Backpacking Food Basics: 4-Day Ultralight Meal Plan

[@theAbandonedCamper]

I absolutely love the fact that you are showing us "real time" videos of you eating the meals, explaining everything, and posting while you are out on the trail! 👍

[@backcountryfoodie]

I'd like to create more videos like this one but I'm typically too tired and just want to go to bed after a long day on trail. We'll have to plan more relaxed hikes like the Catalina Island one. :)

[@WilliamKapes]

I did the Trans Catalina Trail as well last Summer and took your garlic parmesan ramen and lemon butter ramen with me. Both were fantastic and the envy of the other hikers.

[@backcountryfoodie]

Awesome!! Thanks for sharing that. 😀

[@nessazee]

Yum! This is honestly some of the tastiest backpacking food I’ve ever seen. And those desserts?? I want to backpack with you lol

[@backcountryfoodie]

Haha! It's not unusual for folks to follow behind me while I'm thru-hiking, hoping I'll put food in the hiker boxes.

[@TM-fn4hd]

You're in my neck of the woods! Hope you missed the rain we've been having. Great video, as always!

[@backcountryfoodie]

Unfortunately, our hike was cut in half because of tick bites that put my husband and dog in the ER on day three. We loved Catalina while we were there, though. We're now parked in the Alabama Hills with Mt Whitney in full view. Gorgeous area!

[@Freedom17762]

Just came across your channel and really enjoy the content. I'm headed down the rogue river trail for my first 40 mile trip. I'll definitely take your lead on these meal ideas in the future. Thanks!

[@backcountryfoodie]

I'm leaving soon for a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail. Will be doing lots of food experimentation. Find me on Instagram or Facebook to see how it goes.

[@mountaintrailventures]

Thank you so much for the wonderful information!

[@zachhall7414]

Your recipes and combinations are amazing. I def will be trying several of these this fall! Thank you for the great tips and content!

[@backcountryfoodie]

Thank you and you're welcome! 😊

[@meirchaimo6960]

Omg this looks so awesome!

[@joannehaberman8923]

What are the compostable paper bags that you have packaged alot of your meals in??

[@backcountryfoodie]

They're made by tekpaksolutions.com/ and are only available in HUGE quantities. I'm currently trail testing them to see how they hold up. If they work well for my CT thru-hike this summer, we're considering selling them in reasonable quantities on our website.

[@joannehaberman8923]

Oh my....I looked it up!! 30,000 bags are just a few too many for a weekend hiker!! Look forward to your thoughts as you try them out.

[@backcountryfoodie]

@@joannehaberman8923 The sample pack we ordered included 700 bags. I'm thru-hiking from mid-July to mid-August. Will provide a report towards the end of August. Stay tuned!

[@kenfugate6601]

Are these equivalent? www.clearbags.com/bags/gusset/stand-up-pouch/eco-stand-up-pouches

[@backcountryfoodie]

@@kenfugate6601 The description doesn’t mention if the bags can hold water. I’d want to ask that before buying them unless you do not plan to freezer bag cook. Could be a good option.

[@LenkaSaratoga]

👍💚 Happy Trails

[@Pdoja1990]

Keep up the great content!

[@backcountryfoodie]

Thanks, will do!

[@katehayford5086]

Gasp! I can't wait to try some of these recipes. *hurries to website*

[@backcountryfoodie]

Haha! Hope you enjoy them. :)

[@njcranes]

You are so awesome

[@backcountryfoodie]

Thanks. 😊

[@geraldwald3473]

I've grown tired of bars over the years and also primarily eat trail mix. I've lately been using Great Value Omega-3 trail mix which pushes toward 160 calories per Oz and wonder what your thoughts are on this product.

[@backcountryfoodie]

Looks like a solid option to me. Walnuts, almonds and cranberries are great anti-inflammatory foods. Although, I'm not sure why they added vegetable oil.

[@ski4life9]

Do you have a link for the compostable bags??

[@backcountryfoodie]

I used TekPak Solutions out of Canada but they don't seem to sell the smaller sizes for backpacking meals anymore. :( Elevate Packaging is another company, but I don't feel their product is as durable.

[@mollymn1133]

Would you consider showing the actual prep work when making food for a hike here on a KZbin video? Because that would honestly be amazing :)

[@backcountryfoodie]

Happy to do that once we have a little more space. Filming inside our van is tough due to the tiny space available. I also make a HUGE mess because there's so little space. lol! We're in the process of remedying the problem by buying a fifth wheel with lots of counterspace. Stay tuned for meal prep videos later this year. :)

[@mollymn1133]

@@backcountryfoodie oh my goodness I knew you cooked in a van but I didn’t even consider that you’d be prepping that much in a van or the idea of filming that, but I’ll be looking forward to those videos if that becomes a possibility!

[@jpriddle]

Sounds like a lot of these meals you are trail testing, but if it is also a typical loadout, how do you maintain and manage all of the ingredients for such a diverse menu? I’m imagine a whole pantry full of stuff in order to make all of those. Also, what would the typical prep time be for this kind of menu? Thanks for all of the info you’re sharing.

[@backcountryfoodie]

Great questions! Since I create backpacking recipes for a living, my ingredient pantry is unusually diverse. We currently have one 30-gallon tote and an 18-gallon tote filled with ingredients in our van. Here's a link to my pantry if you want to see what I have on hand. backcountryfoodie.com/pantry/ We offer a variety of 4 ingredients or fewer recipes for folks who don't want to have such an extensive supply of ingredients at home. The total time to prepare such a menu depends on the recipes chosen. Our recipes are designed to take 5 minutes or less to prepare at home and on trail. If similar ingredients are used, less time is required to pull out and put away ingredients. Our recipes are also dry ingredients based which means fewer dishes to wash. Dump the ingredients in a baggie, and you're done. No mixing bowls are required. For this season's thru-hike, I've spent about six hours over the course of two days so far preparing a 30-day supply of homemade breakfasts, dinners, desserts, and beverages. Only lunches remain.

[@Iykyk003]

I’m curious what app you are using on your phone to track calories?

[@backcountryfoodie]

Our meal planning platform. :) The meal planning tool calculates the nutrition profile in real time as food is added to the meal plan. I was looking at the plans I created for the trip on our site. backcountryfoodie.com

[@LukeoXx]

Hello! This question is for Aaron or anyone else in the community. I loving these meal plan ideas. Are these meals easy to make vegan by excluding dairy/meat?

[@backcountryfoodie]

Yes they are! We currently have over 80 vegan recipes and 148 vegan commercial foods to choose from in our membership site. New foods are added to the site weekly.

[@markcummings6856]

Nice.

[@backcountryfoodie]

Thanks! 😀

[@karincampbell7745]

Does the olive oil leak out of the Nalgene bottle that you have it in. I'm always worried about taking oils in case they leak.

[@backcountryfoodie]

Nope, haven't had a problem with it. I do still put it in a baggie just in case I don't seal it perfectly.

[@jillpoulsen544]

Are these meals and weights for two people?

[@backcountryfoodie]

Nope, single serving meals prepared for myself.

[@calebroth404]

I’m curious to know what your husband’s backpacking diet consists of. I know most men tend to lose a lot more weight while on thru hikes so I’m curious what your thoughts and suggestions are on a healthy yet lightweight diet would be for men, especially guys who are used to high levels of fitness and a higher calorie intake.

[@backcountryfoodie]

Funny you should ask because he won't let me pack his food. He's a "toss it in a bag and call it good" kinda guy. He also doesn't backpack for more than 3-4 days at a time. For a thru-hiking male, I would strongly advise against this method. My first recommendation would be to look at what you consume on a typical day at home. This will give you what you need at baseline. From there, ramp up calories and protein based on what your hike is going to look like. If you want to get nerdy, here are a few numbers to crunch. Carbs: eat a minimum of 6 g of carbs (preferably mostly complex carbs) per kg of your body weight per day. Protein: eat a minimum of 1.2 g protein per kilogram of your body weight per day. These are recommendations for an endurance athlete, like a backpacker. Make up the rest of your calories with fat. I can't give you a calorie goal because I don't know what you typically eat at home or on previous hikes. If you're hiking 20 mile days, you could easily need twice what you consume at home. For recovery: eat 15-25 g protein and 30-60 g carbs at the end of the day. Hope that helps a little.

[@calebroth404]

Awesome. Thank you. I’m heading out to attempt a thru hike of the PCT starting in May and have been freeze dryer all my food to get ready. Now I have a better idea of how to prep the meals.

[@calebroth404]

Awesome. Thank you. I’m heading out to attempt a thru hike of the PCT starting in May and have been freeze dryer all my food to get ready. Now I have a better idea of how to prep the meals.

[@calebroth404]

Awesome. Thank you. I’m heading out to attempt a thru hike of the PCT starting in May and have been freeze dryer all my food to get ready. Now I have a better idea of how to prep the meals.

[@calebroth404]

Awesome. Thank you. I’m heading out to attempt a thru hike of the PCT starting in May and have been freeze dryer all my food to get ready. Now I have a better idea of how to prep the meals.

[@brad_marston]

Does lunch tend to be the biggest meal? I see you are having pasta for several lunches.

[@backcountryfoodie]

I do prefer three larger meals with snacks in between. What I pack for lunch depends on the trip. I packed more elaborate meals that required hot water for this trip because we weren't in any hurry. For thru-hikes, I typically pack no-cook or cold soak meals that I can stop and eat quickly or while on the go.

[@misaventuras6995]

I see a lot of hikers eating hot meals out of ziplockcs, and other bags like instant oatmeal, potatoes, and Knorr. Do you know the dangers of this if any?

[@backcountryfoodie]

The primary concern for most folks is the BPA in plastic. Ziploc freezer bags are BPA-free. I'm not aware of what the oatmeal and Knorr sides packets are made out of or how well they hold water.

[@rudekperezacupuncturist]

@@backcountryfoodie thanks for providing such an important information, hopefully hikers will become more aware of how important nutrition is for performance and recovery.

[@backcountryfoodie]

@@rudekperezacupuncturist That's my hope, too. 😊

[@TheBackpacker1974]

If someone gets upset with you because of the plastic tell them to mind their business.

[@backcountryfoodie]

Sorry for the slow reply. :( I've since transitioned to biodegradable pouches that have worked really well. We currently sell them in our shop, but the shop will be closing soon. I hope to move them to our regular site after returning from my hike next year. backcountryfoodie.myshopify.com/products/large-biodegradable-stand-up-food-pouch

[@hawleyj]

You say they might feel overwhelming. No kidding? I signed up for a year membership but so far I'm pretty unhappy. You list what.... 100 plus ingredients???? I'm not going out and accumulate all those ingredients.....especially from the sources you list. Here is where I would like to start. Give me a meal plan for a four day trip. Keep it down to tasty but simple meals that can be prepared with a SMALL number typically already stocked or easily LOCALLY obtained ingredients. Seriously, what I hoped would be an easy to build on plan for creating tasty nutritious backpacking meals appears to be just another overly complicated mess. Seriously, give us a simple starting plan to build on. That was what you constantly promised in getting me to spend my money. Please provide what I thought I was paying for.

[@backcountryfoodie]

Hi, Jim. Thanks for your feedback. It appears that you purchased our Basic Membership service which does not include access to our multi-day sample meal plans. Our Premium Membership currently includes: 3000, 4000, & 5000 calorie 3-day meal plans, a 7-day No Cook Meal Plan, 7-day No Foods Repeated Twice (max variety) Meal Plan, and a 7-day Mega Calorie (thru-hiker) Meal Plan. I will also be posting several of the meal plans I'm currently using on the Colorado Trail after my return. To address the complex list of ingredients, we provide our members with a list of 20 recipes that use common grocery store friendly ingredients to help get you started without making a huge investment. As a member, click on the "Recipes" tab and you'll find a "Not Sure Where to Start?" link. That will direct you to the list of recipes that are easy to prepare with similar ingredients. Thanks again for your feedback. We're always open to suggestions for how to improve our customers' experience with the platform.