Re: [pct-l] Thru-hiking Food: Love & Hate List

[Karl Brandt <brandt@snf.Stanford.EDU>]

On Fri, 11 Dec 1998, mjanwia wrote:

The biggest problem is simply getting enough variety so we'll all have
different and sometimes contradictory lists. In Washington, we started
to notice that it didn't matter what other hikers had. As long as it
was different than yours it looked better. I actually gave some freeze
dried meals to another thru-hiker who was delighted to get them. At
the same time, I got some Couscous which I hadn't packed and tasted
great to me from a hiker who detested the stuff greatly.

> Potential thru-hikers listen carefully:

It's been mentioned here recently but it's worth repeating. Don't pack
your laundry detergent in the same box as your food. The food will
taste like detergent. As a side note, if you're near a laundramat,
there'll be detergent available so it's not worth bothering sending
detergent anyway.

Foods I Grew to Hate
--------------------

Anything freeze dried: Jardine is right about this stuff. It's too
expensive, tastes all the same, and doesn't provide enough calories
even if you eat 2-3 servings per meal.

Cliff Bars: Loved them when I started and can hardly look at them now.

Corn Pasta: I enjoyed it a lot for the first month. Then one dinner I
suddenly couldn't stomach it. I only rarely ate it after that.

Potato & Onion: I had my mother add a fresh onion and a couple of
potatoes with each box so I could have fresh food for my first night
out of town. No amount of seasoning would make me enjoy this meal by
Oregon. 

Mashed potatoes w/o salt: Way too bland!

Foods I Never Got Enough Of
---------------------------

Mac & Cheese: I usually had one of these in every resupply box but
never tired of it. In fact, in Washington where I was replacing lots
of my meals, Mac & Cheese was the preferred choice. I'd even save it
as a treat for those especially gloomy days.

PB&J on a flour tortilla: This is what I ate for over half my lunches
and never tired of it. I'm sure that I would have tired of it
eventually but never got to that point. Lunch was always a meal I
looked forward to.

Ritz Bits: I "discovered" these while on the trail and would look for
them as soon as I got to town. 

Beef Jerky: This was one of those snacks that I rationed for times I
was feeling crappy.

Mashed potatoes w/ salt: As long as I had salt and maybe pepper to add
it tasted great.

Somewhere in between
--------------------

Granola Cereal w/ dried milk: I grew somewhat tired of the taste but
the fact that I could prepare and eat it while still in my sleeping
bag made up for that. It gave me time to argue with my self about how
I shouldn't just remain in my sleeping bag until noon no matter how
good it felt. :)


> Do any other thru-hikers have similar lists?

I'll bet nearly every one of us do.

-Karl

*********************************************************************
Karl "Birdman" Brandt PCT97 LT98                       (650) 725-3686
http://www.stanford.edu/~kbrandt/

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