How to Pack Food for a Hike

If you're planning to hit the Pacific Coast Trail you are probably worried about how to pack the food that you'll need for the trek. The general rule for how much food to take is about kilo per day. Of course, you will need to take more food that contains higher fat content if the backpacking trip is going to take place during cold weather. This will help you to keep warm.

You can get by with bringing less food for trips that are shorter than six days. You will need much more nourishment for longer treks like the Pacific Coast Trail. For instance, you may start off only needing to eat about 1.25 pounds of food per day but find that you need 2.25 pounds of food per day closer to the end of your trip.

It's a good idea to experiment before heading out on your journey. You might want to take overnight hikes at first and see how much food is needed to keep your body nourished. This way, you won't get out on a ten day trek without enough food and find yourself starving and exhausted.

The best foods to carry are those that do not require a whole lot of cooking. However, you do want to bring along at least one hot meal for each day on the trail. Eating a hot meal in the evening will make it easier to keep warm after the sun goes down. You'll also be able to sleep better after eating something warm.

There are many options when it comes to choosing which hot meals you should bring along with you. The best idea is to bring hot meals that you can cook in their packages. There are many freeze-dried meals that are sold to be prepared this way. You may also want to take them out of the packaging and carry them along in heavy-duty freezer bags that you can boil in hot water. You also want to take too much of these foods instead of finding that you have not taken enough of them along with you. Always bring at least one extra high-fat meal just in case there is an emergency. Even if the body says you are too tired, you need to eat and nourish your body.

Keep things simple. You don't need to bring a whole bunch of pots and pans to wash. Dried cereals and soups provide meals that do not leave big messes to be cleaned up. You can measure out enough for each meal and put these servings in their own plastic bags. You can prepare these easily by simply pouring hot water into the bags and letting it do its work. The Mary James Farm offers a number of good freeze-dried meals.

It is very important to bring minerals and vitamin supplements while hiking. You will want to take packets of Vitamin C and different substances that offer electrolytes. You also need to take a few of the mineral powders that can be purchased from health food stores. These items are light and don't take up much backpack space.

It's so important to take nutritious food with you while backpacking around nature. You want to give your body clean fuel so that you feel good and have the energy to get through the trail. Packing the proper amount of food is not a hard thing to do. You just need to plan and prepare before heading out on your trek. Always take more food than you need in case there is some emergency that occurs while you are out in the wild.