Hi Mamas,
I'm going backpacking this weekend and was wondering if anyone had helpful tips. I remember reading a post a while back that had some good advice. We have bear canisters we will be using so I'll plan accordingly to fit into those. I'll be looking for items with the most calories for weight/size - not trying to do anything fancy here. Last year I planned this successfully (except some people couldn't resist bringing their own snacks which did not fit in the canister, lol). I just went to the grocery store and bought things I found their - granola, dried fruit, instant mashed potatoes/soup etc. Does anyone have recommendations? Even the obvious would be helpful because I don't remember exactly what I did before :/
TIA!
Dehydrated food sold at REI for camping
Jerky
dried meats like salami
energy bars
lots of water!
Have fun!
When we went back packing years ago we took spam and roman noodles. That was what we ate most of the week.
A friend that is a serious backpacker buys dehydrated meals. He said they are pretty good.
Oatmeal packets are wonderful breakfasts... and depending on the kind you get, you can also put the water in the packet and eat it from there..... add some dried fruit that you soaked overnight, and you have a nice quick breakfast! Very lightweight, too.
I've always been sort of fond of MRE's when I'm backcountry. Winter rations have 4,000 calories per meal, and they don't weigh much, although they're kind of bulky (about the size of a hardback book). Powerbars are my go to for in between meals. I always bring garlic, though, on the off chance of fish/shellfish. ((Around here there's lots of oysters, mussels, etc. that don't require gear beyond a knife))
For car camping/dayhikes... I don't worry so much. Peanut butter, chocolate, honey, nuts, precooked bacon, oranges, popcorn, hotdogs, pancake mix.
my Scout just finished an 87mile bike/camping trip. Carried all of his gear for 5 days. This was a follow-up to a 50mile hiking trip 2 years ago.
Here's his favs: beef jerky, dried fruit, granola bars. Pouches of chicken, Spam, tuna. He adds the chicken to ramen noodles. He eats the Spam Singles with a granola bar. He eats the tuna straight.
He also likes the chicken mixed with crushed pineapple, & uses tortilla chips to scoop it. He prefers dried fruit over fresh. (I'm the opposite.) He also likes celery sticks & carrots. Precooked bacon works well with hard-boiled eggs or scrambled over the fire.
He is allergic to peanut, & Sunbutter doesn't travel well. He relies on other products for his protein. He carries a camelpack for water + a purifier bottle + tablets in case of emergency. Oh, & he takes Gatorade packs to add to the water....& always carries some cocoa mixes. :)
Hi J.,
II've been backpacking for a lot of years now and have 2 planed this summer. I love to get away from the madness of the sounds of the city and away from all the people in campgrounds.
I bring instant oatmeal , Trail mix ,powdered milk, dehydrated backpacking foods, they have lots of calories & carbs. it also sounds like u may need another bear canister.Instant coffee instead of ground coffee .
We're from the same area, where are you going ?
We like granola bars, tuna packets, beef (or other) jerky, homemade (or store bought) trail mixes, apples, etc. Have a wonderful trip!!
