Food in the backpack

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tlveik
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 3:59 pm

Food in the backpack

Post by tlveik »

I'll be coming to the park soon for my first real visit. Was there once when I was a kid but don't remember much from then. I like doing day hikes on my trips to other parks and would like to do the same in Yellowstone. No overnighters this trip. I have my bear spray already.

I've been thinking about pack food. Normally I would pack a sandwich and some trail mix but wondering if that is a good idea in Yellowstone. For those of you that hike, what do you do for trail food?

Tom



yellvet
Posts: 224
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2017 5:54 pm

Re: Food in the backpack

Post by yellvet »

Tom, I use air-tight re-seal-able freezer bags to store just about everything whenever I'm camping or hiking. They're super light, air-tight and best part, they're cheap and can be purchased in different sizes at grocery stores. I always keep on hand a good supply of the pint, quart, snack and gallon-size bags. The bags can be used to store food and beverage items such as granola, rice, pasta, candy, cookies, boxed juice, fish and even Twinkies. The bags also work great for storing camera accessories (IE: memory cards, batteries, a flash, extenders, filters etc.) Moisture and condensation are not friends of a photographer and can ultimately ruin the mechanisms of your camera. So it's really important to keep your camera and lenses dry. Because the temps in the Park vary so much, I use the gallon-size bag to store my camera at night or whenever it's cold, damp or raining. Because the bags are air-tight, you never have to worry about your camera being exposed to any moisture or condensation or odors. When camping, the bags can be used for storing chips, rice, cereal,spaghetti noodles, pasta, makeup, shampoo, soap and toiletries. I even brown and freeze my ground beef at home, ahead of time. I put a pound of the cooked ground beef into a freezer bag. which makes the freezer bags EZ to stack up in your cooler with a block of ice. I've always been a minimalist at heart and prefer to travel light, especially, when it comes to hiking and camping. All I can say is that I bless the person who invented re-seal-able baggies. I have used them on all my camping and hiking adventures over the years and can't say enough good about them.



tlveik
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 3:59 pm

Re: Food in the backpack

Post by tlveik »

Great! Zip lock freezer bags is what I always use anyway so I guess I'm set. I was just thinking about bear noses and whether they could smell and be attracted to the food even though it was sealed in freezer bags. Just thinking ahead. And like you I also use them for camera gear.

Was also thinking about water. I normally carry two quarts with me and also take a filter to get more from streams if or when I need more. There's nothing like fresh cold stream water after you've been hiking a while. Is stream water palatable or is it contaminated from below?

Tom



yellvet
Posts: 224
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2017 5:54 pm

Re: Food in the backpack

Post by yellvet »

Tom DO NOT drink any water that comes directly from the rivers and streams unless you use a certified water purifier to filter and remove all the contaminates and parasites from the water (ie: a Bota Bottle or a purifier that's similar). Back in the late 70's I guzzled down some mountain stream water while hiking up in the Beartooth Mountains. It was gin clear and it tasted absolutely wonderful. But because of my lack of backpacking experience and knowledge, I ended up getting Giardia and battled the parasitic disease, off and on, for the next 7 years. "Giardia bug is an extremely hard to-detect" microscopic parasite that gets into a person's digestive tract because of the wildlife feces found in mountain river and stream water. The problem with the parasite is that it can go dormant for several months...even years. But, just when you think that you are feeling good and/or have gotten rid of the disease, then the parasite rears up and goes active again with the dysentery coming back with a vengeance. I went from 105 to 79 pounds in just a few months and just wanted to die, no kidding. And, to make matters worse, none of the prescriptions that the doctors had given me, worked. It wasn't until a hiking friend of mine who had gone to the Mayo Clinic for help for the same thing, that I knew what to do to get myself back into the world of the living. My bout with giardia in the 70's is still vivid in my memory. That's why I always bring my own water or purchase bottled water, whenever I go to the Park. Believe me when I say that you do not want to get Giardia! It's a deadly disease that can kill people if left untreated.

Looks to me like you're all set, Tom. Just wanted to give a word of caution to you and other members about not drinking mountain or stream water no matter how thirsty you are or how good it looks and tastes. Hope you have a terrific trip, Tom. And if you still have concerns about the bears being able to sniff out the food in your pack, well, I guess it really depends on the specific bear and the sensitivity of its nose. Personally, I think you should be fine using air-tight, re-seal-able freezer bags. But if you're still concerned, consider double-bagging your food to be safe. Just make your food portions smaller, put them into smaller pint-size bags and then put the pint size bag(s) into a quart or gallon size freezer bag. That way, you'll have multiple layers of air-tight protection. Looking forward to seeing your trip report and pix.



tlveik
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 3:59 pm

Re: Food in the backpack

Post by tlveik »

Yep I know all about the dangers of Giardia. Never had it myself, I have a good filter and always use it. What I was more concerned about was contaminates from geothermal sources. Stuff that could be dissolved in water and not filterable. The Giardia bug is filterable. I'll talk to the park rangers about it when I get there.

Tom



billandkaren
Posts: 129
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2017 8:50 pm

Re: Food in the backpack

Post by billandkaren »

Tom, I am so excited for you in making your first real trip to the park. We have been commenting on the trip reports about some of the issues with rangers, etc, but don't let that take away from the magnificence of the park. Despite the crowds, rangers, bison jams, just-missed wildlife encounters, etc., it is still a magical place. You'll want to see and experience everything, but just relax and enjoy as you visit and travel. Let the park reveal itself and it will be great no matter what you see or don't see.

Karen and I do a lot of day hiking and just love getting out away from the crowds. If you need any suggestions just send a reply.

I wouldn't stress about the food. Just carry and eat whatever you normally do, wrap it up, and carry the trash out. We typically pack trail mix or bars along with sandwiches if we are going to be out for more than a few hours. sounds like you have a good filter for water, but do not drink from sources that are fed by thermal features. Most backcountry streams are safe, but best to ask at the visitor centers/ranger stations.

Looking forward to reading your trip report. Have a great time!

--Bill



tlveik
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 3:59 pm

Re: Food in the backpack

Post by tlveik »

It's getting closer and I'm getting excited. One week left and I'm hitting the road. Already started gathering my gear.

I'm not doing a lot of planning this trip. Just going to discover and explore things as I find them. I'm confident that I'll find plenty to keep me busy. Then I'll use this trip to guide future trips. Will be taking lots of pictures. I figure the more pictures I take, the better the chance that I'll get a couple good ones. :P

Tom



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