Backpacking Food Tips

The art of backpacking continues to be refined by those who travel the trials. But one thing that cannot be replaced by better lighter equipment is food. Backpackers must eat and if at all possible they must be able to carry with them enough supplies to feed them on the entire length of their travels. When planning what to take with you need to think of a few basics.

You need to bring food that is easy it carry, will fill you and will not perish on the trip. A good example of this is a trail mix. Many backpackers will mix nuts with raisins for good nutrition, protein and ease of eating. You can eat it when you are backpacking or when you stop. It does not take up a lot of space, will not go bad and can be made with a variety of your favorite mixed nuts. Nuts have a lot of calories and since the backpacker will be burning off many as they journey this is another reason to bring nuts with.

Packaged noodle soups; these are great for backpackers. They can be used when you want to make something hot by boiling a little water. Or, if you prefer, they are just as good to eat as dry noodles. There are a large number of different flavors and so you need not get bored if you are away for several days. Instant refried beans are supposed to be very good for you when you need energy.

Instant drinks are an essential to bring with you. This can be in the form of instant coffee for those who want to make sure they get their caffeine fix or other instant drinks that need only to be mixed with water. Some of these drinks will replace missing electrolytes. If you are a tea drinker bring with a tea bag or two. They can be used and put into a Ziploc and then used again many times before running out of flavor, unless you only drink very strong tea.

Do not bring with any foods in tins, glass or plastic. First because they weigh too much and second because you cannot leave them and so you will have to carry them back out with you. That means unnecessary weight plus things that will take up a lot of space both coming in and leaving. It is space you could easily fill up with much better foods.

As you cannot bring fresh fruits or vegetables with, unless it's a couple of apples for the first day, dried fruit is a nice treat to bring along. It is important that you bring some foods with you because you like them. Otherwise you will get bored of what you are eating. Potatoes chips while delicious are not good, as they are known to cause a feeling of weariness. If possible learn a little about the area you will be backpacking through and see if there are any berries that are edible.