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Dunno.

The Smarties I'm referring to are like M&Ms. Chocolate in the middle covered with a candy shell.

Oh, why didn't you just say Canuck M&Ms?!!

Thanks for the clarification!

+1

You guys can have the 'gorp' just give me the straight M&Ms!!

I think he was talking about these Smarties - http://www.smarties.com/products_smarties.html .

I can't argue with that Tim!

I've tried Peanut M&Ms as a ready made trail mix, but they don't quite cut it for me. And they WILL start to dissolve in your front pocket if you ever think it's OK to carry some there to snack on w/o having to take your pack off.

I use a combination of Power Bars and Ciff Bars.
Power Bars can't be beat for fast energy. When it's really cold, all you have to do is put it inside your clothing for a while and warm it up. Then they are easy to eat when it's cold.
I like to follow up one with a Cliff Bar. More substantial than the PW's and much more filling.
Between the two, I can be on the move from well before dawn to well after dark and still not feel exhausted. Really amazing.
I find this combination works far better than any candy, trail mix or anything else I've ever used. The only thing even close would be whole wheat bagels.
I'd look for something with lots of calories and not much fat or much sugar. All of us carry plenty of fat, so we need complex carbs to burn. E

I tried Cliff bars, but my horse refuses to eat that stuff.

Regular ProBars are great, but the ProBar Fruition is the tastiest bar I've ever tried, hands down.

Wish I could justify the cost on those, as they are good stuff. I usually mix peanut butter/chocolate Zone and Balance bars.

I can't find the weight per bar??

Wow! 3 pages of replies and this is the 1st chance I had to get back on line. Thanks for all the input.
I need to go shopping.
Re. protine vs. glucose/fructose/corn syrup vs. fat. Protine yes, so that those of you that are nothing but lean muscle don't catabalise your muscle when you get depleted. Sugar, yes, for a rapid boost, that burns quick. Fats are probably the most valuable group, and the hardest to find in a "natural" diet. Rabbit fever and the like. Fats give slow burning, long lasting energy. I think, that's why the BSA, at their northern camp, give the kids a pad of butter in their hot chocholate before they turn in. Hot drink with lots of sugar to make them warm and give them ready to use fuel, and the fat to keep them warm all night.
Most definatly not a nutritionist (if there are any out there, please chime in). Just looking for a bar that can be carried, in most weather conditions, that will give the best bang for the buck nutritionally, while not tasting like rabbit food or the result of a chemistry experiment.
Thanks, Jim

If sugar and fat did it for us, we'd all be eating cheap candy bars. That's what they have.
Just sugar is often very bad. It hits the system too fast and causes an surge in insulin levels. That, in turn, causes a reduction of the blood sugar levels to a point below that which was present before eating.
Fat is carried in unlimited quantites by the body. It is very efficent fuel, but it has it's drawbacks. The body burns it in direct proportion to how much glucose is in the system. The bad thing about it is that as the blood sugar, glucose, levels go down, so does the consumption of fat. So the best thing to do is to keep the blood sugar levels up and we can burn both.
I suspect that things like Power Bars work well because they have a combination of both sugars and easily digested complex carbs. The trouble is, I suspect, is that they have too much sugar, and not enough complex carbs. At any rate, I find I "burn out" too soon with them.
Cliff Bars seem to do better long term. They have some fiber and a little more fat, which slows down the conversion of complex carbs to sugars.
Proteins are not good fuel. But they can be used as that. In fact, if your body's blood sugar levels get low, that's what the body uses for fuel. It converts the proteins in the system to glucose. The bad thing here is that they are no longer availiable to maintain and repair the body.
I've learned few things about doing tough days in the mountains. Eat whenever you feel hungry, or really tried and eat right. If you do that, the day goes much better. I feel better. I can hunt longer and harder, and stay alert doing it. E

I work for a running store here in CA and this bar is our #1 seller. I also take this on my backcountry hunts, the bar tastes excellent and travels very well.

Bonk Breaker Bars

My favorites are Hammer Bars, as I always have them with me (even at work):
Very tasty, organic and developed for endurance cyclists!
http://www.hammernutrition.com/affiliates/146032