Favorite Backpacking Foods

[mochilero]

Nuts one of the most calorie-packed foods you can take. That means less weight to carry. With lots of protein and other nutritonal benefits, nuts are my favorite backpacking food.

I'm collecting ideas for my site here, so what are your favorites, and why?

Steve

http://www.TheBackpackingSite.com

 

[pepsi]

We did this here a short time ago and there are plenty of opinions.

Mine have changed since then. Inertia meals were a favorite of mine for a while but I think they may have changed the formula as the sauce in the last 3 or 4 has not been as good and did not re-hydrate as well.

I'm back to dehydrating my own meals for dinners.

For lunch I still like pre-packaged tuna or chicken with a little mayo packet in a pita bread.

For snacks I picked something up a few weeks ago from Little Sister: Sliced green and red peppers, carrots, and celery with hummus.

I'm still taking standard Cliff bars and gu. Oh and peanut butter on crackers.

 

[Vortex]

Mostly day hikes for me. I like wraps with turkey and lettuce and tomato, packed in a plastic containers so it does not get mushed. Cheery tomatos with a veggie dip and garlic triscuits and good cheese and peperoni. Everything gets pre sliced.
I always bring more than enough. Just in case we got a bit further than planned.

 

[MichaelJ]

My summer and winter menus vary. Right now, I'm hiking with a sandwich (on thin bread, because when I'm hiking and thirsty I can't stand a big fluffy roll), and depending on the hike length and my mood, some combination of:

hummus
crackers or sometimes potato chips
grapes
flatbread (for dipping in the hummus)
cheese
one protein bar (usually a Clif)

Grapes are heavy but awesome - sweet and juicy, they really hit the spot on a hot, thirsty hike.

 

[kickstand]

when I actually do get my lazy arse out on the trail, it's usually:

peanut butter sandwiches
homemade trail mix (because I hate raisins and pre-packaged ALWAYS has raisins)
some type of granola bar
if it's the fall, an apple or two

 

[Greg]

hummus

What is hummus? Mashed chick peas, right? I do recall liking it when I last tried it. I have to imagine is pretty high in protein.

 

[ALLSKIING]

hummus

What is hummus? Mashed chick peas, right? I do recall liking it when I last tried it. I have to imagine is pretty high in protein.

Chick peas with tahini paste and a few other things. I don't like the tahini paste.. makes me sick.

 

[JimG.]

hummus

What is hummus? Mashed chick peas, right? I do recall liking it when I last tried it. I have to imagine is pretty high in protein.

Chick peas with tahini paste and a few other things. I don't like the tahini paste.. makes me sick.

I eat alot of hummus; very high in protein, very low in fat and cholesterol. You can get it without the tahini paste which I agree is pretty nasty.

 

[cbcbd]

Some of my favorites for multi day hikes:

-mashed potato mix - very filling and delicious and can be spiced up very easily with some salt and pepper
-powdered milk - the real stuff is too heavy and would go bad - this way you can add some flavor to some meals and get calcium
-jar of PB - PB goes with anything, a whole container will be used up easily in a week and is well worth the weight
-cous cous - packs small, just add water, very filling and great for mixing with other foods since it's very granular

 

[Greg]

cous cous

uke: My mother used to make that. Yuck.

It's amazing at what tastes good in the woods...

 

[MichaelJ]

There's good and bad hummus. For one thing, definitely avoid the dehydrated stuff. No matter how far into the woods you are, you will never be hungry and inspired enough to think it tastes good.

The different brands have different flavors, and they all have different consistencies. My usual favorite at home is Tribe of Two Sheiks with cracked chili peppers. Spicy and not overly creamy (too creamy is just too mushy). But too spicy for on a hike, so I usually bring Cedar's avocado hummus, which is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it flavor.

 

[cbcbd]

cous cous

uke: My mother used to make that. Yuck.

It's amazing at what tastes good in the woods...

Lol, I could eat cous cous every day

And... cous cous with PB... delicious!! 8)

My usual favorite at home is Tribe of Two Sheiks with cracked chili peppers.

TTS is my favorite brand, that's some good stuff, but I think that the ones that have more stuff in them (going away from the classic hummus) get gooeyer and I'm not a fan if it's too gooey.
Avocado hummus sounds good, though.
:beer:

 

[JimG.]

There's good and bad hummus. For one thing, definitely avoid the dehydrated stuff. No matter how far into the woods you are, you will never be hungry and inspired enough to think it tastes good.

The different brands have different flavors, and they all have different consistencies. My usual favorite at home is Tribe of Two Sheiks with cracked chili peppers. Spicy and not overly creamy (too creamy is just too mushy). But too spicy for on a hike, so I usually bring Cedar's avocado hummus, which is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it flavor.

Totally agree; another brand that meets the flavor/consistency criteria is Wakim's Foods hummus.

 

[MichaelJ]

Correction: Joseph's makes the awesome avocado hummus, not Cedars. I shoulda looked in the fridge *before* posting.

 

[smitty77]

Correction: Joseph's makes the awesome avocado hummus, not Cedars. I shoulda looked in the fridge *before* posting.

That avocado hummus is really good. So is the "garlic lover's" flavor which I think is made by Cedars. But now that you reminded me of Josephs, I'm not so sure... :-?

If you can make them ahead of time, some broken and toasted pieces of pita bread make for excellent dipping!

I never thought of cous cous. I'm with cbcbd, I could eat it every day. My wife turned me on to the stuff when we got married, and I've been hooked ever since. I always wondered what you did with those boxes of granules found in the pasta isle....

I keep trying to convince the wife to try backpacking when the boy is a little older. She's spoiled my taste buds so much with her creative spices and flavoring that I won't be able to go back to my old outdoors favorites.

Smitty

 

[MichaelJ]

Oh, here's a new one - "Gold'n Crack'l" from Trader Joe's is an excellent cracker-like companion to hummus. I brought it to Garfield this past weekend and it went wonderfully with TJ's roasted red pepper hummus (which is a slightly drier, non-creamy hummus and very good)

 

[MtnMagic]

Just read this after writing my choices in this post.