Homebrew Energy Gel

During a long day in the mountains, I go through several 1oz “shots” of energy gel. Even when purchased in bulk, brand name energy gels are very expensive per ounce. When a friend of mine introduced me to a “homebrew” recipe for energy gel, I had to give it a try. Using his recipe as a start, I tweaked the ingredients and process, and added a few more options for flavors. In addition to the satisfaction of making my own energy gels, I’ve found that they work very well and are cheap to make. Also, my ability to alter ingredients in accordance with my own needs is a big plus.

How It’s Made

The equation for Homebrew Energy Gel can be written as follows:

Base Powder + Flavor Powder(s) + Base Liquid = Homebrew Energy Gel

The following recipe makes about 42oz of Homebrew Energy Gel. It is less viscous than other brand name energy gels. This allows it to flow better (especially in cold environments). If you find that it is not thick enough for your tastes, add more pectin. Like other energy gels, it will work best when consumed with water. Be sure to keep the energy gel refrigerated as there are no preservatives in it. 

STEP 1: Boil 51oz of Apple Juice until there is only 14oz of liquid left. While the Apple Juice is boiling, move onto STEP 2.

STEP 2: Mix the following base powder ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly (use a kitchen scale to measure and a whisk to mix):

• 500g Maltodextrin
• 93g Brown Sugar
• 2400 mg Caffeine
• 18g Sea Salt

STEP 3: Add one of the following flavor powders to the base powder and mix thoroughly

Orange: 60g Orange Gatorade Powder

Lemon Lime: 60g Lemon Lime Gatorade Powder

Fruit Punch: 60g Fruit Punch Gatorade Powder

Strawberry: Two 4oz packets of Strawberry KoolAid concentrate

Apple Cinnamon: 9g Cinnamon

STEP 4: Once the Apple Juice is done boiling, turn the heat down to simmer. Add 16oz Agave Nectar and 1tbsp lemon juice. Stir quickly for 20 seconds.

STEP 5: Add the powder mixture to the liquid mixture. Whisk thoroughly and then blend on a low setting for 15 seconds or until all clumps are gone.

STEP 6: Add 3 teaspoons pectin with citric acid and stir thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a large gel dispenser and let it sit for 24 hours before using.

Where to Purchase the Ingredients

Apple Juice: Grocery Store

Maltodextrin: NutritionGeeks.com

Brown Sugar: Grocery Store

Caffeine: NutritionGeeks.com

Sea Salt: Grocery Store

Flavor Powders: Grocery Store

Agave Nectar: Grocery Store or Health Foods Store

Lemon Juice: Grocery Store

Disclaimer: Make at your own risk. Pay attention to potential food allergies (if you have any).

Ultimate Touring Skis?

Sometime last winter, I decided that it would be ideal to have a lightweight ski touring setup that utilized a cable tele binding (for use with Garmont Excursion touring boots) and had a heel lock-down mechanism for more control on the downs. I also decided that if I could accomplish this for under $100, it would be a feat. Since there is nothing like this currently available on the market (at least to my knowledge), I knew that I would have to fabricate some custom parts.

Breakdown of Costs:
Karhu 10th Mountain XCD waxless skis (with "fishscale" bases): $69 at REI Garage Sale
Bucket 'o old school generic (?) AT binding parts: $10.99 on ebay (including shipping)
Riva cable tele bindings: Came free with a pair of $25 skis that I recently sold for $25.

Total Cost: about $80 + tax 

Fabrication and Mounting:

I began the project with a pair of skis, a pair of  cable tele bindings and an assortment of old AT binding parts. 

Next, I removed the toe bails (with baseplates) from a broken pair of AT bindings and cut off the toe bail with a hacksaw. The result was a pair of aluminum baseplates. 

After the baseplates were free of the toe bails, I figured out that I needed to remove the lip in order to mount the televators on top. The small weight savings was a nice bonus.

Once the lip was removed (with a hacksaw), I filed the edges of the baseplates.

After finishing the initial mods on the baseplates, I removed the heel bails from the broken AT bindings and stuck them into the holes on the baseplates that were left behind by the toe bails. 

At this point, I mounted the cable tele bindings and took some measurements for the baseplates/heel bails.

Since I would be mounting the televators on top of the baseplates, I needed to cut some small holes into the baseplates to accomodate the movement of the televators. I used one of the televator mounting plates as a guide.

The holes in the baseplates have been cut (using a rotary tool and a file)

Next, I mounted the baseplates and televators onto the skis. I'm done!

Tele touring mode.

Tele touring mode with televators up.

Alpine mode.

Finally, I had to weigh the skis. 3,199 grams, not too shabby.