[pct-l] what does 2 pounds mean

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, Ellen,

A hiker’s preoccupation with food may not begin the first day, or fifth, or
maybe even the fifteenth, but eventually eating becomes something much more
than the obligatory and periodic function of on-loading fuel. This obsession
probably begins at the point where most of the body’s fat reserves have been
burned off, and from then on almost any activity will immediately turn on
the appestat. Some hikers -- especially lean, young, men traveling fast --
speak knowingly of 7,000 Calories per day on the trail, and the prodigious
consumption of food in trail towns is legendary. All-you-can-eat (AYCE)
buffets are particularly popular.

What works for me after the first week or so is to start with a basic daily
food requirement of 2,000-2,500 Calories, then add to that more Calories for
the anticipated mileage. For normal walking or running exercise 90-100
Calories per mile is about right, but for hiking with a pack in the
mountains I allow 120 Calories per mile. That means a 20-mile day could
require 4,400 - 4,900 Calories. My preferred fuel balance is 50%
carbohydrate, 35% fat, and 15% protein. Any food should be Calorie-dense,
meaning a high number of Calories per ounce of food weight. In this respect,
foods high in fat are preferred because fat has 9 Calories per gram vs. the
4 Calories per gram of carbohydrate and protein.

Using the percentages above, the 4,900 Calories per day would be 1,715
Calories of fat, which equals 6.7 ounces; plus 3,185 Calories of
carbohydrate and protein, which equals 28 ounces. The total is 2.18 lbs. of
fuel for that day, but food weighs more than its fuel content. Add a bit of
weight for residual water in the food, the indigestible stuff, plus the
inevitable packaging, and this 4,900 Calories increases to 2.4 pounds. For
the least weight the 4,900 Calories would be 1.2 lbs of pure fat, but who
could eat that?  If the 4,900 Calories were only carbohydrate and protein it
would weigh 2.7 lbs.

Fat provides the most Calories for the least weight so hikers avoid low-fat
items, and they look for ways to add high-fat things like peanut butter,
olive oil, or mayonnaise.  In addition to having foods with a high number of
Calories per weight, it is also preferable to have those Calories occupy the
least volume. One puffed rice cake may have the same number of Calories as
one hard cracker, but the rice cake takes up about 10 times more volume in
the pack. Think about how big the food sack would be if all 3,185 of the
day’s carbohydrate Calories were in the form of rice cakes. This can be
important in the Sierras where hikers are required to use bear-resistant
food storage containers. Most of the available containers hold about 650
cubic inches, which is 2.8 gallons. Depending upon one’s resupply schedule,
it may be necessary to pack most of the food for 10-12 days -- 20-25 pounds
-- in that 650 cubic inch container. Doing so will require the greatest
number of Calories with the least volume, packed as tightly as possible in
the container. Every nook and corner has to be filled with something to eat.
Steel-Eye
Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09



On Sat, Dec 19, 2009 at 6:40 AM, Ellen Shopes <igellen at comcast.net> wrote:

> OK, so my learned husband and I are having a debate, and we need an answer.
>
> It is usually said that a thru hiker needs 2 pounds of food per day to meet
> caloric needs.  I've always assumed that applied to typical dried hiker
> food.  My husband thinks it means regular food.  Or is it a combo of the
> two?
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