I Wish I Figured This Out BEFORE Hiking the Colorado Trail

[@chrismoore600]

Cool to see an expert show his mistakes as well as his success. Outstanding video.

[@eric_hanson]

I still learn stuff every trip!

[@charlottedunlay4397]

The Colorado Trail Foundation has a very affordable Data Book that is small and has tons of info on the whole trail showing campsites and water sources plus lots of other info. They also have lists of trail angels you can contact for help, rides etc. Please check them out and all their resources before you hike the trail. Even with Far Out or other "app" the lightweight CT Data Book is a great back up to electronics. Also no permit is needed, but if you hike the East Collegiate route Section 12 requires a permit through a State Park, & the CTF has info on that.

[@eric_hanson]

Nice! Great to know of a good alternative and a aper version is always helpful!

[@rickmc73]

Love your comment “have something that hits home for you”. For me those are rice crispy treats or beef sticks/jerky. I never ever ever worry about the little weight they add as the physiological boost after having those on trail is nearly immeasurable. For me.

[@eric_hanson]

Mmmmm…. Rice crispy treats…..

[@ExplorewithEast]

Thanks for being real! We all do it! 😊

[@jamesbramlett5407]

Agree, most beautiful part of Colorado. I live here and dont get down south as much as I'd like. Thx for the reminder

[@eric_hanson]

It's stunning!

[@CameronVirrill]

Appreciate your openness and clear presentation. Keep it coming.

[@eric_hanson]

More on the way!

[@johncheeseman6764]

Hi Eric, what my wife and I do for food prep is like you, we lay out the food by day and each day in a gallon size vacuum bag, suck the air out, put it bear bag last day first. Worked out great on our 5 day cirque of the towers backpack.

[@danbarth9421]

Eric!! Thanks for answering my question on Water, for the Big Bend venture!! Appreciate what you do, and look forward to more videos!! Be safe and maybe see ya on the trail sometime!!

[@Klatubarada1979]

Me and my wife have a nice. Hack. Take a big bag of bacon bits. You can add them to pretty much any kind of meal for extra flavor and protein.

[@eric_hanson]

I fully support this!

[@billbarrett7772]

Great video Eric, looking forward to the post-hike video. Safe travels

[@eric_hanson]

Thank you so much!

[@jimdog999]

Really appreciate you answering my question. As an experienced hiker, I suppose the apprehension of having an idea where to post up for the night goes away. For a first timer, it’s a little daunting but seems like the remedy is just heading out. Would love a short clip of you walking through your thought process of what makes “this” spot where I decided to set up camp. Also how late into the day you should start looking etc. Thank you for continuing to put out informative, helpful, and beautiful videos for us rookies to experience.

[@eric_hanson]

Glad I can help! I do kind of discuss that some in my upcoming trail video. But basically as I’m feeling like I’m only willing to hike another mile or two I’ll start keeping an eye out for camp sites that call to me. Usually I’ll see a spot and just know, yep! This is my home for the night!

[@dorothypinckney885]

Always enjoy your videos. Thanks for the good, the bad and the ugly. Realistic.

[@JCrozier1]

always excited to see a notification from this channel. I'm learning quite a bit from you. keep it up! Thanks!

[@eric_hanson]

right on! I love to hear that.

[@vzmichael]

Some new food I have found are Mooncheese and these little resl cheddar pretzel things Zi get at Publix. Great to have real cheese on the trail.

[@SaunterOn]

Found this very helpful, and love that you were humble enough to admit the things you did, that didn't really work out. Respect 🙏

[@danielcluley870]

I usually always go with Peak vs. a Mountain House or other. They are much more calorically dense and also a lot more protein macro. The idahoan potatoes are also a go-to for me. Great meal for a back-up and also a primary. I like to dump a tuna pack in it, or powdered eggs. Also often eat them now regularly at home. Some ground beef cheesy potatoes is a great one pot bachelor meal! Also a big fan of Duke's mini sausages. They are so good and often found in gas stations to add a great protein source.

[@danielcluley870]

Also, I have been using Far Out exclusively for several years, and it is great. I used it for Foothills Trail, Florida Trail, and Lower App sections, among many others. Saved my ass on the Florida Trail once when it was flooded over and I had to find a way to get around without swimming. I love how you can download the offline files and they are still very accurate with satellite GPS when there is no signal (which happens often).

[@2HennaHands]

I love that you share your entire experiences, warts and all. ❤️❤️

[@eric_hanson]

I still learn stuff every trip! Happy to share.

[@kriswibbenhorstermeister9885]

Man, I wish there were backpackers that did guided trips to some of these places and taught beginners how to plan, do food drops (mail food ahead), do some of the planning… I’m so bad at that, so it really keeps me limited to 3 day trips close by. Great video, I can see how the food planning by day is thought out.

[@mtadams2009]

I have used the Far Out app on the Long Trail and AT trail and I truly love that app. I hike with my dog so it’s very important for me to know water sources and it also helps with transportation into town. At most road crossings and parking areas locals and hikers will leave number of people willing to transport hikers for a fee to and from the trial. Because of my dog I don’t hitchhike. I usually make arrangements the day before with someone in the area. It’s alway worked out for me and my dog. The community aspect is also great. On the East coast it helps with finding camp spots that are not established. The forest are so thick that finding a place to put up your tent it can truly be an issue. I think overpacking food is something most of us have done. When packing I always have to tell myself not to pack my fears. Over the years I have dialed it in but I too sometimes still pack to much. Because I carry my dogs food too I have to be careful, the weight can be an issue. Off trail I eat mostly a keto diet and I try to take that diet on to the trail. Fat packs a lot of calories to it’s weight ratio. I think the Peak brand of dehydrated meals has some of the higher calorie meals out there. On longer trails like the AT it’s just store bought food. I have learned a lot from hiking with triple crowner and people who pretty much live on the trail. Take care and I am sure you had a great trip. The Colorado is next up on my list, PS don’t tell me wife I have to ease her into I am taking off again. I will probably have to take her to Europe for a couple weeks to soften her up.

[@zacharybonner9188]

Just an idea on completing this section and lining up shuttle. Park in Durango. Ride the the train to Silverton and begin hike there back to Durango.

[@eric_hanson]

For sure. That’s a good idea and most people hike that way. I wanted to finish in the molas pass area though.

[@ScottValler]

Yes, the farout app and the colorado trail org data book were the best solutions for water, camping, and other important information for my CT thru hike this year.

[@rolfvdbrink]

Looking forward to the movie. Hopefully it’ll be available outside the USA.

[@elvismikel2271]

This should make newer backpackers feel better about that fact that event super experienced hiker make mistakes. It happens. Just go out there and do your best and have a good time.

[@kennethheelas8392]

Very very helpful video, just wanted to say thanks for sharing these with us. They truly are ; number 1 inspirational in the fact that it gets you amped up to go and do it. Number 2 it's just simply invaluable info that someone just doesn't have without your knowledge. Number 3 The pure joy of watching them , for someone who might not be able to get out there anymore due to being confined in a wheelchair or some other disability ♿ ,can bring a smile to someone's face and remembering the times that they may have gone hiking in the past. Take care and we'll be waiting patiently for the next one. GODBLESS you and your beautiful lady friend.

[@mconnorsc]

Thanks so much for the update. The answered questions were a big help. Thank you as well for pointing out your error on counting meals. Good reminder to think it through. We used to write the menu by day and mark off which pack it ended up in. Packed with my Dad and brother.

[@eric_hanson]

Menu by day is a gooood idea!

[@stant4884]

That is what i'm ready to see is more hiking and camping Let's go👊

[@Marker-er3ro]

I’m using FarOut for the CT, it was originally Gut Hook.

[@markwilliams1680]

I really enjoyed this video, especially because I completed the entire CT last summer. I found the Far Out guide to be incredibly accurate! Keep the videos coming.

[@eric_hanson]

I had never used it before but was genuinely surprised and thrilled with how helpful and accurate it was.

[@1519Spring]

​​@@eric_hanson Far Out used to be called Guthook, but rebranded a couple years ago. Ever heard of Guthook? (the founder's trail name is Guthook). Definitely focused on better known backpacking trails, so if you've avoided those major longer thruhiking trails, that would make sense.

[@mtadams2009]

I used the Far Out app on the Long Trail last year on my end to end it was very accurate. I brought a map, but never really used it.

[@mikeward3462]

The ProMeal bars are my favorite tasting bars also. All of the flavors are pretty tasty!

[@lovedogsontheloose]

I almost always pack too much food (mostly snacks). On my most recent trip (Molas Pass to Durango), I made a deliberate effort to take less just to see if I could do it. I still had a bit left when I finished this time, even after giving some food to another hiker who needed it. That helped me feel more confident about taking less food in the future. But I still always pack at least one extra day's worth, just in case something goes wrong. Agreed re/ Far Out app. I've found it to be very accurate, and the comments from other hikers are helpful re/ water availability and other date-specific trail data. Looking forward to seeing your trip video!

[@eric_hanson]

It's a balance of being prepared, especially if something goes sideways, and not just overpacking. I definitely did the latter. FarOut for the win!

[@Olyphoto7]

I’ve packed too much food several times, mostly when we cut a day off the itinerary. The worst was my through hike in ONP and we brought home about eight pounds of food (two people) and gear we should have left home. We learned and cut about 25% of our pack weight for our next trip.

[@eric_hanson]

I do it all the time! For shorter trips it doesn’t matter as much but this time it added up, especially over so many miles.

[@Olyphoto7]

@@eric_hanson I’ve thought about developing a formula that combines miles traveled, elevation loss and gained along with the weight to have some factor that would help make decisions about what to carry overall and what to eat and when for best return on calories spent. (Yes, I’m an engineer)

[@TheDuke-n7o]

For water i use sawyer squeeze in Arizona and i always take my Stiripen. I spend hours looking for dehydrated meals because i can’t eat onions and usually everything has onions.

[@trolololgast]

Thanks for answering my question regarding water!

[@eric_hanson]

You're welcome! It's a good question.

[@DavidVidaurri]

Can’t wait to see your trip vid❤ at least you have food for your next trip

[@AK_Avalanche]

Here in Alaska, you have to have a bear canister if you go into Denali park.

[@eric_hanson]

Good call! I hope to go there soon.

[@andreameigs1261]

We saw 13 grizzlies (some babies) one rainy day in Denali park on the 4? or 6? hour bus tour. It was amazing. The driver said he had never seen so many in one day. I had no idea they came in so many colors. I read that the road washed out up there and could take a few years to repair, so backpacking past that point is a real treat because there are fewer people and more animals.

[@amyjones-lonestarhoosier2029]

Wow that is a lot of food!! I can’t eat that much at all. I have a pop tart or a bar of some kind in the morning , snacks in the day and afternoon and a meal at night. That’s it. I still had food left over.

[@greasemonkey4god]

Looking forward to the trail video and gear grading!!!!

[@eric_hanson]

Coming as soon as I can edit em up!

[@expectamiracle.406]

Great video! If you visit Bozeman - stop & say Hi!

[@eric_hanson]

Right on! I’m a fan of Bozeman.

[@galinswigart]

Green Belly’s are my absolute favorite lunch/snack on trail. Super delicious and very filling/high calorie for a bar!

[@Lv4_o2]

I’m a “roll ‘n go” (bear canister) gal. I have 3 different sizes. The weight is worth the stress free (right branch/rock throwing) food/smellies/garbage overnight storage.🤷‍♀️

[@eric_hanson]

Yeah I’d much rather do this than a traditional bear hang.

[@Generation2434]

Good video! I’d love to see more detail on your favorite backpacking foods.

[@eric_hanson]

I will definitely make more food videos in the future. It's a major sticking point for a lot of people.

[@Generation2434]

Maybe do a best for "easy" and another for "more complex" backpacking food. Like freeze dried meals and meals with fresh ingredients that require more work but are worth it. 😄@@eric_hanson

[@cynthiabartz2157]

Oh my goodness. I'm adding all of this to my non-camping meal plan for this week. All of this sounds so good. Also, thinking the weather might be agreeable to take the salad on my backpacking trip next weekend. Have you ever taken a salad backpacking!?

[@DonCompton-e7u]

thoughts on a smaller so;ar panel set on the outside of you pack to charge things?

[@7505kpersson]

Thanks for the video. 😊

[@DM-fv7hw]

For the flatlanders, come up to altitude and spend a couple of days BEFORE beginning your big hike.

[@filmic1]

What a neat survey!

[@eric_hanson]

Thanks!

[@millerhoo]

In big bend, I would also think about caching water along your hike.

[@eric_hanson]

For sure. I've had to cache water in the Grand Canyon and some Utah desert hikes.

[@herenuriartesalvador9339]

I enjoy watching your videos a lot, and if this comment is useful for someone, I use CLIF bars for my hikes, and decathlon or 226ers bars and gels to recover hydrates... specially on high intensity activities( cycling, running...). I have tried different brands in the past, but those are the best from my personal opinion. Also, I do not recommend using any type of bars with chocolate on it on hot days or summer, they melt easier and it's a mess to clean that later.😂 Hope it has been helpful for someone.😊

[@christimartin8512]

I was looking at that pile of food at the beginning, thinking, wow, that’s way too much food. I know this because I tend to do the same thing! I always wind up bringing back too much food. Such a waste, but I can’t get past that, “what if something happens” mindset.

[@Mike_Blanda]

I appreciate the food honesty Eric! But that’s easy to screw up when your in a hurry right! So, just battery’s without a bank…. Ahhh interesting broth- I do use the nitecore bank, super light and I take 3 battery’s, 2 of which I can recharge using USB-C. I never did the math on weight but this helped me focus on that now… “Foot shots” 😂😂😂😂 I’m dead lol

[@GrumpyForester]

I'm really enjoying your new channel endeavor, Eric, and thanks for this video. I was idly wondering as you went through your food list about how your 5-day trip was going to be arranged logistically, since - to my way of thinking - one wouldn't need 5 breakfasts/lunches/dinners unless one was camping the night before starting and the night at the end. THANKS for clearing that up for me 👍

[@chaosncheckt9356]

Interesting video Eric. I just completed my through hike on the Appalachian Trail and has many long distance hikers will probably agree; their appetites changed and it was always a challenge to buy just enough food to get you to the next resupply, select food you will actually eat, and try to get the carb count high as through hikers normally burn through 6-7k worth of calories a day. Lastly, budget because those freeze dried meals can get expensive depending where you buy them. For me, if freeze dried were available those were my go to for dinner. If not, then the old reliable ramen bomb. For lunch it was usually a tuna/chicken packet but those got old, so I would swap them out with the small tortilla wrap and add peanut butter or if the weather was cool, cheese and pepperoni. Snacks consisted of various nuts and protein bars. I can honestly say I tried just about every brand of protein bar and the one that worked best for me was found in the pharmacy section of the grocery store in the diet aisle..Atkins bars. I thought about making a hot breakfast of oatmeal each morning and many folks did - basically heating water and pouring directly into the oatmeal bag, but I can probably count on one hand the number of times I made a hot breakfast. For me, I would have a protein bar and drink a cup of Carnation Instant Breakfast. I didn't carry candy much and what I carried was always hard candy. No coffee but for the first month I did have hot chocolate for night. For me and I think many hikers it came down to weight and expediency. Most of us tried to keep our daily food weight under 2lbs. I once hiked with a couple who had completed the PCT in 2022 and they were so done with chicken and tuna packets. He would carry a loaf of bread and she would carry peanut butter and jelly and usually a medium size bag of chips.

[@eric_hanson]

It's one thing to plan for a week of food and another thing entirely to plan months of food. Yeah, changing appetites are a major factor! What sounds good early may be repulsive after two weeks of it! As for freeze dried, I'm lucky to have accumulated loads of "complimentary" meals. My garage is full of them. But I definitely wouldn't spend $16 per meal for more than a few days of food!

[@chaosncheckt9356]

@@eric_hanson You def scored with those PEAK meals. I tried several brands on the trail - basically whatever was available and by far the PEAK had the most calories, very tasty and filling.

[@brycewalburn3926]

I've found that a lot of the hiking nutrition information you'll come across online is geared towards thru hikers. They need to think long term. They need to really worry about calorie intake, macronutrient balance, and maintaining a healthy weight. If you're only going out for a few days, you really just need to make sure you won't be hungry and can survive an extra day or so if things go wrong. Assuming you're otherwise healthy, you'll be perfectly fine if you don't eat as many calories as you "should". My last bigger trip was also 5 days 4 nights, and I made the exact same mistake. I came back with about 35% of the food I took because I just wasn't hungry enough to eat it.

[@hardwaterhacker]

I haven't done any extended hikes like this, but even on a 2-3 day hike, I always tend to over pack food. I think it's a little trauma from a bad hike early on where I didn't have nearly enough food or water. Speaking of water, I'm amazed at how little water most people seem to drink. I drink a gallon a day at home. When I'm on the trail, I usually filter and drink/use at least 6 liters between arriving at camp and departing the next morning. I wish I could get by on just having 3 liters getting in to camp!

[@eric_hanson]

yeah we all tend to prepare for our trips with juuust a little bit of trauma in the background (it's why I'm obsessed with good sleep systems). I definitely drink more than 3 liters of water in a day, I'm just talking about how much I carry. I rely upon refilling throughout the day.

[@1519Spring]

@Hardwaterhacker, you definitely drink more than average. Know thyself and plan accordingly.

[@DavidPyro]

My daughter calls those “boom potatoes”. Because all you need to do is boil water and then as soon as you add the dry….BOOM! it’s potatoes.

[@moloko4]

I did the same boneheaded thing on the foothills trail a month ago. to add insult to injury I finished a day early. so basically I took 2 extra days worth of food on a fieldtrip through the forest. 🤦‍♂🤦‍♂

[@eric_hanson]

I'm sure the food enjoyed the excursion!

[@jannamozdzer4100]

Doesn’t onX show water sources?

[@Riseupforhumanity1]

FarOut is a hikers godsend

[@blakelankford6930]

100% hung up on the hitchhiking part. I can’t imagine that. Maybe it’s a regional difference.

[@bertman4]

Did you work off of a list? I've done those mistakes and working from a printed out check list has minimized (but not eliminated) packing mistakes.

[@MrsJoyism]

At least you remembered your food. I’ve walked out the door without mine.

[@thisbeem2714]

😅 noooo!!!

[@RicMor200]

Great video Eric, as usual. I have a question about international viruses. Specifically what sort of virus are we protecting ourselves from when we take a purifier into the wilderness as opposed to a water filter?

[@eric_hanson]

Hmm. That’s a good question. I’m not sure which viruses specifically. I guess each destination wild have its own viral contaminants and you could research it. But that’s why I just bring a Grayl and don’t research it!

[@RicMor200]

Eric, thanks for the prompt reply. Yeah, I guess that’s a good approach. I’m more like “I’m going to research this well to avoid carrying the extra weight of the Grayl if I can”. A gravity filter gets rid of 99.99% of the bad stuff. That doesn’t include viruses, that’s true, but viruses that affect humans don’t live freely in the water, you get them from an infected human. So in order to catch, say Hepatitis A from river water you basically need to have an infected person defecating upstream while you’re filling up you bottle downstream. I guess that’s within the realm of possibility, but extremely unlikely in a wilderness context.

[@JarradShaw]

Ohhh… so of the food went into Bear sacks bd the rest went into the bear vault. Why so did you do this? What did you put into the vault compared to the bag?

[@eric_hanson]

In hindsight I should’ve put everything into the ursack since it didn’t all fit in my bear can. I preferred the bear camp in the first place but it wasn’t the best move having both.

[@strangerous1313]

Atsa lotsa food!

[@tdiler12]

The higher the elevation the less food I eat. Its terrible the lack of appetite at elevation but lack of calories is a problem hence the dilemma.

[@generallost]

Try MRE s

[@Colorado_Kkid]

W/respect to the freeze dried meals that you take… Do you leave it in the original packaging or do you repack it in ziplock bags? … So it’s easier to pack in the bear canister…

[@eric_hanson]

I try to repackage a lot of my food. But not necessarily the freeze dried stuff. But for this many meals, I think it would have been a good idea to put maybe 3 or 4 of them in Ziplocks and then I could reuse one of the meal bags for rehydration.

[@thexdeadpoolx]

I’m there with you man, only recently divorced. But as soon as all the kids are out on there own, I’m hitting the road. 36 years old and I’ve already retired once. I’m hoping by 46, I can retire for good. Hard work until then

[@derekhand7904]

4 dinners 4 breakfasts and 5 lunch’s

[@Swimdeep]

All I saw was dollar signs while viewing your food load out. Being vegan, I pre make and dehydrate ninety percent of my meals. More work but much cheaper and everything tastes how I like it.

[@eric_hanson]

Yeah all the freeze dried stuff adds up especially if you're purchasing them. I'm lucky enough to have accumulated enough freeze dried food to last a zombie apocalypse!

[@Swimdeep]

@@eric_hanson Being a creator has its perks. The main thing is food I can eat. There is something wholesome about pre-prepping one’s meals for trips; zombie apocalypse notwithstanding. 🧟‍♀️🌿

[@commandingmargin]

One comment I’d make about those big 900/1000/1100 calorie meals is to make sure that’s something you’ve had before and know that it’s a meal you really enjoy. It can be a pretty miserable experience trying to force yourself to down a whole one of those after you get about a 3rd of the way through only to realize it’s not really very appetizing, because if you don’t you’ll be both missing a substantial portion of your calories and packing out the entire hydrated weight.

[@eric_hanson]

Ugh. Absolutely. I may have had one that was just brutal. I ate it. But I did not enjoy it!

[@1519Spring]

I'm a big eater, and even I was thinking "that is a LOT of food!"

[@eric_hanson]

Haha, whoops!

[@maxstussi]

That’s weird I pack Justin’s peanut butter cups too, what a cowinkiedink

[@edwin8808]

Eric_indoors, you should collab with devin_indoors or justin_indoors!

[@eric_hanson]

haha, trying to link up with Miranda Goes Inside and Steven My Life Indoors.

[@edwin8808]

@@eric_hanson yes, erin_indoors those ytubers will work as well!!

[@ericb.4358]

My BIG problem with 80% of freeze dried food is TOO MUCH G D SODIYM, WAAAAY too much! Spplememnt instant oatmeal with 3 or 4 tablespoons of granola in the bowl/mug. TWENTY MILES? Maybe downhill but never frikkin' ever will I do 20 miles a day. No time to enjoy the trip.

[@thegrillmaster4502]

are you at all concerned that bears can get into bear vaults?

[@JeremyMcGehee]

This guy and Dan Becker are just influencers, eat what you want

[@eric_hanson]

Stop trying to influence people.

[@sjoerdth]

Fats aren't a better energy source than fat especially when exercising. First of all, carbohydrates can be converted to fat (lipogenesis), second you have enough fat stores in your body for a 5 day hike, but not enough carbs. So it's almost always better to focus on carbs.

[@eric_hanson]

This is smart! Thanks!

[@sjoerdth]

@@eric_hanson you're welcome, always enjoy your content and knowledge!

[@sjoerdth]

Oh it should have been "...than carbs..." 🤦‍♂️

[@brianmarko5062]

Looks like too much, and I'm 240 lbs. I usually divide my dehydrated meals in half as a meal.

[@brianmarko5062]

Ah shit. Should have waited until the end to comment..

[@hindsfeetonhighplaces]

Far Out (formerly Gut Hook Guides) is an electronic guide system by thru-hikers for thru-hikers. It is awesome and I use it all over the White Mountains of New Hamsphire. The down side is that not every area or trail is covered. But for the ones that ARE covered, it is the best I've tried. I still use AllTrails (AKA AllFails because it is TERRIBLE at getting the mileage right) for the computer interface (FarOut only has a mobile interface) for custom making routes and the off trail notification feature, but for the detailed planning and on trail adjustments, Far Out is the way to go!