Active Travel Adventures podcast I Inspiring Multi-Day Adventure Trips Around the World · Kit Parks

Hiker's Guide to Nutrition for your Day Pack and Back Pack

·42 min·2 clips

Lucy says hikers underestimate carbs, and simple carbs like white bread can be useful for quick trail energy.

1. Active Travel Adventures podcast focuses on “Hiker’s Guide to Nutrition for your Day Pack and Back Pack,” using Kit Parks and Lucy Hayhurst to compare food weight with adventure fuel. 2. Kit Parks is the host, and Lucy Hayhurst is a registered dietitian, owner of Well Balanced Nutrition, and an author who studied nutrition and dietetics at the University of Dayton. 3. The episode asks how to pack enough “food fuel” for backpacking, bikepacking, paddling, and rafting without carrying unnecessary weight. 4. Lucy says she started playing outside after moving to North Carolina in 2009, when hiking all day “cost almost nothing.” 5. She recommends thinking in terms of “food is fuel or fluff,” because candy corn, potato chips, and other extras can have a place alongside better fuel. 6. Lucy warns against calling food “good” or “bad,” because that language can push people into guilt and worse choices. 7. She says training should include trying foods before a trip, because packing foods like rice and beans without testing them can cause “gastrointestinal pain or just other yuckiness.” 8. Lucy explains simple carbs with white bread and restaurant buns, and complex carbs with whole grains, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and butternut squash. 9. She says both types matter on adventure days, especially when a hike or ascent needs quick energy. 10. Lucy argues that fat helps food taste better, helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, and keeps people full longer. 11. Her rules of thumb for fat include recognizable sources like nuts, coconut oil, avocados, nut butters, and grass-fed or organically raised meat. 12. She says salty sweaters may notice white rings on hats or shirts, which can suggest a need for extra sodium or electrolyte replacement. 13. Lucy mentions salt tabs, electrolyte powders, magnesium, potassium, and hot sauce as practical trail additions. 14. She recommends freeze-dried food over dehydrated food because nutrients are better preserved and shelf life can reach “30 years.” 15. Kit describes trail options such as RX bars, hard cheese, salami, foil-pack tuna, instant mashed potatoes with beef jerky, and peanut butter tortillas with raisins. 16. The discussion also names common label tricks like “enriched,” “multigrain,” “natural,” “cholesterol-free,” and “gluten-free” on foods that may still be heavily processed. 17. The tone is conversational and practical, with Kit Parks asking direct questions and Lucy answering in a coach-like, nonjudgmental style. 18. The format mixes interview segments with Kit’s own closing nutrition notes, including glycogen, hydration, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, and iron. 19. Listeners who plan backpacking trips, bikepacking routes, or long hiking days will get the most value. 20. People looking for a philosophical food discussion without trail-specific packing tips may skip it.

As heard by us

Practical trail-fueling advice that keeps the focus on energy, pack weight, and simple rules of thumb.

This episode pairs Kit Parks with registered dietitian Lucy Hayhurst for a practical talk about fueling backpacking, day packing, bike packing, and paddling without adding much weight or bulk.

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Fuel smarter without overpacking your pack.

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