caffeine pills instead of coffee?

[Jennifer Mitol]

Yes, yes, this IS heresy, but I'm going to put it out there anyway….

(and apologies if this has been discussed before – I couldn't find it)

Has anyone who loves their AM coffee skipped it in favor of just some caffeine pills in the morning? I'm trying to get my mornings more efficient and as much as I like coffee at home, I find it more of an annoyance at times on the trail. I need the caffeine at this point (argh! headache!) and am not at all interested in trying to free myself from its clutches.

Just wondered if anyone had any success in foregoing the beautifully satisfying morning coffee in favor of some tablets?

or I guess I could just mix up a cold coffee to slam down while I pack up….but that's almost as sacrilegious as taking pills instead.

[Andrew F]

I have a friend that does this. He also doesn't eat breakfast, so he's ready to go in like fifteen minutes in the morning. It's frustrating :) Coffee is as much about the taste and the ritual for me as it is about the caffeine, so I don't mind spending the 10 minutes to brew. But the pills work just fine. If I'm in a rush I do as you said – throw some via in my water bottle with cold water and drink it on the trail. No need to chug, drink it over an hour or so as you walk.

[Valerie E]

Firstly, you need to know that I am the LAST person on earth who thought I could do without my morning coffee ritual, but…

Last summer on the JMT — out of necessity — I started to make cold coffee in the morning as I packed up. I took it with me, and sipped it as I hiked. Maybe it was the beauty of the scenery, but I actually enjoyed my morning iced coffee as it powered me up the passes.

I'll be doing the same thing this summer on the CT. I think caffeine pills would be no fun at all!

[Allen C]

Jennifer – try the Cafe Latte flavor Perpetuum. It tastes decent and has the caffeine, just dump it in your water bottle and go. Not the same as coffee but I'm guessing way better than a pill.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Caffeine pills are like gut rot to me. It does the same as cheap truck stop coffee….gut pains an hour later ;-)

http://www.trailcooking.com/drinks/mocha-shake/

Shake and drink while ya hike ;-)

[Ken Thompson]

It's like I don't even know you when you say things like that :)

Maybe you've missed this The Beautiful Cup

[BC Bob]

For the last few trips I have been using these for cold coffee. Reasonably tasty combo and a decent amount of caffeine. Mix together one packet of each at home. On the trail, put about two moderately heaping tablespoons of mixture in bottom of cup/container. Add just a dribble of water and mix well with spoon (important, or it won't dissolve well). Then add about 12 oz water.

[M B]

Theres more to coffee than caffeine.

If you are addicted to caffeine and get headaches without it, take some pills.

Otherwise its just being silly imo.

Some like chocolate coated coffee beans. Ick. Thats being silly too.

I drink A LOT of coffee. But i can do without it on trail.

[Art …]

as a fast packer and ultra runner I will not take caffeine pills.
psychologically it feels too close to using drugs to get the job done.

I can not imagine a "smell the roses" hiker even contemplating pills.
if you need the caffeine and want to speed up your morning departure do like others suggested and put some instant coffee in your first water bottle. the taste is a big part of morning coffee.

[Jennifer Mitol]

Yeah I think this may be my way to go. I'm working with one of my colleagues who is a nutritionist and we are working really hard at getting my body to burn all this fat I'm already carrying with me – and his suggestion is that I actually go WITHOUT breakfast while I hike (ee-gads!)

So i was thinking that there would be no point just heating up some water so I could make coffee – I need it desperately at home, but I find on the trail I really don't miss that am ritual at all – i find it more of a hindrance than enjoyment (of course, perhaps that's because I haven't found a way to make REALLY GOOD coffee on the trail – just some perfectly adequate drinks)

I really didn't want to do the pills, but I figured if all I needed was the caffeine (and no point in giving it up – every trail town would be coffee heaven! which would then destroy any "quitting withdrawals" i'd go thru) then why not?

I really like the suggestions for making a nice cold "iced" coffee in the am. And Malto thanks for the caffe latte perpetuem suggestion. I'll certainly give that a try!

[BlackHatGuy]

Let me help you out here because, as you know, I'm a very helpful guy.

Get up in the morning.

Take a caffeine pill out of the bottle.

Use it as an anal suppository.

You will definitely achieve a state of 'get up and go.'

You will never consider caffeine pills again.

Suddenly, the morning coffee brewing ritual will be as efficient as you care to be.

No no, don't thank me, always glad to help.

[Ian]

For the record, Doug also suggested to me that I should shove my trekking pole up my arse, and I can say that I learned two things from this experience:

a) I'm starting to doubt that Doug is indeed a physician, and
b) I really didn't see an improvement in my trekking pole technique by doing this.

You may want to seek a second opinion in this case.

[Valerie E]

Well, the humour is getting good, anyway, LOL!

But back to one of your later posts, Jen — I thought that, for losing fat, it was better to eat more food earlier in the day, and to eat less as the day wound down. Your nutritionist said the opposite — why do you burn fat better on no food? Interesting…

[Bob Gross]

You might want to analyze your demand for hot coffee in the morning. For me, it is not about caffeine so much, but I want a hot drink of something. If I need caffeine and I can use a sugar hit, I have some coffee candy that does it.

–B.G.–

[George F]

Odd man out time: I take no-doze with me and use them. As a regular coffee drinker I may miss the ritual and flavor in the morning but to suddenly go without caffeine is to invite headaches and draggy mornings. I have read that we we would have better and more consistent energy levels with out caffeine in our systems, but that it takes two weeks of withdrawal to get there, something I am not ready to test. My usual routine is to take a pill, sometimes with a vitamin I, while still in bed and contemplating pulling the plugs on my air pad. Breakfast is stuffed in my pockets and eaten on the move while I am waking up. It doesn't really feel like cheating until afternoon comes around. Then if I am really dragging, I may take another. Is this like an afternoon coffee back in the world or is it an addict taking a low grade hit of speed? I don't know but it does work.

[Rick M]

Excedrin Migraine tablets are your friends. 65mg of caffeine per tab. Works especially well in the morning when at altitude. Multipurpose too in keeping with the BPL dogma. Chase em down with an ounce of coffee concentrate from Trader Joes and you'll be hopping down the bunny trail.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

I'd be wary of a nutritionist who would encourage you to start off your day with no food. That is a fast way to visit bonk land. A light breakfast, sure. But no food means you are playing around with your blood sugar – while doing intensive exercise. I'd ask this before trying it: would you go to the gym, have it 80* out and walk uphill on a treadmill for 3-4 hours before eating? Of course not!

[Greg Mihalik]

Being wary is good.
Being informed is good.

Occasionally skipping breakfast prior to low intensity workouts is a good way to burn fat.

Starting on empty and then eating as I go works for me, even if it is a high intensity hours long effort.

Google is your friend, but keeping a log and knowing how your body works is better.

YMMV

[Anonymous]

"Just wondered if anyone had any success in foregoing the beautifully satisfying morning coffee in favor of some tablets?"

I tried it on a few longer trips(10-11 days) a few years back, when I was really trying to lighten up and decided to go without a stove. It works fine as far as supplying caffeine goes, but there is no substitute for that wonnnnnnderful aroma and hot liquid to elevate your caffeine experience to the sublime. So now I go cold food and hot coffee with a Sidewinder Caldera setup and 400ml titanium pot. I can handle the 4 oz. or so if it means hot brew in the morning.

[Ken Thompson]

Tom's thinking right. Must be the caffeine.

[Anonymous]

"I'd be wary of a nutritionist who would encourage you to start off your day with no food. That is a fast way to visit bonk land."

+1 As I learned the hard way back in my marathoning days. I talked with a sports med doc about it and they told me that I should at least get 300 or so calories of fast uptake carbs in my system to restore the glycogen used during the night for basal metabolism functions. Can be as simple as a packet of Perpetuem or some such.

[Anonymous]

"b) I really didn't see an improvement in my trekking pole technique by doing this"

Did you remember to remove the trekking pole basket before insertion?

[Dave P]

I don't know anyone who hike and take caffeine pills.

But I know backpack hunters do. For three reasons:

1) Reduce the odor imprinted on the clothes
2) Lower the chance of attracting bears
3) They get up at 3 or 4 in the morning

Because of number 3, I am considering adding it to my "first aid". Not for number one or two though.

When I get up that damn early, last thing I want to do is cook.

[Dave P]

I remember Skurka has a recipe where he made coffee beans and chocolate bars. Forgot where I have seen the recipe.

I know chocolate-covered coffee beans are available at the local Bulk Barn though.

[Bob Gross]

"When I get up that damn early, last thing I want to do is cook."

When I get up that early, it is cold, so the first thing that I want to do is to get a hot beverage going.

–B.G.–

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