Trail Food on a (US) Thruhike

 On longer trails, everything eventually revolves around the question, "How can I consume enough calories without my backpack becoming too heavy?" Of course, nutrient and vitamin supply shouldn't be completely neglected, and there should be a little variety.

Especially when it comes to food, personal preferences always play a big role. Here, I want to share my personal experiences from two thruhikes in the USA, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.

I'm a fan of buying my food on the go as much as possible and sending as few food boxes ahead as possible. Firstly, I can buy whatever I fancy at the moment, and secondly, it supports small businesses in the trail towns.

Breakfast

I love something hot for breakfast, preferably while still in my sleeping bag and slowly packing my things. My absolute favorite for breakfast is instant oatmeal, plus instant coffee. I need at least two packets of instant oatmeal, preferably enriched with a spoonful of peanut butter. A strong man would probably need easily double that amount.

However, I also know many hikers who don't eat anything in the morning, but instead chew on a bar while hiking. It's all a matter of taste 😉.

A good alternative for hikers who don't want anything solid in their stomach in the morning but still need some calories before starting is Carnation Breakfast Essentials Powder, similar to Kaba or Nesquick.

Lunch

My standard lunch consists of tortillas, which are available almost everywhere in the US, topped with cheese sticks, salami, or peanut butter. At deli counters in gas stations or supermarkets, you often find individual packets of ketchup, mustard, mayo, and hot sauce, which are great so the tortilla isn't so dry. If you ask nicely, you often get them for free.

When I couldn't stand tortillas anymore, I tried English muffins for a change. That works too, but they quickly get squashed or crumble easily in the backpack.

Dinner

In the evening, I need something warm again. I usually ate Knorr Rice Sides or Ramen noodles, enriched with a packet of tuna or salmon, cheese sticks, and/or salami. Instant mashed potatoes (mostly Idahoans) are also popular with many, but I personally can barely get them down. They also require a lot of water, which is a disadvantage in dry areas.

When my stove broke down once, I learned that you can eat the exact same thing cold. Just soak it in water 3 hours before eating. (Cold Soaking, e.g., with the Cnoc Buc bag)

For dessert, I usually have a large cookie (or a whole bag of small cookies) or a Snickers. I tried different chocolate bars, but Snickers holds up best in the heat without completely melting. At regular temperatures above 30°C, however, there are only cookies.

Pouch meals / freeze-dried food:

Snacks!

Snacks are incredibly important; after all, after 3 weeks on the trail, you're constantly hungry. Anything with the highest possible caloric density is allowed and desired here. Nuts are always good, cookies, salty snacks like chips or pretzel pieces, crackers, M&Ms, chocolate bars, dried fruit... I like to have a little bit of everything; when it's hotter, more salty snacks; when it gets colder, I eat more sweets.

And of course, energy bars. I usually eat one to two a day and try to buy different brands and varieties as often as possible because I can actually get sick of energy bars quite quickly. But they are practical. Clif bars are available almost everywhere, and in large supermarkets like Safeway, you often find Lunabars, Larabars, or various local brands. A treasure trove for brands that are not so common is REI.

Drink mixes are also always good so that the water at least has some taste. If it's available, I also like to take something with added vitamins and/or electrolytes.

When it gets cold, cocoa powder, hot apple cider, or tea bags are also good, but you should remember that you'll also need more fuel.

All of this doesn't sound terribly healthy or varied, and that's exactly how it feels on the trail. What I (and many others) miss most is fresh fruit and vegetables. Sometimes I've tried to take apples, avocados, carrots, and/or bell peppers for the first one or two days after a town stop, but I quickly gave up. Too heavy and too few calories. However, I have also met hikers who do this regularly.

As often as possible, I take a sandwich from town for the first lunch on the trail.

Conclusion: