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I was introduced to the concept of thru-hiking when my husband (then my boyfriend) set his sights on hiking the Colorado Trail in the summer of 2020. Our kitchen was a flurry of activity as he set about dehydrating food for dozens of meals, gluten-free, no less! I wasn’t involved in his thru-hiking nutrition plan for this particular adventure, but I watched his preparations with fascination.
I remember dropping him off at the trailhead outside Denver, which marked the northern terminus of the Colorado Trail, at the end of July. We said our goodbyes, and I felt a pang of envy, as I wanted to join him on his adventure!
As he reported back throughout his trip, I got to hear many things about his adventure, including how his nutrition plan was working for him. While he successfully completed the Colorado Trail in a little under a month, the adventure wasn’t without mishaps. Some of the main challenges he faced included persistent gut problems and a significant weight loss of nearly 30 lbs – and he didn’t have weight to lose to begin with! Both of these challenges were linked to his nutrition during the trip.
When I began my functional sports nutrition practice for outdoor enthusiasts in 2023, I started hearing from thru-hikers about their nutrition challenges on the trails and helped them develop personalized nutrition plans. As a nutritionist (CNS and LDN) and an avid, experienced backpacker, I knew my unique combination of clinical and lived experience could help!
In this blog, I’ll provide a comprehensive overview of thru-hiking nutrition so you can fuel your hiking adventures with confidence and feel healthy, strong, and vital throughout your trail adventures!
Your nutrition plan is of the most crucial yet complicated aspects of your thru-hiking trip. Thru-hiking nutrition presents an array of challenges (which I find incredibly fun to troubleshoot with clients!) that go above and beyond hiking nutrition.
First of all, the duration and physical demands of a thru-hike are extraordinary! The Colorado Trail, for example, crosses 567 miles across the Colorado Rockies, from Denver to Durango. The total elevation gain is an astonishing 89,000 feet, with an average elevation of 10,300 feet during the trip. This trail is no joke – you need serious physical and mental fortitude to complete it! (Source)
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), perhaps the most famous thru-hike in North America, spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada with nearly 500,000 feet of elevation gain! (Source)
The thru-hike duration and elevation gain aside, you also have to contend with all types of weather, fluctuating temperatures, and the mental and emotional stressors of the thru-hike. All of these demands converge to profoundly affect your nutritional needs.
Other demands of thru-hiking that uniquely impact your nutrition include:
The good news is that most of these challenges can be avoided through careful nutrition preparation (discussed below under “Build a Solid Nutrition Foundation”) and strategic, thoughtful, and flexible nutrition planning for your trip.
Your nutrition plan for thru-hiking begins not with your first few steps on the trail, but with your nutrition in the months leading up to the trip during training. This means fueling your body properly during training by consuming sufficient energy (in the form of calories), protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. It also means ensuring your micronutrient intake, such as B vitamins and magnesium, is sufficient, as your body requires these micronutrients to power physical activity and recovery (not to mention countless other bodily processes).
A nutritional work-up with a functional sports nutritionist can ensure all of your nutritional bases are covered as you train for your trip. Your nutritionist can then help you plan your nutrition for the thru-hike itself.
As you create your nutrition plan for the trail, you’ll need to meet several goals:
The demands of thru-hiking necessitate a high calorie intake. Under-eating may result in an unsafe amount of weight loss, low blood sugar, fatigue, and even increase the risk of bone stress and other injuries. A good place to start is by having a functional sports nutritionist calculate your total energy expenditure (TEE).
Total energy expenditure is calculated as follows:
TEE = BMR + TEF + SPA + TEA
Your functional nutritionist will then use activity tables to calculate your estimated TEA and SPA. During your thru-hike, the TEA will be based on the intensity of your thru-hike (i.e., are you moving at a leisurely pace or going for an FKT?) and the number of hours you’re hiking daily. SPA will include how active you are when you’re not hiking, such as the activities you engage in once you set up camp.
While the TEE calculation isn’t perfect because people’s individual calorie burn varies based on other factors, including their hormone status, the calorie target generated through this calculation is a great number to aim for as you plan your thru-hiking nutrition strategy.
Note: Your calorie intake on hiking days and rest days while on the trail shouldn’t be wildly dissimilar, as your body is still using up a significant amount of calories on rest days to support repair processes.
Your thru-hike nutrition plan also needs to be tailored to help you maintain a high energy level, prevent injury, and support muscle recovery.
For example, ensuring a proper balance of carbs and protein in your thru-hike nutrition plan will help stabilize your blood sugar, a critical factor influencing your energy levels and endurance. If you, like many thru-hikers, rely too heavily on carbs and skimp on protein, you are more liable to experience big energy swings, as well as worse recovery.
Optimal intakes of B vitamins and magnesium will support cellular energy production, the very basis of your movement along the trail. This is one reason why I include a comprehensive micronutrient assessment in my Trailblazer Nutrition™ program, so thru-hikers can ensure they have the micronutrients they need for optimal physiological function on the trails.
An optimal protein intake will help your muscles repair themselves after the intense demands of each day’s hike. Unfortunately, protein is also a macronutrient that tends to be skimped on in most thru-hikers’ diets, likely because carbs are just easier to dehydrate and pack in many cases. However, with some thoughtful planning, you can absolutely optimize your protein intake on your thru-hike without significantly increasing your pack weight.
Nutrient density refers to the amount of essential nutrients (such as vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids) in a food relative to its calorie content. Prioritizing nutrient-dense foods in daily life supports a healthy, vibrant body.
However, many thru-hikers focus primarily or exclusively on calorie and macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) density without considering the nutrient density of the foods they eat during their thru-hike. I’m here to say that all three of these factors – calorie, macronutrient, and nutrient density – matter for thru-hikers. Here’s why:
Thru-hikers are athletes – period. A very physically active body needs optimal intakes of micronutrients to generate cellular energy (ATP), manage inflammation, repair muscles, support healthy bones, and power optimal brain function – so you can be focused and safe on the trail.
When thru-hikers prioritize calorie and macronutrient density over nutrient density by filling their packs with processed, refined foods like candy, Fritos, and ramen noodles, they miss out on the vital aspect of nutrient density. This is not to say that including some processed foods in your thru-hiking nutrition plan is a problem; however, you don’t want these foods to comprise the bulk of your food intake.
Instead, prioritize nutrient-dense, thru-hiking-friendly foods such as:
Nutrient-dense foods also happen to be flavorful and delicious in many cases, and may help you avoid “food fatigue” on the trail!
Of course, you’ll also want to minimize your pack weight and volume on the trail. You can accomplish this while still eating well with careful planning, choosing calorie-, macronutrient-, and nutrient-dense food options that are also lightweight – many of the food examples I listed above fit the bill.
I’ve mentioned macronutrients a few times so far in this article. Macronutrients are types of food – fat, protein, and carbohydrates – required in large amounts in the diet.
While thru-hiking, your body uses oxygen to transform fat (both from intramuscular fat and fat consumed in your diet) and carbohydrates (from glycogen in your liver and muscles, as well as from your diet) into ATP, your body’s cellular energy “currency” that fuels nearly every bodily process. (Source)
Carbs provide a crucial energy source when thru hiking – simple carbs (such as a honey packet) provide quick energy for when you’re making a quick push to your next camp at the end of the day, while complex carbs, like dehydrated cooked rice, provide sustainable energy for long days on the trail. Carbs will provide the bulk of your energy intake on the trail.
Fat provides “slow burn” energy and is used heavily by individuals engaging in moderate-intensity endurance activities, such as thru-hiking.
While carbs are absolutely key, some people who are over-reliant on carbohydrates for energy (which can be due to eating a processed, high-carbohydrate diet in daily life), making them less able to tap into fat for fuel when thru-hiking. An inability to tap into fat for fuel may make you more prone to bonking on the trail.
To avoid bonking, they may find themselves constantly eating sugary snacks regularly to keep up their energy. The downside is that this creates a vicious cycle of unstable energy. A high sugar intake also creates potential health problems if it is sustained over weeks, months, or years.
The solution to bonking is to facilitate your body’s ability to burn fat and carbs for fuel. Eating a healthy balance of carbs and fat in your daily diet before your thru-hike and during the thru-hike itself can help your body effectively use both carbs and fat for fuel.
Protein isn’t typically a significant energy source during physical activity because it is energetically costly to transform amino acids, the building blocks of protein, into ATP. By eating enough carbs and fat while thru-hiking, you can minimize your body’s need to tap into protein stores (aka muscle) for energy.
Example carb options: dehydrated cooked rice or quinoa; dehydrated mashed sweet potatoes, red potatoes, or purple potatoes; dehydrated beans and lentils; oats; buckwheat groats; homemade granola made with rolled oats, raw honey, nuts, and seeds; dehydrated fruit such as banana chips and dehydrated mango or pineapple
Example fat options: Nut butters, seed butters, trail mix, cheese, salami, olive oil packets
Example protein options: Dehydrated chicken or turkey (add this to your rice or ramen!), tuna packets, jerky, high-quality protein bars, protein powder
I strongly recommend optimizing your micronutrient levels several months before your thru-hike. Healthy levels of iron and B vitamins will ensure you create healthy red blood cells for oxygen transport, vitamin D will support your immune system and muscle recovery, magnesium may reduce muscle soreness and aid sleep at night, and calcium will support your bones as they endure the significant stress of thru-hiking.
Sign up for my micronutrients eBook to learn the top food sources of each of these micronutrients and how to test and optimize your levels.
Don’t forget to include hydration in your through-hiking nutrition plan!
Hypohydration, a sustained decrease in body water, can impair endurance exercise performance (like thru-hiking) through several mechanisms, including:
(Source)
You’ll definitely want to optimize your hydration as much as possible during your thru-hike! I recommend starting by doing a sweat test during several of your training hikes. This will allow you to determine your hourly fluid loss while hiking. You’ll aim to replenish 75% of the fluid lost while hiking, and then, post-hike, aim to replenish 125-150% of fluid losses within two hours. You can determine the amount of fluid you’ll need post-exercise from your sweat test results.
How much sodium (and other electrolytes) should you aim to replenish when trail running? Again, this is a highly individual matter. In my nutrition practice, I’ve found that aiming for 500-800 mg of sodium per 1 L (~34 oz) of water in hot conditions is a good place to start.
Sweat sodium testing can help you determine how much sodium you should consume based on your body’s unique pattern of sodium loss via sweat. Some of my favorite hydration products include UCAN Hydrate and Skratch Labs.
Gut issues are prevalent these days, and thru-hikers are no exception! Gut issues are common on the trail due to the physical exertion involved in thru-hiking, which can alter the gut microbiome and intestinal lining. Additionally, a heavy reliance on sugary and processed foods, as well as potential issues with drinking water quality, contribute to these issues.
If you already have a sensitive digestive system in daily life, I highly recommend getting your gut health on track well in advance of your thru-hike. This will give you a more enjoyable experience overall on the trail – after all, how much can you really enjoy your thru-hike if you’re constipated or experiencing diarrhea, gas, and bloating throughout the hike?
I help active individuals optimize their gut health daily in my functional nutrition practice. In the meantime, you can read more about gut health for outdoor enthusiasts in this blog.
Sitting down to plan meals and resupplies for a thru-hike can feel overwhelming, but breaking it into steps makes it manageable. Start by mapping out your trail itinerary and estimating how many days you’ll hike between resupply points—this gives you a rough idea of the number of meals and snacks you’ll need for each stretch.
Create a spreadsheet with columns for each resupply stop, then fill in the number of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and daily snacks you’ll need between each one. Choose several go-to meals and snacks that are shelf-stable, calorie-dense, and easy to prep, then rotate them to avoid food fatigue.
Once your meal plan is set, decide whether you’ll mail resupply boxes or buy as you go. For mail drops, pre-pack boxes with clearly labeled daily food bags, and keep a master list so friends or family can send them if your plan changes. Then, recruit a family member to mail them to you – I did this for my husband during his Colorado Trail thru-hike. Make sure to include backup items for days when you’re hungrier than expected, and plan for town food when possible to reduce the load you carry.
Remember, your thru-hiking nutrition plan isn’t about eating “perfectly” – it’s about preparing as much as possible to set yourself up for success, while also enjoying some treats throughout the adventure and recognizing that nutrition “hiccups” may occur along the way.
With each hike, you’ll learn more about what your body needs, likes, and dislikes on the trail food-wise, so you can further dial in your nutrition plan with each successive thru-hike!
I’d love to hear more about the thru-hiking nutrition experiences you’ve had! Please let me know what has worked or hasn’t worked for you in the comments section below!
The content provided on this nutrition blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.
The information and recommendations presented here are based on general nutrition principles and may not be suitable for everyone. Individual dietary needs and health concerns vary, and what works for one person may not be appropriate for another.
I make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but the field of nutrition is constantly evolving, and new research may impact dietary recommendations. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented on this blog.
If you have specific dietary or health concerns, please consult a qualified nutritionist or another healthcare professional for personalized guidance.
I empower others through nutrition to conquer their mountain adventures, drawing from my own experiences.
With a background in Biomedical Science and an M.S. in Human Nutrition, I’m a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist. My journey in functional medicine has equipped me to work alongside athletes and tackle complex health cases. As a passionate trail runner, backcountry skier, and backpacker, I strive to support others on their paths to peak performance and well-being.
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