Lunch ideas for winter hikes

I like hot Tang to drink. I always bring a thermos on winter hikes. MEC used to make a slender thermos that held about half a liter (I don't see it in the current winter catalog) which was fairly lightweight. I make salami and cheese minibagel sandwiches too. They are packed full of energy for winter hiking and skiing. I also mix cashews in a nalgene bottle with chocolate bits for a quick fix. I usually bring a mix of Swedish fish, gummy bears and sour patch kids for something different. I like the Petite E'colier chocolate cover cookie/crackers also. I have a hard time finding them up here though. Sometimes Shaw's has them in stock, otherwise it's over the border to Canada.

My brother brought York Peppermint Patties on a minus-15-degree hike on Lafayette. We got the sensation alright...

I really don't change up my food based on the season that much. It's more a matter of changing up the storage and preparation methods. Basically, making sure stuff like power bars don't freeze (and thus break your teeth when trying to eat them), and figuring out how to heat up dinner in the evenings (if overnighting).
The cooking of food just takes a bit longer, naturally, in the cold. also, trying to cook on snow takes a little practice. I've also noticed that my Snowpeak canister stove certainly has limitations below a certain temperature (and altitude, if out West). I.E. Hot chocolate isn't possible at 10 degrees and 10,000 feet with a canister; lukewarm chocolate is.
Another fun quirk is trying to operate the cookstove with gloved hands while below zero, or getting numb fingers making breakfast. Good times either way.

New Mix of an Old Favorite

In the winter I carry a Thermos of hot tea and trail mix. (Uh, the trail mix isn't in the Thermos ) Recently I found a new mix in my local supermarket. It's by Ocean Spray and contains dried cranberries, chocolate chips, peanuts, almonds and cashews. I've eaten it the last four weekends and am still not sick of it. Should be easy enough to make this one on my own too, but I've been too lazy.

What's your supply source for MRE's??? ThaNKS..

I put gorp in a ziplock baggie inside a nalgene bottle insulator and strap it to the side of my hip belt. That way it's easily accessible _ and doesn't freeze cuz it's insulated. For me, I find that's the best way to ensure that I stay fed during a winter hike. Otherwise, I get too cold if I have to stop to dig out my food.

I also make sure that one of the bottles I bring is filled with Cytomax, an energy drink, so I have another source of keeping my sugar up.

Winter Lunch

Hey there is nothing better than something warm in your tummy when it's freezing out! I love to take a thermos of my famous hot chocolate. I add 1/3 coffee and 2/3 hot choc with a slew of marshmellows. I also love hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick in it. Hot tea is great also. Then for food - you need one of those wide-mouth thermos and the only place i've ever found them is right on the thermos web site (if anyone knows where else to get them please let me know) but in those you have the wider opening so they are great for rice w/ chili over it (topped w/ cheese)(and the perfect blend of carbs & protein you need), smashed garlic potatoes w/ gravy, mac n cheese, hot soups... you name it. it just makes a HUGE difference when you can eat something warm when the temps drop down.

Hey, granola is not just for breakfast anymore. Fortify it with rasins, frozen blueberries, and nuts. If you do not like it dry, here's a tasty treat discovered by accident. I thought I was pouring powdered milk on the granola, but actually it was powdered lemonade mix. When water was added, it tasted great, much better than powdered milk. If it's freezing weather, by the time I mess around with fuel and getting the stove going, I've started to chill down and get cold. Better to graze as one walks, or grab a quick bite to eat during a short break. Hard boiled eggs will last for several days. Warm drinks are a good psycholgical boost, but do they really warm you up, as in warm one's body temp? I do not think so. Holding a warm pot does warm the hands, and the body, too, if held in one's lap. ...but I digress. I'm partial to chocolate covered walnut M+Ms. Carry a pouch on your hip belt for easy acces without having to remove one's pack. (someone mentioned a small nalgene bottle attached to a shoulder strap works, well, too)

thai kitchen soups

I just discovered these soups by Thai Kitchen. They are soooo good. Lemongrass and chili, garlic and veggies, spring onion(just to name a few) and they are msg free with natural ingredients. Also they are made with rice noodles that cook up very quickly. Trader Joe's and Stop and Shop carry the soups. I also always take along homemade chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies no matter what season!!! They are extra yummy when you can dunk them in a nice cup of hot chocolate : )

Thank you, Chip

Thanks Chip for your PM re where to buy...Good info

While these might be a little heavy for ultralight, they certainly go over luxuriously well for some hot chili, Mac & Cheese, thick soups or goulash on very cold winter hikes and they are discounted very deeply at Campmor right now. Otherwise I usually have cold stuff and my pint sized vaccuum thermos with some soup with me.

14 oz Capacity

20 oz capacity

Thermos of hot soup for the heat and fluid. Also like leftover pizza - cheese, carbos, fat. If its not super cold, I like to eat it cold. If its frigid, I usually stick the wrapped slices inside my coat a while before its time to eat them.

I just read about an energy boosting snack in Backpacker mag. Ziploc bag w/hot cocoa mix in it, toss in grape sized balls of butter, shake to coat, enjoy.

Sounds weird, but I'm thinking of trying it out...

jbrown said:

I just read about an energy boosting snack in Backpacker mag. Ziploc bag w/hot cocoa mix in it, toss in grape sized balls of butter, shake to coat, enjoy.

Sounds weird, but I'm thinking of trying it out...

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Only butter seems pretty heavy on the liver... I'm gonna try it mixed with a bit of flour and some chop nuts. (Here goes a "Miam" smiley)

I'm really impressed and intrigued by all of you who carry a stove and actually heat up your lunch on the trail.

Its all I can do to pause and eat a half frozen morsel of something and take a swig of my hot gatorade, or maybe hot tea from a thermos. If I had to stop on a winter hike and pull out a stove, a pot, ingredients, start up the stove with my frigid little fingers, eat, and then afterwards put all that stuff away, I think it would push me over the edge.

timmus said:

Only butter seems pretty heavy on the liver... I'm gonna try it mixed with a bit of flour and some chop nuts. (Here goes a "Miam" smiley)

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How about mixing it with Oatmeal, instead of flour. Hodson Mills (spelling) makes an interesting number of grain products, including flax, designed for hot cereal and baking. They'd be perfect.

I, too, am one who can't imagine taking out a stove and all that entails. In this way I need immediate gratification of prepared foods and hot drink or soup from my thermos.