9 Bikepacking Meal Ideas & Tips

[@christopherbrahan1794]

My go to for a cheap quick meal is a can of beans with a small can of hatch green chiles mixed in and a crap ton of tortillas. Cheap, no stove, and filling!

[@edzeppelin933]

I love beans!

[@MrQuestful]

I love cooking, so I may be an extreme use case, but I have a few tips I’ve learned: 1. Dates are super useful: you can snack on them, make a makeshift fruit and nut bar with them w/ your favorite nuts, put them in coffee 🤌🏽. Making this nut bar with a little salt & dark chocolate was one of the best snacks I make. 2. I like to bulk buy my ingredients and make my snacks. I’ve found I can get 1.5lbs Hazelnuts, 2lbs Pecans, & 2lbs of dates for about $38 at Costco, which is also relatively easy to find across the US. 3. In India, it’s pretty common to use a fire operated pressure cooker. I have one that is a Nepalese mountaineering pressure cooker, and I’m convinced it’s the most handy tool to make something unexpectedly nice in the middle of nowhere. Bringing some dry goods and a spice kit, I made it across the US and made Dal (lentils), rajma (beans) & various rice dishes in this tiny 1.2 liter pot. It’s a bit bulkier than a jetboil, but I really enjoyed its cooking versatility. 4. Eggplant & onion are two of the most durable traveling veggies. I would buy an eggplant and onion when I got to a market, and just throw the eggplant in my fire embers to char, peel it open and scoop out the tender guts into a bowl with some garam masala and minced ginger garlic, and make a pseudo baingan bharta on the go.

[@jessemarks4111]

Hey, could you link your pressure cooker please? (or a similar one)

[@MrQuestful]

@@jessemarks4111 apparently YT doesn’t like me posting links… I’ve tried twice to comment. Google Hawkins pressure cookers.

[@Dutcharmytent]

I totally agree with you, I go just because I enjoy cooking outdoors in the evening . I use a Swiss Army Stove. $10 Army Surplus in Aluminium.

[@MrQuestful]

@@jessemarks4111Hawkins 1.5 L is my current one from India, the Nepali one is from a brand called Diamond. The Diamond is more compact, the Hawkins is a wider pot and a little more versatile.

[@umaikakudo]

Dates are awesome. Dip them in peanut butter for extra delicious calories.

[@RonaldBeirouti]

Great ideas in that video! Before leaving home, I mix in a bag of oats, raisins, walnuts, cinamon, brown sugar and some vegan protein powder. After each supper, I add water and let it soak for overnight oats ready in the morning.

[@miken7629]

I go hiking on Appalachian Trail every spring and think my food is applicable to bikepacking, always carry 1 pound of Walnut halves, shelf stable, no cook, calorie dense @ 3000/lb, 65% fat + 14% protein + 14% carbs - 7% soluble fiber, a person (or squirrel) could survive on Walnuts, I snack of those all day and don't get hungry, prefer getting energy from fat, not sugar (carbs). My favorite cold breakfast is 1.5 cups of cereal in a freezer bag + 1/4 cup NIDO (powdered milk), add water, shake, instant milk & cereal. My favorite hot meal made in freezer bag is 2/3 cup Dehydrated Refried Beans + 1/3 cup Minute Rice + Taco Seasoning + 1 cup boiling water, eat out of the freezer bag. Imitation Biscuits & Gravy = 1 packet Ramen broken into small pieces (don't use seasoning packet) + 1/2 package Pioneer Country Gravy + Bacon pieces + 1 cup boiling water. Grits & Bacon = 2 packets Instant Grits + Bacon pieces + 1 cup boiling water. 1/3 cup instant Mash Potatoes + 1 cup boiling water + 1 packet BBQ Pulled Pork is great, the steam from the potatoes will heat up the pork. Usually meat & cheese for supper, an 8oz block of sharp cheddar (or Parmesan) keeps a few days, meat is usually precooked bacon, salami, pepperoni, dried sausage, jerky. Also, peanut butter like Skippy gets into bloodstream immediately and provides instant energy due to the fat & sugar, when I am hiking up a mountain, tired and cannot take another step, about 5-6 tablespoon's worth of Skippy gives me instant energy to make it up the mountain.

[@jamesbothwell1]

I never would have guessed that those little brown oatmeal bags were sturdy enough to have hot water poured directly into them..that's a game changer for me. I generally try to limit my camp meals to a single pot, but those stasher bags look like a really good option for extra food storage too!

[@jessemarks4111]

My secret is bulgur. For those who don't know it's a form of wheat from the eastern med. You cook it by pouring boiling water over it and sealing it up in a tub or one of those stasher bags. It's high in protein, dirt cheap, packs very small, and it doesn't need to be cooked in a pan. You can boil your water, tip it onto the bulgur and then use the pan again to cook the accompaniment while the bulgur soaks.

[@jeffspencersguidetogreatbi1802]

Fully agree about the bulgur. It also cooks really quickly. Made for bikepacking!

[@mattflanagan7519]

I see there is course, fine and extra fine. What do you use?

[@jessemarks4111]

@@mattflanagan7519 I prefer course, it feels more wholesome.

[@jeffspencersguidetogreatbi1802]

Agreed on the course. I like the somewhat chewy texture

[@jameshallworth8053]

Couscous with dried fruits and nuts, a crumbled stock cube in there and some dried mint. Just add water (cold soak or hot) for a delicious and nutritious bikepacking meal. Enjoy!

[@jessemarks4111]

Try bulgur. It cooks the same, it's a bit more wholesome and higher in protein, it's got a less stodgy texture and it's a bit cheaper in my experience. Otherwise it cooks the same and you can boil the water and then use the pan again while it soaks.

[@thomasbutler2295]

For dinner, I pack pouches of bean vivo meals and tasty bite Indian dishes. Great on tortillas. They heat up in less than a minute and are super filling. In places where water is scare, they are nice because you don't have to hydrate them. For breakfast I buy a resealable bag of freeze dried fruit, add oats, milk powder, brown sugar, and chia seeds and pour a cup of hot water on them, let them hydrate while I pack up the tent and chow down before getting back in the saddle.

[@coreyclouse1255]

I saw in the camp clips a PBR and a twix, those are my kind of options.

[@baldurk.1667]

I love your video. Thanks for being so unpretentious and less waste approach!

[@ryanolinger639]

My best hack is taking frozen leftovers for overnighters. By the time you set up camp the meal is thawed. Freezer bags can hold up to a boil, so the bag goes straight into the pot to be reheated. Pasta dishes are the best for this.

[@ericmoriarty1870]

You can make a nice clean omelet using a zip lock bag as well.

[@Oldsparkey]

I'm basically lazy and hate cleaning dishes of any sort when camping. So I use the Freezer Bag style of cooking when out there. I put the meals together here at the house one meal to one freezer bag , including condiments. Mark on the outside how much water is needed so I know how much to add to the meal when getting it ready for consumption. roll the bag to get the excess air out and then seal it. In camp , get the water near boiling and then add it to the bag. Mix everything together and seal the bag. Place the bag in a cozy ( insulated container the same size as the bag ) . wait about 8 to 10 minutes , then open the bag and enjoy a hot meal. When everything is done lick the spoon to clean it and save the 1st freezer bag to double as a trash bag for all the others. One easy meal is Ramen noodles with the dehydrated vegetable soup mix ( 4 or 5 tablespoons ) from Harmony House foods and some hot sauce. Since it's a lot of liquid i Leave it in the cozy which acts like a soft sided bowl that I can hold.

[@biketrybe7071]

Totally onboard with the torts. The best quick, easy, tasty meal/snack is a tort with crunchy PB and hot sauce. Also, overnight oats for breakfast are ligit - no cooking required and you still get a high-calorie, healthy start for your day. Lastly, for cold weather camping, bring lots of butter and put it in everything.

[@postridebeers]

My favorite go to is PB, Nutella and banana burritos. Use snack size zip lock bags for each and the bags come in handy for small trash like candy wrappers and wipes.

[@proshantomukherjee9447]

You Americans really don't know anything about cooking and food in general 😅. That's sweet. Love from India.

[@coreyweitzel]

Great tips as I’m planning my first bike-packing trip with my oldest son (13).

[@FranksonAdventures]

Since I‘m a coffee enthusiast, I always carry „brew bags“ reusable, specialty coffee prefilled filter bags. Super thin, easy to pack, delicious coffee! Carrying my meals from LYO Foods, freshly cooked then freeze dried - I‘m a high calorie burner. The „heaviest“ has 752 kcal. Perfect for my dinner. Always: Banana Chips, Nuts, High calorie bars and what I find on my way. Oat meal with honey and a banana if I have one - or dry fruits

[@lyha91]

I've never seen those silicone bags before and I'm instantly in love with them. For condiments I don't take disposable ones to avoid unnecessary waste, but I did buy some miniature 10ml and 20ml jars which I use for spices, condiments, sugar, toothpaste, soap, chamois cream etc. Just make sure you don't reuse the chamois cream one for condiments. :) In Europe you can get them in Rossman, but I'm sure you they're available across the pond as well.

[@carlospereira9202]

What works best for me is couscous. It comes already precooked, it takes up very little space, you just have to bring the water to a boil and turn off the gas. 3 minutes later you have it. You save space, water, gas, it has it all.

[@Dutcharmytent]

I use an ex army Swiss Army Stove. IT uses a small methylated spirit burner and I use a water proof magnesium fire starter. Kit comes with everything, just add a mug. It was new, it’s Aluminium and around was around $10

[@yurihuertavasquez9544]

Great video because you show a lot of tips. I’m doing some of them in my trips. Today we have a lot of facilities and the weight and space are vital. Congratulations

[@Makorow]

Xtra virgin olive oil (120cals/tablespoon) is very energy dense, healthy, tasty, doesn't go bad, and makes everything better. On bread, in rice, in a salad or casserole...has a million uses.

[@bikecommuter24]

Im kind of late to the party, but one meal trick that is simple and can be made with ingredients from the gas station--convenience store, which is to get some string cheese and roll it inside a tortilla, heated up makes a nice quesadilla, I like the pepper jack variety and a variation is you can make sort of a calzone with a tortilla they sell stick cheese with meat wrapped around it, put that inside a tortilla with some salsa. Im vegetarian myself so that is not something I have tried. You can also make your own Tortilla chips-strips with that pack of tortillas you can make Chilaquiles which is an excellent one pot breakfast dish. Basically it's chips, eggs, cheese and salsa, I know that is not the correct version, but for camping food LOL I once used a bag of Doritos to make it, if you got onions or jalapeños or hatch chilies that takes the flavors up quite a bit.

[@GeekonaBike]

Back in the day KFC intimation Honey Sauce packets where my personal on the bike unintentional XC racing energy sponsor, For longer term bikepacking I find the water bottle cage size of peanut butter jars with about 1/3 scoop out (eaten on the spot?) & refilled w/ actual honey make a nice mix of fats, carbs & protein. A plus is the ingredients are available at most convenience stores/gas stations.

[@Emergenttheory]

Thank you!

[@tallonhunter3663]

I made a "cereal" of raisins, sunflower seeds, cashews, pumpkin seeds. Seperate pack of dry oats. And dry powder "milk" (I'm lactose intolerant) also seperate. Put it in the bowl, add water. Mix. Leave it to soften for a few minutes. Can use the "milk" in a coffee or tea too.

[@barrybogart5436]

For breakfast, hard boiled eggs and/or oatmeal packets. I heat the eggs in my coffee/oatmeal water. Eggs last for days, For lunch what I used in France after PBP and ever since: 'Saucisson Sec' - like salami but refrigeration is not required, Some hard cheese, an apple and a carrot and a baguette if available, or naan. All this stuff is durable and lasts days. For dinner, vegan Indian packets like Tasty Bites or Vimal, dollar store precooked rice packets,, or freeze dried meals if on sale! Maybe a little wine and naan. Otherwise, I DO dehydrate. Apples, peaches, tomatoes, blueberries, stir fry veggies for soup or frying, and some jerky to keep you going. Fizzy electrolyte tablets energize your water. And of course spices and herbs.

[@jeremywofford4257]

The No Cook Elvis… Tortilla, peanut butter, banana chips, and precooked Bacon. Best bike packing breakfast ever and texture is important!

[@juliapoelstra3624]

I like the banana chip idea with the peanut butter. A lot easier than carrying fresh fruit

[@crlarner]

Pre-made breakfast burritos. Made them night before and put in freezer. Pulled them out day of ride and rode all day and ate them the next day and they were still cold and actually delicious. Moisture hadn’t got to them yet. Toasted pop tarts with butter iis even better too.

[@jensthimmvalsted1000]

The Outdoor Boys, on youtubr, really shows that its possible to do proper homecooked meals over a fire and/or campstove

[@phreadi]

saw it on another channel, but honestly love it and it's so tasty for a one pot meal boiled in water for a little while: dry Rice noodles + Biltong Jerky (in oregon, i've only found it at costco) + peanut butter + red peper flakes.

[@decentdiversions]

Good video! Ive been bringing my Restrap Musette specifically to carry extra food as needed. Already dehydrated ingredients like TVP and couscous are super handy.

[@gregmaino178]

I've had good luck mixing nido dehydrated milk with vanilla carnation instant breakfast and granola. It packs up small, and only requires cold water to make edible. Mix in a reusable baggie... No stove, no dishes 🎉

[@nataliesabogal3336]

I love all these ideas! I always bring TVP. It's great for extra protein and hydrates super fast.

[@mikaelljungberg1019]

Here in sweden they sell alredy grinded cowboy coffy redy to cooc look att gevalia. Thats one of The brands

[@katrinahase]

Liked the oatmeal packet tip. Wouldn't have thought you could do that!

[@mikehaberstock2758]

Thanks

[@void_presence]

ty for this; I'm getting ready to get into bike-packing--but one of the biggest hesitations is the food aspect--I can't cook to save my life (probably literally)--even tho I was in Boy Scouts when i was a kid; so cooking out in the wild def isn't going to work :D

[@73megalith]

Cous Cous....food so nice they named it twice!

[@eternaltome3376]

I always wondered about using an insulated water bottle and boiling water to slow cook something

[@freedomwon2004]

Well...not necessarily a bikepacking meal...but a $5 breakfast burrito 🌯 from Filiberto's after bailing 🪂 out of work early to go ride my Surly Bridge Club! And of course watch and gave a 👍 up to this video. I have sick time to use at work. And I was sick of being there today. 🚵‍♂️ Ride further!

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@umaikakudo]

Peanut butter+granola+makuna honey is super delicious for dessert and breakfast

[@Chaley72]

Other than anything in a tortilla. A packet of spicy noodles made in a pan, once it’s cooked drink the juice as a starter and then add some eggs (bought roadside and cracked into a bottle to transport ) and have a scrambled/foo young/omelet. I’d probably put this in a tortilla as well tbh.

[@sylv_ain]

7:31 anybody know what is that folding blue plate ?

[@sylv_ain]

Found them. There’re called Fozzils think flat plate

[@mikaelljungberg1019]

Ive carried tortelini when hiking its pasta with dryed mest i side only nead to cooc for a few minutes

[@MentalHealthJourney]

I have complex ptsd and my biggest trigger is fire. I can’t cook independently and have been wanting to go solo bike packing but felt held back by my inability to cook food….this video has blown my mind as to the possibilities of how I could make food without heat….which will save me in my every day life too! I’ve not been able to heat my own food for 5 years this is amazing thankyou!,,,

[@danielstevens5280]

You can cold soak pouch meals like Mountain House, Backpackers Pantry, etc as well. They are expensive but a nice high calorie treat, especially if you are living on basic things like tortillas, beef jerky, nuts, fruit snacks, etc on the trail. I would soak them about an hour, maybe longer. There's crunchy bits in them usually after the soak that don't hydrate well. But I thought that made the meal better.

[@MrQuestful]

I haven’t tried it as yet, but given your phobia I’m wondering if you might try using a portable induction cooker. There’s no fire, a couple of limitations on cookwear, but could be a workaround. On a trauma management side, I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest you try a guided session with 🍄 I have PTSD from a car accident, and I found that to be a very powerful tool for navigating my anxieties. A year after my accident I was riding solo across the US. Wishing you the best on your journey!

[@MentalHealthJourney]

I can't use any heat-creating devices except an electric kettle@@MrQuestful but thanks for the recommendation - thats good to know those sorts of things exist actually as when the day comes that I can use that sort of thing its more likely to be with non-fire things first! Unfortunately i've got quite a complex situation so cant use those as it wouldn't be appropriate for me - however I'm really interested in the use of psychadelics for trauma and I've attended quite a few talks about it and we have a research study on using them in mental health in our research department at work! So good to hear it worked for you - I think there is a really important place in mental health care for this!!

[@turtlecrawford6468]

Taco bell diablo sauce always goes with me

[@immyimmy100]

Flavored couscous sachets with tuna toppers.

[@pedallinraw]

Let’s not forget some more whole food options versus all the processed goodies 🥰🙂👍🏻

[@coreyreeder3549]

If you have the room to pack it out, my kids and I have enjoyed just bringing a can of soup and warming it slowly over the stove for an evening meal. Eat it right out of the can and then just bag up the trash for later

[@purrplepatch]

There's a lot of ultra-processed food solutions here!

[@ezr168]

Pouches of tuna work well

[@nicholaslafferty3928]

Ive tried all sorts of options and nothing holds me over until lunch like peanut butter on tortilla every morning. I add sunflower seed kernals for a complete protein. I usually carry a few ramens since they come in packs but then in towns pick up a can or two of fish or chicken and maybe even some veggies to add to the ramen in order to pack in some nutrients. Fats and proteins help me reduce how often I bonk out or gorge on carbs like candy and soda to get back above water. In colder weather I go for more fats. I try to pack more proteins at the end of the day to help muscle regeneration overnight. Its heavy stuff but Ive been getting bags of the trail mix and packing that into one of the handlebar bottle pouches. Better to eat that between meals than to shop hungry in the first sign of civilization. Been using those fold up Fozzils dishes for a couple of years and they work great as cutting boards also. The Uco plastic double sided spoon forks are durable lightweight, cheap and work great. The bright color keeps them from getting lost in a bag. After trying nearly every option I've landed on using an alcohol stove with heet and aluminum pot with heat coils for maximum efficiency and lowest cost.

[@raymarks7430]

Took a bunch of frozen uncrustables (those peanut butter and jelly round kids sandwiches) on my last bikepacking trip. I found they fit perfectly in the bottle bag thing on my handlebars. They end up melting of course but dang they are so good for a stop and go snack or even breakfast if you’re just itching to head out.

[@ARCENAULT]

I bring the new whisky blonde ..some cigs..summer sausage...cheese..naan bread..tvp..rice ramen..and .. dehydrated fruit..and a couple pack of the long stem black and milds whwn in bear country

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

I like your style.

[@ellerybice3787]

Fishing along the way perhaps?

[@congamike1]

Beef jerky can be added to ramen or eaten out of hand.

[@Clemdapu]

I always take some honey with me to put in my tea in the evening ! I also use it in my meals for sweetness ;)

[@mediumrick7667]

Flour torts, package of pre-cooked bacon and pre-shredded cheese of your choice. Makes a great breakfast. Heated with a stove is best but cold works too if you're going stove-less. Add hot sauce/salsa of your choice.

[@timdowney6721]

My dad used to collect restaurant condiment packs. Of course, he never camped, much less bikepacked as far as I know. But, he was a Depression survivor. BTW, don’t bother with the fake parmesan cheese. If something was dry and flavorless before, it’ll be worse.

[@whatthetrip8769]

Peanut butter is something always on my bike: so many calories and fat in a jar. Spread that on a tortilla ...

[@JustMikeH]

Sadly "make extra room in your bike for food" in grizzly country means "pack a bigger bear canister" (at least for anything you're not going to eat while riding). Maybe I just need to leave the region. haha.

[@tim9324]

Nutella on a burrito 👍

[@thunderbird3694]

My low-carb bike food is hard boiled eggs and hemp seeds stored in prescription bottles, beef jerky and cheese cut to fit baggies, or low-carb powdered meal mix.

[@pollinatorhabitatzone]

Dude, break the Ramen up while it’s still in the package and then it won’t make such a mess, momma taught me that when I was like seven years old

[@stevemiller9291]

We have dehydrated scrambled eggs mixed with instant potatoes and then vacuum sealed them into servings

[@JohnWilliams-s9n]

Tortillas win over most other bread like things as they don’t fragment and don’t tend to go mouldy over longer trips!

[@grumpy-dad3701]

If I'm bikepacking over a couple of days. I'll take a homemade frozen curry for night 1.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Oh, yum, great idea.

[@lindonandlisa8114]

Please tell me you're joking about polystyrene containers. I can't believe you still use them in the states

[@subliminalfreedom]

❤

[@jellevangolen3687]

*cries in european cuisine*

[@adammacer]

Oh c’mon, talks about low-waste bikepacking then immediately endorses high-waste one-serving packet oatmeal? You’re heating water in a pot anyway so take a zip-lock of bulk-bought oatmeal and make your oatmeal in the pot.

[@rollandjoeseph]

I caught that too..playing to the masses I guess..lol

[@markroberts6971]

Eat nutrition, not calories. So many backpackers Bike Packers end up eating basically nothing but processed food with very low nutrition. Plan your diet with as much nutrient dense food as you can, because you’re putting out a lot of effort. Do yourself a favor.

[@teddgram]

A friend of mine always taught me to go ahead and get those items that require refrigeration when you resupply, just eat them that day. Picky Bars Trail Mix Fix oatmeal is hands down my favorite. Loads of good stuff in there. I just bring a whole bag and eat a little bit for every breakfast. If you like making your own dehydrated meals, Hungry Hammock Hanger @MrBabelfish5 has some really good videos on how to make them. I did his Chili Mac last year and it turned out great.

[@87solarsky]

How about a classical cheese fondue 🫕? Where there's cheese, there's an appetite.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Cheese is a true wonder of this world.

[@craigh2428]

Blessed are the cheese makers!😊

[@rollandjoeseph]

😳 , with a loaf of french crunchy baguettes 😋👌?