We also take about about 12 ounces of very dry, spicey homemade elk jerky...the best!
Could you get by with less calories, Ed? Dunno. Have you tried? Is your body going to cease to function? Probably not. Will you just be a bit more hungry? Probably.
Even the fittest of us can probably stand to lose a handful of pounds, at least I can at 6'5" 222.
If one is doing some crazy 100 mile endurance gig, by all means EAT/GORGE. At that point the caloric intake/expediture is vitally important.
We don't look at it in caloric terms. Renee is a dietitian, she makes her living consulting those things. We're aware of the very lean choices we make for a mountain hunt, but its typically once a year.
It's a short term trade off, and not one that will imperil us.
The most important thing to me personally is electrolytes. Heart health and proper rhythm is a big deal. Hyponatremia (lack of sodium in the system) is a real concern. Too much water can kill as fast as not enough. Gatorade powder and dried foods free of MSG and rich in natural potassium and sodium are where it is at.
I know a sheephunter in Alaska that hunts all week on coffee and cigarettes, I kid you not. Makes me want to barf. And he is successful! Go figure.
It makes my food choices seem like a Henry VIII feast.
