Clif Sierra Trail Mix Bar

Simply put, it's trail mix in bar form. A hearty supply of peanuts (and peanut butter), yummy chocolate bits, a mix of seeds (pumpkin and sunflower) and raisins — although it's a little light on the raisins.

This bar reminds me of the bag of trail mix that my mother used to pack for me before I went out camping/hiking as a kid with my older brothers. It has the peanuts, the chocolate chunks, the raisins, the seeds and even the sea salt (which imitates the flavors of the pretzels that my mom would toss in my trail mix). Maybe I'm a little sentimental on this one, but the taste is just right for me. Not too sweet, not too salty. 

I've had this bar a few times now — twice during lengthy mountain bike rides, once during a day hike, and even once during a road trip when I wanted to keep driving and not stop until I nearly peed myself. 

Clif Bars and their other brands (ie: Clif Mojo, Kit's Organic, Luna) have become very popular, easy to find at most gas stations and convenience stores here in the eastern US. While it's nice that they are easy to find, the price is typically much cheaper when purchased online. I try to avoid online purchases, but the difference in my case was $1.89 at the gas station and $1.25 from the Clif Bar website with free shipping (mind you, you have to buy a case of 12 bars, so you better like the flavor). 

As you can see, the bar doesn't exactly fill the packaging. While the bar is enough, it does give the impression that there will be more. 

While these bars are easy to find and very tasty, there is always the question of energy and calories. This bar, at 68 grams (2.4oz), offers 250 calories, which is pretty average in terms of energy bars that I've seen on the market. There are certainly ones that pack in more calories, but the price seems to increase as calories provided increases. This bar to me is a good happy-medium in terms of price per calorie and calorie per gram. 

Lastly, and this is a big reason why I've been satisfied with Clif Bars, is that every time I have one, I have no desire to scarf it down like I often do with other trail food or energy bars. The chewiness is just right and the bar is thick enough to warrant 6-7 bites typically. This means that it usually takes me 10-15 minutes to eat a full bar. 

While the Clif Bar shot to fame with the backing of the mountain bike industry, I think it's a bar that can be eaten for a variety of outdoor pursuits, with maybe winter camping as an exception as they tend to be stiff when cold.