h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Gorp - A4533950
Author: baldeagle072 - U1662435

An entry on Gorp (yes, it is a completely real thing)

Well, firstly this is a bit short and there is scope for making it a bit longer.

Secondly, you should point out that (i) it is a slan term, and possibly an Americanism as, beng British, I have never heard the word. But then again, I don't do serious back-packing etc. (ii) It is a mixture containing all/any/most those types of food you listed.

.".. and gives protien, salt and sugar to keep your body going". > Explain why we need to eat all these foodstuffs on the trail nb. typo ptroien > protein

.

Rasins - These are also a great addition to any gorp. > Why? What is spewcial about raisins? n.b. typo rasens > raisins

Banana Chips - Very good stuff. > explain why. Isn't tthis just a component of dehydrated fruit anyway? If not, how does it differ from dehydrated fruit?


What is special about peanuts compared to other nuts?

Would you breally add things like M&M's to the mixture, or would you eat them separately.

Presumably Kendal (spelling!) mint cake could be considered to be 'gorp'?


This has the potential to be a worthwhile Entry, but rather more research is needed first.

There is info on this link which ytou could usefully incorporate into your Entry:

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-gor1.htm

Thanx for the advice

Hadn't realised there were so many typosin my post 2. Hope you can understand it. It's too early in the morning (0600 when I wrote it)

Wow, I'm American and I've never heard of this word. The things you learn!

Perhaps the title could be amended to give some clue as to what gorp is? Something like 'Gorp - trail mix' or something like that?

Maybe this is a better title (not like I didn't like yours, but I like mine better) Hopefully there won't be as much confusion now.

Still some typos not attended to (e.g. protien > protein etc (see my Post 2).

Also, according to the link I gave you, the acronym is an urban myth. i.e. not the real reason for the name 'gorp' (although it sounds plausible to me, especially if one compares it with the New Zealand 'scroggin'.

This entry is fine - I'm not sure if you *could* expand it too much. As they say, it does exactly what it says on the tin (or in the bag, in this case).

As RBa says, you got the spelling of "raisins" wrong.

Also, some of the footnotes are misplaced, I think. Footnote 1 should be part of the main text - it's important information, and Footnote 3 says the same thing as the main text. It should be removed.

Any idea how much of this stuff you should bring along per person?

Good work!

Woodpigeon

It may be a good idea to list alternatives to each of the items, people with nut allergies won't be able to have peanuts, and pretzels aren't really a big thing in the UK (not sure about other countries, though).

There are some entries that really suit being short, and this is one of them. If you sort out the odd typo highlighted already, I'm sure this will be a shoe-in for the Edited Guide

necesarry > necessary

Still think you need to mention Kendal Mint cake: http://www.kendal.mintcake.co.uk/

Hi there baldeagle,

The changed title's definitely an improvement - in my prejudice, I skipped reading this when it was just called 'Gorp' - I assumed it was a sort of nonsense vanity thread.

As for the length, well it's a bit of a specific topic, and I think that adding a lot more to it might just end up as 'filler' put in for its own sake, so I think it's ok.

Just some typos as I read:

esential = essential
origionally - originally
evntually - eventually
protien - protein
necesarry - necessary
Rasins = Raisins
A great Dehydrated fruit = capital D not needed
vigorusly = typo

I know lists of typos can be a pain in the neck, but after you deal with them I don't think there's a lot more to do

I don't think KMC is really gorp - firstly it doesn't contain any protein or salt, and secondly it seems to me from the entry that gorp is something you make, not something you buy.

Regarding M+Ms. Peanut or chocolate? And are there any other similar sweets you can use instead? They're not available everywhere y'know.

"Rasins - These are a necesarry addition to any gorp because it's where the name came from"
Well, yes and no. They had to be in there for a reason when gorp was first made - what is that reason?

"A great Dehydrated fruit is bananas. These are often called banana chips"
That's not accurate. Banana chips are simplt banana slices cooked in sugar, not dehydrated. Dehydrated bananas look very different and are usually only found whole - they look like little black sticks.

However, something that the entry would benefit from is that genuine dehydrated fruit is extremely nutritious since the vitamins and minerals are concentrated by the removal of the water that was originally in the fruit.

In fact the entry as a whole would benefit from an explanation from why the ingredients of gorp are good for hiking - what sort of nutrition they provide.

"These are what provide the majority of your protien on the trail"
True, peanuts do provide protein, but not complete protein, and when you are engaged in any sort of strenuous and lengthy exercise like walking or cycling, you need carbohydrates more than you need protein. Carbohydrates provide energy but protein is for building muscle - that's why bodybuilders ingest so much of it - and you don't really need to be bulking up while walking over the fells. Protein is not a necessity for hiking.

It also needs to be made clear whether these are salted peanuts or raw.

"Pretzels - These give you the salt you need so you don't lose water too quickly"
You will get plenty of salt from the peanuts if they're salted.

"You can use just about anything in gorp"
No, you can't. If the following sentence is meant to be a guideline as to what *can* be put into gorp then the two sentences should be one.

I don't think it's made clear enough in the entry that gorp is simply food to keep you going along the hike and to sustain your energy levels between your pre- and post-hike meals. It's also a good emergency food should anything happen along the way.

The title is lots better - thank you very much.

And I like yours better than mine - I've always been awful at titles.

Just commenting on Ooj's comments:

"I don't think KMC is really gorp - firstly it doesn't contain any protein or salt, and secondly it seems to me from the entry that gorp is something you make, not something you buy".

So, by this definition M&M's shouldn't be there either.


"Rasins - These are a necesarry addition to any gorp because it's where the name came from"

As I've said above, GORP as an acronym seems to be an urban myth.


I agree entirely with what Ooj. says about protein.

" "You can use just about anything in gorp""

"I don't think it's made clear enough in the entry that gorp is simply food to keep you going along the hike and to sustain your energy levels between your pre- and post-hike meals. It's also a good emergency food should anything happen along the way".

In this case, Kendal minit cake IS gorp!

How about beef jerky? This would be a good source of protein, but an interesting addition to the fruit and nut type ingredients. (I'm just thinking out loud, not suggesting you add this. Most people probably wouldn't relish a beef & raisin mix!)

"So, by this definition M&M's shouldn't be there either."
"In this case, Kendal minit cake IS gorp"

True, if you took only M+Ms with you, but if you add them to other ingredients then they become gorp, just as KMC would if you crumbled it up and added it

... so I think what needs to be decided is whether gorp is necessarily ingredients that one mixes to gether or simply food to keep you going along the hike and to sustain your energy levels between meals.

Personally, I think the latter because, if one ate some mixture follwed by KMC, then the whole lot would get churned up anyway in the stomach.

Isn't it about the form of the food too though? ie. when hill walking it's easier to pour some crumbled stuff, or nuts, from a bag into your mouth, than to start into a lump of cake?