I shoot for around 125 calories per ounce and about 3500 to 4000 calories per day which works out to about 2lbs per day. I am 6,3 200 lbs. At that caloric density i dont have to be. To picky about what i bring. I also subtract a pound from the total number of days to account for not needing a breakfast on the first day or a supper on the last day.

It works out to be about 5 lbs for a 3 day weeked and around 13 lbs for a week. With these numbers i usually have enough left over for 1 extra meal if i have to stay out one extra night.

I find if i try to push calories per ounce above 125 I find the meals just arent appatizing anymore

[x]

Edited by RogerDodger on 02/07/2013 16:49:22 MST.

This is a topic I think about quite a bit when planning trips, as my food and water weight frequently exceeds that of my gear. I've enjoyed the diversity of opinions on this thread, particularly those from the long distance hikers.

Most of my trips are only 3-5 days in length and average 30 miles per day. I'm 5'8, 150 lb. I carry approximately 1.25 lb food per day (2200-2500 kcal) for 3 season hiking, and about 1 lb 9 oz (3000-3200 kcal)in winter. Mealtime is one of my favorite parts of the day, and I always bring a small stove because I like hot meals for breakfast and dinner. I generally am very satisfied with my portion sizes.

For short trips, I bring whatever fresh foods I like, and don't bother weighing it.

Some strategies I use to keep down consumable weight on high-mileage, goal-oriented trips include:
1. Never carrying more than 1/2 liter of water (except in winter or arid places)
2. I bring 1 day less food than the anticipated length of the trip. The morning of the trip, I'll usually binge on greasy food, which usually holds me (along with some snacks) until dinner. The final day, I eat sparingly in anticipation of the post-hike celebratory dinner. I recognize this may be controversial for some, but I'm fairly comfortable with the idea of going hungry for a day or two if needed. I am also an experienced forager.
3. The week or two before a trip, I increase my caloric intake and taper my exercise schedule to put on some weight. I generally average 1-1.5 lb/day weight loss during the trip (providing 1500-2000 additional calories/day). Fatigue has not been a problem for me, and lost weight usually comes back pretty quickly within a couple weeks.
4. I bring mostly home (or bought) dehydrated foods, supplemented liberally with olive oil. Snacks are mostly higher fat items(eg. macadamia nuts).

"The three basic food groups with which we are familiar are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. For the immediate energy needs, fats and carbohydrates are the main sources. Cutting through all the explanations, Dr. Edelstein informed us that for backpacking, a diet should be composed of 50 percent carbohydrates (500 to 600 grams per day) with “constant carb snacking,” 35 percent fat (200 grams per day) and 15% protein (65 grams per day)."

Wow! That works out to 4060 calories, John. Did she relate that amount to a person's body weight and hiking pace? Was it meant to cover the entire caloric expenditure for a day? Did it factor in the type of terrain, e.g. flat, hilly, off trail, high/low altitude? Lots of questions, I admit, but I'm super curious to find out the context for her recommendations. Potentially very useful information.

edit: I just read the article, which is identical to what you posted. It looks like whatever context she may, or may not, have provided is not included. Too bad, as without it I don't know how to evaluate her recommendations in relation to my specific situation. So near and yet so far.... :=(

Edited by ouzel on 02/11/2012 17:21:10 MST.

Hi Tom. I don't know where her numbers come from and do seem generalized (not specific to how much work you do). They are not too different from Brenda Braaten's article on Thru-hiker:

http://thru-hiker.com/articles/PackLightEatRight/snacks.htm
"How many Calories do I need?

If your load is less than 15% of your body weight and terrain is gentle, your caloric needs are not significantly different from normal (i.e, 2500-3500 Calories for active females, 3000-4000 Calories for active males). If, however, you are carrying 25-35% of your body weight over difficult (uneven/steep) terrain, you will need extra calories (500-1000, give or take). Body reserves will contribute a significant portion of your energy needs during the first few weeks of a thru-hike, but as bodies become leaner, dietary intake becomes more crucial.

How many pounds of food should I take?

If you choose a balanced diet with 30-40% fat, pack 1.5-2 pounds dehydrated food/person/day for easy-moderate hike; 2-2.5 lbs./person/day for moderate to difficult conditions.

For a long duration hiker, boost the fat to 35-40% by selecting foods that are calorie dense (that is, above 5.0 Calories per gram, See Fat), which means choosing high fat foods. Besides keeping your pack weight down, your food will taste better and your breakfast will hold you longer since fat slows down digestion, giving you a more even distribution of fuel being absorbed. (Note that the recipes are given with a "Plus Fat" option for long duration hikers.)"

"Body reserves will contribute a significant portion of your energy needs during the first few weeks of a thru-hike, but as bodies become leaner, dietary intake becomes more crucial."

I think this is the nut of it, John. I depend on this being true for all of my hikes these days. I now carry 19 oz of food yielding ~2660-80 calories, ~43% carbs, 46% fat, and 11% protein for trips on the strenuous side up to 10 days and lose ~4# of fat, most of which I add on in the 3-4 weeks before such a trip. I weigh myself before and after and, while it is not 100% acurate, it is close enough and repeatable enough to convince me I am in the ball park. That I am losing fat at a rate of ~.5# per day is pretty clear and that means I could not sustain this kind of diet for longer trips, such as thru hikes. It works quite well for normal backpacking trips, though, and I think I oculd probably stretch my trips out a few more days without eating into vital fat around the organs or lean body mass. Beyond that, I would have to add enough food to make up the ~1700 calories/day I now get from body fat. At ~135 calories/oz that would comeout to ~12-13 oz, which would put me at the 2#/day mark you mention. Thanks for posting; you got me to reevaluate my approach again, for about the 100th time, which is always a good exercise.