Bringing real food for all day climbing

The plastic containers that you get with Chinese food takeout perfectly fit four pb&j sandwiches. I usually pack those, gorp, fruit (fresh or dried), jerkey, and/or larabars.

If you're looking for an alternative to gels and something easy to eat on the move, try those squeezable applesauce packets.

SteveMarshall wrote: I seem to work best with a decently sized breakfast which is high in fat and protein, and then a slow-drip of carbs throughout the day.

I follow this approach on sport climbing days. I like to start the day with a big breakfast of slow-burning fuels (a mix of fat, protein, and carbs, such as eggs with tortillas), transitioning into faster and simpler fuels as the day does on. This coincides with the process of warming up on easier routes (fats provide a nice steady energy source), and then moving on to trying a harder project (faster burning fuels for 15 minutes of high-end effort). By the end of the day it can be nice to have a dose of simple sugars to spike your bloodsugar for a last-ditch effort.

I've found that the ideal mix of fuels (i.e. fats vs. carbs) is dependent not only on the type of day (cragging vs. multipitch), but also on the difficulty of the climbing. Typically, on long days in the mountains on easy terrain, I stick to mostly fats (eggs, cheese, nuts), since I'm operating in "Zone 1" (based on Steve House's definitions) and can burn fats for steady, all day energy. This is also true for moderate multipitch trad climbing days-- Zone 1; fats. However, I had a strange experience last fall in which I bonked extremely severely when trying a very physical, difficult mulitpitch trad route. The difficulty of this route was more in the range of what I would be climbing on a hard cragging day (5.12) than the typical long multipitch day. I ran into trouble because I ate that day for a long multipitch route (fats) as opposed to for hard climbing (carbs). The harder climbing on the route pushed me more into the carb-burning Zone 3/4 realm, causing me to very quickly burn through the limited carbohydrate stores I had on hand (due to eating mostly fats), and bonking really badly. Since then, I've been more conscious about adjusting fat/carb ratios based on this "Zone" approach, and haven't had any further bonk issues.

JCM wrote: I follow this approach on sport climbing days. I like to start the day with a big breakfast of slow-burning fuels (a mix of fat, protein, and carbs, such as eggs with tortillas), transitioning into faster and simpler fuels as the day does on. This coincides with the process of warming up on easier routes (fats provide a nice steady energy source), and then moving on to trying a harder project (faster burning fuels for 15 minutes of high-end effort). By the end of the day it can be nice to have a dose of simple sugars to spike your bloodsugar for a last-ditch effort.

Same here! I 'stumbled' upon this approach almost by accident and it has worked well for me for a couple of years now. That decent sized breakfast is so key to get the day started of right!

Best calorie bomb ever: french toast peanut butter sandwich

Make french toast the night before. Leave it out for a bit to dry out and then make a PB sandwich. For even more fuel, add Nutella. You'll find the bread holds up a lot better with the egg and it adds a couple hundred extra calories.

Gas station coffee and copenhagen.

I've been enjoying flavored seitan strips- they are easy to consume with the moisture, lots of protein and salt in a small package

I find that bell peppers are the produce that remains the freshest tasting after a long time in a pack. I always take one or two and slice them and put them in my pack for alpine days in the Cascades, or long cragging days. No matter how hot or how cold in your pack, how many hours it's been out of the fridge, a bell pepper will always taste fresh and crisp and is a welcome change when all the other stuff you're eating is prepackaged or overly salty.

Raysin152 wrote:Gas station coffee and copenhagen.

For the win! Caffeine and nicotine are staples of modern life and nutrition.

It's all about density...... So nuts are the #1 key for me.

Before I went vegan, I would often bring a few thick slices of incredible high-end extra-rare cooked steak..... all soft and perfect... delicious and so dense and filling

Rigggs24 wrote: a couple P B & J and bananas

Everybody I know does this. Sometimes the peice of friut is an apple.

My favorite is leftover pizza from last night wrapped in Foil.

for the long haul in the mountains; spread Nutella or similar on a small tortilla. Put cream cheese on top of that and roll into a mini-burrito. Make 5-6 of these beforehand. Eat one every couple of hours or so and that will keep you going.

Is beer considered food?

Walt Barker wrote:for the long haul in the mountains; spread Nutella or similar on a small tortilla. Put cream cheese on top of that and roll into a mini-burrito. Make 5-6 of these beforehand. Eat one every couple of hours or so and that will keep you going.

Nutella and cream cheese huh? I would have never thought of the combo, but now that you say it. Looks like I know what lunch will be today, thanks.

I normally make a wrap. Homus, cheese, salami, cucumber, tomato.. Plenty protein, good proper food. It will keep all day wrapped in plastic.

Chocolate, nuts and candy for energy food.

wfscot wrote:Best calorie bomb ever: french toast peanut butter sandwich Make french toast the night before. Leave it out for a bit to dry out and then make a PB sandwich. For even more fuel, add Nutella. You'll find the bread holds up a lot better with the egg and it adds a couple hundred extra calories.

+1 Definetely doing that. Even while not at the crag.

Parker Brown wrote:Is beer considered food?

yes. canned vegetable.

Paul Max wrote:I find that bell peppers are the produce that remains the freshest tasting after a long time in a pack. I always take one or two and slice them and put them in my pack for alpine days in the Cascades, or long cragging days. No matter how hot or how cold in your pack, how many hours it's been out of the fridge, a bell pepper will always taste fresh and crisp and is a welcome change when all the other stuff you're eating is prepackaged or overly salty.

Cosigned. I had one in high 80s with high humidity in the Gunks the other day and it was still perfect after several hours in the bottom of my pack

Derek Jf wrote: yes. canned vegetable.

/signed