Freezed Dryed Meat how much for a Thru Hike.

[Stir Fry]

I'll be doing my thru hike in 2014. Over the last couple of years I have been buying #10 cans of freezed dryed meat. I have 42lbs of meat so far. A mix of Hamburger, Sausage, and Chicken. On section hike I usualy use 1/4 lb per day. Is 1/4lb per day a good figuar to go with for a thru hike, or should I plan on more?

[Fog Horn]

How long are you hiking for on your typical section hike?

[Feral Bill]

I would thing that 1/4 lb dry weight would be plenty.

[FarmerChef]

There's a lot of variables to your question, SF. I typically use about a 1/4 cup of dried meat per dinner meal per day on a section hike. I'm not exactly sure how that equates to raw weight as I think you're using for your 1/4lb per day measurement. But it's probably pretty close. Next you need to factor in how many days per week/month you plan to eat in town. On a typical 9 day section, we eat out at least twice to up our calories. More in certain sections where food is abundant and we don't have to carry as much. And then you have to calculate in average pace per day and average nero/zero days. Lots to think about and swag. Then again, I enjoy that kind of thing Almost as much fun to plan the hike as it is to go on it!

[Stir Fry]

My longest section hike was 22 days and I never developed a hiker apatite, so not sure extra to account for that.

[Stir Fry]

My 1/4 lb is dry weight, I planing 180 days for my hike, there is extra planed in, and I'm basing my use on 160 days eating on trail. I'm just not sure if I should plan extra for when hiker apatite kicks in.

[FarmerChef]

My 1/4 lb is dry weight, I planing 180 days for my hike, there is extra planed in, and I'm basing my use on 160 days eating on trail. I'm just not sure if I should plan extra for when hiker apatite kicks in.

I haven't thrued but I have had hiker hunger and I can say that I did not add extra for the appetite kick. I just ate more in town when I had the chance and gobbled every bit of gorp and munchy food I had with me. But that is just me. Your experience can and will be different. Protein is important, but I bet you find yourself needing more carbohydrates than protein at the point you get hiker hunger. Of the thrus I have seen having meals on the trail, they are all pitifully small for the amount of calories they're burning and, probably, craving. I'm guessing that is due to the weight factor of the carried food.