How many pounds of food would you guys say you take per day on backpack hunts? Please specify if it is dehydrated or not and how big of a person you are. I'm hoping to be right around 165-170 this fall.

Thanks

Assuming moderate to heavy exertion, you would need approx. 4000 cal--5000cal/day.
You might want 1/4 of that total each in Carbs, protein, and 1/2 in fat ( a larger percentage in fat would cut down on weight) you can figure your needs with the following info:
http://fizisist.web.cern.ch/fi...iesperouncechart.doc

That's about 3 pounds of food/day

Here are some "approximate" calorie values for one ounce of a food

Bread, (oatmeal or seven grain, 1 slice) 90 calories
dried apricots 80 calories
M&Ms 142 calories Minute Rice 110 calories
Hard Candy 110 calories Spaghetti noodles 110 calories
Cashews 163 calories Kraft Parmesian 110 calories
Cheddar Cheese 114 calories Olive Oil 240 calories
Swiss Cheese 105 calories Peanuts 160 calories
Cheese Whiz 80 calories Peanut Butter 2 tbsp 188 calories
Matzo crackers 110 calories Jam, 2 teaspoons 34 calories
Rye Crisp 90 calories Textured Veg Protein 105 calories
Macademia nuts 199 calories Dehydrate lentil soup 95 calories
Mixed nuts,dry 169 calories Granola 130 calories
Mixed Nuts, oil 175 calories Shredded coconut 164 calories
Raisins 85 calories Oatmeal, instant 108 calories
Hard salami, 3 slice100 calories Raisins 85 calories
Walnuts, shelled 182 calories Candy Corn 110 calories

I find that about 1.75 lbs. per day gives me all I need in most conditions climbing, hunting and packing loads here in the BC mountains. I will carry about 2.25 lbs. for deep winter camping and I USUALLY come back with food left over from most trips.

If, you are healthy and use the right foods, you should do very well by planning on 2lbs-1 day as an average. Remember to HYDRATE yourself and avoid alchohol totally.

Dewey's figures are correct for the higher calorie foods.
2 lb= 32 oz
32oz X 140 average cal/oz= 4200 cal

Of course, some weight loss is good for most of us, too.
Interesting figures on up to 7000 cal/day going many miles/day
http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles...oss/Weight_Loss.html

Here in Alaska, the problem above treeline is finding enough good water.

Water won't be a problem for me.

quote:

Originally posted by AXEL19:
How many pounds of food would you guys say you take per day on backpack hunts? Please specify if it is dehydrated or not and how big of a person you are. I'm hoping to be right around 165-170 this fall.

If getting water is not a problem, freeze dried is the way to go.

I really like the Mountain House "Pro-Pak" meals because they are light and compact.

I usually scout an area in advance and cache a supply of freeze dried food and other needed supplies close to the area I intend to hunt.

PS - Good article, Steve, on Backpacking and Weight Loss.

I would agree with Dewey also I use freeze dried also. I find that the older I get the less food I need.

The wife and I have done a fair amount of backpacking, trips ranged from 5 to 9 days.

If water is not a problem, here is what we did.

We ate a freeze dried fruit granola for breakfast. We would carry a pound or two of cooked bacon if the weather was kind of cool.

For lunch we ate meat out of a can, or foil pack, with crackers and cheese that did not need to be refigerated.

For dinners we ate freeze dried foods, or when in Montana we shot a grouse or two, floured them and fried them up in a little olive oil.

We also carried Granola and some powdered Tang.

We always knew how many days we were going to be in the field, and carried each meal in a ziplock, numbered so we did not eat the same thing several days in a row.

We also carried a couple extra days of power bars, incase we got caught in some bad weather and could not get back to the trail head.

We also kept 5 days of extra food, and water in the vehicle at the trail head in case we got stuck there as well.

You NEVER want to run out of Ammo, Whisky, Water, or Food.

My basic rule is to plan for each meal, and then carry some extra, just in case.

Good info guys. Freeze dried for dinner meals will be a go. Just have to find some of the Mountain House.

Getting so many different experiences makes this step just a matter of making a choice of what I like to eat.

A very good article as well. Luckily I only have about 8-9 pounds to get down to my goal weight.

N E 450 No2, I haven't had Tang in years!

I kind of liked it as a kid so I picked up some today to try it. It's not too bad. Way better than that electrolite "Kool-Aid" that comes in GI MREs! ...... Good recommendation.

My technique starts out by preparing a menu that identifies all items for breakfast, lunch, dinner and has traveling snacks and after dinner snacks. I do this for each day's food plan. I bring a copy along so I can adjust if necessary.
When I backpacked into Colorado wilderness area, I saw no need to do without an occasional candy bar.
I also found that a fold-up water jug was needed when we got to our camp site. Although we crried individual canteens, we needed a community water supply for cooking and refinning canteens.

I only carry foods that will meet the 100 cals per ounce forumula. I usually try and carry around 1.75lbs of food per day. That seems to be in line with what others are saying. As a side note, I did wear my heart rate monitor while sheep hunting a couple years ago (I know sheep hunters are crazy) and I was burning between 6000-7000 cals a day. I only turned it on when I left the tent and turned it off when I returned. So actually cals burned would be higher.....
I always like to leave a little stash of food at the airstrip or some other point along the way incase I get delayed or need more time to track down that monster ram!

For the dried foods , how many of you are using a Steripen to purify the water available ?

Being allergic to gluten, I can't eat junkfood yet go seven or eight hours some days without feeling hungry - though tend to eat big when food's in front of me. Can I assume the high fat content in the suggested food lists is only about withstanding the cold and hard climbing, and nothing to do with the modern habit of eating deep-fried takeaways?

Also, Dewey, can you explain your ban on alcohol, please? I'd previously thought a little OP rum, diluted with mountain water, was an allowable indulgence for backpacking hunters resting after a hard day on the hill.

I did a three day, 40 mile trek at the timberline (6,000 ft. elevation) and the pack weighed in at 22 lbs. This included a single person tent (glorified bivy sack), sleeping bag, fresh socks, clothing for sub-alpine, mountain climate in the summer.

No cooking -- saves weight on fuel and a stove. Lithium cell LED light, titanium pot, plastic spoon, light knife.

Water was readily available on the trail.

Food was dried milk, granola, dried fruits, nuts, granola, jerky, hard cheese, and crackers.

I was out to hike and cover distance, not eat. Three days on the trail, about 13.5 mi. day. Didn't get hungry, and was comfortable with what I brought, what I left behind.

Try taking a look at Hawks Vittles freeze dried foods (http://hawkvittles.com/). They are higher calorie than Mtn. House and have some gluten free meals.

quote:

Originally posted by Kay9Cop:
Try taking a look at Hawks Vittles freeze dried foods (http://hawkvittles.com/). They are higher calorie than Mtn. House and have some gluten free meals.

Thanks for the link. That is a very interesting website and I look forward to trying their products.

One thing thing I did notice on the site, the food they sell is dehydrated, not freeze-dried.

Thanks Kay9Cop,
I'll have a look for Hawks Vittles gluten-free stuff. With luck they export to NZ, where I'm going in June.

Cheers
- Paul

quote:

gluten-free stuff

We know what gluten is . . . It's that big muscle in your butt.

My daily ratios while sheep guiding;

2 coffee bags
! heaping cupfull of gronola & dry milk,,hot or cold
2 pilot bread,w slice of cheese & hard salami
1 mtn house dbl dinner
2 choc bars

xtra's were a handful of boluinion cubes and a bag of minute rice

I can't ever remember being overly hungery or starving on these ration especially when you could usually gorge on sheep near the end of the trip.

Simple formula:

2 lbs/day = very comfy, probaly won't lose lbs (body weight)

1.5 lbs/day= OK...may lose a few lbs

1.o lbs/day or less....you hungery all the time and you will lose alot of lbs

Coffee, instant oatmeal, tuna packages,Mountain House...repeat until done...G-bars and cheese are a nice "treat"

I recomend only taking a can of beans and possibly a box of pasta. This way you have that much more motivation to bag some game!