Backpacking Food ideas

[Losing Linda]

My DH and I are into backpacking and planning 2-3 day hikes this summer. We want to eat food that will easy but light enough to carry in a bear proof canister. His ideas are snack food, oatmeal cookies and trail mix, but I am concern having too much fat with nuts and or not enough to get us up some steep mountains. He is concern about packing out waste as we will have to do on Mt Whitney so he doesn't want meals. He thinks snacks will make less "human waste" but meals will make him go more. I know this is sounds funny but we are at odds over food right now. I think the first day is like normal day hiking and then some soup or oatmeal. So what would you bring if you were going backpacking up Mt Whitney? We will be hiking about 3 days. How much food does one need to eat with strenuous activity like hiking 8-10 hours with 30 lbs. backpack up a moutain trail. Thanks for any suggestions.

[JeffN]

Hi Linda

My DH and I are into backpacking and planning 2-3 day hikes this summer. We want to eat food that will easy but light enough to carry in a bear proof canister. His ideas are snack food, oatmeal cookies and trail mix, but I am concern having too much fat with nuts and or not enough to get us up some steep mountains. He is concern about packing out waste as we will have to do on Mt Whitney so he doesn't want meals. He thinks snacks will make less "human waste" but meals will make him go more. I know this is sounds funny but we are at odds over food right now. I think the first day is like normal day hiking and then some soup or oatmeal. So what would you bring if you were going backpacking up Mt Whitney? We will be hiking about 3 days. How much food does one need to eat with strenuous activity like hiking 8-10 hours with 30 lbs. backpack up a moutain trail. Thanks for any suggestions.

I am also an avid hiker and camper and travel a lot, so have to deal with the same situation. But, there are solutions.

As you are only planning 2-3 day hikes this summer, no matter what you do, regardless of how good or how bad, it is not something that is going to make a dramatic impact on your overall diet. Of course, I am sure you want to do it as healthy as possible, which I would also recommend.

The real irony here is that most of the advice and information that applies to most people and their health, is the opposite of what works for extended hiking and camping. The reason is,as you know, you are looking for foods that are low in bulk, compact and low in weight. However, most all the foods we recommend to form the base (if not all) of your diet, are low in calorie density, high in water content (and weight), bulky, unprocessed and unrefined and low in fat, and are the healthiest choices for most people.

Most of the time, for short trips, I just bring the same regular food I would eat anyway and/or the ingredients for my regular SNAP meals. I also include fresh stable fruits (that don't mash up) or any simply prepared meal I can carry in a small "cooler"

So, having said all that, here are some suggestions for longer trips when you have limited space for storage.


(NOTE: these would not be the ideal or preferred choices for everyday use as some are extremely calorie dense and/or high in fat)

- Dried fruits

- Whole grain crackers, rice cakes and/or breads that meet the guidelines

- Dehydrated whole grains that can be reconstituted with water such as dry oatmeal, brown rice, barley, quinoa, etc

- Garbanzo nuts. Cooked, cooled, garbanzo beans (or washed Eden Foods No Salt Added ones) that are spread out on a cookie sheet and baked in a oven till crisp (around 350-400 for about 30-40 minutes). You can sprinkle your favorite spice on them beforehand.

- Bean Spreads - Simply rinse and drain a can of no salt added beans, mix in a tbsp or two of liquid (salsa, ketchup, broth, etc), some spice and mash. Goes well on crackers, rice cakes, breads or with veggies.

-Homemade oatmeal bars/cookies - leftover oatmeal that you add bananas, raisins, cinnamon etc to and either put in a baking pan, or shape into "cookies" and bake. If you put it in a baking pan, you can then cut them into squares. (Cathy Fisher has an excellent recipes for a version at her website)

- Cooked yams/sweet potatoes cut into squares/slices

- "Baked" steak fries - Cold baked potatoes cut into wedges and broiled till golden.

- Baked Chubby Chips - Thick cut slices of raw potato broiled on both sides till golden.

- Dehydrated vegetables mixes that you just add water to. The mixed vegetable makes a good "soup" also.

- Veggies Burgers - My veggie burgers hold up well and can be consumed cold.


Frontier Dried Soup Mixes

http://www.frontiersoups.com/c-hearty-meal-soups.html

North Bay Trading soup mixes and air-dried vegetables.

https://www.northbaytrading.com/soup/

Harmony House (one of my favorites) air-dried vegetables and vegan soup mixes

http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com


- Nuts/seeds and/or pure nut butter

- Homemade nut/fruit bars and/or "cookies" made from a combination of dried fruits and nuts and/or seeds. I used to make ones out of sunflower seeds and raisins and called them "sun-ray" bars. I would mix about equal parts of dried fruit and nuts and/or seeds in a food processor and then shape them into bars and/or "cookies" and then let them dry out even more in a very low heat oven. I would say walnuts would be healthier (but not as tasty)

- No sugar, no oil added Bob's Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli

http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Cou ... B000EDDS6Q

- Dr McDougalls, low sodium dehydrated soups put in a plastic bad to reduce bulk. (these just got a rave review in this months CSPI's Nutrition Action Newsletter)

http://www.rightfoods.com/scripts/displ ... ory_id=800

- There are a few "bars" available in the market that are made from nothing but 100% dried fruits, nuts and/or seeds and maybe a spice (vanilla, cinnamon, etc). These are some varieties of Lara Bars

http://www.larabar.com/

- These "bars" are just 100% fruit and put in the packed lunches at the program.

http://www.thatsitfruit.com

Now, for the irony in this topic and a funny story.

I hope this helps.

In Health
Jeff Novick, MS, RD

PS, I live in a Hurricane prone area, and I know many of you live in similar areas that can be faced with emergency situations due to weather. This year we have seen lots of people stranded by flooding. The above list along with some water, also makes a great emergency preparedness food list.

[Losing Linda]

Thank -you for good selection and I think we can agree on them. I was wondering how much food to bring and to be sure we have enough for the climb. I usually not hungry hiking but really like drinking rice milk in small packages but that is one day hikes up to 10,000 feet while Whitney is over 14,000 and three days. My DH is more likely to lose weight and at 119 I want to have enough. My goal is to be around 125 by summer hiking. So I have less mentality. Thank you for your help.