Taking a long backpacking trip can be an experience you never forget. Depending on your perspective, a long backpacking trip can range from a long weekend away to an entire week or more in the wild. When backpacking through the wilderness, it may be difficult to turn back and pick up forgotten supplies. Select your food for the trip based on your destination, length of trip and nutritional needs. Once you have your menu planned, research the best way to pack enough food for your long trip.
Step 1
Purchase a bear container if you will be backpacking in bear habitat. Consider the weight of the container when planning your trip. Bear containers close tightly and keep food smells inside the container rather than on your person. Fill the container with unopened food for the first day of hiking and use the container to store opened or odored food later. According to the REI website, pack the food container close to your back in the largest section of your backpack to help with weight distribution.
Step 2
Pack foods in single-portion sizes to avoid having leftovers, recommends the University of Maine Extension office. Avoiding leftovers keeps you from leaving food behind for animals and takes away the temptation to eat food that may spoil after being opened. Take food out of bulky packaging and use sealable plastic bags for enough individual portions to last your entire trip.
Step 3
Put your food in a stuff sack--a drawstring bag--which helps keep food in one place in your pack. On a long trip, you will need more than one stuff sack of food. Calculate your caloric needs and pack high-calorie foods that will sustain you for your trip. Put the heavier foods such as pouches of tuna, squeeze peanut butter and nuts in the bottom of your sacks. Each night, put your foods for the next day at the top of your stuff sack and place the sacks in the upper compartment of your pack for easy access.
Step 4
Take dehydrated foods to save room in your pack. Divide your food into daily meals of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Label each meal with a permanent marker to help you find the meal faster when you are hungry and tired. Pour heated water right into your dinner packet and eat the food right from the package to avoid having to pack a bowl. Freeze-dried foods take up more space than dehydrated foods so remove them from the original packaging and put them in a smaller zippered bag. Since the foods are heavy, pack them close to your back and not toward the front of your pack.
Step 5
Repack your backpack as you eat your food supplies. In the beginning of your backpacking adventure, food will constitute the majority of the weight in your pack. Keep your food centered in the upper part of your pack to keep your backpack balanced as you complete your hike.
Tips and Warnings
- Try on a backpack before you purchase one from the store to ensure it feels comfortable to you. Pack loose tea and coffee in plastic bags. Lay out all of your food before you pack and compare your food to your menu plan. Avoid strapping food to the outside of your pack.
- Do not eat any food that smells off or spoiled. Notify family and friends of your time line and intended destination.
Things You'll Need
- Bear container (optional)
- Sealable plastic bags
- Stuff sack
- Tuna
- Squeeze peanut butter
- Nuts
- Dehydrated foods
- Permanent marker
- Freeze-dried foods
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