Exo Journal — Fitness & Nutrition

Consider ditching the expensive, pre-packaged performance foods and using your own creations to easily (and cheaply!) fuel for backpack hunts. Here are five high-energy foods that are absolute rocket fuel on the mountain. The best part is, you likely have all of the ingredients already.

If you want to effectively train for backcountry hunting in mountainous terrain, you need to train specifically for the demands of that pursuit. You are not a runner training for a marathon. You are not a powerlifter training to raise your lift total. You are not a Crossfitter training for a score. You are not a bodybuilder training to sculpt an aesthetic physique. You are a hunter, and you should be training to hunt more effectively.

You’ve trained all year, did all your research, drew your tag, and have the latest gear — it’s finally time to leave civilization behind for that backcountry hunt.  As you strap your pack on at the trail head you’ve got just enough food provisions to last for the duration of your hunt.  How much thought did you put into what you packed to fuel your body during this rigorous and non-stop adventure?  Did you just order the run of mill freeze dried backpacking meal and call it good, or did you actually consider what your body needs for a week...

In this article my goal is to share some of the interval training that I employ on my athletes and give you some options to choose from when preparing your body for demands of your upcoming hunting season. The basic logic behind interval training is that it offers big dividends in a short amount of time. You’re giving up volume for intensity, or simply put — you’re exerting more effort in less time. Since all of us have to make sacrifices to train, this interval option bodes well, because you can literally suffer for a few minutes and make significant...