TRAILFOODY is a novel subscription service that provides automatic monthly shipments of high-quality trail snacks. Different subscription plans correspond to increasing amounts of food.
You can choose regular, gluten-free, or vegetarian plans.
I received a Trailfoody evaluation package containing their iconic Trailfoody orange food bag and an assortment of snacks, corresponding to the basic “Wanderer” subscription.
According to their website, the Trailfoody Wanderer contains 9+ food items that account for 1100-1400 calories, intended for 1-2 outings per month. Retail (subscription) price is $23.95/month including shipping.
I received 11 items plus a cool orange nylon food bag in my Wanderer box. (Descriptions of the items are presented below.)
The PRO-BAR Superberry & Greens Meal came from someone else’s box but it was so delicious, I had to include it.
So, 11 items, 1655 calories, $23.95. The corresponding retail price was about the same, $23.95, if you ordered all the same items on Amazon Prime, but you’d have to buy a quantity of each item to get those prices.
Also, you’d have to know which items to shop for. The Trailfoody concept is better because you get different items every month…surprise!! The downside is that you may not like all the items.
You can “pause” your subscription if it gets to be too much but they don’t say what the rules are. You are obligated for the full length of your chosen subscription plan (three months, six months, etc), so no cancellations till after that.
Also, you must cancel before the end of the subscription period or it will auto-renew for another obligatory period of the same length. I can see how this could get out of hand.
Is It For You? One Man’s Honest Opinion:
If you like variety, go outdoors regularly, have the cash, and can keep up with subscription plans, it’s not a bad deal. So, am I signing up?
No. I only snack a little bit on the trail and then look for a meal. I’d have to eat the whole box and would rather just have dinner and a beer (or two).
Also I enjoy variety but I’m, er, thrifty so I’ll stick to Clif bars, Gorp, and whatever looks good in the store. Gas station burrito, anyone?
What This Month’s Trailfoody Had:
- PRO-BAR Superberry & Greens Meal. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan meal bar that includes fruits, nuts, and seeds, packing 8 gm of protein, 2.5 gm of saturated fat, 5 gm of fiber, and 360 calories. My anticipation of a vegan trail bar was “ewww”. However, I am glad to be wrong in this case! It was far and away the best item. It was delicious and satisfying, to the degree that I will buy these things on my own. (Retail price is $2.69/bar.)
- VEGA Protein+ Snack Bar, chocolate caramel. Gluten-free, non-GMO bar includes 11 gm of protein, 4.5 gm of fat, 4 gm of fiber, and 200 calories. The taste was okay but I wouldn’t seek them out. (Retail price is $1.91/bar.)
- MEDITERRA Savory Bar with black olives and walnuts. Non-GMO, gluten-free bar includes 5 gm protein, 8 gm fat, 5 gm fiber, and 140 calories. Small but tasty, and a nice change from sweet snacks. (Retail price is $1.99/bar.)
- LIV-FOODS Paleo Eats Chai Spice Bar. Gluten-free, dairy-free bar that includes 6 gm protein, 23 gm fat, and 300 calories. I found it tasty but a little short on satisfaction, with high fat content from coconut. (Retail price is $3.30/bar.)
- KIZE Raw Energy Bar, Cookie Dough. Non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free bar includes 11 gm protein, 11 gm fat, 2 gm fiber, and 200 calories. It tasted like (yup) cookie dough but was fairly delicious and filling. (Retail price is $3.00/bar.)
- THISPIEISNUTS This Is Nuts Granola. Paleo, vegan, gluten-free granola includes 6 gm protein, 21 gm fat, and 250 calories in a 1.5 oz package. It tasted like your standard granola, maybe a little dry, but OK. (Retail price was not available but I’ll bet it’s more than the bulk food section in the grocery store.)
- SPECIALTY Just The Cheese toasted cheese bar includes 8 gm protein, 12 gm fat, and 150 calories. Not surprisingly, it tastes like toasted cheese. (Retail price is $1.99/bar.)
- SKRATCH Energy Bar with chocolate chips and almonds. Non-GMO, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, dairy-free. So politically correct, you surely get bonus points for eating it. It includes 4 gm protein, 8 gm fat, 2 gm fiber, and 200 calories. Very tasty although it would take a couple to address serious hunger. (Retail price is $2.46/bar.)
- REAL FOOD Bruks Bars cherry espresso. Vegan, dairy-free, soy-free bar includes 3 gm protein, 11 gm fat, and 220 calories. Delicious if you like cherries. Added espresso flavor was OK but I don’t think it had any caffeine in it. (Retail price is $2.45/bar.)
- TANKA Buffalo Meat Stick with cranberry, apple, orange. Gluten-free, no-nitrate sausage includes 5 gm protein, 2.5 gm fat (low!), and 70 calories. It was leaner than the usual sausage stick, pretty tasty. It would take at least two if you’re hungry. (Retail price is $2.29/stick.)
- GAEA Olive Snack. Pitted green olives with chili and black pepper. It includes no protein, 1.5 gm fat, and only 15 calories. Delicious but not very filling. A nice accompaniment to Happy Hour. (Retail price is $2.30/packet.)
- SKRATCH LABS Sport Energy Cubes, raspberry. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian…oh, it’s flavored sugar with salt! It has 160 calories per packet. Tastes like salty gummy bears. (Retail price is $2.23/packet.)
All in all, the Trailfoody was a great way to experience foods I wouldn’t normally bring along and provided substance to carry me through a long hike.
Guest Writer, Dr. James Wolf