When I dayhike I haul my stove and pot to boil water - and make a real lunch. Last Saturday we took a 2 hour lunch at a lake and had a lazy lunch.

Or....I carry cheese, tortillas, cream cheese and an avocado. That is for the quick lunches - and make wraps. Bacon is good added. Spinach too!

You don't need to eat MRE's. Why someone would claim that is beyond me! You can carry nearly ANYTHING with you on dayhikes! All you need is an insulated way to carry it (bags of ice cubes, buried deep in your pack).

You can carry a foot long sub, bottles of beer, spinach dip, a cake. Weight isn't an issue in most cases with day hikes so live it up. I have carried tomatoes and avocados and made trail guacamole before - that was about 2 lbs of weight, but it did taste great. I have carried Greek pita bread and fresh chicken salad. You get the idea <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

If you wouldn't eat it at home, don't take it with you!