Hey OOT. There seem to be experts on just about everything on this forum, so maybe there will be some people interested in hiking/trekking here who can give me some advice.

In about 2 months I'm going to be going on a 12 day hike that will cover around 100 miles or so. The longest hike I've been on before was like 3 nights, so this will be quite a bit different.

I have all the gear/equipment/planning issues sorted, the only part of it that's stumping me is the part where we have to feed ourselves (2 of us) for that period of time. I want food I take to be that perfect combo of light/dense/high in energy, but it seems like you can at most get 2 of the 3.

Information online wasn't as helpful about this as I thought it would be, all the recommendations are like "take a lot of high energy food" ldo. I'm kind of bad at all things related to cooking/nutrition so I really need specifics to figure out what I'm supposed to do.

Has anyone with experience of a similar length hike got any advice on how to plan the nutrition aspect of things?

Any other advice/tips on long distance hikes would be appreciated, I'm pretty much a noob at hiking so I'm sure there's plenty of important **** I haven't even thought about yet.

Obv I will post on hiking-related websites as well!

great thread idea. im also planning a bigger hike then ive ever done before and would be interested on hearing what those with experience have to say in regards to making it as efficient as possible

Yeah, nice thread. Im interested in the 'secrets' that seasoned hikers have. Like the maxi pads instead of gauze for absorbing blood type tips.

Im moving to Boulder over Memorial Day weekend and will be doing a ton of hiking/trekking.

i am not experienced at this at all, but have you considered a jet boil?

http://shop.jetboil.com/index.php/pe...-system-2.html

there are assortments of packaged foods that are high in calories where you just add boiling water. they taste pretty good.

http://www.mtnhse.com/mm5/merchant.m...gory_Code=MHDL

i like the blueberry granola, chicken and rice, and mac and cheese.

http://www.backpackerspantry.com/

ive had this but cant remember what i ate or if it was good.

I hiked the Appalachian trail ten years ago so I know a bit about this. As far as food goes, I would bring Lipton rice/noodles, oatmeal, dried shredded coconut and/or unrefined coconut oil (great extra calories to add to either oatmeal or the Lipton rice dishes), dried fruits and nuts. Can you resupply halfway through? If you have to carry 12 days of food your packs are going to be very heavy to start with. Although it's doable if you're smart about it. But most novices would bring 12 days worth of food on a 6 day hike, so be careful with how much food you bring. If you're not very lean already you will lose quite a bit of weight and won't really be that hungry...if you have weight to lose it's doubtful you'll eat even 2000 calories/day. I didn't start getting really hungry and eating vast quantities of food until like 300 miles in probably.

The biggest mistake hiking noobs make is footwear. You should wear running shoes and wool socks with a light synthetic liner sock. Most people starting out long distance hiking begin wearing heavy boots, but almost everyone switches to lighter and lighter footwear as they get more experienced.

Post your gear list and where/when you're hiking and I'd be happy to give you more thoughts.

Oh and use hiking/trekking poles.

We'll be at mountain stations along the way (should be at one that has food every other day) and we'll be stopping at Kebnekaise (the biggest mountain in Sweden) for two days right in the middle so I aim to refill then.

Currently I'm thinking that we could carry a lot of dried stuff and buy the meat/protein etc from the stations. The thing about the stations is that they are way more expensive than buying food at home, and the food they sell is usually of the type that should be eaten right away, like frozen pizzas and stuff like that. Not so much stuff that can be taken away.

It's funny you should mention the boots thing since I've just been out and bought myself a pair of 'heavy' walking boots

We will be hiking the first half of "Kungsleden" ("The King's Trail": http://www.svenskaturistforeningen.s...e-Kings-Trail/). I would not be surprised if you haven't heard of it, heh. It's far up north, within the arctic circle.

The walking is pretty hilly, very rocky/stony, and we'll be going up Kebnekaise whilst we're there so I consider the boots pretty much a necessity. I get what you mean about lightweight shoes, but last time I went hiking in this area I twisted my ankle and had to walk for 2 days in a lot of pain, so this time around I'm really favouring a lot of ankle support. As well you can feel the rocks through the bottom of the shoe so it isn't particularly comfortable. If I was walking in the forest I would feel different. Also I'm not sure how you would cross streams etc with shoes, aren't your feet going to get soaking wet?

Packing list looks like this:

Base layer top + bottom (long johns and t shirt style)
Fleece jacket (if it's cold)
Rain coat
Rain pants
Socks (2 layers)
Balaclava/snood type thing (protects face from wind/rain)
Beanie
Backpack
Sleeping bag
Sleeping mat
Tent
Gas stove set (can eat out of the saucepan type things)
Spork
Water bottle
thermos
Sleepmask (midnight sun keeps me awake yo)
Ear plugs (block out the sound of mosquitoes buzzing against your tent all night)
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Toilet paper
Multipurpose washing stuff that you can use for shower gel, shampoo, dish washing + clothes washing
Small first aid kit with the usual stuff - plasters, pills for various ailments, sun tan lotion
Knife
Cord
Matches/Lighter
Compass/Map
Sunglasses
Small travel towel thing
Carrying 1 spare pair of underwear (have these base-layer type things that absorb sweat and don't smell), 1 spare pair of base layers, 2 spare pairs of socks


Thanks for reminding me! Is there any benefit over the more flashy/fancy poles than a regular pole? I mean what exactly is so special about them that a stick from the forest can't do? Just wondering.

Nice thread. I'll be doing some hiking this summer throughout the west coast and will report back here with some TRs.

Jetboil is the absolute nuts. I ****ing love my jetboil and there isnt another stove out there thats even comparably close.

and also dehydrated food is pretty ****ing awesome and is the way to go. I prefer mountainhouse over all the others. If youve got a costco near you they sell a 10 pack for $40, which is the cheapest way to go for dehydrated. You dont get to choose the flavors but the ones that come with it are pretty good. I havent really had a bad one yet, and I've tried prolly 90% of their meals (ive never had the breakfasts tho). Some of them are down right delicious.

Ive lived on that **** for 3 weeks at a time before as my dinner meal and never got tired of it, and its sooo easy to prepare and clean up (you just throw the bag away) that you wont really ever wanna do anything else.

Guhhh this makes me so jealous of people who live in civilised countries like the US. I checked out all the local stores that sell freeze dried food like that and the prices are like 150kr ($15+) for a meal for one person. Not really willing to spend 200kr($30) a day just for the evening meal, that's like $360 for the 12 days.

We do have like powdered soup type stuff though so I'm definitely taking that. Works great to make soup in the morning for breakfast + put it in the thermos to have for lunch as well.

a pole has wrist straps which is actually where you wanna load the force, where a stick doesnt work as well because you are using your grip strength, so its not as efficient and is more tiring. Plus a pole is lighter and does a way better job of shock abortion. Plus they are less cumbsome/pain in the ass, because you can telescope them down to nothing and latch them on your pack easily, where a giant stick you dont have that option.

Theres a pretty noticeably big difference between using them and not using them IMO. Really no idea why some people bag on them as unmanly or whatever. People dont bag on your for using a super fancy ground pad, they think that **** is the nuts, and I dont really see the difference. Its something that makes your journey easier and more comfortable, and therefor more enjoyable. *shrug*

ouch, that sucks! Can you not mail order via internet? Also, 1 bag of that stuff is plenty, so you wouldnt need to factor in 2 per meal

From opening backpacking threads in the past I expected to see pics of you walking through NY or something.

Your answer: Dehydrated stuff that just needs water, trail mixes, etc.

Nice. Obv youve done this before. Good stuff...

OP, just googling backpacking food ideas brought up some decent results and I saw some decent tips I just took for granted having grown up in a family that camps a lot.

I'd freak out w/out coffee.

Do they have those pouches of salmon or tuna in Sweden? I don't take much meat when hiking, but when I did it was usually pouches of salmon (lighter than cans) and smoked sausages. See if you can't arrange to have half of your food mailed to one of these mountain stations and pick it up when you arrive.

Trekking poles offer much better support/defense against ankle sprains than heavy boots. A good trekking pole (Leki is the brand I used) will have a tip that grips even rock very well and you can immediately break any fall or stumble with the poles. It's true that you will feel the rocky terrain more in running shoes than heavy boots but you will still feel the rocks in heavy boots. And while heavy boots will keep your feet dry to some degree, after a while if it is wet enough the inside of your boots WILL get wet and the problem with heavy boots is that they will STAY wet. Like for days after the terrain is still bone dry. Running shoes will get wet immediately but will be dry after a few hours of walking. And wet running shoes are much more comfortable to walk in than wet heavy boots. If you don't get blisters from your dry boots (and you might) then you probably will get blisters from your wet boots. And it really is almost impossible to get blisters from walking in well-fitting running shoes, dry or wet. So yes, it is possible that using running shoes could ruin your trip in the form of a sprained ankle or to a lesser degree sore feet from tough terrain, but wet boots and blisters can similarly ruin your trip.

Having said that it is very difficult to convince an inexperienced backpacker that he should use light shoes. I know, I chose heavy boots when I was starting out and I was told the exact same thing I'm telling you now. So make sure your heavy boots are comfortable and well-broken in.

Are you planning on purifying your water or are you going commando? Either way I'd bring some iodine tablets as a back up, or as something that can be used for first aid to disinfect wounds. Throw some super glue in your first aid kit as well, it can be used to close up a bad cut. How many pairs of socks are you using? Bring at least 3 imo. Bring some camp shoes as well, you'll want to get out of those heavy boots after walking 8 miles...running shoes or sandals you can wear socks with, NOT flip-flops. Bring a couple of books, you'll probably only be walking for 5 or 6 hours a day so you'll have plenty of time to kill.

They're lighter, they grip rock better, they have more comfortable grip...go to an outdoors store and see how you like them.

What would you recommend for a proper first aid pack for a 5 day hike? I always go overboard here because Im kinda neurotic about it.

What I have in my pack is something about like:

http://www.backpacker.com/gearlist_b...kit/gear/12113

minus the blanket plus super glue in case someone's dog cuts their paw open. Also, have a little sewing kit.

I'm not sure if they have those things... I doubt it. I'll take a look. Mailing is not an option since the mountain stations only get things delivered by helicopter and space is at a premium.

You've sold me, I'll definitely be picking up some proper walking poles before we go.

Hey, I wouldn't say 600g is that heavy But yeah, I guess we'll see how I feel about it after I get back (I'll update this thread to let you know if I changed my mind :P)

The water is very clean here, everyone drinks the water straight out of the streams/rivers.

Solid tips, thanks. I was planning on taking socks that I'm wearing + 2 spare pairs. I doubt I will take books or anything like that, I want to keep the excess weight to a minimum (after all, I am using heavy boots :P). My boyfriend is entertaining enough and besides we're bringing the camera (forgot to mention that) which weighs a ton as it is.

Which is a point, why is it that cameras, even though they weigh so little, feel like they weigh so much and get really annoying when you carry them around your neck? I hate carrying our camera and we always end up arguing over who has to carry it.

Dude, animals and fish crap in those streams. Filter it.

Animals don't poo in streams. Animals and fish drink out of streams and somehow manage to survive. Absolutely no one who walks in the mountains in Sweden purifies their water. You'd have to be mad to do it, it's a complete waste of space and time. Most of the time when you're drinking water out of a stream you're looking up at the glacier the water came from. The Swedish tourist board explicitly recommends it: http://www.svenskaturistforeningen.se/en/Help/

Edit: And as well the tap water for the local residents usually comes directly from the same water sources.

I guess maybe if it's runoff directly from a glacier but if there are animals living in it I'd be filtering my water or boiling at least. To think fish and animal crap doesn't end up in there is kind of naive. Fish die right? Their corpses are going to decompose in it.

Edit: Checked out link, sweet trail.

Didn't read it all but I would suggest a CamelBak the bladder holds 3+ liters of water with a flexible hose to that clips on the shoulder strap by your head. Makes it really convenient to take a sip at a time on your hike. Field strip everything. No need for extra weight/trash on the trail. I've always did what they call a grunt roll. underwear/socks/tshirt all rolled up tightly in a round cylinder. keeps well in ziploc bags which is pretty good water proofing instead of buying an all weather bag.

zip off hiking pants also. pretty much the nuts. added warmth at night and in the morning then turn right to shorts midday. Also keeps your pack that much lighter without sacrificing any of your comfort.

This.

I like to carry a bottle of iodine tablets (http://www.amazon.com/Potable-Aqua-W...ies/B001949TKS). They're great for filtering water during the day because you don't have to dig through your pack for your filtration system). Just keep the bottle in your pocket and plop 2 pills into your nalgene- 30 mins later you got drinking water and you never had to stop.

BWT, If you do ever need to drink water unfiltered, take it from a quick-flowing part of a stream rather than a stagnant pool.