Food and Fuel

EQUIPMENT LIST – Food & Fuel

A NOTE ABOUT FOOD: Food is the only weight in your pack that provides energy, rather than taking it away, so food is not the ideal place to skimp. The best way to save weight in your food pack while maintaining energy is to look for calorically dense foods. You also want to bring food that is appealing. No one is particularly hungry while hiking at 3am, but you must eat to maintain energy, so packing tasty food is important. Consider this food list as a general guide that should be tailored towards your body and your trip. On longer trips, bring more (and more varied) food. On trips with carry-overs (where you will be climbing with your full pack), focus on keeping your food lightweight. On winter trips, focus on foods that don’t freeze or become rock-hard. On day trips with shorter approaches, focus on bringing food that is delicious, since weight is less of a consideration.

NCMG does not provide food on our trips – we feel that this allows you much more flexibility to accommodate your own preferences and dietary needs while allowing you to learn some food packing and planning skills. We are more than happy to work with you to help you bring the right food and the right amount of food – please contact your guide with any questions.

It can be really useful to work hard to minimize packaging. This may mean re-packaging the food your bringing. Less packaging means less weight that you have to carry up and down the mountain.