Need Ideas for backpacking meals - high calorie

[disneydreamersx4]

Can you please help my friend? She is wanting to cook for her sons that are going backpacking on the Pacific Coast Trail. Here is what she is asking for...

so the boys are leaving next week to start hiking the pct and i'm going to be sending resupply boxes at drop points along the trail. i'll be sending them baked goods and things which i'm sure they'll eat befor they head back out, but i need to send them super high calorie foods that don't weigh a ton and can be cooked over something similiar to a bunson burner. i've looked at mre's like the military uses, but they are ridiculously expensive and don't really seem to have the calories that the boys will need. i mean seriously, 270 calories per meal. they'll be burning between 4,000 and 6,000 a day. they'd need dozens of them to get through and at $3.00 a meal that just isn't practical. any ideas? Thank you in advance!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Would it be possible to pick up a jar of high calorie Protein drink and split it up into individual serving baggies to be added to whatever other fluids they will be drinking? When my DH was doing his workout training regimen he had to add tons of extra calories and these protein shakes mixed with yogurt were the easiest way ... well the shakes and the protein bars. He liked the GNC pro performance mix in Vanilla and the P90X mix and bars too. Peanut butter is also a really good way to add calories to the drinks. The only caution is to consider the amount of nutrients and fat soluble vitamins they are consuming. My DH wasn't being careful and was drinking the shakes + peanut butter + snacking on nuts + taking vitamins which combined to raise his Potassium levels which was causing palpitations. Also, freezing water in ziplock bags can help keep food cold AND provide drinking water as they melt.

Chunks of cheese with the ziplock bags will offer protein, calcium and sodium. Dried fruit would be a good sugary snack during the hike.

My DS loves his Camelback when he goes snowboarding.

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

Along with PP's ideas, nuts are light weight and good for calories. Depending how long they are going to be gone (spoilage issues) - I pre-cook/pre-chop our food (and put in zip locks) so it's easy to cook. Pre-cooked chicken breasts and pork chops that cut into bite size pieces are also quick to cook so they don't use so much cooking fuel. Quick cooking rice in the bags (easy is drain) and butter (good amount of calories).

 

[dakcp2001]

GORP? Good Old Raisins and Peanuts? I like to mix in M&Ms and Reese's Pieces! There are lots of great trail mixes like this at Trader Joes.

I think Peanut Butter is a good high calorie option, nuts, cheese crackers. Maybe Beef Jerky or turkey jerky? Make sure they keep up with their electrolytes, Gatorade or Powerade. Tuna pouches or canned meat for protein , but they will need bread crackers for carbs. They make drink mixes that have electrolytes in them, like Crystal Light On the Go HYDRATION. Gatorade makes powser too, if they are going to be iodine treating water, it will help with the yuck flavor.

Chocolate. Hot dogs and beans? hmmmmmm hiking/camping food.....

 

[Magic Mom]

We always pack Knorr soups, cheese, lipton noodles and sauce (plus powdered milk for the recipe), hamburger helper with dried beef or canned chicken, beans, dried mushrooms and dried tomatoes, oatmeal, freezedried eggs, slim jims, peanut butter, gorp, pancake mix, cocoa, dried fruit, beans, rice, grits, nuts.....

And even though prepackaged freeze dried backpacking meals are expensive, it's nice to have a few of those in case the weather is rotten or the day went extra long, just because they are really easy to make.

 

[Syrreal]

DH does ultralight hiking and has some suggestions.

He said that Mountainhouse brand is pretty tasty and higher in calories than MREs. They can also be expensive but you can probably find somewhere online to buy in bulk. He says that the only issues with these types of meals is that they will be loaded with sodium (upwards of 2 grams each). With these, don't be fooled by the listing of 2 servings per bag. At the end of a long day burning calories on a hike, only the tinyest and frailest of people could split one of those bags.

He says that your friend needs to get the books in the Freezer Bag Cooking series by Sarah Svien Kirkconnell. He only owns vol 1 right now but uses many of their recipes. The focus of this book is creating your own mre type meals. All the recipes use completely dried ingredients (all of which can be store bought like minute rice, oatmeal, etc) and some of which can be made at home (like dehydrated fruits) none of the cooking involves anything more than boiling water. Basically, boil water, pour in bag, wait X amount of minutes, and eat.
Because it's all dry, it's very light and doesn't take up very much space.

He also says to buy the book Trail Food by Alan S. Kesselheim. All of the meals in this book involve pre-cooking and dehydrating, but generally offer something more akin to what one might eat at the kitchen table. The meals are big, filling, and good. It's home cooking that has been dehydrated. You can even make things like spaguetti with sauce, etc. For a long trip like the PCT, you won't want to use these for every meal simply because of the work involved in preparing them.

You may want to encourage your friend to have her sons get an ultralight fishing pole. Particularly in the High Sierras, a very large of the trail, there is world class trout fishing along mush of the route. This will provide vast amounts of calories and protein (and spices pack very easily). Don't count on eating fish, in the event they don't catch any, but as a supplement, it can't be beat.

 

[Syrreal]

Sorry for the double post- DH just read through the thread and wanted to comment.

Just as a note, DH says that from personal experience, to not bring cheese on a hike longer than 3 days. Even then, the cheese should only be those small individually wax sealed rounds, like Babybel. Anything else could result in various digestive issues that would make continuing the hike impossible.

Even the Babybels are not advisable on a long trip because the weight to volume ratio is terrible. They are simply too heavy for what you get. Two considerations that need to be had is weight to calorie ratios and weight to volume ratios.

Tuna is good, but if they like salmon, it is way better. It also comes in pouches like the tuna does. More calories for the weight, and tons of essential oils that are helpful for the body on longer hikes. Also full of protein and adds flavor to food.

If they have time, he says to look into beer can stoves and pots. Mini bull designs is a good place to start. They are cheap, extremely light, durable, and they work.