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CLIF BAR
BY JOANNE WALKER
OWNER REVIEW
April 11, 2007
TESTER INFORMATION
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NAME:
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Joanne Walker
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EMAIL:
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raymondmom@msn.com
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AGE:
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50
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LOCATION:
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Moreno Valley, California
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GENDER:
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f
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HEIGHT:
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5' 2" (1.57 m)
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WEIGHT:
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161 lb (73.00 kg)
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My outdoor experience began about 6 years ago. Since then, I have enjoyed hiking, camping and paddling in Southern California, Arizona and Utah. I am a scout leader and gear addict. I plan on taking my first backpacking trip in the summer of 2007. My style is slow and easy and I aspire to a light pack despite my tendency to be well prepared.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Clif Bar
Year of Manufacture: 2007
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.clifbar.com
MSRP: US$15 per box of 12
Listed Weight: 2.4 oz (68 g)
Measured Weight: 2.6 oz (75 g)
Other details: bar measures 2 in by 3 in by 0.75 in ( 5 cm by 8 cm by 2 cm)
I first encountered Clif Bars about four years ago. I am now a very experienced Clif Bar user. And yes, I will admit to being a Clif Bar addict. Clif Bars are stashed everywhere in my home. Besides the pantry, they can be found tucked away in gym bags, backpacks, lumbar packs, tote bags, dry bags, jacket pockets, PFDs , earthquake preparedness kits and even in my dresser drawers.
The wrapper is a matte print on the exterior and a foil like substance inside. Upon opening the wrapper of an Iced Gingerbread Clif bar, I am greeted by the wafting aroma of ginger. The bar itself is attractive, reminiscent of a crisped rice comfort food laced with icing.
My requirements for selecting an energy bar are: the bar must be nutritious, palatable, convenient, sturdy and economical. The Clif Bar has easily met all these requirements. My favorite flavor is Iced Gingerbread. As this is a seasonal flavor, I typically stock up when it is available. I also like Spiced Pumpkin Pie (seasonal) and Chocolate Brownie.
The nutrition facts for a Clif Bar are printed on the back of the wrapper and are also available on the manufacturer's website. I am particularly concerned with calorie count, trans fat, sodium, potassium, sugar and protein. The bar contains 250 calories, which I consider to be a good amount. There are no trans fats in the bar, but 22 g of sugars. The website calls it a moderate glycemic index food. I appreciate the high amount of sugar because I have an inherited sweet tooth and because my blood sugar sometimes drops due to a low thyroid condition. I also have high blood pressure and the sodium to potassium ratio in the bar is healthy for me. The bar provides 20% of a daily value of protein and 16% of fiber, based on a 2000 calorie diet.
I was surprised that the bar has a significant amount of vitamins. One bar supplies 100% of the daily requirements of Vitamin C and Vitamin E, 25% of calcium, iron, Vitamin K, B1 and magnesium. The bar contains many other vitamins as well.
I try to limit my intake of Clif Bars to 2 to 4 per week due to medical concerns. However, my teenage son devours two Chocolate Chip Peanut bars a day. Clif Bars are certified organic, but they are not hypo-allergenic. The bars may contain peanuts, tree nuts, and dairy.
Most flavors of Clif Bars taste good to me, but I especially enjoy the Iced Gingerbread and the Chocolate Brownie. They have just the right texture - not too hard and chewy nor too crumbly. The Iced Gingerbread bar is a reddish brown with visible soy rice crisps. I like to pretend that I'm eating a fancy desert and savor every bite. While delicately munching my Iced Gingerbread bar, I experience a pleasant holiday nostaglia. The bar also contains ginger. I consume ginger to overcome motion sickness and queasiness. I have never encountered intestinal disturbances after eating a Clif Bar.
For me, Clif Bars have proven to be an awesome convenience food. I have purchased them at supermarkets, health food stores, sporting good stores and Wal- Mart. The bar easily slips into a jacket pocket or pack pocket. I can break the bar in to halves or thirds for sharing or saving. I can quickly open the wrapper and then use the wrapper to hold the bar if my hands are dirty.
Clif Bars hold up well to abuse. The packaging appears to be waterproof and it floats as well. I have tucked a bar into my PFD, been immersed for twenty minutes in the ocean, and then eaten the bar. The bar remained edible in below freezing temperatures and melted just a bit when the temperature exceeded 110 F (43 C). I've eaten bars that were six months to a year old and they did not taste stale. When the bars get squashed in the bottom of a pack, I just mold them back in to shape. Unlike other energy bars that I have tried, I have never had a Clif Bar crumble into bits.
I find Clif Bars to be of moderate cost. The price is more than a candy bar, but much less than some other energy bars. Because the bars physically hold up well and are always fully consumed, there is little if any waste. I have discarded many other bars because the packaging was damaged or I couldn't convince a boy to eat it.
I am pleased and satisfied with Iced Gingerbread Clif Bars. They are an affordable, easy to use, delicious food product and provide the energy and nutrition needed for my enjoyment of the outdoors.
I especially like the flavor and nutritional value of the Clif Bar. My suggestion for improvement would be to add more icing to the bars for just a bit sweeter taste, and to distribute the bars in boxes of one dozen mixed flavors, rather than primarily as single bars. I would like to taste new flavors such as Pecan Pie or Coconut Almond.
 | | Brownie and Gingerbread |
SIGNATURE
Joanne Walker
This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1.
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Read more gear reviews by Joanne Walker
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