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Reviews > Food > Energy Bars and Drinks > Clif Bar > CranRazz Shot Bloks > Test Report by Sheila Morrissey Initial Report: May 2, 2007 TESTER BIOGRAPHY Name: Sheila Morrissey Age: 26 Gender: Female Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.7 m) Weight: 150 lb (68 kg) ( Email Address: geosheila(at)yahoo(dot)com City, State, Country: Goleta, California, USA BACKPACKING BACKGROUND I have been hiking and camping since I was born, and finally started backpacking in 2005. I usually hike with friends and my dog, Patch, in the eastern Sierra or Los Padres National Forest. My pack is usually around 25 pounds (11 kg), including consumables. I nearly always have a hot meal for dinner while backpacking, but stop for snacks along the trail during the day. PRODUCT INFORMATION Manufacturer: Clif Bar & Co. Manufacturer's Website: http://www.clifbar.com Listed Weight: 60 g (2.1 oz) each packet of 6 bloks Measured Weight: 2.2 oz (62 g) MSRP: N/A   PRODUCT DESCRIPTION  Photo from Clif Bar & Co. website. Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup Solids, Pectin, Citric Acid, Colored With Purple Berry Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Coconut Oil, Carnauba Wax.
Manufacturer's Description:
SHOT BLOKS are approximately 1 in (2.5 cm) x 1 in (2.5 cm) x 0.5 in (1.3 cm) cubes. SHOT BLOKS are sold by the packet or in caddies of 12 packets. There are 6 SHOT BLOKS (2 servings) in each packet. Each has the consistency of very thick jelly candy. They are marketed as "energy chews" and for me will take the place of electrolyte drinks or energy bars on the trail. INITIAL IMPRESSIONS Last summer I tried a packet of Strawberry SHOT BLOKS during a canoe race from Newport to Avalon on Catalina Island, California. I found that the SHOT BLOKS were one of the only energy foods that didn't make me gag during strenuous exercise. I have had more than a few energy bars resurface while exercising, so I know that SHOT BLOKS are definitely a better energy snack choice for me. I haven't yet tried the Cran-Razz flavor, but am excited to test out these SHOT BLOKS on my upcoming backpacking trips. The packaging doesn't seem to be sticky from the SHOT BLOKS, so I imagine I will be able to just throw a couple of packets in my backpack, eat the chews as I go and leave the empty packaging in my backpack without too much worry about leaving a mess on my gear. I will comment on the taste, consistency and serving size of the SHOT BLOKS after bringing them along on my trips. Final Report: July 18, 2007 FIELD CONDITIONS & RESULTS I first tried the Cran-Razz SHOT BLOKS on an overnight backpacking trip in Los Padres National Forest at en elevation of approximately 7,500 ft (2,300 m) with a low temperature of about 40 F (4 C) and a high of about 60 F (16 C). My hiking partner and I shared one packet (6 SHOT BLOKS) as we arrived at our campsite, and I had another packet for breakfast and one near the end of our hike. She described the SHOT BLOKS as "not-so-tasty candy" and didn't like them very much. To me, they tasted more like grape-flavored gelatin fruit snacks, but less sweet. I didn't think a cranberry or raspberry flavor was apparent, but wasn't surprised given that they are not on the ingredients list. I preferred the Strawberry SHOT BLOKS that I tried last year, but liked these Cran-Razz SHOT BLOKS well enough. I brought four SHOT BLOKS packets with me on a three-day car camping and day hiking trip in Inyo National Forest. My friends and I hiked at elevations from approximately 10,000 to 11,100 ft (3,100 to 3,400 m) in temperatures near 60 F (16 C). We carried lunch on both of our longer day hikes, so it wasn't until the end of each of the hikes that one hiking partner and I shared two packets of SHOT BLOKS. Since I ate some salty chips with my lunch, I didn't feel like I needed an electrolyte replacement, but I did feel like I needed the energy-boosting snack. The taste of the Cran-Razz SHOT BLOKS grew on me since my last trip, perhaps because I was hungrier when I ate them on this trip. They were immediately satisfying and the sugar rush held me over until our tri-tip was well done on the grill. The remaining SHOT BLOKS were all consumed on a second overnight backpacking trip in Los Padres National Forest. We hiked at an elevation of approximately 5,000 ft (1,500 m) along a very hot (90 F, 32 C), exposed trail. My hiking partner and I shared one pack of SHOT BLOKS at a time during several of our water breaks when we found a spot of shade. The taste, the consistency and the shot of sugar all seemed just about perfect during these breaks and we wished we had more. SUMMARY The Cran-Razz SHOT BLOKS don't really taste like cranberries or raspberries, but they were still good. They didn't seem too different in taste and consistency from gelatin fruit snacks. I don't know whether they did a good job of replacing lost electrolytes, but they were certainly satisfying, especially while hiking in the heat. REMARKS This concludes my Test Series. Thank you to Clif Bar & Co. and BackpackGearTest.org for providing me with the opportunity to test the SHOT BLOKS. Read more gear reviews by Sheila Morrissey Reviews > Food > Energy Bars and Drinks > Clif Bar > CranRazz Shot Bloks > Test Report by Sheila Morrissey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||