Eating before and during hunt

[Robster]

Girlfriend and I are doing a hike this Saturday. 16 mile loop with 3,851 feet in elevation. We do a lot of hiking, but this is on our bucket list to complete in one day. I know what I do for food, but looking to maximize my performance, what would you eat the day before to prepare yourself? What would you eat for breakfast to start the morning? And what would you bring with you for energy and maintenance on the trail. I'd like to see your thoughts before I post what I would do as I am looking for the best way to fuel my body for this hike.

Thanks and link to hike below.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/donaldson-mountain-mount-emmons-seward-mountain-loop

 

[Poser]

I don’t change anything in terms of meals before a big day, just normal dinner and breakfast, but do I try and eat as much breakfast as possible (oatmeal + eggs) so I’ll make a little more than usual. Otherwise, keep the carbs coming on an hourly basis throughout the day.

 

[ianpadron]

If you're well trained, a 16 mile hike doesn't necessitate any real prep.

So long as you're already eating a balanced diet, your muscles/liver are likely already saturated with glycogen (fuel) and ready to go.

No need to mix things up or you'll end up spending more time in the bushes than on the trail lol

I normally shoot for a methodical approach, after the first couple hours of hiking with no food breaks, I start aiming for 2-300 calories per hour. Keep it simple to avoid digestive issues. This is not the time to try new foods! Bars, dried fruits, nuts, sammies, whatever floats your boat. Find your sweet spot where you are maintaining energy and pace, not feeling stuffed. Everyone is different.

Stay on track with the calorie intake and you will not bonk.

 

[Robster]

A 16 mile hike is no issue whatsoever. I've been doing a lot of smaller hikes. 10-12 miles with 2000-2500 elevation gain. Nothing to it. A 16 mile hike with 3900 feet in elevation is where I want to make sure I am keeping the body well fueled.

Thanks and I appreciate the replies. Always looking for improvement in training and nutrition.

 

[RyanC]

Day before meal: I wouldn't change anything, just a normal dinner meal. Protein, carbs, veggies.
Breakfast before hike: Something quick and easy to digest on my way to the trailhead. Smoothie with berries, WA Green Infusion, PB or oatmeal/granola or HC Buckwheat breakfast......something like that.
During the Hike: Spring Nutrition Gels, PB&J, Orange slices, etc. Carbs that easily digest. Protein for after the hike.

My 02. Cheers!

 

[Owens]

It sounds like you are already dialed but looking for some new options. So here's what I do when I have a big effort planned. I eat normal the day before and skip the beer (or at least limit to one depending on the length of effort). For breakfast, I usually get in about 300-500 calories. Most of the time, that's some toast, egg, and bacon. That is what I eat almost every day. I recently tried the microwave Kodiak pancakes before a big race, really liked those and it worked well.

During I try to get at least a couple hundred calories an hour. That's usually a combination of liquid calories (powders mixed with water like tailwind, go far endurance fuel, etc) and lately Spring Energy gels. At races, I usually try to grab a handful of whatever looks good at the aid stations; chips, pretzels, cookies, nuts, M&Ms, etc. When I have to carry all of my own food I usually take some combination of trail mix, dried fruit, jerky, mashed potatoes, a couple sandwiches along with the liquid calories and gels above.

What I bring really depends on the length of time I'll be out and the effort level (running or hiking).

 

[Robster]

Exactly, looking for new options. Thanks for sharing yours, I appreciate everyone's input.

 

[JJJ]

I like to eat eggs and rolled oats cooked together for breakfast. Coffee.

pb&j, and any easy tasty carbs while hiking.
peanut butter filled pretzels are good to keep in the waist pocket.
those gel packs are okay if you limit them to a couple.

honestly though, mini seedless oranges are amazing.
Work your ass off and eat one or two of those when you’re slumping mid hike and the energy boost is excellent.

 

[mtwarden]

The "key" I've found is eating some calories at regular intervals- every or every other hour get 100-200 calories in; getting behind on calories during high exertion and long days is a sure way to crash and burn. This lesson only took me a half dozen ultra's to learn!

I'm a stickler for getting calories in very regularly wether I'm hiking, biking, hunting, snowshoeing, etc

 

[Robster]

Hike completed. Total was 19 miles and 3900 feet in Elevation gain. Signed in at the trailhead at 5:30am and signed out at 5:00pm. 11.5 hours of hiking. two 5-10 minute breaks and one 20 minute break.

My takeaway from the hike:
Two nalgene bottles and a bladder and I still ran out of water. The two nalgene bottles had wilderness athlete in them. Food was coffee and a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast. Had a second bagel with peanut butter an hour and a half into the hike. Through the day I had fig newtons, Haribo gummy bears and trail mix.
In the beginning, it was easier to keep calories in me. As the day progressed it was harder and harder to get food in me. No desire to eat anything, I had to choke down the trail mix.
Did not bonk, but I was getting tired at the end.
Absolutely no muscle soreness the next day or any other day following
I did feel it in my joints. My S.I. joints in my lower back as well as in the hip sockets were a little achy the next day. Also the top of my foot, the ligaments that go to the big toe were a little strained.
I'm 50 years old so that probably explains some of the achy joints.

What would I do differently?
Reread all the suggestions above to tweak my nutrition.
Bring a third nalgene bottle of water
Try to drop a few more pounds before the hike. I lost 6 pounds before the hike. 5'6" and 168 pounds. My goal is 162.

Thanks everyone for the info and input on what you do for your trail nutrition.

 

[JJJ]

Nice work!
When I don’t want to eat while hiking, I’ll resort to those gel packets. The honey stingers or whatever. They help.
And I never thought of fig newtons. Great idea.
I recently did a scouting hike and brought a baggie of honey Cheerios that were pretty good to continually snack on, even while I felt a bit nauseous.

 

[P Carter]

Sounds like it went pretty well. Some thoughts:

-Bring a filter or aqua Mira or whatever to filter so you don’t have to load up on water
-Maybe bring a more diverse set of foods. My go-tos are granola bars, dried dates, stroopwafels (used to be the stinger waffles, but now can you buy stroopwafels in bulk), peanut butter m&ms, and the like. Granted, these are for all-day runs, not hikes; for hikes I tend to just eat normally. But it sounds like some more diversity would’ve helped.

All in all, sounds like a good day, great job, maybe take a few days focuses on some mobility and stretching and then back to business!