Camp meals
Backpacking Meals
Backpacking meals that stay light, pack small and cook fast. Find just-add-water dinners, cold-soak breakfasts, no-cook snacks and hot drinks you can make with one small stove or none at all. Pick a few, pack them flat, and eat well on the trail.
10+ backpacking recipes
Backpacking breakfasts
Backpacking lunches
Backpacking dinners
Backpacking snacks & treats
Backpacking drinks
About backpacking meals
Start with weight and calories. Most backpackers do well with 1.5 to 2.5 pounds of food per person per day, and about 100 to 125 calories per ounce is a good target. Repackage everything into zip bags, cut off bulky boxes, and write cooking directions on the bag. Dry ingredients like instant rice, couscous, grits, oats, dried beans and powdered cheese or tomato give you the most food for the least weight. Add a little olive oil or nut butter to boost calories without adding bulk.
Food safety is mostly about choosing the right food. Skip anything that needs a cooler, and keep to shelf-stable items: dried or powdered foods, hard cheese for short trips, nut butters, tortillas and dried fruit. Use clean, treated or boiled water for every meal, and boil water for at least one minute (three minutes above 6,500 feet) if you have no filter. Wash hands or use sanitizer before you handle food. Don't let a rehydrated meal sit for hours in warm weather. Eat it, or pack out the leftovers.
The common mistakes are easy to avoid. Test every meal at home first so you know the water ratio and soak time. Pack a little extra fuel, because wind and cold water slow things down. Let meals fully rehydrate, since crunchy beans or rice are no fun at the end of a long day. Keep one or two no-cook options on hand for days when you're tired or the stove acts up. Store food, trash and scented items in a bear canister or hang bag where required, and pack out every scrap, including coffee grounds and tea bags.
Questions
How much food should I pack for a backpacking trip?
Plan on about 1.5 to 2.5 pounds of food per person per day, or roughly 2,500 to 4,000 calories depending on effort and weather. Add one extra day of food for emergencies on longer trips.
What are the best backpacking meals that need no cooking?
Cold-soak oats, energy bites, tortilla wraps with nut butter, and bean dips made from dry mix all work with just cool water. They save fuel and cut cleanup to almost nothing.
How do I rehydrate backpacking meals without a stove?
Cold-soak them in a sealed jar or bag with treated water for 30 minutes to a few hours. Oats, couscous, instant beans and thin rice noodles work best, and warm weather speeds things up.
What food is safe to carry backpacking without a cooler?
Dried grains, instant rice and couscous, powdered cheese, dried beans, nut butters, dried fruit, and tortillas keep well without refrigeration. Avoid fresh meat, soft cheese, eggs and anything that needs to stay cold.
How do I cut cooking time and fuel use on the trail?
Choose quick-cooking ingredients like instant rice, couscous and instant grits, and let food soak in hot water inside a pot cozy or covered pot instead of simmering. Use a lid and a windscreen, and boil only the water you need.