact based. And very punny!
Thanks!
Thanks very much! I remain astonished that it has more than a hundred views…
This video honestly deserves a lot more recognition
Thanks! It is starting to get out there 🙂
This is the most amazing and eye opening backpacking food video I have ever watched. I started watching past midnight not thinking I would finish and now its 1:30 and I just wanna watch more. This video needs more views!
Thank you! Much appreciated!
Protect this man at all costs.
It occurs to me that a padded cell would accomplish that 😋
Wow just wow. I never put that much thought in the food I brought with me when hiking as I've never really done a hike more than 3-4 days. Thanks for the detailed breakdown of all the different options, I can imagine a lot of effort and time went into making it !
I'm really enjoying the videos, both content and humor. As both a dog musher and long distance hiker (not at the same time) I've learned a lot about glycogen replacement strategies and menu options to optimize caloric density. It occurred to me several years ago that high fat diets were much more efficient to carry and I wandered in that direction even before your finding your videos. I even did a few spreadsheets to plan food for trips. Your spreadsheets and planners are just what I need as looking at nutrition content web sites and labels is so time consuming. Thank you so much! A couple of thoughts I had that I would like to share: 1) Regarding hiking after having a glycogen replacement drink> If the exercise intensity is kept low, digestion and absorption should be unimpaired and fats will be burned and not glycogen. Excercising at a high intensity after the drink could both impede adsorption and use up glycogen that one is trying to replace; 2) Besides macronutrients and electrolytes, there are so many vitamins and minerals that are important that we may not be getting eating caloric-dense processed foods. A strategy for getting those over the course of a thru hike should be explored at some point. Thanks again!
Thanks, and I’m glad if it can help! Also, thanks for those excellent points.
The whole series is excellent and valuable.
Thanks for all the hard work.
You are most welcome, and thanks!