How to handle the heat in the Grand Canyon
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The Best Ways to Fuel and Hydrate for a Rim to Rim Hike

ByKristen Czudak Hours
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When it comes to training for a Rim to Rim hike, common questions that come up usually involve the physical training portion: how to train for the uphill, the elevation gain, the distance.  And while a lot of focus does go into what snacks to bring and what and how much to drink, it’s not always treated as an equally important part of training.  But it is just that – having a solid fueling and hydration plan for your Rim to Rim hike is JUST AS IMPORTANT as being physically ready.  This guide is not meant to tell you exactly what and how to eat and drink on a Rim to Rim hike, but it is meant to get you started on the right foot with determining your own fueling and hydration plan.  You will have to do the hard work of figuring out what works for you in training, but this guide can be a blueprint for learning how to do just that – how to fuel and hydrate for a Rim to Rim hike!

 

Best ways to fuel and hydrate for a Rim to Rim hike

Disclosure: Below are some affiliate links-these are all products I highly recommend. I won’t make any recommendations on this page that I haven’t tested or personally used! 

Best Ways to Fuel and Hydrate for a Rim to Rim Hike in the Grand Canyon

 

If you search the internet for what to eat and drink on a Rim to Rim hike, you’re likely to find answers spanning from “the only thing I ate was 2 Jolly Ranchers” to “I packed 40 pounds of food plus a bottle of wine for my Rim to Rim day hike”.  And while your own fueling and hydration plan should be HIGHLY INDIVIDUALIZED, you have to be careful with taking what you read at face value.  Some people maybe can have a great hike across the Grand Canyon on 2 Jolly Ranchers.  But that doesn’t mean you will.  

 

YOU are going to have to be willing to do the hard work – and that involves putting your fueling and hydration plan into practice during months of Rim to Rim training.  Because you should be training for this grueling hike well, well in advance.  And that gives you time to troubleshoot all the supporting players, including fueling, hydration, gear, etc.  

 

And the reality is, getting this part right is crucial.  If that intimidates you and you’re not sure where to start – this guide can point you in the right direction with exactly where and how to start working out your fueling and hydration plan for your Rim to Rim hike!

 

 

WHY is Fueling and Hydration Important for a Rim to Rim hike?

 

There are several reasons why:

1). This is a 21-24 mile long hike, depending on which direction you hike (North to South or South to North).  Your body will be giving consistent output for a LONG time.  You’re going to be on your feet for a long time.  Just like any vehicle, it’s going to need the right gas in the tank to keep going effectively.

 

2). During typical Rim to Rim hiking season (May 15th – Oct 15th), expect temperatures to be HOT!  We’re talking triple digits, with 120’s Fahrenheit typical at the bottom.  And just a heads up, if you’re going to hike a Rim to Rim, you’re going to be spending a lot of time hiking at the bottom.  How much time? Get a full trail breakdown on my Rim to Rim guide for 1st timers. 

 

Proper fueling and hydration are key to combating the heat (there’s more strategies for the heat – you can read about the rest of them in my Rim to Rim training plan).  The reality is that people die every year in the Grand Canyon, and some of those deaths are due to not having a proper fueling and hydration plan when hiking in those high temperatures and exposure. 

 

3).This is an extremely challenging hike. And the hardest part is at the end.  That means you can’t just hit cruise control during the second half of the hike and fly downhill on a depleted “tank”.  You’re going to have to fine tune how to keep your body going all day, while still managing to have reserves at the end for the long and steep climb out.  Your plan has to be intentional and well thought out.

 

4).Pacing – while it’s important to “hike your own hike” on a Rim to Rim, being mindful of pace is critical.  First of all, you’re going to need to know what your average pace is to know when to start your hike.  There are certain logistics that depend on that knowledge.  Because you’re going to want to clear the hottest and most exposed portions of the Rim to Rim as early as possible, you’ll need to know – based on your pace – how long that should take, and thus when you should start.  Where does fueling and hydration come into play with pacing?  To keep a mindful and healthy pace (one that allows you to stick to a safe timeframe and hopefully finish in daylight), you’re going to need to give your body the fuel it needs to maintain that intended pace. If you’re fueling and hydration plan have you stopping and crashing every hour, your Rim to Rim could find you now hiking the hottest parts of the Rim to Rim during the full sun of the afternoon, or finishing at midnight after completing exhausting yourself for 20 hours.  Your fueling and hydration plan should match, complement, and suit your pacing.

 

 

Putting Together the Fueling and Hydration Puzzle for Your Rim to Rim

 

I like to say that your fueling and hydration plan is like a puzzle.  There should be several pieces to it that all fit together.  There are lots of options for fueling and hydration – salty snacks, electrolyte drink mixes, natural electrolytes, carb heavy foods, sports drinks, etc., but I’d like to recommend you not have a fueling and hydration strategy that depends solely on just one thing.  Depending entirely on Liquid IV electrolyte mixes in your water to keep you going, while giving no thought to the composition of your snacks or other supplements, is not a safe wager.  Give thought to how your snacking and your hydration, plus any additional supplements, can all come together to form a cohesive fueling and hydration plan.  You don’t need to utilize 30 different items in your pack, but have more than 1 at the same time.

 

Recommendations for Fueling

 

Again, you’re going to have to do the hard work of figuring out what fuels – hiking snacks + any supplements – work for you.  Test them out! Narrow them down!  Here’s a few ideas to get you started.

 

What’s in my own pack during long training hikes, or the actual Rim to Rim hikes? I balance snacks that:

  • provide energy
  • nutrient dense
  • carb dense
  • help maintain sodium balances – aka “salty snacks”
  • lightweight
  • easy to pack
  • minimal trash
  • sound good
  • morale boosting

 

As far as hiking snacks go, there’s a lot of options, but the bottom line is to know what works for you during training! Never try anything new the morning of your Rim to Rim hike.  And finally, make sure it sounds good and you will actually want to eat it.  That may sound like common sense, but I’m always shocked by how many people include items in their pack that sound gross to them, but that they heard recommended by someone else. 

Here’s a couple snacks I regularly eat on my training hikes and on the Rim to Rims:

 

 

To be clear, I don’t bring ALL of these items on every big hike!  They make up an overall inventory, but on any given hike I might take 2 or 3 “go to’s”, and an additional 2 or 3 items that sound good on that day, that help complete my puzzle and serve a purpose, and that I know are proven to work well for me.

 

You can see how my own fueling plan puts together a variety of pieces, but they each address something, whether it’s replenishing carbs, proteins, sodium, electrolytes, or simply morale! Again, I don’t always take every single item on this list, but I’ll make sure I’m addressing my needs in a variety of ways, while not ignoring any particular need. 

 

What are a few of my almost always “go to’s”? I almost always have the following salty snacks on hand for Grand Canyon hikes: 

  • Chips
  • Olives
  • Beef Sticks
  • Peanut Butter Pretzels

 

In addition to salty snacks, I also throw in some snacks that are there because they sound good and can be morale boosters.  Snacks like fresh fruit to break things up when it’s dry and hot, dried fruit for a little sugar, my favorite RX BARS for an “unprocessed” boost, or candy or candy bars (Paydays are great because they don’t melt). Because you need a morale boost and some variety sometimes.  You don’t want to eat beef sticks for 24 miles straight.

 

I’ll also carry those energy boosts like energy gels and energy chews, glucose tablets, or Honey Stinger Stroopwafels.  I don’t always use them, because sometimes the sugar is too much, but I always have them on me if the mood strikes.  Glucose tablets in particular respond really well for me.  

 

 

Recommendations for Hydrating and Replenishing Sodium / Electrolyte Levels

 

Not only do you need to be mindful of fueling your body on a Rim to Rim, but you also need to be mindful of balancing your electrolytes and sodium levels and replenishing them (along with hydration).  That’s why I start with snacks / fuels that include salty snacks, as the 1st line of defense.  The second line of defense is hydrating, and making sure to replenish those sodium and electrolyte levels not only with salty snacks and hydration, but with additional supplementation.  

 

 

Electrolyte Supplements for a Rim to Rim Hike

 

Consider any supplements you might want to use as part of your plan.  I do NOT recommend attempting a Rim to Rim with just plain water.  It is completely possible, but at least carry an electrolyte supplement system that has worked well for you in training.  Whether that’s drink mixes, Gatorade, pickle juice shots, electrolyte chews or tablets, salt stick tablets, or coconut water.  Or even better, a combination of these options.  And always test them out before.  Some electrolyte supplements do not always agree with everyone ( in fact some of the popular mixes make me sick to my stomach), but they work for a lot of people. 

 

You can do powder mixes that you can add to your water, like LMNT, Liquid IV, Tailwind, or NUUN tablets, or try chewable salt tablets, electrolyte chews, and salt caps.  Replenishing your electrolytes is important in some form.  A simple Gatorade works great for me a lot of times as well.  I enjoy bringing a coconut water for my meal break sometimes too, which is a great source of natural electrolytes.  And I’m obsessed with pickle juice shots – I blame trail racing aid stations for that!

 

 

Additional Thoughts on Fueling, Hydrating, and Supplementing for a Rim to Rim

 

  • You’ll notice pretty much all of these fueling, hydrating, and supplementing recommendations are shelf-stable, lightweight, compact, and easy to pack for the most part.  Keep in mind that you also have to carry out all your trash on a Rim to Rim hike.

 

  • Whatever you do, do NOT try something new for the first time the morning of your hike!  I learned that the hard way on one of my Rim to Rim hikes years ago when I broke my cardinal rule and used an electrolyte mix that I’d never used before – and had an absolutely miserable Rim to Rim until I realized that was the problem and switched to plain water.  Practice your fueling on your long practice hikes, and fuel you plan to fuel on the Rim to Rim hike.  Figure out what works for you, and, just as importantly, what might NOT work for you!

 

  • Stay ahead of dehydration, heat related illness, or just good old crashing and bonking.  Get enough salt and electrolytes consistently through whichever ways work best for you.  Whether that’s salt sticks, electrolyte drink mixes, pickle juice, NUUN tablets, electrolyte chews, coconut water, or something else.  Or better yet a combo.  And eat those salty snacks too – chips, pretzels, jerky, beef sticks, olives, etc.  When your body is going at 100% and every ounce of energy is being devoted to movement (because you’ve been training it to do so), you may not always feel like digesting a snack, but it is important to do so when you know you should.  Learn what you can stomach in those moments, whether it is a handful of peanuts, a salty beef jerky stick, or peanut butter.  Sometimes refreshing with a small amount of fruit like grapes first can help ease into eating other “dryer” snacks.  Or sometimes the thought of a little sweet “motivation” helps, like throwing some candy into your pack.  This is why training for lifelike simulations is important, so that you know exactly what your snack plan will be on the day of your hike!

 

  • Be extra mindful of staying hydrated, replenished, and fueled during certain portions of the trail, like the hottest and most exposed parts.  These include “the BOX” and adjoining “Frying Pan” at the bottom of the canyon.  The Box includes narrow canyon walls that can create stifling heat, and the adjacent Frying Pan is open and exposed with little shade. Together these make up the majority of your time spent hiking the bottom of the canyon. Other hot and/or exposed parts include the South Kaibab Trail and the Devils Corkscrew switchbacks between River Resthouse and Havasupai Garden Campground on the Bright Angel Trail.

 

 

How Often to Fuel on a Rim to Rim Hike?

 

Not to sound like a broken record, but this again is an area you need to test and figure out exactly for you.  In general, with most high endurance events, you’ll want to replenish a couple hundred calories an hour as a general rule.  

 

Based on my own history, I know that I can initially go about 1.5 – 2 hours before needing to begin consistent fueling.  Of course, this varies slightly depending on if it’s a downhill hike, uphill hike, or trail run. But generally speaking, I’ll go about 1.5 before that first snack.  That’s what works for me.  After that, I’ll snack probably about once an hour, but to be clear it’s not a sit down meal.  It’s a handful or two of on the go snacking.  

 

In addition, I always stop somewhere 2/3rds – ish and have an actually “meal” break. This doesn’t have to be elaborate, but just something more substantial. LIke a couple pb and j sandwiches, or meat and cheese sandwiches, or tuna and mayonnaise on a bagel.  

 

Want an actual example?

On a South to North Rim to Rim, I’ll typically stop at the Tipoff (4.5 miles in) and have a beef stick and a couple handfuls of olives.  Around mile 6 or 7, I’ll have another snack of olives and a beef stick.  Another hour or so after that, I’ll have a small bag of chips, and maybe a glucose tab.  An hour or so after that, it’s probably a pickle juice shot and a couple handfuls of peanut butter pretzels.  And maybe a salt tablet if I feel the need.

 

Because I know that I can hike about 15 miles before needing a bigger snack, if I’m hiking South to North, I tend to take my big stop at Manzanita Rest Area, which is about 16 miles in, and right before the big climb out.  Here, I’ll rehydrate, have another pickle juice shot or some natural coconut water electrolytes, a sub sandwich with meat, cheese, and bread, a couple additional handfuls of olives or peanut butter pretzels, and maybe another glucose tab.  Possibly another salt stick tablet.  From that point on, it’s snacking / fueling / supplementing / hydrating as needed on the slow climb up.

 

On a North to South Rim to Rim, I’ll usually stop at Manzanita Rest Area for my 1st quick snack break.  Then it’s the same – a handful of snacks / couple hundred calories of snacks about once an hour.  About 15 miles in, at Bright Angel Campground, I’ll stop for that bigger break of a sandwich, rehydrating, electrolytes in some form, a few more additional snacks, and whatever supplements I need.  And so on for the rest of the climb out – just consistent snacking and replenishing during the climb out.  

 

 

Hydrating Specific Tips for a Rim to Rim Hike

 

We’re talking just the water situation here.  Even with a hike date in October, things can still get toasty at the bottom of the canyon.  How to handle the heat is a very common question and concern.  Here’s a few strategies as directly related to hydration. You can get all 8 strategies in my full Rim to Rim training plan!

 

As I mentioned before, first of all be very mindful of simply hydrating. Do it consistently, but don’t “gorge”. “Drink to thirst”, but also be mindful and don’t let your excitement distract you from hearing when your body is ready to drink to thirst.  Learning to drink to thirst and listen to your body is part of training.  

 

Always carry enough water (I like to recommend the capacity to have at least 2 liters of water, but preferably 3, at all times).  That doesn’t mean you have a full 3 liters always, but you have the ability to do so.  Fill up as often as you need. And have a backup filter source.  

 

So I actually need a backup water filter?

YES. This is something that not everyone thinks about, but that I absolutely recommend.  Why?

  • even though there are multiple water refill stations along the Rim to Rim hike, sometimes they get unexpectedly shut off
  • there are a surprising amount of water sources along the corridor trails on a Rim to Rim hike, in case of an emergency hydration situation, and for soaking and cooling off in (one of the key heat strategies).
  • nowadays many backup filters are compact, quick, and lightweight, so they’re easy to pack and use

 

Here’s my 4 favorites (in no particular order, even though my top preference is the Katadyn):

 

Each has its own pros and cons in terms of convenience, speed, capacity, durability, etc.  I would encourage you to test it out in training whichever route you go.  My favorite happens to be the Katadyn BeFree, mostly because it is collapsible.

 

Never be without water or the ability to get water.  This is why it is important to check the NPS for any alerts about closures.  When everything is turned on, there are frequent water refills all the way from North to South (using Bright Angel).  South to North is a little trickier, because South Kaibab doesn’t have water past the trailhead, but it is less of an issue if you are starting the descent from there.  But don’t ever willingly or knowingly put yourself in a position where you’re running low on water.  Always check the NPS website before your hike for alerts, as sometimes water spigots and the canyon pipeline do get shut off unexpectedly.

 

There you have it, a foundation and blueprint to developing and executing your own fueling and hydration plan for your Rim to Rim hike!

 

Want more Rim to Rim resources?

 

 

 

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Best ways to fuel and hydrate for a Rim to Rim hike

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Active traveler discovering how far your own two feet can take you!

I am a hiker, backpacker, camper, state highpointer, long distance runner, cyclist, kayaker, tower runner, and avid pursuer of new destinations that allow me to interact with them in an active way! If you are looking for a new kind of vacation, active travel is your answer!

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