Probars – My Secret Vice
I’ve become hooked on Probars. Those of you who read my post Powerbar Bakeoff will be amused because I now like them more than Amish powerbars. It was an accident, I swear!
In order to do a fair evaluation of Probars, I ordered a dozen from Baker’s Box. They sell 12 for 29.99, or $2.50 each, which is a very substantial discount off the $3.50 that other retailers charge. (Free shipping on orders over $50). This is the cheapest price I’ve found online.
I like these bars because they pack between 350 – 400 calories into one 3 oz. bar. You’re doing well if you can get 100 calories per oz. for lightweight hiking. Check your food bag and see if you are even close to that. Hint: olive oil is a very weight efficient high caloric food source.
I also like Probars because I hate eating crappy processed food, especially when I am backpacking: that’s a big reason why I eat freezer bag meals where I can control the ingredients. Probars fit my style because they are made with organic ingredients like whole grains, nuts, and dried fruit that are mixed together rather than baked, preserving their goodness. They also come in lots of flavors for variety and they are 100% vegan too.
When I plan meals for a trip, I pack food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and two big snacks for each day I will be backpacking. For breakfast, I like to consume 700-800 calories and at least 2 cups of coffee. I have a snack after 2 hours of hiking at mid morning, lunch about 2 hours later and an afternoon snack about 3 hours later. I perform best and I am most alert when my lunch and snacks have an equivalent amount of calories throughout the day, at about 400-500 per serving. Then at dinner, I try to consume around 700-800 calories and I usually crash shortly thereafter. Total calories per day = 2600-3000 calories.
For me, Probars are a reliable snack source because they help me maintain a a nice steady flow of carbohydrates throughout the day. When I’m backpacking, a 200-230 calorie Cliff Bar or Powerbar just doesn’t pack enough punch to keep me going. I like to hike hard all day long and I need fuel to keep going.
If you’ve never tried a Probar, you can usually buy singles at places like REI. Try one sometime.
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Several years ago they launched these at the Outdoor Retailer show by handing out a ton of samples. I ended up never buying lunch when I was there – I’d just grab a probar and continue on with my appointments. Anything that is good enough that I’ll eat it *off* the trail is a winner in my book! I’m still a big fan, but try not to eat them too often as I find that I get burned out on energy bars quickly.