How much FOOD do you need to start a Thru-Hike?

[@donaldtimmons1472]

Hey Bigfoot, You were exactly right on the money with this video. I was looking for this exact information. Thank you so much. I’m trying to plan my first thru hike on the AT and was the same thing. You totally confirmed my suspicions that maybe a “practice run” from Springer to Neal Gap is perfect way to get a gage of mileage per day and food to carry. I’m gonna do it.

[@t.g.3331]

I hit the trail in a couple of days.. Your videos have been a big part of my preparation--thanks for your effort,, AT at 70--gonna do it..

[@peaJayFish]

T. G., are you filming? I would love to see your hike!

[@FollowBigfoot]

Incredible! Go out and get em' T.G.!!!

[@joshbaker2157]

How far did you make it? How long did it take for you to get to Neel Gap? It took me 7 days the first time.

[@richardspence3447]

Awesome video.

[@steveh994]

My section hike this summer from Hot Springs to Damascus will bring 5 days and then have two food drops. One at Uncles Johnnys and the other at Mountain Harbor. Good advice on the daily zip lock

[@kempenglish]

Great tips. Thanks for sharing so much of your experience with us.

[@TheWalkersWalk]

Thank you for sharing your experience and providing such an informative video on this topic!

[@AB-nv5ti]

Thank you. Very insightful.

[@stanthemanhikes2965]

Good advise makes a lot of sense. Last year i did a small section around delaware water gap and by day 2 realized i had way to much food weight. Gave some of it to hikers and dropped some more in the hiker box.

[@FollowBigfoot]

+Stanley Sutter I am sure he Hikers had no problems taking it off your hands 😜

[@shutterbugsadventures1951]

I really love this information you're providing! Thank you for these awesome videos!

[@FollowBigfoot]

+Shutterbug ontheAT 😊

[@jpjpjp453]

Thanks for clearing up what i suspected. I've always figured it was possible to go rather light on the food until Franklin.

[@jamieofalltrades536]

Thanks bud, hey can you do a video with tips for 2020 or 21 considering the virus and limited hitchhiking or shuttles, hostiles etc. How do you think things will be going forward?

[@hikehunter9572]

I would carry 4 to 5 days of food (approx. 3.3 lbs) that is about all you need in the south(1st 400miles or so). First drop box to Neel Gap with 2 to 3 days food. Second box to NOC with 3 to 4 days. 3rd box to Fontana with full 4 to 5 days to get to New Found Gap. Then maybe a box to Standing Bear or get ride to town for resupply. Next box somewhere after the Grayson Highlands. Boxes north of Font Royal only with items not available north of there. To me it is a comfort/save some cash thing. I do agree that the taste changes. Pasta Sides get crappy after a week or two. Learn some new ways to mix and match foods and some creative recipes. ie: I only eat pop tarts when I hike, never at home. Thanks for the post. Some good "food for thought" lol

[@FollowBigfoot]

+hikehunter I'm the same way with food. Most of the stuff I ate on the trail like pop tarts, I never eat at home.

[@hikehunter9572]

Your choice. Some places are better than others. It is like an Easter egg hunt sometimes.

[@josephttremblay]

I did a section hike at AT last month and saw people carrying so much food!!! I talked to one girl who carried about 28 pounds of food, I was joking with her if she was feeding the entire people at the AT and she laughed lol. Great video, this is really a huge help since I'm going to the AT next year!!!

[@FollowBigfoot]

Thanks for sharing Joseph. It is really easy to go overboard and before you know it you have 20+ pounds of food. It is very smart of you to section hike, especially that area as you will gain an extrodinary amount of knowledge for it.

[@KuntryRD]

Most appetites don't kick in until after Neel Gap. A person usually doesn't eat as much that first week as they think that they will. On my Ga section hike, I had too much food at 5 pounds. Some people arrived at Neel Gap with 3 to 6 pounds of uneaten food! That is 3 to 6 pound of weight that they had to carry for 30 miles or more. The first week is spent getting in gear. I actually had to remind myself to eat that first week. After that, yes, my appetite hit high gear. I turned down nothing in the food dept after that. That first week is hard enough without carrying a 10+ pound food bag. I would recommend "easy" food that first week. I am not a fan of freeze-dried stuff but it is easy at the end of the day to just boil water, add to a bag, wait and eat, stuff that you can eat hand to mouth. After that, you will have a better picture of what you really need and what you like and want.

[@FollowBigfoot]

+KuntryRD I would say that most Hikers feel the same way. Almost every Hiker i spoke with about food regret bringing so much food between Springer and Neel Gap.

[@GreetersThru-Hike]

Great as always!

[@imout671]

I'm 47 and I've hiked ga and nc. I plan 1.5 lbs per day and I've never gone hungry. my son and I usually do 12 to 20 miles a day, we've never been out more than a week. I'm usually to exhausted to have much of an appetite. my son plans 2 lbs a day and he gladly eats my extra.

[@imout671]

I eat a pack of instant oatmeal with coffee, snack all day on snickers,lots of nuts, pork skins, dried fruit (jerky gets old fast) snacks for lunch then cook , Ramen, or tuna, spam singles, mashed potatoes or the like. we start walking about 30 min after first light and stop an hour or so before sunset.

[@FollowBigfoot]

+Russ Cherry when I did my thru hike, I didn't start really eating until about 3 weeks in.

[@Owen741.]

I'm thinking pemmican will be key to staying light weight and getting the most

[@Superduper666]

Watching this in 2022. Very informative and on point.

[@thomaswoolard161]

One of the most informative videos yet thanks again brother 🤙🏻

[@davidson_oldbull_sectionhiker]

Thanks, my food bag is a 10# right now for my 100 mile PA section. Im scratching my head right now. Have a great day.

[@FollowBigfoot]

It takes a little time to dial in the food bag. I think it took me longer than most I feel like. Have an awesome section hike!

[@joshbaker2157]

Hope your hike was great!!!

[@mtpstv94]

Tip: Take food out of boxes and bags that you can't fold/shape like Mountain House and put them in SLIDER bags. Don't use zip lock (use the ones with sliders). I wouldn't eat or handle other's food. Especially around April due to Noro Virus unless you want to shit yourself for 2 weeks. ;)

[@SylvainSybaris]

I made a "water" mistake at the Tetons hiking from Jenny Lake to the top of the Tetons by not having enough water, and there were no water stations or any natural water sources until you get way up to Amphitheater Lake which is a glacier pond near the top of the Tetons... Well, half way up, I ran into a hiker on his way down as I was going up, and he asked if I wanted one of his bottles of water which saved me.... So yes, I support offering your extra food & water to fellow hikers.... They may really need it.

[@threeicys]

I have so many food allergies all my food has to be shipped. Candy without dairy or gluten may be an exception. I checked out all the typical rice packets and they add wheat!! Why I do not know. Even most brands of beef jerky contain wheat.

[@GucciGirlandGrumpy]

Another great information video. I believe I have my food figured out. I am not sure about fuel resupply. I am using a alcohol stove. No one ever talks about fuel. Is this something you can do a video about?

[@neilbadger4262]

Depending on the type of alcohol stove you take, the fuel economy of each time you use it and even how you use it will change slightly. Check this site: adropofrain.net/2013/08/fuel-consumption-and-pack-weight-for-alcohol-vs-canister-backpacking-stoves/ Another site that may help you: www.hikinghq.net/stoves/trangia.html I think you will have to refer to the AT guide for alcohol resupply, however the advantage with using alcohol is more stores should supply it. Gas canisters less so. Hope this helps :-)

[@FollowBigfoot]

+Christopher W3CDW Wilson Neil brought up a lot of great points. I didn't cook, so I didn't carry any fuel. It would be a good video, I would just have to do a little research first to help out with the vid

[@michaelrussing8513]

Nobody has ever starved to death to my knowledge on the trail. The truth is you are really only about 3 days outside of some town of food opportunity.

[@trilbyarnold3341]

On the AT, yes, on the John Muir Trail, no. If your old and slow like me one needs 9 to 11 days of food for each leg between resupply points.

[@Zicora]

Unless you go off trail and get lost such as Geraldine Largay in 2016.

[@wanderingtheusa]

hey bigfoot thanks for the trail magic!! loved your moms pasta that your girlfriend cooked.. u brightened my hiking soul

[@FollowBigfoot]

Glad your enjoyed it. I could go for some of my Mom's pasta right now!!!! I am grateful that we could make that big of an impact for you!

[@keithwingad4880]

Good morning. I was watching one of your videos and you referenced an AT weather app. I haven't been able to find it so would you please send me the link? Thanks

[@FollowBigfoot]

www.atweather.org I just bookmarked this on my home screen so it was like an App. There is an actual AT weather app out there that a lot of people are using too. I used this website though.

[@neil2809]

DAM ! you are GOOD You are helping me and I'm sure many others. I maintained a portion of the AT for years. Now I have the time to hike it. I got laid off of work and no one will hire a 60 yr old. So I;m trying to get the necessary things that I will need but $ are LOW low doing bits here and there but Dam I need to get the right stuff, and SS $ don't just cut it. But DAM IT some how some way I will do it . Not all at once but section by section. I may die on it but guess I'll be in Heaven ! Thanks for all your info it helps greatly. Doing 19 miles tomorrow with locale club (ADK) might be cold but get use to it !!!!! Take Care AKA ROCKY

[@toddtesta5228]

Hey Bigfoot!! I'm planning on Section Hiking GA in a couple of weeks with my son! I've watched a ton of your vids in prep for this over the past few months(Love them). Food has been a concern of mine. We plan on being on trail for about 7-8 days and doing 8-12 miles per day(hopefully). If we went for just the simple Freeze dried foods or ramen for our main do you think a simple resupply at Neel Gap would work??

[@HappyHikers]

I always have either too much or too little food so this was helpful! Thank you! I also have a question about weights. What all do I include in my base weight? and then what about pack weight? I'm confused about the clothes I'm wearing, do I count them in those weights?

[@mikefranks8469]

base weight is all your weight minus consumerables. So no fuel,clothing you're wearing, water, and food. Pack weight is all of that you will carry including water, food, and fuel.

[@FollowBigfoot]

+Happy Hikers Mike is correct. Now, I count everything in my base weight that includes toilet paper and any of the other hygiene items. I have seen on a lot of gear reviews that people don't count this in theirs..... but I'm pretty sure you are always going to need that stuff. When I put together my gear lists I add in all my base layers as base weight. Some hikers count their base layers as worn clothing that just makes their base weights look lighter when they really are not. You would count your trekking poles as worn clothing too. Hope that helps 😊

[@mikefranks8469]

I'm the same way. I count my base layers and toilet items in my base weight. I'm at 9.4 lbs as my base. Probably wont go any lower than that...

[@HappyHikers]

That does help! Thank you!!

[@Loathomar]

Figuring out how much food to bring is not an easy thing to do, though these are all great tips. When I first started backpacking I calculated out my food needs mathematically. Ei, found somewhere that could estimate calories burned while hike given mileage, elevation gain, personal weight and pack weight, add to this my RMR and it came out to around 7,000 calories per day, which at 100 calories per oz, is over 4 pounds per day, I came back from a 3 day trip with over 6lb of food. Now, the 7,000 calories per day burned was rather reasonable (note that I am 6'5" and ~235lb and did not have a light pack), but what happens is that I simply lose weight while on the trail. For me it is about a pound per day and I can bring around 2lb per day and have a bit left (I would always rather have an extra 1/2lb of food then be hungry).

[@stevehornberger6675]

Hey great helpful tips! I'm thru hiking 2018. I'm not planning on doing any food drops just re supplying the whole way. Do you feel like that is going to be a mistake?

[@FollowBigfoot]

+Steve Hornberger Not really, it's totally doable with a Trail like the A.T. There are a few places that may be of interest to send them. Did you watch the video on my mail drops and where I would send them?

[@r.p.mcmurphy3222]

Steve Hornberger I bet some places are hella expensive

[@curiosoneee]

good info thanks. also any info on the at from north to south

[@FollowBigfoot]

Like heading Southbound and the amount of food to bring?

[@curiosoneee]

yes

[@fbnc11]

Great information, does anyone run a shuttle service for hikers into town at neels gap?

[@FollowBigfoot]

+fbnc11 There is some sort of shuttle service, but I didn't ask. I know it says in Awol's guide to ask Mountain Crossings about shuttles. There are honestly so many people driving through that area and heading to Blairsville as the next town, I heard it was a really easy hitch.

[@longrider42]

Okay, according to every thing I've read. From AT guides to US military. The human body needs 3000 to 5000 calorie's a day of food. Of course this all depends on how fast you walk, and how fast you burn through calorie's. One thing to remember, eat your protein at night so your body can break it down for the next day. And when you get to a pass through town, don't pig out on fatty foods, your body wont be used to it. Yes, eat a hamburger or one pizza, just don't over do it. Oh, and fruit and salad when ever you can.

[@Loathomar]

I feel like how much food to take needs to be split into three parts. 1. Caloric Density - How many pounds of food you need changes wildly depending on how caloric dense your food is. A basic rule of thumb is 100 calories per oz for an average, but if someone brings a pound of fresh apples, you get 200 calories per pound. 2. Days hiking - If you know how many miles you are doing per day, then you have a reasonable idea of how many days of food to bring. Remember that your first meal and last meal does not need to be carried, so 3 days is really, 2 breakfast, 3 lunches and 2 dinners, plus snacks. 3. How much you eat per day - There are calculations to find the amount of calories you body needs per day, but most people do not start off eat that many calories until they get their "hiker hunger". Everyone size, age, pack weight and distance your are traveling per day will cause this to be wildly different and the best way to figure out how much you will need is to go on a hike for a few days and find out how much you eat. When I started backpacking, I found calculated caloric expenditure and brought that as my food per day, which was like 5500 per day. But after a trip or two, I found I had 1500 calories per day more then needed, which on a 4 day trip is about 4lb of extra food. Weight I was very happy not to bring. I do still over pack a bit on food, but I would still rather have an extra energy bar or two, then to run out of food and have to hike hunger.

[@FollowBigfoot]

Thanks for sharing Loathomar. I still grab a little bit extra food for the same reason. Great point about taking into account your day you leave and come into town as you will most likely eating in town those times.

[@kenk2345]

Hard to imagine anyone attempting the AT, without doing smaller section hikes first.

[@FollowBigfoot]

+jonnken You would be surprised

[@Boodieman72]

There is no such thing as taking too much food, only too much food for you as individual.

[@FollowBigfoot]

+Boodieman72 it's going to be different for every person as you state, each individual. I believe if you asked all Hikers that attempted a thru-hike, whether they finished or not, most will stay they were heavy in the food Dept in the beginning. I never carried exactly the food I needed to get to my next resupply as I usually would carry enough for one extra day. On the AT with all the towns to resupply and get off the trail, you can carry a little less and resupply more often if you wish. Once hikers get 100-200 miles in, they start to get things dialed in based on the mileage they're doing and what their body needs to stay energized.

[@Reese842]

Lmao 3lb pb jar

[@RichardBuckerCodes]

Sorry, I could not watch this in it's entirety so I hope you include some facts.... [a] you'll burn between 5200 and 6000 calories on a trail day [b] you will probably only eat between 2250 and 3000 calories and most hikers are at a caloric deficit on trail and binge during resupply days. [c] 1000 calories weighs about 1 pound. 5 days = 10 pounds @ approx 2000 per day. [d] fats provide more calories than carbs or proteins; some people add olive oil to everything they eat [e] you still need a combination of foods [f] vitamins are a good idea your recommendation to NOT resupply is foolish. You can always trade or dump anything you do not like. If you've already planned your resupply then waiting for your first selection after 100 miles is silly as it is already something you've selected.

[@FollowBigfoot]

+Richard Bucker Richard, I believe some of your answers might be answered in the remainder of the video. As far as the resupply goes, I said to not send a food drop until you get about a 100 miles in. Most hikers that send a food drop during this time send food that they no longer have a craving for or they send way too much... or both. I am not sure where you stopped the video, but instead of sending a food drop to Neel Gap, I highly recommend hitching into Blairsville to resupply to get a better understanding of the food you want on the trail and the amount you need. I do talk about some facts of how much food you would typically have on trail for each day, 2-2.5lbs of food. I think you may have misinterpreted my message, I am NOT saying to wait 100 miles to resupply, that is foolish. I am saying to resupply at a town(Blairsville, Helen, Hiawassee) INSTEAD of sending a food drop to these areas. Too many things change in most Hiker's diets when they get a week or two on the trail, me included, and more than half of my resupply I sent myself the first time I dumped in the hiker box. Hope this clears it up.