Week 2’s meal plan is brought to you by JJ’s Bakery! The big differences this week are the simplicity of a store-bought freeze-dried dinner, the introduction of Pilot crackers for lunch (which have a hugely high calorie-to-weight ratio – I seriously don’t know why I never knew of these in the past, they are a great addition to any backcountry meal), and the aforementioned JJ’s Bakery in Erie, PA, which has graciously donated a dozen fruit pies for my high calorie Treat each day. Discovered on Prep Hike 1, these “gas station” pies are my new fav.  I am eager to enjoy – thanks JJ’s!

In total, this meal will provide 3946 calories a day, weighing 33.9 ounces and costing $18.77*.  Only 2 Tablespoons of alcohol (1 for breakfast, 1 for dinner) are needed for cooking again.  *Unless you are a Mountain House hoarder like me … Hello Neiman!

560 calories, 4.7 ounces, $2.06

Breakfast 2: Instant Oatmeal.  A couple of maple & brown sugar oatmeal packs from Quaker Oats or Trader Joes, spiced up with 1/4 cup of Harmony House-Freeze Dried Berries and 1/4 cup AF Raw Almonds.  For this week’s morning cup-a-joe, two Taster’s Choice House Blend Instant Coffee in 8 ounces of hot water.

916 calories, 6.7 ounces, $1.97

Elevensies 2: Snickers, Fruit Wrap, Trail Mix. Again, these are meant to be snacks on the go (unless a nice vista view opportunity presents itself for a long break). This time we get a tried-and-true Snickers bar, a leather fruit wrap from Trader Joes, and 1 cup of Trader Joes Trail Mix (any variety). For those who questioned candy bars as healthy trail food – there is nothing better for hike energy than peanuts, caramel, and chocolate … so, yeah, gimme a Snickers!

880 calories, 10.2 ounces, $5.64

Lunch 2: Tuna Crackers. Sailor Pilot Crackers are pure genius. GENIUS!  At 100 calories each, they are tasty, dense, and big enough for a meal.  I liken these to LOTR’s Lembas Bread, which “keep a traveler on his feet for a day of long labor”.  Ha, not quit, but damnit if I won’t be thinking about that on the trail. Pairing them with a couple Starkist Creation packs, some Cheddar Goldfish Crackers, and Trader Joes mangos will make for a tasty lunch.

380 calories, 2.5 ounces, $0.85

Snack 2: Cliff Bar. Sticking with the idea of bars I know I won’t get sick of quickly, this week introduces the Cliff Bar. You all know em, and I’ve been loving them since the 90’s when I packed a case of them for snacks at summer camp. Sticking with the fruit-is-best theme, there are some good ones like Blueberry Crisp, Berry Pomegranate Chia, and more to indulge.

810 calories, 5.8 ounces, $7.25

Dinner 2: Freeze-Dried Mountain House. I have some Mountain House Freeze-Dried meals in storage from past trips, as well as an emergency case we bought for a zombie apocolypse earthquake emergency kit after moving to the West Coast. The shelf-life is somewhere around 927 years, and although expensive on their own, are already sunk costs for me, making them free dinners to use. So I guess … winning?

400 calories, 4.0 ounces, $1.00

Treat 2: JJ’s Fruit Pie. As mentioned above, a HUGE shout out to JJ’s Bakery. This type of pie is very popular on the trail, as they pack 400+ calories for each $0.99 item.  I love the apple, chocolate, and lemon flavors (stay away Cherry, you suck) from Hostess or Little Debbie … but JJs introduces some much more FUN options: Blackberry and Peach! Only available in select stores, so I’m very grateful to the fine people of JJs for sending me a couple dozen for the trip. Hello Neiman!