Eating in the Backcountry
Doesn’t food just taste better outdoors?
In this blog post you’ll find everything you need to know about eating in the backcountry, including information on cooking systems, food storage, meal ideas, and meal plans.
Backpacking Kitchen Gear
Cold Soaking / No Cook
First of all, you don’t need to carry a cook set on every backpacking trip. Many backpackers opt to go stove free to save themselves time, weight, and space.
Cold soaking options allow you to simply soak your food in water overnight or while you’re hiking during the day, and eat your food without cooking it. If you’re going to be cold soaking, you’ll need a container with a lid that securely closes. Lots of hikers are fans of the Talenti Gelato jars. I’d highly recommend making meals with Freeze Dried ingredients rather than Dehydrated Foods.
There’s also other food options that don’t involve cold soaking or cooking, often referred to as “no cook” meals.
While these no-cook meals are options, I'd highly recommend bringing along a stove so you can experience a warm meal after a long day of hiking.
Jet Boils vs. Stove Cook Sets
When I first started backpacking, I bought a Jet Boil. I was drawn in by how easy it was too use. If all your backpacking meals are cooked by simply adding hot water, a jet boil might be the perfect stove for you. I’ve also cooked ramen in my Jet Boil before, but thats about the extent of the cooking a Jet Boil can handle without burning the bottom.
If you’re planning to backpack a lot, I’d highly recommend checking out various cook sets to expand your cooking abilities while backpacking.
My Current Set Up
I currently have a stove/pot cook set system.
For my stove, I have a BRS 300. This stove weighs 25 g, fits into my pot with my other cookware, and only costs $17. It’s very similar to the MSR pocket rocket, but for a fraction of the price.
For my pot, I currently have the GSI Pinnacle Soloist cook set. This set features a 1.1 L pot with a strainer/sip-it top, a 14 fl. oz. mug/bowl with an insulated sleeve, and a folding spork. The set only weighs 10.9 oz, and is about the size of a grapefruit. The set, my stove, and a 220g fuel canister also all fit into the pot for storage in my pack.
Food Storage
Your food storage options depend on wilderness regulations and wildlife in the area you’re planning to backpack. Some wilderness areas require the use of bear canisters, while others allow hanging, while other areas have no food storage requirements.
No matter the requirements, when considering food storage you’ll need to ensure that:
1. You don't harm the local wildlife by feeding them human food.
2. You don't get stuck without food because an animal ate/stole it.
You can normally figure out if you need a bear canister by checking your permit, looking at the USFS, NPS, or BLM website for your wilderness area, or by calling the nearest ranger or visitors center!
Bear Canisters
Did you know that bears have a sense of smell 7x stronger than a bloodhound? They’ve been known to track food from up to 20 miles away. As a result, to keep bears out of your camping area and out of your food, a bear canister is typically a requirement.
A bear canister is a thick container, usually plastic, used as a physical barrier to protect your food and scented items from bears and other wildlife. These canisters are also sometimes referred to as a 'bear bin' or 'bear barrel' or 'bear resistant food container'.
It’s important that you buy an approved bear canister, as not all models on the market are approved for use, also known as IGBC approved. Here’s the IGBC's certified list.
If you’re ever planning on backpacking for more than a few days, I highyl recommend purchasing the BV500. The BV 500 weighs 2 lbs 9 oz and has a volume of 11.5 L. It’s IGBC approved and will cost you about $85. The canister is clear, making it easy to see what’s inside without opening it. It opens easily in comparison to other canisters on the market. When not in use, it can also be used as a camp stool.
I’ve been able to fit 11 days worth of food into the BV500. It fits into my backpack vertically, or I’ve also secured it to the top of my backpack empty and moved my food into it at night. Make sure to store your BV500 200 ft away from your campsite and in a sturdy area where it can’t easily be knocked over or off an edge.
Non-Bear Can Storage
If you’re not required to carry an approved bear canister for your backpacking trip, I recommend getting a smell proof sack to store your food. These smell proof sacks will prevent other animals like mice, squirrels, marmots, raccoons, etc. can’t get into your food. I’d recommend getting the Ursack S29, which weighs 7.8 oz and has a 10.7 L capacity.
While most places have stopped allowing hanging of food, as bears have become more keen to getting food from trees and there’s a higher margin of user error, it is sometimes an option. Please double check that bear bags allowed and that there ample trees to hang from before deciding to hang your food instead of carrying a canister.
Meal Planning
When planning backpacking meals you want to consider two main things:
Nutrient to weight ratio.
When you're doing a lot of hiking, its vital that you nourish your body and refuel it. High levels of calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibers, and electrolytes are a must. You also need to try to not just eat candy and crap the entire trip as you’ll be asking a lot from your body.Ability to pack into a backpack (no refrigeration).
Your foods should be lightweight + able to handle being squished + shelf stable.
I’d also recommend the following tips:
Add variety to your meals.
Repackage all your food into ziplock bags to save space.
Don’t forget an extra ziplock bag for your trash.
Bring salt, pepper, spices, and other condiments.
To make your backpacking meal plan…
I start with my backpacking itinerary and I write down a meal plan for each day of my trip. I figure out how many days I’m going to be on trail and how many meals I’ll need. Then I make a rough plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
After I’ve gone shopping for my food, I normally make piles for each day to assess if I’ve gotten enough food for each day. I also always carry one extra day of lightweight food.
Meal Ideas
Breakfast
Alpine Aire Smoothies + Protein Powder
I actually carried a blender bottle on the John Muir Trail to make smoothies every morning. I found that the metal ball inside a blender bottle was vital for the texture of these. Simply adding the powder and shaking well didn't have the same effects. I also learned these are best with cold alpine lake water. I unpackage these and put them into ziplocks so I can add a full scoop of vanilla protein powder.
Honey Stinger Waffles + Nutella + Dehydrated Strawberries
Need I say more? This is one of my favorite breakfast combinations and is easy to eat on the go from the trail when you want to get an alpine start. For the record, I also often ate the Honey Stinger waffles by themselves.
You may feel like a little kid again, but these are very calorie dense, easy to eat on the go, and often provide the amount of sugar I need to get going.
Oatmeal + Freeze Dried Fruits
I like doing a basic apple cinnamon oatmeal + dehydrated apples or I like doing a plain oatmeal and working in dehydrated strawberries + blueberries + raspberries. I personally love the dehydrated fruits from Trader Joes.
Instant Coffee
I’m a big fan of Alpine Starts Dirty Chai Latte.
Lunch + Snacks
Tortilla + Peanut Butter
I also do tortillas and peanut butter often on trail. I also like to add M&M’s, or dehydrated banana pieces. This meal is no cook and easy to eat while walking
BabyBell cheese + Triscuits
Cheeses, especially hard cheeses or those in a shell like Baby bell cheese, will last in your backpack for weeks. Pair it with a durable cracker, like Triscuits, that wont break easily in your bear canister.
Ramen
I’m a big fan of the chicken flavor. I also add siracha to my ramen to give it a little kick.
Pizza
In order to make pizza on the trail, I use pita bread, tomato paste, and string cheese.
Beef Jerky
The brand and flavor is up to you! There’s tons of great options.
Bars
I do a mix of protein bars, Cliff bars, and kind bars. Try to give yourself a little variety in the bars you bring along as eating the same bar every day gets old— no matter how much you loved it at the start.
Nuts
I really like a trail mix, peanuts, or unshelled sunflower seeds!
Dehydrated Fruits
My favorites are mango, raspberries, apples, and strawberries. I eat these as they are, dehydrated, or sometimes I add a little water to "rehydrate" them.
Fruit leather
I ate these a ton as a kid, but they’re a great option for satisfying your fruit craving while out on the trail.
These are a great option because 1. I love cheese and 2. they have 13g of protein per serving! I'm almost always deficient in protein while out on the trails so these are a great way to add a little boost.
Dinner
Mac and Cheese
To easily make Mac and Cheese on trail, I buy the individual packets of Mac and Cheese instead of the big box. I find that I’ll normally eat two individual sized packages, so I combine two together. I normally take the cheese packs out of their packaging to add powdered butter and powdered milk into each packet.
Bean and Cheese burritos
Yes you read that right. My favorite dinner on the John Muir Trail was burritos made with black bean flakes (spiced with garlic powder and cumin powder), two individually wrapped pepperjack cheeses, and Taco Bell sauce wrapped in a tortilla.
Alpine Aire Burrito Bowls
These bowls are a great dehydrated backpacking meal. They remind me of Chipotle! Just add hot water. I normally bring two tortillas for one package and make two burritos out of it.
White Bean Soup
I use dehydrated white beans, chicken stalk powder, dehydrated green chiles, garlic powder, and cumin for this recipe. I premix the dehydrated ingredients and spices in a ziplock so I can simply add hot water and let it simmer for a while in my pot.
Instant Mashed Potatoes
This meal is ‘just add hot water’, super cheap, and very filling. You can also add cheese, bacon bits, dehydrated green onions, or other options to make this a more rewarding meal.
When I first started transitioning from only eating pre-packaged dehydrated backpacking meal, I almost strictly ate Knorrs Pasta sides. They are a cheap, easy to make, and tasty option for backpacking trips. They have prepackaged pastas + sauces, or you can use their dry pesto sauce and add it to your own pastas.
This is a super filling, high protein rice combo. I often like to combine the quinoa + brown rice back with black bean flakes. I also add a little powdered butter or an olive oil packet. While these can be heavy, it’s easy to get two servings from them— you can split them up ahead of time or make one packet and share with a friend!
More Resources:
Aaron, the founder of Backcountry Foodie, is a registered dietitian and avid backpacker with 16 years of experience on the trails. In 2017, she thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. She recognized that one of the most important, and simultaneously overwhelming elements of backpacking, was creating a successful meal plan that provided enough nutrients, taste, and didn’t break the bank. So… she created a phenomenal resource for backpackers and thru-hikers, including a hub of ultralight recipes, meal plans, worksheets, webinars, blog posts, and just about everything else you need to know about eating in the backcountry. You can check out her website at: www.backcountryfoodie.com
The Hungry Spork: A Long Distance Hiker’s Guide to Meal Planning by Igna Aksamit
Igna is one of the big names in backpacking, hiking, and all things thru-hiking. She’s a wealth of knowledge, and is one of the kindest women I’ve chatted with. Her book was a great resource for me during my planning of the High Sierra Trail and John Muir Trail. I’d highly recommend checking out her book.
Backpacking Meal Facebook Groups
I’m a big fan of Facebook groups because they’re opportunity for crowdsourcing of information. The group “Meals For the Trail” and “Backcountry Meal Planning For Thru-Hikers” both have great inspiration for new backpacking meals, tips, and tricks.
