On the expedition you will need lunch snacks for eight days. Lunch items should weigh about 7+ lbs. Breakfasts and dinners are provided by RMI while on the mountain.

Special Dietary Needs: Expedition food is packed well in advance, so please let us know by March 1^st if you have any dietary restrictions.

Breakfasts and Dinners

Eight man-days of food are carried on the mountain, which can be stretched in the event of bad weather. Additionally, a cache of emergency food is left at Kahiltna Base Camp.

The dinner menu is a combination of fresh food (vegetables, tortillas, cheese), retort entrees (fully cooked meals packaged in sealed containers and heated in hot water), freeze-dried (Mountain House or Richmoor Natural High), and packaged main-course items (Ramen, Lipton Rice or Noodles, Macaroni & Cheese). There is also a supplement (mashed potatoes, rice, stuffing), cup-o-soup and various hot drinks (coffee, tea, cocoa, cider), and dessert. Every attempt is made to assure a variety and adequate quantity.

Breakfasts consist of fresh food (bagels, cream cheese), bacon and eggs, instant oatmeal, instant grits, cold cereal (granola), breakfast bars, and hot drinks (coffee, tea, cocoa, cider).

Properly taking care of oneself on the expedition begins with eating and drinking adequate amounts. Dehydration is always a concern; inadequate fluid intake can contribute to frostbite and other medical problems. It is recommended to drink 4-5 liters per day at altitude.

Finally, the question of vitamins always comes up. If vitamins are a part of your regular diet, then we recommend bringing those vitamins on the mountain.

Lunch/Snacks

The importance of bringing lunch foods that you genuinely enjoy cannot be overstated. Good food is the key to maintaining health and happiness on long expeditions. It is necessary to have foods that stimulate the whole palate in order to combat loss of appetite at altitude. Cover the whole range of taste buds from sweet to sour to salty.  Inevitably you will grow tired or even sick of certain types of foods. Thus, you need to have a wide variety of foods to have a larger “rotation” of food options.

In addition to supplying your body with nourishment, food is perhaps the best means for maintaining a positive mental attitude on long expeditions. The mental aspect of mountaineering is possibly the greatest challenge we face as climbers. Anybody can train physically, given enough time, but it is more difficult to prepare for the mental ordeal of waiting for the weather to clear.  On poor weather days you will find that having an interesting variety of goodies in your food bag may be the difference between a mental annoyance and mental torture. Besides keeping yourself mentally healthy, a diverse food supply earns you fast friends as you barter with tent mates for savory snacks.

Take care while shopping for your lunch snacks. Don’t wait for the last minute. Make a list in advance, and add to it as you generate and remember more ideas. Try to shop at stores that offer a large variety of gourmet and specialty foods, as well as your old, stand-by favorites. Keep in mind that, for the most part, McKinley stays cold enough to preserve perishable food for weeks.

Personal lunch items may include: bagels, crackers, smoked meats, fresh veggies, salami, cheese, jerky, hard candies, candy bars, energy bars, GORP, drink mixes, etc. Perishable food items may be purchased at a grocery store en-route to Talkeetna, but have the bulk of lunch items already purchased and packed.

The following is a list of suggested snacks:

Candy
Candy bars, Hard candy (Jolly Ranchers, Toffees, Life Savers, Mints), Gummy bears, Sour candies (Sweet Tarts), Chocolate (plain bars, caramel/nut clusters)

Cookies
Traditional (chocolate chip, oatmeal, raisin), Shortbread (Walker’s), Ginger snaps, Newtons, Wafers

Bread Substitutes
Crackers, Bagels, Pringles, Corn Nuts, Oriental rice cracker mix, Tortillas

Meats
Dry salami, Ham,  Roast turkey, Herb-roasted chicken, Smoked salmon, Jerky (turkey, beef, fish), Little Smokies

Cheeses
Pepper jack, Smoked Gouda, Blue cheese, Sharp cheddar

Dried Fruit
Pears, apricots, bananas, cherries, strawberries, pineapple

Nuts
Smoked almonds, Roasted cashews, Pecans

Other Ideas
Fresh carrots, Dried hummus, Drink mix