A reasonable goal is around 1½ to 2½ pounds of food (or 2,500 to 4,500 calories) per person per day. A person who goes on 10 miles of strenuous hiking with a climb of 4,000 feet obviously burns more calories and requires a lot more food than someone who walks a few miles of relatively flat paths and plans to relax at the campground. Having extra food (and safety gear) isn’t so much of an emergency for you and more of a way to help others who aren’t as prepared or experienced
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We’ve seen people go 2-3 hours without eating on a hike because they don’t feel ready to eat, but they get really tired.