Are you a lover of camping and hiking and plan a trip soon? Deciding beforehand on your nutritional needs is essential. There is plenty to think about apart from just grabbing a bottle of water and an energy bar. With these tips, you can have peace of mind that your nutritional needs will be met during your next outdoor adventure.
Planning Ahead
Your water and food requirements are usually higher than normal when you engage in activity-based activities. Pay special attention to packing sufficient fluids for warm-weather excursions. Some other important considerations to think about before embarking on your trip include:
- The length of your trip.
- What beverages and food you will have to carry.
- How will you be drinking and eating?
- Will a cooler be required?
- What food-related utensils will you require?
It Is Paramount To Stay Hydrated
Make sure you pre-hydrate by drinking at least four cups of water before a hike. This way, you’ll carry less. It is always useful to make provision for about two cups of fluids for each hour of hiking. Ensure that you can access or bring water during a hike.
For A Day Trip Or A Single Hike
For a single hike or day trip, you can pack perishables like sandwiches as long as you have a cold source, for example, an ice pack to keep it chilled. The heavier your backpack is stacked, the more exhausting the hike, therefore, mainly choose perishable foods or snacks that are nutrient-dense and lightweight, for instance:
- Seeds, nut butter packs, seeds, or nut-based bars.
- Trail mix.
- Fresh, whole fruit like bananas, oranges, or apples that don’t require refrigeration.
- Chews, gels, or energy bars. Check out this post on Camping Pursuits post on the different types of energy bars and their nutritional value.
- Granola bars.
- Freeze-dried or dried veggies and fruits.
- Whole-grain tortillas.
- Ready-made tuna salad.
- Shelf-stable, dried jerky, salmon, poultry, or meat jerky.
For Multi-Day Or Camping Trips
It is trickier to pack food for a few days. The first day you can eat perishable foods if you take a cooler, but after that, it’s best to map out meals. Alternatively, you can take these shelf-stable and easily packed foods to keep your tummy full:
- Easy-to carry snacks and foods, as mentioned above.
- Vegetable or fruit puree in squeezable pouches.
- Cereals that are ready to eat.
- Canned fish or poultry, fish, and meat in frequent or individual servings or poultry pouches.
- Individual packets with condiments.
- Couscous, whole-grain pasta, pancake mix, rice mix, dried soups, hot cereal, and dehydrated foods (if you can boil water).
- Powdered beverage mixes, if possible, and bottled water.
Food Safety Practices
Keep in mind that perishables can’t be kept in hot weather for longer than an hour, and two hours in mild weather or these foods will become contaminated and must be thrown away. Bring along the following safety essentials:
- Hand sanitizer, biodegradable soap, and disposable wipes.
- Plates and bowls.
- Cooking pot or kettle.
- Cooking and eating utensils.
- Ice packs, if possible.
- Can opener.
- Trash bags.
- Thermometers for cooked and cooler meat, if necessary.
- Purification tablets or portable water filters.
