How much to eat and drink on a hike, hour by hour
How often to eat, how much to drink and what a realistic day looks like. A simple plan so you never reach the crash in the first place.
- 30 to 60 minBetween snacks
- To thirstDrinking cue
- 6 minRead
Lauren Jones, Peaksted co-founder · Training advice reviewed by Nathan Gee · Updated 14 October 2026The people who have the easiest long days are rarely the fittest. They are the ones who eat a bit, often, and sip as they go, without making a fuss of it.
Eat something small every 30 to 60 minutes during a long day, starting before you fade. Carry enough safe water for the route and drink to thirst; heat, effort and your own sweat losses change what you need.
Five habits that keep you out of trouble
None of them need gear. They are deliberately boring, and boring is what works.
- Start fuelled
For a long hike, eat a familiar carbohydrate-rich meal before setting off; adjust timing to what your stomach tolerates.
- Eat regularly
Try something small every 30 to 60 minutes on a long day, starting before you feel depleted. Adjust the rhythm to your pace and appetite.
- Drink to thirst
Carry enough safe water for the route and drink when thirsty. Needs change with heat, effort and the person; avoid forcing a schedule or fixed volume.
- Keep it easy
If you can chat in sentences, you are about right. Pace is fuel.
- Refuel afterwards
Carbohydrate and some protein within a couple of hours, especially if you are walking again tomorrow.
How much water do you need?
Fluid needs vary widely. Use this table to plan carrying capacity and refill points, then drink to thirst rather than trying to finish a prescribed number of bottles.
| Conditions | During the walk | Carry and refill |
|---|---|---|
| Cool, easy day | Drink when thirsty | Carry enough for the route Check refill points before setting off. |
| Warm, hilly or sweaty | Needs may rise | Plan extra capacity Use thirst and conditions; do not force a fixed amount. |
| High altitude | Needs vary | Plan safe refills Dry air can increase losses, but overdrinking is still harmful. |
Drinking far more than you need can be as unhelpful as drinking too little, so do not force it.
What a 6 hour day looks like
About 35 g of carbohydrate an hour, at the lower end of the usual 30 to 60 g range. Not a prescription, just something you can picture.
| When | What | Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| Before you set off | Porridge or toast with a banana, an hour or two before | A meal |
| 0:45 | A banana | About 25 g |
| 1:30 | A cereal bar and a handful of dried fruit | About 40 g |
| 2:30 | Lunch: a jam or honey sandwich or a wrap | About 40 g |
| 3:30 | A handful of jelly sweets or dried mango | About 25 g |
| 4:30 | A cereal bar and a biscuit | About 35 g |
| 5:30 | A banana or a gel | About 25 g |
Figures are approximate and vary by brand and size. Swap in what you like and tolerate, and practise on your training walks. Our fuelling a 6 to 8 hour day guide and Trek Ready week 6 go further.
Next in the series · Part 3Why you crashFuel, fluid and pace, and what to do in the moment.Eating and drinking on a hike: FAQ
How often should I eat when hiking?
A small snack every 30 to 60 minutes is a good rhythm for long days, and as a ceiling try not to go more than two hours without food. Start in the first hour rather than waiting until you are hungry.
How much water should I drink when hiking?
There is no safe universal hourly amount. Carry enough safe water for the conditions and refill opportunities, then drink in response to thirst. Heat, effort and individual sweat losses change what you need; avoid drinking beyond thirst just to meet a target.
How many carbohydrates should I eat per hour hiking?
A common starting point for long days is roughly 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour. At a gentle pace you may need less, and on big climbs more. Practise on training walks to find what works for you.
Should I eat even if I am not hungry?
Yes, on a long day. Appetite often drops with effort, heat, cold and altitude, so eating on a schedule is more reliable than eating when you feel like it.
Is it okay to hike on an empty stomach?
For a short, easy walk, many people are fine. For a long day or a multi-day trek it is better to eat something with carbohydrate before you start, so you do not begin behind.
Can you drink too much water when hiking?
Yes. Drinking more than you need over many hours can cause exercise-associated hyponatremia. Drink to thirst rather than chasing a volume or urine-colour target.
Your training walks are where you find the rhythm that works for you. Trek Ready has a fuelling week built in, and the free readiness check shows which areas to build first.
Check my readinessSources and scope
This is general sports-nutrition information, not personal dietary or medical advice. Carbohydrate guidance follows the joint position statement Nutrition and Athletic Performance (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2016), adapted for hiking pace. Fluid guidance follows the American College of Sports Medicine position stand Exercise and Fluid Replacement (2007), which stresses that needs vary widely between people. Water-carrying plans must be adjusted to conditions and refill access; drinking to thirst helps avoid overdrinking. Further reading: Jeukendrup, A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise (Sports Medicine, 2014), on how much carbohydrate the body can use per hour; and Hew-Butler and colleagues, Statement of the Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference (Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 2015), on why drinking to thirst is the safer default. Lauren Jones is studying towards the NASM Sports Nutrition qualification. If you have a health condition, an allergy, diabetes or an eating concern, see a doctor or registered dietitian before changing how you eat. Training advice reviewed by Nathan Gee, BSc Sports Science.
