Cost effective camping/backpacking food?

September 10th, 2009 | by admin |

I need some suggestions for camping/backpacking food.

It must cover some of these points:

-relatively cheap – as compared to ready-made freeze dried/camping foods (like Mountain House)
-Lightweight – dehydrated, add water only type food etc.
-High energy/calorie content
-Healthy – not too much preservatives , artificial food colours/compounds, saturated fats etc.
-Can be found in major supermarkets like ASDA, Tesco etc.
-Can keep well in a backpack in summer conditions – i.e. not go off/rot/be crushed easily

So far I’ve discovered that peanut butter and flapjacks are a good snaking food for energy.

Instant dried meals like those by the ‘Batchelors’ brand seem ok but contain MSG and other flavour enhancers.

I already have several boxes of Seven OceanS standard emergency rations but they are quite heavy and boring in taste to consume regularly.

Trailmix will allow you to keep energy levels constant and will keep hunger away for quite sometime. I usually fill a gallon zip lock bag to last a weekend. I like to start off with life or wheat thins cereal then add some cashews almonds raisins and then a small bag of mixed dried fruit. Its packed with calories, carbs and protein to keep you going.

As for the dry foods stick with rice and pasta`s. Rice like Uncle ben`s or Rice a Roni are flavored and you just need boiling water. They are light and taste good. You can also just boil water for pasta`s and add some oil and garlic and any seasoning you want. Ramen Noodles are also compact and light weight.

You mentioned peanut butter..you should try it the wraps, they`re flat and light. Unlike regular bread it wont get crushed. You can put PB on the wrap then put some powdered hot cocoa and sprinkle some rice krispy cereal on it. It taste exactly like a reese`s peanutbutter cup.

  1. 4 Responses to “Cost effective camping/backpacking food?”

  2. By BeachBum818 on Sep 10, 2009 | Reply

    Trailmix will allow you to keep energy levels constant and will keep hunger away for quite sometime. I usually fill a gallon zip lock bag to last a weekend. I like to start off with life or wheat thins cereal then add some cashews almonds raisins and then a small bag of mixed dried fruit. Its packed with calories, carbs and protein to keep you going.

    As for the dry foods stick with rice and pasta`s. Rice like Uncle ben`s or Rice a Roni are flavored and you just need boiling water. They are light and taste good. You can also just boil water for pasta`s and add some oil and garlic and any seasoning you want. Ramen Noodles are also compact and light weight.

    You mentioned peanut butter..you should try it the wraps, they`re flat and light. Unlike regular bread it wont get crushed. You can put PB on the wrap then put some powdered hot cocoa and sprinkle some rice krispy cereal on it. It taste exactly like a reese`s peanutbutter cup.
    References :
    Eagle Scout
    NY Backpacking Guide

  3. By Willie D on Sep 11, 2009 | Reply

    Here’s my dinner menu from my last 3-day trip last month. All of it was bought in the local IGA Supermarket.

    Day 1: Spaghetti and mushroom marinara sauce with parmesan cheese. Sauce came in a pouch. Boiled the pasta and added the sauce after I strained the water. Put it on simmer and stirred it for a minute to warm up the sauce.

    Day 2: Oriental shrimp and noodles. Took two bricks or Ramen. One was Oriental flavor and the other was Shrimp Flavor. Boiled for 2 minutes, added 1 can of cooked shrimp. Added Ramen flavor packs as well as some curry, garlic, and pepper.

    Day 3: Louisiana Chicken and Rice: 1 bag of Riso brand black beans and rice. Cooked that up, added 1 can of chunk chicken, stir, add some spices..Cayenne, black, and red pepper along with garlic and some salt. Yummy!

    None of this was easy-quickie freeze-dried stuff. I had to cook. So you need a stove with a variable flame (or some way to simmer the food.)

    Additionally we had some Peanut Butter & Maple Syrup to mix up and spead on crackers. (Fat, Sugar, and Starch..woo-hoo) We had some BearNaked Granola (overpriced/overrated), Clif Mojo Bars (awesome!) and Instant Oatmeal for breakfast.

    I could have opted for organic or higher quality noodles, but Ramen is cheap and you can avoid much of the MSG by not using the seasonings they give you. Bring your own, that’s what I did.

    I also have a dehydrator. I didn’t use it to dry anything for this trip, but have done so in the past for long-term trips or ones where we had a lot of people going. I’ve dried fruits, veggies, herbs, and meats. It’s worth the investment and labor if you want to save money and plan to do a lot of backpacking.
    References :

  4. By Carl L on Sep 11, 2009 | Reply

    I seek out the Lipton noodles in packets that don’t require milk. They also have a lot of rice stuff too but I don’t care too much for rice. I’m with you on the MSG thing. It gives me the trots and that is one thing you do not want out on the trail. Campmor and the other camping outfits have all kinds of dehydrated foods as I am sure you are well aware of. Hence your question in the first place as they can really add up $$! As previously stated, the idea of a dehydrator appeals to me too. There are several versions on the market. I suppose in the long run it might be cost effective if you use it a lot but generally things like that tend to just be dust collectors in the average household. I think you ask an excellent question and I’m going to keep an eye on it.
    Happy trails!
    References :

  5. By klamity clue on Sep 11, 2009 | Reply

    Macaroni and cheese with chopped up hot dog in it.
    References :

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