High Sierra Topix

Are you able to put away all the calories they say a moving body needs in a day of bping? Personally, not only is there not enough room in a canister for 3,000 calories a day, for say a seven day trip, let alone a eight day, unresupplied trip, I would not be able to eat that much food. I have brought in the past, jerky or salami, depending on the season, cheese, occasionally peanut butter on rice crackers for a concentrated source of protein, trail mix, the rest isn't so concentrated. I can see I would be in trouble on a longer trip, as I would not feel up to eating more. Now at home on the weekend, I gotta have something in front of me all the time it seems like to eat. I don't seem to crave all that junk when out on a trip. That and I don't have extra food anyway. On a weekend trip, I will bring some gummy bears and the like. Umm, cinnamon bears. Yum! or your best Homer Simpson impression.

Supplement with fish!

Sometimes I find I have a hard time, other times I can't stop eating. Unfortunately I never know what mode I'll be in. Bummer for me, because I have reached rationing points on longer trips before

I'll eat some fish, if I am at a lake that I think seems to have a lot of fish. Other wise, I'm in c & r mode.

This is a great topic! On the email forum PCT-l this came up regarding how to pack enough calories in a bear can to make it from Kennedy Meadows to Vermillion Valley resort. One guy suggested packing the Bear can full of almond butter! Obviously not practical but probably the most calories you could get in one.
The best suggestion was to layer the bearcan with torillas seperated by peanut, honey, jelly etc. Then each meal you just peel out a layer or two.. Voila! PBJ Burrito's.
My BV500 is packed with 30,000 kcal right now(No not PBJ and Tortillas!), ready to be shipped to Kennedy Meadows. I am hoping that will last me 'till Independence.
Actually at this moment I have 475,000 Kcal of trail food sitting in 17 boxes next to me!
This is cool you brought this up because I always wonder how other people plan their food. I have always counted up all the calories and such. Even making sure there is about 70% carb 15% Fat 15% Protein. I noticed since paying attention to these ratios I don't seem to be inclined to mob the McDonald's on the ride home from the trail like back in the Beanie Weenie can days. But I always lose weight on every trip!

My "Magic Number" of calories per day used to be 2600Kcal. But now I have learned in my studies of other PCT thru's that I am only half way there. Most eat 5000Kcal/day and still lose weight!
I think you are right, it is almost impossible to pack enough food let alone eat enough per day.. especially in snowcountry.

No I can't put away the required calories.

At the end of the JMT, I was craving bread and vanilla shakes. :retard: I think the first think I got at WP store was an ice cream bar, trail mix, Corona, and cookies.

wait... I thought that not covering the used calories was one of the great things about b-ping. you lose a couple pounds...

oh well, maybe its just me.

On a 7-day trip, I'm usually at ~1800-2000 calories per day. That's about all I can cram into the canister/pack. But I'm rarely hungry, and I don't lose much weight on my trips, so I don't worry about being officially under-caloried.

Two words: peanut butter! High calories, good protein, keeps well (as long as you don't try to repackage it in those lame Coughlin tubes that replaced the good old Gerry tubes ), tastes great. NOLS also suggests liberally lacing with margarine (they like the liquid kind affectionately known as "squeeze grease") practically anything that will take it: instant oatmeal in the morning, tortillas at lunch, whatever you're stewing up in the evening. On our upcoming JMT trip we're going to try to make that a tad bit more heart-healthy by bringing along fairly large quantities of olive oil (though not for the oatmeal, please! )

I never count calories - I guess I'd do it for a PCT hike, but all the 2-4 week things I've done so far were no real issue. I actually don't mind losing weight when I am up there, so I eat about as much as my 11 year old kids do, and it's fine. I know right now I have about 70,000 calories stored on my bones I wouldn't mind losing, which comes down to over 2400 calories per day on our planned hike this summer. I suppose if I eat another 2000/day I'll be doing just fine, especially since there'll also be a few binge days at Tuolumne Meadows, Reds, VVR, MTR, Whitney Portal, MTR, Reds, Tuolumne far exceeding that calorie count.

Back in the 80s, I talked to a guy who ran the hiking shop in my home town and he chuckled at my food planning. He said that he'd do anything under 10 days without any supplies, just fasting. Probably not the healthiest approach, but it does make your pack ultralight...