The Best Backpacking Meals
Food for the Trail
When you're deep in the backcountry, every ounce matters—but so does every calorie. Whether you're thru-hiking a long trail or out for a weekend adventure, easy, lightweight, and satisfying meals are the key to keeping your body energized and your morale high. Here are some easy recipes for delicious meals–even when you’re miles away from electricity.
Before you head out on trail, try out some of these meals at home to make sure you like the flavor.
How much food should I pack?
It can be tempting to pack too much food on a trip because you’re worried about getting hungry. As you’re preparing food, lay it all out to judge how much you’re packing for each day. You want to aim for about 2,500 to 4,000 calories per day per person. This equals around 1.5-2.5 lbs of food per day.
Look for calorie-dense foods so that you’re not carrying too much weight with too little substance. A good rule of thumb for that is 100-130 calories per ounce.
Backpacking Breakfasts
Start off your day right! Whether you like staying around the camp for a bit in the morning or prefer to hit the ground running, here are some good options.
Instant Oatmeal Packets: Lightweight, easy to prepare, and customizable. Plus, on cold mornings, it’s a warm boost to make the day start great. On warm days, you can cold soak it overnight so you have a no-prep breakfast in the morning! You can also add in dried fruit, nut butter, powdered milk, protein powder, Nesquik mix, or trail mix.
Breakfast Bars or Granola: Don’t want to wait around in camp for things to cook? No worries. Just grab a bar and go. Favorites: Luna Bars, Met-RX, Clif Bars, BelVita, homemade granola bars, or dense, calorie-rich muesli.
Instant Coffee or Tea: Pair with powdered creamer or drink it black. A warm cup in the morning can be a serious morale booster.
Lunch on Trail
Keep snacks on hand as tasty treats for overviews and to help keep your energy up throughout the day. Backpacking-friendly snacks include:
Trail Mix: Just your everyday, classic mix of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate. It’s hard to go wrong! Pro tip: Make your own or buy in bulk to save money.
Energy Bars and Gummies: Rotate between brands like RXBAR, Kind, ProBar, Honey Stinger waffles, or regular gummy bears for variety.
Jerky: It’s high in protein and easy to eat on the move. Plus, there’s so many different flavors!
Electrolyte Mixes: Powders like Nuun, Liquid I.V., or Tailwind help replenish salts and keep hydration on point.
Best Backpacking Dinners
Dinner is one of the best parts of camp! After a long day of hiking, you get to sit down, light up your campfire or backpacking stove, and share stories from your adventure while filling up on good, calorie-rich food.
Ramen or Instant Noodles: Eat plain or add dehydrated veggies, a boiled egg (if fresh), or peanut butter and soy sauce for Thai-style noodles.
Instant Mashed Potatoes: Mix in tuna, cheese, or a packet of seasoning or gravy mix for extra calories and flavor. For a thru hiker ramen-bomb, mix in a package of ramen, tuna, and seasoning for a high-calorie, low-cost meal!
Couscous or Instant Rice: Cooks fast and goes well with soup mixes, curry powder, or dehydrated meals.
Mac and Cheese: Get the one with the creamy cheese for extra goodness, and mix in a packet of barbeque pork.
Freeze-Dried Meals: Just add boiling water; you don’t even have to get your pot dirty! Brands like Mountain House, Backpacker’s Pantry, or Good To-Go are convenient but pricier than the other dinner options. hydration on point.
Backpacking meals don’t have to be gourmet to be good. With a little prep and smart packing, you can keep your trail kitchen simple, lightweight, and seriously satisfying.
