Long Food Carry
Overview
A long food carry describes a segment of trail where hikers must carry several days' worth of meals due to limited or distant resupply points.
Key points
- Increases pack weight significantly and affects overall pace.
- Requires careful meal planning, calorie estimation, and packaging efficiency.
- Often coincides with remote or rugged terrain.
- Impacts water consumption, fuel usage, and campsite selection.
Details
Long food carries may range from four to ten days or more depending on trail infrastructure and seasonal access to towns. Hikers must plan high-calorie, low-weight food strategies to balance nutrition with pack weight. Resupply strategies for long carries often involve mail drops, pre-arranged shuttles, or caching when allowed by land agencies.
Disclaimer: thruhikingwiki.com is an independent, informational reference only. It is not an official source for any trail association, land manager, park, agency, or guide service. Nothing on this site is legal, safety, medical, navigation, or professional advice, and it does not replace formal training or certified instruction. Thru-hiking and backcountry travel involve significant risk. Local regulations, land manager rules, and manufacturer instructions always take priority. You are solely responsible for your planning decisions, safety practices, and compliance with applicable laws. Use this site at your own risk.
Illustrative hiking footage
The following external videos offer general visual context for typical hiking environments. They are not official route recommendations, safety instructions, or planning tools.