Paleo Babe wrote:

> 2 lb jerky (beef/turkey)
> 1 lb dried apricots
> 1/2 lb banana chips
> 1 pack dates
> 1 pack freeze-dried veggies
> 1/2 lb almonds
> 1/2 lb macadamia nuts
> 1 small jar (or whatever) nut butter (macadamia, almond)


Sounds like not nearly enough. You will probably be needing
two to three times your normal calorie intake, unless you
are an athlete already.

Figure out how much you eat in a normal day, then double or
triple that amount for altitude hiking. It will probably be
cold high up, so your calorie needs will be high at night
when you are sleeping as well. Cold and hungry is a
miserable experience (I got rained on last time, no fire so
my meat was raw. Fortunately my wife had insisted I pack
along some snickers bars, so I had plenty of calories).

Your pack at the beginning will be heavy, but remember that
it will get lighter every meal. It is better to have extra
food to enjoy the last few days than to have to ration
yourself just to make it. Since the people planning this are
also bringing food, plan on eating as much of their food as
you can. Their freeze dried fruits and veggies should be
fine for you too. Bring along extra, then ask the leaders
their opinion on how much to take. You can always leave some
behind if they say you have too much.

What you want to aim for is the highest caloric density by
weight and volume. That means fats and oils especially. I
still advise the butter or lard. It will not spoil on an
eight day trip, even at 70 degrees. Pack it in a tupperware
or similar container to keep it neat and clean, otherwise
don't worry about it except to keep it out of direct sun.

Here is an anecdote for you from Japan. Last winter a guy
was mountain climbing and got lost in a storm. He lasted
several (6?) days with nothing but a couple of jars of
mayonaise. Mayo is super high calories, oil and egg
basically, about the perfect cold weather survival food.
Even non paleo mayo tastes great on jerky. I get real tired
of plain jerky, really fast  :--)

Good luck!