Beginner's Guide to Backpacking Food
Food planning for your first backpacking trip does not need to be complicated. Keep it simple, pack enough calories, and focus on enjoying the experience. You can refine your trail cuisine with experience. For now, here is everything you need to know. One popular option is the Thule Accent 26L Backpack ($150, 2.7 lbs).
How Much Food to Bring
Plan for 1.5 to 2 pounds of food per person per day. This provides roughly 2,500 to 3,500 calories, which is adequate for most weekend backpacking trips. On longer trips or strenuous routes, increase to 2 to 2.5 pounds per day.
For a two-night trip, carry 3 to 5 pounds of food total. Lay it all out, look at it, and ask: is this enough to keep me fueled for two full days of hiking plus camp meals? Add more snacks if in doubt.
Breakfast
Instant oatmeal is the easiest backcountry breakfast. Boil water, pour into a bowl or bag of oatmeal, and eat in 5 minutes. Enhance with dried fruit, nuts, brown sugar, or powdered milk.
Granola bars or Pop-Tarts require zero preparation. Eat while packing up camp.
Instant coffee or tea packets add warmth and caffeine to your morning.
Lunch and Snacks
Do not plan a sit-down lunch. Instead, graze on high-calorie snacks throughout the day. This maintains steady energy and avoids the sluggishness of a big midday meal.
Trail mix: Buy pre-made or mix your own from nuts, chocolate chips, and dried fruit.
Energy bars: Clif bars, Kind bars, or granola bars are convenient and calorie-dense.
Nut butter packets: Justin's or other single-serve packets pair with anything.
Jerky: Provides protein and satisfying chewing.
Cheese and crackers: Hard cheese lasts 2 to 3 days unrefrigerated.
Tortilla wraps: Fill with nut butter, cheese, or tuna.
Dinner
Ramen noodles upgraded with a tuna packet, olive oil, and hot sauce makes a filling meal for under $3 and minimal weight.
Instant mashed potatoes with cheese and summer sausage is creamy, calorie-dense comfort food.
Commercial freeze-dried meals cost $8 to $12 but require only boiling water. They are foolproof and tasty. Mountain House and Peak Refuel are popular brands.
Pasta with sauce: Instant pasta sides from the grocery store cook in 10 minutes and weigh a few ounces.
Hot Drinks
Bring instant coffee, tea bags, or hot chocolate packets for morning and evening. Hot drinks provide warmth, comfort, and hydration. For example, the Salomon ADV Skin 5L Race Flag Hydration Pack ($145, 0.4 lbs) is a well-regarded option worth considering.
Cooking Gear You Need
A stove and fuel canister, a pot (750ml is enough for one person), a long-handled spoon, and a lighter. That is the complete cooking kit. You do not need a pan, plates, cups, or a full kitchen set.
If you do not want to bother with cooking, you can bring all no-cook food: tortilla wraps, nut butter, bars, trail mix, jerky, and tuna packets. No stove needed.
Food Storage
In bear country, store all food in a bear canister or hang it from a tree at least 200 feet from your tent. In other areas, keep food in your pack inside your tent or vestibule to prevent rodent and raccoon access.
What NOT to Bring
Skip canned food (too heavy), fresh produce (crushes and spoils), glass containers (breakable and heavy), and anything that requires elaborate preparation. Simplicity is the goal for your first trips.
Recommended Gear
Based on the topics covered in this guide, here are some top-rated products to consider:
- Thule Alltrail 25L Daypack ($140, 1.9 lbs)
- Grayl GEOPRESS Water Purifier ($100, 1.0 lbs)
- Mystery Ranch 2-Day Assault 27L Daypack ($229, 3.1 lbs)
- BioLite CampStove Complete Kit ($300, 1.1 lbs)
- Hydro Flask 20oz Wide Mouth Flex Cap 2.0 Water Bottle ($33, 0.7 lbs)
- Hydro Flask 24oz Wide Mouth Water Bottle + Chug Cap ($40, 0.9 lbs)
Conclusion
Start simple. Oatmeal for breakfast, snacks all day, and ramen or freeze-dried meals for dinner feeds you well on any backpacking trip. As you gain experience, you will develop preferences and experiment with more ambitious trail cooking. For now, keep it easy and focus on the adventure.