Hiking/Survival Gear and Food- the Basics

Hiking/Survival gear and food

I know we have talked a bit about hiking and what to use, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and so forth. But what about food? What kinds of food and what does one take on a hiking trip. Well, it's fairly simple if we break it down. There are some basics to consider. First, how long are you going to be gone? Two, how much gear are you going to need to sustain yourself for the duration? Weight, nutritional qualities of the food necessary to sustain your activities.

Freeze Dried Foods

The simplest thing to start with is how long are you planning? Every trip has a duration. So, you plan food to accommodate that time frame. For simplicity, we are going to talk about a weekend hike. Besides the normal items, tent, sleeping bag and small stove, one must allow for first aid, waterproof covers, extra rope and food. Now for the food. If you are a long hiker or just the casual hiker, you want to start with a good breakfast. I recommend freeze dried food pouches, for weight.

This company carries a great selection of freeze dried foods, I prefer the Mountain House brand of freeze dried foods. Not because that brand makes the smallest or lightest packages, but because their food tastes good. The breakfast is easy to fix and eat first thing in the morning, and I have snack bars for the mid day but some of you may want to sit down and have a meal. Well, they offer that too. Myself? A couple of snack bars for energy during the late morning and mid day, then a good meal for the end of the day and a relaxing evening under the stars. But before going further, food choice is important. So whether you choose freeze dried or even the Military MRE's, make sure you carry food to support you.

Water and purification

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes for carrying water while hiking and/or camping. In today's world, there are so many choices. I hate carrying water bottles, because once you have finished the bottle, you are stuck with the empty bottle. We have all hiked our favorite trail or even some remote trails, only to find discarded water and soda containers littering the landscape. Join the world folks. Use a hydration pack. It's a collapsible bladder that fits inside your backpack, with a hose over your shoulder, attached to your shoulder straps for easy access. If you don't like those, there a gazillion canteens of all shapes and sizes for your perusal. Just don't take water bottles, please? Also, if you are on a weekend hike, the standard one or two canteens or even the hydration pack will need refills. Take no chances with the water you find anywhere. Buy and use....water purification tablets. Simple to carry and use. The life you save could be your own.

Mandatory Safety Gear

Every camper or hiker, regardless of their skill set or experience, knows that safety comes from carrying basic equipment. Beyond a first aid kit, rope, flashlight,  knife, etc, there are a few other items to consider.

Always take a couple or three packs of Hydration Salts. These are not not necessarily for yourself, but over the years, I have come upon fellow hiker's in a dehydrated state and these have proven handy. They are inexpensive and could be a life saver. What are they you ask? Well, these small packets, when mixed with water help to replace electrolytes and fluids lost by heat exhaustion from heavy hiking/climbing. The technical term for the ingredients is as follows: Sodium Chloride; Potassium Chloride; Trisodium Citrate, dihydrate; Glucose Anhydrous. Buy a few packs and carry them.

I like to carry a couple of Ace bandages too. They pack easy and you have one when needed. I use them to wrap around my radio and flashlights when hiking, in case I slip and manage to bash my pack, making them sort of double duty.

Should you take a radio? Many places now require you to check in with the Ranger's and take one of their GPS locator radios. But if you are somewhere, where GPS tracker type radios are not available? Take an emergency radio. They are small, lightweight and inexpensive. Simple to operate, as they are operated by hand crank so you don't need batteries.  What an emergency radio is, is an AM/FM weather alert radio. Not only can you receive weather alerts, but you can charge a cell phone battery if needed. All you need to do, is buy the USB cable (not included of course). For safety's sake? Get one, keep it in your backpack. 

I hope you have found these tips informative, as I write from real life trail experience. I try to teach from my mistakes, (so you won't make any) In the coming weeks and months, I will be finishing this series of blogs on Safety, gear, supplies, etc, and begin a new series on some of my more memorable hikes. Should any of you have any questions about anything we have talked about so far here, feel free to join the discussion or just email your question. Thanks for reading and I'll see you on the trail!