Summer Survival Guide for Beach Trips, Hikes, and Travel

Summer calls us outside. It is a season of movement and exploration. Whether you are hiking through alpine trails, spending long afternoons at the beach, or navigating a multi-state road trip, your body is being pushed harder than usual. The combination of heat, physical activity, and prolonged sun exposure creates a unique set of challenges. Fatigue sets in faster. Dehydration creeps up. Your energy needs increase. Yet, despite this increased demand, most people reach for snacks that only exacerbate the problem.

Trail mix, granola bars, and sugar-laden drinks are often marketed as health-conscious fuel. In reality, they are modern inventions built for shelf appeal rather than human performance. These snacks are high in processed carbohydrates, low in bioavailable nutrients, and often contain inflammatory seed oils or artificial sweeteners. While they may seem convenient, they do not provide the kind of sustained energy your body needs when working hard in the heat.

This guide explains why traditional high-protein, high-fat foods, such as pemmican, offer a far better path to stamina, clarity, and satiety during summer activities. We will explore the physiological pitfalls of carb-heavy snacks, the endurance advantages of fat, the importance of real salt, and how ancestral fuel can still be the smartest choice in modern times.[1]

Why Carbohydrates Crash You Faster in the Heat

Carbohydrates do provide energy, but they do so in a rapid and unsustainable manner. In hot and demanding environments, carb-based snacks create more problems than they solve. When you consume high-carb convenience foods like granola bars or fruit-based trail mix, your blood sugar spikes quickly. This provides a short burst of energy, but a steep drop in glucose levels often follows. That crash can leave you feeling tired, irritable, and mentally foggy, which can be especially dangerous when you are hiking in remote areas or responsible for family during outdoor travel.

Increased insulin levels from sugar intake can also affect your electrolyte balance. Initially, insulin causes the body to retain water and sodium. But as glucose is burned and insulin drops, the body can quickly lose those same fluids, increasing your risk of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. In the heat, this creates a perfect storm of exhaustion and mineral depletion. Even more concerning, relying on sugar as a primary fuel source can downregulate your body’s ability to burn fat efficiently, creating a dependency on frequent refueling and making you more vulnerable to blood sugar instability.[2][3][4]

Fat Is the Body’s Preferred Fuel for Endurance

Fats offer a completely different energy profile than carbohydrates. While carbs burn quickly and intensely, fats fuel steadily and persistently, making them an ideal choice for sustained activity. One reason is simple: each gram of fat provides more than twice the calories of carbohydrates, allowing you to tap into sustained energy reserves even when you're far from base camp.[5]

When spending hours under the sun or deep into a hike, you don’t want the energy rollercoaster that carbs bring—you want steady momentum. Fat promotes metabolic flexibility, enabling your body to seamlessly shift between burning what you eat and stored body fat. Fat-adapted individuals often report far less hunger and no mid-trail energy cliffs, because their energy doesn’t hinge on hourly snacks.[6]

A fat-based snack before or during summer activity also helps maintain low insulin levels. Stable blood sugar supports proper hydration because when insulin rises, your body holds onto water and sodium, but as levels fall, you can lose both quickly. In hot weather, that vicious cycle can lead to dehydration and mineral imbalances. Fat circumvents that risk entirely, promoting equilibrium rather than volatility.

Critically, fat supports mental clarity. Fatty acids are building blocks for key neurotransmitters, helping the brain maintain focus and mood, even during physical and environmental stressors. Combined with its slow-burning nature, fat means fewer hunger pangs, sharper thinking, and the ability to stay in motion without interruption.[7]

The endurance benefits of fat are not theoretical—they are backed by science.

Enter: Pemmican

Pemmican is one of the most nutrient-dense, shelf-stable foods ever created. Made by combining rendered animal fat with dried and pulverized meat, it was used by indigenous tribes, early explorers, and arctic travelers for centuries. It did not require refrigeration. It was light to carry and rich in calories, and it could sustain people through harsh conditions when food was scarce and demands were high.

Pemmican is made from just a few ingredients, but it is packed with critical nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, and zinc. It contains both protein and fat in a ratio that supports energy balance and hormonal health. This combination allowed people to travel long distances, hunt, and endure harsh climates without blood sugar crashes or the need to stop and prepare meals.

Today, most people are not making pemmican at home. It is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and not always practical. But the logic behind it remains powerful. Fortunately, there is a modern evolution of pemmican that offers the same benefits in a more convenient form.[8][0]

Carnivore Bar as the Modern Evolution of Ancestral Fuel

The Carnivore Bar was designed to mimic the nutrient and macro profile of traditional pemmican. It is made from just a few whole food ingredients: grass-fed and finished beef, rendered tallow, sea salt, and depending on the variety, raw honey or simple seasonings. There are no preservatives, no seed oils, no sugar, and no fillers.

It is shelf-stable, TSA-compliant, and requires no refrigeration, which makes it the ideal travel companion for summer adventures. Whether you are spending a full day hiking, setting up camp in the backcountry, or navigating delayed flights, Carnivore Bar provides nutrient-dense calories that are easy to carry, easy to digest, and tailored to support energy without a crash.

Because it is high in fat and moderate in protein, the bar fits seamlessly into a low-carb, ketogenic, or carnivore approach. It supports steady blood sugar, reduces hunger, and replaces processed convenience foods with something that actually nourishes the body.

The Importance of Salt as a Real Electrolyte

One of the biggest concerns in the summer heat is electrolyte loss. When you sweat, you are not just losing water—you are also losing sodium, potassium, and other minerals that are critical for hydration, nerve function, and muscle control. Most people attempt to address this issue by drinking commercial electrolyte beverages, but these often contain artificial colors, sweeteners, and preservatives that can do more harm than good.

Sodium is the most important electrolyte to replenish during summer activity. It supports fluid balance, muscle contraction, and helps prevent heat-related fatigue and cramps. Instead of relying on sports drinks, a more effective strategy is to consume real salt in your food and water.

You can do this by adding sea salt to your water bottle, eating salted meat or jerky, or relying on a Carnivore Bar, which already contains naturally sourced sodium. Other helpful options include sipping bone broth or including cheese in your snack rotation, both of which provide additional minerals that support hydration and recovery.

Rethinking Your Summer Snack Strategy

If you are serious about feeling good this summer, physically clear-headed, strong, and able to enjoy your time outdoors fully, it is time to take a hard look at the snacks you are packing. The typical options found in convenience stores and airports are not built for real-life performance. They are designed for shelf life, marketability, and flavor chemistry that keeps you coming back for more. But what they often lack is actual nutritional value. Granola bars, fruit snacks, and protein drinks may carry buzzwords like “natural” or “high-protein,” but a closer inspection reveals a different story. Most are loaded with highly processed grains, industrial seed oils, artificial fibers that irritate the gut, and synthetic nutrients that the body may struggle to absorb.

Even brands that promote themselves as healthy or clean are often guilty of including low-quality ingredients, particularly those that interfere with digestion, blood sugar regulation, and hormonal balance. Seed oils in particular are a major offender. These oils are oxidized, inflammatory, and have been shown to disrupt metabolic health. Combine that with sugar alcohols or “natural flavors,” and you have a product that may taste good, but leaves you feeling sluggish, bloated, or hungrier than before.

There is a better way. Instead of relying on modern processed snacks, return to foods that are time-tested, biologically appropriate, and ancestrally aligned. Real food fuel includes items such as Carnivore Bars, high-quality salted meats, hard cheeses that provide minerals and fat-soluble vitamins, and mineral-rich water. These options are stable in the heat, easy to pack, and deeply nourishing. They support the body’s needs in environments where hydration, stamina, and recovery are most crucial. When you fuel this way, you are not just avoiding harmful ingredients, you are actively giving your body what it needs to thrive under pressure.

Final Thoughts: Stay Prepared with Real Food

Modern snack culture is a reflection of marketing priorities, not human physiology. Food companies have mastered the art of making products taste good and appear healthy while quietly underdelivering on substance. Suppose you are spending your summer in the sun, exerting yourself through physical activity, carrying children on beach walks, loading camping gear into vehicles, or simply enduring long hours in the heat. In that case, your body is burning through minerals, fuel, and water at a faster rate than usual. You cannot afford to sabotage yourself with empty calories or inflammatory ingredients that deplete rather than replenish.

Your body is not adapted to refined carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners, or synthetic blends of protein isolate and maltodextrin. It is adapted to animal fat, protein, salt, and the slow-release energy those foods provide. This is how humans have always fueled under conditions of real physical stress. Whether through hunting expeditions, seasonal migrations, or daily labor in the elements, real food has always been what sustains energy and resilience. That wisdom still applies today, even if our tools and environments look different.

This summer, do more than just stay full. Fuel in a way that keeps you energized, mentally clear, and physically ready for whatever the day brings. Let your nutrition reflect your goals and values. Stay prepared. Eat real food. And make Carnivore Bar part of your summer survival kit.

Citations: 

1. Dolan, Eric W., et al. “Consumption of ultra-processed foods and health status: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” The British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 128, no. 5, 2023, pp. 870–884.
2. “Estimating the Reliability of Glycemic Index Values and Potential Sources of Methodological and Biological Variability.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 104, no. 4, 2016, pp. 1004–1012. doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.133715. zoe.com
3. Jeukendrup, Asker E., and Ben Sánchez. “Effect of beverage glucose and sodium content on fluid delivery after dehydration.” American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, vol. 301, no. 3, 2011, R928–R933. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00588.2011. journals.physiology.org+2nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com+2journals.physiology.org+2
4. Jornayvaz, François R., and Gerald I. Shulman. “Fructose impairs fatty acid oxidation in humans and animals.” Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 129, no. 9, 2019, pp. 3683–3691. doi:10.1172/JCI130421. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+1sciencedirect.com+1
5. van Loon, Luc J. C., et al. “Nutritional factors that affect fat oxidation rates during exercise.” Sports Nutrition and Wellness, vol. 5, 2018, pp. 12–24.
6. Sofi, Francesca, et al. “Impact of dietary fats on brain functions.” Frontiers in Nutrition, vol. 2, 2018, doi:10.3389/fnut.2018.00012.
7. Bjerre-Christensen, Nanna, et al. “The effects of low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet on glycemic control and insulin resistance in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus.” BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, vol. 8, no. 1, 2020, e000980, doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2019-000980.
8. Ngapo, Tania M., et al. “Pemmican, an Endurance Food: Past and Present.” Meat Science, vol. 173, Aug. 2021, 108526, doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108526.
9. Armour Food Company. “Evaluation of Pemmican Under Winter Field Conditions.” American Meat Science Association, 1943, pp. 45–54, https://meatscience.org/docs/default-source/Publications-Resources/rmc/1976/pemmican.pdf.