Eating enough food is crucial to meeting the energy demands of endurance travel while maintaining overall health and well-being. Endurance marathons such as the annual 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Race, a series of 250-kilometer (155-mile) races across four deserts, require competitors to carry their equipment and food. Running in sandy terrain can burn approximately 500 calories per hour depending on your basal metabolic rate (BMR), pace, and weight. Accordingly, you will have a calorie deficit if you want to keep your pack weight light. For the 4 Deserts Race, which spans […]
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Dried fruit is a delicious and nutrient-dense snack, which is convenient when you need to refuel with carbohydrates from backpacking. It satisfies hunger pangs and packs a punch of health benefits, making it the perfect on-the-go snack for hiking adventures. For instance, the phenols in the skin of an apple provide UV-B protection against sun damage, and the potassium in a banana, a key component of many dried fruits, plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle function. This ensures you’re physically prepared for a long day on the trail. Dry […]
Hikers often ask, “What are your best backpacking meals?” These are Outdoor Herbivore’s customer favorites. 1. Best Trail Breakfasts The time between dinner and the following morning is a long time for your body to go without food, so don’t skimp on eating in the morning. Eating after waking can supply the energy your body needs to start the day and improve your metabolizing energy during the rest of the day. Breakfast on the trail can range from eating a snack bar while walking to sitting down to a giant […]
Food planning can be confusing for the first-time thru-hiker or section hiker. You have yet to determine your pace and don’t know how many days you can go between food resupplies. Here are some tips based on a decade of supplying meals to the thru-hiking community. How much food should I pack for my Appalachian Trail hike? Customers often ask us how much food they should order for an Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike and where most hikers receive mail drops. Most hikers have resupply boxes mailed to towns with limited […]
Each year we are asked by hikers planning a CT thru-hike if we can mail their food resupply. We sure can! The Colorado Trail (CT) is a 485-mile (781 km) trail that spans southwest of Denver to Durango in Colorado, United States. Considered by hikers to be breathtaking and challenging, much of the trail stays above the tree line, offering expansive views and vibrant displays of wildflowers. Snow will be present at higher elevations, which can make travel difficult. The Colorado Trail Foundation (CTF), which maintains the Colorado Trail, recommends hiking the […]