Pack smart so you don’t end up sucking citrus for survival—especially as the temperature plunges and the snow sweeps in.
Words :: Kara-Leah Grant
The backcountry can humble even the strongest among us. Take Margus Riga, the legendary photographer, rider and endurance suffer artist. He once tackled all three North Shore mountains in a single day. By the final summit, he’d eaten nearly everything he’d packed. Running on fumes, with only one option left, chomped into his last snack: a whole lemon. Don’t be Margus. Pack smart so you don’t end up sucking citrus for survival—especially as the temperature plunges and the snow sweeps in.
Kick off your hunt for the ideal energy boost with Pemberton-based Stay Wyld Organics, coming in hot with their Focused Energy Gummies. Think lion’s mane and organic green tea distilled into a low-sugar gummy.
These gummies deliver steady energy and sharp focus—essential when every decision counts. “Focused Energy Gummies strengthen your most vital tool in the wilderness: your brain,” says founder Chris Brown. “Lion’s mane supports clarity, memory and decision-making for safe, enjoyable travel in complex terrain.”
The five-star reviews on their website back them up. Plenty of users even report dropping their daily coffee with regular gummy use. And what’s easier in the backcountry than eating a gummy?
“Lion’s mane supports clarity, memory and decision-making for safe, enjoyable travel in complex terrain.”
Gum, that’s what. Marie Thiffault is the adventure entrepreneur behind Sunii Energy Gum, manufactured just down the road in Richmond. She lives and breathes mountain energy, living between Vancouver and Whistler so she can make the most of her city career without sacrificing fun in the mountains.
Sunii Energy Gum rivals Stay Wyld Organics for a lightweight option. The mint-flavoured gum blends caffeine, taurine and B vitamins. Chewing activates buccal absorption, sending the caffeine straight through the membranes in your mouth for a fast kick that bypasses digestion and dodges the crash, jitters and stomach issues common with coffee or energy drinks.
“Sunii is a fast-acting energy gum made for the moments that matter,” says Thiffault. “It’s a nudge to tackle the to-do list, whether that’s climbing Panorama Ridge, skiing one more line or just getting out for a walk and finishing a work project.”
If you crave caffeine the classic way, Gradient Coffee keeps the stoke alive. Pemberton roasters Chris Ankeny and Matt Bruhns teamed up with Norco Race Division to create Trail Speed, a playful and sporty blend that has a hint of brightness (acidity) backed with a robust, full-bodied chocolate-nut flavour that’s perfect for that pre-ride boost.
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Backcountry coffee aficionados will be stoked to know that Gradient’s product line also features single-serve instant coffee sachets. “We wanted a great coffee we could take anywhere with us: Fast, light and easy to brew, our new Rover instant makes coffee easy,” says Matt. In winter months, the warmth makes the brew worth the effort.
But can gummies, gum or instant coffee ever be as satisfying as actual food? Amélié Legaré, Mountain Lifer to the core, swears by Love and Lemon’s Energy Balls to increase flagging energy levels on the slopes (find the recipe online). “The balls are perfect to bring skiing because they’re compact and nutritious, they taste like a cookie and they don’t crumble easily. They feel like jet fuel for the skin track.”
Even with perfect prep, someday you’ll face the mountains empty-handed. There will be no snacks, no coffee and not even any lemons. Learn pranayama, a yogic practice of breath control, at your local yoga studio and draw on it to refill your energy tanks. Pranayama can also warm up your system from the inside out, a bonus superpower in freezing conditions.
Even with perfect prep, someday you’ll face the mountains empty-handed. There will be no snacks, no coffee and not even any lemons.
“A consistent yoga practice increases your game exponentially,” says Gin Perry, owner of Shala Yoga in Squamish. “There are so many pranayamas that can help you harness extra energy in sports. For example, kapalabhati breath energizes the body, clears stagnation and activates the mind.”
You’ll never run out of breath practices or forget to pack it. When crisis hits, stop, drop and breathe yourself back online. (Or dig into the acid in your first aid kit, but that’s supposed to be for emergencies.)
The mountains will hand you enough lemons, but that doesn’t mean sucking them is your only energy option.
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