Backpacking Food (page 3)
On the trail, as in life in general, the most important meal is breakfast. If you’re feeling brave, you can try those dreaded powdered egg meals, but for me, trail breakfast usually means oatmeal. It’s hearty and full of complex carbohydrates for that energy on the trail. I usually bring packets of different flavors, so I can at least pretend that I’m not having the same thing every morning. You can also make it more interesting by adding dried fruit and/or nuts. On the last trip we took, I made a concoction of dried bananas, brown sugar, and walnuts, which we then sprinkled over cooked oatmeal. It was surprisingly good. Adding powdered milk to the water you use to make the oatmeal adds some nutritional value, and a bit of a creamier texture. I have not yet tried the packaged pancake mixes, so I can’t vouch for their taste. Back in the day when I was in Girl Scouts, my favorite breakfast meal was “Dough Boys.” To make these, we made a thick dough from Bisquick mix, wrapped it around a stick, and cooked it over an open campfire. You have to cook them slowly, though, or they will be burnt on the outside and gooey in the middle. I haven’t attempted them with backpacking, mostly because I’m not sure how exciting they would be without the butter and jam we put on them. But feel free and try it out if it sounds good to you. Drop me a line and let me know how they work out. Of course, if you don’t mind a meal that isn’t hot, granola or individually packaged muffins work as well. If you go for the latter, eat them early in the trip—they will probably become smashed and crumbly after being stuffed in the bear canister.
Even after a nice filling breakfast, don’t skimp on those snacks throughout the day. The most common staple are Power Bars. They make great trail food: they have plenty of sugar for that quick energy rush, plus protein and vitamins and other goodies for sustained energy. However, you have to do some taste-testing to see which one are palatable—while are surprisingly tasty, others taste just like crushed vitamins. I especially like the Harvest Bars, as well as Luna Bars and their beefier cousin, Clif Bars. Even my husband likes Luna Bars, but don’t tell anyone, as eating “girlie” bars might ruin his masculine image. Yet after three or four bars a day, it does get dull eating the same thing. And you need to eat when you’re climbing a trail hefting around a pack—you need to eat a lot. Bringing a variety of food will encourage you to eat calories that you need. Dried fruit makes another great snack—my favorites are dried mangoes, I can eat them as if they were candy. Nuts are great too; even a small handful is very filling, packed with needed calories. There’s also the old favorites: granola, trail mix, and gorp (Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts). And don’t forget beef jerky. Whatever you bring—I just can’t stress this enough—make sure to bring enough to eat every two hours or so. Or every hour. If you’re feeling hungry, eat! Even if it’s just a bar or a handful of nuts. This is especially important if you start feeling overly fatigued or headachy: these can be signs that your body needs more calories.
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