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Outdoor Retailer Trail Food Taste Test

September 28, 2016

by Jed Doane

When you need calories, it's great to have an energy bar that doesn't taste like cardboard, but great-tasting trail snacks can be hard to find. So Active Junky testers put the best food from the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market to the test. We tried a variety of items and brands, ranking them on taste. Here are some of our favorites to pack along on your next trail run or bike ride.

Gorilly Goods: Forest

Wisconsin-based Gorilly Goods blew away our testers with these tasty clusters. Slightly chewy and about the size of a quarter, they're bite-sized for quick snacking. Bananas, walnuts, and coconut provide a tasty base flavor, and clusters are coated in 70% cacao dark chocolate for a delicious bite start to finish.

Setton Farms: Pistachio Chewy Bite

While you may have never heard of Setton Farms, their expertise is evident in the masterful Pistachio Chewy Bites, an Outdoor Retailer favorite. These bars offer a unique sweet pistachio flavor, and a more chewy texture than other nut-based bars. Testers also loved the small size and 110 calories in each bar, perfect for maximum energy when ultralight backpacking or road biking.

GoMacro: Thrive Caramel Coconut

Our testers tried GoMacro’s health-conscious Thrive line, which emphasizes macronutrient balance and plant-based protein. We couldn’t get enough of the Caramel Coconut flavor. Light, sweet, and well balanced, their vegan caramel has a nice mellow flavor and hits the spot during trail breaks.

Santa Barbara Bars: Cranberry White Chocolate

We had never heard of this small wholesale bakery, but their bars do the talking. With a base of pumpkin, chia, and sunflower seeds, they're easy to eat — not too chewy, gooey, or stiff. Testers loved the Cranberry White Chocolate flavor, which uses semi-sweet white chocolate that doesn't overwhelm the cranberry.

Skout Backcountry: Black Pepper BBQ Pumpkin Seeds

These tasty seeds from Skout are raw, but still have a surprisingly nice crunch. The delicious Black Pepper BBQ option is tangy, flavor-packed, and not too overwhelming or salty. Testers also loved the resealable package for quick small bites on the go, which is sometimes not an option with traditional bars.