Back Country Backpacking And Food

[msrncpn]

I am planning a 6 day hike on the Appalachian Trail and am looking for food suggestions that can be cooked with boiled water, supply the necessary calories AND doesn't weigh a ton. Does anyone have any experience or suggestions?

Thanks

[missy'smom]

I don't have experience with backpacking but how about tuna in foil pouches and Thai Kitchen products ?, they're lightweight. Open Original Shared Link

Tasty Bite also makes some meals in boil in the bag foil pouches. These are available at CostPlus Worldmarket as well as Whole Foods and other stores. Open Original Shared Link

[MaryJones2]

I also recommend Tasty bites and Thai Kitchen. You can also buy a food dehydrator and make a few things. Dehydrated vegetables weigh next to nothing.

[ThatlldoGyp]

I am planning a 6 day hike on the Appalachian Trail and am looking for food suggestions that can be cooked with boiled water, supply the necessary calories AND doesn't weigh a ton. Does anyone have any experience or suggestions?

You need to look into what the "Breadless Horseman" Aka Gordon Jenkins took. He and his mom made and packed a lot of the food. If it stood still long enough, she would dehydrate it from what I understand! lol!

Go here, I am sure they can be reached for advice. I am hoping that they put out a book soon so we don't all have to "re-invent the meal" (sorry for the bad pun, I really couldn't help myself).

Go here:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

I think rice noodles,perhaps packaged dry sauces (Taste of Thai), a lot of dried fruits, are going to be your best bets.

Then there is this site with specific gluten-free hiking entrees:

Open Original Shared Link

[Sweetfudge]

Whenever I go backpacking w/ my husband, I pack a lot of tuna and crackers, quinoa/buckwheat cereal, jerky, nuts, and dried fruit.

[msrncpn]

I am planning a 6 day hike on the Appalachian Trail and am looking for food suggestions that can be cooked with boiled water, supply the necessary calories AND doesn't weigh a ton. Does anyone have any experience or suggestions?

You need to look into what the "Breadless Horseman" Aka Gordon Jenkins took. He and his mom made and packed a lot of the food. If it stood still long enough, she would dehydrate it from what I understand! lol!

Go here, I am sure they can be reached for advice. I am hoping that they put out a book soon so we don't all have to "re-invent the meal" (sorry for the bad pun, I really couldn't help myself).

Go here:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

I think rice noodles,perhaps packaged dry sauces (Taste of Thai), a lot of dried fruits, are going to be your best bets.

Then there is this site with specific gluten-free hiking entrees:

Open Original Shared Link

Hey - thanks for the information - excellent resources!

[tarnalberry]

If you do a lot of backpacking, consider investing in a dehydrator. There's all kinds of stuff you can make ahead of time, dehydrate, and then rehydrate in a ziploc bag with some boiling water. Easy to make on the trail, as tasty as homemade (because it is), and clean up is just sealing the bag.

[julirama723]

Whenever I go camping or hiking, I make a huge batch of jerky. I don't have a dehydrator, so I line the bottom of the oven with foil and dry the meat at 200 degrees for a few hours.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup wheat-free tamari

1/2 cup Frank's red hot

spices (to taste, add as little or as much as you like):

garlic powder

onion powder

salt

pepper

oregano

red pepper flakes

Mix ingredients well, pour into gallon-size storage bag. Add sliced meat and marinate for a couple of days. This will be spicy and hot jerky! If you want SWEET jerky, use the tamari as a base, and add honey, brown sugar, coke, etc. Be creative! For a sweet recipe, OMIT THE RED HOT, RED PEPPER FLAKES AND OREGANO.

For the meat, I use good roasts that are lean without lots of fat (the fat turns rancid) and I have it sliced 1/8" thick by the meat dept. at my grocery store. If you slice it yourself, make sure the meat is partially frozen.

When you're ready to make the jerky, line the oven with foil, and soak toothpicks in water. Take a soaked toothpick, skewer the meat, and hang from the oven rack. It will take a couple of hours to dry. When it's done, remove toothpicks and let the jerky cool. Once it's cooled, store in plastic bags in the fridge until you're ready to go. It tastes better the longer it ages, and will keep for a LONG time! The only thing you have to worry about is running out, this stuff is addictive!

I've also used venison, caribou, and elk meat to make the jerky. It all tastes great!

[StephanieSD]

I love the convenience and pack-ability of Thai Kitchen, but they don't sustain me during trekking. I there are some quinoa flake hot cereals that I love and quinoa pastas. Quinoa is high in protein, and on the trail even my non-gluten-free husband prefers it to wheat and rice.

For snacks I love Lara Bars and Kind bars.

You also may be able to find gluten-free dehydrated meals at specialty stores like REI. They're usually quite expensive though.

[kellibee]

Hi all, reviving a very old thread here!   Just wondering if there are any updates on gluten free backpacking meals that any of you have had good experiences with.  I have several long backpacking trips coming up and want to make sure I can eat safely the whole trip.  Dealing with getting glutened out in the backcountry is something I REALLY want to avoid! 

[gilligan]

Mountain House freeze-dried camping meals makes a variety of gluten free meals.

[archaeo in FL]

Adding to an old thread, I know, but wanted to share my favorites: instant mashed potatoes are my absolute favorite backpacking food. I even eat them for breakfast. I am partial to rehydrating meals that you make in a freezer bag - they don't require anything but hot water (and maybe a coozie to keep them warm), and then you just seal the bag and back it out. No cleaning, no mess. There are great recipes on websites focused on backpacking meals, too - not a lot of prep and the food is way better (and cheaper) than the prepackaged ones. Rice noodles with PB, tamari, and sriracha are amazing. Dehydrate (or buy some already dehydrated) vegetables to add, drop in some of those little shreds of jerky in the bottom of the bag, and you're set. We did "pizza rice" on a recent trip, too - instant rice, those little packets of pizza sauce (not good for weight for a long trip, or eat it early on), some parmesan and some pepperoni or salami, just enough water to "cook" the rice, and there you go! Backcountry pizza!