<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

GF BACKPACKING, BIKING, BRIEFCASE FOODS LIST

I.  INTRODUCTION

Thanks to all who responded with this info and with opinions about taste!

Here's our first attempt at a list of easily portable gluten-free
backpacking/ bicycling/ briefcase foods that are lightweight (no cans or
liquids), compact and durable (no refrigeration needed and not likely to
crumble, melt, burst or spill in a pack; not too smelly if properly wrapped).

If you have suggestions for changes, please contact me and I will save them
and incorporate them in a future version of this list. I hope to try most of
these foods personally and will add my own opinions about taste and
practicality as I do.

First I have listed snack foods in general, followed by a more detailed list
of granola or energy bars. Following that are menus for camping breakfasts
and dinners when backpacking, where packweight is crucial.

NOTE ABOUT SNACK FOODS:  We do not have space here to list all commonly
available GF snacks. For lists of GF packaged snackfoods and other common
products, contact Celiac Sprue Association/USA (CSA), PO Box 3170, Omaha, NE
68131, 402-558-0600 (their list costs $8); or the Tri-County Celiac Sprue
Support Group, 34638 Beechwood Street, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48335
(their list costs $10).

DISCLAIMER: These are the opinions of some subscribers to this List. Although
people have told me that these foods are gluten-free (or were at the time
somebody checked), we make no guarantees. There is always the possibility of
error, cross-contamination and changes in ingredients, so you should check
them out yourselves and make your own decisions.

II.  SNACK FOODS:

* Nuts. One Lister suggests roasting your own shelled almonds at 325 degrees
but watch carefully so they don't burn.
* Dates, figs and dried fruits, especially raisins. Bananas are great for
energy but don't store well in a pack unless they are dried.
* Gluten-free granola, granola bars and energy bars. See detail below.**
* Gluten-free pretzels, made by Drei Pauly or Glutano.  Available in the U.S.
from De-Ro-Ma (800/363-3438) and Dietary Specialties (800/544-0099).
* Beef or venison jerky.
* Fruit leather, fruit tongues, fruit roll-ups, available in most
supermarkets.
* Bulky, crumbly snack foods that are OK if you're not concerned about a
"light and tight" pack: GF Popcorn, ricecakes, cornchips, peanutbutter &
jelly sandwiches, Ener-G Foods' 2-slice vacuum-packets of GF bread or English
muffins, Health Valley rice bran crackers (see below), GF cookies.
* Chocolate: chips, M&Ms, Tootsie Rolls (someone said they are GF, though
they're not included on the TCCSSG GF list) or GF chocolate bars if you're
not worried about melting.
* Hard candy such as Lifesavers, JellyBellys, Jolly Ranchers, Starburst, etc.
* Honey packets or sticks (available at recreational equipment stores) but
pack them carefully.
* Bean paste
* Perishable, heavy foods for cooler temperatures: cheese (very aged Dutch
Gouda holds up best in heat; it costs $12 per pound at fine cheese shops and
tastes fantastic), carrots, apples, other fresh fruit, dry salad.
* Home-made pemmican (from dried & powdered beef + rendered animal fat). Don
Wiss sent a recipe for making this ancient low-carb, low-fiber, highly
concentrated survival food that lasts nearly forever. Making pemmican is more
work than I'm willing to do, but if you want a copy of Don's recipe, email me
directly).
* Cans, if you don't mind the weight: small can of tuna, chicken, sardines or
anchovies.

III.   ** Detailed info on granola and energy bars:

 Many supermarkets sell GF trailmix, including Dole California Style and
Hawaiian Style. Apparently Eden and Hoody's also make some GF trailmix.

 Listers say the best tasting energy bar (home-made taste) comes from a small
business called G! Foods, 3536  17th St., San Francisco, CA 94110, (415)
255-2139 or fax 415-863-3359 or see their products listing on their website
at http://www.g-foods.com (they also sell granola) . Listers say G! energy
bars can be expensive if purchased in individual wrappings (so wrap them
yourself), and some of the many flavors are so moist that they need
refrigeration (and might be too heavy for backpacking).

 The next-best-tasting granola and energy bars come from Ener-G Foods, Inc.,
PO Box 84487, Seattle WA 98124-5787, (800) 331-5222 http://www.ener-g.com .
 You might want to buy these in bulk and wrap them individually yourself to
avoid the expense of buying individually wrapped bars.

 The most portable and durable energy bars are fat-free and made by Health
Valley (800-423-4846) : Crisp Rice Bars (four to a box and individually
wrapped; our Listers prefer the taste of Tropical Fruit and Orange Date
flavors over the Apple Raisin), and also the Marshmallow Bars (Old Fashioned
or Tropical Fruit flavors only. The Chocolate Chip flavor contains gluten).
Health Valley's Rice Bran Crackers crumble if not carefully packed but taste
good (sweet, like graham crackers). If your supermarket doesn't carry these
Health Valley products, ask your local health food store to order them for
you, or mail order them from Nature Mart in Los Angeles at 800-668-9363.

 Some Listers highly recommend Omega-3 bars from a small business called
Omega Life Health Foods 800-328-3529 (1-800-EAT FLAX).  Based on the
highly-touted flax seed and popular with some famous Hollywood folks, these
168-calorie energy bars have a long shelf life. Periodically the company runs
out of them, so it is best to stock up (none are available right now). Do not
expect them to taste like granola; they're mostly flaxseed and fruit.

 I tried a brand new product called Power Gel by the makers of PowerBar
(which I used to love but which contain oat gluten). Power Gels are said by
the company to be GF. They are a sticky and very sweet fat-free gel in a
squeeze-out foil pack that burst in my knapsack and made a real mess. They
come in vanilla, lemon-lime and strawberry-banana-with-caffeine. I don't care
for the sickeningly sweet taste or texture, but they'd be great in an
athletic competition because they enter your bloodstream so quickly. They're
sold in recreational equipment and bicycle stores, or contact Powerfood Inc.,
Berkeley, California  94710, 1-800-POWER, or www.powerbar.com  .

 A British Lister recommended Wallaby Bars from Australia, available in
England but not yet in the U.S.  They sell a range of 40-gram bars including
Macadamia Nut & Fruit, and Apricot & Nut. You can contact them in Australia
at Energy Products, Lismore Road, Bangalow, New South Wales 2479, Tel: 61 66
87 2221 or at Energy Products QLD, 82 Abbotsford Rd, Bowens Hills 4006, Tel:
(07) 252 3841. They are seeking a distributor for the U.S. &/or Canada and
would welcome assistance in finding one.

 Our Canadian Listers recommended Boost chocolate fudge bars, but I am
concerned that chocolate may melt in high temperatures. I don't know how to
contact Boost or find their bars in the U.S.


IV.  BACKPACKING BREAKFAST:

 Drinks: Coffee, GF tea, GF hot chocolate packet or Alpine cider packet,
Carnation Instant Breakfasts and Diet Breakfasts: French Vanilla, Strawberry
Creme, Creamy Milk Chocolate, Cafe Mocha.  Powdered milk.

 Cereals & grains: rice crackers, granolas (see above; I plan to make my own
from GF cereals plus brown sugar and dried fruit; Bette Hagman also has
granola recipes in More From the Gluten-Free Gourmet); any GF breads that
don't crumble (good luck).

 Fruits: dried

 Proteins & fats: powdered eggs (for GF status, contact AlpineAire Foods,
P.O. Box 926, Nevada City, CA 95959, 1-800-322-6325 or fax 916-272-2624);
also GF pancake mixes if you're very ambitious.

 Bulk: Citrucel (though company does not guarantee GF status)


V.  BACKPACKING DINNER:

 Soups: Lipton instant Cup-a-Soup (Broccoli & Cheese, Onion, Chicken Flavored
Broth, Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom, Hearty Harvest Vegetable,
Tomato), & regular soup mixes (Onion, Onion-Mushroom, 7 Vegetable); OXO brand
flavor packets but not cubes.

 Main dish: 8-oz military-style gluten-free MREs in foil packets available
for $4 apiece from My Own Meals Inc, P.O. Box 334, Deerfield, IL 60015
(847-948-1118 or fax 847-948-0468) (I bought some but haven't tried them
yet); polenta with a small can of chicken and freezedried peas or other
vegetable (buy freezedried foods at recreational equipment store or contact
AlpineAire Foods, P.O. Box 926, Nevada City, CA 95959, 1-800-322-6325 or fax
916-272-2624); GF pasta or rice noodles & sauce (I love Gabriele red bell
pepper & garlic polenta pasta, to which I add olive oil, parmesan and pepper:
Gabriele Pasta, City of Industry, CA 91748,  818-964-2324. Their US national
distributor is Mountain People's Warehouse in Denver 303-466-5574).

 Side dish: Instant potatoes, freezedried peas, mushrooms or applesauce
(contact AlpineAire, above); Lipton says its Potato & Sauce side dishes (Au
Gratin, Scalloped) are GF but I haven't seen or tried them.

--end--