Snack
From Trail-Finder -- Dedicated to getting you outside
Hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, all outdoor activities, really, use a lot of energy. Your body only stores about 1000 or so Calories of readily available energy before it has to go to fat reserves. Sure, you may be happy to burn off some extra fat, but you probably can't burn it fast enough to keep going comfortably for more than an hour or two without a bit of help. That's where snacks come in.
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GORP
The original trail food, GORP stands for Good Old Raisins and Peanuts. GORP has plenty of sugar, fat, and protein, which is good. It doesn't have a lot of variety, though. You can do much better.
Granola Bars
What GORP lacks is variety, so granola bars stepped in to fill the gap. Available in both crunchy and chewy, they're cheap, easy to toss into a pack or pocket, and come in a variety of flavors. You can buy them mass-produced, and they'll last a year or so, or can make them yourself, which is both healthier and cheaper, but they don't last long.
Energy Bars
Take a granola bar and turbo-charge it and you get an energy bar. Made by several companies, they're more expensive than granola bars, and many people don't like the flavor, but some people swear by them on a long trip. In any case, like most things, they're probably worth trying. If you like them, stick with them. If not, try something else.
Dried Fruit
It seems like everything in the pack lately is dehydrated. Fruit is no exception. You can dry your own fruit, but most stores now carry a wide variety of dried fruits, including raisins, dried apricots, banana chips, and more. Dried fruit can give you a good boost of energy, lasts for months with no refrigeration in a zip-top bag, and can stand up to any abuse your pack can dish out.
Beef Jerky
Beef jerky was the first, but is now far from the only dried, preserved meat available for the trail. Traditional jerky has been joined by jerky from buffalo, turkey, fish, and others. The traditional hard, flat jerky has also been joined by thicker, more tender pieces of dried meat. In their sealed bags, they'll last a year. After you open them, you usually have a few days.
Other outdoor snacks?
Categories: Food | Snacks
