Easy Meals for Backpacking Trips

 Easy Meals for Backpacking Trips

Started on June 16, 2021


Backpacking is a wonderful experience but is isn't all easy. Packing and meal choices can make a large impact on the trip. 

Here's a thought - there is no rule saying you must cook your meals. It is very possible (and often preferred!) to venture on a backpacking trip with meals you don't have to cook. This enables you to have your meal much, much sooner/easier and it simplifies your packing needs.

Yes, a hot meal at the end of the day at a campsite (maybe in the cold outdoors) can boost spirits and make life feel better. But we don't have to cook dinner every time on every trip. There are more options out there - and trying them out can be fun! 

Here are a few suggestions for a stoveless dinner that tastes yummy and satisfying:


Tortilla Wraps/Sub Sandwich/Bagel Sandwich

Filling Ideas: dry salami, pepperoni, shelf stable cheese spread or peanut butter and honey or...

A thought on sauce (mayo, mustard, etc) - bring little packets and add sauce to your sandwich right before you eat it. This keeps the sandwich and the sauce more fresh.

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Cous Cous with Chicken/Fish

Add to a quart freezer bag and eat with a spoon:

Cous Cous - cook at home before the trip and lightly season it

(Replace the cous cous with minute rice)

Seasoned Chicken or Tuna pouches

Grated Parmesan Cheese

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(Many more ideas to come. Please revisit this page later)



A few final thoughts:

Mountain House meals (or pick your favorite freeze dried meal brand - there are many more) are a great, easy, full-meal solution. However, the typical full-meal pouch tends to be more than a youth can eat. We see a lot of food go to waste with this. Only the hungriest, non-picky adults tend to finish a MH meal pouch. 

Surprisingly, appetites tend to be suppressed on campouts. Smaller youth only need about 400-500 calories for a dinner. Larger youth and adults typically only need around 700-900 calories for one dinner meal. Eating healthy, filling snacks (100-200 calories) every 1-2 hours is a good rule of thumb.


Please comment below with questions.


- Eric Smith


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