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Reviews > Food > Energy Bars and Drinks > Luna Sports Moons Energy Chews > Test Report by Amanda Tikkanen

LUNA SPORT MOONS
TEST SERIES BY AMANDA TIKKANEN
LONG-TERM REPORT
May 27, 2008

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Amanda Tikkanen
EMAIL: amanda@uberpest.com
AGE: 26
LOCATION: Southeast Indiana, USA
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 4" (1.63 m)
WEIGHT: 145 lb (65.80 kg)

I have been hiking and backpacking since the spring of 2000 throughout Michigan and Indiana, covering several hundred miles, always with a dog by my side. Beau, my second trail dog, has been happily carrying a pack since 2002. My style of backpacking is moving from overnights to long distance hiking, including multi-day trips. Even though I have Beau with me, I'm usually the solo human on the trek, so I like to go as light as possible while still being comfortable. I document our adventures and misadventures on my website, www.uberpest.com


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Clif Bar & Co.
Year of Manufacture: 2007
Manufacturer's Website: www.lunabar.com
MSRP: N/A
Listed Weight: 1.05 oz (30 g) per single-serve pack
Measured Weight: 1.05 oz (30 g) per single-serve pack
Flavors include: Blueberry, Pomegranate, and Watermelon

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Moons Chews



For this test I received two packets each of all three flavors of the Luna Sport Moons.

The Luna Sport Moons come in small plastic packets. On the front there is a small clear moon-shaped window that allows me to see the packet's contents. At a glance they look a lot like one of my favorite trail foods, fruit snacks. The packets are designed to tear open via a small notch at the top right hand corner.

The literature enclosed with the Moons states "Luna Sport Moons are the first women's organic energy chew. A great alternative to gels, the moon-shaped, bite-size pieces make it easy to eat and moderate caloric intake during a workout." It adds "One packet delivers 100 calories and functional nutrition benefits," as well as "ergonomically designed to fit women's smaller mouths and pockets."

The Moons are labeled USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Organic, however the manufacturer does not state how much of the ingredients are organic. After reading through USDA guidelines I learned that if the label reads "USDA Organic," the food must be made with a minimum of 95% organically produced ingredients.

TRYING IT OUT

As there is a small supply of the product I am only commenting on the instructions and packaging in my initial report, and will comment on taste in the field report phase of this test.

TESTING STRATEGY

Unlike most of my test plans, my little buddy will not be helping me with this one. I will be eating the product as I would any sport supplement (sports drink, energy bar, protein bar, trail mix). For me this means pretty much just following the label. I'll report back on how this helps me maintain my energy during a hike, if indeed it does help.

Ever since I was in a cast and then brace last winter I have been having insane muscle cramps in my legs (possibly due to the atrophy, I'm still not sure). They have been better in recent months, but I can definitely tell if I've been pushing myself on the trail. I will hopefully notice a difference in muscle fatigue and cramping while testing the moons. I will also be reporting on taste (doesn't matter if it works well if it tastes Bantha fodder or something equally awful), the packaging, instructions, and anything else that comes up during the test phase.

It is still winter here in Indiana, and will be for the duration of this test cycle. Temperatures are expected to be 20-50 F (-6.5-10 C). Precipitation may be snow, sleet, or rain. The terrain will be gently rolling to steep hills.

SUMMARY

I look forward to testing the Luna Sport Moons. Please check back in approximately 3 months for my Field Report.

I thank Clif/Luna and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test the Luna Sport Moons.


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

After my initial report I received a larger supply of Luna Sport Moons to test. I received an additional 4 packets of each flavor giving me a grand total of 18 packets to test (6 of each flavor).

I consumed the Luna Sport Moons over the past 4 months on 6 day hikes, as well as on 5 afternoon bicycle workouts in Southeastern Indiana. Temperatures were 50-70 F (10-21 C). Weather was mostly dry with a couple of the day hikes finishing with scattered rain drops. Most of the terrain I encountered was hilly. I hiked on natural trails and rode by bike on pavement.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

While hiking I carried the Luna Sport Moons in my lumbar pack or in the top pocket of my day pack. While biking I carried them in my jacket pocket. I consumed the Sport Moons in addition to the Luna Sport Electorolyte Splash and Recovery Smoothie.

The packages were small enough that they didn't take up a noticeable space in my pack. The packages were easy for me to open without any special tools or resulting to me biting the package open.

I noticed, when warm, the Sport Moons had a slightly greasy feel to them. On the warmer days, or when body heat warmed the packages in my pocket, the Sport Moons became sticky, but easily pulled apart. The Moons themselves were neither too large to chew easily, nor were they too small to fish out of the package.

When I chewed on the Sport Moons they usually got stuck to my teeth and it took a few minutes for me to work them loose. None of the flavors seemed terrible to me. The blueberry reminds me of fruit pie filling, which was a nice surprise.

A few minutes after consuming the Sport Moons I felt a bump in my energy but never got a heavy sugar rush. After I completed my workout I noticed my recovery time was much better than when I consume little or no snacks and plain water. I definitely didn't have as much muscle fatigue and cramping. On occasion I'd still get twinges in my calves and thighs, but not the hard cramps ("Charlie Horses") that I've become used to.

SUMMARY

The Luna Sport Moons are an energy-packed, easily accessed snack.

CONTINUED USE

I will likely use this item again in the future since it easily fits into my meal plans. They allow me to grab a burst of energy without fussing with a complex snack.

I thank Luna and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test the Luna Sport Moons.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Read more gear reviews by Amanda Tikkanen

Reviews > Food > Energy Bars and Drinks > Luna Sports Moons Energy Chews > Test Report by Amanda Tikkanen



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