<story><title>What Happens to Your Body on a Thru-Hike</title><url>https://www.outsideonline.com/2125031/what-happens-your-body-thru-hike</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>Dowwie</author><text>I came across three emaciated, bearded men on the continental divide trail in glacier national park.  When I asked one of them where he was from he looked at his buddies and they all replied excitedly, in unison, &amp;quot;Mexico!&amp;quot;.  It was at that moment that I came to realize that these men were  one day away from completing the entire thru-hike.&lt;p&gt;I vividly recall one of their dinners: Dried ramen noodle, straight from the bag.&lt;p&gt;They slept in their bags exposed, beneath a basic light tarp.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>jon_richards</author><text>The best foods for backpacking are actually peanut butter, salami (depending on the brand), cheese, and nutella. They all have roughly the same calorie density at about 70% fat. Toblerone actually comes surprisingly close (even compared to other chocolates&amp;#x2F;candies).&lt;p&gt;Raman noodles or tortillas or something like that are generally used as a carrier for those foods to keep you sane, but they aren&amp;#x27;t very good from a weight to calories standpoint. M&amp;amp;Ms are also common, as they are easy to eat and keep well.&lt;p&gt;Some people actually just drink cooking oil, but it&amp;#x27;s rarely worth the tiny bit of extra weight efficiency.</text></comment>
<story><title>What Happens to Your Body on a Thru-Hike</title><url>https://www.outsideonline.com/2125031/what-happens-your-body-thru-hike</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>Dowwie</author><text>I came across three emaciated, bearded men on the continental divide trail in glacier national park.  When I asked one of them where he was from he looked at his buddies and they all replied excitedly, in unison, &amp;quot;Mexico!&amp;quot;.  It was at that moment that I came to realize that these men were  one day away from completing the entire thru-hike.&lt;p&gt;I vividly recall one of their dinners: Dried ramen noodle, straight from the bag.&lt;p&gt;They slept in their bags exposed, beneath a basic light tarp.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>M_Grey</author><text>Your comment made me think of Bill Bryson&amp;#x27;s accounts of how people change on the trail in &amp;#x27;A Walk In The Woods&amp;#x27;. Good book if anyone is considering a thru-hike, and it&amp;#x27;s just a fun read anyway.</text></comment>