How To Pack A Week's Food Into A PLCE Side Pocket

"How on earth do you pack a week's food into a side pocket?" was a common response to my video about how to efficiently pack bushcraft-oriented gear into a rucksack. In that video (link below) I showed how I packed my baseline set-up into a Karrimor Sabre 45 rucksack with side pockets. Even after adding all of my camping kit and personal equipment, one of the side pouches remained empty. I commented that I could still get a week's worth of food into that side pocket if I so desired.
Many people have commented under the video or messaged me personally to ask about this. So, I thought I should make a video explaining my approach to selecting food and how, then, it can all fit in one PLCE side pocket. Not all PLCE side pouches are created equal and for this video, I choose the smallest volume side pouch I own to prove that a week's food can be packed into even a smaller side pocket.
If you want more information on the individual food stuffs and their calorific content, please go over to my blog at paulkirtley.co.uk where you'll find a list of the camping food items in this video, along with the quantities packed.
You can also read some of my associated observations as well as reader comments on the above video over at my blog on: paulkirtley.co....
Here's a link to the earlier bushcraft camping kit packing KZbin video:
• How To Pack Your Bushc...
Here's a link with to an article providing a full listing of the bushcraft camping set up featured and packed into the rucksack in the above video:
paulkirtley.co....
For more on wilderness bushcraft, survival skills and outdoor life, go to paulkirtley.co.uk
Also follow me on Twitter for regular tips and useful info to improve your outdoor life: / pkirt

[@SH-hl3ce]

Very nice! My personal additions: 1. A small flask of olive oil to season any foods at 850 cal/100g. 2. Peanut butter. Dark chocolate. Biscuits. Mixed dried fruits. Honey to sweeten tea & breakfast. Dried seaweed, is Asian superfood. 3. Campfire bread At home premix flour and a teaspoon each baking powder, salt, sugar in a zip lock. At camp just add tiny amount of water, mix into dough _inside the zip lock_ , shape into ball and throw in the coals. Optionally add olive oil, raisin, nuts, oats etc. Yes, fresh baked rustic bread... 4. Asian instant noodles. 500cal/100g. Not the healthiest but no fuss at all, just add warm water and it tastes good. Powdered porridge too. Add Olive oil or honey&fruits..

[@oldsoldier181]

Paul, this is probably the third or fourth time I have watched this. I really enjoy your videos. I use the same pack, and pack similarly. What I found works for ME, and as an alternative to how you pack yours, is to make a 24 hour "ration pack". Essentially, it is simply putting in all the food for a day, into a gallon zip lock bag. In it, you have your breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner, and drinks. This organization has worked for me in the past, and, to be honest, I copied it from somewhere else. It certainly makes it much easier when hiking, as I can simply use the pack that is on the top, and I dont have to worry about portions on the trail. Anyway, just thought I'd share.

[@OldNavajoTricks]

Each bag becomes its own rubbish bag too, and if you don't eat everything in a day, you can identify trends later i,e, Sunday I wasn't hungry as I left xyz uneaten, Monday I ate all except xyz, Wednesday, bad weather so ate previous 2 days leftovers to buffer and comfort, Thursday not hungry so drinks only until suppertime. Etc etc.

[@adriansandry2783]

We have used the rat pack system for over 30 years as well. A day's rations parcelled out and packaged in freezer bags. Our treks (Pyrenees, Alps, Lakes, Welsh hills etc) were normally three weeks. Ten days rations, spare fuel, spare batts, maps for second part of the trip etc would be cached in a black bin bag (usually buried as per army days) at a halfway point on the trek. Then we went back to the start of the trek and start out with 10 days rations. Breakfast: oats+milk powder+dried fruit+sugar+butter. Lunch: (grazed during the day) traditional bag of 'gorp' nuts, granola, raisins, chips of chocolate, boiled sweets, mint cake, etc. Evening meal: pasta/bulgar/couscous/rice with spices, home made dried veg, butter, cheese or homemade dried meat. Then rehydrated fruit, usually apple. Hot chocolate. Bear in mind we are walking/climbing 12 hours a day often with gear including crampons, ropes, ice axes etc so we were consuming lots of calories hence lots of butter and oats. These days my treks are less extreme and so I need far fewer calories but I still like individual rat packs. All the best.

[@wolin289]

Great idea...then no waffling over what to have for lunch or dinner, it's what's in the 24 hour ration pack. Love it. Thanks!

[@williamyemm7241]

Wow, wow, wow, thanks a lot Paul, as a50yr old father of an 8yr old daughter I have promised we will go camping(tent) some time soon as we have both never done it before and we both enjoy walking on nature trails was thinking how I was going to cart around all the tins and jars etc so thanks for those great alternatives some people may say what a divy which is fine by me as we have never been camping before stumbled on this video by accident, so thanks again Paul and I look forward to seeing more of your videos soon.

[@thumanina]

Thanks a lot for this vid! I greatly appreciate that you chose normal supermarket products instead of relying on highly specialised trekker food.

[@northumberlandmountainhopper]

just found this channel tonight will be busy watching the back catalogue lightweight bivy and tarp is my kit so light weight food ideas are great. thanks

[@windbangeradam6264]

Nice to see how little food you actually need for a weeks camping, very insightful.

[@PaulKirtley]

Kestrel Bushcraft There's actually 3,000 calories per day. It's the items you choose that make the differernce. Here's a breakdown of the nutritional content: paulkirtley.co.uk/2014/nutritional-breakdown-of-the-plce-side-pocket-menu/

[@melvinhowell5469]

Thank you, Paul! I had absolutely no idea how what to pack for a week's backpacking trip...or for a week's forced excursion due to natural disaster, etc...Now, I have not only a place to start, but a full menu! For me, this video is foundational. It compares to finding that one book that suddenly becomes a plan of organization, or a key to unlocking a mystery....such as I found when I discovered a book that explained the historic uses of California plants, breaking them down into suitability for food, soap, making baskets, etc...and allowing me to begin to organize the abundance of plant information to those available in my neck of the woods. I am so grateful. Thank you!

[@thomasfaber8922]

Kees Roma hi! would you mind sharing the name of this book, sounds great!

[@landlvick]

Kees Roma I

[@amedford99]

Simply brilliant. Exactly what I was looking for and more. I'm a total noob to camping and am slowly obtaining all the gear as I have none and it can be quite pricey as a whole. I like to be informed and find the right gear so I only have to buy once and slowly edit my loadout as I gain more experience. However, food has been quite the challenge to find basic broken down info on and this has been enlightening. Thank you so much, brother. Happy trails!

[@PaulKirtley]

Hey, thanks for your comment and feedback on this. Glad it was super useful to you. Happy trails indeed. Warm regards, Paul

[@WorldSurvivalist]

Hi paul , I add to items to my kit that I find very light, easy to pack and store, and have massive benefits 1 Soft flour tortilla, 140 Calories in each and come in packs of 8, not very heavy and don’t freeze. I use one at the end of my main meal to clean the inside of the packet. 2 Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 200ml, it’s a salad dressing so comes in a push spray 206 Calories in every 25ml portion. It’s in a small strong plastic bottle with lid. I find that 25ml added to food actually improves the taste. It’s also very good for you; I consider it a camp super food.

[@melbrunskill3315]

Very informative.I will be backpacking 315 miles shortly, so my son directed me to this site. Many thanks!

[@PaulKirtley]

Mel Brunskill How was your hike? Where did you walk?

[@myemail5990]

Oats placed in the blender then put into a big mortice and pestle add sugar to suit and then add a flavour cinnamon works well the grind it together with some dried milk and it will be just as good as the expensive shop version for pennys the longer you grind and blend the smoother the texture.

[@kevinborg5163]

I'm taking 3kg of beef

[@lanah8678]

I like trail food: Raisins, M&Ms, and nuts of any kind mixed together in whatever proportion you like. Wonderful stuff!

[@19ghost73]

One good alternative/variety for carbohydrates is buckwheat. Also, I add some olive oil and home-dried beef meat, as well as dried hard cheese like Parmesan. On strenuous hikes a 100g chocolate bar per day is helpful for me. Dried fruits like raisins go along with nuts very well. I aim around 3.000kcal/day and well below 900g/day of food for hikes from early spring to late fall. ATB, Gereon

[@sissiboosmith8780]

I really like little packets of dried soups (chicken and vegetable are my favourites). Really they are just flavoured salt, but when in the bush, you need salt, and it's nice to curl up around a cup of soup. Excellent video.

[@zrig1]

Way less trash as well. Stumbled on this video looking for ideas on space-saving ideas for ADV motorcycle travelling. Well done.

[@SailorRob1473]

Super ideas, many thanks. There's an excellent strong cheddar called "Black Bomber" that's available in small rounds (about 8cm diameter) that comes coated in black wax. The wax would keep it fresh until the cheese was cut, and then you'd only have the cut side to worry about. Must give it a go!

[@suecollins3246]

Rub a little oil/marge/butter on the cut side...

[@EricEsquivel_Brazil]

Thank you for this video, anytime that I go to a supermarket (I live in Brazil) I've found some new dehydrated 'food' to be used. But this video opened a new way of thinking for me, thank you very much.

[@opalprestonshirley1700]

That is a lot of food. I like the thought of sauce packets never thought of that but those selections are great choices. I use to carry a fair bit of dried fruits but you really need to be careful on how much you eat at any one time...LOL. Also a good selection of spices and herbs. Appreciate your hard work Paul. atb Opal

[@stephennormanton3232]

I think you hit the nail on the head by stressing how important flavour and variety are aswell as calories it can really lift the spirits if the going gets a little tough either through terrain or weather great advice at usual

[@AntonioBarba_TheKaneB]

As a beginner hiker/backpacker I was thinking about which food to carry with me, and I also thought it would be best to carry dehydrated food. Your video gave me confidence that this is actually a good idea. Thanks and have a nice day!

[@Ayns.L14A]

I always carry a mixed bag of chocolate covered peanut and raisins gives you a mix of fast release sugar (in the choc) protein and fats( in the peanuts) plus carbs and slow release sugars and vitamin c( in the raisins) plus they taste great!!!

[@ghostfather1390]

nice video, thanks for making it. in my opinion a dehydrator can be a back packers best piece of equipment that you do not take with you! you can buy what ever produce you prefer, and preserve it while also decimating the weight of it in a dehydrator. you can make soups and stews and dehydrate them (don't forget the broth, it contains a lot of flavor and calories!) once you are familiar with the process. add a bit of pasta and you can get a good filling meal, minus the water, for under 100g. for a starter soup try a basic chicken and veggies soup. be sure to cook the chicken, or what ever meat you are using, thoroughly first. cut it into regular size pieces, and perhaps a bit smaller than you would normally, so it dries out properly. add onions, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, kale, spices and/or what ever you prefer, and some bullion for stock. remember that with a dehydrator you can make your own bullion without all of the added salt and chemicals. with or without added pasta you can have a good, healthy, lightweight meal. some of the denser veggies, like carrots, or potatoes, I prefer to cook before dehydrating. others, like peppers, or leafy greens, can just go in fresh. some, like onions or garlic, I have done both ways. again, on anything going in a dehydrator, it is best to try for regularly sized pieces so that they dry evenly and properly. you can also dry any fruits that are in season, and create your own fruit leathers and jerky. a dehydrator, in my opinion, is a backpacker's best friend.

[@timb171]

+Ghostfather I couldn't agree more. Having a food dehydrator has transformed my backpacking. Going for 6 or 7 days between re-supplies with minimal weight and carrying minimal fuel is now relatively easy. Not to mention the fact you get tasty home cooked meals out in the field. It just requires putting the work in before you leave on a trip, rather than during the trip. I make big batches of bolognaise or chilli con carne or carbonara or curry. I also pre-cook the spaghetti or the rice and mix it with the sauce and portion it up. I then dehydrate the whole lot and bag each portion up in 'pour n store' bags and keep it in the freezer until I'm ready to use it. That way, once I'm out in the field, I can just add a mug of boiling water directly to the bag, drop it in my homemade bag-cosy and it's ready to eat in 10-15 minutes. Saves on washing up too, although I do rinse out the bags and take them home to re-use. There's plenty of tutorial videos here on KZbin for making your own dehydrated backpacking meals. My dehydrator cost £35 off Amazon.

[@WhatsUpWithSheila]

Ghostfather ... I like the idea of hydrated food.. maybe I would do two nights now 👍

[@hishonoursirdrinksalot1916]

I dehydrated semen, took me 3 months to get a salt alternative that is very high in protein and very low in sulphur.

[@susannec659]

Ghostfather Amazing, thanks.

[@silvanigra]

Yes, But..... it uses too much power. It has to run for hours on end to dehydrate even a small amount of food .I had one, but I'm not using it anymore, just not cost effective.

[@nickford2879]

Massively useful, Paul - thank you. A couple of possible alternatives I'd add are compressed stoned dates, and pumpernickel (dark German rye bread, comes in foil or sealed plastic wrappers). And your oatmeal biscuits can always be crumbled up and boiled to make porridge.

[@petenordic-ef1zh]

Oatmeal with ready-seasoned tuna... Sounds good. Quaker Oats for breakie, quite a few flavours available. Instead of chorizo (love the stuff! But is messy) I take salami in one piece as it keeps well or smoked meats which have lost practically all the water as part of the process. Rye crisp bread has a good calories to Weight ratio. The round ones travel better than the usually available v thin ones like Fincrisps. I do favour pasta coming with a base sauce like Carbonara and can then be added to, as opposed to starting with plain pasta - repackaging not as easy, though. Out of cheeses, Parmesan a real calories bomb... And who would eat pasta without parmesan! Flakes save a lot of work but a right kind of knife can do the grating from a block, too. Like you, I take the coffee sachets with powdered milk and sugar in them. Too sweet though, so in the summer I mix with normal instant and in the winter when volume of hot drinks is important I use a coffee filter stand that slots straight on top of a mug. Cheers, Pete

[@bodgebmx]

This video is fantastic! Food is something that always struggle with when backpacking. Apart from taking snacks and expensive boil in the bag meals but this video has given me plenty of great ideas. Thank you

[@ImTash]

I wish I had watched this before the BF and I went wild camping in Skye last week! half the car was taken up with food! and not all of it worked well on a camp fire. I had never been camping before so it was very much a learning experience but absolutely loved it and your videos are fantastic! Hopefully I'll be a bit less rubbish/inept at it next time!

[@MrNetnic]

onward and upward !Glad you had a great time.

[@davidrichards2319]

Great video Paul. Well presented and unlike many videos, no complicated jargon, just simple practical advice. Spring is here and I'm looking forward to some good camping this year. Top job!

[@adambrinkworth4153]

Thank you Paul it was very helpful. I had no idea you could carry that much less to have more if that makes sense lol

[@sharistailey-floyd8034]

Awesome, I've never seen this done before. Thank you!

[@MrSIXGUNZ]

After seeing Dave Canterbury on a video I got hooked on bush craft and camping again!! Your one of the few that give great information and step by steps !! Thanks so much for all you do. Blessings and merry Christmas all!!

[@Tom_Bee_]

Speaking of dehydration, I eat all the stuff you've mentioned and find all the cooked stuff much, much nicer and healthier by adding a pinch of dehydrated appropriate veg to taste. Very light, very cheap, nutritious, healthy. Last forever if kept dry. Multi win. Peppers (bell type) and green onions are probably up there with my top choices, but it really matters what you like

[@marklanahan7289]

I use a lot of the 2 minute rice/couscous/grains packets you get in supermarkets. They can be chucked in a billy can of hot water for 5 mins (and the hot water makes your brew/soup/sauce) or can be eaten cold out the packet. They are almost dry and don't weight a lot so I use them as my main meals. I take loads of proper Jerky and a trail mix, and loads of energy bars. A few effervescent vit tablets turns ditch water into something almost nice to drink too. Great videos, keep 'em coming!

[@draconiansurvivalist6130]

Interesting video and you certainly put a few ideas in my head, you could even say it was food for thought (pardon the pun). I noticed that you included good calorific food, and no signs of the dreaded pot noodle and tin of spam, that most people take with them. Very inspiring. Keep up the good work. Cheers Chris

[@PaulKirtley]

Draconian Survivalist Thanks for your comments Chris. If you'd like more info on the nutritional breakdown of the menu, then please check out the follow-up article on my blog here: paulkirtley.co.uk/2014/nutritional-breakdown-of-the-plce-side-pocket-menu/ Warm regards, Paul

[@lotabob]

Thanks for this video. I'm just starting to plan a three-five day unaided hike and it's given me some brilliant ideas without spending an arm and a leg.

[@saucerman90]

Thanks, Paul. I'll be sharing this with my Scouts to get them out of their meal planning routine. Very useful info on econonical, lightweight food.

[@oddjobkia]

I carry one luxury. A single serve mocha pot. Pre ground coffee. It is worth carrying it and making space for the moral boost of real coffee

[@lehong5886]

+1 morale - 1 fatigue

[@Heavyhauler1979]

Good video ,I carry a big jar of peanut butter to eat ,but you can also use for fish bait, trap bait, and I have a big container once im done eating it. good in fat ,protein, calories.

[@blueskygoldensun6114]

Good luck with the water you will have to drink to dilute all that sodium and all the sweat you will produce

[@BushmanOutdoors]

by far one of my all time favourite videos on youtube, it's the sort of topic which isn't given much thought of but everyone at some point has got stuck over food particularly on long hikes. tuna on oatcakes is brilliant josh

[@efcs1]

This is wonderful! Looking for resources for camping food, and I think I have found it. Cheers mate.

[@andiscott2002]

Thanks Paul for a very informative video. I'm about to go on a canoe camping week in Sweden and couldn't decide what food to take. Now I have a much better idea! The reframing of volume vs calorific value was especially enlightening. Just off to check out the other videos.

[@PaulKirtley]

Andi Scott Thanks Andi. Glad you found this useful. Whereabouts in Sweden are you going?

[@andiscott2002]

I'm going with Intrepid Expeditions, so to be honest, I'm not too sure whereabouts the route goes just yet. I am planning to go on similar courses in the UK as well. I'm a hiker/camper trying to stretch myself now into bushcraft and learning new skills.

[@PaulKirtley]

Well enjoy it Andi Scott Sweden is a beautiful country. I look forward to hearing about it in due course :-)

[@andiscott2002]

Thanks, Paul. Your videos are invaluable to my prep for the trip. Best wishes.

[@PaulKirtley]

Andi Scott My pleasure.

[@chriswyatt9869]

Thx for this detailed video will refer to it in the future. Planning on doing the John o groates to landsend walk next summer maybe and want to stay away as much as possible form eating in pubs and whatnot to keep costs down, having usually used ration packs on wild camping trips in the past this has given a me a lot of good ideas of how I’ll approach food.

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks for your comments Chris. I'm glad this has given you a few ideas. Let me know how you get on with your walk. All the best, Paul

[@outdoorgiant4319]

Love the supermarket buys. Spent a fortune on ration pack and dehydrated meals. Thanks paul

[@2242Fred]

Paul, enjoyed the video. I'm always on the lookout for new trail meal ideas. Let me share a few of mine. I have found lentils to be a great source of calories for the bush. Some of my more favorite uses: lentil chili with beef jerky, curried lentils with chicken and a lentil stew with a sausage or two. With the chili, I dehydrate salsa to give it a little kick. With the curry I add some raisins and nuts for a topping. In fact, I got the idea for the curry when I did some training with the British army. Wednesday in the officer's mess was always curry day. With the stew I usually use summer sausage. But, you could use any kind of jerky. Again, thanks.

[@ehrendamitz2555]

Great video, thank you so much. I like taking dried beans and rice with dehydrated veggies. Although the beans and rice take a long time to cook compared to pasta. Anyone else use those?

[@DisabledPrepper]

I always come back to these videos to refresh my knowledge and to keep learning! Thank you for this Paul! Great Teacher!

[@davidbrumpton84]

Thanks Paul, great video. I'm a 300lbs+ weight lifter and I stress over carrying enough calories to feed myself when I wild camp. This has inspired me. Also wasn't aware of some of these products like tuna in a pack instead of a can.

[@wudgee]

Excellent thank you. As a vegetarian the Smash/dried mash is one of the top foods I take, I love it and so easy to do, especially with pre-grated cheese. I like to take some spicy sausage which is vegan and doesn't need refrigeration as it's sealed in plastic, so won't go off and doesn't even need cooking. The nuts I always take as of course I don't eat tuna etc. There's vegan jerky I like to take too and meat eaters could take the meaty one of course, it's handy as a filling snack or to have with pasta etc. I have bought packets of expedition food to try out but like you say you can get lots from the shops. Great video.

[@doughook4287]

Peanut butter in a camping tube, as well as butter; all purpose flour mixed with baking powder and a bit of salt for pancakes/bannock/flatbreads; beef jerky; pemmican; dried berries; raisins; cacao, and on and on. I learned years ago how to dehydrate food and bulk pack it in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. A most handy skill to acquire.

[@Robertsshed]

Great video. I'd throw in some small resealable sachets of various herbs and spices and maybe a few stock cubes. it helps to add a bit of variety and the stock cubes can be used as a drink if you're yearning after that sort of a strong flavour

[@starship9874]

I copied exactly this food for my 1 week trip in northern sweden and it worked out perfectly! Thx!

[@Wulf95]

Just getting into outdoor activitys, this was a very informative and also very interesting video to watch, thanks Paul!

[@MrWmburr7]

I've heard many conversations about what food to take on the trail, but this was one of the best; concise and well thought out! Thank you.

[@inlesinlet]

The food aspect of hiking always puts me off a bit, but this video was so informative and optimistic that I feel a bit less scared now! I would switch out the meats and powdered milk, as I'm a vegetarian with a milk protein intolerance. Red lentils are a great alternative, especially when coupled with rice, because they have the same boiling time and provide a complete protein (all eight essential amino acids). I'd also add some dark chocolate, just because it feels good to eat it :D

[@kirstymaclauchlan6930]

good to see someone making a video with accessible, mainstream ,relatively low cost food choices, if not the most natural and healthy !

[@cobalt_3283]

You can use powdered almond or oat milk instead.

[@OldNavajoTricks]

I'm an 'Anti' vegetarian bar potatoes but you know what? You just put a pack of red lentils in my scran bag 👍

[@anthonycook8703]

Yeah food n water tend to be my heaviest items Paul. I've found a way I can cut down on the amount of food I need to load on my bike when I go on a trip. Like most of us I carry a bit of bodyfat so I've started doing intermittent fasting when I'm camping. I still pack some food but only enough for one meal a day. IF-ing from bedtime through til making camp the next afternoon switches me into fat-burning mode, without which it can be quite hard to utilise bodyfat for fuel. For a snack I'll stop around mid-morning for a cup of matcha made on my tiny stove - I like to find a nice quiet spot on a creek bank, with some wildlife or cows around for company. Cows are particularly good value as they'll come over to check out what I'm up to, and hang around til I make what one of them considers to be a sudden move, at which point they'll stampede for about 50 metres then stop and watch from a distance before venturing closer again. Later in the day when I come to a town I'll pull in at a cafe for a long black while I'm on my phone watching a video or journalling (I email the entries to my desktop to be collated after I get back home). Having a coffee around lunchtime makes fasting easy once I'm in the groove, and it's quite enjoyable. It also gives me more time for travelling, not having to mess about making and eating 3 meals a day. And when I get home I'm always several kilos lighter. Part of the routine is, once a week I'll find a gym in the town I'm passing through and do a short but intense weights workout. This is to protect doubly against muscle-wasting and make sure it's my unwanted fat that gets burnt. It also gives me the chance to have a nice long hot shower every week. Cacao is another drink I like to have; when the fasting's over for the day I'll add a little coconut milk that I carry in a screw-top plastic jar. Btw, it's good to add a pinch of salt to matcha-coffee-cacao, to add to the flavour while fasting and not having milk. Thanks for all your videos Paul - I've just bought an SF bivvy and an Integral Designs flye and I'll be leaving the tent (and the Helinox table and chair) behind next trip.

[@nisimhaham8188]

Thank you so much! 👍🏻I like to take ameri dates and sesame based halva. Lemon, mint or orange boiled candies can be added to the tea to enrich the flavor. Lentils with rice prepared meal also rich in protein, carbohydrates and fibers.

[@MrNetnic]

Nisim - Fabulous idea re. The candies !!

[@ROE1300]

Very good video! So many people run through what is in their ruck then at the end of the video simply say, “and plenty of room left for food and clothes” when there really doesn’t appear to be “plenty of room”. This video provides good advice on what food to pack, how to pack it, and where to acquire it.

[@PaulKirtley]

Glad you appreciated the video Richard. Thanks for your feedback.

[@stuarttelford7063]

Thanks for sharing your menu ideas Paul. I've found a selection of dried fruit to be great for energy and flavour. Mixed with nuts in a handy hip belt pocket you can keep fuelling all day.

[@PaulKirtley]

Stuart Telford Yup it's good to keep the fuel tricking in.

[@48plaster]

an excellent and very informative video on food for backpacking hiking and bushcraft. The best I have seen on the topic. Agree totally with your views on dried foods as opposed to carrying heavy hydrated products. Good to see some excellent alternatives to the over-priced and un-necessary branded outdoor products that cost a fortune. really appreciated the breakdown of weight and calorific values etc. regards

[@nickfree46]

Hi paul this has been the best video ive seen on sensible lightweight but small food choices. Im like you there isnt anything i wont eat. A lot of people forget the importance of water and of course the weight carrying a litre or two. Have good food choices and eating foods you like like your boiled sweets can be a great morale booster when the going gets tough ie heavy rain and up to your knees in mud. Even ascending and you get to that point breathing hard and you just keep pusing yourself. Only thing i would change is i would definately take the nuts lol

[@wayneburbage8900]

Great vid Paul. I scroll down and see wonderful suggestions from all.

[@MoonshineSazerac]

I've gone a four-day hike with peanut butter, biltong, couscous, granola, powdered milk, honey, and a box of homemade hardtack (as well as a little pouch of 'luxuries' like sugar, coffee, tea etc). Most of it sealed in sous-vide bags. Usually the only extra thing I need is water, and most often I've found things like rosehips, pine, stickyweed or other stuff to flavour the water with. I've never seen a lot of point in taking pasta as it absorbs so much water that I could better reuse for other things, especially if most of the things I can boil-in-the-bag.

[@suecollins3246]

Biltong! You're South African! Where are you?

[@pilgrimcarolee7294]

Hi Paul, You really put a lot of work into your study on nutrition. Thank you for all your helpfully ideas

[@manofthetombs]

I never imagined the Couscous. Great idea. Tinned Salmon ... simple, but never entered my mind. Thank you.

[@descattysBushcraftbydescattys]

Hi Paul this is the first video i have watched by you..It was informative,clear and concise,, i often take dried fruits done in my hydrator aswell as jerky and sometimes dried salmon which greatly helps in reducing weight when your carrying kit and equipment for a longer duration,,, I too to add to my meals and i do love a werthers original to chomp on when im bimbling.Cheers Des

[@PaulKirtley]

des cattys Hi Des, yes it's hard to beat a few Werthers in your pocket :-) I've not tried salmon dried in the deyhydrator...so that's one for my list...thanks for sharing. ATB, Paul

[@Zero_Reaper13]

fantastic vid, never really thought about supermarket food before .

[@outofeden_bushcraft3142]

Hello Mr. Kirtley. I always look forward to a new video from you. Most people don't realize how hungry your NOT at lunch time . Especially when you're trekking hard. It's very important to get calories in you but that's really the only reason your eating . I enjoy relaxing and enjoying my breakfast and dinner . I have a rocket pack and I too carry all my food in one side pocket . We have a lot of black bears here in North Georgia so it makes it easy to unzip it and tie it up in a tree. I got a lot of new meal ideas from this video . Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us . ATB . Steven

[@PaulKirtley]

***** Hi Steven, good to hear from you. Thanks for your comments. I like the point you highlighted about a side pouch being easy to hoist it up a tree. A good additional tip there. I'm glad my video was useful to you. Thanks for your feedback. Warm regards, Paul

[@komododragon4295]

awesome suggestions and tips! your other commenters also give out some great choices and tips also.I can only add to this by adding a second side pouch for a pork roast and a rack of lamb! just alittle humor as no one left any open blanks! thank you, thank you!

[@nanaolliegowild362]

We found this really useful recently prior to our first long distance hike (West Highland Way). Thanks Paul! Oatcake and cheese lunches as well as pasta after a long day hiking were really appreciated.

[@missymiranda6627]

i certainly learned from this video. Dry fruits is a must for me in my kit and smth to deal with a lack of veggies. I always bring a piece of a garlic and fresh ginger with me, can be used for cooking, but usually i just eat a clove of garlic together with a meal, and making fresh ginger tea. Believe me, on a cold wet day it lifts u up so much, especially if u r already a few days into hiking and camping. It also helps to prevent catching a cold during the trip,or deal with it if u have one, instead of taking bold medicines. Vlad S

[@missymiranda6627]

some people even make citrus chips, or drying marinated meat using dehydrator. i gotta try it some day!

[@loneoaksurvival]

Hello, from across the pond, you got a lot of good information. Thank you for sharing it.

[@ppger44]

Great points, because you'll always find water like most trekkers. It doesn't make sense to carry ready-made food in cans to weigh you down. And with the plastic bags you store dehydrated foods in, if you have to veer away from a water source, you still have those bags to store water in when you leave that water source.

[@christopherbrennan4858]

Great stuff! I like the mix and match technique.

[@PaulKirtley]

+Christopher Brennan Glad you like it.

[@jduff59]

Well done Paul, a common-sense video for real world application, and it's a well-balanced menu. As I saw mentioned in another comment, peanut butter would be a welcome addition for fat, caloric and protein value. It's messy unless you buy tubes of PB, re-packing it's a mess. I know it's not a common sight at markets but dehydrated vegetables are a nice addition and have little weight addition. I learned a lot from this video so many thanks.

[@eddie8826]

Very helpful, didn't think you could get a weeks supply in there but you proved that you can. I try to carry Kendall mint cake (about 325 calories per bar). Cheers for the vid.

[@PIPERJIM2024]

Another wonderful video from you Paul, I wish i had 3% of your knowledge. I would be very satisfied with that. 10/10

[@PaulKirtley]

+PIPERJIM08 Happy to share as much as possible. Thanks for your kind words :-)

[@TheShadowpatterns]

A lot of useful information. Thanks for helping this beginner get better prepared!

[@jasonrichardsonAkagrizzlyAdams]

Great ideas Paul, and most of that food as it's dry will keep for months, I will stock up and store some of these food stuffs in bags and plastic boxes ready for when I go away, had some chorizo last weekend whilst camping and it's so tasty, on its own or with plain food, really spices up a meal Atb jay

[@PaulKirtley]

HI Jay, thanks for your comment. It's good to hear that you found this info useful. Couldn't agree more on the chorizo! ATB, Paul

[@michaelworkman158]

I wrote down the whole kit, I like it! I will shop for the items not already in my cupboard. The powdered milk idea is going to make coffee and granola much better. I do motor camping these days, and the 2 - 32 liter panniers fill up fast. Thanks for the video.

[@PaulKirtley]

Michael Workman Hi Michael, thanks for your feedback on the video. I'm glad you found it all useful with some good takeaway points you can apply to your trips. ATB, Paul

[@missblackwood]

This gave me some good ideas for my next trip, thanks! One food item I like to bring when I'm hiking are those Justin's nut butters single serve packets. They are good straight or spread on a granola bar. And the perfect size to carry in your pocket :)

[@PaulKirtley]

six*impossible*things Hey, thanks for your feedback. Glad you found this provided some ideas. I like your idea about the single serving peanut butter. I've had these sachets left over from Backpackers Pantry meals (think it was the Phad Thai or Schezuan dishes) and have used them in porridge but it never occurred to me to spread on granola bar. Good tip. I'll try that. Cheers, Paul.

[@liam1666]

Very informative as I'm planning a weeks trip up to Scotland this summer and was looking to drop some weight with the food as most my other kit iv managed to shed the pounds

[@shillborne60]

Another great video, thank you Paul. A few ideas from my rucksack if I may. I don't like porridge or milk so dehydrate a lot of fruit when in season (apples, plums and peaches) and then on the trail re-hydrate it into a sauce and have it with my musli. It is like eating a fruit crumble and pot clean up is minimal. Can even add a bit of cinnamon or brown sugar. A small dehydrater is a great low cost investment as one can do a lot yourself as you mentioned with the mushrooms but also with fruit, pasta sauces etc. Not a lot of work, can make in batches and store, saves money and you know what your eating, pack in ziploc bags as you do so minimal bulk. As a treat I usually put an apple and a few carrots in the top of my rucksack so I have a bit of fresh food for the first lunch on the trail. All the best.

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks for sharing. Good tips and ideas. Happy trails! Paul

[@tworley210]

God Bless you for the cheese. A multi-vitamin every morning. Dehydrated fruit, rice, jerky, beans (soaked 8 hrs they can be eaten raw), oatmeal of course, frozen vegetables aren't as light-weight as dehydrated but are precooked and will keep several days, chili-powder, cayenne, sugar, onion and garlic powder, salt, lard or oil (very high calorie), cornmeal, wheat flour, baking powder (bread on a stick), bacon will keep for a long time. The list of grocery food items suitable for backpacking is immense. Paul got my sub by pointing out the money to be saved in the grocery store versus dehydrated meals. The key is learning how to cook.

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi Tom, and thanks for your comments. Welcome to my channel. Glad you have you onboard. ATB, Paul

[@johannalange802]

A bit late but I'd take care to cook the beans anyway. They contain toxins which could kill children easily already in small amounts and adults as well if you eat enough of them. Only heat will break them up and leave them safe to eat.

[@mikehines167]

Damn, you're eating like a king out there. I do the tuna packets, but other than that, a weeklong backpack trip for me constists of a pound of homemade beef jerky and four freeze dried meals. I do see your point on using things from any supermarket. Good video

[@leeedsonetwo]

Really interesting, especially using normal supermarket food. Thanks

[@transylvanianbushcraft1936]

It is nice Paul.I use to dehydrate my own(home) cooked food with my dehydrator.This way ,you can control your calories/u can carry a bigger amount of food.(up to 10 days) tnx 4 the video

[@paulmortal7611]

Expertly presented Mr Kirtley. I definitely picked up a couple of handy tips. Stay well my friend.

[@RichardStansfield]

Good selection of foods and great to see someone talk some common sense on back packing food with regard to the mix-and-match of the resources you take. I also like the point of decanting into better storage bags, excellent point. I don't have granola or pasta due to being Gluten Free but use my own porridge mix for breakfast and my own lentils mix for dinners which contains quinoa, mixed herbs and spices. The gluten free foods are much better recently so I will start to have a play with the GF Pastas and see how it goes because its touchy to cook right in the best of conditions and turns to must if you over cook slightly. Many thanks for your insight and taking the time to make this video, very helpful. ATB Richard

[@matthewscullion7304]

The music on this channel sounds like the soundtrack from the children's sci-fi we used to get on the BBC in the eighties. It's great.

[@RichardBuckerCodes]

This is a great idea. I have to give you a big thumbs up. The strategy probably works better when you have a meal plan and you're car camping or backpacking rather than section or thru hiking a trail.

[@jjjvclub]

Thanks Paul, lots of good tips and ideas in this video. Well done! Thanks for sharing!

[@mikeboone4425]

Very interesting I think actually you could go 10 days with that same kit if you were real in trouble not able to move normally for what ever reason .The key to this video to me any way it's all out of a store at probably a 10th of the coast of some outfitter food . Happy Trails young man and thanks a bunch

[@MakinHicks]

Ye this is great. Very helpful. Lately I've been toiling over food in my kit. Obsessively actually. What bag/pouch? What foods? Everyone here can relate I'm sure. I'm still looking for that perfect pouch/bag. Thanks for the vid

[@ferbusch]

Hello Paul, another very informative video of yours. I like the dried tuna, as i've never seen anything like it here in germany. I will look out for something similar. I like taking cornmeal or polenta with me. It's 345kcal/100g and 4 parts water are needed for preparation which makes it a very substancial meal. Some mixed in parmesan cheese makes it a very tasty meal too. thank you for your ideas and videos. keep up the great work, i appreciate it very much. all the best, Ferdinand

[@ED-on8to]

Thanks for showing! Interesting what you bring.

[@Seminex222]

Big Thank you for the video!! it helped me reduce the weight of my rucksack and i also have saved about a third of space...while boosting the energylevel it contains. Thx again! Greetings from Austria :)

[@suddenfromaspudden]

Great video Paul! Very inspiring and full of good solid info, as always. Good to see a few still that has budget as one of the factors. its easy just to list expensive expedition food, but you keep it so everyone can learn and use your knowledge. Thank you! Keep up the excellent work. Cheers from Sweden.

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you! :-)

[@zarplialabai3420]

Hi Paul and thank you very much for your free and wide, knowledge transfer. You should maybe specify for what kind of climate and activity is this type of example adequate. Beginners might get the wrong idea. I would also add crumbled and repacked potato chips mixed with asian noodle soups as an in between hot meal. Also butter or lard to go with the mashed potatoes and others in the winter. Thanks again and good luck! Yours sincerely, me :)

[@MrNetnic]

I believe he mentioned British / Northern Temperate in the first couple of minutes.

[@nigelgregory4777]

Hi Paul, fell over this one again, absolutely brilliant, i learned from it, if you do set up 'APK' and do it once a month, maybe add a few 'tips and hints', to help people find your other stuff not found on, 'APK', Keep yourself, family and friends safe. Nige.

[@garshaw8404]

Great video Paul, thanks. I have done a few multi day hikes now and have struggled to get the right balance between sufficient calories vs weight. I was using Army boil in the bag rations which taste good and pack the calories but really add up in weight. Really useful, many thanks.

[@andrewdavis894]

Hi Paul. Great information as always. I was looking for inspiration and information for my new Scout group. Who are about to go on their first camping experience. And I knew you had done a vid on 7 day rations. So notes made, shopping list written. I can now show and compare to an army 24 HR pack. ATB.

[@ibanezbillco]

Polenta comes in at approx 350 calories per 100g. The advantage is that you don't have to boil it. Can be made with boiled water and can be made into either sweet or savoury. Good video

[@PaulKirtley]

Good points. Thanks. :-)