Food is one of the easiest things to get wrong on a trip. Pack too little and you are hungry and tired by the second afternoon. Pack too much and your bag is heavy for no reason. This guide covers how to plan hiking and camping food, from breakfast to dinner, using ingredients that are simple to find and easy to cook.
Planning food for a hiking and camping trip
Start with three questions.
- How will you cook? A stove and pot open up hot meals. If you would rather not cook at all, plan no-cook meals such as wraps, cold-soaked oats and snacks.
- How far will you carry it? At a campsite near your car, a cooler and fresh food are fine (see car camping cooking and the 3 day camping menu). On a multi-day hike, weight and packaging matter much more.
- What is the weather? In cold weather many people want hot drinks and warm meals; staying warm while winter camping explains why food matters for warmth. In heat, you may want food that does not spoil or melt; see hot weather camping food.
Write out a rough menu for each day before you shop, and add it to your camping packing list. It makes it much easier to avoid both gaps and extras.
How much food to bring
Appetite varies a lot between people, and it often rises on active days. There is no single right number. A practical approach is to plan meals for each day, add a few extra snacks, and keep one spare meal in reserve for delays. After a trip or two, note what came home uneaten and adjust.
If you are new to this, test your quantities with an overnight trip close to home before committing to something longer.
What makes good trail and camp food
Good trail food tends to share a few traits.
- Easy to eat and prepare. You will be tired at the end of the day.
- Compact and fairly light. Dry foods such as pasta, rice, oats and instant mashed potatoes pack small.
- Calorie-dense. Nuts, nut butter, olive oil and cheese give a lot of energy for their weight.
- Foods you already like. Camp is a bad place to discover that you dislike a new meal.
- A mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat. This helps meals feel filling and keeps energy steadier through the day.
Ordinary grocery-store items can do most of the work. Specialty freeze-dried meals are convenient but not required.
Breakfast ideas
- Oatmeal, plain or with dried fruit, nuts and powdered milk. See our guide to oatmeal and oats for camping.
- Granola or muesli with powdered milk.
- Tortillas with nut butter.
- Breakfast bars or breakfast cookies for mornings when you want to move quickly.
- Instant coffee or tea, plus hot chocolate on cold mornings.
Trail lunches and snacks
Many hikers prefer to snack through the day rather than stop for a long meal.
- Tortilla wraps with nut butter, hard cheese or salami
- Crackers and tuna or chicken pouches
- Trail mix, nuts and seeds
- Dried fruit, fruit leather
- Jerky
- Energy bars
- Candy or chocolate for a quick lift (chocolate may melt in hot weather)
Keep a few snacks somewhere you can reach without taking off your pack.
Easy camp dinners
If someone asks for ten easy camp meals, these are good starting points.
- Pasta with a sauce packet or olive oil, garlic and parmesan
- Instant rice with a flavour packet and a pouch of chicken or beans
- Instant mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon bits
- Couscous with dried vegetables and olive oil
- Ramen noodles with added dried vegetables and an egg or a protein pouch
- Tortilla wraps with beans and cheese
- Instant soup with crackers on a tired night
- Foil packets of vegetables and sausage cooked over a fire or stove where fires are allowed
- Chili made at home and dried, then rehydrated on the trail
- Burritos using instant refried beans, rice and salsa
Couscous, instant rice and thin noodles cook quickly, which saves stove fuel.
A simple 3-day food plan
This is a sample only. Adjust the amounts to your appetite.
Day 1
- Lunch: tortilla wraps with nut butter or cheese
- Snacks: trail mix, a bar, dried fruit
- Dinner: pasta with sauce, plus olive oil for extra calories
Day 2
- Breakfast: oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts
- Lunch: crackers with tuna or chicken pouch
- Snacks: jerky, chocolate, nuts
- Dinner: instant rice with beans, cheese and salsa
Day 3
- Breakfast: granola with powdered milk
- Snacks: trail mix and a bar for the walk out
Add a hot drink each morning and evening if you have the fuel for it, and carry one extra meal as a buffer.
Making your own food at home
Preparing meals at home lets you control cost, weight and flavour. If you want to go further than repackaging grocery items, drying your own food is a rewarding next step. Our guide to drying food for backpacking explains methods and equipment, and dehydrating vegetables for camping covers a good first project.
Simple DIY steps that need no equipment:
- Pre-mix dry meal ingredients in a zip bag at home.
- Write cooking directions and water amounts on the bag.
- Repackage bulky grocery packaging to save space.
Packing, storing and keeping food safe
- Pack each meal in its own bag so you can find things easily.
- Keep raw meat and fresh dairy for the first day only, and only with a cooler or cold packs.
- Choose shelf-stable proteins such as pouches, hard cheese, cured meats and nut butters for longer trips.
- Wash your hands before handling food, and bring a small amount of soap and water.
- Store food and anything scented (including toiletries) as the rules at your campsite require. In many areas that means a bear canister, a food locker or a proper hang, and in other areas a secured vehicle (see camping survival skills). Check the local land manager’s guidance before you go, since requirements differ by area.
- Pack out all trash, including food scraps.
Common mistakes
- Packing meals you have never tried
- Forgetting a way to cook, such as fuel, a lighter or a spoon
- Not planning for a delay
- Bringing too many heavy, water-rich foods on a long hike
- Leaving food in the tent
FAQ
What should I bring when hiking and camping?
Bring a planned meal for each time you will be eating, extra snacks, a way to cook (or a no-cook plan), water treatment, and a method for storing food properly.
What food should I take on a 3 day camping trip?
A mix of shelf-stable breakfasts, trail snacks, and simple dinners works well. See the 3-day plan above, and plan one spare meal.
What are good meal ideas for hiking?
Wraps, nut butter, crackers with pouches, trail mix and jerky are common choices for the trail, with pasta, rice or couscous for dinner.