Grocery store resupply like a champ
Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa resupplies at a supermarket on the Chinook Trail
Long distance hikers have to go into town and get new supplies every few days, but after being in the woods, sometimes going into a grocery store can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips to make the most of your town time and make the resupply process a bit easier.
Plan out your attack first: I usually start planning out my resupply on trail a few days before hitting town. This not only gives me something to think about while I’m hiking, but also gives me time to be strategic about my nutrition. Walking into a grocery store from the woods can be overwhelming, so know what you’re looking for beforehand—make a shopping list. It helps qualm the surrounded-by-food-lots-of-people-and-noise anxiety that plague a just-to-town hiker.
Wash your hands: You just got out of the woods. You’re gross. Go do it before you start pawing at your snack.
Never resupply on an empty stomach
3. Don’t resupply on an empty stomach: How many times have I let my starving belly dictate a resupply only to either a) end up with waaaay too much food for the next resupply b) discover on trail that my entire resupply is cookies and chocolate? A snack before you shop can calm your belly and prepare your mind for the difficult decision of what food is worth carrying on the next leg of your trip. Favorite simple satiaters are: a yogurt, a few pieces of fruit, chocolate milk, Ben & Jerry’s, a couple pieces of fried chicken, a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, a slice of pizza (but NOT a whole pizza!)
Grab a drink
4. Grab a drink: Sure, you’ve spent the last few days thinking of nothing but how you’re going to eat the entire grocery store, but unfortunately, your budget isn’t going to allow that (your stomach also will prove to have limitations). 80% of people can’t tell the difference between whether they are hungry or thirsty and I’m willing to say 80% of hikers are dehydrated coming into town. A drink will fill you and help rehydrate you for peak performance on some important decision making: what to eat!
5. Use your time indoors to warm up/cool down: Take advantage of the heating/cooling system to get your body temps back to normal before hitting the trail again. If your rain gear needs some drying, this may be a time to get creative…
6. Weigh your food on a produce scale: Now that you’ve loaded half the grocery store into your cart, it’s time to check whether you really need all that food to make it to the next town.Head back to the fruit and veggie area and weigh what you’ve got on a produce scale. You’ll probably want around 2 pounds of food per day until your next resupply. Account a little for the weight of the packaging, but be honest. If you carry 20 pounds of food for the two days until your next resupply, you’ll be hurting!
Eat a luxurious treat or two!
7. Grab a luxurious treat (or two!): I often do my resupply by sending boxes of pre-packaged food to myself, but when I resupply from a grocery store, I go out of my way to buy things the post office would rather not keep in the back mouldering until I pick up my box. When resupplying, I like to grab cheese, a sandwich, baked goods (cinnamon rolls are my favorite), ice cream, or a few fresh fruits and veggies to bring on trail. Garlic is lightweight and feels like a real luxury in camp. Ice cream doesn’t pack out that well (I’ve done it before…), but man, does it feel great to eat a tub of Ben & Jerry’s a few miles in!
8. Charge your phone quickly: This is my best discovery ever. Most supermarkets have washing-machine style plugs outside for their vending machines. You can usually find one that is unoccupied. These plugs charge super fast so you can sometimes get your phone up and running in the time it takes to eat snacks and sort food.
9. Don’t forget water: I never leave town without getting more food, but I often forget to resupply on water, only to find the next water source is really far away. Fill up your bottles and top off your Platy, even if it means having to buy a bottle of water to do it. You’ll thank yourself several hot miles later.
Be respectful…both to the people in town and to yourself.
10. Be respectful: Remember: you look and smell like a hobo, so having good manners is especially important. Try to get in and out of the store quickly and to not scare the other customers. If management asks you to stop cooling yourself in the walk-in freezer, you best not argue. Your actions not only affect you, but also impact all future hikers who walk in that store for resupply. Think of yourself as an ambassador for all hikers. A really smelly, hungry ambassador.
