Backcountry Nutrition

For individuals who have never spent much time venturing outdoors, it is important to realize that nutrition concerns differ considering your location, chosen activity, altitude and weather. Women usually take their nutrition pretty seriously and tend to value a good meal, simple or elaborate as it may be.

On extended trips it is very difficult to feel like you are maintaining a balanced and healthy diet, due to the limited time fruits and vegetables stay fresh, as well as the weight that these food sources add to an already heavy pack. The most important advice we want to share with our women readers has to do with dieting. We believe that it is most important to lead a balanced life. Most importantly, don’t try to start or maintain a diet while venturing in the backcountry.

It is extremely important to maintain an appropriate calorie intake while exerting a lot of energy – not only while hiking, skiing, etc., but also staying warm, and functioning away from the comforts we are accustomed to every day. It is extremely important that you are getting a lot of complex carbohydrates while doing a high level of activity. These complex carbs, found in gorp, granola, etc. should replace sugar snacks that will shoot your insulin high and then leave you lagging in a matter of hours. In addition to this nutrition necessity, we recommend bringing protein, found in tuna, beans, peanut butter, cheese and meat snack sticks.

If you have enough room in your pack, it is sometimes nice, on an extended trip to bring a little fresh food for the beginning of the trip – maybe a green pepper, an onion and a carrot. This adds a bit of weight, but is a treat after your first couple long days. Finally, carbohydrates like rice, pasta and crackers should be included as daily meal necessities.

When these foods, day after day, start to leave your taste buds wanting, check your pack for that one sweet snack reward that you brought for that very deserving moment!

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