What Makes a Backpacking Meal Easy
Easy trail meals usually share a few traits: few ingredients, little or no cooking, minimal cleanup, and ingredients you can buy at an ordinary grocery store. Many experienced hikers keep a short rotation of simple meals rather than elaborate recipes. For broader ideas, see our main guide to backpacking food ideas.
No-Cook Meals
These need no stove, which saves fuel and weight. For a full guide, see no cook food for backpacking.
- Tortilla wraps: peanut butter and honey, or tuna or chicken pouches with a mayo packet, or salami and cheese.
- Cheese, crackers and summer sausage: a classic that needs no prep.
- Trail pizza: tortilla with a pizza sauce packet, hard cheese and mini pepperoni.
- Nut butter and banana chips on a bagel or tortilla.
- Snack plate dinner: nuts, jerky, dried fruit, cheese and crackers on a night when you do not want to cook.
For more midday ideas, see backpacking lunch food.
Cold-Soak Meals
Cold soaking means adding cold water to dry food in a lidded jar or container and waiting until it softens, often 30 minutes to a few hours depending on the food. Options include:
- Rolled oats or quick oats with powdered milk, dried fruit and nuts
- Couscous with olive oil and seasoning
- Instant refried beans or instant hummus
- Some instant noodles and instant mashed potatoes, depending on the brand
Results differ by food and water temperature, so test at home before relying on it.
Easy Stove Meals
If you carry a stove, such as an integrated canister system, many meals only need boiling water.
- Instant mashed potatoes with jerky, cheese packets or olive oil
- Peanut noodles: boil ramen, drain most of the water, then stir in peanut butter, soy sauce and crushed peanuts
- Mac and cheese upgrade: add a foil pouch of chicken or bacon bits
- Instant rice or couscous with a flavor packet and olive oil
- Instant oatmeal with nut butter and dried fruit
- Freeze-dried meals, which usually involve adding hot water to the pouch and waiting
Many of these can be eaten from the pot or a pouch, which keeps cleanup to a minimum.
Make-Ahead Options
If you want something that needs no cooking on the trail, you can prepare some food at home:
- Bags of homemade trail mix or granola
- Pre-mixed oatmeal bags with powdered milk, nuts and dried fruit
- Dinner kits, such as couscous with dried vegetables and spices measured out in a bag
- Tortilla wraps made fresh on the first day
Home dehydrating is another option, but it is not necessary for an easy trip.
How Much Does Food Weigh?
Weight depends on what you choose. A rough planning figure many hikers use is about 1.5 to 2 pounds of food per person per day, and dry or dense foods tend to come in lighter than moist ones. For a week, that adds up to a noticeable load, so repackaging and choosing calorie-dense foods helps, as covered in food for ultralight backpacking. Our guide to how to pack food for backpacking has tips for cutting bulk.
Tips for Keeping It Simple
- Repeat meals. Eating the same breakfast and lunch each day reduces planning.
- Choose foods you already like, and test new ones at home.
- Bring a little extra in case of delays.
- Add oil, nut butter or cheese to boost calories without extra effort.
- Follow local rules for food storage and pack out all trash.
To turn these ideas into a trip menu, see our sample 3-day backpacking food list or the full backpacking food list.