How to Eat Well in the Backcountry

Backpacking nutrition is a really difficult topic. If you're a creature of endurance, it's easy to deplete your system and end up fatigued. So how do you eat a balanced diet without carrying 25lbs of food? Is it possible to do it on the cheap? 

I had the chance to check out a bunch of food from a few backpacking companies while I was looking for options outside of the normal honey-bun and pepperoni spectrum. And while nobody's diet will be the same, the options that are becoming available are helping make nutrition feasible in the backcountry. 

Companies that Design Meals For You:

Packit Gourmet

Packit Gourmet does a phenomenal job of offering meals of different types. Some of them are designed to be rehydrated with cold water (which allows you to hike without a stove). Many are "boil in a bag" options. And some use a combination of different water temperatures. Plus their selection of products is one of the most varied selections I've seen. 

But the bag design (which they hope to change in the near future) makes it difficult to hydrate and cook these meals all the way through. Some of the pieces get stuck in the corners, so there's always just a little bit of crunch. And some of the added spices (lime, broth sticks) should be added as needed.

Favorite Meals:

Most Calorically Dense - Market Pasta Puttanesca

This meal was incredibly tasty for a backpacking meal. The marinera in particularly was really spot-on.

Tastiest – Texas State Fair Chilly

This meal hydrated really well, and resembled the type of chili your Grandma would make. Five stars.

Easiest Meal to Cook Right – Chicken Hot Wings

Basically all you have to do is stick water in this bag, and it takes care of itself. It's very easy to get right.

Most Protein – Dottie’s Chicken Dumplings

This meal is packed with protein. BUT you can overdo it on the bouillon.

Least Favorite:

Berry Berry – Jump Start Smoothie

This tasted like a mouthful of whey protein. It was the only meal I didn't finish. 

Good to Go

Most of Good to Go's meals are set up as "cook in a bag" meals with boiling water. This type of a setup is really time-efficient and simple and pretty standard in the backpacking world. But it leaves you with a lot of trash because you're carrying around empty bags, and not a ton of flexibility in terms of cold/hot meals.

Favorite Meal:

Tastiest - Thai Curry

The flavor of this meal is incredibly well developed and quite impressive, considering that all the ingredients are preserved in a bag. It's very well balanced.

Least Favorite:

Oatmeal 

I guess I just figure that if I'm going to spend $6 on a meal, it's not going to be oats. 

Outdoor Herbivore

Outdoor Herbivore offers some really vegetarian and vegan friendly options, which is awesome for people with dietary restrictions. Many of them have a unique twist like "Apple Quinoa Oats." And there simply aren't many meatless backpacking options to begin with, so it's wonderful to see a company that's taking a different approach to nutrition in the backcountry.

Favorite Meal: 

Tastiest - CinnaMonkey Chomps

The CinnaMonkey Chomps are cinnamon-covered plantains. And they're delicious. It's really easy to find dried banana chips and dried fruit. But I've never seen this particular take on dried fruit. Outdoor Herbivore nailed in on the head, providing a nutrition-packed yet tasty snack.

Most Unique -Open Sky Yasai

This meal is incredibly unique as far as backpacking meals go. It's really easy to find penne, and rice-based meals. But this Japanese-styled meal is one of a kind. The ginger came through and colored me impressed immediately. It rehydrated really well. And the ingredients compliment one another really well.

Least Favorite:

Choco Coco Chia

While this meal wasn't my favorite, it also wasn't bad. The consistency was a little weird and I wasn't really sure if you're supposed to eat it or drink it. And the blueberries were barely noticeable. But I think the idea of it was great. 

Or if you're really creative and a better cook than I am, you could dehydrate your own recipes. 

This is a very popular and common option for many people who find themselves in the backcountry religiously. Or if you're interested in creating your own meals but don't necessarily want to get involved with the dehydration process, there are companies that sell dehydrated food in bulk. I just don't personally belong in the kitchen, so I prefer other talented people to create options for me. 

While zebra cakes and tuna packets do the trick for a while, it's really important to try to vary your diet while you're in the backcountry for an extensive period of time. Otherwise you'll end up malnourished. And luckily for us, there are several backpacking companies that are making that an easy option for us.