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  1. #1
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    Default Caloric needs for jmt thru?

    So far my meal planning looks as follows...please give me input...I don't have calorie content in front of me but here are the foods...thoughts??? I'm 40 years old 5'11" @ 210lbs with a athletic build..

    Breakfast
    Cliff bar

    Mid morning
    Coffee w instant ant breakfast
    Granola cereal w protein and milk powder, dark choc chips,almonds and coconut....

    Lunch
    Tuna or Nutella & pb on tortilla
    Small snickers(2)

    Snack
    Cliff bar


    Dinner
    2 cups of my chili Mac or lasagna
    (2) small snickers





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  2. #2
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    I don't think you are planning for enough calories. I know that I would be very hungry on that diet (I'm about 165-170 pounds, 6'1"). I try to pack 4000 calories per day for longer trips and keep food weight to 2 pounds per day. I'd suggest adding up the calories to see where things stand.

    In terms of specifics, I think that the 250 calories in a Cliff Bar may not be enough to get going in the morning. My typical breakfast (oatmeal or granola with nuts/cranberries/raisins) is about 700 calories.

    Morning and Afternoon snack of a Clif Bar might be supplemented with mixed nuts - lots of calories per ounce.

    I think that the dinner is probably OK.

  3. #3
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    I plan granola mid morning to get going faster but could eat first...I'll add some gorp,jerky, protein bar and peanut m&m to mix it up during the day...this will be my longest hike as I've never done more than 50-60 miles at a time, so not really sure how much to food to pack....don't want to be hungry but also don't want carry xtra weight...thx


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  4. #4
    13-45 Section Hiker Trash
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    I ate similarly to what you are proposing, but I had a little more per day than what's on your list and it was just barely adequate by the end of my trip. I was out 20 days, and the 2nd half after the MTR re-supply saw basically rationing my food for part of it. Things are all dependent on the individual of course, but I think the altitude is what had me burning all the extra calories. It was a tradeoff of course because I didn't want to overdo the food for the 2nd half. At any rate, I lost almost 15lbs in 3 weeks, so yeah I probably could have eaten a lot more.
    AT: 2007-2019 (45 sections)
    JMT: 2013

  5. #5
    13-45 Section Hiker Trash
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    Quote Originally Posted by Berserker View Post
    I lost almost 15lbs in 3 weeks
    Oh yeah, and to put things in perspective I'm 6'5" and started the JMT at about 195 lbs.
    AT: 2007-2019 (45 sections)
    JMT: 2013

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Berserker View Post
    Oh yeah, and to put things in perspective I'm 6'5" and started the JMT at about 195 lbs.
    Looks like I better pack lil more!


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  7. #7
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    I would look at more snacks and less rigid meals. You will likely lose your appetite at high altitude and heavy exertion. I have a hard time eating meals or even foods such as nuts. I highly recommend packing foods that you know you will crave even at a loss of density. It is better to eat 100% of an 80% density food than 50% of a 100% density food plan. I also found a combination of sweet and salty works well as there are times that I crave one or the other.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Malto View Post
    I would look at more snacks and less rigid meals. You will likely lose your appetite at high altitude and heavy exertion. I have a hard time eating meals or even foods such as nuts. I highly recommend packing foods that you know you will crave even at a loss of density. It is better to eat 100% of an 80% density food than 50% of a 100% density food plan. I also found a combination of sweet and salty works well as there are times that I crave one or the other.
    Curious with those big mpd you hike what kind of food do you carry?


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  9. #9

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    I ate 3300-3500 cal and still lost about 7 lbs in 2 weeks.

    I agree with snacks. I eat about half of daily cal is snacks.
    Always easier to drink calories than eat calories as well.

    Fortunately I love peanut butter, tortillas, trail mix, peanut mms, beef sticks, bacon jerky, oatmeal pies, fudge brownies, snickers, twix, tuna/mayo, granola/nido

    For a hike as short as JMT , it doesnt really matter. You can tolerate the weight loss, and you arent out there long enough to really even start to get hungry. (unless you bring 1 lb food per day like some people do, then beg food off people)
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 07-23-2015 at 21:08.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Malto View Post
    I would look at more snacks and less rigid meals. You will likely lose your appetite at high altitude and heavy exertion. I have a hard time eating meals or even foods such as nuts. I highly recommend packing foods that you know you will crave even at a loss of density. It is better to eat 100% of an 80% density food than 50% of a 100% density food plan. I also found a combination of sweet and salty works well as there are times that I crave one or the other.
    Quote Originally Posted by saltysack View Post
    Curious with those big mpd you hike what kind of food do you carry?

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    Umm, malt balls, maltodextrin, malt o meal, maltose.....?

  11. #11

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    Some hikers have a hard time feeling hungry when at altitude. On my JMT hike, I packed as I had toward the end of my AT thruhike. I gave away a lot of gorp because I had overpacked. DH also had trouble the first time we were hiking in Colorado. It was a week or more before he could eat normally and he never did get hiker hunger.

  12. #12
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    I just mailed my resupply to Muir Ranch yesterday. Even with my first days meals not included, it will be difficult to stuff all the Calories I will need in my Bear canister.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by imscotty View Post
    I just mailed my resupply to Muir Ranch yesterday. Even with my first days meals not included, it will be difficult to stuff all the Calories I will need in my Bear canister.
    Yep...damn near filled up the 5 gal bucket! Can't wait to try to pack in my weekender!! I don't want granola or MH meals to go bad if exposed to air 6 weeks out...I'm leaving sealed and I'll split up into bags when I get there...when do u start?


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  14. #14
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    Yes, that is the problem. How do you fit 5 gallons of food in a 3 gallon bear can? I also plan to do most of my repackaging at Muir Ranch. My bulkiest items will be my first day's meals. I am treating myself to a night at the Ranch, so I will be leaving with a 'brown bag' lunch the next day too. Gonna have to do a lot of eating that first day to stay Bear Can legal.

    My first day on the trail will be August 2nd.

  15. #15

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    Your scented toiletries need to be stored in the canister too. You could leave your first days food outside the canister but always with you.

    Read through this site: http://www.sierrawild.gov/bears/how-pack-bear-can

    I consider myself grateful in that carrying a bear canister as a necessary legal requirement made me more aware of not only opting for dense/compact food choices but also made me better at reducing packaging and opting for food choices NOT heavily packaged, learning about higher overall nutrient dense higher caloric content per ounce choices, gave me a better idea of my daily caloric needs, made me a better food planner by being more able to ration my caloric needs out over a longer period based on physical and mental needs not emotional desires, helped me gain better control of my appetite, led to beating food addictions, made me learn other techniques for maintaining a feeling of satiation, and, overall, made me a better even lighter wt kit backpacker.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    Your scented toiletries need to be stored in the canister too. You could leave your first days food outside the canister but always with you.

    Read through this site: http://www.sierrawild.gov/bears/how-pack-bear-can

    I consider myself grateful in that carrying a bear canister as a necessary legal requirement made me more aware of not only opting for dense/compact food choices but also made me better at reducing packaging and opting for food choices NOT heavily packaged, learning about higher overall nutrient dense higher caloric content per ounce choices, gave me a better idea of my daily caloric needs, made me a better food planner by being more able to ration my caloric needs out over a longer period based on physical and mental needs not emotional desires, helped me gain better control of my appetite, led to beating food addictions, made me learn other techniques for maintaining a feeling of satiation, and, overall, made me a better even lighter wt kit backpacker.
    Thx...good read...fortunately most those foods are what I always bring out...


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  17. #17

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    I will just caution to do a trial run at packing the cannister.
    Innefficiency grows the more thats put in.
    A lot of people cannot get their food in at MTR.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by saltysack View Post
    Curious with those big mpd you hike what kind of food do you carry?


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    i have a trans Adirondak hike coming in early October which is roughly the same distance as the JMT. We are targeting about a week. Since this is what I call a short duration hike, I will take some MaltoDextrin mix primarily consumed while hiking along with a mix of sweet and salty snacks, think candy bars and chips. Breakfast will be Malto mocha, lunch PNB tortillas and dinner may be something standard like a Knorr side or any of my other snacks. I will target 100 calories per mile, 300 calories per hour, primarily carbs. Since this is on the longer end of a short duration hike, I anticipate a slightly higher food consumption especially in the evening on days 5-7.

    the key for me is taking foods I know I will eat. My JMT and SHR trip were a food disaster. I maximized the food density and then carried macadamia nuts for 210 without eating them. A 280 calorie little Debbie brownie makes much better trail food for an hour of hiking then 400 calories of nuts. That is one reason I drink the Malto mix, I know regardless of the altitude or intensity or temperature, I can alway get enough fuel. Even yummy foods like mounds candy bars, my current obsession, may not be easily stomached. This is the difference between real life hiking and Excel hike, you never have trouble eating the calories listed in cell D13 or hiking the hours or miles in cell G13.

    Have a a great hike, it's an incredible trail. Reco staying either at Evolution Lake or better still Darwin Bench, just north of Evolution Lake. there is a sweat campsite just up the hill on the use trail to Darwin Bench.

  19. #19
    13-45 Section Hiker Trash
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    A lot of people cannot get their food in at MTR.
    Yes, this ^

    I plan to hike the JMT again at some point in the future, and if that comes to fruition I'm going to buy a custom Bearikade that will hold all of my food and other smellies.

    A little disclaimer: I don't condone or recommend the following method, but just wanted to give some honest real-world experience. With that said when I previously did the JMT I packed my 5 gallon bucket such that anything prepackaged or vacuum sealed was kept separate from stuff that actually smelled (i.e. trail mix, snicker bars, etc.) as I planned to hang a bear bag for the first couple of days out of MTR (because I had read that this was legal and possible until you hit Pinchot Pass...I think). I also carried an OP sack as a backup just in case the hang didn't work out. Well, for the first few days out of MTR the smelly stuff was in the bear can, and the other "less smelly" stuff (prepackaged and vacuum sealed) ended up in the OP sack. Turns out there ain't much if anything to hang from up there. It's almost all pines with no branches parallel to the ground. That's why my excess "less smelly" (prepackaged and vacuum sealed) stuff ended up in an OP bag. Like I said I'm not recommending that method.

    So the best thing is to either just get a bear can that's big enough to hold everything, figure out some food options that will compact down to fit in the can, do another re-supply after MTR or just hike the 2nd half in a shorter amount of time. 10 days of food (that's what I was dealing with) is way too much to fit in a Bearikade Weekender or a similarly sized bear vault unless you literally open every item and just dump it all into the can...which would be nasty
    AT: 2007-2019 (45 sections)
    JMT: 2013

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Berserker View Post
    ... 10 days of food (that's what I was dealing with) is way too much to fit in a Bearikade Weekender or a similarly sized bear vault unless you literally open every item and just dump it all into the can...which would be nasty
    10 days is a stretch, but 8 days fits, as long as you repackage the freeze-dried stuff into zip locks. You really can pack these puppies tight, if you do it right, it is not much different than literally pouring it all in. So with 8 days in the canister (at 3500 calories per day), and one day (the first day) separate, that gives about a 9 day "range" with the "weekender" size canister. And we kept our other smellies in an OP sack, which I think is legal, and as long as the OP sack is new and fresh, safe. We actually double-bagged.

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