IMG Guide Food Suggestions for Mt. Rainier

To help make your climb more comfortable, below are a few food recommendations from IMG guides who have spent a lot of time snacking on Mt. Rainier.

IMG Guide Brian Warren

• Twix bars, great when frozen up high on Rainier... not as much to stomach as say a Snickers.
• Peanut butter M&M's and chocolate covered espresso beans, the best energy trail mix known to man!!! Makes the last push from high break a cake walk!
• Nan/Tandoori bread with hummus and cheese, a multitude of options when it comes to cheese, smoked gouda and Tillamook cheddar are some of my personal favorites...
• Curry cashew nuts, not as plain as your typical nut, kind of like myself!
• Dried mango, and sometimes dried chili mango.
• Any type of coffee, like the Italian canned coffee from Starbucks, always nice to have in the pack... a bit on the heavy side but worth it to me.
• Lots of cheese and dried meats... at least pretend you're in the Alps... oui, oui!
• Last but not least, left over pancakes and bacon, fits in any pocket really well, just go easy on the syrup!

IMG Guide Dan Otter (a.k.a. "Otter")

• Bagel sandwiches with meat and cheese
• Bagel + Cream Cheese
• Pizza
• Pita + Hummus
• Fresh fruit for day 1
• Dried fruit
• Cookies
• Crunchy trail mixes that have wasabi peas in them
• Chocolate covered espresso beans
• Gu packs
• Tasty bars (try them first!)
• Tip: Bring heavier, more "complex" food (i.e. pita and hummus) for day 1, and easy, quick to eat items for summit day.

IMG Guide Erica Engle

Things I take with me might include gooey cookies, a little bit of fresh fruit, like apple or peaches, chocolate or yogurt covered nuts, a few pieces of fried chicken, a package of cream cheese with salty crackers, jerky, some slices of moist banana or zuchini bread, a few bars that actually are tasty, some gummy candy, cheese of course with a yummy bread to go with it.

IMG Guide Eric Remza

Here are some ideas for those with the Gluten and wheat free diet... if you have access to a Trader Joe's, you can ask for a list of all the gluten and wheat items/brands in the store.

• 70-80% dark chocolate, antioxidants, this candy is actually good for you.
• Columbus brand salami's. Most processed meats have gluten added to them.
• Sunflower seeds. With gluten and wheat free diets, you get hungry and need to eat every 2 hours — having a large bag of sunflower seeds is a great way to keep the hunger pains down...
• Jelly bell-jelly beans, gluten free candies; most candy have wheat or gluten added to them.
• Blue diamond almond crackers — the best wheat free cracker I have yet to find that is durable in the hills.

Tye Chapman, IMG Operations Manager

• Pre-made quesadillas (day 1)
• Pringles in the single serving can
• Chicken strips from the deli
• Single serving Blue Diamond almond packs (variety of flavors)
• Pre-cut fruit — hint use your food bowl to carry this (day 1)
• Have a local restaurant make you a sandwich for day one
• Fruit leather or fruit roll-ups
• Fruit snacks
• Payday candy bars