Help with reducing food weight

[Seabird965]

My first backpack hunt coming next weekend. Pagosa Springs area for Elk. I normally eat about 1800-2200 calories a day. I packed between 3300-3800 calories per day. I have all my meals about 1.91lbs per day. I was hoping to coming in about 1.5lbs per day. . We are carrying in 9 days of food, so I'm roughly about 17.5lbs. I would like to lose some of this weight.

Do I really need this many calories per day? I thought about alternating days. 1 day high calories, next day normal calories. What does the experienced group think. I think my heaviest item is jerky beside my freeze dried meals. If matters, I'm 5'9" & 192lbs (I have lost 15lbs for the hunt) and 58 years young. I probably could afford to lose about 10 more lbs, but I don't want to go hungry, but I don't want to pack for my fears. I think the game plan is hike in a several miles and set up camp, So I probably would only have to worry about the 1st day, unless we move camp. Thanks for the knowledge!!!

 

[SwiftShot]

I would say your calories are good. If you are hungry, you will have lower energy. Thus hunting will suffer. It also depends what you are doig. If you are hiking and calling constantly, that is different than sitting and glassing.

 

[mod7rem]

Here’s my food list for sheep hunts, maybe it will help. I add a lot of fat using coconut milk powder, and protein using freeze dried meat or protein powder. I’m not sure on total daily calories, but I know with this menu I eat 3 times per day and I don’t get overly hungry and even though I do lose some weight, I don’t seem to loose much or any muscle mass on a 15 day hunt. This menu comes in at 1.4lbs per day. I’m on the small side at 5’8” and 140-145lbs. 55yrs old in Dec.

Breakfast:
MH or PeakRefuel granola and berry mix with added freeze dried blueberries, coconut milk powder, peanut butter powder, and protein powder. Repackage with food saver.
Or
A mash potato, veggie, meat and egg mix with added coconut milk powder and freeze dried spinach flakes.
Then repackage with food saver.

Lunch:
Greenbelly bar
One Landjaeger sausage or equivalent fatty dried meat.
One Sunripe fruit bar or a few pieces of dried leather.
Repackage everything together in one package with food saver.

Dinner:
One MH, PeakRefuel, or similar 2 serving package. I add more freeze dried meat, coconut milk powder, and freeze dried spinach flakes.
Then I finish with 7-8 dark chocolate covered almonds.
Repackaged with food saver.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Food is pretty personal, you are only going to dial it in by trial and error in the field. Some people need a large surplus of calories, some can function well in a pretty steep deficit. That’s a decent weight starting off, I wouldn’t change much.
After a few trips you’ll be able to decide what you can cut or what you even want to eat. I’ll pack things I can eat every day at home but after the third day on the mountain, I don’t even want to look at it.

 

[NEPrepper]

i prefer freeze dried always. i don't know how much water you carry but if there's a reliable source of water you know of you can also just bring a lightweight Sawyer filter

 

[Ram94]

If you want to increase your calories/oz you need to be focusing more on fat and carbs. For example, regular jerky is mostly protein, with little fat content. I would be substituting this out for something like Bacon Jerky. Other great options are nuts, Moon Cheese, Snickers bars, dried fruit etc.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Here are some ideas and a good place to start if you like doing meal prep on your own:

Backpacking Breakfast & Dinner Recipes and Meal Ideas

These are my best ideas for backpacking breakfasts and dinners. The recipes have been extensively field-tested by me and by hundreds of clients on my guided backpacking trips. Some meals were immediately winners, but often I tinkered with the ratios and secondary ingredients to get them just right.

andrewskurka.com

 

[croben]

How much ground do you plan on covering each day? If you’re mobile, the extra calories will be nice to keep you feeling energized. It might be pretty cold, so the extra calories will help keep you warm. You’re only talking 3.6lbs difference going in with the extra food.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

No you dont actually need that much food (>3000 cals per day) on a hunt. Take a look at the field menu outline on our website for what is a 1-lb per day food kit. We've done the science studies to prove this, also on the site.

Meal Plan Ideas: Optimal Nutrition with Minimus

Meal plan ideas for men and women by Minimus Nutrition that achieve optimal nutrition while reducing pack weight.

minimusnutrition.com

lb

 

[mrbillbrown]

I always have a hard time eating in the mountains. For my svelte 6', 240#..... I only take 2000-2300 calories per day and always come back with food I hadn't eaten. I'll only carry 3 days of food up the hill because I'll either restock at day 3-4 or we're relocating to another area. Only made the mistake of carrying 8-9 days of food with me one time.

 

[The_Jim]

If you get down to 1.5lbs/day that only saves you 3.7 pounds…I’d just go with what you have, and adjust accordingly for next time.

 

[madcalfe]

I think I'm right around 17lbs for 12 day sheep hunt.
I use to go all in a make my own oatmeal's but as years went on I've gotten lazier lol
2 packages of Quaker instant oatmeal with my morning coffee
1 pack of Mr Noodles for lunch.
Protein bar
package of oysters (vacuum sealed bag not still in the can) with some cheese Ritz crackers
hard candies (jolly ranchers)
Peak refuel for dinner. (Ill pack 3 extras just incase)
and mickey of fireball

Water also really isn't a concern while hunting in BC so the Mr noodles are nice.

 

[PMcGee]

That’s about how much I took my first few trips and I always ended up carrying food back out with me. Now I take around 22/2400 calories. That’s what I eat normally and I still usually have some food left.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[mod7rem]

No you dont actually need that much food (>3000 cals per day) on a hunt. Take a look at the field menu outline on our website for what is a 1-lb per day food kit. We've done the science studies to prove this, also on the site.

Meal Plan Ideas: Optimal Nutrition with Minimus

Meal plan ideas for men and women by Minimus Nutrition that achieve optimal nutrition while reducing pack weight.

minimusnutrition.com

lb

At 1.4 lbs a day currently, I really like the performance I get out of my plan for 2 week hunts. But if I can get that to 1 lb or less with no loss in performance, then I’m interested.

It’s funny how many years it took before I finally figured out how to feed myself in the mountains without feeling too hungry and not lose muscle. When I first started sheep hunting 20 years ago, the food we took was so bad that I’d look like I was dying after an 8 day trip let alone a 14+ day trip.
Lots of Sidekick noodle packs, sugary oatmeal and choc bars, etc. just terrible choices lol.

 

[Westernduck]

I know this is the lightweight forum and foods very personal but… Eating well keeps me in a good attitude and on the mountain. I’d rather carry the extra couple pounds vs potentially getting hungry. Also keep in mind what you normally eat. Don’t want to wreck your gut in the backcountry

 

[mtnwrunner]

Here are some ideas and a good place to start if you like doing meal prep on your own:

Backpacking Breakfast & Dinner Recipes and Meal Ideas

These are my best ideas for backpacking breakfasts and dinners. The recipes have been extensively field-tested by me and by hundreds of clients on my guided backpacking trips. Some meals were immediately winners, but often I tinkered with the ratios and secondary ingredients to get them just right.

andrewskurka.com

Damn....may have to try some of those recipes. They look good!
To the OP, you'll eventually figure out your needs and what you like and don't like.
FWIW, I always bring back food and pack way more than I eat. I've only been doing that for like 50 years or so......one day I'll learn.
As the saying goes, "you pack your fears."

Randy

 

[sierracharlie338]

Tagging this for future use