Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

These are the best energy bars on the market. I first relied upon them in the eighties at Philmont Scout Ranch while doing what would be considered extreme mileage. Backpacker magazine rated them as the best energy bar and for good reason.

Why are these bars superior to other bars? IMO, one reason. They pack calories. You burn a lot of calories on the trail. In cold weather, you burn even more calories on the trail. Most of the energy bars Ive used have at absolute most, 300 calories per bar, yet cost about the same as a Bear Valley Mealpack bar.

Bear Valley Mealpack bars all have at least 400 calories, are low in sodium, dont taste like dehydrated crap or like oatmeal. In fact, this is the one energy bar that you really could rely upon as a "meal" in a pinch if you had to.

I highly recommend these bars for backpacking. And no, I am not financially connected to the Bear Valley company. I still use these bars on my backpacking trips twenty years after first relying on them at Philmont Scout Ranch.

Chris Townsend in his backpacking gear book "The Backpacker's Handbook" gives them a glowing review, like Backpacker magazine has done.

http://www.mealpack.com/

I have no idea what they use at Philmont now BTW.

Vlad

Rating: 5 / 5

I second the previous review. These are, hands down, the best balanced "energy bars" for hiking. Unlike PowerBars and Clif bars, they don't give you a sugar rush/collapse. They DO have a lot of calories. You'll need to drink a lot of water with them, they are still "compacted food" and would never be served at a restaurant, or even as a cookie substitute.

Rating: 5 / 5

Agreed.

These have the most calories per ounce that I've found.

And - less expensive than the LARA bars (that I also like)

I wish they had more organic ingredients.

Rating: 5 / 5

I am a big fan of the Bear Valley MealPack meal bars. I first tried them about a year and a half ago when looking for a bar that would provide lots of calories in a good tasting package. I was not disappointed by these. For 3.75 oz. they range from 610 calories to 660 calories and taste very good. The Lemon Poppyseed, Fruit and Nut, and Carob Cocoa flavors are great and last a long time in storage. I order them through REI and have them sent to my nearby store for free. They cost about $1.35 or so a piece so they don't break the bank. The blend of fat, calories, and protein works for me, and they digest well. While one needs a lot of water with them, I find this to be the case with all of these types of bars. While I have tried several different sorts, the Bear Valley MealPack bars are the ones I always seem to come back to. I am also going to try the Big Sur Bars and the Organic Bars from Trader Joe's and see how they compare. I will inform the board of my findings.

Rating: 4 / 5

Bear Valley Meal Pack and Pemmican Bars are, without a doubt, one of the most efficient foods a backpacker can hope to carry. Since I first encountered them as a scout at Philmont 22 years ago, they have been the standard for energy in a bar form. I still buy them every summer as a fuel source for my through-hikes.

The only reason I don't give them a 5 (and I wish 4.5 were an option) is their taste. The bars are extremely dry, requiring substantial water to avoid cramping, and taste sort of like 2-year old fruitcake (and I like fruitcake, just not this dry.) Still, for the sheer magnificent power they give a tired hiker, they will still be a part of my foodbag.

Edited by Bearpaw on 03/01/2007 16:12:34 MST.

Rating: 5 / 5

I'm not a backpacker. But my job involves driving out to little county courthouses in various towns through out the great state of Oklahoma.

I am really big on healthy, whole and real foods. Some of these towns have nothing but a small diner whose healthiest meal is a chef's salad with iceberg lettuce and ranch dcressing. Fast food chains dont even go there and the conveince stores sell fried food and hot dogs.

I need soemthing that I can eat, in the car while on the road, wont melt or spoil in the sun that's real, whole and healthy with a good amount of protein.

I've tried just about every granola, protein and energy bar on the planet. I went to my whole foods market and just picked up a variety of bars and tried them all out.


These bars strike a unique balance as it could literally be a meal replacement.

My favorite is the Coconut.

Not only does it have the right balance of protein and calories, it tastes right! Out of all the bars I tried, this was the one I was dreading most. I thought it was going to taste like cardboard. It doesn't have the "sweetened oatmeal" taste like so many other bars. Nor, does it taste like some sort of processed peanut butter/oat paste, like a cliff bar. It tastes a bit like fruitcake, probably better than fruitcake.

It's rather chewy and thicker in constincey than say, a cliff bar. The consticney is more on par with an overcooked cake or maybe a really thick brownie or a really thick fudge. It is "cake" like in nature.

This is real, wholesome food you can unwrap and eat with no worries. Whole proteins and all 8 essential amino acids.

Why bear Valley doesnt market these for after-workout meals in bodybuilding mags is beyond me, cause these things have everything you would ever need for an after-workout meal.

I suggest these bars for anyone who is tired of their normal 'run of the mill' energy/protein bar. This is really the best bar you could ever put in your mouth for the money.

You can purchase them in bulk from bear Valleys website and save some money.

I am not affiliated with nor represent bear Valley in any shape or form whatsoever. I just saw this as a place to review a great product that i think everyone should know about.

Edited by thekrispdj on 05/05/2008 20:22:00 MDT.