Food for Hiking
The other day I came across this blog about hiking food and it made me realize we often talk about camping food but rarely discuss food geared specifically toward hiking. To me there’s even a difference between hiking food and backpacking food since backpacking implies an overnight stay whereas hiking is usually a daytime activity. So, what are some good hiking foods that don’t require any cooking or trailside prep?
The first key to choosing good hiking food is to look for things that will keep in a day pack. If it’s cold out, lunchmeat and cheese will do just fine but if you’re hiking Death Valley in June you may want to skip things that melt and/or spoil. Also consider how you’ll be packing your food. I love sandwiches just as much as the next person but flattened sandwiches are a bummer so if my pack is tight I’ll skip the bread.
Dried foods (like beef jerky, banana chips, etc.) work great for hiking snacks and meals because they’re lightweight and won’t spoil no matter the conditions outside. Serious hikers have their own dehydrating machines to create amazing treats like “cinnamon pears” and venison jerky but you can usually find pre-dehydrated snacks at the local supermarket.
Hiking burns carbs and I usually like to bring crackers and sugary drinks to replenish the carbs I burn on the way out. Just don’t overdo the sports drinks on your trip - always bring along plenty of water since good old H2O hydrates better than anything else. Candy bars make a nice day-hike desert - though keeping them from melting on hot days can be a challenge (consider freezing beforehand).
Hiking food doesn’t have to be fancy, it just needs to nourish you until you can get back to your car or basecamp where you can eat a real meal!
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