As you go through your final checklist, nutrition and food might not be in the forefront of your mind. Sure, you probably run down the grocery list and menu really quick (right after you make sure you have enough socks and shorts), but do you stop to consider if you have enough food to last longer than your expected itinerary? If you're car camping, this probably isn't an issue (here at CEJCamping, we tend to over pack and over eat on these types of trips). But if you head out backpacking, you'll to keep number 8 on the Ten Essentials in mind.

First, an average person hiking will burn approximately 500 calories per hour. Mind you, that's a rough estimate. If your hiking up a mountain, weigh more, or are carrying a heavier pack, this estimate shoots up. Slow down your pace, carry less, and it goes down. For every 3,600 calories you burn, you lose a pound. As you look over your menu then, its worth it to figure you how many calories you think you'll burn (multiply out your expected time hiking by an estimate of your calories per hour and there you go) and make sure you are taking enough food and snacks to replenish what you'll be burning through. For backpacking trips, you'll be better off eating smaller meals/snacks more frequently, so plan accordingly.

To really be prepared, the authors of the Ten Essentials suggest carrying at least one extra days supply of food. In other words, if you plan to be out three days, take enough food for four.

Meals.

Everyone has their own tastes in what they pack. Some dehydrate their own food, some might take fresh fruit and prepared meals for the first day, dehydrated the rest, etc. Whatever your tastes, plan accordingly. Bananas are a great item (quite possibly nature's perfect food!), but most likely wouldn't last past the first day. (NOTE: If you are like Ollie, this might not be the case. In Utah, I saw the man down the most bruised banana I have ever seen. It was bruised three ways to Sunday and had been in sitting in the vehicle in 115 degree heat for several days. He peeled that sucker and made short work of it. I, on the other hand, looked the other way and held back the little I had eaten that morning.). Dehydrated meals are great. They take up little space, are lightweight, require minimal prep time, work, or clean up, and many of them taste pretty good too (unlike the old MRE's we used to pack!).

Also remember that fats are super high energy nutrients, so don't plan an Atkins type menu while you're out. Especially in cold weather months, you'll want the extra calories and energy to help keep you warm.

Cereals and breads are high energy foods too, so keep them in mind for breakfast. A little oatmeal and give you the energy you need for the morning's work, and help fight cholesterol!

Snacks

Nothing enhances a break from hiking like snacking. Heck, many snacks can even be eaten while on the move. The main trick here is to pick something that has a high energy to weight ratio. Nut mixes (Trail Mix, GORP, or whatever else you call it) are great for this purpose. Nuts have one of the highest energy foods around (especially Macadamia nuts), so they are an excellent choice.

A lot of sweets pack a lot of energy too, so they might be a good choice as an after dinner snack. Provide yourself with a little treat and some energy before bedtime! Or, mix it into your trail mix too! Salami is another one that is high in energy. Summer sausage is a great treat as you sit around the fire, just be sure to get the smell off your hands before you zip into your sleeping back or you might get some unwanted visitors!

Overall Planning

As you plan your menu and pack, keep the energy to weight ration in mind. If you can minimize the space and weight of the food you're packing, you will be more likely to throw in the extra days ration. If you have heavy items, you'll be tempted to fore-go the extra food, rationalizing that you won't need it anyhow. All that means is that you won't have it when you need it! One good tip is to always keep your favorite freeze dried meal tucked away in your pack. Then you'll always know its there as a backup. As you plan, here is a great link to chart that shows the energy level per food, it can really come in handy.