I’ve discussed cooking in camp in several different posts (you can see them by searching with the camp cooking tag). When it comes to packing food for a backpacking trip, you have to balance the weight, bulk, and calories to suit your needs.

I thought we might look at a typical 5-6 day trip for us. We are not fast hikers, and rarely do more than 12-15 miles a day. Walking on a trail with a pack burns about double the calories as you would walking on a paved path with no pack.

Several years ago, we hiked the 60 mile Knobstone Trail in southern Indiana. It took 5 1/2 days for us to complete. We ate about 3200 calories each per day, and lost 6 pounds each!

Our packs were heavier then. Our current base weight is about 17 pounds each. Base weight includes things like shelter, sleeping bags and pads, clothes, cooking equipment, and water filter. Consumables, such as food, water, and fuel for cooking make up the rest of the weight of our packs.

Food for a six day trip for two of us.

A typical spread

This picture shows the food we took on a six day (5 nights) trip. Towards the top, you see some freeze dried meals. These typically make up our dinners. There are meals both purchased and put together by us. (You can read more about creating your own meals here and here.)

Breakfasts include Logan bread, bacon, and bacon bars, bagels and shelf stable cream cheese. Drinks include coffee (instant), hot cocoa and cider, and electrolyte drink powder (the powdered Vitalyte in the bright packaging at the front). Lately, we have been doing more of the electrolyte tablets (Such as Nuun) as they are less bulky and produce less trash than the packets of powdered mix.

The vast majority of what is on the table is snacks. We stop every couple of hours and eat something. Having a good assortment of things to eat is nice. We take tortillas and peanut butter packets, nuts, and travel bars. Trail mix of assorted varieties is a favorite, as is jerky. Little packets of crackers are nice, but expect them to get broken in your pack. Another favorite trail snack for us is halvah. Halvah is a middle eastern confection made with ground sesame seeds and sugar.

Eating regularly helps keep energy up while on the trail. We like the variety that we can take with us and hope you enjoy this glimpse into what we take for a backpacking trip.