[pct-l] Vegan Thru Hike?

Mon Mar 11 15:40:24 CDT 2013

But but... I'm not a vegan! (or even a vegetarian, though I was in a former life).

I'll say this (shameless plug!!!).  50% or more of all of my recipes, be it in my books or on the website, are vegetarian.  Easy enough to convert a lot of them to vegan.  Swap out the milk powders for soy or rice milk powders for example. Or use beans or other protein source for the meats.

Where do you live? I ask that (being a Seattle resident) because where I live it is EASY to find alternative food sources. We have co-ops and hippy grocery stores that cater to "alternative" lifestyles. Trail towns? Not so much, with some exceptions, of course (Ashland!)

Also, how much work do you want to do before your trip? Do you have a dehydrator?  Do you have someone at home that will make and ship food for you?

Always happy to talk food!!  

~Dicentra

http://www.onepanwonders.com ~ Backcountry Cooking at its Finest
http://www.freewebs.com/dicentra 

--- On Mon, 3/11/13, Melanie Clarke <melaniekclarke at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Melanie Clarke <melaniekclarke at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Vegan Thru Hike?
To: "dicentra" <dicentragirl at yahoo.com>
Cc: "pct-l" <pct-l at backcountry.net>, "David Thibault" <dthibaul07 at gmail.com>
Date: Monday, March 11, 2013, 1:08 PM

Searching for a Through Vegan Guru!

I'm just a section hiker for now but if there have been or if there will be, any Vegan through hikers who want to report back, to show us "the way" and give some mentoring advice, please help the rest of us out!  Halfmile is the "Wayfinder" Guru; Yogi is the well, the "Yogi" Guru.  Our "Water" Guru has transcended this world, I wonder who now bears his "Mantle?"  At any rate, we need a "Vegan" Guru!  Pass on your information to the "Food" Guru, Dicentra (-:

Oh, and giving up my nice fluffy 2 lb down bag is going to be difficult!  I sleep cold!  Maybe we can just start with Vegan Food?  My children call me a "Vegan Poser" because of my down bag... They are such adorable little BRATS (-:!  So, maybe reducing the "Meat Footprint" is the goal here!

Toga

On Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 10:15 AM, dicentra <dicentragirl at yahoo.com> wrote:

I'm late to the conversation, but hey! This is about food, so I want to chime in anyway! :)

I've met vegan (and stove free at the same time!) thru hikers in WA who have maintained their vegan diets since Campo. It CAN be done.  The one I met was eating a LOT of cold oatmeal and had made most of his meals (a lot in the dehydrator) at home before his trip. That sounds like a ton of work to me.

I've seen that most vegan thru hikers turn at least vegetarian on their hikes. They just don't manage to get enough calories (and/or protein) on the trail, especially if they are resupplying in trail towns.

YMMV. 

~Dicentra

http://www.onepanwonders.com ~ Backcountry Cooking at its Finest
http://www.freewebs.com/dicentra

--- On Wed, 1/9/13, David Thibault <dthibaul07 at gmail.com> wrote:

From: David Thibault <dthibaul07 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Vegan Thru Hike?
To: "pct-l" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Date: Wednesday, January 9, 2013, 9:16 PM

I have to second what Yogi said.   I've noticed for me there is a big
change at about 1000 miles and
another at about 1500 miles.  At 1000 miles the hiker hunger really kicks
in.
At 1500 miles there is this craving for particular foods that just is
unlike anything I've ever experienced.  It doesn't go away until it is met.
I distinctly remember having a steak on the AT and for days afterwards just
reminiscing about how satisfying that meal was.

I suspect if this craving is for something like a cheeseburger - it might
just over come any great intentions.

At the restaurant in Stehiken, when a Vegetarian in the group ordered the
veggie burger, the waitress asked if she wanted that with bacon.  The thru
hiker said yes.
We all thought it was kind of funny but the waitress said they started
asking a while back as a jokebut were surprised how many took them up on
the bacon.

Day-Late

Yogi Wrote:

Well, I'm a meat-eating thru-hiker, and while I have done 2600 miles at a
time several times, 4000 miles one time, I've also done 500 miles on one
occasion. I can tell you from experience that a 500-mile chunk is
completely different from a 5-month, 2600 mile thru-hike. And a 2600-mile
hike is completely different from a 4000-mile hike. One is not better than
the other; they are simply different.

500 miles does not require as much physical endurance as 2600 miles does.
You have not hiked 2600 miles, so do not assume that ANYTHING which worked
for your 500 mile hikes would also work day after day after day for a 2600
mile hike. This applies not only to food, but to gear, clothing, etc.

Most hikers I've met who were vegetarians prior to a PCT, CDT, or AT thru
hike ended up eating meat eventually. Whether they wanted to eat meat or
not, I do not know. So Daniel: I did not assume they wanted to eat meat.
All I know is what I've observed.
.
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