For multi-day unsupported crossings of uninhabited areas such as the Aotai, Siguniang, and Gongga ranges, how should food be prepared? I’ve been thinking about this issue. The gear already weighs 12–15 kg—how much food should I carry, and what kind? Referring to the gear lists shared by experienced adventurers, I’ve summarized some theories. Feedback from experts is welcome.
Caloric consumption of the human body
The basic daily caloric requirement for the human body is calculated as weight × 30 kcal/kg, approximately 2000 kcal for men and 1500 kcal for women.
The adult caloric formula is 655 + 9.563 × (W) + 1.85 × (H) − 4.676 × (A) (W: weight in kg; H: height in cm; A: age)
Calories burned per hour for major outdoor activities (METs coefficient × (body weight + load) = calories)
The maximum daily caloric expenditure for the human body is around 4000 kcal (twice the basic requirement). Exceeding this leads to extreme fatigue and difficulty recovering energy. Excluding rest time, you can hike on flat ground for 6–7 hours per day, climb at low altitudes for 4–5 hours, or hike at high altitudes for 2–3 hours. Under normal weather conditions, you can cover 25–30 km per day at low altitudes or 10–15 km at high altitudes. In harsh weather, it’s better to seek shelter or retreat, as two hours can deplete all your energy—there’s no point in pushing further.
The total daily calories you need to replenish from food equals your basic calories plus calories burned through activity.
Lightweight choices for outdoor food
Four principles for lightweight outdoor food:
A. Bring dry items, not those with moisture—longer shelf life, won’t freeze
B. Bring items with no packaging or minimal packaging—packaging is inedible and ruins the scenery
C. Bring items with high caloric density—same calories, less weight
D. Choose items that are ready-to-eat or easy to cook—saves gas canisters and reduces weight
The human body’s daily caloric intake consists of 60–65% carbohydrates, 20–25% protein, and 10–15% fat. Carbohydrates provide energy more directly, quickly, and digestibly than protein or fat. Therefore, during outdooractivities,the priority is to replenish carbohydrates, primarily from grain-based foods.
100g of dry grain food provides 300–350 kcal. Consuming 200g per day (100g per meal, such as rice/noodles or one naan) suffices. 100g of rice (half a bowl) can make one and a half bowls of cooked rice. (Killer, a local expert, recommends cornmeal; HighlanderTrekker suggests instant potato powder. Both have similar calories to rice or noodles but cook faster, are versatile in flavor, save gas canisters—thanks to both!) (Rabbit reminds us rice doesn’t cook well at high altitudes—much appreciated!)
Nuts are high in oil and have much higher caloric density than grains, making them great as snacks—50–100g per day. Pine nuts: 670, walnut kernels: 620, hazelnuts: 600, sunflower seeds: 600, cashews: 590, peanuts: 580, almonds: 520, chestnuts: 350. (Suddenly thought of a dish: pine nuts with corn—it’s delicious. HighlanderTrekker also recommended couscous with pine nuts to boost calories.)
Dried fruits are high in sugar, with calories similar to grains, also suitable as snacks—50–100g per day. Dried jujubes, honey dates: 350, raisins: 340, candied fruits: 330.
High-protein options include beef jerky: 550, milk powder: 480, pork floss: 440, soy milk powder: 420, dried fish slices: 300, dried shrimp: 250. Consume 100g per day. Dried fish and shrimp have lower calories due to minimal fat content, being almost pure protein. (Killer and DigitalCabbage recommend cured meat, with calories ranging 500–690 depending on moisture and fat content—but it’s quite tough.)
For high dietary fiber, dehydrated vegetables are recommended. Try preserved everlasting vegetable (a type of leafy green)—just soak in boiling water and it’s ready, one pack lasts 20 days. Eating it with oats helps prevent constipation.
Dark chocolate: 520 kcal, great for energy replenishment—50–100g per day. Above 25°C, chocolate melts, so watch out for it making a mess in your backpack.
(Not recommended: cream chocolate or white chocolate—they contain unhealthy hydrogenated vegetable oils.)
(Also not recommended: hazelnut chocolate—buying just hazelnuts is much cheaper, and a Snickers bar is just peanut wafer chocolate—buying peanuts alone saves even more money.)
Cocoa powder is the raw material for chocolate. It is recommended to bring plain whole milk or medium-fat cocoa powder (which contains some unique nutrients from cocoa butter and cocoa beans and is high in calories), and not low-fat or skim cocoa powder (which has undergone multiple processes of alkali treatment that neutralize many nutrients). Cocoa powder can be mixed with milk powder or soy milk powder for drinking.
09 Military Compressed Dry Ration 460 (less oily than the 90 type, dry, not as fragrant as the 90 but not greasy either), suitable for breakfast or trail meals, mainly used for emergencies. Energy bars are basically compressed biscuits coated in a layer of chocolate. Biscuits tend to crumble, and you end up eating mostly crumbs.
Avoid bringing puffed snacks—they take up too much space.
Ham sausages and instant noodles contain too many additives (though the vegetable packets in instant noodles are okay).
Prepared or cooked meats will generally spoil and have to be thrown away after a day (those that don’t spoil likely have excessive preservatives, which you probably wouldn’t want to eat anyway).
Canned goods and vacuum-packed items are heavy, and like prepared meats, due to their high moisture content, they can freeze into solid ice blocks in cold environments and become inedible.
Recommended Lightweight Outdoor Recipes
Breakfast: 70g instant cereal, 30g milk powder/soy milk powder (1 small packet)
Lunch: 1 flatbread/naan (100g), 50g beef jerky/fish jerky
Dinner: 100g rice/noodles, 50g beef jerky/fish jerky/shrimp jerky, dehydrated vegetables, nori, pickled mustard tuber, butter
Snacks: 50–100g chocolate, 50–100g sunflower seeds/peanuts/almonds/sesame candy/milk candy/dried milk tablets, 50–100g dates/raisins/dried fruit, 1 vitamin C chewable tablet
The total daily food amount above is 550–700g, providing approximately 2200–2800 calories. Supplement with 09 compressed dry rations (500g, 2300 calories, enough for three to four meals) for emergencies—not recommended for every meal. The weekly food carry load for seven days is 4–5kg, which is considerably lighter than the standard 1kg per day.
In case of being stranded and short on food, redistribute your supplies. Consume a minimum of 1000 calories per day, about 250–300g of various foods, reduce activity, and wait for rescue.
Final Summary:
1. High-calorie dry goods such as nuts, beef jerky, cured meat, chocolate, and dairy products can be packed in larger quantities, which greatly helps with lightweight travel.
2. Foods that cook quickly or can be prepared by simply adding hot water—such as cornmeal, instant potato flakes, instant oats, or roasted rice and flour—save on gas and also help reduce weight.
PS: Build up your body’s energy reserves by exercising more and eating well in daily life. That way, you can carry less food when traveling. This is advice from many veteran hikers and high-altitude trekkers. Don’t think they’re joking—on high-intensity outdoor trips, you often face shortages of clothing and food, enduring hunger and cold. At those times, it really is all about stamina and willpower. Not training or building up reserves in daily life just won’t cut it.