Calories

Expedition backpacking is an energetic pursuit and you need plenty of food to provide the energy required to carry you and your pack over the moors and hills.  On expedition you will require a lot more kilocalories (Kcal) each day than normal.  Individual calorific needs vary according to many things such as age, weight, gender and activity.  A basic daily guide to staying healthy for the average sedentary person is roughly 2,000 - 2,500 calories. However for active persons on expedition this needs to be increased to at least 3,000 - 4,000 (3,000 - 3,500 for females and 3,500 - 4,000 for males).  The best foods for the energy you will need are those rich in carbohydrates.  It is suggested that about 55 to 60% of calories should be from carbohydrates, 20 to 30% from fat and the remaining 10 to 15% protein.