Food ideas for a 5 day hike...

[hung-solo]

MRE's...

 

[stitch_paradox]

I didn't realize Loneriderz is located in singapore. If you have access to MREs then MREs is the way to go. I haven't been to Singapore, but I have camped and hiked in the Philippines and I assume that they have the same tropical climate.
I have a thing for tangy or fruity food, so I always have something like dried fruit or raisins on my pack. Sometimes I mix it with assorted nuts, try to get the unsalted one, because salt will only make you thirsty. Also I would also bring grain based energy and protein bars, I really like the Cliff brand. That's for my snacks and quick energy food.
For main meal, I'd bring tunas in a pouch, smoked meat, rice, beans or oatmeal. If you have access to powdered eggs that will be great too. When I was in the Philippines I learned a technique on hiking food. Over there they have this dried small fish called "dilis". I got some of that and some mung beans and some dried meat and a portion of rice, and have them milled till they are powderized. It's very nutritious meal, rich in protein, it is very easy to cook ( just boil in water or add hot water until it has a porridge consistency) and very compact to carry. You can also add some powdered flavorings to it.
Also don't forget some comfort foods. For me it's usually raisins, tea, and those powderized Gatorade mix. You'll be surprised how simple stuff like that makes a long way, when you are tired.

 

[Loneriderz]

Thanks for all the ideas guys... I took all the advice you guys gave and did some research... Using a few websites my calorie count for a day (6hrs) of trekking works out to be around 2500-3000 for someone my age and weight (65kg, 32years). Based on that I tried to work out something that'll provide me the calories at a minimal weight yet still cater to individual preference. I agree with one of the posters, it's a great morale booster to have something I like eating especially after a long day hiking. Dehydrated food is not very popular here as fresh food is available all year round. Folks here seldom go for processed food preferring home cooked meals. This meant my choices are limited and since it is illegal to buy Ministry of Defence MREs it means looking for other sources. I managed to track down a company that assembles the MREs for the army but they weigh quite a bit. See the specs they sent me... Price is ok I guess, SGD12.50 (*0.65 for USD).

To lighten the load I will repack them taking the 2 entrees (lunch and dinner), 2 fruit bars the hard tack biscuits and the tea and malt drink mixes (breakfast). I'll save the hexamine tablets as there is a liquid stove only rule. They keep and work very well but add a lot of weight to the package. I'll add an energy/ Snicker bar to the package and vacuum seal it. expect it to come to 1-1.2lbs per package. There'll be 4 of these...

On the other 3 days it'll be the same configuration with some changes. I'll substitute one entree for tuna/ salmon (in pouches) and crackers for lunch to save on weight and fuel. Breakfast will be instant oatmeal and tea. This will be excluding my GORP mix which will hopefully contribute around 300 calories per day. I'll more than likely run a deficit but I'll try to bulk up a bit before the trip. Won't be easy, but I'll cut back on my running.

I'll get them all set up by next week and weight them up.

Best news this week is that the girlfriend got a me a nice lightweight solo tent for the trip (Eureka Solitaire) and a new pack from Osprey. My RAT-3 D2 is on the way to Singapore and I scored a 2nd hand Petzl headlamp at a dirt cheap price. Bad news is my school is sending me on an exchange program to either Japan or Germany to research new educational strategies. This means the trip will be on hold for at least 6 months. More time to train and bulk up but the wait is killing me. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and love all my students to bits but teaching takes it's toll on a person and I really need some time on my own. In fact this trip was my girlfriend's idea... She misses the old me and I miss being outdoors.

Sorry for the rant... Again thanks for all the great suggestions. I'll get the stuff assembled and weighed ASAP and get you guys some updates. May even try out a weekend trip to one of the offshore islands to test out my gear before the actual trip.

 

[Loneriderz]

I assume that they have the same tropical climate.

I have a thing for tangy or fruity food, so I always have something like dried fruit or raisins on my pack. Sometimes I mix it with assorted nuts, try to get the unsalted one, because salt will only make you thirsty. Also I would also bring grain based energy and protein bars, I really like the Cliff brand. That's for my snacks and quick energy food.

For main meal, I'd bring tunas in a pouch... or oatmeal. When I was in the Philippines I learned a technique on hiking food. Over there they have this dried small fish called "dilis". I got some of that and some mung beans and some dried meat and a portion of rice, and have them milled till they are powderized. It's very nutritious meal, rich in protein, it is very easy to cook ( just boil in water or add hot water until it has a porridge consistency) and very compact to carry. You can also add some powdered flavorings to it.
Also don't forget some comfort foods. For me it's usually raisins, tea, and those powderized Gatorade mix. You'll be surprised how simple stuff like that makes a long way, when you are tired.

Yup, Singapore has a similar climate to the Philippines... i.e. it's either wet or sweltering but it's always humid. My trip is tentatively to Malaysia or Western Australia. Malaysia will be more challenging as there are 7 river crossings to factor in. Dillis or billis (what we call them here) is an excellent idea. Tastes real good with warm rice and some spices and flavourings. I'll see what I can do with them. I usually soak them in water to get rid of the excess salt. We have Gatorade here but not the powdered version, I managed to get something similar to replace lost electrolytes.