I'm married to some serious backpacker. King-Man continues several backpacking journeys annually. He spends 1-2 days hiking the Grand Gorge each year (his favorite place in the world), and recently has additionally hiked towards the Mt. Everest Base Camp, Mt. Rainier, and various spots in Utah and Colorado. The greater he hikes, the greater he really wants to. It's his factor.
He accustomed to go most frequently on journeys brought by Sierra Club or REI where they provided the majority of the food. However that he's more knowledgeable, King-Man continues to be backpacking with several hiking buddies which has created over time. Which means he needs to take their own food.
This is when I are available in. King-Man does not prepare whatsoever. Since I am a recipe developer, I figured it might be fun to determine some tasty, homemade, nutritious food for him to consider along around the trail. He'd bought and put together ready-made backpacking food previously, however i made the decision to test creating some dried, lightweight recipes appropriate for backpacking (or any kind of camping, for instance). This way I possibly could allow it to be as nutritious and attractive as you possibly can. King-Man thinks my homemade instant your meals are much better compared to commercially made stuff.
Needs for backpacking food:
- Lightweight compact. King-Man backpacks for at least 7 days at any given time, and he needs to carry everything he eats. The meals must weigh less than possible and become convenient to carry.
- No cooking, just steamed water. What this means is less to hold when it comes to cooking gear. So, meals need to be an "instant" variety that needs simply adding boiling water.
- Nutritious. Backpacking is difficult work and expends lots of calories and nutrients. It is important for that food to become dense in nutrients and calories to be able to refuel your body.
- Safe to hold without refrigeration. For apparent reasons.
- Matches a bear barrel. This is not always essential but last summer time when King-Man was backpacking for any week in Colorado, he was at bear country. So, the meals he required along needed to be compact so he could pack it securely in the bear barrel. It had been challenging, but we made it happen!
Hiking into Ptarmigan Creek in Rocky Mountain National Park. (photo shared by King-Man's hiking buddy, Mel)
seven days of recipes and organization tips. Within this publish, I'll let you know that I put together food for any week of backpacking including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. You might choose to purchase all your food instead of making your personal instant meals. In either case, I'll demonstrate how you can organize and pack it inside a bear barrel so there's quick access to every day's food.
BREAKFAST
- Instant oatmeal (purchase it or help make your own. look below in my recipes)
- Instant tea or coffee bags. King-Man takes the Starbucks instant coffee packets.
Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets. I've got a separate publish that explains at length how easy it's to create your personal instant oatmeal packets. This way they may be flavored precisely how you want them, and they're Far more nutritious compared to commercially made kind.
King-Man is a fan of blueberry instant oatmeal, and so i composed multiple packets of individuals for every of his breakfasts around the trail.
Another breakfast bag for every day. Incorporated: packets of instant oatmeal, coffee, and pills/vitamins. I made use of fold-top sandwich bags to carry all 3 products.
LUNCH
- Small summer time sausage (found these 1.75 oz little guys at World Market) beef jerky is a great alternative that King-Man frequently takes.
- Cheese wedge (also purchased these at World Market) it is a soft cheese that does not require refrigeration. Laughing Cow cheese wedges are an alternative choice. There's also some hard cheeses (asiago, parmesan) that lots of hikers take with you, however the cheese lady at the shop stated not one of them is going without refrigeration. so use at the own risk. (King-Man thinks hard cheeses are fine to consider along, particularly when hiking in cooler temperatures.)
- Wholegrain crackers. King-Man especially likes Dr. Kracker's Seedlander crackers they're dense and never as brittle as numerous crackers so that they endure well around the trail. And, they taste great and therefore are nutritious.
SNACKS
(selected to have an energy protein boost around the trial)
- KIND bars -- purchase them or help make your own (see recipe link below)
- Peanut butter packets (Justin's means they are in individual portions, with and without honey added)
- Nut seeds bars -- I got myself 5-seed almond bars at Trader Joe's there are numerous granola bar alternatives available. King-Man likes Clif Bars, too.
- Peanut bars -- for the sweet tooth along with a quick energy boost (not suggested if you are hiking in warm weather)
- Fruit Nut trail mix
- Pepper and salt shaker -- oops, that sneaked in to the snacks photo but it's handy to possess along for seasoning the moment dinner meals
KIND bars lately got the #1 rating from Backpacker magazine to find the best dietary bars to consider along hiking. They're so scrumptious which i prefer these to a chocolate bar but they are pricey. After food preparation photos for that backpacking trip within this publish, I created a recipe for homemade KIND bars which are darn near to the originals. King-Man takes this homemade version along on hikes now. They are significantly less costly if one makes your personal. We have them on hands within our house now--a popular of the two of us. This can be a publish where I explain steps to make them:
click to see Homemade KIND Bar copycat recipes
Another lunch/snack bag for every day. Incorporated: small sausage, cheese wedge, crackers, KIND bar, peanut butter packet, chocolate or nut/seed bar, trail mix. I made use of fold-top sandwich bags to carry a day's lunch and treats.
DINNER
- An immediate, lightweight meal inside a bag--just add boiling water, wait a couple of minutes, and eat. You can purchase them or help make your own (recipe link below). If you are purchasing the ready-made meals, King-Man stands out on the Mountain House brand.
You may make your personal nutritious instant meals using the 6 recipes I produced while using healthiest dried ingredients I possibly could find. They are what King-Man assumes his journeys now he likes all of them a lot he can't select a favorite. Just add boiling water, wait a couple of minutes, and eat. I explain steps to make 6 different meal varieties inside a separate publish:
This is actually the backpacking pot stove system that King-Man recommends for heating water around the trail:
ORGANIZE BAGS OF FOOD For Every DAY
6 breakfast bags (King-Man did not need one for that first day, since he'd breakfast before his hike started.)
7 lunch and snack bags
6 dinner bags (Other family members ., King-Man did not require a dinner bag while he hiked out before dinner.)
ONE BAG OF FOOD Each Day.
This managed to get simple for King-Man to consume every day without getting to surf his backpack for several miscellaneous types of food for every meal. For every the first day bag held 3 separate bags in the morning, lunch/snacks, and dinner. Labeling the baggage, managed to get a no-brainer to consume every meal with no decisions to create. King-Man especially loved this on lengthy days once they setup camp late also it was getting dark near meal time. I made use of Ziploc quart freezer bags--they are thick enough to carry up well.
Weight: 14.2 oz. for any bag of food for one day
A midweek birthday treat surprise. It had been King-Man's birthday in the center of his 7-day backpacking trip. So, I sneaked inside a bag of chocolate nick cookie bars for him to see his hiking buddies. He stated it had been the good thing from the food around the trip, along with a welcome treat for everybody. So, I have began making these its his journeys now--he's one for dessert after dinner every night.
You will find my recipe for that bars within this publish: Wholegrain Chocolate Nick Cookie Bars. Wrap the cooled bars individually in plastic wrap, and they are prepared to pack for that trail.
Weight: 1.43 lbs. for 8 cookie bars
Stack the baggage inside a bear barrel (or stuff sack).
If you are backpacking in bear country, you will want the security of the bear barrel (for your food!). Otherwise, pack all your food in a single stuff sack. Place the bag of food during the last day in first, and continue stacking the baggage horizontally ending using the First Day food bag on the top. Everything fit--YAY! King-Man loved the benefit of just getting to drag out one food bag each day in the top.
- Bear Barrel dimensions and weight: 12" high, 8" diameter 2.75 lbs (empty weight)
- Filled Bear Barrel weight (with 6 breakfasts, 7 lunches/snacks, 6 dinners, 8 cookie bars): 10.4 lbs
Using the knowning that every backpacker has his/her very own method of doing things, I understand this technique might not work with everybody. But, hopefully there are several tips or recipes here that might be useful. For those who have any ideas to share which are attempted-and-true around the trail, please share them within the comments section below. Happy trails for you.
Turn it into a Tasty day!
Monica ( King-Man)
Here's King-Man with this two sons, Tyler (also known as T-man, technical guy for TheYummyLife) and Bracken. These were going for a break on their own descent in to the magnificent Grand Gorge. Their backpacks did not need a bear barrel about this trip, however they needed to carry lots of water.
Published on Saturday, September 27th, 2014
