Porcupine Post

I often get asked while doing big hikes, “What do you do about food?” The answer is usually along the lines of bars for breakfast, wraps for lunch, and ramen like items for dinner with snacks and dessert added in. While this sums it up pretty well, I thought it may be interesting to go into more detail on the meals and food items I tend to choose while on trail. I tend to buy food I know I will actually eat, which most times isn’t the lightest option. I won’t be able to hike though if I am literally starving, so I just carry the extra weight. Peanut butter has a great high calorie to weight ratio, but I can’t eat much before I don’t want any more. If you’re looking for ultralight food options, this probably isn’t the place for you, but it will give a good idea of what a thru hiker may be found eating out in the wild.

So moving on with the topic, there are two main categories my resupplies (when I restock on food) fall into, buying food in town and mail drops.

Buying Food

Buying food on trail, for me, is the simplest option. I don’t have any dietary restrictions and I’m not a picky eater. I can pretty easily go into a store and find food options I can eat for the duration of the next stretch (typically a stretch for me is 3-5 days). A grocery store is definitely the best option, but a Dollar General, gas station, well stocked gift shop, or camp store isn’t out of the question. I have also packed out leftovers (e.g. half a pizza) to eat when back on trail. Something modern life has taught us that isn’t really true is that food goes bad very quickly. Most of it really doesn’t. I’ve packed out food that most people think can only be fresh in a fridge. Fruits and vegetables especially are perfectly fine. Cheese lasts a surprisingly long time unrefrigerated; the harder the cheese, the longer it lasts. That’s not to say some things really shouldn’t be kept cold. I won’t be experimenting with many meats.

Left over pizza on the top of my pack at Eagle Rock

Funny trail resupply, on the Kungsleden the first resupply town we arrived at lost internet. The entire town. The next day, still no internet. We had cash, but most of what we had went towards the room at the hotel. I needed to buy food still. We had close to the equivalent of $20 left. That resupply cost me about $10. For the entire next stretch I had a box of granola and a packet of powdered milk for breakfast and a box of couscous for lunch and dinner with the tube of cheese I had left over from the previous stretch. I believe I also had some digestive cookies left as well. That was it. Granola, couscous, squeeze cheese, and some cookies.

What I ate for a stretch of the Kungsleden

Breakfasts

When it comes to breakfast, I lean towards choosing foods I can eat while hiking. The morning miles in the cooler temps tend to go more quickly and I’m not always ready to eat the moment I get up and I don’t usually want to linger in camp (other than on the AZT where I did a lot of lingering). An example of what I might eat between waking up and lunch time include: breakfast bars, pop tarts, trail mix, fruit snacks, cocoa mix (drink), breakfast drinks (e.g. breakfast essentials and Ovaltine), and protein shakes with chia seeds and honey. Breakfast bars for me aren’t often protein bars because I have found very few that I like and would eat a second time. I’ll still eat them if I have nothing else, but it won’t be pleasant.

That breakfast cookie was amazing. I will buy it again.

Lunches

I don’t typically like to cook lunch, especially if I’m on a hot trail like the AZT. I like easy meals that don’t take much effort. This tends to be wraps. Tortillas, cheese, mayo, and tuna often with spinach is the most common combo. I also like to do bean and cheese burritos with avocado and jalapeno. I’ll buy a small package of flour tortillas, an 8oz block of sharp cheddar, and a couple packets of tuna, salmon, or chicken. It’s good to mix up the meats, not just for boredom, but also to prevent mercury/heavy metal poisoning from seafood. If I’m doing bean and cheese burritos, I’ll buy much the same stuff with dehydrated refried beans instead of meat. Along side my wrap, I will be seen eating chips. They’re tasty, salty, and high in calories for their weight. I change up the flavor every stretch to keep things exciting. Jerky or meat sticks are also in my food bag most times for the added protein and flavor. I’ll snack on them while prepping my wraps or dinners. Random other items I like to pack out when I feel like it or can find them include apples (nothing like a sweet juicy fruit on a hot day), sugar snap peas, and cherry tomatoes. If I’m not having a wrap, I’m eating ramen or walking tamales.

Dinners

Sometimes dinner can overlap with lunch. Really, the foods I bring for lunch and dinner are interchangeable. In the evenings, I lean towards having a warm meal which more often than not consists of ramen. The sides or add ins are the same as lunch. I like to put cheese and spinach or the peas in the ramen. I’ll eat the jerky or meat sticks while it cooks and the chips on the side. One extra that is different though, is instant potatoes. They thicken up the soup and add a lot more calories. When it isn’t ramen, it’s something like mac and cheese, a Knorr rice/pasta side, or couscous. On the rare occasion, I will treat myself to a freeze dried meal. There are some good ones out there and the amount of calories in them is a nice boost.

Dessert

Peanut M&Ms. They are my favorite trail dessert. A close second is sour gummy candy, Nerd clusters, butterfingers, and snickers. To mix it up, I’ll also do Oreos or other cookies and very occasionally, pudding. I found Canyon Crack at the farmers market in Flagstaff. That made for a nice dessert as well, especially the gingersnap flavor. 10/10 stars for that flavor.

Mail Drops

Picking up my box at Snoqualmie Pass, WA along the PCT

First off, what even is a mail drop? A mail drop is when a hiker has a package, either pre-prepared before hitting the trail or prepared while on trail, mailed to a post office via general delivery or to a local business or trail angel. I tend to do this when there is a long stretch of trail where I won’t have access to a store that sells a decent supply of food. Many of the popular US long trails have few mail drop needs. I could have easily done the entire Arizona Trail without mailing a single box. I ended up sending two. On the Pacific Crest Trail, I had five boxes sent to me. I could have gotten by with two pretty easily. I sent one on the Colorado Trail, but could have gotten by without it. Shopping while on trail tends to be easier since there’s no coordinating schedules with post office hours and I can buy what I want and not get stuck with what I thought I would want.

As for what’s in the boxes, they don’t always differ too much from what I buy when in town. None of the fresh food items will be in there. While I’m willing to push the boundaries of how long food lasts, traveling through the postal system is definitely a limit. The boxes coming from home will often contain more freeze dried or dehydrated meals as well since I often buy a bunch when there’s a big sale for this reason.

My husband (and cat) putting together a box for me

I have yet to ship myself a box while on trail since I have a great support person at home and a nice supply of items to pull from when needed, as well as access to Costco. I have, however, helped my hiking partner on the PCT organize his boxes for Washington. Buying for the boxes, is the same as buying for the upcoming stretch. In this case, we were putting together 4 boxes to mail out. He just needed to buy 4 times the amount and split it up.

Putting together resupply boxes for WA on the PCT while in Bend, OR

Examples

After likely skimming the above section, we’re finally on to the part you’re probably most interested in, example photos of what’s in my food bag (I’m glad you’re here regardless).

Food on Trail