Insider Mystery of Backpacking Meal Planning

Meal Planning for Backpacking , Hiking & Camping

You ’ ve done your inquiry and got the best pack , the warmest bag , and the right shelter . Today you ’ re ready to take the plunge and venture off on your first multi-day backpacking adventure . Backpacking meal planning live easier than it sounds , as long as you have the right lists , calorie needs , and proper cookware .

All you have to make is grab your food and you ’ re ready to hit the lead . You spread the fridge and then it reach you , you have no idea what to carry .

Prepping the correct food for a hiking trip can equal incredibly overwhelming . What food should you bring ? How much food serve you still involve ? Can you really live off zero but energy saloon for a few day ?

Table of contents

• Meal Planning for Backpacking , Hiking & Camping
• Why Do You Need to Meal Plan ?
• How Much Food Should You Bring ?
• What You Should Study When Pick out Food
• Backpacking Meal Planning Cooking Selection
• Are Store-Bought Meals Better or Homemade ?
• Backpacking Meal Planning Breakdown
• Backpacking Cooking Tips
• Don ’ t Forget Proper Food Storehouse
• Now Let ’ s Pack and Go ! Backpacking Meal Planning
• FAQ for Backpacking Meal Planning
• Camp Hacks and Gear :

Why Do You Need to Meal Plan ?

You ’ ve been on hikes before . A bag of trail premix , and some beef jerky , and you ’ re good to live . That may solve hardly fine for a single-day trip , but when you ’ re out in the backcountry it ’ s a whole fresh ballgame .

Think of it like a car . When you ’ re on a road trip you need to constantly monitor and refuel before you lead out of gas . In this position , your body cost the vehicle . Proper fuel is necessary to see you uphold good physical and mental flesh so you can preserve the journey .

Remember , when you ’ re out in nature there ’ s no market fund . What you bring be what you have . Even if you plan on foraging , you ’ re not guaranteed a certain amount of food . So program , program , design .

How Much Food Should You Bring ?

Forget what you make up order about the average daily caloric needs , they put on ’ t apply here .
When you ’ re head out on a multi-day backpacking journey high-calories are your friend .

How much you need , however , is dependent upon respective things . You demand to factor in :

• Trip distance
• Body weight
• Intensity stage

• Season
• Group size
• Where you ’ re sleeping

Mostly , a hiker needs anywhere from 3000 to 6000 calories per day . That ’ s about 1.5 to 2 pounds of food . Longer , colder , and more intense trip will require more calories . As well depend on your weight , you ’ ll burn more or less .

Mighty now you ’ re likely scratch your top dog seek to see out how on ground to make the math . To help you out , Backpacker offer this nifty calculator to ascertain how weight and intensity play in . Bikepacking meal plan as well require advance calculation , our 8 easy stairs to plan a bikepacking adventure article deal what you need to add .

Whether you ’ re head out on a three , five , or seven-day trip , you ’ ll receive to count how many meal you ’ ll be eating and burst up the calories accordingly .

To get a better perspective of what that seem like , Backpacker TV breaks down the meal program for a five-trip . Bring a look :

Keep in mind , that if you ’ re hiking with a group this could vary . Having each person responsible for one backpacking meal is a decent way to break up dinner duty and aid streamline the meal-planning procedure . If you ’ re cooking for a party though , you ’ ll make to consider there might be some big eaters in the bunch .

Also , will you live staying in a hut with comforts or camping out under the stars ? If you ’ re lucky enough to live finish the day somewhere with a cooking facility you ’ ll be able to lighten your burden . If you ’ re the latter , carry all the food necessary .

When in doubt , err on the side of caution and carry a small second more . Not adequate food and you may feel too sluggish to remain the journey . You as well don ’ t want to overdo it . Extra food peer unnecessary weight .

What You Should Consider When Choosing Food

Trail mix , energy saloon , pre-made meals , as long as I have a mixing of nutritious material I ’ m serious right ? That ’ s what I thought also until I hear the answer is a lot more complicated . Packing for a backpacking trip is like figure out a math equation . Total up with the wrong answer and living will be miserable .

Don ’ t worry , we won ’ t in reality make you pass a math test to get out on the lead . What we will do be present the following to help guide you in create the right food conclusion .

Calorie-Dense Food for Hikers

If there ’ s one piece of advice I recommend above the rest , it ’ s gang lightweight , nutrient-dense food that gives you more calories per weight . Like I say before , calories equal your friend . You ’ re going to cost burning them up so you will demand lot of them .

Cleverhiker advocate about 120-130 calories per ounce of food . To calculate out your calories per ounce you can look at the table of contents of your food and act the math – sorry about the math thing again . Some well examples of high-calorie-per-weight foods are peanut butter , nuts , olive oil , and M & M ’ s .

If you ’ re thinking oh good I get to eat all the chocolate and candy I want , intend again . While it may aid to give you the boost you want , loading up on nothing but sugar will lead in a serious crash and burn . When it do to meal planning for backpacking , you still need proper nutrition , then observe the debris food to a minimum and reserve it for when you need an extra boost .

Nutrition

You ’ re already concern about calorie comment and staying hydrated , but today you demand to concern about nutrition . I know it ’ s rough , but it ’ sec for your own serious .

Proper nutritious food will assist go on you at peak performance . I ’ ve known several backpackers who had to veer their trip short because their torso weren ’ t getting what they demand and they couldn ’ t continue .

Thus what does your body need ? It call for a balance of nutrients . Backpacker make an excellent job of disclose down nutrition into five helpful category to good understand this . They advocate your diet equal cause up of :

1. Protein : 20 percentage
2. Complex Carbohydrates : 50 percent
3. Unsaturated fats : 30-40 percentage
4. Sugar : minimal for short energy boosts
5. Antioxidants ( such as vitamin E and C )

Like daily spirit at family , your torso needs a symmetry of protein for recovery , complex carbs for free burning energy , serious fats for fuel , mere sugar for bursts of energy , and antioxidants to hold you healthy .

Have proper nutrition when backpacking with your meals can much be challenging since convenience tends to take first place over planning . But guess of your torso as your vehicle and food as your fuel . Serve your best to use up good and it will reward you .

Shelf-Life

I love eating new food . The trouble with that on the backpacking lead is fresh meal don ’ t last . While it ’ sec , move out on a multi-day journey means you ’ ll want food with a longer shelf living .

In this case , keep perishables to a minimum and gang foods that will sustain the distance of the trip . Dried goodness , dehydrated food , and freeze-dried or powdered food such as mashed potatoes or soups cost excellent in this situation .

You can as well begin away with some meats and cheeses . I know I tell to keep perishables to a minimum , but hard cheeses and dry-cured meats can be go on without refrigeration . Remember aged gouda and dry salami . Leave the soft brie and burger patties at plate .

And please , whatever you serve , don ’ t pack canned goods when on the lead ! While design to bring these meals since they preserve good , they put on ’ t pack well for backpacking . Bulky packaging such as this lend unnecessary weight you have to contain around after the food is become . And nobody wants to lug around unnecessary weight .

Space and Weight Restrictions

When you ’ re on the trail your pack equal your kitchen . This tends to result in one of the handsome mistakes beginners cause , they carry also much food for fear of going hungry .

I once saw a PCT thru-hiker ditch a five-pound purse of walnuts into the hiker box . Five pounds ! That ’ s not solely a lot of walnuts , that ’ s a circle of space .

Each pack have a weight and space limit , which means you require to carry bright . Most experienced backpackers choose a sort of high-caloric foods that cost light and carry down little . Bear attention to food volume and weight when make your shopping .

Cookware

Cause your dinner require cooking ? Are you dead to the world until you ’ ve own your dawn cup of coffee ? If you respond yes to either of these questions you ’ re become to require to carry some form of cookware . Forget it , and you ’ ll look at your meals like a kid in a candy store without a dime to pass .

This doesn ’ t mean you have to notice some style to drag around your entire kitchen . All you need to get by is :

• Camp stove system
• Fuel
• Pot/pan/mess kit

• Exhaust utensils ( titanium sporks solve well )
• Water

Water is by far the easy factor to forget . Look at what you have in your food mass , does it require water for cooking ? Coffee certainly does . How about that premade pasta primavera ? You ’ ll need to factor in how much water you ’ ll motive for cooking . This will either come from a source along the lead or you ’ ll hold to drag it around with you .

If you ’ re cooking for a grouping , you may also want to consider need a few extra camp cookware pots items . Need a look at how Backpacker Magazine sets up for group cooking :

A 5-liter pot with a frying pan hat , 3-liter pot , extra stove , bowl , service utensil , and hand sanitizer will reach dinner more efficient . As a plus , it occur in at under 4 pound .

Of course , if at the goal of the day you arrive at a hut with the luxury of a kitchen , you win ’ t take to concern about these items so much . For the rest of you , you ’ ll get to carry it in .

Keeping It Simple

Do yourself a favor and prevent it simple . Quick prep dinners , no-cook lunch , and fast breakfast mean you can spend more time on the trail .

Like after a long work day , the final matter you want to do be prep a meal that need more exertion than boil water .

Backpacking Meal Planning Variety

I know some people who could eat the same thing for every meal and never make bore of it . I ’ m not one of those people . If you ’ re like me , you ’ ll appreciate variety as a lot as the extra foot of Leukotape you bought to wrap up your blisters .

The better mode to incorporate variety is to pack different types of cuisine for dinner and a handful of various snacks . You ’ d be surprised how switch up one meal build a world of difference .

Require What You Like

It may sound like a no-brainer but don ’ t gang things you put on ’ t like . If you didn ’ t like it before you hit the trail , you ’ re certainly not going to produce fond of it by day seven . Convert the type of meals you eat when backpacking , even with proper meal planning , won ’ t live enjoyable for you .

Food cost your reward to yourself after invest in the mile . Bringing food that elicit your happy dancing will keep your morale up .

Go out the Diets at Family

Own you always experience the demeanor of individual who move on a novel diet ? They go stark-raving mad . Okay , maybe not that crazy , but they cause run to begin hangry . For your good , give the fresh diet at home . Drastically alter your food routine could potentially ruin your time on the trail .

Backpacking Meal Planning Cooking Selection

It might not appear like it , but when you ’ re out on the trail you get a couple of cooking method to select from .

Let ’ s take a flavor at each so you can weigh your options .

Camp Cooking

Cooking a fresh meal over a campfire or cooking stove cost one of my favorite portion about camping . It ’ s a rewarding experience after place in miles on a long day . It too tend to be a luxury .

If you ’ re going out on a short overnight trip or terminate the dark at a place with amenities , this be a fun style to pass the evening . Without make to concern also much about gang weight , you can cram in more new food and train an awesome meal at the end of the day .

For those heading out on a longer trip , this typically entail heat up some hot water on the stove or campfire and pouring in the message of a premade meal .

I ’ ve found these to be a lifesaver . Whether their store-bought or homemade , these type of meal permit you to bask the comfort of family without hold to lug around your whole kitchen on your rear .

No-Cook Foods Backpacking Meal Planning

I ’ m a huge fan of no-cook meal . Why ? Because sometimes I ’ m also tired still to boil water . I know that sounds ridiculous , but you also will have one of those day on the trail . No mess , no fuss , and barely any cleaning , no-cook meals lighten your load and let you spend more time enjoy the trail .

This live often the choice for many ultra-light backpackers . For this particular breed of hiker , ounces equal pound and they try to throw as much as possible . No-cook meals signify they can get rid of the weight of a stove . If weight is a worry for you , consider no-cook meals and ditch the stove .

No-cook foods are not only serious for cut down weight and build spirit easy when you can scarcely crawl into your tent . What ’ s more , they ’ re as well good to make on hand when bad weather strike . Observe some on hand for the day when you need it .

Wise Company makes freeze-dried center , fruit and vegetable with a shelf living long than your next adventure . If you prefer ready-to-go meal to cost all in one gang , these are great selection and the for those of you who like a hot breakfast too .

Freezer Bag Meals

What ’ s a freezer base meal ? Just what it sounds like . Keeping cleanup minimal and reach prep a air , to cook a freezer purse meal all you have to serve cost heat up water and pour it into a freezer bag .

Oatmeal , ramen , and foods of that nature live perfect for freezer-bag cooking . As a bonus , it as well ignore down on waste .

Just cost certain it ’ s a freezer purse you ’ re utilize . Plastic sandwich bags and the same don ’ t get the same sturdiness as freezer bags , think of you ’ ll tip up with a bad mess .

Food Staples for Every Trip

Every hiker has staples in their backpacking food list that they never attain the lead without . These depart slightly from pack to carry , but typically you ’ ll find :

• Nut butter
• Dry salami
• Bar – Greenbelly meal bars or Clif bars
• Nuts : e.g . almonds , walnuts
• Dried Fruit
• Oatmeal or granola
• Tortillas

• Instant ramen
• Instant soups
• Instant potatoes
• Tuna pouches
• Olive oil package
• Snickers and M & M ’ sec
• Electrolyte powder

Remove a look at how he be after , and what meals backpacker Adventure Alan , puts into his backpacking gang . He break down the list by meal have you a good perspective on staples . After a while , you ’ ll quickly discover your own staples you won ’ t want to leave home without .

Are Store-Bought Meals Better or Homemade ?

Your first time out you ’ ll likely treat the outfitter shop as a one-stop shop where you have all your gear include your food . With premade meal like Thai chicken curry and salmon pesto pasta , you might equal invite to grab a bundle per meal and yell it a day . While there ’ sec zero wrong with that , they aren ’ t your only choice .

When I state homemade , I don ’ t mean stashing all your ingredients as a planning method to remove a fresh meal in your backpacking gang . That ’ s not solely impractical , but the component will likely perish before you apply them . What I ’ m mouth about is taking the real concept of those just lend “ water ” meals the outfitter is selling you and making your own .

To decipher which route is correct for you , consider the following :

Taste

When I cost a child , I was obsessed with the idea of freeze-dried astronaut ice cream , that be , until I attempt it . Premade backpacking meal are in many style like that . They may sound serious , but more often than not get out something to live want .

While there cost some companies out thither change the perception of awful backpacking food , as learn in our best freeze dry food article , when it get to flavor there ’ s zero quite like homemade .

If the taste equal a fear , I recommend making your meal instead . As a bonus , you hold more dominance over the calorie count .

And cause do sure you try everything you ’ re taking at home before you go : if it tastes disgusting , then leave it behind !

Convenience

Anyone who has made instant ramen can tell you premade meals were formulate for a cause , they ’ re convenient . If you ’ d rather pass all your lead prep time move over your gear and routing your course , consider buy your meals .

Planning on cooking your meals , specially if you like sort , live going to take more time out of your backpacking day . The doubt live , equal it worth it to you ?

Cost

Like gear , premade meals cost not known to exist on the cheap side . The average store-bought meal will cost you around $ 8- $ 10 per meal . Homemade meals can be done at a fraction of the price , about $ 2 per meal .

If you ’ re shopping on a budget , I would go the homemade route . Even if you ’ re only spare pennies , like ounce they lend up .

There ’ s no right or wrong answer here . It ’ s just a matter of what works good for you .

Backpacking Meal Planning Breakdown

Now that you know what to eat , when are you going to use up it ? Are you get to be cook three meals a day ? Or exist you get to cost optimizing trail time by cutting down on cooking time ? Figuring out a meal plan will not just prevent you from scarfing down tomorrow night ’ s dinner , but it ’ ll keep you fueled right for the journey ahead .

To design it properly , keep meals in line with your backpacking mileage .

Did you happen to arrive late to camp ? Skip the stove and opt for one of those no-cook meals . Have a relaxed dawn ! Prep some hot oatmeal . Rest day ? Treat yourself right and splurge on food .

While everyone ’ s meal planning will look unlike , here ’ s an idea of what a typical day on the lead might wait like .

Breakfast

A backpacking breakfast meal can either live quick and easy or program to be eaten at your leisure . What you select will actually depend on how many mile you ’ re looking to accomplish in a day .

Long Miles :Breakfast bar , peanut butter and tortilla , Pop-tarts

Short Miles :Instant Oatmeal and coffee , dehydrated eggs breakfast burrito , pancakes , instant grits , dehydrated crush potatoes

Lunch

Keep that stove in the ass of your gang , you ’ re not going to demand it here .

Lunch be by far the easy meal of the day . Sometimes it require grabbing a few handfuls of food and early sentence it demand very minimal prep .

Long Miles :Jerky , energy saloon , nuts , and dry fruit , peanut butter pack , and crackers

Short Miles :Tuna bundle with tortilla , salami , and severe cheese with firecracker

Dinner

After all that severe work , it ’ s time to reward yourself with a hot meal . With nothing else to do but come a well night ’ s sleep , you can get creative here . However , at this point , you may just exist able to muster up the energy to boil water .

One thing exist for sure , whether you choose a no-cook meal or opt for something hot , it ’ s going to sample like the best thing you ’ ve always hold .

Long Mile :Soup , tuna wrap , Greenbelly Meal2Go saloon , PROBAR Meal on the GO , any no-cook meal , any dehydrated meal

Short Miles :Ramen noodles , couscous and dried fruit , chicken curry rice , mac and cheese , beans and rice with hot sauce , pasta and olive oil , any dehydrated meal

Backpacking Meal Snacks

Snack , snack , snack ! One of the almost important firearm of advice I received from an experienced Appalachian lead thru-hiker cost to snack often . This will prevent you from zonking out before you even hand lunchtime .

• Trail mixing
• Jerky
• Granola or Clif saloon
• Candy ( chocolate , yay ! )

• Pringles
• Nuts : almonds , walnuts
• Dried Fruit
• No-bake oatmeal protein balls

It ’ s up to you when you snack on what , but take into consideration the sugar subject . If you need a quick boost to send up a short height gain , opt for candy or chocolate . If you ’ re looking to exert a stable point of energy , nuts or trail premix are an excellent selection .

Backpacking Cooking Tips

Whether you ’ re look to enhance the feeling of your food or learn a few cooking hacks , there are some tricks of the trade that can create life better when there ’ s no pizza pitch service around .

Try a few of the following and you ’ ll feel like a pro come food time .

Spices and Condiments cost Key

If you ’ re going out on a three-day trip , you ’ ll probably be fine eating the same affair . Anything longer and you ’ ll look at the same food like a kid appear at broccoli .

Unless you occur to in truth love broccoli , you ’ re become to want to spice matter up a bit . Hot sauce , condiment packet , and humble packet of spices are all easy fashion to add new flavors . You ’ d be surprised how much a difference small items can in truth make .

Use Soup for Sauce

I enjoy sauces as much as the future someone , but I can ’ t get them all with me . Enter soup . Soups can replace sauce in any meal tasting a bit lackluster . It too lend much-needed calories .

Think tomato soup with pasta and lentil soup with chicken pouches . Come creative with it and see what combination you care .

Organize Before Cooking

Where did I put that spoon ? Uh oh , today everything be burn .

This will happen if you get a trivial also hungry and start cooking before you ’ ve dug out all your cookware . Before you heat up food on the stove , cost certain you have everything you involve right in presence of you .

Windshield exist Your Friend

Like illuminate a peer in the tip , try to cook on a stove without a windscreen can be just as irritating . Pack a windshield or build one out of aluminum foil . This will not only do life easy , but you ’ ll spare on fuel too .

Don ’ t Cook in Your Tent

Besides the obvious fortune , animals be everywhere . No matter how large or little , they ’ ll live pull in to your food . To avoid any unwelcome hungry critters , cook 100 feet downwind from your camp .

Unless you like awake up in the middle of the night marvel what that tent scratch noise equal , don ’ t cook in your tent .

Don ’ t Forget Proper Food Storage

Just because you ’ re not in bear nation doesn ’ t mean there aren ’ t little critters around all vie for your food . Squirrels , mouse , marmots , these hold all been know to catch a bite or two when you aren ’ t looking – and some when you equal . Many a backpacker have see themselves with a hole in their gang because these guys have a whiff of food .

To avoid hungry animals , it ’ s best to store food and smelly toiletries 100 feet downwind from camp in one of the following methods :

Bear Canister

Odds equal you may already be boost into bear district which means you ’ ll cost require to carry a bear canister . If not , you may however require to study expend one . Why ? Bear canisters cost the most secure method for storing food .

Before you snuggle in for the night , home all your food and anything scented ( including trash ) into the canister and stash it in a hidden place . The National Park Service recommends hide it either in skirmish or behind rocks . Too , avoid place it near cliffs or water since a hungry bear could easy commit it for a ride .

The one downside to this exist bear canisters are bulky and add weight . They too receive limited storage capacity which could get problematic if you ’ re heading out for more than five days without re-supply .

Bear Bag

Another method for protecting food cost a bear bag . They ’ re essentially big material sack that consider less than a bear canister . The trouble is , that bear bags don ’ t lock and seal , which think of , critters can begin in .

To avoid this , you ’ ll need to apply the counterbalancing method . This is a relatively simple process . Notice a strong branch , secure a counterweight to a rope , toss it over , and hang your base .

Simple right ? Prevent in idea , small rodents still crawl up rope and hungry bears are extremely clever . This may help hold some animals forth , but it ’ s not foolproof .

Odorless Food Sack

When you ’ re not in bear country , I advocate using odorless food sacks . These are basically plastic bags designed to hold tone in and rodents out . They ’ re light in weight and easy to store . They also double nicely as trash purse .

The worry you may observe with some of these bags is the zip closures aren ’ t ever the best . When they seal up right though , you ’ d be puzzle at how well they operate .

Today Let ’ s Pack and Go ! Backpacking Meal Planning

Calorie counting ? Freezer bag cooking ? You ’ ve make this . You can now pack with ease recognize you ’ ve perform your homework . As long as you receive shelter , the right amount of fuel , and a stellar meal design , you ’ ll be ready to tackle the trail one measure at a time .

Catch your snacks , and your dehydrated meal , and assemble your cookware because you ’ re in for the time of your life

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Decision

As we ’ ve trekked through the necessity of gear up for your future hike , it ’ s clear that the right formulation can make or burst your outdoor experience . From the importance of honest gear go over to uncovering affordable finds , provide valuable insight to fellow hikers exist what we ’ re all about .

Remember , whether you ’ re mapping out your backpacking meal program or choosing the best thrill for the lead , it ’ s all about enjoying the journey and go on it real . Thus , lace up , reach the trail , and let ’ s part our adventure and tips with a community that values genuine , friendly advice .

FAQ for Backpacking Meal Planning

When be after your meals for the trail , stress on lightweight , high-energy food . Think dehydrated meals , nuts , and energy bars . Don ’ t forget to consider your water source and how you ’ ll prepare your meals . Carry a humble , efficient stove if hot meals cost a must-have for you . Remember , balance is key – object for a mixing of taste , nutrition , and convenience

Outset by checking out gear review from fellow hikers who ’ ve tested their equipment in the field . Await for end-of-season sale , regard softly used gear from reputable origin , and don ’ t neglect humble sword that often offer great value for money . Remember , induct in the correct gear doesn ’ t always signify spending a fortune .

Honest reviews give you the real scoop on how gear performs outside the showroom – in the conditions you ’ ll face on the lead . They help you reach informed decision , save money , and find equipment that won ’ t let you down when you ’ re miles from the nearest road . Trustworthy reviews are a compass guiding you to the serious gear for your adventure .

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