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When planning the food menu and rations for your next solo, many factors need to be taken into account. How many days will you be out there, what time of year are you going, will your food spoil and how heavy is your food? All good questions, yet many paddlers fail to assess their needs accurately, leading to a miserable and sometimes dangerous outcome. Remember, calories keep you going, they keep you warm, and they keep your mind focused on the task at hand. Starve your body of the precious calories it needs and you’re asking for trouble.

We’ve all got our own tastes, our likes and dislikes when it comes to food. Perhaps that’s why we started going solo in the first place….the freedom to plan your own menu and not conform to what others in a group preferred. Whatever your tastes, it’s of utmost importance to keep your body fueled and that means high calorie foods! Dieting may be a good idea in the city, but out in the bush, fat rules. In fact, fat is the best source of energy, so when your body is craving energy, fatty foods win out. Besides, you’ll be burning through loads of energy on your trip; setting up and taking down camp, cooking duties, paddling, portaging, cleaning etc. You’ve got to manage everything yourself and that requires energy.

On a typical 2 week solo trip, it’s common to lose 5-10 pounds. 1 month trips usually see the tripper losing 10-15 pounds. That’s why it’s so important to replenish the energy that’s lost through daily activity. Let’s take a look at some important “food” factors to consider when planning your next trip

How Much Food To Carry?: How much food is really necessary for your trip? It’s a good question and the answer is different for everybody. Factors such as trip duration, your metabolism, time of year and proposed route should all be considered when planning your menu. As a general rule, carry at least 2 extra days worth of food (4-6 days for extended trips). Bad weather can halt your movement so you may be required to sit it out for a day or three. Ensure you’ve got the food to deal with this.

As discussed previously, your body craves calories. Cold weather will sap you of those calories quicker as your body needs more energy just to stay warm (never mind to paddle, portage etc.). If traveling early or late season take this into account. Being cold and hungry is not fun.

Until you’ve experienced a few extended solo’s you probably won’t know exactly how much food you’ll require. Err on the side of caution and take more than you think you’ll need. Better to have a few meals left over, than to hit the homestretch hungry.

Dehydrating – A Trippers Best Friend: There’s no need to carry all that water weight. Purchase a dehydrator and get busy drying your tripping food. Many meats, sauces, fruits and vegetables dry well, taste great and more importantly, last for a long time. Drying your food will also drastically reduce the weight of your food barrel/pack and ensure it won’t spoil. Examples of commonly dried foods are: ground beef, chicken and turkey flakes, apples, berries, mushrooms, olives, peppers, pasta sauce….basically anything.

Preparing chicken and turkey flakes for the dehydrator. In 16-18 hours, I'll have dried food that'll last for months in the backcountry.

The finished product! No water weight here. Dried ground beef(left), and dried chicken flakes(right). Once finished drying, allow it to cool before packaging.

Fish & Game: Fresh fish and game may be a welcome bonus, but never depend on them as part of your food planning. Ensure you’ve got enough food to get you through your trip, and a few extra days worth just in case.

Do a Trial Run: Before heading out on a trip, do a trial run at home to ensure everything’s okay. The bush is the last place you want to run out of food, or realize your precious calories are going bad. If a large portion of your tripping food will be dehydrated, make a little extra and leave it exposed to the air for at least a few days….effectively replicating your tripping environment. If it begins to go bad, it hasn’t been fully dried.

Food Storage: Protecting your food from the likes of heat, water, sand and insects is just as important as the food choices you select. When your days are full of open water crossings, running rapids and portaging, your food can become compromised if not stored effectively. Here are a few tips to avoid any food spoilage.

Packaging: Packaging your food in “individual meals” is the most effective way of dealing with spoilage. By doing so, you eliminate the likelihood of massive contamination of all your food reserves. Of course, this may not be practical, and it demands excessive bagging (and double bagging), of plastic or paper bags.

Many trippers opt for Ziploc type bags for packaging their meals. If doing so, look for “double lock” bags as the seal is much stronger. Alternately, it may be wise to go with large Freezer bags with no locking system. Simply twist the bag a few times and tie an overhand knot to seal. Repeating this process with a second bag will virtually guarantee no water, sand or insects will get into your food…and there’s no zipper to break!

NEVER put all your food in one large bag. Should the bag ever leak or become exposed to moisture, sand or insects, your food will spoil.

Here we have examples of different packaging systems. On the left the food is double-bagged using a large freezer bag. Sealing is achieved with a double overhand knot. On the right, the food is double-bagged with a "ziploc" style bag. Both methods are effective at keeping out the elements and unwanted insects.

Barrels vs. Packs: So which method of storing your food is better, Barrels or Packs? The answer isn’t clear-cut and largely depends on your personal preference. Lets look at the 2 options a little closer.

Packs: Packs are easier to load in and out of the canoe and may be easier to portage. If choosing a pack for your food supplies, ensure you have a liner to help waterproof your food. In addition, pack your food in dry bags to further guard against exposure to moisture and little critters such as mice.

Barrels: On the flip side, barrels are waterproof, release virtually no odors, are crush proof and don’t need to be hung at night as a protection from bears. For extended trips, the barrel system seems to be the preferred choice. Ensure you purchase a quality, rugged harness for portaging and you’ll have a “bomber” food containment system that’ll shed rain, snow, sand, insects and pesky critters such as mice, foxes and bears!

While barrels are said to be 100% odor and bear proof, some trippers have found this not to be the case. Over a long trip, odors will begin to absorb into the O-ring of the barrel and may escape. There’s not much you can do about this, so ensure the clasp is on correctly and the lid completely sealed. To guard against any tampering by the local wildlife, purchase a "Hitch Pin" from your local hardware store and always insert it into the clasp….effectively locking the barrel up tight.

The hitch pin used to secure your barrel clasp. Always secure it to the barrele with cord. Ensuring a "tight" fit will keep your barrel fully sealed.

Storing Your Food At Night: If tripping with a food pack, hang your food roughly 10-12 feet off the ground and at least 5 feet from the closest tree. If tripping with a barrel, it’s not necessary to suspend it off the ground (although some choose to). Instead, tie the barrel to a tree in camp with a clear sightline from your tent. Remember, that’s your food and you may have to defend it! Tying it to a tree will make it impossible for a bear to grab the barrel and run off. If a curious bruin does come to investigate, you’ll be able to pop your head out of the tent and see exactly what’s going on…and deal with it.

****Many popular camping guides stress keeping your food away from your tent. While this may be a good idea when tandem, in a campground or in a well travelled area, solo trippers are faced with a different challenge. What would you do if you lost all your food to a bear in the middle of a 40 day trip? Your food is your energy, your piece of mind….your life. Protect it! Keeping it within eyesight is about the smartest thing you can do.