Bottom line, when you walk the razor's edge of what can be carried by a human being, the dried fruit gets left at home. Plain and simple, if you have sufficient vitamin intake, dried fruit is not worth its weight for EXTREME outings. I have an exceptional appetite and metabolism when in city life. Imagine what I burn when toting a 90+ pound pack... I could easily eat a half dozen pounds of dried fruit in a day and still be left lacking sufficient energy. I'm not saying dried fruit is a poor choice of food for backpacking, but when you count ounces because your pack weight and caloric needs are extreme, the calorie powerhouses have to take up the slack of luxuries such as fruit.

Your body is a machine, no more, no less. Do some research into the diet of the Inuit or solo Antarctic explorers etc. For long solo expeditions, there simply is no other way.

So is the oil off of nuts a good fat for fuel? I normally make a decent mix of peanuts, cashews, and walnuts (unsalted) and mix it with dried banana and apple slices and raisins and some chocolate chips as my primary trail snack.

EDIT: I actually have a metabolic disorder in which I can't properly metabolize fat as energy (I can, but only at approximately 30% of the rate of a normal person) and therefore need to keep my carbs up and the fat content low - hence my need for lots of carbs, which is why I'm asking (peanut oils are easier for me to metabolize than most others kinds of fat).

I will second the freezer bag cooking methods. The home made meals can be tailored to my taste. Also eliminates cleaning a pot.

Salsa Roja - Is this stuff good?!!

found a product called Brothers-All-Natural is freeze dried fruit and thats is, super super light and each bag for example of apples has the equivalent to 1.5 whole applies, but weights less than 3 oz, tastes super great and super light. i got online and ordered a pile of them, keep the menu fresh, easy snack and gota lot of what you need.

quote:

Originally posted by Fourtyonesix:
found a product called Brothers-All-Natural is freeze dried fruit and thats is, super super light and each bag for example of apples has the equivalent to 1.5 whole applies, but weights less than 3 oz, tastes super great and super light. i got online and ordered a pile of them, keep the menu fresh, easy snack and gota lot of what you need.

41-6, Thanks for reminding me! I was vacuum packing my bulk (Provident Pantry) veggies into individual packs today from #10 cans. No fruit!

Does the Brothers freeze dried fruit reconstitute easily when you add water... or are these "eat 'em dry" only snacks?

TIA!

I've tried all kinds of different dried foods store bought and home dried but now I only carry granola bars that are loaded with nuts especially almonds and my main course which gets very tiring to eat after the first day is regular otmeal and dried blueberries.

Have the oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast and dinner and the granola bars are eaten during the day when I feel the need.

Just throw the blueberries and oats in the pot at the same time it is ready before you know it.

quote:

Cold climate, REALLY cold? you will look longingly at a stick of butter and not even consider something to go with it...

You begin to understand eating blubber.

AD

I did a -20F hunt out of a tent back in 1985. Bacon fat soaked bread was actually a delicacy! Ordinarily that would make me barf!

Tim

Biscuits baked to be a bit crumbly but glued together with frozen bacon grease (or other fat) have a long tradition in alaska.



AD