If you’ve ever packed for a backpacking trip and wondered, Am I bringing way too much food… or somehow not enough? Then this episode is for you.
I’m joined by Aaron Mayhew, registered dietitian and founder of Backcountry Foodie, to talk about what it actually takes to fuel your body well in the backcountry.
Aaron originally dove into backpacking nutrition while preparing to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail — including making a whopping 400 pounds of homemade backpacking food — and has spent years testing what works on trails across the country.
We talk about why backpacking nutrition looks different from how you might eat at home, what happens when you don’t fuel enough, how often you should actually be eating on trail, and how to balance calories, nutrition, food weight, and foods you’ll actually want to eat after several days in the backcountry.
What you'll learn in this episode:
- Why you probably need more food on a backpacking trip than you think
- What “bonking” actually feels like, and why under-fueling can become a safety issue
- How Aaron approaches calories, protein, and overall nutrition in the backcountry
- How to think about calorie density and getting enough energy without carrying a ridiculously heavy food bag
- Why food fatigue is real, and the lessons Aaron learned from eating the same kinds of foods for weeks on long-distance trails
- How your fueling strategy may change depending on your trip, mileage, conditions, and even your stress level
- Why you don’t have to make backpacking nutrition complicated to fuel yourself well
If planning your backpacking food feels like one more complicated thing you have to get exactly right, this conversation will help make it a whole lot simpler.
How to Connect with Aaron:
Where to learn more about Allison:
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