Thoughts on Energy Gel's

I've got a couple more trips to complete my 4kers (Cabot, Isolation, Bond's, N Tripyramid, Owl's Head). A few loooong day trippers in this batch. I'm headed out early to knock off 1 of them tomorrow, hopefully before the rains come later in the afternoon. I'm giving the whole "gel" thing a try. Trying Cliff Shot Citrus first and then I'll try GU. From what I've read, 15 min before you begin is a good time have 1 and then during your hike but always with water (not any sports drink) to stimulate rapid absorption in the small intestine.

Do you use energy gel's? If so what brand and what are your thoughts on them?

Sure, I use Gu. Chocolate Outrage is about the only flavor I can tolerate. The berry flavors would come up as fast as they went down.

It's basically straight sugar - cake frosting. If sugar's what you need, it works well.

Anything else that the various manufacturers claim for gels is just marketing BS. Vitamins, Protein; BS. Enjoy the sugar.

I like a GU while riding (cycling) now and then... quick, easy sugar boost.

Tim

I often use Gu during long runs. Only the fruit flavors. Never with water or any other liquid. It works really well for me. It's easy to carry, easy to consume, quickly gives me more energy and doesn't mess up my stomach while running and digesting at the same time. For hiking, I prefer real food, though I carry Gu with me just in case.

I'll put in a plug for Hammer gel

bcskier said:

I'll put in a plug for Hammer gel

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+1. As suggested though, just like other kinds, they work as a sugar burst and only when you are really low on energy. I use them on particularly long hikes but otherwise, I prefer actual food.

I'm glad someone chimed in with real food. Gels are kind of pricey for something that is basically a jelly bean.

Used to use them a lot in ultrarunning events because of their easy digestability and because I have always gotten them free, first as a sponsored athlete and then because my husband puts on an event (plug: Coyote Scramble on Kingdom Trails in VT, a very fun time that is not a race! ).

I have tried Gu, Hammer, ClifShot, and Louis Garneau gels and like them all except for the really sweet/intense--vanilla, root beer, and espresso--flavors.

For hiking, however, I favor real food w/more calories and substance.

A lot of marathon canoe racers tape several Gu packets to the gunwale within easy reach. I think the convenience factor of doing so is the biggest advantage. I prefer a variety of home made energy bars, or regular candy bars cut into small pieces and put within equally easy reach. During longer race events, Boost or Ensure and other types of solid real food go along as well.

Tried out Cliff Shot Citrus. Yesterday I did the 11.5 mile loop of Cabot/Horn/Bulge via Bunnel/Killkenny/Lost Pond trails. I left my house at 315am drove about 5hrs to the fish hatchery. Started at 0830 and was tired from the drive. Downed a Cliff SHot (citrus sux! Did I say it sux'd? Horrible taste) and water and was on my way. I didn't notice any energy burst at all. I'm thinking because I had had fruit on the drive and 15 minutes before the Cliff SHot I had brown rice and chicken. Once at the summit of Cabot I chocked down another one. After a few minutes I felt this one. Energy boost was there. When I got to the Lost Pond trail, I had 3.3 miles left and ate a banana. Energy was there....I was feeling sluggish and the banana worked as well as the previous Cliff SHot.

I like the concept of immediate energy in such a light weigh easy to carry package but it wasn't earth shattering. Real food way to go.

I like red seedless grapes and toll house cookies. Wash it down with Arizona Iced Tea.

Try some of the baby food pouches...lots of fruit and/or veggies with oatmeal, quinoa or some other grain, so you get the fruit sugar plus the carbs of the grain...much better, IMO, than the gels.

WinterWarlock said:

Try some of the baby food pouches...lots of fruit and/or veggies with oatmeal, quinoa or some other grain, so you get the fruit sugar plus the carbs of the grain...much better, IMO, than the gels.

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Damn good suggestion! Must taste better also!

I carry a tube of the CVS glucose tablets in my pack. They're great for when you're at the base of one more big climb to bag an extra peak late in the day. It's like eating a massive sweet tart.

Never tried energy gels... Semi-sweet chocolate* bits ("drunk" from a wide-mouth bottle) work for me. My gorp is a mixture of the same with nuts (also carried in a wide-mouth bottle). And my "energy bars" are fig bars.

* Chocolate is mostly sugar and fat giving on both short and long-term energy.

"old-school" Doug

I cannot eat solid food for the first 2 hours of any hike. I love energy Gels, when they came out, I thought they were made for me. I use Power gel vanilla and Cliff shot vanilla. I average 3 to 5 on a standard ascent. Once on the summit, I start in on food, Cliff bars and Beef Jerkey, that's about it. Although I've been trying dried fruit, it sometimes doesn't settle well, so far the pinnapple is the most tolerable for me. I did hike with someone recently and they broke out hard boiled eggs and offered me one, now that was a tasty snack, I managed to barter for one more.

sierra said:

I cannot eat solid food for the first 2 hours of any hike. I love energy Gels, when they came out, I thought they were made for me. I use Power gel vanilla and Cliff shot vanilla. I average 3 to 5 on a standard ascent. Once on the summit, I start in on food, Cliff bars and Beef Jerkey, that's about it. Although I've been trying dried fruit, it sometimes doesn't settle well, so far the pinnapple is the most tolerable for me. I did hike with someone recently and they broke out hard boiled eggs and offered me one, now that was a tasty snack, I managed to barter for one more.

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Do tell (what was the barter agreement?).

BISCUT said:

Do tell (what was the barter agreement?).

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Beef Jerky, which I always have a hefty supply of.

When the gels first came out in the 90's I tried them on my first Huntington Ravine trip. Quick and easy, very much like frosting and was like Chinese food, after 20 minutes, I needed more. My caveat is that I can eat pretty much anything before, during or after a hike.

Current hiking food is typically Mini babybels and then homemade GORP (usually mostly M&M, Reese's Pieces and nuts, some chocolate covered of course...) jerky and sometimes fig bars. When I was getting bars near cost (late 90's when the flavors were not as good or diverse), I found that I had gotten so sick of them that if I only had a few miles downhill to do and was hungry, I'd rather be hungry.

While at the Notch Hostel, I watched a thru-hiker re-package his meals. He had what looked like nothing but Pop Tarts and Ramen. I tried eating Pop Tarts as my breakfast in the car when making day trips up from CT, no stopping, quick and easy to eat while driving. Problem was by the time I got to the trail, I had to hike all day to work off breakfast!

Was on Santanoni, Couchsachraga and Panther this week with a girl who like the gels. She's fit and high energy & went through a bunch of them but she was more apt to refuel periodically while I'm okay with a mid-morning bell or two, a bigger lunch and then a snack in the afternoon.

I like Clifshots. I use the Raz (Rasberry) flavor sometimes for cycling rides, and often on hikes. Although lately I've been more fond of granola bars on hikes. I still carry gels as a backup.

The one downside is that on winter hikes the Clifshots and other gels I've tried often have the consistency of toothpaste if they are not warmed first.
That said, most granola bars have the consistency of hardtack if not warmed, so I suppose gels are step up.

Mike