mmmm....beef jerky.... its been awhile. thats the one time i let myself eat beef jerky
I had a thought... yogurt may be OK your first day out. I used to work in the field up in Boston and I would frequently have those tubes of yogurt for lunch. I've heard that they are OK to eat unrefridgerated up to 24 hours - and I never had one explode in my bag or in my pocket- even after dropping equipment on them (although I wouldn't TRY to break one- i may just be really lucky).
of course, in Boston it doesn't get nearly as hot as it does here. The temperatures we've been having in san antonio for the past few weeks are just about summer temperatures in Boston- so maybe yogurt tubes wont last so long down here.
i like the gu energy gels. more so than the cliff energy gels. I actually will get cravings for the Gu's...its kind of sad. I find when i am really tired (esp. biking, not so much hiking)- chewing is sometimes more effort than i can handle... and then swallowing is down right revolting. But the gu's go down quick and easy and I feel so much better...