Hiking/Backpacking Food

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flukx

Senior Cook
Joined
Feb 14, 2006
Messages
196
Location
Berlin, Germany
Any hikers or backpackers here? The past few years I have been going on long-distance hikes (i.e. 7-8 days straight) and camping each night. Been through the Alps a few times and will be doing a part of the Colorado Trail this Summer. One of the things that always proves challenging is coming up with healthy, non-perishable, sturdy (needs to endure quite a ways and not break apart), diverse and, perhaps most important, light (as in not-heavy because I dont want to carry kilos and kilos in my backpack) meal ideas. Also needs to be rather quick and easy to cook, as I have a limited amount of cooking fuel.

There are always the staples: Trail mix, ramen noodles, chocolate bars, dried salami or beef jerkey, Wasa bread, etc to snack on. But after hiking 20 miles through the mountains, its nice to have something warm and as hearty as possible.

One of the nice breakfast tricks I came up with last time around was to pack cereal in ziplock bags with evaporated milk, so you can just add water and get something close to cereal with milk (did the same with instant coffee packets).

Any other ideas spring to mind? I have been considering couscous, pita bread w/ dried hummus (add water) and some other things, but I thought I might be able to get some good ideas from DC. Any thoughts?
 
Don't forget to bring a drop line with you so you can fish when you have the opportunity. Of course you can never guarantee that you are going to catch anything edible.
 
Instant mashed taters/pancake mix - excellent ideas!

I will have to look into the fishing thing - probably would need to get a license beforehand...
 
for DH, I grind in a blender or food processor, regular rolled oats until it is almost a flour, then add dry milk powder and seal in plastic bags. By grinding the oats, this greatly reduces the cooking time. Just heat some water and stir into the dry oat/dry milk mixture.

Another favorite food is oat sticks. While it will not fit the definition of being light, it sure is a welcome addition to the hiking meal plan. When mixing up this recipe, you will think that this will never work, but just follow the directions and it will turn out great. This recipe makes a LARGE batch. My sister rolls the dough thin, making the bar dryer and lighter.

Hinkelsteins or Oat Sticks

Preheat oven to 375*

Combine in a large bowl:

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups oat flour (blenderized oatmeal)
1/2 cup soy flour
2 t. salt
2 cups chopped dates
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecan meal)

Stir thoroughly, making sure the dates are coated with flour mixture.
Add:

1/2 cup oil
5 T. maple syrup
1 1/8 cup milk

Mix well. Divide into two greased 10"x15" jelly roll pans. Pat firmly and evenly. Cut into 1"x3" pieces with a pizza cutter. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Remove sticks around the edges if they brown before the center is done.
 
Cugino's dehydrated potato soup. although it takes 30 minutes to cook..

tuna steaks in foil packets. I am partial to the ginger soy steak. true cured ham slices vacuum packed(might make you thirsty..). Jiffy Corn muffin mix. Stir in dehydrated egg, water and make corn cakes.
 
bacon and some biscuits, who cares if they break. beef jerkey, pepperoni, butter/bread, jelly.
 
These are great for car camping where you have a cooler, but I don't see how you could do these backpacking.

There are tuna and salmon steaks now available in the canned meat aisle of the grocery stores around here. No refrigeration needed.
 
Try Freezer Bag Cooking™ | Outdoor Food Simplified .

We have backpacked our meals like this for years. This particular site has a bunch of good recipes that you can modify or use to springboard for your own reciipes. I order a bunch of freeze dried veggies and meats for a little more variety (dehydrated doesn't always rehydrate well).

This is a very safe and convenient, as well as weight saving method, of feeding yourself on long distance hikes (we do similar length sections on the Appalachian Trail).

Happy hiking--let us know how you do!
 
These are great for car camping where you have a cooler, but I don't see how you could do these backpacking.

they are in the store on the shelf, no refrigeration needed. The Tuna steak foil packs are great.....
 
The freezerbag cooking site is very interesting. Thanks a lot!

You betcha. Do a little experimenting, it really does help give you a variety of things to carry out for a week or so, with minimal weight or space. You can also try Appalachian Trail - Whiteblaze.net and take a look at the food and cooking section (this is an appalachian trail website). You might pick up some other ideas, and there are lots of people who talk about their using FBC as well, and how they have adapted recipes, etc. :)
 
dried fruits, apple, apricot, dates, figs, banana if you like them, rasins/sultanas etc...
fruit sugars are important.
and don`t forget you med-kit!
 
Are you in Berlin? Any sports store (Schuster, for example) has relatively tasty dehydrated food packs. I think over here they call them MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat). When I lived in Germany (Munich, so quite a ways from where you are) and we were going to be out and about on day hikes, we'd get these meals. I wish I could remember the name of them. Of course, you need boiling water to rehydrate, but they were great.

Stove Top is a great idea... of course, that's not available in Germany, though, so that one doesn't help you.

As an aside, I have a friend who did (does?) a lot of hiking in the Bavarian Alps and he said that he would take along those bouillon cubes to add to the water when he was cooking because it just injected a little flavor. Of course it injects a ton of sodium, too, but... just a thought.
 
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