Choosing what food to bring on an overnight trip can be a daunting process. Not only do you want to be rewarded at the end of a long and challenging journey with a delicious meal, you want that meal to be relatively light, as you’ve had to carry it on your back, possibly for several days.
The process of choosing food that works for you involves a lot of trial and error along the way. I’ve seen a lot of hikers bring bottles of wine, whole wheels of Brie cheese, and cans of baked beans on overnight trips. Not to say that these items aren’t delicious and perhaps worth the extra sweat of hauling them up a mountain, but there are certainly lighter options out there. The more trips I do, the more I try to reduce the weight of my pack. This often means going without some favourite foods for several days, but a wee bit of austerity makes that restaurant meal at the end of the hike taste so much better!
The ideal backcountry cuisine should be calorie dense, compact, and provide the energy you need for hours of hiking. Oftentimes, I’ll sacrifice the nutritious part of the equation in favour of something that’s filling and easy to carry. Remember, you have to carry out all your trash with you, so select items that have minimal packaging, too.
And remember: it’s better to have too much food instead of not enough. There’s nothing worse than going hungry in the woods or having to cut the trip short because you failed to pack the right amount of food. Additionally, you should always have extra food in case you find yourself in an emergency situation. I like to pack an additional packaged backcountry meal, and some protein bars in case the gas runs out and you can’t heat water to cook the meal.
When it comes to packing the food, Ziplock bags are your friend. I like to lay out all the food on the living room floor and portion out breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day, then have snacks in a separate pile. Snacks should be packed separately in an easily accessible section of your pack, and smaller snacks can be stowed in the zippered pockets of your backpack hip strap (if you have these).
I’ve included a few suggestions below based on what I’ve tried and tested over the years.
Lunch
Lunch on the trail is usually a quick affair in my experience. Most people don’t want to pull out the stove and wait around to boil water, so something quick and tasty is best.
Bagels with peanut butter and banana. Bagels are one of the most calorie-dense foods you can find, and peanut butter provides protein. I just love bananas, but realize fruit on bread is not for everyone!
Wraps with Babybel cheese, Tuna and Sun-dried Tomatoes (dried). The tuna that comes in a packet is the best for carrying out. Cans are heavy and take up a lot of room. We’ve found Babybel cheese lasts very well in the backcountry, as it is individually wrapped in wax. If it’s hot, the cheese can sweat a little though. You can put anything you want in the wraps – just remember that fresh food will not last that long.
If you have time to pull out the stove and boil water, packet soup goes down a treat with wraps or sandwiches.
Dinner
Packaged backcountry meals. Yes, they’re expensive, and yes, some of them don’t taste great, but as far as convenience and weight optimization go, you can’t go past backcountry meals. I also like to use these as there is minimal washing up afterwards. Simply pour your boiled water into the packet, wait 15 minutes and your meal is served! After a long day of hiking, something quick and easy is a god-send. Some of my favourites include the Pad Thai and Vegetable Risotto. The hardest thing about these meals is maintaining your self-control and waiting long enough for them to be cooked all the way through!
If you don’t want to fork out the ~$10 for a backcountry meal, you could also look at the packet side dishes available in the supermarket. Uncle Ben’s Risotto meals have worked well for us before, as have some of the pasta meals and curries. Just check for the ones that require milk though. We’ll often bring a Ziplock bag of pre-chopped vegetables that last well (red peppers, red onion and broccoli are our favourites) and throw these in with the rice, pasta or curry.
If you have a dehydrator, the world is your oyster. Dehydrated meals I’ve seen out on the trails often include spaghetti bolognaise and chilli con carne.
Breakfast
Instant or quick cooking oats are a quick, filling meal. I’ll bring some powdered milk, as well as a packet of raisons or dried fruit to mix in and add a little sweetness.
The Breakfast Skillet backcountry meal is a winner, too.
Coffee. There are many different devices available on the market for creating coffee in camp. I personally don’t mind instant coffee for a few days and will usually bring the small packets.
Snacks
Trail mix. The Sierra mix, or anything with a lot of hearty nuts and dried fruit is best. You can afford to spoil yourself a little and choose the ones with M&Ms in them, too. As my friend says, the nuts and fruit are just obstacles on the way to the chocolatey good stuff!
Pepperoni Sticks. These have a good shelf life, don’t have to be refrigerated, and will satisfy your salt cravings on the trail.
Protein bars/ Cliff bars/ muesli bars. Great as on-the-go snacks. Filling, yet compact.
Candy. I believe that if there’s ever a time that you don’t need to feel guilty chowing down on sugary snacks, it’s when you are hiking. If you’re feeling a dip in energy, some jubes or jellybeans can lift you right out of that. As Bear Grylls would probably say, these are also great for morale.
Dried fruit. I love fruit, so can’t imagine going days without getting my fix. Dried apricot and apples work well, or my favourite: mango pieces. You can also get pressed fruit ‘leather’ or rolls which are a great option as they last for days.
Boiled eggs. For the first day of travel. They won’t last too much longer than this unrefrigerated.
What are your favourite meals for backcountry camping? Do you have tips on how to pack food for an overnight trip? If so, I’d love to hear it!
Weekend Wilderness 
Leave a comment