Margaritas

Have you ever wanted to celebrate Cinco de Mayo – or any other day – with a margarita while you were out hiking? Sure, you can wrap a Nalgene bottle full of frozen margaritas in a puffer or self-inflating pad and keep them slushy for hours – and I do recommend this – but what do you do when Taco Tuesday is on the third night of your backpacking trip?

As Good Wolf Gear’s resident Texan, I am here to help! I have spent years doing diligent research on this, and I am happy to share my recommendations.

My favorite recipe uses electrolyte tablets as the base. The slight effervescence is nice, and the mineral content makes up for not having a salted rim. Add a little sugar for a touch of sweetness, but the key is the TrueLime and TrueOrange citrus packets. I normally use a mid-range reposada tequila so I can sip a little bit of it, too.

Add all of the following ingredients to a 16oz Nalgene bottle, close the lid, wait for the hydration tablet to dissolve, and give it a good swirl for mixing. Makes 2 margaritas.

  • 1 hydration tablet Tangerine Lime from Nuun is my favorite for extra orange flavor
  • 2  sugar packets ~8 grams total
  • 1 True Lime packet this stuff really does taste like fresh lime
  • 1 True Orange packet
  • 12 oz water use the coldest that you have
  • 2 oz tequila

I use a medicine bottle with a safety cap as my flask because it is lightweight, leak proof, and allows easy measuring. Sometimes I’ll put the tablets in a small zip bag if I don’t need the whole tube, and sometimes I make my own sugar packets with zip bags. Here are some pictures from my extensive field research.

You can always keep it simple and use only a hydration tablet or your favorite powdered sports drink. And you’ll be certain to win friends if you share it! But I really can’t recommend any of the artificially-sweetened packets.

One important caution: after a hard day of hiking, you may find that the alcohol hits a little harder than expected, so please be careful and enjoy responsibly.

Useful Links:

Nuun Hydration: https://nuunlife.com/

True Citrus: https://www.truelemon.com/

[this content was originally written for goodwolfgear.com]

Responses

  1. uniquewastelandd8ac0f888b Avatar

    Mr. real deal. I am looking for some new hiking boots. Do you recommend the Moab’s or better to get trail runners. Looking for a shoe to also be a walking shoe that does not look like a running shoe. I would love a recommendation for a walking shoe that I can do many miles in but also wear to dinner.

    Thanks for you opinion

    Jordan Lewis
    703-999-4565

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    1. joetherealdeal Avatar

      Great question! The shift to lightweight, quick-drying trail runners has been one of the biggest changes in hiking. Clunky “waffle stompers” are heavy, slow-drying, and have limited grip when scrambling. Moabs are a little lighter and more flexible, they’re popular, and they have a great vibe. I have three pairs myself for everyday wear, but I wear trail runners for hiking. Hoka Speedgoat and Altra Lone Peak are among the most popular, while I wear Saucony Peregrines, which have a moderate stack height and really lock in my foot for a good feel of the trail and stability when scrambling. Remember that waterproof shoes keep water *IN* the shoe just like they keep water **OUT* of the shoe, and the non-waterproof versions are best in most conditions.

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