Sheep food weight and calorie count?

[USMCret]

Looked and didn’t see anything new so thought it might be nice to start a new tread with what you plan for on weight and calories count per day for your sheep hunts. If you can share or provide a detailed list and pictures I’m sure everyone, and especially me would appreciate it.

 

[Yellowknife]

I aim for around 1.8 lbs/day. It's worked out well for me for quite a few years. A week long hunt I will most typically be around +/- 13 lbs. For a fly-in I will add a little more in case of weather delays.

Although I make sure everything is as high calorie as I can reasonable make it, I don't do exact counts.

 

[idig4au]

I'm in the 1.75-1.8 lbs range too. I try to keep regular foods as much as possible. Some of my favorites include

• Corn chips - 2 oz per day - a must
• Jerky - 2 oz per day
• Protein Bar - Quest
• trail mix - 2 oz per day. But i get tired of eating nuts everyday, so maybe every 2nd or 3rd day in my food packs.
• Bagel w/ peanut butter. Sometimes with precooked bacon.
• String cheese
• Rice Crispy treats
• Gummy bears or candy bars
• Mt House for breakfast (granola/berries or breakfast skillet)
• Mt house for dinner (make sure have a good variety and avoid chicken and rice as it lacks flavor and chili mac will make all creatures large and small leave the mountain). Buffalo wings, cheddar cheese and tortilla shells makes for a good dinner. I'll snack on tortilla shells by themselves as well
• Hot chocolate or apple cider
• Wilderness athlete Hydrate/Recover and Energy/Focus. Also will bring along concentrated drops such as lemonade.

I'll mix and match. Depends on how long I am doing out for and how many days.

 

[snowcamoman]

I'm right in the 1.3 to 1.5 pounds per day. My wife makes me some pretty high calorie items that I take, so I'm in that 3500-4500 calorie range. These are my main items and I'll mix in some sort of other snack items during the day at times too.

• Homemade granola (Coconut oil, macadamias, granola, powdered milk, craisins or blueberries)
• Homemade Trail Mix (lots of macadamia nuts, almond M&M's, coconut flakes, Cashews)
• Snack size snickers
• Hawk Vittles Dinners
• Wilderness Athlete or Tailwind mix
• Coffee with breakfast and during down time in camp.
• Landjaeger sticks

 

[Jimbob]

My goal is 1.5 lbs/day but I am always slightly over.

Breakfast - coffee and oatmeal mix (granola, dried fruit, protein powder)
Lunch - most difficult meal Salami/cheese/crackers is my favourite, add a cliff bar
Dinner - dehydrate all my own now
Snacks - nuts/chocolate/dried fruit
At least one electrolyte drink mix per day


10.5 days of food below

 

[Outdoorsman12b]

I have settled at 1.5lbs of food a day and about 3000 cals. It's about perfect for me as I eat all the food I bring in. What I take changes every year slightly but the core of my list is based off this guys video. The more "fresh" type food I can bring the better. +1 on taking an electrolyte with you daily. We use nuun tabs

 

[USMCret]

I have settled at 1.5lbs of food a day and about 3000 cals. It's about perfect for me as I eat all the food I bring in. What I take changes every year slightly but the core of my list is based off this guys video. The more "fresh" type food I can bring the better. +1 on taking an electrolyte with you daily. We use nuun tabs

I saw this and it seems great and he shoots for 4K calories and 2 lbs a day and love the video that he shared. It does seem a little high in calories and weight but he it a pretty big guy and looks very fit for the weight

 

[Outdoorsman12b]

I saw this and it seems great and he shoots for 4K calories and 2 lbs a day and love the video that he shared. It does seem a little high in calories and weight but he it a pretty big guy and looks very fit for the weight

Yea I could not eat all that food and some of my personal preferences don't align. You have to be able to eat it day after day. If you do try and follow here is a few lessons learned.

- 2 mountain house meals a day = bring your own tent and a full roll of TP.
- Cheese is the best thing since sliced bread.
- Man can't live without Fritos on the mountain.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

I am always modifying my backcountry meals but just like everyone else I'm about 1.5-1.8lbs of food (1500-2200cal) per day and most of the time that's about all I can eat. Must haves for me are: Dessert, coffee, and a full roll of TP for the MH butt mud.

 

[USMCret]

My goal is 1.5 lbs/day but I am always slightly over.

Breakfast - coffee and oatmeal mix (granola, dried fruit, protein powder)
Lunch - most difficult meal Salami/cheese/crackers is my favourite, add a cliff bar
Dinner - dehydrate all my own now
Snacks - nuts/chocolate/dried fruit
At least one electrolyte drink mix per day


10.5 days of food below

View attachment 180873

Jombob, love the picture and info. Do you know what your calorie count is? I see the mountain house but now you say you do all your own. Do you have any details you can share about about that ?

 

[USMCret]

THink this tread is going great guys and really appreciate the input so far. Wondering if anyone has every used the survival bars at all.. I know they wouldn’t be perfect or real tasty but like Mainstay has a 1200 calories bar that is 4 oz which would be 4800 cal/ 1lbs. Seems like it would be a way to save a couple of pounds. If you were willing to do that say for 4 days you could save 2 to 4 pounds and even more if you only did 3600 per day at 12 oz.

 

[idig4au]

THink this tread is going great guys and really appreciate the input so far. Wondering if anyone has every used the survival bars at all.. I know they wouldn’t be perfect or real tasty but like Mainstay has a 1200 calories bar that is 4 oz which would be 4800 cal/ 1lbs. Seems like it would be a way to save a couple of pounds. If you were willing to do that say for 4 days you could save 2 to 4 pounds and even more if you only did 3600 per day at 12 oz.

Yikes, no way I would try that. Same as those who try to not take a stove. Many of people have left the mountains in defeat, hungry and tired as they don't have the fuel in the body to perform or keep morale up. Food is all about finding what makes you work/perform and dialing in the right amount to optimize weight. That is the key.

 

[bsnedeker]

Some people are less food motivated than others. I go stoveless all the time when I hunt elk. Obviously sheep territory is very different so it's probably worth the weight and all the extra water you need to use, but when I'm chasing elk the last thing the in world I care about is getting a hot meal.

 

[Grady.J]

THink this tread is going great guys and really appreciate the input so far. Wondering if anyone has every used the survival bars at all.. I know they wouldn’t be perfect or real tasty but like Mainstay has a 1200 calories bar that is 4 oz which would be 4800 cal/ 1lbs. Seems like it would be a way to save a couple of pounds. If you were willing to do that say for 4 days you could save 2 to 4 pounds and even more if you only did 3600 per day at 12 oz.

I've tried a couple different brands of those emergency ration bars, I think I've had the Mayday and the Datrex, mightve had the mainstay as well. Honestly the taste wasn't that bad, texture kind of like a shortbread cookie. I certainly wouldn't want them for my only source of food, but packing a 1200cal bar for lunch isn't a bad idea at all. I might have to order a couple to try them again.

 

[Poser]

Check out Green Belly bars. It’s 645 calories, 210 from fat, for 5.47 oz. I don’t eat them as meal replacements, but some guys do. They also offer some meal replacement shakes. Again, I need real food, but These are a great way to supplement caloric intake.

 

[Jimbob]

THink this tread is going great guys and really appreciate the input so far. Wondering if anyone has every used the survival bars at all. I know they wouldn’t be perfect or real tasty but like Mainstay has a 1200 calories bar that is 4 oz which would be 4800 cal/ 1lbs. Seems like it would be a way to save a couple of pounds. If you were willing to do that say for 4 days you could save 2 to 4 pounds and even more if you only did 3600 per day at 12 oz.

I'm pretty sure 1200 calories/4 oz is impossible. Fat is the most calorie-dense nutrient at about 250/oz. 4 oz of pure fat would be a little over 1000 calories. I believe the first explorers that skied unsupported to the North pole just ate lard. They achieved something awesome but I'm sure they didn't write home about the food.

Food out in the backcountry is a HUGE joy for me. The simplest cup of coffee and bowl of oatmeal enjoyed from my sleeping bad or behind a spotter is just pure bliss. I love my time in the mountain and food adds to that. I'm hardcore and serious when hunting but I still enjoy the heck out of it.

Favourite dehydrated meal: rice and beans with Fritos and melted cheese, check the link and explore the site for more recipes

Andrew Skurka meals

 

[recurveman]

Well there are a few things to consider when looking at what food to bring. If it is for 5 days then you can suffer through almost anything. If it is for 10+ days then I think having a bigger variety of foods goes a long ways.

I like to have a good variety from day to day. Sometimes when you look at a food bag nothing looks good and you are just trying to find something to stuff down your throat. Other times everything looks good.

Here are some options that I like to pack along

tortilla/cheese and mayo
tortilla/ PB&J
peanut butter M&M's
Peanut butter pretzel squares (having some crunch goes a long ways)
Gummy bears
Peak refuels are great
full size snicker bars (makes for a great breakfast!!!! Don't tell mom)
reeses peanut butter cups (typically come in a variety of shapes once they have been in the pack)
mango strips (these might as well be gold in the back country)
dehydrated pineapple
MIO energy drink mix for caffeine
1 cup granola, 1/4 cup dehydrated whole milk, 1/4 cup dehydrated strawberries. cereal in the woods
Extend electrolyte replacement.

To me having a variety of foods to choose from is a big deal. Mix and match as you feel the need for something different. Another huge key........eat the food while out scouting, camping, training. See if you still like it. I've put quite a few items in my pack that I didn't really care for when I got out in the field and got the opportunity to carry it around for the rest of the hunt. Your appetite WILL change once you start to really stress your body for a few days.

To answer your question. I look to keep for at about 2 pounds and 4,000 calories. If I have a little extra then fine.

 

[Grady.J]

I'm pretty sure 1200 calories/4 oz is impossible. Fat is the most calorie-dense nutrient at about 250/oz. 4 oz of pure fat would be a little over 1000 calories. I believe the first explorers that skied unsupported to the North pole just ate lard. They achieved something awesome but I'm sure they didn't write home about the food.

The math is off for sure. I believe the 1200 cal packages are split into three 400cal squares. From the nutrition label I can find, each square weighs 2.67oz, which puts them at 149.8cal/oz, which isn't too shabby. So a 3600cal bar would weigh just over 24oz.

 

[Marine4life]

I have never been sheep hunting but if all goes well I will have my dream hunt in August.

I do have a bit of backpack hunting experience and two things I enjoy that enjoy that is also a good balance of carbs and protein and high energy.
1. PB and bacon sandwiches on toasted wheat toast.
2. 1/2 c. Instant oatmeal, 1 pkg of Carnation instant breakfast drink vanilla, 2 tbs of dry milk and dried berrries/almonds.

Either are good for breakfast and the PB sandwich is good anytime.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Theringworm]

Breakfast alternates b/w:
- 2 instant oatmeal packages, hot chocolate pack or
- Peak Refuel breakfast skillet or cereal (ain’t no Mountain House in my backpack....that’s bottom shelf crap) or

Lunch: Tortillas, cheese, salami/tuna or Bagel with PB
Snacks: Probars, jerky, trail mix, snicker/candy bars, rice crispy treats, gummy bears

Dinner: Peak Refuel meal
Rehydration/Electrolyte mix from fLuid Performance