How to plan enough food for an expedition

[Tom_Ivan]

We have an upcoming expedition. 6 large men helicopter into the bush and dive for 9 days, maybe a spot of hunting but mostly just there for the diving. We all have different jobs to prepare for this.

I've been asked to arrange the food that we'll need.

Does anyone have any tips/advise on going about this? I figure I'll make a list of each meal for the trip, tally the total ingredient amounts and have a big shop. Is there any software that can help with this?

Summertime over here.

Thanks

 

[dlofting]

One thing to consider is that you
will have minimal ability to keep things cold other than coolers while your ice lasts or streams/lakes.

Dehydrated meals as someone else suggested are great. Cheese and smoked meats don't require refrigeration. Milk powder is better than milk.....you get the drift.

Also consider packing and possible crushing of items. Pitas and tortillas are easier to pack than bread or buns.

I think someone mentioned animals. I have a bear proof container which also keeps rodents out. I also have plastic bags that are odor proof. Hanging your food in bags from a tree branch also works.

 

[johndiver999]

small compressor is a lot lighter than 5,000,000 tanks.

 

[lexvil]

small compressor is a lot lighter than 5,000,000 tanks.

How many gallons of fuel?

 

[rick00001967]

We have an upcoming expedition. 6 large men helicopter into the bush and dive for 9 days, maybe a spot of hunting but mostly just there for the diving. We all have different jobs to prepare for this.

I've been asked to arrange the food that we'll need.

Does anyone have any tips/advise on going about this? I figure I'll make a list of each meal for the trip, tally the total ingredient amounts and have a big shop. Is there any software that can help with this?

Summertime over here.

Thanks

i did not read the thread so i appologise if someone already mentioned this.

i certainly have not planned any long scuba expeditions lol, but what i can tell you is you will need to make sure you are consuming enough calories to maintain your energy and allertness during the trip. you do not want to be calorie starved while exploring on scuba. that could be disastrous.

most people who plan for long trips need to have a good idea of the calories that will be expended. so for a long hike for example, they need to consume at least as many calories as they burn on the trail.

so for your trip you will want to have a good idea of the requirements of each person. the physical size of each team member, and the tasks they will be asked to perform, will need to be accounted for.

the calories needed for each person may not be the same. and the tasks each person is to perform may not be the same.

so in general, you need to make sure each persons daily caloric intake will be at least what they burn while humping gear, diving, and just general daily activity.

then you make a meal plan, as you suggested, and pick up what you need. it is also quite helpful to separate each meal into heavy zip lock bags so meal prep is better organized and you know you are eating what you need to each day. this way you also wont over eat and possibly run low on supplies. misc snacks can be separated as well.

consentrating on high calorie foods (high quality fats for example) will lighten the load and reduce the volume of space needed to transport the food. you can also consider using dehydrated meals (do it yourself if you can, or buy meals which is expensive). this would further reduce the weight and volume of the food needed.

 

[sea_ledford]

There is the Royal Geographical Society Expedition Handbook I use for an Expedition Planning class I teach. You can download individual sections here:

Royal Geographical Society - Advice and training

We have a range of resources to help you plan an expedition or field research project.

www.rgs.org

I think the food stuff is under Planning and Organization: section 5

 

[lowwall]

And once you get all the meals planned, add a 10 kilo bag of rice. Make a big pot every day for supplemental calories and as a safe food for anyone who experiences digestive issues.

Also make sure you add already portioned calorie dense snacks like mixed dried fruit, nuts, and M&Ms. We call it gorp or trail mix in the US. Energy bars like Cliff bars also work.

The reason for the extra calories is that diving is a little different from other expedition type activities where the activity itself keeps you warm even in cold conditions. When diving, it takes a lot of energy to keep your core temp normal (or get it back to normal) in even temperate water. You don't want to get behind the calorie curve, especially if you are doing multiple dives per day.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Your adventure sounds like a total blast.

I'd say the first and most important factor is to establish your weight and volume allowance and then plan from there.

Since you mention that these are "6 large men".....maybe an option would be to just simply go with MRE's and water filtration..... and then all the large men can return home a little less large!

Also, sounds like you may be able to supplement your meals with hunting or fishing opportunities.

Have a blast and take lots if pics to post in a Trip Report when you get back!

 

[lermontov]

“”6 large men helicopter into the bush and dive for 9 days, maybe a spot of hunting but mostly just there for the diving.””

You Kiwi’s have Chinooks?

View attachment 773582

that would be expensive ! we have jet rangers and squirrels here mostly -theres is a large Russian helicopter that is used in forestry but I think its been redeployed of late

 

[lermontov]

small compressor is a lot lighter than 5,000,000 tanks.

we have a portable petrol compressor and generators for battery charging - 2 of us on ccr and 2 on OC -well have one support crew filling tanks and cooking an general camp management -one guy has pulled out

 

[sea_ledford]

we have a portable petrol compressor and generators for battery charging - 2 of us on ccr and 2 on OC -well have one support crew filling tanks and cooking an general camp management -one guy has pulled out

So what I'm hearing is there is an open spot?