Help with finding food items

[nwphil]

Hi,
I am Phillip, and I live in the PNW - Pacific Northwest of USA, more exactly in Oregon, nearby Portland
me and my wife are about to visit NZ for the first time next month, and it's very likely we will return for a more tu bushwacking/wilderness experience- very excited for this visit/adventure.
This time we are sticking to the great walks, which is not bad at all, and we are very glad to score reservations.
Most of info is wide available on the net, but it's the details that bite you back - in this case the nitty gitty of some food items: instant coffe, nutrition bars and water enhancer/flavouring.
- we usually flavour our water while camping and hiking, as a way to get electrolytes and take out some water flavors - we do use water filtration, but that bottom-of-the-lake taste is hard to take out,
http://www.makeitmio.com/
I searched for the water enhance on the lnik above, and it seems that does not exist in NZ. I found some other stuff searching online (VitalZing), but is a bit more of a nutritional/sports geared thing than we need - so, is there something else available at local supermarkets? we will be basecamping in Queenstown and later pass by Taupo.

Regarding coffee - I tolerate the instantcoffee individual packets from starbucks - from my serach it seems to be a novelty in NZ(?), so open to suggestions, and info if indeed can be found pretty much everytwhere
https://athome.starbucks.com/product/it ... ia-instant

Last but not least nutition bars.
we use Clif bars mostly for day hikes, or simply to get some energy between campsites when backpacking:
https://www.clifbar.com/shop/product_line/clif-bar
and often for energy boost:
https://www.clifbar.com/shop/product_li ... ergy-chews
is there something similar in NZ, readly available in markets or/and outdoor gear stores?

Thanks for the help
Phillip

[RonK]

Yes, New Zealand is quite civilised. They have supermarkets where all kinds of stuff like that can be purchased. [WINKING FACE]

[Warin]

Kiwis/New Zealanders use a slightly different language.

Your going 'tramping'. Not hiking. They do understand the term 'hiking' and other terms you might use.
You'll not starve, while they have only 4.7 M people the country is not large so things are fairly close together. Oh, they have ATMs too.. and banks.
Yes, you can buy equivalents of things you want. After all they have the same basic requirements, and sometimes you can get the exact same thing if you must

http://www.clifbar.co.nz/store-locator

Part of travelling is trying different things though .. so go with what is there, you should enjoy some of it.

Google "new zealand tramping shops" and you'll have shops to chose from.
Supermarkets? https://www.countdown.co.nz/ and so on.

[nwphil]

Thanks Warin...yeah, I often forget that - tramping is a whole different thing around here
Not that I want exact the same thing - just somewhat similar as they work for me, and well sometimes the fun of trying new stuff is not that fun.

Don't expect less for NZ and Australia - probably more civilized than many states here anyway - actually, right here in Oregon, about 250km away from home, unless you are in one of the few major towns/cities, lucky to find more than 3 types of cheese or beer sometimes...

My search is mostly geared towards tramping/bushwacking food - higher calorie content/nutritious lighter to pack and easy to handle. I have seem my share of nutcases, carrying a french press into the wild, or a cast-iron pan...

I rather buy local when possible, which often was not the case in most of my oversea trips last decade ( africa, asia and south america)

Thanks for the info

[Warin]

Thanks Warin...yeah, I often forget that - tramping is a whole different thing around here

Yep. It is adapt to what is avalible if you go local.

The shops that carry cliff bars will probably also carry other foods that should be of use. There was a couple travelling south america by bicycle that had a list of the local food they purchased together with the calories .. made interesting reading. Have fun; shopping, eating and tramping.

[nzbazza]

Hey Philip,
Some options to help you out:

For electrolytes/water flavouring I use Vitasport sachets, each sachet is good for 750-1000ml, available at all the main supermarkets either in the "lifestyle" or cordial drinks sections.
https://shop.countdown.co.nz/shop/produ ... =vitasport

Most supermarkets will have half an aisle dedicated to instant coffee can recommend Jeds or screaming Turtle brands, Jeds also do bean bags that are like teabags but for coffee and work really well for tramping (:
https://shop.countdown.co.nz/shop/brows ... fee?page=1

For snack/meal bars within supermarkets the best option are OSM bars
https://shop.countdown.co.nz/shop/searc ... Search=osm

[Warin]

Humm I was going to advise about Pineapple Lumps, being a Kiwi sweet.
Unfortunately you'll have to settle for Pineapple Chunks .. unless you go Ozie.

In either case.. try them.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food ... ks-live-on

[nwphil]

Hey Philip,
Some options to help you out:

For electrolytes/water flavouring I use Vitasport sachets, each sachet is good for 750-1000ml, available at all the main supermarkets either in the "lifestyle" or cordial drinks sections.
https://shop.countdown.co.nz/shop/produ ... =vitasport

Most supermarkets will have half an aisle dedicated to instant coffee can recommend Jeds or screaming Turtle brands, Jeds also do bean bags that are like teabags but for coffee and work really well for tramping (:
https://shop.countdown.co.nz/shop/brows ... fee?page=1

For snack/meal bars within supermarkets the best option are OSM bars
https://shop.countdown.co.nz/shop/searc ... Search=osm

Thanks - that helps quite a lot

[nwphil]

Humm I was going to advise about Pineapple Lumps, being a Kiwi sweet.
Unfortunately you'll have to settle for Pineapple Chunks .. unless you go Ozie.

In either case.. try them.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food ... ks-live-on

looks very interesting most chocolate and sweets sold in the us are overly sweet - as long as it's not a chocolate covered bug or similar I am up to try the good local stuff...

[wayno]

you can bring those sorts of commercially prepared product into NZ

[nwphil]

you can bring those sorts of commercially prepared product into NZ

hopefully will bring some out
So far it seems that all is covered - not a security blanket per say; is just stuff we feel comfortable to use and works for us. Some people do carry a lightweight frying pan and go to "obscene" lengths in order to get fresh food in the wild. Nothing wrong with that...just not for me
I do prefer fresh brewed coffee, and tried my hand with two or 3 contraptions LOL - sticking with instant coffee since, and well it's fine, because it's not forever and has some advantages. That's all.

Thanks you all for the help deciphering the NZ's pantry