Favorite foods on your elk hunt

[psp8ball]

I'm putting together the grocery list for this year's elk hunt. Got me thinking. I really struggle at breakfast when I'm in the throes of an elk hunt. Waking up dead tired, and trying to get enough food/protein in before we head out for a 3-6 mile hike can be daunting. At least for me. I just don't have much of an appetite first thing.

Do any of you experience this? What foods are your go to options for breakfast?

Please add any other favorite foods for a hunt too. I think nearly everyone on here can benefit from hearing about those little gems. Where experience and experimentation produce a perfect pack snack, meal, or sweet treat.

 

[Bachto]

Bagel sandwiches are my favorite lunch item, they don't get squished in your pack as easily and is a good change of pace from the usual sandwich. For breakfast we usually do hashbrown patties and a couple eggs or even our own versions of egg mcmuffins. You can make these the night before and heat them up in the AM. If i'm not feeling a breakfast I usually go with a cliff bar and an apple or an orange. its lighter on the stomach.

 

[Lytro]

I can relate to not having much of an appetite first thing in the morning. Because of that I will usually eat small portioned/high carb foods (honey stingers, energy chews/gels, or some sort of granola bar) for simple carbs that will give me some quick energy.

Other meals in the field I will eat tuna packs on tortillas, ramen, jerky, dehydrated meals. Basically anything lightweight where I can get a good ratio of carbs and protein. I'm more focused on carbs, but protein and fats are also necessary so I don't feel like I'm starving later in the day.

 

[Poser]

Oatmeal is the best performance breakfast. As far as instant, McCann’s it’s the best I have found. Add generous amounts of powered butter and a scoop of protein if you prefer.

You can get bone broth in a powdered from which is a good to sip on while your dinner is rehydrating for some extra fat, protein and warmth. You can also pour it in your meal package after you have eaten to “mop up” any leftovers stuck to the packaging. I also add powdered butter to my dinners for extra fat

Salami, pepperoni etc for extra fat intake and a round of Gouda cheese goes pretty far, too.

 

[codym]

I always find these threads interesting. People seem to focus on carbs or fat. That’s great as a quick energy source but after a few days you break down muscle tissue, protein is a must to recover and repair this damage. You should be trying to consume at least 1.5 grams of protein per body weight a day. Do that math and people come up way short, then wonder why they tank on day 3 of a hunt. Use protein powders and eat high quality meat if possible. Back packing presents it’s own set of nutritional challenges.

 

[Lytro]

I always find these threads interesting. People seem to focus on carbs or fat. That’s great as a quick energy source but after a few days you break down muscle tissue, protein is a must to recover and repair this damage. You should be trying to consume at least 1.5 grams of protein per body weight a day. Do that math and people come up way short, then wonder why they tank on day 3 of a hunt. Use protein powders and eat high quality meat if possible. Back packing presents it’s own set of nutritional challenges.

This is entirely dependent on the terrain, distance, and your current fitness level. Most people aren't breaking down that much muscle to require that much protein per day while in the field. Carbs are going to be more helpful for a 3-6 mile hike, which is nothing unless you're literally climbing a mountain. If you tank on day 3, you're not in good enough shape in the first place.

 

[Poser]

I always find these threads interesting. People seem to focus on carbs or fat. That’s great as a quick energy source but after a few days you break down muscle tissue, protein is a must to recover and repair this damage. You should be trying to consume at least 1.5 grams of protein per body weight a day. Do that math and people come up way short, then wonder why they tank on day 3 of a hunt. Use protein powders and eat high quality meat if possible. Back packing presents it’s own set of nutritional challenges.

Protein is important for recovery, but you’re body will only start raiding muscles for energy if the glycogen stores are depleted. Easiest way to keep glycogen stores up is to eat a steady supply of carbs. I always emphasize fat because it is the most difficult macro to come by in the Backcountry. Freeze dried meals such as MH are completely lacking in fat. The dehydrated meals such as Heather’s Choice have healthy amounts, but are more expensive and have shorter shelf lives. Carbs are easy Protein is also relatively easy to get: Jerky, protein powder, bars, etc, but sufficient fat requires some thought and effort.

 

[5MilesBack]

I never eat breakfast when out hunting, and even rarely at home as well. I have my coffee and I'm ready to go. When I'm out and about I'll have a MH, or bacon, or maybe a sandwich if I packed one........some nut and dried fruit mix, and maybe a cookie or two.

In base camp I'll have fried chicken, ribs, burritos, ribeyes, sandwiches, chili, spaghetti with elk meat sauce, etc, etc. I also always have salad mix, cantaloupe, apples, grapes, bananas......

 

[Jordan Budd]

Check out the RokCast episode I did with Jaden Bales. We talk about different food options

 

[CMF]

I put some trail mix together with dried bananas, pecans and Reese pieces that is pretty good and calorie dense.
The special K strawberry protein bars are pretty good too. I'm now wondering if I'm bringing enough protein though, what would you say minimum amount per day should be?

 

[justin84]

Protein is important for recovery, but you’re body will only start raiding muscles for energy if the glycogen stores are depleted. Easiest way to keep glycogen stores up is to eat a steady supply of carbs. I always emphasize fat because it is the most difficult macro to come by in the Backcountry. Freeze dried meals such as MH are completely lacking in fat. The dehydrated meals such as Heather’s Choice have healthy amounts, but are more expensive and have shorter shelf lives. Carbs are easy Protein is also relatively easy to get: Jerky, protein powder, bars, etc, but sufficient fat requires some thought and effort.

Rx Bars and little nut butter packs do the trick for me in the fat department.

 

[805Bowhunter]

I cannot go without coffee. Something about having it in the morning just jumpstarts me. I always carry a reactor with me, even on a lot of dayhunts where I am trekking out early. I love a hot coffee and some oatmeal. Its game on after I have that and feel good for the rest of the day typically. Snacks etc. are important throughout the day but nothing like having my coffee and oatmeal (especially when it is chilly out.) I dont care that I have to carry a stove...to me the weight penalty is way worth it. Also a big fan of Big Sur Bars but they do have a crapton of sugar

 

[Poser]

Rx Bars and little nut butter packs do the trick for me in the fat department.

That doesn’t sound like much fat. A packet of peanut butter is 17g of fat and a RX Bar is a measly 9g. For comparison, Heather’s Choice dinners have 40-50g of fat, a typical slice of salami has about 3g of fat and 1 tbsp of powdered butter has 4g of fat. Mountain House meals typically contain less than 10g of fat. An oz of macadamia nuts is 21g of fat.

I’m not a bean counter so I tend to just approximate intake, but, I’m mountains Conditions, ~30% of your calories sources from fat is likely ideal, so, on a 3,000 calorie budget, ~100g of fat a day and a little more is probably of use if it’s particularly cold. So, you’d need to eat 4 packets of peanuts butter and 4 Rx bars a day to get that, which probably isn’t sustainable.

 

[Btaylor]

To help with the fat last year,I made up a trail mix of almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans and macadamia nuts along with raisins and m&ms. Used the same nut mix for protein bars with protein powder and dried figs, dates, apples.

 

[Lowke01]

We changed our morning routine last year to get going quicker. We get up, get dressed, brush our teeth with a piece of gum and head out. Takes maybe 10 minutes and off we go. Nibble on a bar as we hike then once the morning settles fire up our stove and make an oatmeal/protein powder mix or MH breakfast. The warm breakfast is pretty nice and we don't have to rush at that point.

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[finnbarr145]

For the first few days of a hunt you can pre-make breakfast burritos, freeze them, throw them in the cooler, and heat them on the grill or whatever in the AM. Just wrap in tinfoil. Helps keep your cooler cold too.

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[ljrunyanii]

This year I made little baggies for cold oats so I could put water in the night before and it will be ready to eat in the morning.

1 cup oatmeal
2 Tbls chia seeds
1 scoop protien powder

Fat 15
Carb 48
Protien 40
Calories 612

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[Sturgeon]

I eat a lot of oatmeal, both backpacking and the rest of the year. I'll go 1/2 cup(old fashioned) dry oats, handful of raisans, handful of walnuts, and 1/2 scoop a whey. I find that even the old fashioned oats are ready to eat in 10 minutes after adding boiling water and they stick with you better.

I've also heard about having honey sticks right before big hikes and want to try that out.

The little packets of savoritz cheese crackers are really tasty too. I get them at Aldis pretty cheap.

 

[Wrench]

I bring a tube filled with peanut butter and some quest bars. Beyond that I'll have mountain house eggs with bacon and coffee.

I'm not one to need a fancy meal as much as some power cals so I can hunt or sleep.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

For the first few days of a hunt you can pre-make breakfast burritos, freeze them, throw them in the cooler, and heat them on the grill or whatever in the AM. Just wrap in tinfoil. Helps keep your cooler cold too.

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If you wrap them in waxed paper or parchment before wrapping in foil, the tortilla won't stick to the foil.