On a long hiking or backpacking trip, examine four major considerations. First, the food must provide the fuel -- calories -- to keep your body going. Second, favorite foods are one of the few luxury items you might be able to pack along without severely overloading yourself. Third, every food choice must be weighed against how much space and weight it takes up in your pack. And fourth, the food should be easy enough to prepare on the trail.
Gorp
Gorp, or trail mix, is about as simple as hiking food can get. Nuts, seeds, chocolates and dried fruit provide a calorie-dense meal you can eat without stopping and that takes up relatively little space in your pack. If you can't find a pre-made mix that you like, consider purchasing ingredients in bulk and mixing your own gorp.
Freeze-Dried Food
On all-day hikes, carrying a camp stove, fuel and cook pot might be worth the trouble to enjoy a hot meal. Freeze-dried camp meals are one of your simplest options with the widest variety of flavors. These meals come prepackaged in portions designed for one, two, four or more campers. You can choose from full meals or a la carte entrees, sides and desserts. Just add hot water, stir and wait a few minutes for the food to heat and re-hydrate evenly. You can also purchase some freeze-dried ingredients in bulk to assemble your own soup recipes or other meals.
Quick-Prepare Foods
Freeze-dried camp foods are quick and convenient but may sometimes be a bit off in taste and texture from homemade food. Options of quick-make "real" foods you can prepare in a single cook pot without any refrigerated ingredients include: powdered soup mixes, dry noodle packets, instant oatmeal, or macaroni and cheese. You can also carry spaghetti noodles and create your own sauce out of tomato paste and freeze-dried or dehydrated veggies.
Other Options
Other no-cook or easy-cook ingredients you can combine include: canned fish or meats, bagels or crackers, cheese and cream cheese, tortillas, dehydrated refried beans, and meat or fish jerky. Pre-made sandwiches may not be glamorous but are an excellent way to carry easy-to-eat, calorie-dense and relatively nutritious food. Keep in mind that you'll have to pack out all cans, baggies and other packaging from any food that you take on the trail.
Tea and Coffee
Although tea, coffee and hot cocoa hardly count as a full meal, they may be one of your biggest luxuries on a long hiking trip. Make preparation easier on yourself by either purchasing single-serve packets of each that you can dunk in water, or purchasing self-fill tea bags and filling each bag with a single serving of your favorite loose tea, coffee or cocoa mix. Seal each bag shut and package in an air-tight bag for the trail.
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