November 2021 - Richard Kohler

“You must be nuts” is a common response after mentioning crossing the Southern Atlantic Ocean in a kayak.

But there is some truth to it.

To kayak hour after hour across the Atlantic Ocean I need to keep myself fueled correctly. The challenge is to take enough food for 90 days on a small kayak without refrigeration and keeping it as light as possible. Freeze dried and dehydrated foods are some of the best methods to achieve this and I have started my own “test kitchen.”

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Check out this video of me rehydrating a test meal that I made a few weeks ago. Durban curry with chicken, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and a dash of MCT powdered oil. Delicious!

I will consume 80% of my calories in the form of healthy fats. I will consume mainly dehydrated freeze dried food with minimal carbohydrates.

As a fat adapted athlete I will get all my energy from healthy fats like Olive oil, nut butter and raw nuts and keeping my body in a state of Ketosis (fat burning). Carbsmart have been amazing in helping me eat healthy meals with low carbs to maintain my keto diet.

NUTS will be a big part of the fuel to get me to the other side.

ButtaNutt Spreads were so generous when they heard about my adventure they sent me a huge hamper of their goodies. From Nut milks to nut butter in jars and squeeze packs. We decided that the squeeze packs would generate a sticky mess over 3 month (no plastic over board) so I have opted to decant the 1kg glass jars into smaller lighter plastic containers. Oh boy this stuff is AMAZING! The energy bang for the weight is off the charts and with the different flavors I will never tire of it.

The one downside of a ketogenic diet on a three month ocean crossing is you can’t dehydrate or freeze dry fat so liquid is the best option.

To help maintain the 80% and use “fat” (ketones) as fuel I will consume about 5 tablespoons of oil each day.

That’s about 6L for the crossing.

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Keeping the correct hydration levels while I paddle hour after hour without cover from the elements will be essential. Revive Daily Electrolytes are Sugar-Free and Calorie-Free daily hydration formulas.