How to Fuel Your Bikepacking Trip

Each day on the bike is different and our calorie demand fluctuates depending on the distance, weather, terrain, our previous night’s sleep, the prior day's efforts, and so many other factors.

So, we asked Matt Kadey to offer his insights on how people can figure out their caloric demand while bikepacking and how they know if they are meeting their needs.

MK: This is very challenging as there are numerous circumstances that can alter caloric needs such as ride distances and intensities, weather, amount of gear someone is carrying etc.

Instead, I recommend people go by feel.

If you are feeling less energetic during your bikepacking rides it can be a sign you need more calories.

If you are hungry during the day or at night then it's likely you need more calories.

For instance, going to bed hungry is a sign you are not meeting your caloric needs - caloric intake is not keeping up with the caloric demands of activity.

It's my belief that a large percentage of bikepackers are underfueling.

4 - A Healthier Approach to Nutrition

While there is no right or wrong way to approach nutrition on the trail, there are some general ideas that seem to lead to more optimal mental, physical and emotional health for most people.

We asked Matt Kaday how people can maintain a healthy nutritional approach while bike traveling? Here’s what he said.

MK: By far one of the biggest nutritional improvements people can make is to consume more whole foods that are more nutrient dense.

Too often, bikepackers fuel up on nutritionally poor food because it's easy to find and easy to consume.

So a smart mindset to have is to set a goal of working more real food into your daily routine.

Sure, you may not want to stuff in a handful of spinach while on the bike, but are there ways you can work vegetables into your post-ride dinner?

Can you have a lunch that is not just a bunch of refined grains and heavily processed meats?

5 - Our Food Staples

On our last long trip, we brought a small, MSR PocketRocket Deluxe stove and a Vargo Bot HD titanium pot.

While cooking apparatuses take up more space, add weight, and often require you to carry and resupply fuel, they tend to give you a greater range of food options.

Our food staples include:

• Canned/Pouch Meats: Flaked ham, turkey, chicken - some grocery stores even have shelf stable pulled pork, ground beef and chicken in pouches.
• Canned/Pouch Fish: Tuna, salmon, sardines or mackerel.
• Rotisserie Chicken: Great when passing through towns. We often grab one and eat it out front at the grocery store, or a nearby park.
  We just rip off the meat with our hands, and eat it straight up, or dip it in hummus. We eat what we can, then put the rest in a ziploc for later.
  PS. Wet wipes are very helpful for clean up!
• Eggs: We eat eggs whenever we can find them, and often order breakfast at restaurants (no matter what time of day)!
• Many stores have pre-hard boiled eggs in the deli. If you have a stove, you can hard-boil outside the store, or cook in a pan.
• Nuts and Nut Butters: High in calories and healthy fats. We often get salted nuts to help replenish electrolytes, and serve nut butter on fruit, crackers, or eat it by the spoonful.
• Fresh Fruits: Harder fruits, like apples, travel decently well on rough-terrain, but we often elect to eat fresh fruit at the store/market when we buy it.
• Dried Fruits: Dried fruits are lightweight, easy to pack, travel well, make for a fast fuel source and are nutrient-rich.
• Hard Cheeses: A good source of fats and protein that lasts well (even when not refrigerated). The harder the cheese, the longer it tends to last.
• Avocado: Nutrient-dense and versatile.
• Unsweetend Dairy: We add berries to plain, unsweetened yogurt and eat it out front of the store, or, buy canned pineapple (in chunks or tidbits) and pour it into plain cottage cheese (Plus, you get to drink the pineapple juice).
• Dehydrated Meals: One of our favourite dehydrated meal brands is Farm to Summit (We love the Red Curry and Garden Mac & Cheese)
• Coconut water: Our favourite way to replenish electrolytes on a hot day is with a can of cold (no sugar added) coconut water.
• Vegetables on the Road : Fresh fruits and vegetables can be hard to carry on the road as they are large, heavy, perishable and easily damaged.
  A simple trick is to snack on celery sticks, cucumbers, or bell peppers outside the grocery store (grab some hummus if you need).
  Fresh vegetables are an easy way to add fiber and hydration to your diet.

6 - Fuel for Calories, Performance and Endurance

We asked Matt Kadey what are some good foods for :

Calorie to weight ratio?
MK: Nut butters, avocado, dried fruits, nuts and seeds, some energy bars

Performance?
MK: Dried fruits are a great option. They are portable and provide a solid amount of carbs to help power rides. They are also a source of valuable micronutrients that you won't get with ultra-processed sugary foods and drinks.

Longevity?
MK: Again, whole foods here - fruits, vegetables, unsweetened dairy, lesser processed meats, whole grains, nuts, seeds.
 

Matt Kadey's Approach to Nutrition While Bikepacking

"I'll admit that I don't eat nearly as healthy when bikepacking as I do during everyday life. But my approach is to make sure to take in calories on a regular schedule, to try to eat enough total calories to better match caloric expenditure, and to work in as many nutritionally rich foods as possible." - Matt Kadey

7 - Hydration

Staying hydrated is just as important as eating well on the road.

Here’s Matt Kadey’s tips and tricks on hydration.

MK: Maintaining good hydration is vital for both mental and muscular performance. Just like calories, many bikepackers don't pay enough attention to their fluid needs.

It's a good idea to get in the habit of drinking a few ounces of fluid every 20 minutes or so during a ride, but this can vary based on environmental conditions and the intensity of the ride.

Some people will set alarms on their GPS units or phones to help remind them to drink (and eat!).
If someone is sweating a fair amount it's important to have some sodium in the fluid to offset losses and to promote better fluid retention.

8 - Our Approach to Hydration

Making it easy to access, drink from, and refill our water bottles or hydration bladder is key to maintaining good hydration habits throughout the day.

Having gear that you enjoy using can make all the difference, for example a bottle that is gravity-fed designed, meaning you just tip and sip — no squeezing required!

Additionally, consider the following tips:

• Carry Enough Water: Plan for the climate and route ahead. For arid regions or long stretches without resupply points, a hydration bladder or extra bottles are essential.
• Cooking with Water: If you plan to cook meals that require water, factor this into your water-carrying capacity. Ensure you have enough to meet both drinking and cooking needs, especially on stretches without reliable resupply points.
• Filter or Purify Water: If you’ll be relying on natural water sources, pack a lightweight water filter, UV purifier, or purification tablets (we like the Platypus QuickDraw 3.0L Gravity System)
• Electrolytes: Add electrolyte tablets or powders to your water to replace minerals lost through sweat, especially on hot days or during intense rides (we like the stevia sweetened ones like BioSteel or Organika).
• Refill water as needed so you don’t get that nagging feeling like you’re running low and have to start conserving water - risking dehydration. We refill at gas stations, restaurants, campgrounds, visitor centres, cafes, church and firehall spigots, public washrooms and on a few occasions, we’ve asked people who were out in their yard if we could top up from their garden hose (although they always let us refill in the house).

Hydration is often overlooked but critical for energy, recovery, and overall performance. Investing in the easy to use gear and developing healthy habits can make staying hydrated a seamless part of your adventure.

9 - Recipes, Resources & Inspiration

Having a variety of meal and snack ideas on hand makes planning for your bikepacking trip easier and more enjoyable.
Here is a list of resources and places to gather inspiration for fuelling you next outdoor adventure: 

• Matt Kadey's - Energy Balls E-Book
• Matt Kadey's - Bikepacking Cookbook
• Camp with Col - Instagram Account
• Sam Rice & Bec By Cycle's - Bikepacking Cookbook

Enjoy!

Final Food Thoughts

Quality nutrition (and enough of it), along with proper hydration and electrolyte management are the recipe for being your best while bikepacking.

While we aspire to eat mainly, nutrient dense, whole foods - we always build in flexibility for bike travel - especially on long trips - which keeps fuelling our adventures practical, sustainable and enjoyable.

We aim for a 80 - 20 ratio :

• 80% nutrient dense, whole foods
• 20% wiggle room for things like pizza, poutine and burgers

Lastly, we always bring extra calories with us in case of emergency.

We each aim to have one or two dehydrated meals, and/or a pouch of meat or fish and some dried fruit on hand to cover our bases.

We hope this workshop has given you some ideas and inspiration to fuel your next grand adventure.

Happy Snacking!