New Food For Hikers and Hunters

New Food for Hikers and Hunters: Pouches is the Word

I guess I’m kind of a traditionalist. I’ve been eating the same stuff on the trail and in camp for thirty years. Freeze dried meals. Crackers. Salami. Cereal. Cheese. Some jerky. Raisins. A Snickers bar being the big treat. That is, until last spring.

We were mapping a portion of the Continental Divide trail in New Mexico. Matt was a young buck from the east with all the best gear. Joe, a rock, newly back from service with the infantry in Iraq. Grizzled Michael, a 25 year veteran of the Forest Service, fighting fires across the west.

Sitting down to eat was like opening your brown bag in elementary school. As I unwrapped mine I glanced around. What do they got?

Man. They had stuff I’d never seen. By day two I was salivating over it. By day three it was clear there was going to be no trading. I carried no food currency. At day five I was asking questions. Almost all of this grub came from a grocery store. It was not only better than my lunch, it was probably cheaper.

So here’s what’s new in outdoor, lightweight, belly-filling food. Pouches is the word.

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BLISTERS: How to Prevent and Treat Them

BURNING BLISTERS

Nothing can turn the Sound of Music into the Batan Death March faster than blisters. The sure footed hunter or hiker can be reduced to a tender foot, limping, hobbling home.

The scientific formula to produce a blister goes something like this: Friction + Pressure + Heat + Moisture + Tenderness = Blisters. In other words, increasing any of the above, friction, pressure, heat, moisture and tenderness will increase the odds of blister formation.

So what can be done?

1. Decrease friction with shoes that fit well, tied properly. The heel should be snug enough to stop slipping, possibly using a runner‘s loop at the ankles. The padding of good socks helps. Known trouble spots can be covered with moleskin in advance. Duct tape is OK if nothing else is around but it doesn’t stick too well as feel sweat.

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