A backpacking trip is pretty much a combination between hiking and camping, combining the best factors which define these two popular outdoor activities. As with camping, concern with what to eat is a no different concern when it comes to backpacking meals.
Given that with backpacking trips, the weight of the backpack which one carries greatly matters, as the weight of what one is carrying affects the overall backpacking trek experience, the backpacking meals a traveler carries should be light and sustaining enough for the rigors a backpacker would face during the course of a backpacking trip, which could last for days.
These days a number of instant backpacking meals abound outdoor interest shops, making meal concerns a non-challenging one for backpackers. Ironically though, these instant meals are not quite popular as backpacking meals, as they cost quite a sum of money to purchase. They also require a level of vigilant use, as the trash produced by these instant items become the responsibility for a backpacker. Though they do boast particular benefits, professional backpackers rather prepare their backpacking meals themselves.
Here are some of the most popular personal backpacking meals which are proven and tested to be quite effective.
Five Minute Rice Mixed with Seasoning Varieties
Taking less than five minutes to cook, five minute rice is quite ideal as a backpacking meal, considering that less fuel is needed to cook it, and rice is pretty light to carry around. The other good thing about rice which adds to its backpacking meal ideal is that one could easily season it with various flavors. Gravy mixes for example, or dried tomato soup rank as the most popular. Rice also is filling enough to recharge backpackers, after a long day of walking, making it quite an ideal backpacking meal.
Dried Nuts and Seeds
These are ideal for on trail nourishment, as well as backup backpacking meals in case a backpackers stove fails to function well. The ideally fit the bill as backpacking meals considering they are very light to carry and could sustain a backpackers energy demands.
Coffee and/or Hot Chocolate
For cold nights in the wilderness, keeping warm with ones backpacking gear is readily complemented with a hot cup of coffee/hot chocolate. They also complement rice meals, making them quite effective as backpacking meals.
Granola/Oatmeal and Chocolate Bars
Suffice to say, these items fit the backpacking meal ideals in the sense that they actually satisfy the definitions which define an ideal backpacking meal. They are light and provide enough energy in aiding backpackers go on with their trips.
All in all, a backpacker doesn’t necessarily have to spend on instant meals. Since most of these instant meals require a level of heating, bringing rice stands to be more practical, considering that these instant meals cost more than rice while both requires the use of a stove.
Light, filling and affordable, these backpacking meals are the more practical option.
