“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
– Virginia Woolf
When discussing my upcoming adventure, great concern is always stressed about what I will eat, how much I will eat, and how I will acquire food. These concerns become emphasized when considering that I hike sans stove, or any other heating device, and plan to mail myself the majority of the food I will eat over the next three months. There are many strategies to food while thru hiking. I will not make claims of being a dietary expert, endurance athlete nutritionist, or health professional. What I can say is that after hiking the Colorado Trail and having experimented a lot with different dietary regimes, I have a decent grasp on what foods my body wants, what quantities my body will eat, and, more importantly, what foods my body does not want. The latter of the three is an important factor for me.
My food method: relying primarily on mail resupply packages combined with purchased meals during town stops and a few select places where food will be purchased in place of a mail drop. I am stove-less and rely on ready-made foods (bars and GORP) and instant meals (Idahoan Mashed Potatoes, powdered milk with cereal, LOTS of spices and seasonings).
In preparation for the PCT, drawing from my experience on the CT, many sources have been utilized in my food plans:
Advice:
Ryan “Tuna Helper” Weidert – Instagram Link
Ryan “Dirtmonger” Sylva – Hiking Blog
Joe “Haznohorse” Kaczmarek
Other sources:
Chef Glen: Backpacking Food for the Soul – Blog Link
Yogi’s Pacific Crest Trail Handbook 2015-16 by Jackie “Yogi” McDonnell – Store Link
“Pack Light, Eat Right – Nutritional recommendations for backpackers and other endurance exercise enthusiasts.” by Brenda Brazen – Web site
Yogi’s Pacific Crest Trail Handbook 2015-16 by Jackie “Yogi” McDonnell – Store Link
“Pack Light, Eat Right – Nutritional recommendations for backpackers and other endurance exercise enthusiasts.” by Brenda Brazen – Web site
Paul “Pmags” Mags – Blog Link
Kim Sandy of Outdoor Herbivore – SectionHiker Article and Outdoor Herbivore Site
Mac’s Halfway Anywhere Blog – Blog Link
Brian Green’s Backpacking Blog – Blog Link
Mac’s Halfway Anywhere Blog – Blog Link
Brian Green’s Backpacking Blog – Blog Link
As promised to a few interested parties, the link to my food happenings:
PCT Food, Recipes, and Notes
“A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.”
– Barbara Johnson
Elizabeth Erickson 