The Best Backpacking Food: What Seasoned Adventurers Pack for Breakfast, Dinner, Snacks, and More (2024)

Clif Bar blueberry crisp energy bars

When you’re hauling all your gear down a long, dusty trail, the last thing you want is a dry, chalky protein re-up. Clif Bars are a longtime, multigenerational favorite, with just enough protein and complex carbohydrates to keep you going on a long journey. “They’re so damn yummy,” says actor and Donkey Thoughts founder, Nick Offerman, when recalling his favorite flavor, blueberry crisp. “That with a thermos of hot coffee or Portland Breakfast black tea at the pinnacle of a chilly winter hike is living right.”

Papa Steve's No Junk Raw vegan protein bars

Raw and plant-based aren’t the first two words that typically come to mind when searching for a delicious protein bar for an overnighter, but we’re big fans of the pronounceable ingredients, crunchy nuts, and 12 to 13 grams of protein found in every one of Papa Steve’s vegan flavors. Apple cinnamon pecan and dark chocolate cherry cashew were our favorites, though there are also peanut butter and mocha almond flavors.

Backpacker's Pantry pad thai

One of the most anticipated moments on every backpacking trip is the end of a long day, when the tent’s set up, the mountains are awash in alpenglow, and you break out the cooking gear to feast on the trail food you packed—especially when it's coming from Backpacker’s Pantry. The meals are a staple on many of our adventurers’ lists, in part because they’re “lightweight and easy to prepare,” says adventurer Noami Grevemberg. Backpacker's Pantry meals like pad thai and Kathmandu curry were at the top of travel and adventure journalist Stephanie Vermillion’s list, too. “This is the kind of stuff I eat as a treat back home, so it's pretty motivating to have that to look forward to while I'm in the middle of a tough or long trek,” she says.

Good To-Go herbed mushroom risotto

A company that prides itself on making chef-inspired dehydrated meals crafted with high-quality ingredients, Good To-Go knocked it out of the park with its vegan mushroom risotto. Nutritional yeast adds a creamy flavor while keeping it plant-based; factor in the caramelized onions and deglazed white wine, and the combination is worthy of a romantic backcountry date.

Epic chicken Sriracha nutrition bar

For carnivores who’d rather skip the stringy beef jerky, Epic has created an easy-to-eat savory snack that’s fit for a foodie. Made from paleo-friendly ingredients and grass-fed meats, Epic bars add important salt and protein back into your body during grueling activities like trekking at altitude. “In 2015, while running the Wasatch 100-mile race, I bonked so hard,” says Altra Co-Founder Brian Beckstead. “As I was sitting on the trail exhausted and demoralized, I realized I had an Epic bar that I’d thrown in my pack. By the time it was gone, I was back running!”

Moon Cheese Get Pepper Jacked

The crunch. The spice. The cheesiness. With a high calorie-to-weight ratio and a delectable blend of Monterey Jack cheese and jalapeños, Get Pepper Jacked is a tasty treat for those between-meal cravings.

Heather's Choice Morning Glory oatmeal

We’re not opposed to sleeping in, sipping a hot beverage, and boiling a bit of extra hot water to make an indulgent, nutritious breakfast at camp. With a blend of dried fruit and veggies (sweet pineapple, carrots, raisins) and organic oats, Heather’s Choice has seemingly done the impossible: recreate the flavor profile of a morning glory muffin in a steamy bowl of gluten-free goodness.

Mountain House freeze-dried breakfast skillet

Backpacking meals don’t have to be in bar form. For a more savory breakfast on the trail, Mountain House’s Breakfast Skillet can’t be beat. It’s bursting with salt and protein to power-pack your day.

Four Sigmatic instant mushroom coffee

Instead of simply blasting your brain with caffeine first thing in the morning, try adding a dose of adaptogens to the mix. That’s the ethos behind Four Sigmatic’s instant coffee pouches, ideal for overnight backpackers because of their ultra-light weight and small size. For added mental prowess, try the Think blend. To boost your immune system, check out Defend, made with chaga and cordyceps.

Alpine Start dairy-free instant latte

“Instant coffee has gotten approximately a million times better in the past 10 years,” says Brendan Leonard, adventurer and author of The Camping Life**, of Alpine Start’s dairy-free, artisan instant lattes. Crafted with 100 percent Colombian Arabica beans and a dash of coconut creamer, it’s a rich way to start your morning.

Nuun Sport electrolyte drink tablets

Optimized to bring you portable, lightweight electrolytes while running or hiking from point A to point B, Nuun is a name that’s become synonymous with on-trail hydration. Vermillion says she loves the brand’s Sport line, and that the strawberry lemonade makes for a flavorful pick-me-up on hot summer hikes.

Amazing Grass fizzy green tablets

Amazing Grass combines farm greens, nutrients from over 30 superfoods, and electrolytes into each quarter-sized tablet, giving avid outdoor travelers a full serving of veggies in every dose. Beckstead says he doesn’t step on a trail without them. “I don’t lose focus or cramp nearly as easily when I use them. They’re super refreshing and hydrating,” he says.

AlpineAire Foods cinnamon apple crisp

Of course, hiking a Dutch oven into the wilderness to bake the perfect apple crisp would be a little extra, even by our standards. Thankfully, AlpineAire has perfected the art of the fruity, gooey, brown sugary goodness that many of us crave when we’re sleeping in a tent. Topped with a sprinkle of French vanilla granola, the cinnamon apple crisp is our favorite dehydrated dessert.

Stillhouse Spiced Cherry Whiskey

If you’re looking to warm up with a flask-friendly, adults-only beverage in the woods, look no further than Stillhouse’s Spiced Cherry Whiskey. It’s a little sweet, a little spiced, and a great backcountry substitute for old fashioned lovers.