A Hiking We Will Go

Well, it's the 11th hour for the backpacking trip.  I'm doing 50something Appalachian Trail miles in central Virginia Friday through Monday.  I'm trying to pare down my pack now so that it's under 20lbs. with food and water, but I think it will be a little over.  Water's heavy, after all.  I took out some little things, swapped out some other things for lighter and took out two food items that were pretty darn heavy.  Hopefully, that will get me there.

It was my intention to carry actual eggs on this little adventure.  They keep OK for a few days, and I went out of my way to buy an egg carrier.  I got it home and put the eggs in it...and it just seemed like a bad idea.  I then purchased some powdered eggs (some Western Omlette thingy), which I'd heard were terrible.  I was concerned, so I had some for breakfast on Wednesday.  They were quite good, actually.  I suspect it's because of the peppers and onions, but whatever.  This business of doing more than boiling water in the morning will be new for me.  I formerly did grits (with bacos) and coffee or skipped breakfast or just ate something out of the random pile of snacky things.  

I even experimented with the McCann's oatmeal, because it's the only kind I actually like and look forward to eating.  I soaked it in it's cooking water overnight, and it was almost soft enough to eat at that point.  It shouldn't take long to boil down under those conditions.  I've never actually brought oatmeal before, if you can believe that.  I just don't like the rolled oat texture (gluey and no chewy), and I can't face all that sugar in the Quaker instant first thing in the morning anyway.  The steel cut oats look like horse feed, but damn, if they aren't a totally different thing than the American stuff.

In general, it was very difficult to plan hiking food that isn't all carbs.  I managed to get it to about 190g of carb per day (at home I eat 100g, but I'm not active like this.  I know I'll use these up.), and I'm carrying mostly real foods, which is a first for me.  They are Not Light, for the most part, but I've been starving on my last few hikes, and that really detracts from the experience.

As I have to leave at 7am tomorrow to meet my shuttle[1], this will be my last entry until late Monday (hah!  like I won't just come home and fall over at 10pm) or Tuesday.