There are two schools of thought on backpacking food.
The first: calories are calories. Pack light, eat enough, move on.
The second: you're walking 10 to 20 miles a day through some of the most beautiful places on earth. The food should be good too.
We're in the second camp. This is a food lover's guide to a 3 to 7 day backpacking trip:what we've loved bringing, what other hikers who care about eating well have sworn by, and a few small luxuries that are completely unnecessary and absolutely worth it. Adjust everything to your taste.
Backpacking Breakfast: Simple, Warm, and Worth Waking Up For
Breakfast on trail doesn't need to be elaborate. It does help if it's something you actually want to eat when the morning is cold and your sleeping bag is still warm.
Good Instant Coffee Is Worth the Extra Ounces
The instant coffee market has gotten genuinely good. First Ascent, Farm to Summit and Bear Box Brew are all worth trying. Good coffee changes the morning mood immediately. Bring it.
High-Quality Breakfast Bars
A few we keep coming back to:
- Off The Farm bars — rich, dense, and feel more like dessert than trail food
- Kate's Real Food bars — soft, oat-based, made in Wyoming
- On Trail Bars — new-to-market and great flavor options
- ProBar Meal bars — dense enough to carry you through a long morning
The Breakfast Worth Going Out of Your Way For
On one rest day we made breakfast tacos. Dehydrated eggs, tortillas, shredded cheese, bacon bits, hot sauce, and an avocado that had been carefully protected inside a Pringles can for three days. It was completely unnecessary. It was also one of the best breakfasts we've ever had outside. There's a case for bringing one real breakfast on any trip longer than four days.
Backpacking Lunch: Better Than Another Bar
Lunch on trail is usually where food quality drops off the most. People snack instead of stopping, grab a bar, keep moving. That works. But if you're willing to carry a few real ingredients, lunch can feel like an actual meal.
The Trail Sandwich
If your pack has a stretchy front pocket — many Gossamer Gear packs do — you can carry a real loaf of bread for the first couple of days. Add sliced cheese, salami or deli meat, sweet peppers, and a few condiment packets. It's simple, satisfying, and wildly better than a fifth consecutive bar.
Sides Worth Adding
Freeze-dried edamame, chips, olives, trail mix — something salty on the side makes lunch feel complete. And if you're hiking with someone who appreciates the absurdity of trail luxury, bring a tiny Coke. Bowl & Kettle’s founder carried one so consistently it became part of how he got his trail name: Fizz. Worth every ounce.
Backpacking Snacks: The Unsung Heroes of a Long Trip
Most of your calories on a 3 to 7 day backpacking trip will come from snacks. They're easy to eat while moving and keep your energy steady throughout the day. Variety matters more than most people expect because appetite fatigue sets in fast when you're eating the same thing every few miles.
Backpacking Snacks We Keep Coming Back To
- Goldfish — salty, crunchy, and strangely satisfying at mile 14
- Peanut M&M's — one of the most calorie-dense things you can carry that’s literally just candy
- Fruit leather — a good change of pace from chocolate and nuts
- Smoothie on the go — try Neve!
- Jerky or meat sticks — protein that doesn't require stopping
- Nut butter packets — easy calories, no spoon required (we love Trail Butter!)
- Sesame sticks — underrated, hold up well, good with everything
Backpacking Dinner: The Meal That Holds the Day Together
Dinner is the emotional center of a backpacking day. You're tired. You're hungry. The sun is dropping behind the ridge. This is not the meal to cut corners on.
Freeze-Dried Backpacking Meals
A good freeze-dried meal is hard to beat for weight and convenience. The key word is good. Not all freeze-dried meals are the same; the difference between a meal that tastes like survival and one that tastes like dinner is real, and it comes down to ingredients, recipes, and whether the people making it actually care what it tastes like after 18 miles. That's the whole reason Bowl & Kettle exists.
Ramen as a Pre-Dinner Appetizer
This has become a trail tradition we'd have a hard time giving up. Before the main meal, make a quick packet of instant ramen and share it. It's salty and comforting and it buys time while the freeze-dried meal hydrates. Two courses at camp. Nobody said you couldn't.
Something Sweet After
Peanut butter cups, a good chocolate bar, stroopwafels, a couple of cookies — a little dessert goes a long way at camp. Pair it with mint tea if the temperature drops. Light, warm, and the perfect signal that the day is done.
The Real Secret to Eating Well on a Backpacking Trip
It's not about optimizing every ounce. It's about knowing what makes you excited to eat at the end of a long day outside, and then actually bringing it.
Some hikers obsess over calorie-to-weight ratios. Others carry an avocado in a Pringles can just because they can. There's room for both out there.
Pack what sounds good to you. Leave room for a few small luxuries. You'll probably eat better out there than you expect.