Cereal on the Trail (Pros & Cons)

[dennisartrip]

I am considering cereal for breakfast on the trail. 1 1/2 cups of cereal, 1/3 cup dried milk, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. All these items fit into a ziploc bag and weigh less then 7 ounces. With Kellogs Just Right this figures out to approximately 500 calories with fiber, carbs, calicum, and low in fat. Lets hear the Pros and Cons. Thanks: Trudger

[max patch]

I am considering cereal for breakfast on the trail. 1 1/2 cups of cereal, 1/3 cup dried milk, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. All these items fit into a ziploc bag and weigh less then 7 ounces. With Kellogs Just Right this figures out to approximately 500 calories with fiber, carbs, calicum, and low in fat. Lets hear the Pros and Cons. Thanks: Trudger

I had the same thing for breakfast about 90% of the time on my thru: cereal (granola or grape nuts or 2 packs of uncooked instant oatmeal) with dried milk and honey and a cup of tang. Worked for me.

The other 10% was right after a town resupply and was usually something from a bakery or an occasional pop tart.

[rickb]

Cereal is good.

Dried milk has great nutrition, callories and such but can taste nasty.

Cereal with just water (hot or cold) or even powdered drink mix is way underrated.

[weary]

I am considering cereal for breakfast on the trail. 1 1/2 cups of cereal, 1/3 cup dried milk, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. All these items fit into a ziploc bag and weigh less then 7 ounces. With Kellogs Just Right this figures out to approximately 500 calories with fiber, carbs, calicum, and low in fat. Lets hear the Pros and Cons. Thanks: Trudger

I've never used Kellogs "Just Right," but in retrospect my major dietary problems on the trail was fiber. After I came home I made several doctor visits, none of their suggestions, including treatment for giardiasis, seemed to cure my combination of recurring constipation and loose stools. I finally hit on raisin bran -- both Kellog and Post versions -- both cured the problem and 14 or so years later keep it cured.

To answer your question. It sounds like a tentative plan to me, though be willing to experiment if problems ensue. Keep in mind that both food and medicine are still being investigated by science. There are few "slam dunk" solutions to common problems.

But in my experience, most digestion related problems are a result of too little fiber consumption. At least this is the simplest and most likely explanation in my experience.

Start there and if more fiber doesn't work, search elsewhere.

Weary

[Spirit Walker]

If you can find NIDO - a brand of whole dried milk, usually found in the ethnic food section of the grocery - it has more flavor and calories. I've blended it with regular dried milk to save money.

Get a sweeter cereal and then you won't have to carry extra sugar. We usually do Raisin Bran or Granola because it is more filling.

[RAT]

I finally hit on raisin bran -- both Kellog and Post versions -- both cured the problem and 14 or so years later keep it cured.

You hit the nail on the head. A bowl of Raisin Bran a day will do the trick wether at home or on the trail. I like the new crunchy kind with granola (much sweeter needs less sugar and has more calories, etc.) and if cant get that always choose the kind that says "two scoops" on the front (has more raisins than the others). Constipation is a bad thing, hemmorhoids are a pain the arse (pun intended) lol.

RAT

[rafe]

Metamucil is good. Comes in many different forms, eg., packets of powder (flavored or not) and capsules. Or bulk (put a few oz. in a ziploc.) If you're a section hiker, start using it a day or two prior to setting out.

[Critterman]

I like to put cereal with a packet of Swiss Miss in a ziplock add water and shake. Better than dry milk.

[freefall]

I came across quite a few bags of powdery stuff in hiker boxes that I could only assume was, in it's original form, cereal. I imagine it tasted the same but just wasn't appetizing after being pulverized inside of backpacks. Something like Grape Nuts probably wouldn't have this problem. Just a thought.

[rafe]

Nobody's mentioned hot cereal. Oatmeal. Cream of wheat, cream of rice. Lots of choices. Mix 'em up with gorp, peanut butter, margarine, whatever.

[Frosty]

I put the milk in a separate ziploc. I used about 2 cups of cereal, each day's worth in it's own ziploc sandwich baggie.

I mix the milk in my cookpot (.85 l) and let it sit a couple minutes. Makes the milk a little thicker. Then I dump in the cereal and eat.

It is easy to use the drink your dishwater method of cleaning your pot. (Put in a little water, slosh around, scrape the pot sides, and drink it down. Repeat until you are drinking nothing but water, then jsut put your pot away.)

Hot oatmeal I keep in pint freezer bags and put hot water into the bag. Takes too long to clean oatmeal from the pot. I jsut carry out the used ziploc until I find a trash container.

[sarbar]

I eat cereal on a lot of trips. I go for shredded wheat from Trader Joe's, I like the flavors they have. High fiber and filling, with freeze dried strawberries and powdered soy milk

[PJ 2005]

wow, those are some complicated breakfasts... i just ate straight cereal out of my ziploc and washed it down with water (sometimes supplemented with a multivitamin). coco puffs were my favorite. cooking every morning gets old after a few months... a warm dinner was my luxury meal :-)

positive: there are a million different types of cereal, so you're unlikely to tire of it.

[The Weasel]

Use oatmeal, period. Lightest, nutritious, and after 2 weeks everything tastes nasty anyhow, so it flavor really doesn't make a difference. It is hot, filling, and contains food value, and generally a little more enjoyable than cardboard.

The Weasel

[Krewzer]

I had cold cereal just about every day with an added packet of vanilla flavored Carnation Instant Breakfast to kick up the calories. The Instant Bkfst also helped the taste of powdered milk. Worked great for me.

I haven't had it yet, but I"m told NIDO tastes just like real milk.

[freefall]

Nobody's mentioned hot cereal. Oatmeal. Cream of wheat, cream of rice. Lots of choices. Mix 'em up with gorp, peanut butter, margarine, whatever.

I got to where I didn't like the mushyness of cooked oatmeal. So I bought the flavored instant variety packs like the fruit `n' cream mix and just ate it dry. It takes a little getting used to the texture but I liked it better. I still have a "raw" pack every now and then.

[Lilred]

No one has mentioned the new breakfast bars they have out now. Cereal and milk in a bar. Good stuff.
As far as oatmeal goes, I like it raw too. No need to use a freezer bag to cook it in, you can pour the water right in the pouch the oatmeal comes in. Use your bandana to hold the pouch as it does get hot. If there's a fire going, just toss it in and it burns right up to ash. no cleanup, nothing to pack out.

[Seeker]

i love oatmeal. i add a couple tablespoons of powdered milk to the baggie. but i eat it (and everything else) out of an old kool-aid container (thank SGT Rock for the idea). empty the baggie, add hot water, and stick in a cozy for a few minutes. sort of freezerbag cooking, but in a more stable container. once i'm done, instead of having to clean up a messy pot or nasty bag, i just add a little water, PUT THE LID BACK ON, shake, and drink, as per Frosty's method. a side note on cleaning up- if needed, you can add a bit of sand to the mix, which does a nice job scrubbing the insides.

[Creaky]

Those of you eating cold cereal, what do you do to keep the flakes from becoming crumbs? That's been my problem.

[Spirit Walker]

Granola doesn't crumble. Raisin Bran doesn't seem to do it much either, at least, not so I noticed.

Oatmeal gets old, fast and didn't hold as well after a while. We would get really hungry by 9:00, even eating 2-3 packets. The oatmeal bars taste just like the instant oatmeal, but you don't have to cook them. I found them a bit too sweet, but they weren't bad.