[pct-l] How much food a day do you need? [PowerMush]

[brentramsby-pct at yahoo.com (Teflon)]

--- Judson Brown <judsonb@internetcds.com> wrote:
> Were you buying bagels as you went, or getting ones w/ lots of
> preservative
> in your supply boxes. In my experience, bagels go bad w/ remarkable
> speed...
> 
> Also, tell me more about your Power Mush...
> 
> Judson
> Ashland
> 


I bought bagels along the way.  Here's the story on PowerMush ...


PowerMush was my own specially created dehydrated food I on used on
my 2003 thru-hike.  I originally developed PowerMush because I was
very disappointed in the selection of vegetarian food options
available in the dehydrated / freeze-dried food space.  I was also
concerned with the minimal amount of calories, nutritional value, and
overall cost of buying pre-packed foods.  

By creating PowerMush, I was able carefully monitor calorie,
carbohydrate, protein, and fat content in each meal.  By controlling
these variables, I was able to create meals that delivered WAY WAY
WAY more energy than anything else I have ever eaten on trail.  In
addition, controlling these variables allowed me to create meals that
produced a very even flow of time-released energy.  Thus avoiding the
spike and crash of many ?off-the-shelf? options.

By creating PowerMush, I was also able to significantly increase the
variety of meals I was going to be able to eat along the trail.   I
would come to thank myself later for putting the extra effort in
advance food preparation.  Especially after encountering town after
town with nothing but a convenience store to resupply at.

Rather than ramble on about the benefits, I?ll just list of a few
specs of what I was able to accomplish:

For a serving size of 1 cup (dry)
* Average calorie content = 800 to 1200 calories
* Average weight = 4 to 5 ounces
* Average cost = $1.00

That some pretty cheap high calorie, low volume food if you think
about it.  Take into account that I used mostly organic veggies,
spices, rice and pasta, and the cost factor becomes even more
impressive.  

Ok, but what about the on-trail performance?  That turned out really
well too.  In addition to the high calorie / low volume / great taste
benefits, it was also quick and easy to prepare.  All you had to do
was throw it in a pot with 2 cups of water (per 1 cup dry PowerMush),
bring it up to a boil, let it simmer (or just boil if you?re using an
alcohol stove) for 5 minutes, let it sit for another 5 minutes, and
then eat.  If I remember right, one hiker actually made it without
ever using a stove and it still came out ok.   (just cold)

Here?s how you can make PowerMush for yourself.

1. Prepare a regular ?one-pot? meal as you normally would (boosting
carbs, protein and fat as needed)

2. Throw it in a food processor and grind until relatively smooth

3. Take the mush and spread evenly on dehydrator trays and dehydrate

4. After dehydrating, throw the crispy stuff back in the food
processor and grind into a rough ?food powder?

5. Package individual servings in vacuum-sealed bags.

That?s it.  Sounds pretty easy huh?   It was ? however, it does take
some time.   I think it took about 12 weeks to make enough lunches
and dinners for 2 people to eat EVERY day for 6 months.  This was WAY
more food than what I needed to make.  We ended up giving a lot of it
to other hikers at each of our resupply points.  (and it was snatched
up quickly)   

When I get ready for my next thru-hike, I plan on only making enough
PowerMush for one meal a day.  This is because I figured out I really
didn?t always feel like stopping to cook in the middle of the day. 
Plus, only having to make dinners would get the time required down to
less than 3 weeks per person.   (using a single 9 tray dehydrator)  

Hope that helps

-Teflon