How to Pack Food for a Day of Cross Country Skiing

If you're heading out for a day of cross country skiing, you'll need a power pack of high energy food to keep you going for the whole day. Food is both energy and warmth to keep your stamina up and to give you reasons to make a stop along the trail now and then. This article makes some suggestions for the types of foods that are suitable to take with you.

Steps

1. 1 Obtain a sturdy and comfortable daypack. It should be one that sits well and does not cause you to overbalance. You may wish to share the supplies around with others skiing with you; that way you can carry lighter loads all round.
2. 2 Get some sandwich bags and small containers with lids to pack your food in.
3. 3 Make sandwiches and soup for lunch. Place the soup in thermos flasks for a hot lunch; it is also possible to put sausages (meat or veggie) in thermos flasks for a hot meal. Lunch should also include some fruit (apples, oranges etc.) and some of the supplies from the high energy snacks.
4. 4 Pack high energy snacks. These can be nibbled on even while skiing but especially should be consumed when you stop for breaks every hour or so. Suggested ideal high energy snacks include:
   • Salted Crackers
   • Breakfast cereals, place in small Ziploc/sealing bags; add nuts if liked
   • Chocolate, especially dark chocolate and fruit/nut combinations
   • Nuts
   • Dried fruit
   • Energy bars
   • Hiking mixes
5. 5 Pack liquids. You will need to keep up your liquid intake during the day. Put beverages in different thermos flasks; if possible, colour code (bottle/tape/decal etc.) to make it easy to know which beverage is in each thermos. Ideal beverages include:
   • Tea
   • Coffee
   • Hot chocolate
   • Water
   • Soup
    
6. 6 Eat frequently to replenish energy and to encourage you and your fellow skiers to take appropriate breaks.