The Polarizing, Trail-Ready Costco Grocery Item Some Campers And Hikers Swear By

Some foods seem destined to divide us. From black licorice to blue cheese, certain grocery items split us into "love it" or "hate it" camps. For hikers and campers, Costco's Kirkland Signature Protein Bars are one of these polarizing items. Some backpackers swear by them; others swear off them. Let's find out what's behind the debate.

We'll start with why some outdoorsy folks really love these protein bars. Many in Reddit's r/Costco forum praise the bars' macros: high protein, relatively low in calories, and not too much sugar. To be specific, each bar typically packs more than 20 grams of protein, and contains fewer than 200 calories and only around two grams of sugar, which is a pretty solid ratio. The bars also tend to be high in fiber, with each bar containing about 10 grams. So overall, they're a healthy, mess-free snack to refuel with while out on the trail, and this is what has gained them a loyal fanbase.

But how do they taste? According to many posters on Reddit and reviewers on Costco, the bars are delicious. People have their favorite flavors, though which you like will depend on your individual taste buds. At Costco, the flavors are chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate brownie, chocolate peanut butter chunk, and cookies and cream. All of this sounds great, right? Not so fast.

On the flip side, plenty of posters really hate these bars. Reddit user Percentage-False didn't hold back: "The Kirkland protein bars SUCK... The taste is gross, the texture is nasty, the smell is unappealing." So basically they couldn't find any redeeming qualities! Another in the Costco subreddit compared them to "stale play-doh." Those are not the kinds of testimonials Costco is going to put in its adverts.

Critics describe the taste as artificial, and some complain that the bars are too sweet. Kirkland bars tend to have a mix of stevia and erythritol as sweeteners and some say the stevia taste comes through too strongly. Quality control is another issue with these bars. Many Redditors and Costco reviewers point out that the texture can vary from very soft to super sticky, or dry and chalky to extremely hard. Several people recommend microwaving the bars if they're too solid, but we've yet to see a microwave listed as a backpacking essential, so that's not a feasible solution for most campers and hikers.

Are the bars a top-tier hiking food and drink hack, or a total miss? That depends on your tastebuds and how much you value high protein and low sugar content. If you'd like to make your own judgment, pick up a pack of Kirkland Protein Bars at Costco.