After a long day on the trail, dinner should be something to look forward to. The best backpacking meal ideas are easy to carry, simple to prepare and made with food you actually enjoy. You can build a varied menu from supermarket staples without packing a different set of ingredients for every meal.
Here are ten ideas for your next hiking trip, plus a three-day menu to help you put them together.
BREAKFAST IDEAS
1. Porridge with dried fruit
Pack quick oats, raisins and cinnamon in individual portions. Cook according to the packet instructions, then stir in nut butter or a suitable seed spread. Adjust the consistency with water.
2. Muesli with powdered milk
For a breakfast without cooking, combine muesli and milk powder, then add drinking water when you are ready to eat. Follow the milk powder instructions and choose products that fit your dietary needs.
3. Sweet breakfast wraps
Spread a tortilla with peanut butter or a suitable alternative, add dried banana or raisins, and roll it up. It also makes a useful option for an early start when you do not want to unpack the stove.
LUNCHES WITHOUT A STOVE
4. Tuna wraps
Use a single-serving tuna pouch labelled for storage without refrigeration before opening. Open it at lunchtime, add it to a tortilla with an individual condiment sachet, and finish the contents.
5. Instant hummus wraps
Prepare hummus powder with drinking water according to its instructions. Spread onto tortillas and add seeds or seasoning. Make only the amount you will eat.
6. A trail picnic
Crackers, nuts or seeds, dried fruit and a shelf-stable spread make a flexible lunch. Portion everything before departure so your lunch does not disappear into your morning snacks.
ONE-POT DINNERS
7. Vegetable couscous
Combine quick-cooking couscous with dehydrated vegetables, cumin and a little olive oil. A small pouch of ready-to-eat chickpeas adds variety if the weight suits your route. Prepare each ingredient according to its instructions: the vegetables may need longer than the couscous.
8. Noodles with peanut sauce
Cook noodles with dehydrated vegetables. Stir in peanut butter and a little soy sauce, adding water gradually until you have a sauce. Keep seasoning separate so everyone can adjust their bowl.
9. Quick pasta with tomato and lentils
Choose small pasta shapes, a dried tomato sauce mix and instant lentil flakes. Check their cooking times before leaving and add each ingredient at the right stage. Ordinary dried lentils can take much longer and are less convenient for this version.
10. Mashed potatoes with vegetables
Prepare dehydrated vegetables first, then add instant potato flakes following the packet instructions. Finish with olive oil and herbs. It is a welcome change when you have already eaten pasta for several evenings.
A THREE-DAY BACKPACKING MENU
Day 1
Breakfast: eat before departure.
Lunch: tuna wraps.
Dinner: vegetable couscous with chickpeas.
Snacks: dried fruit and an oat bar.
Day 2
Breakfast: porridge with raisins and nut butter.
Lunch: crackers, a shelf-stable spread and a trail mix.
Dinner: noodles with peanut sauce.
Snacks: nuts or seeds and chocolate.
Day 3
Breakfast: muesli with powdered milk.
Lunch: hummus wraps.
Dinner: eat after returning, or pack mashed potatoes and vegetables if you expect another evening on the trail.
Treat this as a menu structure rather than a fixed ration. Adjust portions and snacks to your appetite, walking time, conditions and resupply opportunities. Try unfamiliar meals on a short outing before relying on them for a longer trip.
HOW TO PACK YOUR BACKPACKING FOOD
Start with the route. Count the meals between resupply points and check where you can obtain water for cooking. Dry ingredients still need water, and long cooking times mean carrying more fuel.
Reuse ingredients across meals. Tortillas can cover breakfast and lunch; raisins work in porridge and snacks. This reduces the number of partly used packets in your bag.
Read the cooking instructions before shopping. A meal that only needs hot water is very different from one that must simmer for fifteen minutes. Check that your pot can hold the portions you intend to cook.
Portion dry ingredients at home and label each meal with its preparation steps. Keep product information available, especially allergen details. Pack liquids securely, follow local food-storage and stove rules, and carry out packaging and food waste.
PLANNING MEALS FOR A GROUP
Agree on dietary needs before choosing the menu. Check product labels and keep ingredients and utensils separate where necessary. A substitution does not automatically make a meal suitable for everyone.
Decide which meals are shared. Group dinners can simplify cooking, while individual breakfasts and snacks let each walker choose their own portions and pace. Divide food and equipment deliberately so one person does not carry the entire kitchen.
PLAN YOUR NEXT TRIP WITH KIGUMI
Use Kigumi to organize your trip's meals and prepare your shopping list before departure. Start with dinners your group will enjoy, add breakfasts and lunches, then review the ingredients together.
For backpacking, make a final check against the route: pack weight, water needs, cooking time and storage. The right menu is one you can carry, cook and enjoy at the end of the day.
Here are ten ideas for your next hiking trip, plus a three-day menu to help you put them together.
BREAKFAST IDEAS
1. Porridge with dried fruit
Pack quick oats, raisins and cinnamon in individual portions. Cook according to the packet instructions, then stir in nut butter or a suitable seed spread. Adjust the consistency with water.
2. Muesli with powdered milk
For a breakfast without cooking, combine muesli and milk powder, then add drinking water when you are ready to eat. Follow the milk powder instructions and choose products that fit your dietary needs.
3. Sweet breakfast wraps
Spread a tortilla with peanut butter or a suitable alternative, add dried banana or raisins, and roll it up. It also makes a useful option for an early start when you do not want to unpack the stove.
LUNCHES WITHOUT A STOVE
4. Tuna wraps
Use a single-serving tuna pouch labelled for storage without refrigeration before opening. Open it at lunchtime, add it to a tortilla with an individual condiment sachet, and finish the contents.
5. Instant hummus wraps
Prepare hummus powder with drinking water according to its instructions. Spread onto tortillas and add seeds or seasoning. Make only the amount you will eat.
6. A trail picnic
Crackers, nuts or seeds, dried fruit and a shelf-stable spread make a flexible lunch. Portion everything before departure so your lunch does not disappear into your morning snacks.
ONE-POT DINNERS
7. Vegetable couscous
Combine quick-cooking couscous with dehydrated vegetables, cumin and a little olive oil. A small pouch of ready-to-eat chickpeas adds variety if the weight suits your route. Prepare each ingredient according to its instructions: the vegetables may need longer than the couscous.
8. Noodles with peanut sauce
Cook noodles with dehydrated vegetables. Stir in peanut butter and a little soy sauce, adding water gradually until you have a sauce. Keep seasoning separate so everyone can adjust their bowl.
9. Quick pasta with tomato and lentils
Choose small pasta shapes, a dried tomato sauce mix and instant lentil flakes. Check their cooking times before leaving and add each ingredient at the right stage. Ordinary dried lentils can take much longer and are less convenient for this version.
10. Mashed potatoes with vegetables
Prepare dehydrated vegetables first, then add instant potato flakes following the packet instructions. Finish with olive oil and herbs. It is a welcome change when you have already eaten pasta for several evenings.
A THREE-DAY BACKPACKING MENU
Day 1
Breakfast: eat before departure.
Lunch: tuna wraps.
Dinner: vegetable couscous with chickpeas.
Snacks: dried fruit and an oat bar.
Day 2
Breakfast: porridge with raisins and nut butter.
Lunch: crackers, a shelf-stable spread and a trail mix.
Dinner: noodles with peanut sauce.
Snacks: nuts or seeds and chocolate.
Day 3
Breakfast: muesli with powdered milk.
Lunch: hummus wraps.
Dinner: eat after returning, or pack mashed potatoes and vegetables if you expect another evening on the trail.
Treat this as a menu structure rather than a fixed ration. Adjust portions and snacks to your appetite, walking time, conditions and resupply opportunities. Try unfamiliar meals on a short outing before relying on them for a longer trip.
HOW TO PACK YOUR BACKPACKING FOOD
Start with the route. Count the meals between resupply points and check where you can obtain water for cooking. Dry ingredients still need water, and long cooking times mean carrying more fuel.
Reuse ingredients across meals. Tortillas can cover breakfast and lunch; raisins work in porridge and snacks. This reduces the number of partly used packets in your bag.
Read the cooking instructions before shopping. A meal that only needs hot water is very different from one that must simmer for fifteen minutes. Check that your pot can hold the portions you intend to cook.
Portion dry ingredients at home and label each meal with its preparation steps. Keep product information available, especially allergen details. Pack liquids securely, follow local food-storage and stove rules, and carry out packaging and food waste.
PLANNING MEALS FOR A GROUP
Agree on dietary needs before choosing the menu. Check product labels and keep ingredients and utensils separate where necessary. A substitution does not automatically make a meal suitable for everyone.
Decide which meals are shared. Group dinners can simplify cooking, while individual breakfasts and snacks let each walker choose their own portions and pace. Divide food and equipment deliberately so one person does not carry the entire kitchen.
PLAN YOUR NEXT TRIP WITH KIGUMI
Use Kigumi to organize your trip's meals and prepare your shopping list before departure. Start with dinners your group will enjoy, add breakfasts and lunches, then review the ingredients together.
For backpacking, make a final check against the route: pack weight, water needs, cooking time and storage. The right menu is one you can carry, cook and enjoy at the end of the day.