Sustenance

The clothing I wear and the gear I choose to put in my pack are important. No cotton, a sit pad, some rain gear, extra layers for staying warm while sitting still, a journal and a pen to write with. Excellent. 

I also bring fuel for myself in liquid and solid form. Sustenance. 

Fluids

In Winter I pack my thermos filled with sweet, spicy tea. It is worth a little extra weight to bring the magical container that is the thermos. Sitting on my sit pad in the cold, drippy forest sipping some hot tea is a sensual experience I cherish. 

In most other seasons I bring a quart water bottle which is usually enough for a half-day outing. If I am going for the entire day I bring at least two quarts or one quart and water purification technology. It is important to stay hydrated out there. Another strategy is to pre-hydrate. Put an extra water bottle in the car and drink it on the way to the park. Start your adventure well hydrated. 

Food

I take enough to sustain me for the time I will be in nature but not so much that I become distracted. The consumer society and accompanying behaviors are significant obstacles to connecting with Nature and many of us are too consumed with consuming to slow down enough to take a mindful walk in Nature. Everything I put in my pack should serve me in connecting and not distract me from that project.

I go to nature to feast on the sense-based deliciousness of being enveloped by Nature, not to eat mass quantities of chips, taquitos, and soda.

That said, I do pack more calories in Winter than in warmer seasons. Having enough calories on-board helps me maintain a safe body temperature. 

Here is a short list of snacks I sometimes toss in my pack. 

- almonds

- chocolate (many calories for not much weight)

- crackers or salty corn chips

- cheese

- jerky

- apples

- medjool dates (nature's most easily assimilated sugar)

- Granola bars

- simple sandwich

The food stuffs in my pack, like my sit pad, journal, and balaclava, are tools that assist me in my Return To Earth. 

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Sardine-Salad Burrito with raisins, kale, and avocado - YUM!