When the dog days of summer show their teeth, I take extra care when packing my possibles bag. There’s nothing worse than trekking to a mountain lake and kicking back in your buckskins, only to find that all you’ve got to snack on is the lint at the bottom of your sack. When the weather heats up, you need the right fuel to get where you’re going. In the time I’ve spent defying the heat to walk my favorite trails, I’ve discovered a few of the best snacks for hiking in hot weather. They say a gallon of sweat saves a pint of blood, but you know what saves a gallon of sweat when you’re hiking in the heat? Nothing. But you can at least eat well while you’re at it.
Fruits, Nuts, and Berries
When you find yourself in a snacking pinch, foraging for fruits, nuts, and berries is always a (disappointing) option. The protein and roughage of these natural snacks will help you battle the sun for dominance, but you’ll likely be left with a grumbly tumbly (that’s empty stomach in trapper speak) no matter how many of these tidbits you can draw from nature’s bounty. Of course, I’ve spent my entire life drawing sustenance from the very forest itself. If you go foraging, just make sure you’ve got a trapper’s wisdom under your belt before popping random pieces of plant matter into your mouth. Do you know one thing that doesn’t help you beat the heat? Accidental poisoning.
Beef Jerky
You all probably know that I can be partial to a nice strip of smoky beef jerky. After all, I built my own company around my passion for delicious lean beef cured to perfection. But I say, why mess with a good thing? Especially when I smoke my beef jerky over a real wood fire for that subtle flavor and tenderness you can’t get anywhere else. When you’re questioning your decision to leave the cool comfort of your trapper’s cabin to brave the scorching elements outside, Old Trapper jerky will keep you on your feet.
Fresh Mountain Snowmelt
Now, I know what you might be saying: water’s no proper food. But what you need to remember is that all the best snacks for hiking in hot weather aren’t going to keep you going if you’re not quenching your thirst. Just like you need to replenish those electrolytes when you’re sweating buckets on a hot day, you also need to make sure you’re replacing all that liquid before you end up like a dried-up piece of jerky yourself. I recommend you find the nearest body of ice-cold water, be it creek, lake, or waterfall, and submerge yourself up to the nose-holes until satisfied.
Summer Snacks For Hot Hikes
Choosing the right snacks for hiking in the heat is a trapper’s most crucial decision. You want to make sure you get all the salt, nutrients, and gumption your body needs to power on through whatever punishment the temperature has in store. When it comes to the best snacks for hiking in hot weather, well, I do enjoy them just as much while sitting in the shade of my cabin without breaking a sweat. Stay cool, stay fuelled, and eat more beef jerky. You’re going to need the protein.
