[pct-l] Salt In Freeze Dried Food

[John Coyle]

Yesterday I commented that the sodium content in commercially available backpacking food seems high to me.  I have to watch my salt intake because I am prone to high blood pressure.  When I buy commercially available backpacking food, which isn't very often, I try to keep it below 500mg a serving. You will notice that most of the food at REI is higher than that.  Personally I have a Caldera Cone, a dehydrator, and make most of my own food using the freezer bag technique, so I can control the sodium that way.  As a side note, I dehydrated some ground turkey the other day and it ended up looking and feeling like gravel, but it plumped up real nice in my cozy.  Some folks suggest that high salt intake is necessary on the trail to replace salt lost through perspiration. It is true that clothing, hats especially, develop a salty appearance over time that might lead one to believe that a person has to replace salt in the diet.  I wonder though, is it really necessary to consume a lot of salt on the trail to maintain good health?   Is there any research on this subject, or any consensus of opinion?  I have heard competing theories.    

John Coyle