For all you soloists, how many pounds of food do you take for a seven day trip?

Never weighed it, but I always take too much.

I take about 22 lbs for 9-10 days, but that includes several 750 ml of likker. I always end up with enough food to last several more days. I find I eat a lot less on trips than I would at home. Many times, I just have a couple of PBJ's on a soft tortilla, a few Slim Jims, and some crackers for dinner, and I am full.

Somehow, one seems to be on a different space-time when you are soloing. I just don't really feel like eating a whole lot. However, I do really look forward to to last day so I can get my monster burger and brew fix happening.

Tomster

quote awbrown: "Never weighed it, but I always take too much."

ditto that

7 days with some to spare, put into Ursak weighed just under 8 pounds.

butthead

quote kanoes: "

quote awbrown: "Never weighed it, but I always take too much."

ditto that"

I always take 1 or 2 extra meals, for wind bound days.

quote butthead: " 7 days with some to spare, put into Ursak weighed just under 8 pounds.

butthead"

Would you mind telling what all are in the bags? I am trying to switch over to a "pantry style"menu and could use some ideas on staples.

Walllee-

Mine usually adds up to about 1 to 1.25 lbs. per day, mostly dehydrated meals plus nuts and food bars. If I go in on a Saturday and exit the following Saturday, I'll take 7 breakfasts, 7 dinners, and 8 lunch/snacks. That's what I had on the last trip and I think all of it including the packaging AND the BearVault probably weighed 11 to 12 lbs.I usually have some nuts left over.

Mine's pretty well portioned these days ;). That wasn't always true though. I like what I eat and there's enough I'm not hungry afterwards, but not so much I'm stuffed or have leftovers.

I just don't eat as much when I'm solo and I think a lot has to do with the fact that it's not a "social event". It's just refueling, you're not sharing the event.

Somewhat like Tomster, when I exit I'm primed for a double espresso and the biggest ice cream I can get :). Then a little later, dinner.

I took a little less each subsequent trip. I never reached the break-even point.

quote luft: "

quote butthead: " 7 days with some to spare, put into Ursak weighed just under 8 pounds.

butthead"

Would you mind telling what all are in the bags? I am trying to switch over to a "pantry style"menu and could use some ideas on staples."

Upper left, then down,
oil butter Mio maple syrup
dried sausage 4 servings
dried beef 4 servings
bacon pre cooked

next column,
tomato powder and slices
bag of assorted veggies (dried onions mushrooms celery broccoli)
2 bags soups and powdered sour cream powdered buttermilk powdered cheddar

next column,
instant mashed potatoes
Bisquick
potato pancake mix
macaroni

right column,
70+% cocoa dark chocolate
dried banana apple pineapple coated with a bit of corn starch and powdered sugar
cashews
coffee

not shown is a small collection of spice/herbs, some are packaged with other thing like the potato pancake mix and soups

Menu items varied from pancakes and bacon, beef stroganoff, spaghetti, mac&cheese, biscuits and sausage gravy, potato pancakes are great and work nicely as a fish batter. I eat 2 meals a day with a snack.

butthead

quote boonie: "Walllee

Mine's pretty well portioned these days ;). That wasn't always true though. I like what I eat and there's enough I'm not hungry afterwards, but not so much I'm stuffed or have leftovers.

I just don't eat as much when I'm solo and I think a lot has to do with the fact that it's not a "social event". It's just refueling, you're not sharing the event.

Somewhat like Tomster, when I exit I'm primed for a double espresso and the biggest ice cream I can get :). Then a little later, dinner."

Mine usually adds up to about 1 to 1.25 lbs. per day, mostly dehydrated meals plus nuts and food bars. If I go in on a Saturday and exit the following Saturday, I'll take 7 breakfasts, 7 dinners, and 8 lunch/snacks. That's what I had on the last trip and I think all of it including the packaging AND the BearVault probably weighed 11 to 12 lbs.I usually have some nuts left over.

+1! Boonie and I eat exactly the same, basically. I allow 1.2 pounds per day, with my main meal MTN House main meals for 2, no sides. Packaging and wrappers is about 10% of the total, weighed when I get home for reference. My dog eats about the same, 1.25 lbs of dry kibbles per day. The bear vault adds 2.5 lbs, but gives peace of mind having food away from the camp site. I design my meals to give me about 2200 calories per day, not alot but like Boonie I eat less on a solo than at home, and never have hunger issues.

Being dumb I can answer this way. On my last 8 day trip into Quetico I weighed what I brought back...about 15 pounds. I took tooooooooo much. Being dumb I planned meals as though I was at home. I learned. Dumb can learn, stupid you cannot teach.

While I eat less, like others, I do like to eat well and doubt I ever get into the ultra light freeze dry, etc. options unless I branch out into camping where I hike in rather than canoe in. A few small oranges, carrots, a fresh onion and such can really make a meal better and are worth the weight at the portage.

quote bhouse46: "Being dumb I can answer this way. On my last 8 day trip into Quetico I weighed what I brought back...about 15 pounds. I took tooooooooo much. Being dumb I planned meals as though I was at home. I learned. Dumb can learn, stupid you cannot teach.


While I eat less, like others, I do like to eat well and doubt I ever get into the ultra light freeze dry, etc. options unless I branch out into camping where I hike in rather than canoe in. A few small oranges, carrots, a fresh onion and such can really make a meal better and are worth the weight at the portage."

:) Reminds me of my first trips. Kind of funny that you brought out more than I take in ;). How much do you think the food you took in weighed?

sunnybear-

Mine comes out to about the same 2,200 +/- calories too, but then you and I aren't offensive linemen. Even put together, we'd be a small one :).

quote butthead: " 7 days with some to spare, put into Ursak weighed just under 8 pounds.


butthead"

I would begin starving on day 4 with that amount of food. :)

My first solo I filled a 30L barrel. Came back with a lot of leftovers. Mostly fresh potatoes, onions, and unused pre-mixed bannock. Heavy stuff. And I pack an extra days food in case. Lessons learned.

Given that we usually return with food, that extra day seems uneccessary. Any of us can live for a day or two on whatever is left. Sure GORP n a energy bar aren't normal dinner fare, but...

quote awbrown: "Never weighed it, but I always take too much."

+++

I have no idea of weight. I plan by meal - breakfast,lunch, dinner, snack, plus crystal light, tes,and coaco.

A lot depends on the type of food you take. One-person, dehydrated meals are probably lighter than make-your-own or store bought.

I've never weighed my food, but I figure if I count the liquid beverages in my food pack, it weighs about the same as the food. It's only taken me about 12 solo trips to get to the point where I have only a day or so of food leftover at the end...

it's not much, I buy hawk vittles for my main meals, then oatmeal for bkfast, then nuts, and bars for lunch and snacks, I get it all in 1 bv 500 bear vault. under 20 lbs, I would guess.

I think it's a great question - this has been a really interesting thread to follow.

Last year was the first year that I started paying close attention to weight. For my 8 day trip last May, I brought 13.5lbs of food to cover 10 days of meals (contingency in the event of becoming wind-bound). So, 1.35lbs/day during cooler weather. When it's warmer I pack a bit less.

I don't follow the Stu O food planning philosophy, preferring to keep weight, prep and cleanup more at a minimum.

Breakfast: Pancakes 1/3 of the time, balance is oatmeal or cream of wheat.

Lunch: Custom mix of dried fruit, nuts to provide fast, easy energy and minimal interruption when traveling or fishing.

Dinner: Dried soups, fixings (olive oil, fresh garlic, seasonings) for fresh fish. Hand-parched wild rice, dried mushrooms.

Other: 1 package of Fig Newmans, Cheezit crackers (my Dad got me started on both of these very young. It's a connection thing) Sprouted almonds - very addicting. Dark chocolate covered sprouted almonds even better!!)

First meal in, I might bring a venison steak and some potatoes to boil for a treat. Heaviest luxury items would be the Fig Newmans and REAL maple syrup (I make every spring, it's a MUST for sweetening - more is better!)

When in the wilderness, food for me is all about high nutrition (yeah, I know, Cheezits not so much) and ease of use so that I can spend more time just being present.

This pic is my basic lunch. I get some high quality cheese and sausage and I'll usually add in a clif bar, gorp, or cookies and sometimes chocolate. For breakfast is almost always instant Quaker oatmeal (different flavors) with dried fruit mixed in and coffee in a french press.

My dinners are either freeze dried meals or fresh fish broiled in foil over coals. I'll usually bring First Barrel Jack Daniels in a small nalgene bottle for the evenings. I put 9 or 10 days worth in the small size vittles vault.