Contours of the Earth

Muscle Milk probably is the most notorious of the packaged protein shakes. I have to say, this is one of the better ones I’ve tried so far.

The texture is thick but smooth – this is a huge improvement over most of the other grainy protein drinks. I would have given it a 5 if it weren’t for some flakes/ chunks that I got to eventually, which I guess came from shaking it.  The chocolate flavor is not bad, but tastes artificial and slightly sour. It’s only got 2 grams of sugar, so most of the sweetness comes from sucralose which probably contributes to the slightly-off taste.

Chocolate Muscle Milk is also on the high side for protein content, coming in at 34g in a 500ml “juice box.” This is my first time trying Muscle Milk, so I was surprised to learn that it doesn’t actually contain milk – it’s lactose free, but it does contain milk protein isolate. Some people will be glad to hear that it is also gluten free.

Taste: 3 (ok)

Texture: 4 (good)

Protein: (34g / 500 ml) = 4 (good)

I’ve been a fan of Naked juice for a while now, since they’re all fruit and natural, and I remembered that they have a protein drink offering – it seemed perfect.

But, Naked Protein Zone didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The flavor is nice, like a pina colada. The texture is a little grainy though, like you can feel the protein powder. It really took away from the good flavor.

The bonus thought is that it has 30 g of protein (even though the bottle is much bigger than the 25g odwalla)

taste 4 (good)

texture 2 (meh)

protein (30g / 450ml) = 4 (good)

This is everything. (See the list below)

Before

After

All fit into one bag

This is the list for 6 months in China with just one pack. Keep in mind: I left in the middle of winter and stayed through until August, I was doing internships in offices, as well as consulting, and I was climbing pretty much every week. I also went snowboarding a few times and only rented the board & boots.

1 large camping backpack

1 daypack (camelback sans water pouch)(in the bigger bag for travel)

1 Laptop (my lenovo W500 which is a beast, definitely not good for travel)
-laptop charger cable

Electronics
-iphone, usb, plug adaptor
-2 memory sticks filled with miniapps, firefox lite, encrypted passwords (used seldomly, I was being extra-careful)
-earbuds
-small camera with memory cards

1 pair DVS skate shoes for every day

1 pair rock climbing shoes
-plus chalk bag & carabiner

1 blackish-brownish leather belt

1 Wallet (dollars, yuan, credit cards, health cards, etc.)

1 passport & passport photos

Chinese study material

Toiletries
-electric shaver
-nail clippers
-toothbrush, floss, toothpaste
-deodorant

1 bandana
2 pairs of pants (one olive, one brown)
1 pair of shorts
1 pair of trunks (for swimming)
7 t-shirts
1 wool sweater
1 long sleeve waffle shirt
2 dress shirts
1 medium weight coat for all occasions
1 warm hat
6-8 socks
6-8 boxers
1 pair of cheap knit gloves

**The only clothes I bought on the trip were a custom-made suit, flip flops, and some dirt-cheap shoes for the office which I didn’t bring back home (they were really uncomfortable).

There’s 32g of protein in this bar, with no trans fat and only 4 grams of sugar. I don’t know how they get away with that in a “chocolate” bar.

The inside of the bar looks nothing like the wrapper – it’s just a solid brick of brown stuff with a chocolate layer on top.

It’s chewy and does taste like chocolate. There are hints of some other flavors, which I would say are something like a mix of coffee & raisin. It gets stuck in my teeth and is very dry. If you don’t have a drink on hand, it would be pretty hard to get down.

taste 3 (ok)

texture 1 (bad)

protein (32/bar) = 4 (good)

It’s a small bottle, only 355ml, but contains 25 grams of protein.

It tastes pretty good. If you believe the flavor name, it tastes a bit like melted vanilla icecream. I think it’s a little chalky and gives you a dry feeling in your mouth, but not nearly as badly as some of the other drinks I’ve tried. The taste actually reminds me the most of powdered milk. The consistency is good, similar to milk.

Other good things it has: 150% vitamin B12 – good for energy, 14% Potassium, “good vibes,” 150% vitamin B6 and 75% calcium (all% of daily values).

taste 4 (good)

texture 3 (ok)

protein (25g / 335ml) = 3 (ok)