Lunch anyone? What to eat on a winter day hike

[leaf]

haven't done it in a while, but used to bring the imitation crab meat.

that stuff is da bomb

crab rangoons!

[Sasquatch]

I have been on several very cold hikes(8-14 hours) and have not any freezing issues.I usually have bagels and various sandwiches(tuna,chiken salad) as well as trail mix and bars.I put them in a stuff sack with my extra gloves and hats deep in the pack.

[Hikes4fun]

I dont hike in the winter, its cold out there!

But...There are no roots rocks mud or bugs to contend with...and most of the tenny shoe crowd stays home And the views on a cold clear winter day are the best!!

[wardsgirl]

I never have much of an appetite when hiking, so small snack-size items like trail mix, cookies, and brownies are definitely the order of the day. Along the stromboli line, we usually make up some wraps (the green spinach ones are especially yummy and sometimes other hikers get grossed-out thinking you are eating moldy food) with turkey, cheese, and mayo. We wrap them up pretty tight and then cut them into small cylindrical pieces. These little morsels are manageable even when semi-frozen, and can be accessed and eaten without stopping for a FWG sit-down-lunch, which we try to avoid in winter as much as possible.

Of course, when traveling with kids, and otherwise incompetent relatives , one must plan on a layered-up, sunny, windless spot, at 12 noon exactly for trailside victuals.

For liquids on a dayhike, we always boil up a stockpot of water before we leave home. From this, for each hiker, we make 1 quart hot Gatorade for the insulated water bottle holder within hand's reach on the outside of each pack, and 1 quart hot water for the insulated water bottle holder kept inside the pack to be used later in the day, as well as one quart of warm Gatorade to drink on the way to the trailhead (we live in NH, so it's not usually too far). As a special treat, Jay usually carries a thermos of very, very, intense hot chocolate mixed with coffee for the summit. The coffee really makes the youngsters speed up when they are apt to be the most tired!

[KayakDan]

PB&J on toasted English muffins. They're more "squishproof" in your pack.

[MarkJ]

Alphabet Soup with all the vowels taken out, in a thermos.The vowels weigh more than the other letters so my pack is lighter.also frozen spam chunks cut small to add in at the summit.Since using this technique ,no one has hiked with me....

[LRiz]

I really like Larabars - simple, natural ingredients, no added sugar, unprocessed, and really yummy. Cashew Cookie is my absolute favorite (could, and do, eat them all day ). Given the high fat content, I've never had a problem with them freezing up on me. I also like Clif Bars, but usually have to stick them down my shirt for a while before eating in order to thaw them out a bit...

I'm also a huuuuge fan of GU/Clif/Powerbar gels. Pop a few of those babies and I am CRANKING... especially the espresso flavored ones. The little shot bloks are good, too. I always get the ones containing caffeine, but that's only because I am an addict.

In terms of liquids, I carry two nalgenes filled with G2 and/or Propel (always grape flavored), one on the outside of my pack in an insulated holder and one inside. I also carry a thermos of coffee when I feel so inclined (typically for a longer hike).

Lastly, I put all of my snacks in one of those insulated water bottle holders and strap it to the outside of my pack for easy access. Water one one side, snacks on the other... good deal. No big lunches for me - I'm one of those people who needs to eat constant, small snacks throughout the day on a winter hike. Funnily enough, it's the complete opposite in the summer (I barely eat anything at all).

[adirobdack46r]

Thanks to everyone for your great suggestions. So many choices and options to think about and try. I'm horrible at eating when hiking, generally I just don't feel like it, or don't want to take the time. Eventually this is my demise because I get low on energy and sick feeling so it compounds and really don't want to eat anything. This weekend I climbed Giant and RPR. I packed mini Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups and Nestle Crunch bar broke in to little pieces for chocolate. This I carried on the outside so it wouldn't melt. Then I carried a little sack inside my bibs against my chest/tummy, this kept the contents warm (though freezing would not have been an issue on this above freezing day) but it kept the sack readily accessible. In it I had Crogan Bologna (a local meat if not familiar), pepperoni, cheese, all cut in to pieces. I munched on it all day long. I think it did wonders for keeping my overall energy up and just a better general feeing all day long. Starving myself out there just wasn't working for me. Readily accessible food to munch on all day long is the way to go. Also managed to fit in eating a power bar and a granola bar during the day as well.

[Viewseeker]

Yes those little snacks worked out well robert.. thanks again for the company

[Rik]

Pizza!!!!!

[iceNsnow]

In order to maintain an appetite, it seems that I enjoy a regular break for lunch. Also regular food is more satisfying than continuously munching. From reading these other posts, I see that is not the norm. But there may be others out there that enjoy a healthy sanwich w/ fresh veggies, cheese, meat/eggs/fish on a wrap (so it doesn't get squished!)

Then for a snack I have a homemade energy bar that is soft and delicious. Chocolates are always in supply for emergency love on the trail.

Nothing freezes and is often warm because I keep the food next to my hot tea( w/ lots of milk and honey) in Nalgenes w/o insulators in the middle of my pack - surrounded by extra hats, gloves, fleece etc. It just seems to me that an nalgene-insulator is extra weight that doesn't have a dual purpose. In case of an emergency extra mitts, etc. can be stuffed inside a jacket/pants if I don't use them for their intended purpose.

[Jason Berard]

I snack all day in the winter....no big meal for me.

The best thing I have found to put my crumbled chocolate covered pretzels in is an empty Kraft parmesan cheese container...the kind with the flip top....Then it fits right into a 16oz sized bottle parka.

The container was NOT my idea, ( Thanks, Rols!). It works great. The I have my water on one side, and snack on the other side....

ON the last hike I experimented with have a homemade yogurt smoothie for my drink...that worked pretty well, except I won't add coconut milk again!

[The Hikers]

I look hard for all those grubs, worms, crawly things that "Bear" says I should be eating, but can't find any in the Winter.

[Barkingcat]

I really like Larabars - simple, natural ingredients, no added sugar, unprocessed, and really yummy. Cashew Cookie is my absolute favorite (could, and do, eat them all day ). Given the high fat content, I've never had a problem with them freezing up on me.

Larabars are excellent -- and are gluten-free. They keep well, too, and I agree that they don't get tough/hard in the cold. We keep pretty well stocked with these when we hike. Coconut Cream Pie is another hit flavor.

Another food to consider, for those who want something else vegetarian and gluten-free, are Stonewall's Jerquee (nice bite-size chunks easy to eat on a hike) and Tasty Eats Soy Jerky (pretty durn good stuff). You can get both items at Food Fight Grocery, an online store with a sassy attitude.

[Roxi]

I have not hiked in cold weather very often, and only done two official winter hikes, so I will declare myself a non-expert when it comes to winter hiking...

...however, I am an expert when it comes to food. I love peanut butter-and-other-stuff sandwiches, but discovered the hard way that in cold weather, fluff becomes as hard as cement. Since then I've paired my peanut butter with jelly or bananas in cold weather. I had the pleasure of filling a nalgene bottle with Godiva's dark truffle hot chocolate. OMG!! Did that taste good going up Jackson! I've often thought that soup in another bottle would also be good. And since M&Ms do melt in your mouth, they are PERFECT, as are any smaller pieces of chocolate: Dove, Hershey's miniatures, kisses, mini Reeses pb cups,....

Chocolate, it's not just for breakfast anymore!