I have just returned from a section hike of the PCT from Kennedy Meadows to Kearsarge Pass. I carried roughly 2500 calories per day and relied on my reserve tank (pot belly) to cover any calorie deficit. My mistake on this trip was being over optimistic on my daily mileage and on my tolerance of a boring diet.

I'm starting to be an old guy, in my mid 70's, and age is catching up with me regarding how far I can go in a day. On this most recent trip, I would finish the day with no appetite whatsoever: Mostly fatigue I am sure. I don't think that I actually ate more than 1500 calories per day for the first three days even though the food was available. Even when my appetite was coming back, my repetitious menu brought forth my gag-reflex. Even though I was a bit hungry, nothing I had brought to eat had any appeal to me at all. I had to force-feed myself.

Take home message? Plan for a lot of food variety for any extended trip and worry less about calories than you do about flavor. Most of us can miss a few meals or supplement a few low-calorie days from our adipose tissue. Ramen for six days straight is not a winner and, for me, Mountain House causes extreme flatulence.