Five Backpacking Food Ideas for Hiking and Camping

When you're out backpacking, you will need food that is convenient to make yet provides the nutrients you need to survive. There are a variety of easy foods you can take like dehydrate or freeze-dried foods, trail mix, and foods that just need boiled water. This article will share with you a few backpacking food ideas.

Dehydrated foods

Dehydrated foods are one of the best backpacking food ideas because they help you save weight. Foods such as pastas, dried potatoes, grains, and breads are naturally or artificially hydrated when you buy them. If you are serious about this hobby, then you may benefit from a food dehydrator. They allow you to dehydrate foods yourself at home. Another backpacking meal is trail mix.

Trail mix

Another one of the backpacking food ideas is trail mix. The mix of raisins and nuts make for a nutritious snack while you're out hiking. They are very convenient and are packed with calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals. These nutritional benefits and the fact that these bags usually don't weigh much makes this an excellent backpacking meal.

Wild berries

Wild berries are also of the backpacking food ideas that you don't need to bring yourself. If you regularly hike, you need to learn to identify wild berries that are safe to eat. They provide a nutritious snack that you don't even have to carry around. Just be careful not to eat dangerous berries.

Freeze-dried Foods

One of the last backpacking food ideas is freeze-dried foods. Although these backpacking meals are usually expensive and lack proper nutrition, they are very convenient. They simply require you to add water to make the meal. Freeze-dried meals are great for long term storage or as an emergency food.

Boiled Foods

You may want to pack a backpacking meal that only requires boiling. Some of these easy foods include mashed potatoes, parboiled rice, and pasta. Just remember to choose thing pasta, like angel hair pasta, so it won't take so long to boil. Also remember that the higher you go above sea level, the longer it takes to boil water. That's something to keep in mind when hiking in the mountains.