Cold-Weather Food

Kyoto: Hiking from Kibune to Kurama

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As we all know, calories are units of heat—which is why you use more of them in winter than in summer. So that freeze-dried glop and oatmeal glue doesn't only keep you moving, it also keeps you warm. While an average summer hiker snarfs down approximately 2 pounds of mostly dried lightweight food per day, a winter hiker needs 2 1/2 pounds. That extra half-pound is what's going to stoke your furnace when the temperatures drop to the frozen zone.

But quantity is not the only thing to consider. Here are some cold-weather food tips that'll help you stay cozy:

Plan for simplicity. A couple of just-add-water-and-boil meals is the ticket when it's cold and snowy.

Pack some hot drinks: Herbal tea can warm you up, and flavored mixes like Tang or Gatorade can perk you up. But avoid caffeine: It contributes to hypothermia.

Have some quick snacks on hand that you can eat when you're feeling cold.

Eat something a few minutes after you stop hiking for the day—it'll help prevent the chill you'll feel when you stop the heavy exercise.

Remember that foods in cans can freeze, especially if they are packed in liquids (like tuna fish). If you're carrying canned food, warm it up before you try to open it by putting it in an inside pocket of your jacket.

Packets of instant soup or bouillon cubes will help you rehydrate, replenish salts lost to sweating, and warm up at the same time.

Don't take foods that need lots of cutting and chopping: In cold weather, those otherwise simple chores can become a major stumbling block.

Packets of clarified butter (sold by trail food companies) can add calories and flavor to almost anything. If they are frozen, put them between your hat and your head for five minutes and they'll soften up.