Bushwalk Australia

Hi all

I've noted here and there the question of how much dry weight tucker you need to carry. Anything like 750 grams or more per day I regard as a lot - but perhaps I've been cutting things a bit fine? - always trying to keep pack weight down. I usually do lose quite a few kilos each trip.I've probably believed that shedding a couple of kilos in the process was a good thing, a desired thing. Perhaps good luck - I haven't been stranded or worse - is all that has prevented me seeing the inadequacy of my rations?

I haven't actually weighed the amount of food exactly but it wouldn't amount to more than 4 kilos for a week I imagine. I use that freeze dried stuff - that and museli are the mainstays - at a guess 150 grams each per day. 250 grams or more of freeze dried food would be a lot more than I'd normally eat.

In future I think I will take more tucker. Till now I've always assumed everyone lost weight that it was just part of the experience. I've always managed the intake of food fairly carefully - waiting till I've crossed that stream which might hold me up before I allow myself that extra snack and so on - I've always been a bit disciplined about how much I eat - especially in the first half of the walk.

Darryl

I would guess that losing weight on bushwalks is a fairly normal thing, depending on your starting fitness, metabolism, etc.

However, I tend to put on weight while walking. For me, this is because I'm fairly skinny (little or not fat) to start with, and also quite unfit most of the time. So I start off carrying little fat and little muscle. As the walk progresses, I get fitter, and put on a bit of muscle.

I also do eat more when I'm walking than at other times, and of course that's necessary, because of using a lot more energy. Also, I always take more food than I need, in case of emergencies.

I think everyone eats differently. I eat more than that and still loose lots of weight. But then I've got plenty of weight to spare unfortunatley.

I like to fill up after a long walk plus I think a full stomach helps keep me warm at night. Basically I'd rather the extra weight in my pack than being hungry at camp. Of course if I could fill up on 750g a day then that's all I'd carry. Guess it depends on what you normally eat - I generally eat quite a bit and hence it takes more to make me feel full - I could get used to eating less and then I could carry less, save money and probably lengthen my life! Hmmm when I put it like that perhaps I should give it a go
I doubt you need even 750g to be safe - afterall a person can go 2 weeks or so without food can't they? Not while hiking of course and certainly not comfortably!

Darryl wrote:Hi all

I've noted here and there the question of how much dry weight tucker you need to carry. Anything like 750 grams or more per day I regard as a lot - but perhaps I've been cutting things a bit fine? - always trying to keep pack weight down.<Snip>

Darryl

It is not so much the dry weight of food but the calorific values of the food you carry to meet your energy requirements when bushwalking. Some time back, I found this Australian Nutrition Foundation article "Packing Energy" to be useful (see Abstract below), but the only link I can now find is here where you can download a pdf version.
http://au.geocities.com/redlandbushwalk ... g%20Energy

ABSTRACT

BY - Australian Nutrition Foundation
"Going backpacking or trekking for a few days?
Using your body as a pack-horse, carrying a 15-20kg load up and down mountains, over rough ground and wading through rapidly flowing water, expends greater amounts of energy than suggested by the RDI (Recommended Daily Intake). Even if the terrain is not so arduous you still need more energy than for an average day in the suburbs or down on the farm."

This article outlines food selection issues you need to be aware of when preparing for a throughwalk. It contains suggestions for equipment and types of food to take. It includes nutritional guidelines and suggestions for each meal, with additional ways to bring variety into your throughwalk diet.

Wife & I have been averaging an actual consumption of 550g to 700g per person per day on extended trips (longer than 5 days). We don't lose weight, sometimes even put on a little ... must be the conversion of fat to muscle .

We take dry bought foods (bread, pasta, rice, lentils, crackers, deb, ...), a fair bit of home-dehydrated stuff (like tomatoes, capsicum, minced meat, marinated meat strips, strawberries, peaches, ...), cheeses & salamis, and a tin of fish per day.

This post shows a list of food for a 9 day walk I was supposed to go on but for a knee op.
Hope it helps.

Actually, that whole topic may interest you.

On the weekend I put together my food for 9 day hike commencing in two weeks. We thought we would take more hot food this time as it is winter and I figure we need more food to keep warm. If anyone is interested here are the results:

For two people - total food weight for 9 days (8 nights) 9.5kg or 4.75kg each (590g per day).

Dinners
3 nights - 100g backcountry freeze dried beef, 55g dried peas, 115g Deb + tomato sauce
5 nights - 175g backcountry freeze dried meals with either: 115g Deb, 110g cous cous flavoured, 150g mitani instant fried rice (2 x 75g pkts)
Desserts - 4 nights backcountry desserts (various) 175g
Total weight 3.2kg - with stuff sack and snap lock bags (I repackage everything to save room)

Lunches
3 days - 100g backcountry freeze dried beef, 55g dried peas, 115g Deb + tomato sauce
2 days - 150g mitani instant fried rice (2 x 75g pkts)
4 days - large style pita bread, tomato paste (tube), cheese, salami
Total weight: 2.2kg

Breakfasts
9 days - 100g muesli & powdered milk
Total weight: 1.8kg

Snacks
550g crackers with cheese
1080g 36 muesli bars (2 each per day)
396g chocolate (mini m&ms packets and mini snickers 1 each per day)
270g fruit bars (1 each per day)
Total weight: 2.3kg

This list doesnt include my brew kit. I dont know how much that weighs but for longer trips like this one I usually chuck in some of those instant hot chocolate/coffee sachets for a treat. Including a few tea bags, coffee & SC milk tube probably a few hundred grams.

I might throw in some fresh veges such as a cucumber and carrot to go in the pita breads too.

The food is not too imaginative as you can see but I thought the weight isnt too bad considering the amount of food we will be consuming. There are a few noticable items missing such as powdered soup and fruit/nut mix. Left them out b/c we dont like them...

Nuts where is the contact for Settlers Mince

http://www.settlersfoods.com.au/

best off ordered by phone. great product/people but they struggle with web orders

Has it improved from a few years ago or have you perfected some recipes however it does come outside my current criteria of only eating out of a bag but when I retire at the end of the year and will be less cashed up (no cash really) I will need to reassess my requirements so I am interested especially the 10 year shelf life (shees at that rate I could leave you some in my will) do you use it on a regular basis or just as a stand by and have you tried the flavoured versions.

Hi Corvus'

No it probably hasn't changed much. Just use the spag. bog. flavour. Use it for savoury mince/spag. bog. A bit of an unusual taste but very easy and the mince seems good quality. Iv'e had some crappy brands that seem to be either lumpy powdery stuff or like soup... The settlers seems a bit more 'forgiving'. Have used 3 boxes (36 packs) and is not bad value. We mix it with lots of fresh vegies/ herbs etc. With the savoury mince we use deb but mix it with a chopped sweet potato, onion etc.

These packet mixes are a poor second best to the real thing.

I'm supprised you use them! - Bachelor food!

I would suggest buying a dehydrator if you really want savings/good food!

G'day Nuts,
Got a dehydrator (as you should have suspected)and now only use it for making Jerky having made hundreds of meals up over the years (especially for my Scout Troop )so I am sort of past that for the time being .
As I normally eat very well at home I don't mind the Freeze Dried meals when I go on a walk and it helps to keep the weight down both in my pack and body but I would like to give the Settlers mince another try do you know if anyone carries it in the State as I would hate to get a carton and find out that I still don't like it.

Greetings from the (amazingly for winter) sunny West.

The Settlers site says the 125g packet rehydrates to two big servings. Is this so? I like a good feed out in the bush, but I don't want to make it all up if I should really just use half a pack. I tend to walk by myself, so there's no one to share it with.

I've also tracked down the Mitani fried rice at my local Coles. Thanks for the heads-up on that, becos it looks very interesting.

Cheers, Tony

Corvus, I'll pass you one when i get a new batch, i suspect it hasn't changed much...just the best of the poor second options to the real thing- amazing how well received it is though, hidden in a plate of pasta sauce or under gravy! I only get in the flavoured (spag. sauce) variety. I'd make my own spag. sauce (given the time and the legality) as using it plain, you may come up with a better taste.

A friend dehydrates all his own spag. bog. sauce and it tastes a whole lot better than any commercial mix

BT. Yes 125grm. would be a huge feed for one (though you could add a few dried vegies and eat it alone as a meal). Serves 2/3/4 as a pasta sauce etc.

Beware if you don't have a teflon coating....!

Nuts thanks for that I suspect I will have something to give you in exchange.
corvus

Hi all,

From chats with the old man, he takes about 600g per day on walks such as the Bibbulmun and finds himself losing a kilo or two. Sustainable in the short term perhaps, but my understanding is that burning fat releases ketones which are chemicals which make you feel lethargic. Better off carrying the extra 100g per day and feeling good. Personally, being 20, I expect to power through 850-950g (dry-weight) food per day.

Dave