How Coastal Bliss Adventures Feeds You On Your Journey

When it comes to multi-day hiking, kayaking, or backcountry camping trips, food isn’t just fuel—it’s part of the adventure, and must taste good. Coastal Bliss Adventures takes this philosophy to heart, crafting meals that are lightweight, nutritionally balanced, free from unnecessary additives, and tasty. Our approach to food preparation ensures that every adventurer is ready to conquer the trail with energy, vitality, and a satisfied palate. Here’s a little information about how we prepare food for tours.

Dehydrating Food: The Key to Lightweight Nutrition

One of the most significant challenges of trail cuisine is weight. Every ounce counts when you’re carrying gear, and that’s why dehydration is a cornerstone of our food preparation for hiking trips. Dehydration removes water content, drastically reducing the weight of food while preserving its nutrients and flavor.

From savory pasta sauces to hearty stews and flavorful snacks, dehydrated meals are carefully prepared in advance. This process not only makes the food portable but also extends its shelf life—perfect for multi-day excursions. When it’s time to eat, just add water, and you’re treated to a meal that’s as satisfying as it is efficient.

Balancing Nutrition for High-Energy Activities

Backcountry adventures demand a lot from your body. Long days of hiking rugged trails or paddling along scenic coastlines require a careful balance of macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. We craft our menus to provide the right mix:

• Proteins to repair and build muscles after a day of activity.
• Carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores and maintain energy.
• Fats to provide long-lasting fuel for endurance.

Whether it’s a carb and fiber-rich breakfast to kickstart your day, a protein-rich lunch to keep you going, or a nourishing dinner that hits all the right nutritional notes, we ensure you’re fueled for success.

Strenuous wilderness activities take between 3,000 and 4,500 calories per day, and a balance of carbs, proteins, and fats to be optimal. We have researched the proper proportsions for these activities, and our daily menus all have roughly those proportions-1/3, 1/3, 1/3, to ensure you are well fed all the way through.

Minimizing Additives for Clean Eating on the Trail

Many pre-packaged trail meals are loaded with preservatives, artificial flavors, and excess sodium. We take a different approach, focusing on clean, wholesome ingredients. By preparing our own dehydrated meals, we can better control what goes into them. Although we do include some packaged foods, we look for those with fewer additives when we can.

The result? Meals that taste great and leave you feeling good. With minimal unnecessary additives, you can focus on the natural flavors of real food, which pairs beautifully with the pristine wilderness settings we are known for.

A Thoughtful Approach to Food Preparation

The dedication Coastal Bliss Adventures brings to their meal preparation goes beyond practicality—it’s about enhancing the overall experience. Meals are planned to suit dietary preferences and restrictions, ensuring that every adventurer feels cared for. 

Not all our food is dehydrated, even for hiking trips. We still bring some fresh vegetables, and we can't really dehydrate the cheeses. These choices are to ensure the best nutrition, but also to meet that great overall food experience. 

Canoeing and Kayaking trips have a broader range of foods, because we are not carrying it on our backs, but the same care is taken for preparing menus and meals. We use whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables when available. 

From snacks to keep you energized on the move to hot, satisfying dinners at camp, every bite is designed to complement the physical demands of your adventure while adding to the enjoyment of your journey.

Ready to Explore?

Coastal Bliss Adventures isn’t just about getting you from point A to point B. They’re about making every moment of the journey—from the trail to the dining experience—unforgettable. Their thoughtful approach to food preparation is just one of the many ways they ensure your adventure is not only challenging and fulfilling but also delicious.

So pack your boots and appetite, and let us take care of the rest. Your adventure awaits!

Want to learn more or book your next adventure? Visit Coastal Bliss Adventures.

The Real World (not the TV show)

Just what is the Real World?  We have seen many changes over the last few decades to how we live. When we consider our grandparents and great-grandparents, then the totality of that change is much, much greater. The change has been a long march into more and more artificial environments. But most of that is not real, at least based on our evolutionary journey to get here. We don't live in the real world.

In pre-industrial times, we may have lived in towns or small villages. We had simple shelter, the light of the day, and the rhythm of the seasons to guide our activities. Life was centered on gathering and preparing food, storing provisions for winter, and meeting basic needs. This required movement, effort, and interaction with the natural world. The sun woke us, the weather directed our plans, and the earth provided everything we depended on.

Fast forward to today. We wake up in climate-controlled boxes, shielded from the natural elements. Instead of the sun, it's the glow of an alarm clock or phone screen that stirs us. Our daily activities often revolve around artificial light, synthetic surroundings, and virtual interactions. We look at flat screens for hours—work, entertainment, and connection all mediated through this glowing rectangle. At the end of the day, many of us are more familiar with the layout of Netflix than the stars in the night sky.

The Disconnect from Our Evolutionary Design

Humans are a product of millions of years of evolution, shaped by living in dynamic, three-dimensional environments filled with natural light, fresh air, and varied sensory input. We were designed to move—walking, running, climbing—and to solve problems directly tied to our survival. Our ancestors didn’t stare at spreadsheets or scroll through social media; they scanned landscapes, tracked animals, and cultivated relationships through face-to-face interaction.

Now, most of our lives are lived in spaces that are static and square. Our bodies are often stationary, seated at desks or in cars. Our "hunt" is a trip to the supermarket or an online delivery service. The disconnect between how we evolved and how we live has led to a host of modern maladies: chronic stress, anxiety, depression, obesity, and even nature-deficit disorder—a term that encapsulates the profound consequences of our separation from the natural world.

The Illusion of Progress

Technological advancements have brought undeniable benefits. Medicine, communication, and infrastructure have improved our lives in many ways. Yet, in the rush toward progress, we've lost something fundamental: our connection to the "real world." This isn't just about nature but about authenticity—a life lived in harmony with our biology and the environment.

Our grandparents may have lived simpler lives, but they were often richer in what truly matters. They understood the satisfaction of physical labor, the joy of seasonal abundance, and the importance of community. Their world may have been less convenient, but it was more aligned with the rhythms of life that humans evolved to thrive in.

Reclaiming the Real World

So, what can we do to bridge this gap? How can we reclaim a more authentic way of living while still enjoying the benefits of modernity?

1. Spend Time Outdoors-Make nature a priority. Whether it’s a walk in the park, a hike in the woods, or simply sitting under a tree, reconnecting with the outdoors helps ground us and restore our sense of balance.
2. Move More-Break out of the sedentary cycle. Engage in activities that mimic the natural movement patterns of our ancestors, like walking, stretching, or functional strength training.
3. Disconnect to Reconnect-Limit screen time and create space for real-world interactions. Practice mindfulness and immerse yourself in the present moment without digital distractions.
4. Eat with the Seasons-Choose foods that are fresh, local, and in season. This not only supports health but also deepens our connection to the cycles of nature.
5. Simplify and Reassess Priorities-Focus on what truly matters: relationships, experiences, and well-being. Question whether the constant pursuit of material possessions or virtual validation aligns with your core values.

The Path Forward

We can’t turn back the clock, nor should we romanticize the past as a perfect ideal. But we can learn from it. Our ancestors lived closer to the earth, and in doing so, they found a richness in simplicity. The challenge today is finding ways to integrate that wisdom into our modern lives. By doing so, we can begin to live in a way that honors both our evolutionary heritage and the possibilities of the present.

Our mission at Coastal Bliss Adventures is to get you closer to that Real World, and give you real experiences that connect you back to your evolutionary past, to help you feel and remember what you actually evolved to be.

Preparing for a busy season in 2022!

 So far, we have a good set of bookings for Summer 2022. We have 6 of 8 West Coast Trails tours assured of running with current bookings, and one that is looking good to run. We also have hiking tours running on the Nootka Island Trail and Juan de Fuca Trail. Sea kayaking tours are running in the Southern Gulf Islands and the Broken Group Islands. We have a number of school and youth groups running multi-day programs with us as well. 

2021 was very busy with our Bioluminescence Tours in Cowichan Bay, and we expect this summer to be just as busy, if not busier. People are getting out and enjoying our incredible island. We have been seeing large numbers of people out this winter on the local trails. We are even doing an occasional kayak rental in January! 

We are looking forward to a great season for 2022.

New Website...Again! Five Years Later!

This is from December 31, 2013:

"We have been working on this for a while, trying to get you the quickest, most helpful information on each page to decide to come join us on an adventure.

We are also working on a mobile version for those of you who do all your stuff on your journeys, on the small screen.

Check out our new site format at www.coastalbliss.ca."

Five years later, on December 31, 2018, we launched our next website remake! Lots of the same information on similar pages, but with a new, modern look and feel...and finally got that small screen version rocking for your phones and tablets.

Our trip pages also have a new look and feel, with a video background on the top portion, trip detail information contained in accordians, and a lot of the great testimonials we have received from you, our guests, inspiring us to keep improving your experience.

Thanks for the memories and the inspiration.

Home page image:

Our video backgrounds for page tops:

Hiking:

Kayaking:

North Coast Trail Guided Hiking Tours - Taking Bookings for the Summer of 2019

Coastal Bliss is leading guided tours on the North Coast Trail again this coming summer. We are excited to continue to serve you on this amazing hike, to fill your transport, logistical, food, safety and interpretive needs. Join Coastal Bliss Adventures this summer on the trail that takes you from Shushartie Bay near Port Hardy into Cape Scott Provincial Park, known for its incredible beaches. Watch our North Coast Trail Highlights video to see the trail. 

West Coast Trail Guided Tours - Call Now to Hike the West Coast Trail in...

West Coast Trail More Popular Than Ever!

Since the Canadian dollar has fallen in value, the number of hikers on the West Coast Trail has been returning to levels that were seen before 2008. The Great Recession, and the resulting strong Canadian dollar, seems to have had an impact on the numbers of visitors to Vancouver Island, and the trail. Since the dollar has fallen, the numbers hiking the trail have been building. When you add the effects of the dropping dollar and the changes Parks Canada has been making in the park, the hiker numbers has gone up steadily over the last couple of years.

What does this mean to you? It means there is more pressure on your ability to get hiker spaces. Our guided tour spaces are also under pressure. As of December 1, 2016, we have already booked 50% of our spaces on our tours. This is quite early for us, so we know something is really up. If you are wanting to hike the West Coast Trail during the 2017 season, you need to start making your arrangements now. Give us a call at 1-800-896-9525 to learn how easy it is to have a guided tour and the amazing things we do to make your hike a wonderful experience. If you want further information and updates on the West Coast Trail and other hiking and kayaking tours, then click the link below.

Give Me More Information Now