[pct-l] what does 2 pounds mean

[Rod Belshee]

Warning, the following will be either vaguely amusing or downright 
disturbing to most of you, but the obsessively analytical types might enjoy 
it.

For my hike, I found a comprehensive list published by the US Department of 
Agriculture, which listed virtually every known food item you could imagine 
with the weight, volume, composition (fat, protein, carbohydrates, water, 
and indigestible fiber) as well as nutrients (vitamins and minerals): 
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data.

I then went a tad crazy and fed that into a spreadsheet where I could dial 
in a variety of potential menus and see the resultant calories, protein, 
volume and weight. I loaded in the costs from my supermarket as well.

I find that I maintain my hiking weight with 3800-4000 calories during 
thru-hikes (55 year old male, 160 lb). My hiking pace is slow and steady, 
five month hike.

I used the spreadsheet to hit my own goals. I developed a food plant with 
the following daily goals:  4000 calories, $5 cost, 1 pounds, 2 quarts 
volume, and 140 grams protein.  It was fun (for me) to play with the food 
plan and optimize it.  I achieved 30 oz, $4.80, 1.9 quarts, 4000 calories, 
and 147 grams of protein.  (On the trail, I later found I could cut it back 
about 5% and still maintain my body weight.)

Yep, obsessive, but what else are we supposed to do between hikes?

Steady