[pct-l] Pct-l Digest, Vol 7, Issue 47

[Eric Lee (GAMES)]

Tom wrote:
>
One thing my son and I learned the past two years of hiking in the Sierra of a similar duration as you, is that we took too much food.  I have heard that the appetite doesn't kick in until the 2nd or 3rd week, and it seems to hold true for us.
>

I agree with Tom.  I've been doing 100+ mile sections for several years now, but I've never been out on the trail for longer than five days.  (This year I'm planning six days for 140 miles.)  In that amount of time, I *don't* develop a huge appetite and in fact sometimes have to force myself to eat.  I've learned that I can only eat about 1.5 pounds of food per day so that's all I pack.

Of course, a measurement like 1.5 pounds is dependent on the kind of food you pack - for me, I pack energy bars, Snickers bars, nuts, dried fruit granola, powdered milk, couscous, Lipton's pasta or rice packets, dried soup mixes, etc.  All stuff I can get in the grocery store.  I personally can' justify the expense of prepared and freeze-dried meals.

I've also found that I'm happiest with just one hot meal per day.  Doing two hot meals per day is just too much hassle and takes too much time.  The past couple of years I've packed fewer things that need to be cooked and more snack-like things that I can nibble on throughout the day.  My focus is usually on making miles, though, so your experience may be different.

Eric