One of the most important aspects of a successful hiking trip is packing the right food. Your food will provide you energy and keep you going on the trail, so it needs to be hearty and filling, but too much weight will make you sluggish, tire you out more easily, and force you to stop for breaks more often. Spend enough time to consider what food you'll bring and your trip will be all the more rewarding.
Step 1
Decide on the length of the trip. This is critical to planning your meals. Pick bags that are appropriately sized for the trip's length and amount of food. For trips to national parks or wilderness preserves, the length often will be dictated by the permit that grants you access to the park.
Step 2
Plan trail food. Trail food should be light, easily accessible snack food that you can eat while you hike. It's basically chewable fuel. According to Trails.com, the easiest recipe is GORP, or good old raisins and peanuts. Simple is best, though you can mix in other treats such as chocolate or dried fruit.
Step 3
Put together simple meals. Breakfast and lunch should be easy and quick to prepare to allow for as much time on the trail during the day as possible, and while dinner can be heartier, it still needs to be light. According to an article in the TravelTips section at USAToday.com, oatmeal, which requires boiling water but little other preparation, and dried fruit are good for breakfast, tuna and crackers or peanut butter and jelly on pitas are good for lunch, and dehydrated meals like rice or pasta and powdered soup are good for dinner.
Step 4
Keep your choices well-rounded and appropriate for the trip. You want to restrict the contents of the meals to carbohydrates and proteins. Carbohydrates provide fast chemical energy to keep you going while hiking, and proteins will keep your body fit by aiding muscle repair when resting and keeping you from getting too sore as a result of the stresses that hiking applies to the body.
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