Packing for a Grumbling Stomach: 210 Days on 6 Menus While caribou have known for centuries that their food supply will always be around and under the snow during their migration to the calving grounds, this isn't the case for a human migration. A trip into the isolated wilderness for 7 months will take some food planning! Calories for Energy An average person on an average day burns around 2500 calories. A backpacker carrying 50 pounds for 6 hours over level terrain may burn 4000-5000 calories. This number is based on 8 hrs. rest and 14 hours moderate to heavy exercise a day and calculated using the National Analysis Tool. Add elevation gain and a few more hours of exercise and the count rises to 6000-8000 calories! Compare this with the Porcupine caribou, who in winter require about 4,500 calories a day. To satisfy their calorie needs, they must find about 3 kilograms of lichens, which would be equivalent to eating 2 garbage bags full of lichens a day. Carrying Over 600 Meals! Because Karsten and Leanne are carrying all the food they will be eating for 210 days (7 months) on their backs they have to be especially careful about what they plan to bring. They prepared all their own food. The dinners and some of the lunch food was dehydrated, or dried to remove almost all of the water and make it lighter. First it was cooked, then all the meals were dried for 1.5 days on a food dehydrator. Their food dehydrator is simply a set of trays with a small heater beneath them and a fan. Here are the meals they have planned to take along with them: Breakfast They have three types of breakfast (all to be eaten with milk powder) oatmeal with raisins seven grain cereal with dried apples brown rice with cinnamon and nutmeg . Lunch Their lunches are made up of dried bison meat, fruit bars, nuts, granola bars, and crackers with hummus (dried chick pea powder that we mix with water into a paste and spread onto the crackers). And of course, they'll be drinking lots of water. Dinner They will alternate between 6 meals: macaroni and cheese shrimp curry and rice spaghettinni with bison meat sauce (spaghettini cooks faster than spaghetti and will use less stove fuel) vegetarian chilli with rice ground turkey with potato flakes bison and basil stew (we got a deal on bison). Journaling Questions Porcupine bulls (males) average 125 kg (275 lbs) in weight and cows (females) average 89 kg (196 lbs). In winter calorie consumption is about the same for both the hikers and the caribou (4000-5000 calories). Which animal, caribou or human is more efficient at utilizing their food? How did you determine this? Do you think the hikers will carry water? Where will they find it? Do you think that the water supply is clean? What kinds of precautions should they take to make sure it is clean? How many calories do you need to keep your bodies healthy? You can determine this yourself with the help of the National Analysis Tool. Plug in your age, size and the amount of activity you're involved in. Copyright 2003 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form