FACT: Energy bars are expensive

Posted on Tuesday, May 14, 2013
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I keep wondering if I should drop the $2.50 per bar, or if I can spend about $5 and use what I already have in my cabinets to make a delicious, long lasting trail bar that kicks butt around 300+ calories in its little self. Here are some recipes to try from a message board on Backpacking Light (I haven't made ANY of them yet so they may be awesome or completely gross):


Alpine Trail Bars
12 Servings

1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups uncooked rolled oats
¾ cup chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted cashew pieces

With a hand or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars, then blend in eggs and vanilla, then flour and baking soda.
With a spoon or spatula, stir in oats, chocolate and nuts.
Spread in a greased 13 x 9-inch pan, bake 25-30 minutes at 375F, let cool and cut into bars.

Nutritional Info:
Calories: 400
Fat:25 grams
Protein: 7 grams
Sodium: 125 mg
Potassium: 125
Fiber: 2 grams



Logan Bread 

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup dried fruit bits
1/4 lb brown sugar
1-1/2 ounce dried milk powder
1/4 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup vegetable oil such as canola
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
-------------------------------
Mix everything together in a large bowl. The first time you try this, you will have a hard time getting it to mix on only a 1/2 cup of water, so you may have to add slightly more. However, mixing it wetter will lead to possible spoilage.

Preheat a 300 degree F oven. Note that this is not as hot as most baking recipes.

Turn the mixture into two greased 8x8-inch cake pans and spread it as evenly as possible. Bake for one hour. Remove from the oven, let cool for five minutes, and then invert the pans to remove the bread. Cut each bread loaf into 16 squares. The proper consistency is not rock-hard, and it is a little chewy.

Stack and air dry the squares for 24 hours. This gets rid of much of the excess moisture that might lead to spoilage. Store the squares in plastic sandwich bags and squeeze out as much of the air as possible. I normally get six squares into each sandwich bag, so the whole batch will require five or six bags, minus however much you ate during the cutting.

If you make this relatively dry, it will keep for months. It is best when eaten within a month or two. Refrigeration is unnecessary.


Amount Per Serving
Calories 77.8
Total Fat 2.1 g
Saturated Fat 0.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Cholesterol 0.1 mg
Sodium 69.2 mg
Potassium 62.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 15.6 g
Dietary Fiber 1.2 g
Sugars 8.8 g
Protein 1.4 g




“BRICK” 2010 Model
Makes 12 bar
402cal/bar

Call them a chewy granola bar or an energy bar, either way, these are good! They freeze well also (wrap them up two bars to a bag for an easy trail snack out of the freezer.) Yes, they are high in fat, but if you are hiking hard, you will burn it off and they are better for you than a candy bar.

2 cups quick-cooking oats 1 cup all-purpose flour ¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup dried cranberries (or whatever fruit you prefer!)
½ cup wheat germ
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup chopped pecans (or other nut of choice, unsalted)
½ cup cranberries
½ cup blueberries
½ cup coconut
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup honey
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line a 13x9 inch pan with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, craisins, wheat germ, salt, cinnamon, and pecans.
4. In a smaller bowl, thoroughly blend oil, honey, egg, and vanilla; pour into flour mixture, and mix by hand until the liquid is evenly distributed
5. I use rubber gloves for this.
6. Press evenly into the prepared baking pan. Make sure it is packed in tightly.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes in the oven or until the edges are golden.
8. Cool completely in pan before turning out onto a cutting board and cutting into bars.

Notes:
• These bars take well to using applesauce or baby prunes as part of the oil.
• Brown sugar Splenda® works well as a way to cut back on the sugar content for diabetics.
• Any nut can be used, and feel free to change the fruit or add chocolate chips, etc to the batter!

Nutrition Facts Per Bar

Calories 402.4
Total Fat 16.7 g
Saturated Fat 2.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 9.8 g
Cholesterol 86.1 mg
Sodium 614.4 mg
Potassium 261.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 61.0 g
Dietary Fiber 4.8 g
Sugars 35.7 g
Protein 9.7 g


The Food Question

Posted on Friday, May 10, 2013
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Hi, my name is Sarah and I'm a foodie.

Whew, good to get that off my chest. But what to do with this fact while taking extended trips in the backcountry? I like good food, I like a light pack, and I like leaning back with a full tummy and licking my spoon clean because it was delicious. So begins my notes:

The By-Day Baggie

I just made that name up (I think). It's the idea of having everything you need for one day of food in a single bag and just working your way through the bag. They appeal to me for ease of packing/planning, ease of knowing what you have left, and calorie/nutrition tracking. I'm not sure if they create more garbage, bulk, and weight from the myriad of ziplock bags involved. Also, since I have a peanut allergy and will be bringing Sunbutter (not available in small packets) I would still have a small jar of it outside the baggies anyway. Still mualing over this one.

Wood Trekker has a great post on this concept, though it's probably more candy than I would take. These are his pictures of 2000 cal meal bags.






Exploring the Shenandoah

Posted on Tuesday, May 7, 2013
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I'm really growing to love the National Park Service website. It's broken down by parks, lots of good free information, and so far I've found it to be a huge help. I'm exploring the possibility of spending a lot of my trip in the Shenandoah Nation Park (SNP) and jumping around from the AT to the other trails. Since I'll be there in July it seems silly to 'avoid' some of the waterfalls and swimming holes. Anyway, here's what I've discovered so far.

Backcountry Camping

Full details here. You must have a camping permit, but it is free (will need to buy a pass if you are leaving a car in the park though). Bear bagging is ok, fires are NOT permitted except in a park fire ring. The following areas are closed to backcountry camping:

   - Limberlost Trail area (bounded by the Skyline Drive, the Whiteoak Canyon Fire Road, and the  
     Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail)
   - Hawksbill Mountain summit (area over 3,600 feet elevation)
   - Whiteoak Canyon (between the Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail and the Cedar Run Link Trail)
   - Old Rag Mountain summit (area over 2,800 feet elevation)
   - Big Meadows (Big Meadow clearing area within view of Skyline Drive)
   - Rapidan Camp (no camping within ½ mile of buildings)

Maps

Not topo maps, but fairly good for free downloads! Go SNP! Other VA trail map resources can be found on Backpacker.com here.

Sterilizing Your Water Bladder

Posted on Friday, May 3, 2013
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I've been wondering how to keep my Platypus water bladder clean, especially since I've been training for a few weeks and just filling/emptying it for the weight and sometimes it takes awhile to dry completely.

The simplest method seems to be to delude 1 tbsp in 2 liters of water, pour it into your water bladder, and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse as many times as your level of OCD calls for and hang it to dry propped open as best you can. Making your bleach mixture outside the bladder is important... you don't ever want to pour the bleach in first then add water! Doing so would give the bleach time to bond to your bladder material and then leach back into your drinking water later. Gross.

Another simple method: denture cleaner such as Polident or Efferdent. Just fill your bladder to 2/3 capacity and add 1 tablet per liter of water. Not having dentures myself, I don't know if there is any kind of taste that will linger, but it probably wouldn't be worse than a lingering bleach flavor!

My 6 LB Tent

Posted on Thursday, May 2, 2013
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I'm 2.1 pounds over my goal weight on my pack, and I know exactly where they are: my tent. When I was buying my tent, I had to take several factors into consideration:

  1. I'm kind of poor. I simply couldn't justify anything over $150, sad as it is.
  2. My most frequent camping buddy is 5'11" and she doesn't seem to like tiny tents and/or snuggling with me. Must needs have slightly spacious two-man tent.
  3. I wanted something in which I could stay dry, set up with frozen fingers, play card games while it rains, use a footprint/fly set up, and yes, please look cool.
After weighing all these considerations, I picked up an ALPS Mountaineering Chaos 2 two-man three-season tent from SteepandCheap.com for $116 + shipping (retails at $250). I was feeling very pleased with my purchase... and then I decided to hike a section of the AT this summer. All of a sudden, my tent/fly + poles + footprint + stuff sacks = 6 pounds of shelter sounded MASSIVE!

And really, for this kind of trip, it is. It's twice what it "should" weigh. The first steep incline in VA may have me wishing I could toss those three extra pounds off the cliff. HOWEVER, I have decided this is a "hike your own hike" moment. 

My budget and needs at home meant I needed this particular tent. Would I love a lighter tent? Sure, if you'll buy it for me. But the lesson here is that you buy what you can afford and get what you'll use the most. Buy quality and don't let anybody pick on you for making practical and financially savvy choices.


Summer Rain Gear

Posted on Tuesday, April 30, 2013
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My big question this week as I move through my list is rain gear. I read an article yesterday that said the biggest misconception about rain gear while hiking is that it is intended to keep you dry. The man said this is nonsense: you just pick which one you want to soak you, the rain or your own perspiration. Time may prove me wrong, but I'm just not convinced it has to be that dramatic.

I am putting the kibosh on rain jacket and pants for July hiking in Virginia. Too hot, not enough coverage with just the jacket. Buying a pack cover and rigging a rain skirt may not be worth the expense and hassle to supplement an existing rain jacket, but really, it's all personal preference! Here are the options I'm kicking around and why:

What: The Packa
Weight: 13 oz.
Cost: $115
Why:  I like it because it has full coverage of the pack and good coverage of me. I can wear it as a pack cover and pull this sucker on if it starts raining. The hood looks good, the pit zips seem ventilacious, it folds into its own pocket and can double as a pillow. It has a good reputation for quality and has a 2,000 mile warranty on construction and satisfaction. HOWEVER - 1) I don't know how long it would be on me and I'm not sure if my legs would get soaked (read that as channel water into my boots). 2) I would have to choose between keeping me dry and keeping the pack dry while setting up camp as well. 3) It can't be used as an emergency shelter. 4) Kinda pricey.


Weight: 12 oz
Cost: $90
Why: It's a poncho. Ponchos breathe like a boss. They're really all I've ever rain hiked in so I'm partial. This one looks particularly lovely in that the hood is spacious and the side snaps look sturdy. That's my main beef with ponchos... don't flap about in the wind, little poncho! This one is also a tarp. Tarps are also the boss. They keep you dry/shaded from above whilst cooking or lounging. They reflect heat from fires. They let you experiment with leaving your tent at home when you're feeling adventurous. HOWEVER - 1) there's no waist cinch so I'll have to rig something to keep it in place. 2) I would have to choose between keeping me dry and keeping the pack dry while setting up camp. 3) Kinda pricey. 4) Not sure if they have a brim.


Weight: 13 oz.
Cost: $40
Why: It's your basic poncho from a good brand with all the double stitched/tape sealed jazz you won't get from an el cheapo poncho. It also coverts to a shelter. HOWEVER - 1) Can't find anything that says the sides actually snap together.


What: DIY Tyvek Rain Jacket/Pants
Weight: 8 oz.
Cost: approx. $10
Why: Cool little DIY project, which I love, and CHEAP, which I love more. Just check this dude's article out if you want to make it. However, this project is riddled with HOWEVERs - 1) "Showerproof", NOT waterproof. So yeah. Be aware. 2) You HAVE to seal the seams. Apparently the stitching that it comes with is crap. 3) Those crappy seams should also be reinforced in some areas like the crotch if you're making the pants. 4) The material isn't bushwacking worthy. 5) This system obviously has no pack coverage. ... I'm probably not going to mess with this, though it sounds like a fun project.

If none of the above appeal to you, I'd say get a poncho big enough to go over your pack, comfortable on your head, snaps on the side, and go hike.

MY PLAN: At the moment, I'm going to drop the bucks on the Sea-to-Summit Ultra-Sil Tarp Poncho, wear a ball cap, and make some Tyvek gaiters. I have an old ripped poncho... I'm going to use it to make a pack cover/wrap for when I'm setting up shelter.

Appalachian Trail, VA Section, July 2013

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This blog may evolve into other things, it may not. For now, it is a central dumping ground for all my thoughts on gear, route, food, etc for my upcoming month-long AT hike in Virginia. Should be fun!

If anybody reads this, you are always welcome to post your thoughts in the comments. I can always use advice. If nobody reads any of this, totally fine as well.