I learned a ton about eating and staying hydrated with doing a bunch if mountain ultra's; actually I should rephrase that I first learned a ton about what not to do
When I'm hiking (or hunting) I try and nibble something about every hour or two- usually a half bar (lately Kind bars, before that Mojo bars), I make sure I'm drinking something hourly as well. If it's hot I usually take an electrolyte (Salt tabs or Endurolytes) about every three hours or so- it was more often when I was running a lot.
I tried several mixes (Tailwind, Perpeteum) that incorporated calories, electrolytes and water in one bottle and while convenient, didn't sit well with my stomach. I also tried gels, again convenient, but didn't do well with my stomach.
