Question on trail food

[FisherCat]

Here's one for anyone's input. In years past I know a hiker can get so wrapped up in the hike, they forget to snack while on the move. A long time ago I decided to not let this happen. What has anyone found to be easy to consume while on the move? Minus the high energy/calorie "pastes"!

[Brad]

Cliff bars
Fig Newtons
Dried apricots
Trail mix
Tangerine/oranges

[climbabout]

I mix up my own gorp - m&m's assorted nuts, dried fruits (cut into small bits), choc chips if the weather is not too warm and put the mix in a wide mouth nalgene or similar bottle and chug it as needed. Makes it really easy to get at with gloves or mittens on as I do most of my travel in cold weather.
Tim

[Tim&Val]

For a day-hike, we like cheese. Cracker Barrel makes individually wrapped 1-oz cheese sticks. Also, the string cheeses are good. They get kinda "icky" after the first day, so we don't use them when we're backpacking except in winter.

Also hard-boiled eggs. Again, I don't know how long they last. I never tried one after the 2nd morning on the trail.

My two cents,
Valerie

[Rudabaga]

Gorp is my favorite because I can customize it to what I want to eat that day. Keeping it in a Nalgene bottle is great because it makes it easy to get to. I know sometimes I don't like to stop just because I have to take my pack apart to get to something. Other than that, cliff bars or my newest obsession Soyjoy bars. Then there always that rewarding piece of fruit that I always reserve for the summit.

[Trekker]

I, too, found long, long ago that I never seemed to stop for "lunch" while hiking - getting too caught up in the hike, itself. I've found that the power bars work well for me, along with home made gorp (mixed nuts/m&m's/whole grain cereal), and, if I'm going to be out for a week or longer then I try to throw in some dried fruit as well (although it usually takes a back seat to the other stuff). Power bars have come a long way from, say, 10 or 15 years ago. (And I really DO like the ones with the dried fruit in them - better than the chocolate.) A quick stop - you barely even lose your momentum - but you get the necessary nurtrients to continue on, without suffering the drop in energy hours later, from not eating. The "gorp in the bottle" idea sounds interesting - I never thought of that - I'll have to give it a try. Might be easier to just "chug" a little . . .
I also found that I drank a lot more water if I used a bladder with tube attached to the shoulder harness. Same deal - if I had to stop and open the pack to get a drink, I never seemed to drink - but if it's right there, I sip quite often. It's the little things . . .

[FisherCat]

Yea, have to admit I never thought of GORP in a bottle either. That's a pretty interesting idea. Believe it or not, I've never gotten into the bladder, The concept sounds great, but traditions die hard.

[Steve M]

I am too lazy to spend the time to make my own mixture so I buy the pre-mixed trail mix. Most have a zip lock top and fit very nicely in the stretchy side pouch on my pack. I use a bladder so I don't use the side pouch for a Nalgene bottle. It's a perfect place for easily reached snacks on the go.

[FisherCat]

I picked up some great maple sugar cakes. They're about the size of a soup can lid but the maker mixes in a little corn meal(which you can't taste)to keep it from getting soft due to external or body heat. With an apple they are the best! Plus the natural sugar hits your system fast.

[KD Talbot]

Sounds delicious. My take on it though is that, yes, it hits your system fast, but it also burns up fast. My standard is still peanut butter. It breaks down slowly and feeds you energy over the course of several hours. I eat fluffernutters, it gives you that instant sugar rush, then keeps on giving with the peanut butter. I use the Glad plastic sandwich boxes to keep them from getting crushed in the bag.

We also carry cheese, the same stuff Tim and Val bring, wrapped Cracker Barrell. I hate the wastefulness of individually wrapped stuff, but I make the exception for the convenience. I don't know if it's the salt in the cheese that I crave, but it does seem to refresh me. You lose a lot of salt when sweating on the trail and it needs to be replenished, to a point. Fruit is definitely good out there, too.

If I make GORP, I try to get currants instead of raisins, they have more energy and iron. I mix the nuts with lots of dried fruit. I especially like dried pineapple, though it also burns up fast, that's why the peanut butter sandwiches.

KDT