Keto - Backpacking Gorp

(Mark Lewis) #1

GORP was a term I was introduced to in the backpacking community, it stands for Good Old Raisins and Peanuts. The raisins and peanuts can be substituted with anything and still be called gorp. During my carb days, my go to was a spicy cajun mix (from Walmart) and Reese’s Pieces.

Given my recent experimentation with eating keto in the back-country, I found a really good replacement that satisfies me and gives me energy. It is simple but tasty.

1 part macadamia nuts
1 part pumpkin seeds (unsalted)
1/2 part parmesan crisps crushed into small bits

The smooth buttery taste of the macadamia and the mellow taste of the pumpkin seeds as well as texture are contrasted by the crunch and tart taste of parmesan crisps. Really good.

The reason I went with unsalted pumpkin seeds is I found that the whole thing was too salty for my tastes when they were salted. The crisps and macadamia nuts I used had enough salt already.

(Michele Wilson) #2

Thanks for sharing! I’m doing my first big hike post-keto in August - I’ll be hiking half dome which will probably take 12 hours or so. Any other food recommendations? It’ll be a day hike, so no cooking :smile:

(Jeremy Storie) #3

Sardines :grin:

(Mark Lewis) #4

My favorite so far is dried salami and a block of hard cheese like parmesan or asiago. At my local grocery store, I found a wild boar dried salami that is awesome. I also have liked African droewors (high-fat beef sticks).

Other things that have worked is sardines (as @jeremystorie suggests), summer sausage, foil packs of salmon or tuna taking along a package of mayonnaise. Low carb beef jerky. I also take along ghee and coconut oil in a zip lock bag for coffee.

I found that packing keto is more dense, meaning the bulk of my food bag is much less than the old freeze dried packages and protein bars that I use to take. The other thing is even though I carry a cook kit with me the only thing I have used it for is to boil water for coffee in the mornings. If I took ice coffee mixes I could eliminate the weight of the cook kit altogether, though hot coffee in the morning in the wild is worth the weight to me.

So far Keto and backpacking is great. I don’t bonk and have tons of energy, I am not starving when I get to camp (like in my carb days) and I don’t need to refuel for energy as often. I have discovered that I have to carry extra water. My typical water carry on an 8-10 hour hike where a reliable water source on the trail was not available was 2 liters, I now carry 3 liters.

(Sophie) #5

Aged Gouda is to die for! :cheese:

(roxanna) #6

I’m going on my first hike this year tomorrow. I have been zero carb so I will be bringing at least a lb of hamburger. Debating if I want to eat in the morning or not. Usually I don’t.

#7

My first post, yay! Thanks for posting the GORP recipe. I will try it out next time.
However, I am an avid hiker and in keto since the beginning of the year (2017). I do really long day hikes. For example: 30 miles Ohlone wilderness trail, 37 miles sierra azul/and other open space reserve combined trails etc. I have also recently done a day hike to Shastina and Shasta. All these hikes are long and strenuous - 13 + hours and about 7K elevation gain, and not to mention the high elevations when talking about Shasta etc.
The point I am making is that all these hikes, I have done without any food and any stops. In fact the last meal would have been on a Friday evening dinner and start hiking early morning Saturday. Following the hike I wouldn’t feel hungry at all, and usually the body catches up on feeling hungry the next day.
Hence, I would suggest no food for day hikes :slight_smile:

(Tim W) #8

I’m going to 2nd this suggestion, for those who are adapted.

I’ve ran several marathons and a 32 miler without food intake, often taking sips of water only (knowing what I know now, I’d take salt caps during the 50K) but, bottom line is, for those who have “trained up to it” you can probably get away with a day hike without food.

I look forward to a few weeks on the Appalachian trail later this year, that will be so much easier following the suggestions yall have provided on here.

Thanks!

(Bryan Ausinheiler) #9

I add cacao butter wafers my GORP to increase the fat and ensure ketone production. They don’t melt unless it is very hot, and when they do melt the result is nice GORP clusters. I don’t particularly enjoy the taste by themselves but my 10mo old daughter loves them! Cacao wafers with cacao nibs and pine nuts with a light dusting of stevia is one of my favorites from my book on Ketogenic Backpacking.

Of course, not eating is the simplest way to burn fat and may work well for a long day hike when keto-adapted, but at some point on a thru hike you will have to eat… Happy Keto Trails!

(Bryan Ausinheiler) #10

I would love to get my hands on some wild boar sausage, what is the brand? Could I get it online?

(Mark Lewis) #11

CREMINELLI WILD BOAR SALAM from my local Kroger. It is pretty pricey but equally tasty. I rationalize it because I eat it over lunch and dinner along with a hard cheese and over all it is cheaper than traditional freeze dried meals.

(Bryan Ausinheiler) #12

Thanks Mark! I found it on Amazon! This is going with us on the next section of the AT! Creminelli Wild Boar Salami Link: http://a.co/5EaoXt4