Reducing Weight and Improving Trail Nutrition

Reducing Weight and Improving Trail Nutrition

We all know you’ve cut that base weight down to shoe strings and still looking to optimize pack weight! Why not adjust your menu? You don’t have to be “stupid light” to cut more weight.  Below is my strategy for saving weight through trail nutrition. Ill show you how to save over a pound a day in food weight without sacrificing taste and nutrition. A few things to consider first:

Calories Per Ounce (CPO)

Most backpackers shoot for 100 calories per ounce, with ultralight hikers aiming closer to 125. Raising this benchmark to 150+ would, theoretically, reduce food weight by over 50%. Based on a 4,000-calorie diet, increasing to 170 CPO would save over one pound of food weight per day 

Total calories	CPO	Weight
4,000	100	40 oz
4,000	125	32 oz
4,000	150	26.6 oz
4,000	170	23.5 oz

This plan aims for the following:

•        170 calories per ounce
•        4,000+ calories per day
•        <1.5 pounds total food weight per day

One ounce of fat contains 240 calories; one ounce of carbohydrates or proteins contains just 100 calories. So, my calorie sourcing is focused primarily on fats.

Nutrition

This isn’t the place to discuss the consequences of consuming gluten, wheat, corn, soy, sugar, or any other refined products, additives, preservatives, etc. My Personal belief is to consume whole foods and avoid packaged foods. Any packaged item I do take on the trail is composed of minimal ingredients.  That’s not to say I don’t indulge every now and then on peanut M&M’s, snickers bars, or ice cream! But those are considered treats, not meals or snacks.

Fats: I can’t say enough about fats! Fats are my primary energy source consumed on the trail. Fats are a low glycemic energy source, providing more sustained levels of energy. Eating a high glycemic diet of carbohydrates/sugar results in more inconsistent energy levels and requires more frequent meals.  As someone who has experimented with ketogenic dieting for endurance training, I have found this method of eating profoundly beneficial and delicious!

Protein: Protein, which is calorie light, is still extremely important on the trail. Your muscles need protein to rebuild at night. One gram of protein per pound of lean body mass per day is good practice. For me, at 6’1” 180lbs 10% body fat, that’s about 150 grams of protein per day. I consume most of my protein at dinner via dehydrated ground beef and powdered eggs.

Pre-Trip Prep Time

I like to dehydrate my own food. This saves on money and insures me of the source, ingredients, quality, etc. of my meals. However, making my own beef jerky or dehydrated eggs is far too time consuming. Outside of dehydrating hamburger meat and fruit, my meal prep is relatively short and simple.

In-Field Prep Time

This is key. My meals require very little effort to prepare on the trail. Most are ready to eat or just add water. Quick cleanup is also considered.

Food List

Below is my food list. I don’t necessarily bring every item on this list, but all my snacks and the ingredients are composed of these items. All of which can be purchased through Amazon.com. The list is organized by calorie density. The higher calorie per ounce (CPO) items are listed from top down. 

Food	Brand	CPO
MCT Oil	Organic Verdana	260
Macadamia Nuts	Kirkland	230
Coconut Flakes	Natural Grocers	227
Powdered Butter	Hoosier Hill Farm	213
Pecans	Kirkland	200
Coconut Oil Powder	Quest Nutrition	199
Almond Butter	Kirkland	186
Powdered eggs	Hoosier Hill Farm	175
90% dark chocolate	Lindt Excellence	170
Parsnip Chips	Trader Joes	170
Nut butter - Singles	Justin’s	170
Dried Beef (homemade)	(or) Mountain House	168
Fried Pork Skins	Baken-ets	162
Banana Chips	Trader Joes	160
Dried Broccoli	Trader Joes	156
Dried Okra	Trader Joes	156
Peanut M&Ms	Kirkland	142
Chia seeds	Trader Joes	138
CLIF Nut Butter Filled	CLIF bars	130
Cocoa Powder	Natural Grocers	114
Dried Tomato Flakes	Mother Earth Products	110
Freeze Dried Raspberries	Trader Joes	108
Beef Jerky Sticks	Trader Joes	100

Meals and Snacks

We all have different eating habits on the trail and in life. The following meals can be eaten in any order, but ill explain my personal strategy. All times are approximate, based on a 20-mile hiking day.

Coffee with MCT Oil (7:00am)
I tend to skip breakfast. I like to hit the trail immediately in the AM, so I don’t like being slowed down by meal prep and cleaning. I mix two instant coffee packets with an ounce of MCT oil to start my day. I usually prepare this cold in a small water bottle. MCT oil is one of the most calorically dense foods available, making bulletproof coffee an extremely efficient meal plan option. This isn’t the place to preach about bulletproof coffee, low carb dieting, or the ketogenic lifestyle, but I would recommend doing your own research on the benifits.

Snack #1 (10:00am)
1 oz Macadamia Nuts
2 oz 90% Dark Chocolate

Lunch: Chia Seed Pudding (12:00pm)
Chia seed pudding is extremely filling and nutrient dense! I premix the following ingredients and store in zip lock baggies: chia seeds, coconut oil powder, coconut flakes, cocoa powder, hemp seeds, dried raspberries, and a pinch of stevia. I cold soak this mixture for 10 minutes, then squeeze a packet of Justin’s Nut Butter on top before eating. I look forward to this meal every day! I even make this at home, substituting coconut milk for the coconut oil powder and water. This is a highly customizable meal. So, you can mix-n-match based on your preferences. It’s a great breakfast option as well.

Snack #2 (4:00pm)
1 pack Trader Joe’s Dried Broccoli or Okra
1oz Pecans
1oz Beef Stick

Dinner: Chili and Eggs (6:00pm)
My chili recipe is comprised of dried ground beef, dried tomatoes, powdered butter, and spices. You can rehydrate this with boiling water, or cold soak for several hours. I prepare the powdered eggs separately. Once both items have rehydrated, I mix them together in a bowl or eat them separate, depending on my mood. I eat parsnip chips and/or pork rinds on the side. If its been a tough day, maybe peanut M&M’s or CLIF bar for dessert.

Calorie Breakdown

Breakfast/Lunch
Ingredient	CPO	Ounces	Calories
Chia Seed	138	2.25	310
Coconut Flakes	227	1	227
Cocoa Powder	114	0.3	34
Hemp Seeds	161	1	161
Coconut Oil Powder	199	1.25	250
Dried Rasberries	108	0.25	27
Stevia	0	0	0
Nut Butter (on the side)	170	1.15	170
		7.2	1179
Dinner
Ingredient	CPO	Ounces	Calories
Dried Beef	168	4	672
Dried Tomato	110	1	110
Powdered Butter	186	0.5	93
Powdered Eggs	175	2.5	437.5
Parsnip Chips	170	1	170
		9	1482.5
Snacks
Ingredient	CPO	Ounces	Calories
MCT oil & InstaCoffee	260	1.1	260
Macadamia Nuts	230	1	230
Pecans	200	1	200
90% Chocolate	170	2	340
Dried Broccoli	156	1.4	220
Beef Stick	100	1	100
		7.5	1350
	CPO	Ounces	Calories
Per Day Totals	170.3	23.70	4011.5

There you have it, 4,000+ calories per day, weighing in at only 23.55 oz.! Compared to 4,000 calories, at 100 CPO, weighing 40 oz. A reduction of 16.3 oz. That's over one pound per day!