BackpackGearTest
  Guest - Not logged in 

Reviews > Food > Energy Bars and Drinks > Probar Fruition bars > Test Report by Shawn Wakefield

PROBAR - fruition Bars
Test Series by Shawn Wakefield
Initial Report: October 1, 2009
Long Term Report: March 10, 2010

Reviewer Information

Name: Shawn Wakefield
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 165 lb (75 kg)
Email: shawn@wakefieldsoft.com
Website: WakefieldWanderings.com
City, State, Country: Tishomingo, Oklahoma, United States

Backpacking Background: I started camping and backpacking about 25 years ago as a teenager in the Boy Scouts. I am enjoying backpacking again, and I really like going lightweight now and covering a lot of miles. My wife and I take frequent backpacking trips together, and our kids (all under 13) go occasionally. We like to hike in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas for short trips, but enjoy Wyoming and Colorado for longer trips. My current pack averages 16 lb (7.3 kg) including water and three days' food.


INITIAL REPORT: October 1, 2009

Product Information
PROBAR Fruition Open Package
Open Package

Manufacturer: PROBAR LLC
URL: http://www.theprobar.com
MSRP: $2.49 US each -- $27.48 US for a 12-pack
Flavors: Available in Blueberry, Peach, Cran-Raspberry, Strawberry
Listed weight: 1.7 oz (48 g)
Weight as delivered: 1.8 oz (51 g) in package -- 1.7 oz (48 g) bar only
Pkg size as delivered: 5.3 x 2.0 x 0.7 in (135 x 51 x 18 mm) in package
Bar size as delivered: 3.5 x 1.3 x 0.6 in (89 x 33 x 15 mm) without package

Product Description

PROBAR fruition bars are individually packaged snack bars made with organic dates and oats. They are vegan with no trans fat. On the website, it states "...fruition is the latest addition to the PROBAR family. This fruit-based, superfood snack bar is designed to be satisfying on-the-go without the extra fat and calories. fruition is the marriage of dates, oats, chia seeds and cashews in 4 mouth-watering real fruit flavors. With superb fruit flavors, robust texture and blend of organic ingredients..." A picture of the four flavors I received is below, as well as nutrition information for each flavor from the PROBAR website.

PROBAR Fruition - Four Bars
All Four Flavors

PROBAR Fruition Blueberry
Blueberry
PROBAR Fruition Peach
Peach
PROBAR Fruition Blueberry
Cran-Raspberry
PROBAR Fruition Blueberry
Strawberry

Initial Impressions

I received a box of 12 fruition bars from PROBAR LLC - 3 each of Blueberry, Peach, Cran-Raspberry, and Strawberry. As listed in the nutrition information for each bar, all have 160 calories, no trans fat, and many of the main ingredients are common to every bar. Slight changes are evident based on the different fruit flavors. The packages are easy to open with a foil lining on the inside of the wrapper. All expire in September of 2010, so I assume that shelf life of these bars is 1 year roughly from the date of manufacture.

I decided to taste two flavors for this initial report, and leave the other 10 bars to be eaten over the next 2 months on various trips. Both bars had a very similar look and feel, with some slight visual difference due to the different fruit in each flavor.

I first ate the Cran-Raspberry bar. The bar had a slightly moist taste - not dry, and it also felt slightly sticky to the touch. The bar seemed dense, and was slightly chewy. The flavor is quite mellow, with more of a hint of cranberries and raspberries than a strong fruit flavor. There were larger pieces of cranberries visible in the bar, but it did not appear to have a large number of berries in it. Overall the taste was quite good, and I am sure it will taste even better out on the trail!

The second bar I tried for this initial report was the blueberry bar. It had a stronger fruit taste than did the cran-raspberry bar. The density, size, texture, and feel were very similar to the cran-raspberry bar.

The bars appear to have more substance than other fruit / snack bars I have eaten. The fruit is mixed into the bar, rather than any kind of filling or fruit gel as some bars have. One bar seemed to be about right for an afternoon snack. I certainly did not feel too full. The density of the bars should help them travel and pack well without being crushed or crumbling apart. How well they hold up to 3 days on the trail will certainly be something I will be looking at.

I look forward to the next three months of trying these bars on hiking and backpacking trips.

Initial Likes:
1. Good flavor
2. Nice size

Initial Concern:
1. Durability (will they get crushed or crumble in my pack)

This concludes my Initial Report.


LONG TERM REPORT: March 10, 2010

I ate a Peach bar on a day hike along the Craven Nature Trail at the Tishomingo Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma in October. I really liked the peach flavor; it seemed to have a more consistent flavor throughout the bar. The flavor was stronger than the Blueberry or Cran-Raspberry, but certainly not too strong. It kept me from being hungry the rest of the morning. The weather was overcast and around 48 F (9 C) for the trip.

During a day hike of 8 miles (13 km) in the McGee Creek Natural Scenic Recreation Area in Oklahoma, I ate both a Strawberry and a Cran-Raspberry bar. The strawberry had a mild fruit flavor, but tasted good after several miles of hiking. Both bars seemed to be a good energy snack during the hike. The weather was sunny and around 70 F (21 C).

During a day hike in the Devil's Den area in southern Oklahoma, I ate a Strawberry bar. I continue to like the taste, texture, and consistency of the bars. The weather was sunny and 45 F (7 C) on this trip.

I took three bars on a three day backpacking trip on the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas in late November. The weather was mostly clear with temperatures around 39 F (4 C) at night and up to 55 F (13 C) during the day. I ate a Peach bar one morning, a Blueberry bar one afternoon, and a Strawberry bar the last day. The bars were not too sweet, just about the right size for a snack, and felt like a substantial trail snack.

I ate a Blueberry bar on another day hike in the McGee Creek NSRA in Oklahoma. I was getting hungry near end of hike, and the bar was enough that I felt satisfied, but not full. We hiked the rocky point trail on a cold, cloudy and windy morning - 36 F (2 C) and a 15 mph (24 kph) wind.

I ate a Peach bar at Boy Scout Winter Camp in Oklahoma. I was a Scoutmaster with our Boy Scout troop at a week of winter camp in late December in southern Oklahoma. Temperatures ranged from 22 F (-6 C) to 45 F (7 C).

I ate a Cran-Raspberry bar during a hike to Piestewa Peak in the Phoenix Mountains Park in Arizona. It kept me from being hungry before a late lunch. The weather was 65 F (18 C) and sunny.

I have really enjoyed testing these bars. They are a good size, and they hold up well to bouncing around in my pack and food bag. I like the taste and consistency. The bars do seem expensive compared to other bars, and have appear to have less calories and almost no vitamins compared to other bars.

Likes:
1. Good flavor
2. Nice size
3. Durable

Concerns:
1. High cost
2. Few vitamins

Thanks to PROBAR LLC and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to participate in this test.

- Shawn Wakefield
 

Read more gear reviews by Shawn Wakefield

Reviews > Food > Energy Bars and Drinks > Probar Fruition bars > Test Report by Shawn Wakefield



Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.



All material on this site is the exclusive property of BackpackGearTest.org.
BackpackGearTest software copyright David Anderson