Do backpackers REALLY need sugar?
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- čas přidán 25. 05. 2021
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This video is the long-promised explanation as to how I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail on keto diet (low-carb, high-fat) in 2018. In the video, I talk about my background with diet and weight loss; the problems male thru-hikers normally face with diet, weight loss and resupply; my decision to try a low-carb diet while backpacking the Appalachian Trail; how I resupplied; what I ate; the benefits of a keto diet and how it made me feel. I also discuss books and other resources for those interested in keto backpacking or low-carb backpacking. Finally, my experience on the trail is also relevant for issues related to keto diets for athletes; whether keto enhances athletic performance; and whether low carb keto diets can work for endurance athletes. (Thumbnail photo credit: Luke Gaudreau.)
When I backpack, I have some other unusual methods besides diet, and you can find out about those in these videos:
Why I use a tarp, not a tent or hammock, is explained in this video -- • No Tent, No Hammock: H...
An explanation of the hows and why of the sandals I wear on the trail -- • GEAR REVIEW: LUNA SAND...
Why I don't use trekking poles, explained in this video -- • NO TREKKING POLES? App...
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Interesting your resupplies were calorie based…and also fat based. One would think this could lead to smaller, lighter, resupplies. Sounds like a good way to go if trying to optimize pack weight… Ultralight diet, lol… 🤓
Hmm aren't carbos the lightest food you can take with you? Pasta, rice.. it's all deshydrated. Fat is heavy.
@@Kiev-en-3-jours A gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories. A gram of protein also contains 4 calories. A gram of fat, though, contains 9 calories. :)
@@KrizAkoni Well.. It makes sense actually. So I guess you are right. A diet based on more fat is the way to go while hiking.
Well, not sure. Any foods that contain some amount of water -- cheese and cream cheese, for example -- are added weight without nutritional benefit. Spam contains some water probably. Olive oil, on the other hand, is all fat calories. I try to pay attention to moisture content when I can. On food labels, water isn't listed. To find out the water/moisture content of a food, you can add the weights of the fats, carbs, and protein on the food label, plus the negligible weight of macronutrients, then compare that to the weight of a serving. The difference is usually moisture content, and sometimes it's a lot. For more about this, there's an interesting article at Scientific American titled "Food Sleuthing: Find the Missing Ingredient." And something else very interesting, at least to me. I'm always talking about Horace Kephart in my videos. His Camping and Woodcraft book, first published in 1906, has a chapter called "Provisions" where he lists acceptable backpacking foods by their water content. He writes, "Light outfitting, as regards food, is mainly a question of how much water we are willing to carry in our rations. For instance, canned peaches are 88 percent water. Can one afford to carry so much water from home when there is plenty of it at camp?" In the "more than 3/4 water" category, he lists milk, fruit and vegetables. In the least-water category, he lists things like butter, dried frish, dried beans, corn meal (a favorite of Earl Shaffer, I think), "dehydrated vegetables," and macaroni. I found this interesting because I think that other than recommending dehydrated foods, those making backpacking videos these days don't mention water content as something to be considered. Am I wrong? Not sure. I mentioned it in some of my videos, but I've never done a video just about water content in foods. On the AT, I always wanted to carry more cream cheese but wasn't willing to do it because of the water content. Olive oil is best when considering water content. Butter would work but it melts; margarine doesn't melt but contains oils that I don't consider healthy.
@@EvansBackpackingVideos definitely a lot to consider and not as simple as it seems on the surface. It might be worthy of its own video. 🧐
I have reversed my type 2 diabetes on keto. it’s now just part of my daily diet. My wife has lost over 70 pounds in 1 year and 2 months. This past weekend I was in the cohutta. Took horseshoe bend to jacks river trail to rice camp trail. Somewhere around 19 miles one night out in my blackbird XLC. Great channel!
I have zero interest in giving up sugar... but it was definitely entertaining watching your eating habits over the course of the trail😅
Random, but I liked how you called this a “data point” within more thorough research... that should apply to anyone watching any CZcams video haha
Boy, I do sure hope I get to see you soon!!😉
Thanks for your honesty, lol. As for "seeing me soon" -- same here, and July is right around the corner!
Understandable Liz :) Sugar is as addictive as meth and that's a fact.
This is great thanks :) I’m just beginning to get into backpacking from day hiking. Been ~98% carnivore the last year due to realizing how many symptoms I get from plant based products.
My health has improved considerably. For years been pretty sick & depleted from chronic tick diseases and indoor molds.
I’ve been learning how to make dried meat snacks and foods to potentially take on the trail and how to keep high in fat.
I love my raw farm fresh eggs and butter and since I won’t be through hiking any time soon I imagine it won’t be too difficult to keep my high fat moderate protein way of eating.
I’ve recently made dried steak strips, jerky, chicken chips, brown butter bites (these may not be good for the trail as they’ll melt). Also will be trying a few different pemmican recipes and maybe even will purchase a carnivore bar to try out or more likely learn to make my own.
I remember before I got sick I used to run ultras on trail. For my first one I ate the spaghetti dinner they offered the night before and I thought I had to carb-load so I did. I could hardly move the next day! My ability to run efficiently was severely hampered and I wasn’t even eating keto or low carb back then but I certainly didn’t eat a ton of carbs in a meal. I never did that again! I actually ran better when I was fasting or if I just ate something lighter and meaty/greasy, like sausage patties and eggs.
Scott Jurek I remember went vegan and then he did high fat vegan (basically tons of avocados and coconut oil) and in his book he said how much it improved his running efficiency when he did that. Remember how many records he broke? He was the GOAT.
Anyway, thanks for this video it’s encouraging and hopefully will enlighten some folks to learn more about this way of eating.
For those interested, listen to the channel Low Carb Down Under, esp Paul Mason and Stephen Finney (they are all good talks tho!), also Dr Ken Berry, Dr Anthony Chaffee, Kelly Hogan and Steak & Butter Gal. Chaffee was a rugby player. The rest aren’t extreme athletes but they can attest to the health benefits of keto/ketovore/carnivore and have great interviews with folks on their channels. Cheers
Thanks for sharing Evan. I've done keto or close to it for a few years now, and it continues to amaze me that I am never hungry and I don't crave ice cream which was my daily nighttime fix for decades. I'm glad to hear about your choices and the amount of calories you needed for your weight and build.
Glad to hear about your diet. I have often thought that some hikers would benefit from this diet on the trail. Thanks for the video.
You're welcome!
Thank you for sharing a more in-depth look at your hiking diet. Love the content and look forward to the next video.
I enjoy your videos Evan, I've been watching for over a year. I'm more of a bicycle tourist than a hiker. However, I needed to get better with my pack size and amount of stuff that I carry with me, You have been inspirational in helping me to continue to improve my touring cycling experiences after the age of 50.
Thanks a lot for your experience Evan! Greatly appreciated and I'll take some of your insight with me on my journey.
Evan - GREAT video, I'm so glad you did this. I've been off and on keto for the past year (I admire your perseverance for staying on!) and have often thought about trying to thru-hike low carb like you did. I just took a bunch of notes. I can't eat any fish, but I think they have chicken packets (and of course beef jerky!). Cheese is no problem. THANK YOU! -- Chica
You're welcome, Chica, and thanks for the comment! Hope the video helps.
Check the ingredients of the beef jerky. Most have sugar and lots of it.
Greetings from Norway! Thank you for sharing your experience. I am planning hiking Lofoten (Norway) in 2023 and the West Highland Way (Scotland) 2024, and one of my worries during planning is how to stay in ketosis when on the trail. Watching this video made me smile and start to think of the European alternatives to what you had.
Defiantly an interesting perspective and tried diet/lifestyle while thru hiking. Different approach that I personally would take but like Evan said “it’ll be different for everyone”. Congrats on your they hike and video.
Evan, I can't tell you how happy I am that you made this video. A few years ago I switched to low carb with Whole 30 as my guideline. I've been trying to figure out if I could do that on the trail. I was afraid I would have to succumb to honey buns and other junk. Your story is very inspirational that it may be possible. I don't eat cheese so I'd need to figure out a sub for that. Thank you!
Some very interesting information -- thanks Evan, for sharing this.
You're welcome -- thanks for commenting!
Love your channel! I am planning on hiking the AT in two years. Love the video!
Great video! Good to hear from a fellow keto backpacker. I just finished my first full year on keto. At 60+ it was a lifesaver to finally find a way to control my weight. Thanks for sharing your story. Subscribed. 😊
Great video, Evan! Thank you for sharing your backpacking diet experience with us. I am literally watching from the AT in VA :)
Thanks for the comment, Shoes. Keep heading north!
subbed immediately after your intro. Love to hear the sound of reason on here!
I have watched this video several times. After watching several of the young thru hikers start and finish, I seriously don’t think most of them lost a lb after walking 2100+ miles. Evan has a good grip on what works for adults.
How could they lose weight? Their insulin is constantly high as a kite. They eat junk and high sugar food constantly. Insulin will never let you drop any real fat. Gotta get insulin down before you can burn fat instead of storing it. Once you do you lose weight you’ve had for 20 years and thought was permanent “thick skin” lol.
Thanks for doing this video. I love low carb and was a wondering how you did it. Thanks for being so detailed.
You're welcome -- thanks for commenting!
Thanks for sharing your experience. Valuable information and great delivery as well. I am going to look into this topic further as there are some aspects of my diet that I would like to improve. Gonna be hard to give up the beer fridge tho.
Awesome video. Oddly enough for preface about this just being observations and an individual data point, and reference to the massive uncertainty in nutrition made me watch the whole video thru. Bummer we never got to meet you in 2018 but are definitely going to keep this in mind as we refine our resupply (already got the spam/tuna/chicken but could do better on the fats!). Happy trails!
Just saw this video pop up. I am SO excited to watch this!! I've been wondering if/how I could do Keto/Paleo on a long trail. I've got a couple big hikes planned this summer so this is timely. Ok...gonna watch now
I've been on a keto-ish diet for almost 3 years now and I'll never go back to eating all the junk, no matter how much I miss it. I will, however cheat on occasion, but not very bad. I've been searching for this info from an experienced hiker! Thanks for sharing ad I am about to get into backpacking for longer distances. "Culinary Gratification"...haha..I gave up that idea soon after starting this journey. But...I rarely get hungry, inflammation is almost non-existent, I rarely feel like I need a nap, and overall I've felt great on this diet.
Great video, Evan. I’m a vegetarian low carber and do well on my section hikes without any problem. it’s great not to think constantly about food on the trail. I do eat more carbs in town as well but don’t go crazy. Love your videos and approach to life!
Thaks Evan. I was always interested in your diet ever since I watch for AT thru hike, A very no nonsense way to eat.
Nate
Thank you for sharing. I started eating this way recently and wondered if I could do it while hiking the AT. I guess I know now. I appreciate you sharing.
Great information and advice without lecturing.
I did the Northern 500+ miles of the AT in 1974. Interestingly enough the bulk of my daily calories were bacon bars. Roughly equivalent to a pound of bacon per bar. Dried Knorr's soups and a mix of rice, beans and lentils. I was self-contained to the extent that I re-supplied when possible, used a single person tent, closed cell foam pad and Trailwise down bag. I did try a few Mountain House meals which were relatively new at the time and rather expensive. I was most definitely LOW-CARB. At one point in New Hampshire in hiked 20 miles off-trail hit a McDonald's and devour a cream pie!
As a former Marathoner and daily runner for many years I can recall the mandatory carb loading pre-race: especially a thick crust deep dish pizza and a beer or two.
I'm 74 now and no longer run but I stay pretty low carb and low BMI.
Happy Trails to you all!!
Awesome video!! Thanks for sharing🤘
Evan, excellent rundown. I followed your eating regimen during your hike a couple years ago and it made a lot of sense to me. I think I would get tired of the peanut butter though.
Thanks Evan, I’ve been thinking about Kito meals for the Arizona trail next month. I’ll be out for a month . Spam, cheese, peanut butter, salami. 3000 calories per day seems like a lot to start but then after a few weeks at least 3000+. You gave me some good ideas. I am a triple crown hiker and always gained weight after a hike. Now I’m into a low carb diet and eating better. Thanks again. Frost
Nice video Evan! I've been hoping you were going to do a video like this...thank you!
You're welcome, thanks for watching and commenting!
You did good with this post. I have only played with keto when I wanted to loose some weight. Then I started to learn about some of benefits with fasting, and how it can repair the body, I am now looking at it more closely. I have wanted to Hike the PCT for years now. It might be easier getting keto options on the AT however.
Thanks for doing this. You made some excellent, well thought out points, especially the fact that you have done this sort of diet for years. As someone who studied nutrition in grad school I was pretty concerned during your hike, though you seemed healthy. Keto can have some health risks and you make a good point that it worked for YOU.
Thanks for watching and commenting -- appreciate it!
Great topic, We just finished the northville placid trail in 10 days. Zero carbs and 4 days I was fasting. Plenty of energy and my glucose was 90 to 135 mg/dl everyday with ketone levels around 3.0 mmoles/l. We are returning in 2 week to cover some of the traversing trails in the northern section, and plan to bring zero food and fast the entire trip. While fasting I expect to loose 0.3 pounds of body fat per day while hiking 15 miles per day. But many hikers do not need nor require any sugar or carbohydrates. Just fat, I enjoy cold pressed coconut oil the most.
Good vid post. I have been doing a watered down KETO diet for about a year now. I find my energy levels are better. Keep the good vid posts coming.
Thanks Ken!
Thank you great video 👍😊
Thank you for sharing
I noticed you were doing keto on at thru,
I do it at home, was amazed to see it on trail 👣
Very much appreciate you doing this video. To add to your N of 1 I have had success with hiking low carb also. Biggest benefit for me is the lack of hiking hunger and the lack of blood glucose drops leading to carb cravings. I can pretty easily hike a full day without eating if need be (just water and I also keep electrolyte tablets with me). Thanks again 👍🏻
It’s interesting to study diets of old explorers (Lewis and Clark’s expedition is instructive). Our ancestors had a better handle on this than we do. They walked all around the earth with no 7-11’s ;)
This is extremely helpful
Thanks for this.
Hi Evan.
You did a great job in providing the details of your diet.
I struggle with low blood sugar levels at time while on the trail, so don't know if something like yours would work.
Thanks for taking the time to share this - very good information and well narrated!
RE: Home Area
As I recall, you are from the midwest, perhaps St. Louis (?).
I am originally from the Topeka, KS area, and followed the Cardinals in the late 60s!
I was blessed to attend games 3 and 4 of the 1967 World Series!
God Bless...
Great video! Good info.
Great info, Evan. I meant use that do you help get rid of some of my weight that I’ve gained
Low carb is a great way to lose weight!
Thanks for commenting, Scott!
I have had great success on trail with zero carbs on trail. I have been been on carnivore diet for 5 years do to weight and health issues. I reversed those issues so wanted to not change my successful diet on trail like you. I eat a lot of tuna and salmon packets with ghee and bacon bits. Also make my own pemmician which is dried red meat powder soaked in beef tallow. Also added daily dried beef liver supplements to insure had high vitamin and trace minerals intake on trail. I also experienced lack of hiker hunger or crashes like you due to being fat adapted.
Great video…but I’m thinking of doing what you explicitly chose not to do: eat canned fish. Canned sardines are a keto superfood and are so tasty and fatty that they stave off hunger for hours. They are also very caloricly dense (if you get the ones packed in olive oil). Even with extra weight from the can, I’d be saving weight from just needed so little food. Also big volume savings since canned sardines take up little space and can be stacked efficiently. Of course, the downside is bears. So here’s what I was thinking I’d do - eat the sardines for breakfast and a late lunch, but never for dinner or anywhere near where I’d sleep. And have the used cans in two or three separate bags and away from my tent at night. I read that Grandma Gatewood ate a lot of canned food, and I figure canned fish must’ve been a staple for AT hikers since many portable foods were canned back then. Canned sardines go back to Napoleon (invented for his traveling army). If i don’t get eaten by a bear, I’ll be sure to tell you all about it. If you don’t hear from me again, well, guess the bear got me!
Thanks Evan, very helpful
You're welcome, thanks for commenting!
Thanks for your video. As a T1/insulin dependent diabetic I follow a keto/LC way of eating and also find that I don't get hungry while on hikes. For this reason alone it's worth investigating. Cheers from Down Under.
Very nice "data point" and well presented. I went the opposite way and started a total plant based whole food diet 2yrs. ago(high starch and carbs, high fiber, low fat). I totally agree that everyone is different and what works for you may not work for everyone.
Thanks for the comment. For what it's worth, two of my grown kids are vegan and I've never tried to dissuade them!
Thanks so much for this video! How’s your lipids panel look? Triglycerides? There’s no way I could eat like some of these hikers do, lol, all that food in town stops. Low carb is the way to go for me!!
Last year did 3 days on the Lone Start Hiking trail and I did your olive oil and tuna. I don't eat meat at home, but I knew I could eat it on the trail. And the calories and fat really made a difference in my sluggishness. Though, I don't think I can do the tuna again. Not sure. We'll see. A little off topic: I always thought I'd try dried hummus (not low carb) but I've recently given up legumes due to headaches. The good news is that that experiment worked! No more headaches! So I'll try almond butter and cheese next, as my food/fuel choice.
Evan, really appreciate you taking the time to bring this topic to light. We are very similar (marathoners, eat healthy etc etc ). I'm not as religiously low carb as you but much lower than most people.
Olive oil is great, but I think cheese should be looked at as the next SUGAR. We(USA) eat too much cheese.
Are you kidding me with that SPAM? Lol lol.
Very important topic to bring up to future thru-hikers.. drives me crazy watching the shit most hikers put in their bodies during the 2,192 miles.
Thanks for commenting George!
Really good content. I ride road bikes 75 miles a week, hike 3000 ft of vertical / 6 miles round trip once a week at the age of 71. Keto has extended my life. I have my eyes on the AT spring 2022 for a thru hike Nobo. I will remember your menu.
Good luck with the AT plans! I hope I'm still backpacking at 71 (which is already getting in sight for me, I guess . . . ).
I think that diet is spot on! Thank you so much for sharing! I am eating low carb now and find it easy to eat one meal a day. My favorite dessert is berries with plain cream.
Agree about berries and cream. Thanks for the comment!
Essentially you've presented a very good n=1 study, and there's nothing wrong with that. Fats get a bad rap but are a viable energy source if you're doing large amounts of low level cardio, like hiking all day long. I ought to add that when we hiked the BMT I used your olive oil method, which is an easy way to add 100 calories to darn near anything.
Thanks for this, Evan. I've been on the lookout for info on combining keto and/or intermittent fasting or OMAD with backpacking. I feel like the calorie-to-weight (or volume) ratio of keto foods and not having to plan and pack for three meals a day plus snacks could make life on the trail a little lighter, so to speak. "Conventional wisdom" and hearing so much about hiker hunger and weight loss always made me question my theory, though.
Thanks for the comment. There was another comment thread about the weights of foods that I'll pin to the top. As for "conventional wisdom" -- well, in my experience it's usually wrong or at least too generalized.
Thanks for the informative video. Congrats on the hike! I follow a low-carb eating plan and have benefited from it but am not as careful about eliminating carbs as you. I have three questions: 1. how do you use/eat the cream cheese? Do you just take bites or mix in other foods? (same for olive oil) and 2. were you ok with the limited choices in your menu? and 3. did you expand your menu after the hike?
I ate the cream cheese just by itself usually; I mixed in the olive oil. Yes I was okay with the choices. Finally, yes, I have an expanded menu/diet when not on the trail.
Good topic and presentation. I think your meal at the half gallon challenge looked way better.
Evan, great videos, I've watched them all and a native St. Louisan so hearing you mention the Lou and your history with it was pretty cool. I've been on and off a primal/keto regimen for a few years now and for me it's the way to go. My question is how did you eat so much peanut butter and not drink all of your water right away? Whenever I eat it by the spoon I have to drink massive amounts of water to flush it out of my mouth when finished. Great job and thoroughly enjoy your channel!
Thanks for the comment. As for peanut butter, small bites. That's my only suggestion!
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for your sharing, I wondered seeing hikers eat sugar and carbs mostly.
Thanks. Very interesting. I haven't done a long project like the AT, but on keto I can rock-climb all day without eating or feeling hungry.
I think you’re a very disciplined and thoughtful guy. I followed your entire hike. I have to say, after a lot of personal research, I think keto is a long term bad idea. But I also think that carbs must be carefully controlled. Resistant starches, limited grains, no refined sugar. I stay to come down on a more anti inflammatory diet, a la Gundry. In the end, yo made it, and you stayed healthy. That’s worth everything. I see too many kids eating a Snicker diet and ending with terrible results. So, thank you for this honest analysis!
Thanks for sharing.
Another great how-to video. Thank you. I suspect that all the other hiker food smells, empty and full tuna packages, candy bars, etc. attract the bears even more than one or two empty sardine or oyster tins would. I may test my opinion on the trail one day.
Thanks for the comment, appreciate it! As for sardines and oysters, it's the oil it's packed in that's really the problem, because it leaks out of the empty can and gets all over the rest of the trash and whatever I'm using to hold it, etc. So maybe with a better way of managing my trash, it would work for me.
Good info I just finished hiking a 168 mile section of the Ozark Highlands Trail and done my food intake at 3000 calories per day and that worked for me. One thing I have learned from hiking is everyone is different in what food they need.
Weird, human bodies work pretty much the same. Have you ever considered maybe your not human?
This is important to me. Had gotten Diabetic Retinopathy and had to switch from carbs to meat, cheese, nuts, eggs, & salads. Just did my 1st section hike without carbs and the lack of energy hiking up those mountains was obvious. I did eat enough calories to maintain my weight. Eggs were too much hassle on the trail but I eat them when ever available in town. Ovaeasy eggs crystals will work on trail (freezer bag omelets) but I left my cook kit at home. Town foods are primarily Omelet & Bacon or Triple Burger without Ketchup or Buns or Grocery store salads.
For meat on trail, I ate primarily salami, pepperoni, homemade beef jerky, & SPAM. For cheese I found that Parmesan cheese keeps for weeks on trail and I cut off 2-3 pieces a day. Sharp Cheddar get soft & oily but if you put it in a cold stream for 15 minutes, it will harden up. For nuts, I originally started with Pecans & Walnuts, but they are so high in fiber, I had to poop every few miles. Switched to mixed nuts for hiking since they have half the fiber of Pecans and that seems to work for me. I did notice a lack of energy without carbs and I was struggling. Tried having 1 cup Raisin Bran + 1/3 cup NIDO + water, shake and instant breakfast. 1.5 hours after eating, I got a boost of energy that lasted 2-3 hours. Too much sugar, so I am considering using Fiber One, All Bran, or Ezekiel cereal for breakfast next trip. Made a dessert treat by putting Jello "No Sugar" Pudding mix in a freezer bag + 1/3 cup NIDO + 10oz cold water, stir until no lumps, and pudding sets up in 10 minutes.
This tells me your body isn’t making ketones efficiently. Perhaps due to being broken (diabetes) for so long. It might be good to try ketones in a can (bhb). Also fasting or sardine only fasting before the hike to force your body to make ketones and get used to it. By the 2nd or 3rd day of a sardine and salt only fast your ketones will wake up big time. Assuming you go into it in ketosis. Some people thing they are keto and don’t have any measurable ketones. Be sure to measure ketones with cheap pee strips if nothing else. If they don’t turn you aren’t “keto.”
Once your body can efficiently make ketones you won’t lack energy until you have no fat left on your body to burn.
@@forester057 Seen that sardine thing on Dr Boz videos. Have been considering trying that but I like sardines on crackers, which I guess I shouldn't have.
@@miken7629 yeah that’s where I got it too. Needs to be sardines alone lol. Hot sauce and/or mayo can make them easier to choke down. Do it for the kids lol
I eat low carb too. Gluten is murder on the joints anyhow. The funny thing is I never ate this way consciously. It just seems to be the way my body prefers to eat. I think food philosophy is important too. Do you eat to live or do you live to eat? All very good info Evan. Thank you the video.
You're welcome -- thanks for commenting!
Thanks for this video....Spam and tuna have always been on my list....cream cheese is a great addition...I never did a great deal of hiking mainly canoe tripping with long portages...some whitewater trips which were awesome...with this diet looks like the only thing you need to cook is the spam...saves a lot of time after a long day...I chose spam a long time ago because of the calorie and protein content...again thanks for the insights..
Thanks for the comment! As for the Spam -- no, you don't need to cook it. I didn't cook it myself and I don't know anyone else who did either. It's ready to eat right out of the packet. Might taste better warmed up, but I didn't take a stove!
Thanks for sharing your trail food diet. For drinking ( outside of the trail magic), did you just drink water or did you use additives like propel? Hope you have the chance to “drive the AT” this summer.
I didn't use electrolytes to add to my water but I carried some tablets. I think I quit carrying them at some point. I definitely carried them on the Sheltowee Trace.
I found much the same while riding a bicycle hundreds of miles every month. What you do loose is that sprint-high energy. That ATP burst. What also is bad is that if you fall off the wagon the body will want to make up for lost time. Good video.
Thanks for the comment. No sprinting on the AT, which helps!
I'm heading out on my 1 low carb hike this weekend, just a 40mile to test my pack load out for a 3 week hike in a few weeks but feeling so much more confident about miles - food- energy than when I first switched to low carb, and at 50 having just endured 2 yrs of menopausal hell without hrt.. I am loving what low carb is doing to my body (with the help of a lot of excersize now I finally have energy again).
Good luck on the hike!
@@EvansBackpackingVideos surprised me just how much I didn't miss carbs at all despite it being 2 pretty tough boggy, hot, or rocky with some pretty serious uphill pulls. My usual carb intake is a single slice of sourdough toast in the morning & I'd somehow managed to convince myself that I needed that.
Interesting video!
I have been on a keto diet (under a doctor's care and with regular biometric monitoring) for more than 3 years. As you observed 200 miles from the finish line, hunger is rarely an issue when on a low carb diet. While not on a through hike and no plans for one, I hike about 1500 miles each winter while gaining and losing 300,000 feet of elevation. Bad knees and cramps sometimes slow me down. Diet? Keto doesn't seem to hold me back. My daily carb limit: 30 grams. If I were on the AT or PCT, this might be raised to 50 or 60, but I'd consult with a nutritionist before making changes.
Since I've been a vegetarian since 1980, this diet wouldn't work for me. While I may never thru hike, I still like to eat healthy when I hike, regardless of the amount of time on the trail. Nuts, cheese, sliced apples and pears, peanut butter and energy bites make up my diet. I don't do sugar either, so I don't have crashes mid morning or afternoon. Any more suggestions?
Thanks for the info. Can you give a sample resupply at a non traditional place, like gas stations and convenience stores? Thanks again
Gas stations are limited. Nuts, peanut butter, cheese sometimes . . . The items I listed in the video, although hit and miss at smaller gas stations.
Evan, how much olive oil would you consume in a day? Any gastro-intestinal issues from that amount of oil or the diet in general?
Maybe 3 - 4 oz, sometimes less, sometimes more. I tried it first at home No stomach problems but results may vary!
Good thoughts!
Evan, I've been watching your videos for years. I live in Clarksville, TN and planning on hiking the AT next year. I don't want to sound like a wirdo but I would to meet sometime and pick your brain IRT planning.
Interesting note on the cream cheese. I would like to add that to my food options. Does it typically keep for three days on the AT in the summer? Was that unopened? I assume that was the 8oz foil package sold in the refrigerated section of the grocery (about the size of two sticks of butter). How long did it seam to keep once opened? I assume you used the foil packs or did you use a different packaging?
You can buy Dehydrated cream cheese online. It's surprisingly decent.
I usually get the kind that's in the plastic bowl-like container. In the summer I'd probably only go two days but it's never gone bad on me.
@@kateb6893 It's brilliant. I buy Judee's brand of freeze dried/powdered cream cheese/Monterey Jack/cheddar/sour cream powder etc etc and add it to all my dehydrated meals before vacuum sealing! Also use bone broth powder for added nutritional goodness. The possibilities for low carb meals with proper protein macros are endless!
Best intro ever
Good informative video
have found something you might want to try. I love hot chocolate in the field. Recently started using chocolate flavored protein powder. Thought I would try hot tap water in a mug. All the benefits of the protein powder and tastes like swiss miss!
Whats this trail magic?? Im going on my first hike in a week idk these terms i want to enjoy my 2 day hike. Im nervous bc im going solo to the AT ( idk if thats the area in asheville nc?)
Thanks Evan. Have you been able to try Next Mile meals?
Not yet!
How does the dark chocolate and cream cheese not melt to death? Do they sell cream cheese packets? I could not find that on line.
Thanks, Evan, been missing your videos, just a question, what about avocados ?????? i need them
Avocados, sure -- but they didn't work for me when resupplying and carrying them on the AT due to availability, ripeness, etc. I think lots take them though when on shorter backpacking trips.
@@EvansBackpackingVideos I've found packets of freeze dried avocado slices! Suprisingly very good both right from the packet or crumbled a bit and popped into a meal that's rehydrating! Haven't watched your vid yet ... just about to! I usually read comments first! But I know I'm going to like it! Have been successfully dh'ing/vacuum sealing/rh'ing my own [keto] backpacking meals for about 5 years. Usually send a resupply box for every 7-10 days. Has worked perfectly!
You didn't take any vitamin supplements on your journey? The peanut butter was a good source for the magnesium needed to prevent constipation from all that salted processed meat, but I don't see any daily source of potassium in your hiking foods, to prevent cramps. How did you keep track of fresh water?
I didn't take any supplements -- too hard to carry and manage. I got water from the trail and purified it with a filter or tablets.
Oh it certainly can work. All kinds of people eating keto. I personally wasn’t successful with the diet, couldn’t get to Shitting right, but on big hikes I’d certainly be on the low end of low carb.
Evan, I have been intermittent fasting for over 3 years, normally a 20:4 (20 hour fast, followed by a 4 hour eating window). So far, this format has worked very well for me. I have been in the state of ketosis for a very long time and have not had any hunger cravings. I recently spent 6 days and 10 days hiking on the AT in both Georgia and North Carolina with no drop in energy level. I am very active: walking 3 to 4 hours a day for the Post Office plus 30 to 40 minutes a day on a indoor rowing machine. I believe either a low carb/high fat and protein diet or intermittent fasting can be very beneficial for endurance athletes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this subject. Bill
Do you think it would be possible to do a 0 carb carnivore, PCT hike?
Not sure. I’m not an expert on carnivore. Good luck!
My goal is to do a keto hike as I am keto in my day to day life and have never felt better.
Hi Evan - did you ever eat beef jerky? Just curious.... I've been eating carnivore for the last 6 months (and lost 31 pounds and feel so amazing!). Thanks! -- Chica
That's great, congratulations! Yes I east beef jerky but not often due to $$$$
Thanks for the ideas...mostly vegan now, so would be a real challenge to try keto🙂🙏
There's a way to do keto on a vegan diet but it's hard. As I told someone else, two of my grown kids are vegan and I've never tried to dissuade them (or suggest keto for that matter). Thanks for the comment!
You could also carry some veggies, canned or fresh, and then carry a little bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil with you for dressing and flavor. You can get canned veggies in little plastic containers at most grocery stores, they are not as heavy or bulky as the metal cans, then the olive oil will turn any veggie meal into a calorie rich one. I don't thru hike, but I do camp a lot and my pack always includes a little bottle of balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and a baggie of salt, this way I can turn just about anything into a calorie dense tasty meal.
Edit* Something else that came to mind are edamame noodles. You can find them in some grocery stores, they are high in protein, low in carbs and cheap. They are very easy and quick to cook and taste great seasoned with olive oil and salt. You can also bring some dried mushrooms to dehydrate and mix in with the noodles.
Thru-hikers are usually odd ducks to start with, but add an educated odd duck, you get this guy. He is a lawyer and a lawyer digs a little bit deeper into the rabbit hole... no trekking poles, hiking in sandals, tarp for a shelter... to each his own, aka, hike your own hike.
thanks
1gram carbs - 4 calories
1gram fat - 9 calories
it’s a no brainer, fat is the superior energy source.
On CZcams look up Dr Ken Berry. Dr in Tennessee with excellent low carb info. After 3 heart attacks and VERY severe type 2 diabetes I went on Keto. Now I am almost Carnivor with very little veg in a week. My blood sugar is very low and I take zero meds. Also try to fast 24 hours or more now and again.
Used to backpack. Want to again. If I do it will be very low carb.
We need someone to do this on carnivore, for science. We have done keto since we read Taubes' book in 2009. The year before last, my husband started doing carnivore, and talked me into it last year. We won't be going back to eating how we were. We feel even better than we were already feeling. I see the absolute junk food these hikers eat, they're likely to wind up as big as a house when they get home and aren't expending all that energy. Not to mention all the poisonous seed oils they are consuming are likely to wreck their metabolism even more.
so impressive dude, but im not surprised fats are beautiful for hiking. I'm experimenting with carnivore diet hiking, simple. jerky, powdered whole eggs, tallow. cheap and so far it's working.