My Mother and her boyfriend Ger, backpacking in the 70's
I think the food is as important as the hike :-) When I think of backpacking food, I think of rich, flavorful, varied meals. I do not think of endless pop-tarts and ramen noodles.
Think about it - if you wouldn't want to eat those things weeks or months at a time at home, what makes you think you'll be happy with them on the trail?
This page is for answering your questions on backpacking food...everything from how much and what kind, to tips on baking goodies out in the middle of nowhere.
How Much?
Going on a backpacking trip is not the time to go on a diet! When hiking, you generally can eat like a hog and still loose weight.
For the average wilderness experience (I.E. Backpacking, ski touring, kayaking) 1 person requires from 1.5 to 2 pounds of food per day. This supplies roughly 2500 to 3000 calories. (Source: NOLS)
For Thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail, food weights average out to about 2.15 pounds per day. (Source, Book: Long Distance Hiking, Roland Mueser)
What kind?
A lot of your favorite home foods can become trail foods successfully. One of the best methods for making the transition is to dehydrate your meals. Cheap dehydrators are everywhere! Your neighborhood walmart currently has $50 and up dehydrators.
For hearty recipes that are equally at home and in the back country, check out the book
The Camper's Companion, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.
Mail Drops
If you're pondering long distance hiking, you may be pondering mail drops, too. Mail drops are a personal choice, depending on how much planning, money, foresight and patience you have.
Pros:
With Mail drops, you know exactly what and when you'll be eating. You can include wierd regional specialties you've grown up with and love. You can shop in bulk, saving money. You can also dehydrate homegrown things (Noodles, veggies), saving money off the expensive just-add-water-get-library-paste store bought dinners.
Cons:
Mailing things is expensive. Your tastes may change, and you could find yourself halfway through a trip, with 3 months worth of food you hate, all packaged up and waiting at post offices for you.
Compromise:
Half and half. Mailing yourself staples and things that're cheaper bought in bulk (Apple rings, your favorite expensive chocolate) and supplementing your diet with fresh things and regional specialties on the way makes sense to me.
Part of the reason you take a trip is to explore the culture and place you're going through. What better way to do that than through food?
Baking
Is it hard to peel your tent-mate out of their sleeping bag in the morning? Start eating all the hot, ooey gooey, rich and sweet cinnamon rolls you just baked on your cookstove, and they'll be there by your side in a flash.
Baked goods are decadent in the woods. They're just the thing to brighten up dreary mornings, and the perfect cap for a long, satisfying day. Imagine eating fresh baked pizza at 10,000 feet. Mmmmmm....:-)
There is a plethora of baking books and ovens to use while backpacking. An excellent book that covers a lot of the ovens and gives recipes and tips:
The Portable Baker, by Jean and Samuel Spangenberg.
