Cooking Water vs. Drinking Water

[ReDiscovering]

Ok, here's my new obsessive thought:  

Scenario 1:   I take lots of water and lots of freeze-dried foods in the backcountry.   I end up using somtimes TWO WHOLE cups of water for one dinner, plus about the same if I want dessert.  That's A LOT of water to carry for so-so food.  And this is only ONE meal.

Scenario 2:  I take snacks, a few canned items and some meats in the pouches, making sure I get ballance with complete proteins including some high-quality meal bars.  They are heavy, but they contain their own water.  I take MUCH less water; only what I will need for drinking.

My thought is that in #1, I'm wasting water by using it to cook, because it seems that the "cooked" water does nothing for my total daily water intake of approx 1 gallon/day.

I'm plenty satisfied with the water amounts in scenario 2, PLUS, the food is maybe better and a lot easier.

Am I way off here?  Or is it simply personal preference?

[RichardM]

If the cooking water is all used to rehydrate your food, it's not wasted.  It still goes in your body.  What you might try is weighing the dehydrated food and the water it requires and compare that with your non-dehydrated foods.

[bdann]

I usually take one dehydrated meal (always Mountain House or cup ramen) per night, which is one cup of water per night.  All other food requires no water, though I like to have a cup of tea or coffee in the morning and sometimes after dinner when it's cold out.  The Mountain House pro packs are great, they pack small, light as can be, and you're one cup of water from a decent meal.  You can also eat right out of the bag, so no mess.  You save a little weight there b/c you don't have to bring a mess kit.  You also save a little water b/c you don't have to clean your plate or cook pot!  I just bring a plastic spoon and a plastic mug to drink out of.

[SHANEA]

I'd be more than happy just bringing an assortment of "power bars" on most backpacking trips, problem is most people I go backpacking with don't like "powerbars" so we have fancy backpacking dinners.

[01ACRViper]

i've started to use really simple things when i'm doing short term, not too exhausting backpacking. start the day with a nature valley bar or 2, and a power bar. at lunch, peanut butter crackers (2 packs or so) and a meat product, wether that is jerkey, sausage, pretty much anything that will stay good. for dinner i splurge. one of my favorite meals is the velveeta shells & cheese becaue you don't need milk. add a can of chicken or 2, and you have a somewhat decent meal. but if i'll be out for more than 2 days, i load up on loats of carb & protein rich foods, gotta keep that caloric intake high when you're working that hard  :lol:

[WL2]

My thought is that in #1, I'm wasting water by using it to cook, because it seems that the "cooked" water does nothing for my total daily water intake of approx 1 gallon/day.

I was of the understanding that the gallon of water per day included water in the food you eat.  So you are not wasting anything.  If this is true and you have to carry all your water you can include the water in any carried food as contributing to your gallon per day.  Can anyone else confirm this?

[Casa Grande]

i actually like to bring my Mountain House (only) freeze dried foods.  I like them, and they are an easy cleanup too!  The water is still taking up space whether in the food all ready, or about to be.

[ReDiscovering]

i actually like to bring my Mountain House (only) freeze dried foods.  I like them, and they are an easy cleanup too!  The water is still taking up space whether in the food all ready, or about to be.

What I ran into last week was that most of the Mountain House meals I made were much more food than I could eat at a meal.  I'm more of a grazer so I had all this HEAVEY, wasted food I had to pack out.   So I'm thinking that when it's just me, I'll lean towards things that I can a little at a time.

[okiehiker]

Varies a lot from trip to trip.

Depending on age, weight, metabolism and itinerary one may burn anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 on a BIBE trip.  What you eat should depend on what you need, although for most of us something of a calorie deficit won't hurt for a few days.  On a strenuous trip a calorie deficit is a given.

Regarding water.  Water is water is water.  However you carry it, it comes out the same.  

When packing food, I generally look at calorie/weight ratio.  Carbohydrates and proteins run 1,500 to 1,600 calories per pound.  Fats run upwards of 4,000.  

Thus, even though butter is 43% water, it still has more energy value than pure sugar.  

With nuts, cheese, dried fruit, crackers, m&ms etc., noodles, oatmeal, salami, sausage, etc. and a good electrolyte drink you can easily have an average of 1,500 t0 2,000 calories per pound and almost no cooking.

I usually backpack with larger groups and do more elaborate meals, but this is a social function and I don't mind the cooking.  We all sit around and drink cocoa and visit while dinner is being cooked.  (I also like to eat, and use my own recipes.  They weigh no more than the freeze dried meals and are about 1/3 the cost.)

The best food for energy/weight content is the Carafection Cashew Coconut Crunch at 2,700 calories per pound and more than 50% protein.

[mountaindocdanny]

One thing to remember in calculating your water is that commercial foods are LOADED with sodium. While the water you add to your freeze dried meal is not "wasted", it is less efficient. The reason is that the body gets rid of the excess sodium you have consumed in your urine. Thus much of that water is excreted from the body handling the high sodium load and is not used in replacing your water stores lost from perspiration, etc. Additionally, the gallon per person/per day is not a magic formula but rather an estimate. Some need more, some less. I usually bring 5 L a day, but I'm a bit conservative in my planning by nature.

[TheWildWestGuy]

I don't know what your fretting about ReDiscovering unless you hired a male model to pose for your Avatar it looks like you could carry a 100# pack up to the South Rim no problem.     I may be "old school" but I believe in packing a heavy pack and living large in the backcountry with lots of luxuries, canned goods, treats, and extra water.   Of course since I am "Texas Size" myself an incremental 10-20# in my pack is nothing much and I enjoy the physical challenge of a 60-80# pack.  My last trip I was making a basecamp for 2-3 nights about 5-6 miles in from the Juniper Canyon Trailhead so I tied a Coleman Chair onto the back of my pack and stuffed all free space with cans of beer.  At the end of every day's hike I would sit in the comfy chair, drink beer, and read books by a famous OK author under the Alpenglow from the peaks.  It was Heaven and well worth the extra weight... TWWG

[Al]

. . . read books by a famous OK author under the Alpenglow from the peaks.  It was Heaven and well worth the extra weight... TWWG

Inquiring minds need to know.  Hard cover or paper back?

Al

[TheWildWestGuy]

I only have the paperback versions.  I also print off people's Trail Journals from the internet (AT, PCT, LST, etc..) and read them.  I often take local books like "I'll Gather My Geese", Tales of Big Bend (3+ versions),  Naturalists Big Bend, Lizards on the Mantle, A Homesteaders Story, etc..  Sometime's I just shop at the PJ Bookstore for something to read on my trip at the spur of the moment.   Seems like reading books about the area/backcountry just fits in with the whole experience better than reading a best-seller would.  Plus you never know when your going to have to hunker-down for a few hours or longer due to weather delays so it's always nice to have a book and some extra water on hand.  I love packing heavy and going in style, it may slow me down to a plodding 1.5 mph but it's worth it at the end of every day...TWWG

[Al]

You are the man.  If I can still do a 1 mph, for more than 10 minutes, I am very happy.  The good news?  I don't even have to do 1 mph  to successfully zone camp.  If I can't carry a pack 1/2 a mile, take the time to rest and then gain some more ground.  Repeat as necessary.  Leave some stuff behind and go back and get it PLUS more stuff after setting up base camp at a legal location.  Thus enjoy BiBe in the way to which is most enjoyable. Away from people.  After all it's a heck of a drive out there.

Al

[okiehiker]

TheWildWestGuy wrote:
. . . read books by a famous OK author under the Alpenglow from the peaks. It was Heaven and well worth the extra weight... TWWG