Backpacking Foods

Here are some very simple ideas for dehydrated and light-weight foods perfect for backpacking  

• Any packaged dinner mix from the grocery and packed in ziploc baggies ie, Macaroni & Cheese, Rice-a-Roni, Broccoli and Cheese, etc. There are tons of these things available today. If they call for milk, carry powdered milk in baggies. Margarine will travel well.
• Instant oatmeal or any other instant hot cereal and bagels are great for breakfast. Again, powdered milk can be used with these. They are warm and filling.
• Dehydrated vegetables and full meals can be found in camping stores. Add dried peas to a box of mac & cheese, for instance. Check the bulk foods section of many super markets for instant foods that will be easy to carry and prepare.
• Try Ramen noodle soups, or any of those "soup in a cup"s (that can be packaged in baggies so they take up less room).
• Dehydrated bean flakes that mix up almost instantly with water are available in many health food stores or the bulk foods section of many markets. Serve with warm tortillas. Yum! Flavor them with onion, garlic, cumin powders.
• Cheese backpacks well and the fat and protien may not be so bad if they are hiking all day. And if it's cold, then the fat is almost necessary to help them stay warm. (You need a lot more calories when it's cold.) Add a hunk to any soup, pasta, rice, or dehydrated veggies you're cooking.
• Pasta, pasta, pasta. Top it with sauces made from the dry package mixes or check the packaged mixes section at your supermarket for gravy and sauce packets that sound good over pasta. A lot of these are tasty. High in sodium and preservatives sometimes, but for a couple meals it may be ok.
• Instant mashed potatoes that can be mixed with the powdered milk or water only. Make up an instant gravy to go top.
• Dried fruit can be cooked in some water and put on top of a piece of angel food cake for dessert. (Hey, the cake might get crushed a little, but it is lightweight!) Add some cinnamon and Tang for variety.
• The dry veggie burger mixes would make a great meal. Most of them make up with water only and many are quite tasty.
• Bulgar and couscous cook up in only a few minutes with boiling water.
• Nowadays there are more packaged foods than ever before.  You can purchase tuna packed in little foil packages, cereals (hot and cold) that come in their own little disposable cups or for more room you can repack them in ziplocks and use your own reusable dish.  You can purchase soups, chili, and stews that come in their own disposable bowl and you just add water.

Get creative, mix up some of the ideas above for variety, like put a foil pouch of tuna with some macaroni & cheese for instance.  Carry powdered milk and some powdered spices and powdered soup or gravy mix for flavor.

Send us some of your ideas, we would love to hear from you and build on our library.