Ways I Try to Eat Healthier Backpacking

00:59 Protein and Fat
03:55 Fruits and Veggies
07:23 Drink Mix
08:06 Supplements
10:36 Wild Edibles
11:03 In Town

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[timfennema]

I love to make fruit leather in my dehydrator. I take fresh strawberries and bananas and put them in the blender then put the mix on a insert made for my dehydrator. It turns out like fruit role ups. Healthy and no added sugars.

[SandCrabNews]

Almonds for potassium, dried apricots for fiber and beef jerky for protein.

[kirogurl]

I like TVP or dried lentils and beans with rice... this gives more complex carbs and fibre. These digest more slowly too. Precooked lentils that have been dehydrated offer up more protein than the same amount of ground meat. Curried lentils with dried peas and carots with rice and dehydrated mangos... This is my favorite backpacker meal.

[JustaReadingguy]

How about a video on "listening to your body?" Like starting our with lower mileage. How do you know when to ramp up? When to take the zero days? Or avoiding over use injuries. Sun exposure and dehydration. Digestive issues? And how to add more fun to your hike.

[justmare]

I'm not a backpacker, but love watching your videos and have followed along on all three thru-hikes. If you're dehydrating stuff to take out on the trail I think my trail mix would be great on trail. I dehydrate sliced strawberries, sliced apples, and whole blueberries (no sugar added, just as they come from nature) and then I add mixed raw, unsalted nuts (almonds, walnuts, filberts, pecans, brazil, and cashews) and then put a whole bunch of organic unsweetened coconut flakes (not the small shredded stuff, the big flakes). It's very healthy, gives a little sweetness and crunch while giving you the calories and fat you would need on the trail. You could make it up ahead of time and prepackage it and have X amount sent to you on trail.

[dtrex]

I've been doing keto for 4 months and have seen some encouraging results, sans exercise. Please note to Aaron, if he isn't already aware, that Grandma Gatewood hiked the AT fueled largely by Vienna sausages! I am very keen to see Aaron's experiences with thru-hiking on keto!

[Erik_The_Viking]

Spinach is easy to compress and very lightweight. I always bring dried mango - lightweight and packs a punch of good energy; just get the unsweetened ones which you can buy at Costco or Trader Joe's. I also use dried cranberries which can be used with oatmeal for breakfast. Dried beef and/or salmon jerky is also a great option.

[danielcluley]

Boiled eggs is a great idea, never thought of that.

I always love taking a bag of spinach out of town. It is very nutritious and stays fresh better than lettuce. Good for a day or two usually. (if you are cool when it starts to wilt just drop it into the pot with a MH or ramen/rice side)

I'm also a sucker for carrying Apples out of town. I know they are heavy but I consider it a luxury item. :)

[shelbylatona]

I LOVE dehydrating my own veggies for backpacking. I’ve never tried dehydrating my own meats, but I should. 😊 This was super helpful! Thanks!!

[tomcaldwell]

Great! I’m really glad to see this emphasis on nutrition. I’m especially interested in how Aaron does with Keto (burning fat for energy rather than carbs/sugar) on the AT. I have not noticed a reduction in energy. Maybe more. Thanks again for a great video.

[Boodieman]

There isn't any sugar in peanut butter unless its added after the fact. Get the natural peanut butter. Outdoor Herbivore has very healthy hiker food. Madjool Dates are a natural way to add sweetness and it lasts a long time.

[swell]

Everything in the wild is edible, sometimes you can only eat it once.

[TwylaWorld]

I pack in fresh veggies and fruit when I can to Peter Grub hut on the PCT in Northern Cali for the thru hikers. I love seeing their eyes get WIDE when I ask them if they'd like a fresh peach or apricot! LOL So fun! Their bodies are starving for fresh food for sure!

[robfigulski]

Spinach is very light and EXTREMELY compactable. You will be surprised how much you can jam into a quart size baggie... However I always treated myself to a victory snickers at the end of each day. :)

[TheDenisedrake]

This is so interesting to hear what you ate and what worked for you. I LOVE to make yogurt, so I will bring it on a trail angel setup.

[escapewithjay]

i used some dehydrated ground beef while i was kayaking the mississippi river headwaters last summer. i made it my self out of 92% grassfed beef worked awesome. make sure you add some flavor when you rehydrate. i used either garlic salt or cumin

[thehikingrealtor]

Love your videos! Keep them up. I did a 56 mile hike last year (my first real backpacking trip). Might be very short by many hikers standards but it was a great and fun start for me. Anyway, not so healthy but I found dark chocolate covered espresso beans to be a huge help in giving me a boost when I needed it most. I also packed in sliced up carrots and celery sticks to munch on which helped energize me as well. Lastly I packed 3 bananas and ate one each day to give the potassium needed to help reduce or avoid leg cramps. keep on trekking!

[navymom]

Very helpful info, Dixie. Thank you for another great video! Please do let us know Aaron’s start date and vlogging info as I would love to follow him. There is a wonderful group in the Class of 2019! 😎⚓️

[musicmyheart]

I feel like I just received my first trail magic! I am planning a SOBO PCT hike this year and just (as in 2 days ago) got the news from my doctor that I need to be on a low sodium diet. My first thought was, “What am I going to eat on the PCT now?!” This was EXACTLY the video I needed to watch today. Thank you! 🙏

[willygonwildincanada]

Dehydrated fruit leathers have served me well on extended trips! Delicious and no sugars or additives :)

Also if you're hiking in areas with birch trees look into Chaga tea. Really good for your body.