Never asked this b/c I keep forgetting but what do people snack/lunch on when it's really cold? I've had to break CLif bars with my multi-tool when they got really cold. Twinkies? Ding Dongs or other fluffy edibles? Bustpower bars into little pieces?

Im I big fan of nuttella and peanut butter, not together of course. I usually bring my trail mix wich is equal parts of granola, peanuts, raisons and m&m's. Really really good combo, but i sure you could come up with some more stuff to add in. If i carry a cliff bar or two, it is usually on my person so they don't freeze, but I really like clif bars becuase they stick with you i guess, so its a sacrifice, but worth it for me!

-CS

Sunbelt chewy granola bars turn into crunchy granola bars, and still taste just as good. Cheese becomes the consistency of chocolate, but it still tastes good. Dried fruit is fine. Chocolate is always great. And I don't believe it is possible to freeze a Cosmic Brownie, because they are so artificial. Those are one of the most calorie-packed foods I've ever seen, so they are great for energy!

-Mark

High doses of sugar can make you bomb out. I swapped most of the candy for packs of husked walnuts. They are just great, and are both carb and protein and give a steady release of energy.

Trail mix and a milk chocolate bar. Plus salted crisps.

Don't give up on high-glycemic index foods - stick with bars and gel, just find a warm pocket to keep them in. I often wear bibs with a chest pocket, and they stay nice and soft in there, under my jackets.

Protect your teeth. Just something on the subject of being out in the cold:

If you've been breathing hard and your mouth gets real cold, avoid shocking your teeth with a very hot drink. There have been instances of people's teeth shattering. And if they don't, you could cause cracking, especially to the more exposed front teeth.

Ray, don't think my teeth will shatter.

I do wear a good few layers in v cold conditions. Which means I still overheat badly. So I usually only ever take cold drinks: mainly Isotonics. In the worst of Snowdonian weather they can start freezing up, and I find it lovely to have a slurp of well iced Iso when I am slowly heading up a mountain in winter!

I don't generally snack when hiking, especially when it is cold. For lunch when it its cold, I sometimes bring a thermos of hot soup or stew.

That reminds me. I used to have a thermal food jug. Held about a pint. Made a nice change to have a hot snack up there.

For ice climbing I'll bring a thermos of green tea, but usually when I am climbing I just forget to eat, even though I have several powerbars or cliff bars in my jacket.

When I do remember to eat, I'll often also go with dried fruit (especially pineapple)

I like a few hanfulls of cashews and walnuts mixed with almonds in my inner pocket. Good protein, easy to eat and tastes good.

e-doc wrote:Never asked this b/c I keep forgetting but what do people snack/lunch on when it's really cold? I've had to break CLif bars with my multi-tool when they got really cold. Twinkies? Ding Dongs or other fluffy edibles? Bustpower bars into little pieces?

Were you carrying the bars inside your clothing or were they in your pack? How cold was it?

Alpinisto's Winter Climbing Tip o' The Day (tm)

If you can't carry your bar/gel/etc. on your person ("Is that a Clif Bar in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" ), rather than letting it freeze into an inedible brick in your pack, try tucking it into your water bottle cozy.

Some cozies have just enough room to slide a Gu/HammerGel alongside the Nalgene bottle, and a few I've seen have some additional space above the lid that you might be able to squeek in a Clif Bar. This works particularly well if you start off the day with a warm/hot drink, but beware of melted chocolate when opening the wrapper.



Otherwise, I like the Clif ShotBloks in the winter. Even if they do get frozed, they're small enough that if you pop 'em in your mouth they'll come back to their regular gummi consistency in a few minutes.

They do lack that stick-to-your-ribs-iness of the Clif Bars, tho...

RayMondo wrote:Protect your teeth. Just something on the subject of being out in the cold:

If you've been breathing hard and your mouth gets real cold, avoid shocking your teeth with a very hot drink. There have been instances of people's teeth shattering. And if they don't, you could cause cracking, especially to the more exposed front teeth.

Any evidence online for this phenomena Ray?