Having a serious food problem on the trail...

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SWriverstone
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Having a serious food problem on the trail...

Post by SWriverstone » November 5th, 2018, 9:44 pm

Hi All—I'm an experienced, 56-year-old hiker who's been at it for years. I typically hike 12-15 miles a week (in a few 4-5 mile workout hikes) at a fast pace (2.75-3.0mph average) with a lot of climbing, so I'm in good shape.

For the past year or two I've been having a serious problem with getting enough calories on hikes. I know it's not unusual for many people to find they don't like (or can't stomach) foods during exertion that they love at home. That's the case with me in a big way. It's become routine for me to pack a variety of foods on long day hike (e.g. a banana, an apple, peanut-butter pretzel nuggets, assorted junk food, string cheese, etc.) and not like (or be able to really eat) any of them midway through a hike.

On a one-week PCT section hike in the Sierras this past summer, I packed my bear canister with all sorts of dehydrated food I thought was really great at home—and brought half of it back with me after the hike. :-( The only thing I found I could stomach on the trail were Santa Fe dehydrated refried beans and Minute Rice on a tortilla.

For the record, I've also tried just about every commercial energy bar there is—and I hate 'em all (they all taste like compressed sawdust when I'm on the trail). Clif Bars, Luna bars, Pro Bars, etc. etc. I've tried them all.

I've also tried about every kind of trail mix known to man—and find those difficult too (I'm totally burned out on a few of them). Ditto candy bars like the ever-popular Snickers.

This is a real problem, obviously, because I often find myself crashing during a hike from lack of calories. So I've got to do something about it! (And eating enough is most definitely NOT a problem at home—only on the trail.) My biggest issue is with foods that a) are just dry and require a boatload of water to wash them down, and/or b) foods that require massive amounts of vigorous chewing to easily swallow them.

I'm wondering if anyone else here my age has similar challenges? I say "my age" because in my case, this was definitely NOT a problem when I was in my 20's and 30's—I could eat anything in vast quantities whether sedentary or during intense exertion. But I can't do that anymore.

I've considered that one way to resolve the problem would just be to take longer breaks and relax more—and take the time to make an actual meal on the trail (e.g. a "real" lunch as opposed to just snacking). But I find that REALLY hard to do—partly because I dislike cooling down (during a long break) and having to warm-up again—and also because I tend to take on pretty demanding hikes where time is a factor, and I don't have the luxury of sitting around for a half-hour.

At the moment, the only thing left for me to seriously consider are gels and goos (both commercial and homemade). They're about the only thing I don't have any trouble downing during a break (or even while hiking). And maybe for day hikes (or weekend backpacking trips) gels and goos would be enough? But I wonder if consuming nothing but gels and goos might not be in my best interest...

Anyway, just starting the conversation to see if anyone else has had this problem—and what did you find to fuel yourself that was tasty and went down easily?

Scott

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kepPNW
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Re: Having a serious food problem on the trail...

Post by kepPNW » November 6th, 2018, 7:43 am

I can have trouble chewing, and especially swallowing, when extremely dehydrated. Otherwise, no, I'll still eat just about anything out there.

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SWriverstone
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Re: Having a serious food problem on the trail...

Post by SWriverstone » November 6th, 2018, 9:55 am

Ha—I'm guessing that's a slice of pizza! (Maybe I should try that, LOL).

Part of my problem is that even though I can feel it when my energy levels are running low, I rarely feel hungry. And when I'm not feeling hungry, it's harder to eat anything—much less something I'm not a fan of.

I think I'm going to start experimenting with some homemade power gels and things like Moose Goo (which I've tried but was a bit too sweet when made according to the original recipe, which I need to modify).

Scott

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retired jerry
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Re: Having a serious food problem on the trail...

Post by retired jerry » November 6th, 2018, 10:34 am

if you just eat gels it will screw up your digestive system

eat dried fruit too. I take a mixture of dehydrated beans, tomatoes, pepper, onions, 1 cup boiling water, let sit for 10 minutes. Nuts, whole grains.

I'm often not that hungry. I consciously eat enough. I have a rationed amount of food and make sure I eat it.

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kepPNW
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Re: Having a serious food problem on the trail...

Post by kepPNW » November 6th, 2018, 10:39 am

SWriverstone wrote:
November 6th, 2018, 9:55 am
Ha—I'm guessing that's a slice of pizza! (Maybe I should try that, LOL).
You betcha! Carbs definitely work pretty well for me!
SWriverstone wrote:
November 6th, 2018, 9:55 am
Part of my problem is that even though I can feel it when my energy levels are running low, I rarely feel hungry. And when I'm not feeling hungry, it's harder to eat anything—much less something I'm not a fan of.
Seems I hardly ever get hungry when hiking, either. But I have learned to be munching on something at least hourly. A handful of trail mix, if nothing else. Gotta keep the electrolytes in balance.

There are also certain <cough>appetite enhancers</cough> that make easy work of things that'd be considered nothing but "treats!" outside of the rigorous exercise regimen within which they're being consumed. ;)

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Aimless
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Re: Having a serious food problem on the trail...

Post by Aimless » November 6th, 2018, 10:41 am

It isn't clear to me whether the problem is occurring on your 4-5 mile workout hikes or only on longer hikes such as your PCT section hike. There should be no need for dehydrated food on short hikes. You can and probably should bring food that requires very little water to make them palatable, including leftovers like the pizza Karl pictured.

For multi-day hikes I have a couple of suggestions to think about. These suggestions are based largely on how I imagine you are hiking and eating throughout the day, since you didn't get into depth and detail about your preferred hiking habits and whether your lack of appetite extended through the entire day or just while you're actively hiking.

One suggestion would be eating a more substantial breakfast before you start hiking, especially if you aren't having the same problems at breakfast time as you're having later in the day. Another suggestion would be adding more water than is recommended to your evening meal, if that meal has been difficult for you, too. The texture may suffer a bit, but only in the direction of making it softer and less chewy.

As for mid-day eating, that may take a bit more tinkering, because most of what you state your body is rejecting is standard mid-day fare. Perhaps the solution would be to stop hiking for a longer mid-day meal, rather than trying to hike and snack in small amounts through the day. You could even try 'cooking' a meal.

Lastly, you could try covering fewer miles in a day and slow your pace to something more leisurely. That would require recalibrating some ingrown habits, but you'll be less liable to bonk at a slowed down pace and your stomach be more likely to accept a bite of food. Or you could hike fast and subsist on goo. :D

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kepPNW
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Re: Having a serious food problem on the trail...

Post by kepPNW » November 6th, 2018, 11:28 am

Aimless wrote:
November 6th, 2018, 10:41 am
It isn't clear to me whether the problem is occurring on your 4-5 mile workout hikes or only on longer hikes such as your PCT section hike.
Whoosh! Sorry, I missed the bit about the backpacking, and was focused entirely on dayhikes with my feedback.
SWriverstone wrote:
November 5th, 2018, 9:44 pm
The only thing I found I could stomach on the trail were Santa Fe dehydrated refried beans and Minute Rice on a tortilla.
Can relate. Good stuff, there. Oatmeal at breakfast works similarly well for me. Lunch, if I have any at all, might be more tortillas and some cheese and/or jerky.
Karl
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texasbb
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Re: Having a serious food problem on the trail...

Post by texasbb » November 6th, 2018, 11:46 am

The only time I have trouble eating is when I've let myself get dehydrated. It doesn't have to be much, but if I haven't been drinking enough, the food just doesn't want to go down. If it's more serious dehydration, the food feels like literal sawdust in my mouth.

Walkin' Fool
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Re: Having a serious food problem on the trail...

Post by Walkin' Fool » November 6th, 2018, 12:26 pm

I've found a breakfast higher in fat and protein will keep me full for hours (for example, 2 scrambled eggs and some kind of meat in a tortilla eaten on the way to the TH), whereas with something like oatmeal (even with added peanut butter or nuts), I need a snack an hour or two later.

When I get really hot and over-exerted I have a hard time chewing solid food and have found Hammer Perpetuem to work super well, although I've only used it for long (25+ mile) days where I'm really pushing it or it's really hot. I think Gu's fine for a limited and specific use ("Only 500 more feet to the summit and I'm running out of steam!") but too much seems to mess with the stomach.

I can also almost always choke down cold pizza or a cold quesadilla. :D

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SWriverstone
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Re: Having a serious food problem on the trail...

Post by SWriverstone » November 6th, 2018, 12:42 pm

Aimless wrote:
November 6th, 2018, 10:41 am
It isn't clear to me whether the problem is occurring on your 4-5 mile workout hikes or only on longer hikes such as your PCT section hike. There should be no need for dehydrated food on short hikes. You can and probably should bring food that requires very little water to make them palatable, including leftovers like the pizza Karl pictured.
Only on the longer, more strenuous all-day hikes. I can just go out and bang off 4-5 miles with just a few gulps of water and feel fine. It's climbing mountains that I deal with this.
One suggestion would be eating a more substantial breakfast before you start hiking, especially if you aren't having the same problems at breakfast time as you're having later in the day. Another suggestion would be adding more water than is recommended to your evening meal, if that meal has been difficult for you, too. The texture may suffer a bit, but only in the direction of making it softer and less chewy.
Good point—and I do tend to "tank up" at breakfast, which is pretty easy (because I love breakfast). I also try to consume some healthy carbs (e.g. pasta) the night before.
As for mid-day eating, that may take a bit more tinkering, because most of what you state your body is rejecting is standard mid-day fare. Perhaps the solution would be to stop hiking for a longer mid-day meal, rather than trying to hike and snack in small amounts through the day. You could even try 'cooking' a meal.

Lastly, you could try covering fewer miles in a day and slow your pace to something more leisurely. That would require recalibrating some ingrown habits, but you'll be less liable to bonk at a slowed down pace and your stomach be more likely to accept a bite of food. Or you could hike fast and subsist on goo. :D
All good points! I'm not a competitive hiker or a speed freak—but once I get going, I do tend to like to just keep cruising. I'll often stop for photos, but they're quick stops (just long enough to frame a shot, snap it, put the camera away and GO!). But I hear you about not bonking at a slower pace—and as someone else pointed out, max heartrate does decline with age. I don't wear a monitor, but my heartrate is typically in the 160bpm range when I'm going uphill at a brisk pace.

I guess the real factor working against slowing down is lack of time; as a busy dad of two young kids (yes, at age 56!) my free time to hike is pretty limited and highly valuable—so I find myself wanting to maximize every minute. I do understand that it's the journey and not the destination—and I'm capable of smelling the roses. But physics sets limits: if I don't haul ass from dawn to dusk, I'm limited to short- and medium-distance hikes (if I can't do an overnight backpack trip)...and there are only so many of those I can do. Seems like nowadays all the hikes I really want to do are in the 15-20 mile range (if done in one day). A good example would be Goat Rocks—starting at the Snowgrass Flats trailhead and hiking all the way up to Old Snowy and down along the Knife's Edge, then back to Snowgrass Flats (maybe via Goat Lake). That's a pretty long dayhike! (Doable but long.)

Anyway, back to food—it's possible I'm not drinking enough if that can translate to food seeming like dry sawdust. I usually use a bladder with water and carry a liter bottle filled with Nuun for electrolytes.

And while I realize it's not exactly healthy, I might do better bringing things like those insanely chemical-but-tasty Little Debbie Honey Buns (one of those things is like 500-600 calories!!) The way I figure it, if it's just a long dayhike, I can probably afford to eat crappy calories knowing I'll eat a healthier dinner (and tend to eat healthy all week).

Scott

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