best energy food for your hunting pack

[spottedhawk36]

i usually carry, jerky, trail mix, granola bars, maybe a candy bar or 2 and the cheese and crackers, as well as a couple pb&j sandwhiches and plenty of water, usually only take sandwhiches if i plan on hunting all day long, whats in your packs?

[Legend21]

Well that pretty much summed up my day pack to the T, other than the PB&Js...which are always welcome.

[Hunt'nFish]

Personally I give thought to what I carry.....and if it will stink up my pack.
I like sealed store bought things.

Sunbelt Fudge dipped Granola bars: 200cal per bar. <$2.00/box
Sealed Kool Aid packs (w/ real sugar) for the water bladder.
Trail mix and jerky should be stored in tough ziplocks that won't get holes poked in them to stink up the pack.
Pint of brandy, for that hump out of the hell hole w/ the meat. (some things are all about mental attitude)
Pain Killers.....again for mental well being.

Manage the pain, keep your blood sugar up, and a little alcohol for that hump out will have body & soul working at peak performance.
Works for me,
Hunt'nFish

[CWOregon]

I like protein bars. They really give you a good energy boost without a crash afterward. They are also scentless and small enough to put wherever you want in your pack.

[Idahoan]

Cliff bars, peanuts, and a quart of water. Then I have filter straw. Then a couple of ice cold beers at the truck to keep me motivated for getting back to the rig.

[Dan in Alaska]

I have a friend that runs marathons & triathlons. I asked her for recommendations of stuff to take on my sheep hunt. She recommended a couple of different things, but the item that surprised me the most was the Clif Shots Link). They are a little foil pack, that weigh next to nothing. When I was dog-tired, they did a heck of a job getting me back on my feet and moving again. Almost like getting your 2nd wind. I can see why endurance racers like them.



In my pack, depending on how long I plan to stay out, I carry 2-3 Clif Bars, a couple of Clif Shots, jerky, and a couple of the quart-and-a-half Nalgene bottles (with a drinking tube adapter). If I'm staying out overnight, I'll take a JetBoil, a couple of Mountain House dinners, and some cashews along.

[Big Unit]

Three Cliff Bars ($1.23 at Winco) and two or three bottled waters lasts me all day. Cold soda at the rig...YES!

A piece of gum or a Certs is good to loosen up the dry mouth! I carry chapstick due to having a call in my mourth all day.

BU

[Monkey]

• Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwiches.
• Mixed Nuts
• Cliff Bars
• Energy Gel (like the Cliff Shot mentioned earlier)

m

[Baskett-o-fish]

When i was still hunting I carried 2 MRE's and 3 20oz water bottles.
In Colorado it was not uncommon to shoot an animal and spend the night until morning if I shot something close to dark. The MRE's gave me the food for Lunch and dinner that day. By the time morning rolled around my crew was there with a thermos of coffee and breakfast. The last 8 years I hunted there I had to stay put til morning 4 times. I was never so happy tro eat a hot meal.

[hillbillygoat]

I like the mres, but I just buy the wally world granola bars. They are not far off from the clif bars and way cheaper.

[jokester]

Bladder full of H2O, jerky, couple granola bars, and a couple packs of fruit by the foot.

-jokester

[Sled Dog]

Hearty sandwiches of peanut butter and honey on whole grain bread(preferably homemade). My most packed lunch on days when I know I will need some fuel for the machine at lunch time. They travel well, don't spoil, and tasted good even if they get smushed. Also carry bars for topping off the tank as needed. Plus lots of water with Cytomax in it.

[cwh]

I like trail mix, cliff bars/power bars/granola bars because they are easy, and jerky for food. I could go all day with just trail mix, but a little variety is always welcome. I never have the forethought to make a sandwich.

A 1-qt wide-mouth nalgene is handy, and if I'm thinking ahead (uncommon), I'll put a little gatorade powder in a ziplock in case I feel like something different. We have a couple platapus water bladders, and those are much handier for drinking while you climb without taking the pack off.

Cliff shots/GU are handy, and will get you through tough spots like nothing else, but they aren't a substitute for food. Again, I throw them in if I am planning ahead or think I'll really need it. Steep climbs and/or heavy packs are about the only scenario that I do that for.

I've never worried about my pack stinking... if there is any kind of a difficult climb, I'll be the stinkiest thing around in about 20 minutes. Occasionally I'll pack a beer, for celebration purposes, but I'm half convinced that's a jinx.

[HunterXtreme]

Ha, I was just making my grocery list of things for my next trip, thanks guys, i'll be looking for those CLIF SHOTS( who carries them?)

Other than that, my pack mirrors most of those listed

[cwh]

Should add: The bladder is much less sensitive to position in the pack (upside down, sideways, etc) than the water bottle/drinking tube. It maintains a vacuum to some degree, so you are always getting water instead of air until the last few drops. But it's hard to get any drink mix into the platypus ones, and the ones with a wide mouth always seem to leak. They also seem to take a little more effort to keep clean.

[cwh]

REI has cliff shots, and probably Gu. Check the running/biking stores if there are any handy, but you might have to buy online if you're not near a city.

[Trebor]

I make and carry pemmican old indian recipe that is very high in protein and antioxidants if your interested in the recipe pm me and i will be glad to share

[Chesapeake]

Those energy jells are likely just Maltodextrin with some stuff added to give flavor and make it flashy.

You could likely buy the plain powder and make your own energy gell/drink for cheaper.

[BornToFish360]

Water pack plus extra bottle or 2
Granola bars
jerky
trail mix
and lastly dehydrated fruit

[kigercreek]

My first trip out it's the granola bars left in there from the last hunt last year...

[ErnestE]

i've carried about all of the above but lately I have been enamored of hard salami and cheddar cheese sandwichs made with hard rolls. Stick each in a fold-over type plastic baggie and the lot in a ziploc bag. They hold up real well even when mashed down in pack or pocket. A mix of raisins, walnuts and almonds is super good. I carry a little container of chrystal lite lemonade to add to my water bottle, real refreshing.

[blacktail hunter]

mre's work good for me..

[Fried Oyster]

Chocolate (quick energy)
Peanuts
Jerky
Water & filter straw

I have been known to sneak a "soft pack" insulated bag with two ice cold beers into my buddy's pack, and then, in the deep of woods, offer him an ice cold beer.

[thefishslayer]

Originally Posted by Monkey

• Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwiches.
• Mixed Nuts
• Cliff Bars
• Energy Gel (like the Cliff Shot mentioned earlier)

m

peanut butter and bacon?

[happybrew]

For any trip out in the field, I make my own MRE's. Canned ravioli or ready to eat soup, Vienna sausages, pop tarts, a couple of those packs of cheese and crackers or peanut butter and crackers, one or two of those little plastic fruit cups, and a plastic spoon and placed in a zip lock bag. Each one is roughly a thousand calories. Two bags will last a day. If you're burning tons of calories, three bags will last a day. Each weighs about three pounds. I typically pack a quart of water per MRE, and have a case of bottled water and a box of a dozen of the home made MRE's in the vehicle.

[Fried Oyster]

Originally Posted by happybrew

For any trip out in the field, I make my own MRE's. Canned ravioli or ready to eat soup, Vienna sausages, pop tarts, a couple of those packs of cheese and crackers or peanut butter and crackers, one or two of those little plastic fruit cups, and a plastic spoon and placed in a zip lock bag. Each one is roughly a thousand calories. Two bags will last a day. If you're burning tons of calories, three bags will last a day. Each weighs about three pounds. I typically pack a quart of water per MRE, and have a case of bottled water and a box of a dozen of the home made MRE's in the vehicle.

And carry this crap with you the rest of the day? Ravioli or soup cans, vienna sausage cans, pop tart wrappers, cheese and cracker wrappers, empty plastic fruit cups, plastic spoons, zip lock bags?

Man, that's a lot of garbage to haul around after you eat.

[Silver Eagle]

And carry this crap with you the rest of the day? Ravioli or soup cans, vienna sausage cans, pop tart wrappers, cheese and cracker wrappers, empty plastic fruit cups, plastic spoons, zip lock bags?

Man, that's a lot of garbage to haul around after you eat.
__________________

I think he just throws the food away and eats the containers........Ray

[Monkey]

Originally Posted by thefishslayer

peanut butter and bacon?

Oh yea! Bacon makes everything taste better. It’s the candy bar of meats.

Toast up some wheat bread, a bit of PB on each slice, add 3 or 4 pieces of bacon and you’ve got a 900-ish calorie piece of protine/carb goodness that travels pretty well for a couple days. Definitely become a staple in my pack.

Sounds weird at first, but give it a try next time you make some bacon. You may be surprised.

m

[happybrew]

Originally Posted by Fried Oyster

And carry this crap with you the rest of the day? Ravioli or soup cans, vienna sausage cans, pop tart wrappers, cheese and cracker wrappers, empty plastic fruit cups, plastic spoons, zip lock bags?

Man, that's a lot of garbage to haul around after you eat.

Actually, it's not that bad. It all fits into the Ravioli can and weighs at most a couple of ounces. An actual MRE has just as much weight, and far more bulk because the stiff plastic and cardboard which protects the MRE in an air drop also makes it impossible to compact. A consumed MRE takes up about 75% of the space of an unopened MRE.

happybrew

[fishboys]

Originally Posted by Monkey

Oh yea! Bacon makes everything taste better. It’s the candy bar of meats.

Toast up some wheat bread, a bit of PB on each slice, add 3 or 4 pieces of bacon and you’ve got a 900-ish calorie piece of protine/carb goodness that travels pretty well for a couple days. Definitely become a staple in my pack.

Sounds weird at first, but give it a try next time you make some bacon. You may be surprised.

m

Doesnt sound weird to me, bacon makes everything taste better. As soon as they make bacon beer I am done for.

[bigjake_888]

rate the products by calories per ounce. I call it efficiancy. 200 cal. per ounce- mixed nut with no peanuts including mac nuts. Can't beat it. Go ahead and try. Come on... go ahead.

[Headhunter]

Before I lost 25 pounds? All sorts of stuff like snickers, m&m's, couple of sandwiches, jerkey, slimjims, starbuck double shots, fruit, candy, whatever my buddy was packing, more junk food.....

Not sure what this year will be....but I think I might pass on all the crap and stick with good fuel for the body. Go less and just have some back-up powerbars and gelshots in with my first-aid kit.

Monkey, love the bacon idea.

[cwh]

Before I lost 25 pounds?

Cut off your head?


I remember seeing Maverick Maxcat make a bacon and bagel sandwich one morning. Holy heart attack.... but I bet it tasted good.

[beardbuster]

I have a large zip lock bag that I carry all my snack/meal junk in.

Tigers Milk power bars, raisins, small packets of Kool-aid (sugar added) a 16oz. collapsible container to mix the Kool-aid in. Mike n' Ikes dumped into a ziploc bag. Tuna fish that is packaged, crackers. The Meal portion of an MRE minus all the other junk. Trail mix minus the chocolate (so it doesn't melt and make a mess). Simple easy foods that can give energy when needed. I try to plan out my day as if I am going to be out all day.

Mid-morning snacks, lunch and late afternoon snacks. Just reload the gallon ziploc and it's always in the same spot and you have a trash bag as well.

[DAB]

Polish Sausage
Cheese
Apple
Candy Bars The little ones
Water

Thats if I can still see camp

[Legend21]

Originally Posted by cwh

Cut off your head?


I remember seeing Maverick Maxcat make a bacon and bagel sandwich one morning. Holy heart attack.... but I bet it tasted good.

Okay this was too funny on a couple of levels. "Cut off your head?" Oh my word... Then the line about Maverick Maxcat and his heart attack sandwich. Reminded me of the one we make at camp called the "Deer bagel." Check it out, it's tasty and gotta be healthy too...right?

Deer Bagel:
-Nice fresh Lender's bagels. (The one's with the lightly toasted cheese are the best.)
-A few strips of freshly cooked bacon
-A fried egg
-A fried slice of Tillamook cheddar
-Tiny bit of mustard and mayo
-And finally a nice thin slice of deer stake from the trophy buck you bagged just the day before. MMmmm....mmmm...good.

[Hunt'nFish]

That DOES sound like a nice hunters breakfast bagel.
Hunt'nFish

[Big Willie]

Backpacker magazine rated Pop Tarts high on their list of good pack foods.

I've always carried those with bagels, trail mix, Snickers, apples, PB & J's and Oats/Honey granola bars. Oh and lots of water.

[Prowler44]

I've carried a variety depending on the hunt and how much room. For smaller packs, jerky, granola bars, and used to take a bota bag because it's comfortable and you can squeeze the air out so there is no sloshing. with more room I like to add Bagels, nut roll or payday bars. And, for Archery when it's real hot, I'll freeze the little Capri-sun pouchs and they'll stay frozen in the ice chest pretty well. By the time they are ready to drink from the pack, they're still pretty cold and refreshing and a touch of sugar provides a little boost. when they're empty, they take up virtually no room in the pack.

[eharris]

Fishboys: bacon beer? Call me if you find some.

Evan