Can anyone recommend a good energy drink/powder/sachets to take along on a 7day hike? I took Game on a previous hike, but the powder-water ratio makes it quite a heavy option to trek along.
Off course i drink mostly water, but an energy boost at midday is so lekker.
I love Game for that zesty naartjie taste - especially when made with ice cold mountain water 
On a more serious note, the best energy drink I have used is Hammer’s Perpetuem - it is designed for endurance events (I have used it on multi-day cycling races) and it is by far the best product I have used. Made with long-chain sugars (for slower absorption and more sustained energy) and added protein, fat and minerals. It’s not very sugary (tastes a bit like Pro Nutro). Also comes with a decent price tag. Perhaps a bit overkill for hiking but offers great weight-to-energy benefits.
http://www.hammernutrition.co.za/shop/nutrition-during/perpetuem
The thought of an orange flavoured, tangy mountain water infused bottle of Game after n long climb versus a ProNutro-like drink with… well all that healthy stuff. Uhm, the Game powder is becomming a very attractive idea again.
Thanks!
My take is to stick to good old mountain water, eat nuts (wall or pecan), dates and home made (read self-made e.g. NO processed sugars) granola for perfect and prolonged energy boosts. Pack an apple a day - it’s nature’s “GAME”. All in all it’s also cheaper and much healthier (!) than any energy -bar or -drink on the market, plus no packaging that’s left behind.
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Agree! I think the (expensive) energy drinks used by endurance athletes are overkill for hiking, unless you are trying to break records 
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I use Vita-Thion sachets and always have a sachet or two of rehydrate in my first aid kit
I have been using Supa Nutrition (https://www.supanutrition.com/) - you can buy their product online and it includes free delivery.
I find it is necessary to switch up the energy drinks you use from time to time - otherwise you end up getting sick of one.
I have used Game in the past, I forget the names of the others I have tried, but there are a few.
I use Rehidrat (and used Hammer Endurolytes in the past) in addition to energy drinks.
For my hike over the long weekend (story at Giants and Dragons: The Double Giants Cup | Ghaznavid Hiking) I used the following:
bottle 1: Supa Nutrition Vanilla Choc flavour
bottle 2: Supa Nutrition Gingerbeer flavour
bottle 3: Rehidrat vanilla flavour
bottle 4 (day 2): Supa Nutrition Banana flavour
bottle 5: Rehidrat vanilla flavour
Bottles of plain water omitted from the list.
Mixing up the different items (notably bottle 1 and 4 are closer to something like Future Life shakes, not really like Game) definitely helps. I once did a Drakensberg Grand Traverse off only Orange Flavoured Game - needless to say, I ended the hike with most of it unused.
https://neolifeafrica.com/adeklerk/store/product/2915
I can absolutely recommend NeoLife Tea as I use it on enduro Mountainbike races. Three of these get me through Karoo to Coast which is roughly a 100km 6 hour ride…
One sachet is good for 500ml of water or two cups if you drink it hot. A sachet is roughly the size of your typical Wimpy sugar sachet.
While hiking I mostly stick to as natural ingredients as I can (Mountain water, nuts and fruit), but for the times that I crash and still need to make it through the last big climb, GU Energy Gel always does the trick when in a bind.
You can pick it up at any Sportsman’s Warehouse. 
i always hike with 2 litres for the day (3 litres in peak summer season) 1litre game mix and a 1 litre plain tap water. Keeps me going all day, yesterday i only had water and suffered towards the end of the day.