Dehydrated food for a 12-day hike

[lub0]

Hi all,

I have a dehydrator oven and a vacuum packer which I have used before to make and pack dehydrated rations for short 1-2 day camping trips, but I'm currently planning a 12-day solo hiking trip with the intention of completely relying off the backpack for all my needs. This has me worried regarding just what sort of weight are we talking about for 12 days worth of dehydrated food? I typically dehydrate beef, potatos, various veggies, mushrooms, garlic, onion and use Quinoa in place of wheat-based foods such as pasta or coucous or white rice as Quinoa cooks just as quickly yet is a far more nutritionally-dense food yet just as starchy and satisfying as the usual pasta or rice carbs.

Without the rations, my backpack weighs 17 kilos, including the pack itself. This figure also includes the two litres of water I'll be carrying. I can hike comfortably with anything upto 23kg so that leaves me with 6kg for food.

Simplicity is key, so I intend to cook/eat once a day and that the meal has to easily fit and cook quickly in a swedish army trangia and be atleast 1500 calories. I will bring a large bag of trail mix to snack on in the morning and throughout the day, though.


I'd appreciate any input from anyone here who has attempted this sort of 7 day-plus backpack sustainment type thing!

 

[Shewie]

If you're covering miles each day then you need to up the calorie count, you'll be looking at more like 3500-4000 at least rather than a daily average of 2500 for normal activities.

Try and break that down into three regular meals plus snacks along the way, breakfast and supper being the key meals for me. I do notice I suffer over multiple days if I skip lunch regularly though.

Throw a chunk of cheese in the pack, a malt loaf, raisins, chocolate, dried fruit etc. Supplement decent sized meals with that and you should be okay.

Some folk try and break it down into calories per hour, 500 rings a bell for trekking.

Are there any resupply opportunities on the route?

 

[SimonM]

As Shewie said, look at your calorie intake again; an average man needs 2500 calories a day to maintain weight, for a woman its 2000.

Combine that needs with the level of exertion that you will be needed to complete the trek and you are looking at some serious weight loss and, the end of the 12 days, a serious lack of functionality!

Do you have to be self sufficient for the full 12 days or could you resupply en route? Maybe have a "fresh" day with local produce every 3 or 4 days too?

Simon

 

[sandbender]

What time of year and where will you be hiking?

As Shewie has mentioned you should break down your meals into at least two or perhaps three servings throughout the day, your body will be able to make better use of the food that way.

23 kg is a lot to carry on your back, you'll be old like me one day and wish you'd trimmed the grams a bit.

I'd be really interested in seeing some photos of the dehydrator and vacuum packer in action.

 

[mrcharly]

Will you be able to get water along the way? I presume so, because 1-2ltr isn't anywhere near enough for a 12-day hike.

Have you looked at using corn instead of quinoa? Corn has more calories than quinoa, I believe.

 

[lub0]

Yes I will be able to get water along the way no problem. And I intend to buy fresh fruits and veg to eat raw whenever I pass a shop but my ultimate goal is to attempt to pretty much exclusively live off my backpack for the entire trip. Thanks for the tip on corn, I will no doubt have some in the mix. I'm still deciding on what to put in the meals. I just wish animal fat could be dehydrated... it would solve the calories problem right away and provide good nutrition, too. I may go with carrying a bottle of olive oil, though. I have heard of traditional native indian trail mixes that involve animal fat in the mix but the name evades me, does anyone know about it as that would be perfect to mix in to the stew as it would not only bump up the calories, but thicken it too.

I will certainly take photos of the process of creating these dehydrated meals I'll be making, infact I have just ordered a good quality digital food scale and plan on taking a scientific approach to making these meals, weighing and counting calories as accurately as possible.

I see food as fuel... fuel to live life, so with that viewpoint I intend to develop a high-calorie yet lightweight solution that is to be cooked exclusively in a billycan, no mixing, frying or grease to battle with or any other high maintenance cooking practices. I just want a system that will provide me with the required calories needed to complete the walk, with the most fuss being nothing more than to wipe clean the billycan with a single babywipe at the end of the meal.

I've got a few financial obligations at the moment but once there out the way in a couple of weeks I'll be able to buy all the fat-free beef I'll be needing for dehydrating. I hope to offer a few extra £££ to the butcher if he will slice it up in to thin strips for me so they can be put straight in to the dehydrator oven!

Watch this space, guys!

 

[Shewie]

I'm currently planning our 14 day TGO crossing for May, we're looking to carry four days of food with one spare and then pick up parcels from hotels/campsites/post offices along the way.

I think trying to carry 12 days of food is doable but it'll be bulky and still quite heavy.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Twelve days. in a pack plus water, quite a bit of weight. Especially without any other kit. Porridge (dried rolled oats) is a light weight and low glycemic index food.

I would also be taking lots of muesli type bars for snacks.

I have only done 5 days in the scouts, way back. We had tinned food mainly and starved the last two days !

In the canoe, weights not an issue !

Have fun !

 

[widu13]

Have porridge loaded with nuts, fruit and a little honey for breakfast, GORP or trail mix through the day and your planned 1500cal evening meal and you should be able to hit 3500cal.

Keep the pack as light as possible but 6kg for 12 days food seems an average food weight. It looks like you are planning well. Don't forget salami-fat rich and doesn't need refrigerating. If you do take pasta or rice, cook that first and then dehydrate it- it's much quicker that way.

Spices and sauces will be appreciated after a few days!

 

[rik_uk3]

Don't forget to pack a treat or two. Things like pouched Tuna, tin of sardines or pate, curry powder and garlic powder too.

 

[born2roam]

In general, taking the needed kJ (or calories) into account I could not get a days worth below 750 gr. That is without spending too much ca$h.
So 12 days and 500 gr of food per day.... please let us know (or just me ;-) ) Max I did was 9 days carrying or 14 days canoeing without resupply. Water and fuel not being an issue.

23 kg is somewhat on the heavy side unless using a canoe/pulk/pack goat/......

Grtz Johan

 

[bikething]

I have heard of traditional native indian trail mixes that involve animal fat in the mix but the name evades me, does anyone know about it as that would be perfect to mix in to the stew as it would not only bump up the calories, but thicken it too.

I think Pemmican is what you're looking for

And I'd swap the Swedish army trangia for a lighter setup so you've got more weight available for food

 

[bearbait]

You could take a look at this BCUK thread on Logan Bread - a ration developed for expedition use. You may find it useful in varying your diet. It's not difficult to make.

Have a great trip!

 

[ateallthepies]

Has anyone here ever buried a stash of supplies along a trail so as to reduce pack weight? You could pack 6 days worth and eat like a king and bury 6 days worth and also eat like a king while only ever carrying half the weight!

Steve

 

[sandbender]

"...Has anyone here ever buried a stash of supplies along a trail so as to reduce pack weight?.."

You would have to put some thought into how to protect the stash from the wildlife, unless that trail has bear boxes or bothys along the route animals will sniff out your stash and try to get at it.

 

[lub0]

born2roam, thanks for your input. 750g of food per day is the sort of figure I came up with, too, so it's good to know I'm on the right track. But I think with this new-found Pemmican, that figure should now plummet to well below 500g.

@bikething, right you are! In fact I've already arranged to pick up some big marrow bones from my local butcher this Monday as I can't even begin to imagine eating pemmican made from body fat and not heaving! I reckon that with the help of pemmican the task of carrying 12-days worth of calories within a reasonable carry weight is now pretty much solved! And what alternative stove would you reccomend??

Does anyone know the most efficient way of extracting marrow from the bones? My nan says to roast them, but I'm thinking to hacksaw the bone apart and extract the marrow out in all it's glory? How feasable would the hacksaw approach be?

@bearbait, thanks for that link to that recipe, I'll have a good look at it now!


I've already bought-in a bulk of quinoa, and the marrow fat is coming this Monday, and I might as well buy the beef then, too. I'll be sure to take lots of photos while I formulate/create these rations as I know there is a lot of interest here regarding dehydrating/vacuum packing.


p.s stashing food and drop-shipping supplies is not something I'm interested in. I'm fully commited to the challenge of eating from the backpack the entire 12-days.

 

[widu13]

Roast the bones, then take a hammer to them. No powdered bone in it then!

 

[Martyn]

born2roam, thanks for your input. 750g of food per day is the sort of figure I came up with, too, so it's good to know I'm on the right track. But I think with this new-found Pemmican, that figure should now plummet to well below 500g.

The most calorie dense food you can get is fat. A gram of fat contains about 8 calories, 100g of butter is about 750 calories. That means 530g of butter per day for 4000 calories. Pemmican is fat rich, but you wont get 4000 calories below 500g no matter what food you eat, the closet you will get would be eating butter for 2 weeks.

 

[Pierr]

I can do 6 days with 500gr food/day but that is with heavy optimization and IN SUMMER and would probably be barely acceptable for 12 days. I think it is better to accept 700 gr/day and rather work and lowering the base weight of the rest of the gear. More if in early spring and even more in winter. When and where do you go?

My base weight, without food and water, is around 4-5kg. 17kg sounds like a lot.

 

[bikething]

@bikething, right you are! In fact I've already arranged to pick up some big marrow bones from my local butcher this Monday as I can't even begin to imagine eating pemmican made from body fat and not heaving!

It's no worse than the fat that's in a can of corned beef .. The ratio is something like 3:1 lean meat to fat.

Not sure where Marrow bones come into it though

And what alternative stove would you reccomend??

For mainly stews and brews? Personally, I'd carry my MSR whisperlite running on paraffin and a 750ml titanium mug with a lid, and use a large folding Kuksa to drink out of.