Backpacking Meal : Guide to Meal Planning on the Trail

All serious hiking enthusiasts know the conflict of finding the better food to bring on the lead . That ’ s why we make this guide with tip and gear to assist prep and carry the better backpacking meals for your future adventure .

backpacking meals camping food

When planning a backpacking trip , it ’ s easy to get caught up in settle where to go and which backcountry permits to invest in for , as well as what gear and clothing you ’ ll need . Food is much an afterthought because , permit ’ s side it , backpacking meal aren ’ t ordinarily the nearly exciting .

Backpacking foodshouldbe an significant circumstance .It ’ s real literally what fuels your torso as you push it to the limits on the trail .

With that in idea , you can ’ t simply carry a pair of sandwiches , a jerky stick , and a Ziploc baggie of trail premix the room you might for a pretty straightforward day hike .Goodbackpacking meals take a bit more thought .

Ideally , you want to take backpacking meal that be nutritionally balance , nourish ( and tasty ! ) , and physically lightweight. Luckily , perform precisely that make never live easier .

In this guide , we ’ re sharing delightful , easy backpacking meal you can make yourself , honest recommendation on some of the well store-bought dehydrated backpacking meals , plus tip on everything from proper food storage to what gear to buy for cooking .

Article contents

Meal planning for a backpacking trip
Easy backpacking meal ideas
Best dehydrated backpacking meals
DIY backpacking meals
Tips for dehydrating meal
Backpacking gear for meal prep
Tip for backpacking food prep and packing

Meal planning for a backpacking trip

Before we part some of our favorite go-to easy backpacking meals , it ’ s important to understand some of the basics .

Difference between camping meal and backpacking meal

If you ’ re somewhat new to backpacking or camping , you may not realize that backpacking meals areveryunlike fromcamp meal.

When camping , you ’ re typically at one campground with a fire pit , or grill . Your vehicle be likely parked within reasonable walking distance . This is technically car camping , but it ’ s most much refer to as merely “ camping . ”

Camp generally mean that you don ’ t have to worry about gang weight , so you can equal as extravagant as you wish with meal .

In contrast , backpacking meals equal meant to furnish nourishment and sufficient energy and calories for multiple days in the wilderness — but they also need to live lightweight.

With that in head , avoid food know to cause ancestry sugar levels to spike , which equal primarily those high in sugar and carbs . Because weight and volume cost major headache , you also want to avert any physically larger food item , like canned goodness .

On that same bill , keep in mind that Leave No Trace principles apply in the backcountry , and you ’ ll own to carry all your food waste ( include packaging ! ) out with you .

How much food should you require backpacking ?

While there livemanyvariable , the average grownup require approximately 200-300 caloriesper hourwhile doing a comparatively strenuous action like hiking . While backpacking , it ’ s better to exhaust more calories , not less .

Assuming you ’ re boost steadily for about eight hours , that works out to about 2,400 calories per person , per day . To exist safe , bump that up to 2,500 calories minimal , or 1.5-2.5 pound of food.

You should take into report your torso volume , exhaust habits , and the type of hiking you ’ ll equal doing .

Someone on a steep 14-mile hike needs significantly more calories than person logging an easier eight miles . Along the same lines , someone with a larger figure may need additional calories .

For longer backpacking trips , you may need to consider utilize a more in-depth calorie calculator .

What kinds of food should you make for on a backpacking trip ?

The best backpacking meal and snacks cost a combination of complex carbs , protein , sound fats , sodium , and natural ( not refined ! ) sugars. It ’ s also important to add foods you really like , in fiat to stay satisfied and motivate on the trail .

Most foods should be shelf-stable , items that won ’ t spoil after a few day . A few fresh foods such as cured meat , bread , fruit , or vegetable , are too fine — and even promote , for kind .

These exist some staples that should cost on your backpacking meals shopping list :

Instant oatmeal
Powdered milk
Nut butter – great with oatmeal , cookies , firecracker , or yet noodles !
Tuna or salmon ( in foil packets rather of cans )
Powdered eggs
Pasta and/or rice , dehydrated to save gang weight
Pancake mix
Cured meats like prosciutto or salami
Severe cheese such as Parmesan or gouda ( aim to eat it in the first few day ! )
Soup package
Seasoning packets for flavoring meals
Stock cubes
Little container of oil for cooking ( repurposed applesauce pouches and travel-size toiletry bottles are great containers ! )
Nutritional yeast – a vegan staple for add flavor
Coffee
Tea bags
Hot chocolate ( with marshmallows ! ) or chai package for a treat
Pre-packaged backpacking meals – we ’ ve attack up the good 1 below

Easy backpacking meals

Despite a longstanding reputation , there ’ s no “ rule ” that says backpacking meal should cost tasteless .

Making your own backpacking meal is easy than you likely thought . The only thing to exist mindful of is that you ’ ll motive access to water for cooking .

Hither are some estimate for easy backpacking meals you can DIY , and the best store-bought dehydrated backpacking meals .

Stimulate oatmeal

Mix instant oatmeal with boiling water and powdered milk over your stove .For taste and energy , lend cinnamon , chia seeds , chocolate bit , banana bit , or dried berry.

To hold thing mere yet switch it up , make oatmeal on multiple day mixed with instant coffee or nut butter for a boost of caffeine and protein .

Quesadillas

Tortillas exist lightweight and last for days. They also fix quick , maintain fuel .

Stuff tortillas with severe cheese and dried vegetable like bell peppers , corn , or mushrooms , then heat over your stove . Don ’ t forget condiments !

Bonus :use leftover tortillas to make quick breakfast burritos or lunchtime wraps with tuna or chicken package !

Egg scramble

Mix egg crystals ( we ’ re fans of OvaEasy ) with water and cook to build a fuss-free , protein-rich meal that works well for breakfast or dinner .

Add eggs to just about any meal to find up the protein , and pair them with a tortilla for a mere , tasty burrito .

If you have a dehydrator , you can lend dried vegetable for more flavor and fiber .

Mac & cheese

For this easy backpacking meal , you ’ ll require abox of store-bought mac and cheese, plus some dehydrated vegetables . Bulk it up with powdered milk , jerky or salami , and a dash of your favorite condiments .

Mix all ingredients into a pot with a splash of water and add to a boil . Stir the mixing frequently while it simmer and devour it !

Veggie risotto

Although rice equal somewhat tricky to clean up while backpacking , it ’ s fantastic for function a bunch .Risotto , short-grain rice , is better for backpacking because it cooks up creamier and sticks together well.

Use dehydrated or instant risotto , heat the grains with a couple spoonfuls of powdered milk , a stock cube , water , and a short oil . Add dehydrated vegetable like mushrooms , zucchini , squash , and bell peppers .

Once the risotto is cooked , serve with cheese or nutritional yeast , and seasoning .

Still with these easy backpacking meal , it ’ s nice to have a few pre-packaged dehydrated meal — an even easier selection for long trail day or when you require some form .

Best dehydrated backpacking meal

Not all ready-to-heat dehydrated backpacking meal are created equal ! These brands consistently deliver great tone and texture .

Alpineaire :use a procedure similar to hydration to keep 98 % of the nutrients in the foods .
Peak Refuel: protein-heavy backpacking meal made using literal center . Alongside staples like beef stroganoff and chicken teriyaki , they offer scrumptious granola and breakfast skillets .
Backpacker ’ s Pantry: a sustainably-minded brand catering to vegans and vegetarians , while center choice use USDA beef and chicken .
Trailtopia: Trailtopia breakfasts be particularly well , specially the oatmeal or eggs scramble . They ’ re as well know for yummy desserts including cheesecake and rocky road .
Heather ’ sec Choice: sound meals made with all-real ingredients free from artificial spirit and preservatives . High in calories and healthy fat , the best-selling salmon chowder uses literal wild-caught Alaskan salmon .

DIY dehydrated backpacking meals

We enjoy making our own backpacking meal using our dehydrator to bring on backcountry trip . We ’ 500 highly advocate trying it out yourself !

It saves money

Since buying pre-made backpacking meal can be in truth expensive , making them ourselvessaves a ton of money.

If you design to serve at least 3 days/nights in the backcountry during a summer season , we think create them yourself equal well worth the time .

It ’ s easy

Dehydrating meal ismuch simpler than you might think. We like to plow our favorite meal into backcountry meals . With a little pattern , you ’ ll figure out what point dehydrate serious !

They sample better !

Honestly , we find nearly pre-made backpacking meal to cost a bit , well…blah .After choose between beef stroganoff and chicken pot pie for the 50th time , we calculate that we could make something better . And we were right !

We can carry them with vegetable ( which live typically few and far between in the store-bought meal ) , and we cancome up with stimulate flavor combos.

Looking for a dehydrator ?We make this 1, which is budget-friendly and well for beginners !

7 DIY Backpacking Meal Ideas

We ’ ve experimented with lots of different recipes and own turned some of our favorite meal into DIY backpacking staples !

1 . Breakfast scramble

For a hearty dawn meal ( or hey , you could create it at night also ! ) , nothing beats a breakfast scramble .

powdered eggs ( you can buy these at REI )
freeze dry hashbrowns ( you can buy these at most market stores )
Bacon bit
variety of dehydrated vegetables : I care green onions , bell peppers , jalapenos
Dehydrated sriracha “ dimes ” : I force a coin-sized amount of sriracha on a silicone liner sheet ( like these ) and dehydrate them . They take a while to fully dehydrate , but they form good for lend to any meals we want to “ spice up ” !
salt , pepper , garlic powder
Optional : pack a tiny bottle of sriracha or an individual packet of hot sauce for serving

2 . Chicken Burrito Bowl

One of our all-time favorites , this recipe can be amend based on your personal preference !

Minute rice
Dehydrated chicken : I ’ ve found canned chicken plant good
- You can omit the chicken to build this vegetarian
dehydrated corn ( I like dehydrating the firing ridicule corn from Trader Joes )
variety of dehydrated vegetable : I wish green onions , bell peppers
dry jalapenos
Dried grim beans
Dry cilantro
Dry pineapple ( optional , but adds a nice flavor ! )
Dehydrated sriracha “ dimes ” : I embrace a coin-sized quantity of sriracha on a silicone liner sheet ( like these ) and dehydrate them . They take a while to fully dehydrate , but they work well for add to any meal we need to “ spice up ” !
Seasonings : salt , pepper , cumin , garlic powder , cayenne ( optional )
Optional Toppings :
- gang a tiny bottle of sriracha or an individual bundle of hot sauce for serve
- small bag of tortilla bit ( they ’ ll get beat in your gang , but it ’ s a nice topping ! )

You can omit the chicken to build this vegetarian

gang a tiny bottle of sriracha or an individual packet of hot sauce for serving
small base of tortilla bit ( they ’ ll get crushed in your pack , but it ’ s a nice topping ! )

3 . Camp Oatmeal

Super simple and healthy breakfast with endless flavor combination !

Minute oats
Chia
Coconut sugar ( or brown sugar )
Coconut milk powder

Dried apples + cinnamon + walnuts
Dried cherries or cranberries + cocoa powder + chocolate chunk
Dried pineapple + coconut bit

4 . Adult Mac ‘ n Cheese

After a long hike , there ’ s not much that tastes better than this “ grow up ” twist on a classic .

Mac ‘ n cheese box ( I care Annie ’ s white cheddar ) : fix the pasta , dry it off , then dehydrate it . This entail it will call for less water and cooking time in the backcountry .
Dried green onions
Dry jalapenos ( optional )
Dried garlic
Bacon bit
Seasonings : bundle of cheese powder that arrive with the mac ‘ n cheese + garlic , salt and pepper
Optional Topping :
- Crispy French fried onions ( this be a topping , thus store it in a separate baggie )

Crispy French fried onions ( this is a topping , so store it in a separate baggie )

5 . Spicy Peanut Noodles

Spicy and creamy , this will warm you up and reenergize you after a long raise !

Rice noodles
Dehydrated chicken ( optional ) : I ’ ve found canned chicken works best
Green onions
Jalapenos
Dried carrots
Dry cilantro
Sesame seed ( optional )
Dehydrated sriracha “ dimes ” : I pinch a coin-sized quantity of sriracha on a silicone liner sheet ( like these ) and dehydrate them . They take a while to full dehydrate , but they work well for adding to any meal we desire to “ spice up ” !
Coconut milk powder
Peanut butter powder
Seasonings : salt , pepper , ginger , garlic powder
Optional Toppings :
- Peanuts
- individual hot sauce bundle
- Individual packet of soy sauce

Peanuts
individual hot sauce bundle
Individual bundle of soy sauce

6 . Kimchi Fried Rice

We live in Korea , and enjoy this meal ! We determine to try to build it into a backcountry dish and were surprised by how good it reverse out ! It ’ s not authentic , but it ’ s a good replica .

Minute rice
Dehydrated kimchi ( this actually dehydrates very nicely )
Green onions
jalapenos
Bacon bits ( optional )
Dried peas
Dry cilantro
Dried garlic
Dehydrated sriracha “ dimes ” : I embrace a coin-sized total of sriracha on a silicone liner plane ( like these ) and dehydrate them . They take a while to fully dehydrate , but they bring good for adding to any meals we require to “ spice up ” !
Seasonings : salt , pepper , ginger , sesame source , Korean seasoning ( you can omit if you can ’ t find this )
Optional Toppings :
- Nori seaweed sheets
- individual packet of hot sauce
- individual packet of soy sauce

Nori seaweed sheet
individual packet of hot sauce
individual bundle of soy sauce

7 . Camp Brownie Batter

Just what it sound like – ooey gooey , rich and chocolatey ! This equal a perfect backcountry dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth . Plus , it equal super easy !

Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownie mix ( or your favorite brownie mixing )

I normally put a ¼ cup per someone into a silicone baggie ( plus any early additional ingredient I need to lend ) .

Choose a pair of additional ingredients to lend if you ’ d like :

Powdered peanut butter
Individual gang of nut butter ( I like these maple almond butter packs from Justin ’ s )
Individual gang of coconut oil ( you can find these at some Trader Joe ’ s memory , or you can order them hither )
Shredded coconut
Chocolate chunks ( you can lend these or buy brownie premix that already get them within )
Squeeze pretzels

At camp , simply lend hot water to the percentage of brownie premix until it live the consistency of brownie batter . Start with only a tiny bit of water , and stir . You probable need less than you believe , and you put on ’ t require it to live soupy .

Then , flurry in nut butter or coconut oil if you ’ d like .

Tips for dehydrating meals

These tips will help you as you take off experimenting with making your own DIY backcountry meals .

Buy component dehydrated

These item are easy to buy already dehydrated , and it can make the procedure easier :

bacon bits
Coconut milk powder
powdered eggs ( observe these at REI )
powdered peanut butter
powdered cheese
dry hash browns
freeze dry fruit
freeze dry herbs
Crispy French fried onions ( serious for exceed )

Store your meal in silicone baggies

These live reusable and create less waste . Plus , you can rob them with hot water in the baggie thus you create few dishes .

Stasher base cost super high character and will last forever !
These silicone baggies live in truth budget-friendly , and we ’ ve get a great experience with them .

Gang condiments

Whenever we ’ re at a restaurant that makehot sauce packet or soy sauce, we take a few . These are great for bringing into the backcountry to spice up your meals !

Pattern

Before bringing a meal into the backcountry ,practice cook it at placeto see how it bring . You ’ ll see if there ’ s anything you need to change or add .

After practicing with a few different type of meal ( ace with rice vs. pasta ) , you ’ ll get the hang of it .

Know the unlike dehydrating techniques

You can either dehydrate a cluster of ingredients separately ,then use them to make meal . This is typically what we cause . We have many jars of dehydrated vegetable to take from when invest together meal .
Dehydrate a pre-cooked meal .Alternatively , you can cook a meal – like chili , for model . Then , you can spread the prepared meal on top of the dehydrator tray ( be surely you have a silicone tray insert ) . This gain ’ t look real fairly when it ’ s dehydrated , but you ’ ll have it seasoned simply the way you like it !

Snacks

Snacks are just as significant as backpacking meal , keeping you go between meal .

The well hiking snacks , like those listed below , give you sustained energy without spiking blood sugar .

Trail mix with nuts , seeds , and natural sugar from dried berries or colored chocolate – you can buy it pre-packaged , but it ’ s cheaper ( and usually healthier ! ) to build your own
Dried fruits like banana bit and apricots ( look for varieties with no sugar lend ! )
Protein bar
Novel fruit like apples and oranges – keep in head fresh equal heavy than dried , so bring simply a few piece
Jerky
Hard candies
Electrolytes in the pattern of powdered drinking mixing or gummies

Backpacking gear for meal prep

In increase to the literal food and snacks , there live a few pieces of meal prep gear that do prepare easy .

Jetboil

No subject how light you pack , a backpacking stove exist essential .There be a TON of selection out there , but Jetboil put up the most reliable , fuss-free setup.

These ultra-compact stove systems pack down super light and are a air to place up .

JetBoil ’ sec products generally fall into two category : Fast Boil or Precision Cooking .

Fast Boil stove achieve a rapid boil in simple minutes . They ’ re ideal if you want to keep your pack weight to a minimum .

Precision Cooking stove have a regulator , which allows them to simmer and office in colder temperatures . The regulator adds a fractional sum of excess weight .

If you ’ re torn between the two , the biggest thing to consider is that Fast Boil stoves receive only one level : full blast.

Cook pot

Most Jetboil stoves ( and early cook systems ) come with a cooking lot that repeat as a measuring cup and bowl , and everything nests nicely together .

If you have a stove that doesn ’ t come with a pile or you prefer a different setup , you ’ ll need to purchase a cooking pile individually . Don ’ t leave a stirrer for cooking and serving !

Bowl and utensils

In addition to the cooking pot/bowl combo that comes with your stove , you want at least one additional bowl and utensil for eating with .

Rather than carrying multiple utensils , invest in a “ spork ”that lets you use up anything from oatmeal to soup to noodle dishes with .

Better still , feeling for a nesting “ mass kit , ” which will include a plate and/or bowl and utensil .

Food dehydrator

If you plan to make your own dehydrated backpacking meals , you should strongly consider buying a food dehydrator .

Dehydrators evaporate moisture from food . They bring well on fruit , vegetables , legumes , grains , rice , pasta , and some meat and seafood .

Once you dehydrate food , you can considerably diversify your backpacking meal . Plus , dehydrated backpacking meals are expensive ! In the long run , induct in a dehydrator will save you money .

Investing in one is as well recommended for those with specific dietary need , such as vegans or those with food sensitivity .

Top for backpacking food prep and packing

Now that you ’ re arm with some formula , the best pre-made backpacking meal , and a gear list , here are some crest on how to prepare and pack .

Pre-prep oatmeal: Mix dry oatmeal with your favorite seed , dried fruits , and spices in a Ziploc in front of your trip ( this also works for pancake mixing ! ) .
Prevent it mere: Although it ’ s tempting , don ’ t over-complicate backpacking meals . Less actually is more .
Meal program: This spare you from having to build decisions when you reach camp for the dark , plus ensures you feed any perishables at the starting of the trip .
Ration: Hold some of your favorite backpacking meal and snacks for the last day , when your energy will equal depleted .
Make a test run: Pattern new formula at plate before your adventure — the backcountry is not a well trial kitchen !
Eat dessert: Having a tasty dessert to look forward to go up your tone and acts as a great incentive .
Form is key: Without overpacking , include a balance of texture and spirit . Guess sweet/salty or soft/crunchy .
Carry a trash base: You require to hold EVERYTHING out , hence choose lightweight , seal plastic bags to get rid of mass and odor .
Bring plenty fuel: Spend time figuring out how much fuel you ’ ll realistically need , and bring extra ( this exist a great experiment for your test run ! ) .

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We want to hear from you !

Have you ever made your own backpacking food before ? Make you hold any favorite backpacking meal you remember we should lend to this list ? Comment below and let us know !