by EllyM » Fri May 04, 2018 11:40 am
I'm a bit of a fan of a Scotch Egg on walks - quite often have one of those. Alternatively, a sandwich, often on pitta as it's more controllable! If I'm staying with my parents, it's often hummus or tuna, as long as I remember to remind them I don't eat tinned salmon! Another alternative is oatcakes and cheese, but that can feel a bit puritan in the winter.
This is accompanied by a cereal bar and some fruit. I keep taking bananas, but never eat them. I do eat apples and satsumas. On longer walks, I'll take along some snacky things like nuts / trail mix, biscuits, plus an extra cereal bar. If it's a really long walk, I often lose my appetite, so I make sure to have stuff I can eat easily - I might not want my sandwich, but I can probably manage a satsuma or a cereal bar.
Liquids - a litre of water at least (more in summer), plus a 500ml flask of tea while it's cold. If I'm in the hills, I'll refill the bottle from a stream. If it's a particularly long walk, I might take my jetboil so I can have a fresh cuppa or a powdered soup.
If I'm leading a group walk, I always have a pack of sweets, usually haribo, in my pack to wave at the stragglers and to cheer people up.
I just pack food in where I can. Sandwich or Scotch Egg is wrapped in foil/cling film or a waxed cotton wrap (yes, that probably says something about me...). Everything else comes wrapped itself. I just tuck things into corners. Drinks go in the side pockets. I used to use a platypus to drink from, but I found I over drank in the morning, then spent all afternoon thirsty and desperate for a pee.
I often end up sitting on a rock, or, in nicer weather, my coat, but I usually take a foam sitter with me. This was made by cutting a chunk out of an old foam rollmat.