CLIF SHOT BLOKS
BY NANCY GRIFFITH OWNER REVIEW October 16, 2011
TESTER INFORMATION
NAME:
|
Nancy
Griffith |
EMAIL:
|
bkpkrgirlATyahooDOTcom |
AGE:
|
45
|
LOCATION:
|
Northern
California, USA |
GENDER:
|
F
|
HEIGHT:
|
5' 6" (1.68
m) |
WEIGHT:
|
130 lb (59.00
kg) |
My outdoor experience began in
high school with involvement in a local canoeing/camping group called Canoe
Trails. The culmination was a 10-day canoe voyage through the Quebec wilds.
I've been backpacking since my college days in Pennsylvania. I have completed
all of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. My
typical trip now is in the Sierra Nevada in California and is from a few days to
a week long. I carry a light to mid-weight load, use a tent, stove and hiking
poles.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Clif Bar
& Co. Year of Manufacture: 2011 Manufacturer's Website: http://www.clifbar.com/ MSRP:
Not Listed Listed Weight: 60 g of Bloks per package Measured Weight: 2.6
oz (74 g) in package Flavors Available: Black Cherry, Cran Razz, Lemon Lime,
Margarita, Mountain Berry, Orange, Strawberry, Tropical Punch I've tried: All
except Tropical Punch Caffeine: Black Cherry (50 mg), Orange (25 mg),
Tropical Punch (25 mg) Salt: Margarita (3x the others: 210 mg per serving); 2
servings per package
Clif Shot Bloks are a package of 6 individual
bite-sized pieces of gummy semi-solid blocks. Due to the carbohydrate content
they are good for pre-workout or for use during a workout. Each package
contains 3 servings of 100 calories, 70 mg of sodium (except Margarita flavor
which contains 210 mg) and 20 mg of potassium. Three of the flavors contain
caffeine. They contain no animal products and are thus vegan-friendly. They
are not certified kosher.
The package is what Clif calls a Fastpak. It
is sleek without extra space and allows me to open the end and squeeze out one
block at a time.
Ingredients: The nutrition information varies
slightly for each flavor but each package has 4.5 grams of fat, 270 calories and
20 g of protein. They contain between 46 - 49 % organic ingredients. Here's an
example:
Black Cherry: Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic
Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup Solids, Pectin, Citric Acid,
Green Tea Extract, Colored With Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor,
Organic Sunflower Oil, Carnauba Wax.
FIELD USE
In my continuing quest to add
variety to my backpacking diet, I decided to try the Clif Shot Bloks. I'm
generally not a fan of hard candy, jelly beans or gummy worms, but I have found
that while backpacking I appreciate the quick burst of carbs and fun flavors of
Jelly Bellies. The Clif Shot Bloks give me a similar sensation since they have
several fruity flavors and an interesting texture. I used them on several day
hikes and backpacking trips to give a quick energy boost. Overall I've consumed
them on 5 backpacking trips for a total of 24 days and on multiple day hikes and
mountain bike rides. Backpacking: Western States Trail, Sierra
Nevada, California; 3 days; 18 mi (30 km); 1,800 to 4,365 ft (549 to 1,330 m)
elevation; 45 to 72 F (7 to 22 C)
Mumford Bar Trail, Sierra Nevada,
California; 2 days; 13 mi (21 km); 2,640 to 5,360 ft (805 to 1634 m) elevation;
53 to 90 F (12 to 32 C) Desolation Wilderness, Sierra Nevada,
California; 3 days; 19.5 mi (31.4 km); 6,560 to 8,220 ft (2,000 to 2,505 m)
elevation; 40 to 80 F (4 to 27 C) Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier
National Park, Washington; 10 days; 100 mi (161 km); 2,600 to 7,200 ft (792 to
2,195 m) elevation; 32 to 62 F (0 to 17 C)
Sequoia National Park, Sierra
Nevada, California: 6 days, 60 miles (97 km); 6,700 to 11,600 ft (2,042 to 3,536
m) elevation; 38 to 84 F (3 to 29 C)
I try to limit my caffeine intake
so that when I do use caffeine it is effective against headaches. So, I
generally opted for the non-caffeinated Bloks (CranRazz, Lemon-Lime, Mountain
Berry and Strawberry). I also consumed the Black Cherry and Orange occasionally
(shared). I typically don't like fruit punch flavored items, so I never tried
Tropical Punch. I used Margarita a few times on really strenuous
outings.
Taste: The first flavor I tried was Lemon-Lime which I liked
but it isn't the most exciting flavor. The berry flavors were all good and I
didn't really come out with a favorite among them. They all have that sweet and
tart combination. I like the Black Cherry and Orange flavors a bit better than
the berry flavors but since these both have caffeine, I didn't eat them often.
My all-time favorite was Margarita. I was hesitant to try it since salt isn't
generally something that I want to add to my diet, but on a long strenuous day I
finally pulled this one out. I love it. Since buttered popcorn is my favorite
jelly bean flavor, I guess this isn't too surprising. I'm just more of a fan of
salty foods than of sweet ones. I reserve this for hot days with a lot of
exertion but I appreciate the boost of electrolytes when I need
them.
Texture and Color: The texture is a softer version of a gummy
bear or gummy worm. It is easy to chew but can also be left in the mouth to
dissolve (for those patient enough for this). My husband can have his for 20
minutes or more while mine seem to only last seconds. I think that I prefer the
pleasure of chewing to give me satisfaction of enjoying and savoring the
flavor.
Packaging, Convenience & Results: I typically consumed a
Blok when I needed an energy boost to get me up that last push of elevation or
for another hour until something more substantial could be consumed. I liked
that they provided an easy way for me to keep my blood sugar constant without
having to stop for frequent snacks.
I found the packaging to be very
convenient. They fit in my pants pocket or in my pack hip pocket so that I
could easily access one during activity. The FastPak design makes it easy to
eat one at a time or to share them with my hiking partners.
The only
downside for me is that when opening the package a small piece completely
detaches making a small piece of trash. This is fine at home, but I find that
on the trail very small pieces of trash get inadvertently dropped causing me to
litter at times despite my best intentions.
SUMMARY
The Clif Shot Bloks are a
convenient and compact way to carry and consume quick energy without having to
stop hiking.
THEY GOT IT RIGHT
Good taste especially
Margarita Great packaging Quick, convenient energy boost Good flavor
variety for caffeine-free versions
NEED IMPROVEMENT
Opening package can leave a small
piece of trash
SIGNATURE
Nancy Griffith This
report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org
Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Read more gear reviews by Nancy Griffith
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