| Almost all backpackers seek to minimize
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| | Popular snack foods include trail mix,
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| the weight and bulk of gear carried. A
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| | easily prepared at home; convenient and
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| lighter pack causes less fatigue, injury
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| | nutritious energy bars; and chocolate and
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| and soreness, and allows the backpacker
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| | other forms of candy, which provide quick
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| to travel longer distances. Every piece
| |
| | energy and flavor. Traditional outdoor
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| of equipment is evaluated for a balance
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| | food includes dried foodstuffs such as
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| of utility versus weight. Significant
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| | jerky or pemmican, and also products like
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| reductions in weight can usually be
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| | oatmeal (which can also be consumed raw
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| achieved with little sacrifice in
| |
| | in emergency situations).
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| equipment utility, though very
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| | Most backpackers avoid canned food,
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| lightweight equipment is often more
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| | except for meats or small delicacies.
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| costly.
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| | Metal cans and their contents are usually
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| A large industry has developed to provide
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| | heavy, and, like all trash, the empties
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| lightweight gear and food for
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| | must be carried back out.
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| backpackers. The gear includes the
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| | For dinners, many hikers use specially
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| backpacks themselves, as well as ordinary
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| | manufactured, pre-cooked food that can be
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| camping equipment modified to reduce the
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| | eaten hot. It is often sold in large,
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| weight, by either reducing the size,
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| | stiff bags that double as eating vessels.
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| reducing the durability, or using lighter
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| | One common variety of special backpacking
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| materials such as special plastics,
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| | food is freeze-dried food, which can be
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| alloys of aluminium, titanium, composite
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| | quickly reconstituted by adding hot
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| materials, impregnanted fabrics and
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| | water. One can also purchase a commercial
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| carbon fiber. Designers of portable
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| | food dehydrator which removes the
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| stoves and tents have been particularly
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| | majority of water from a pre-cooked meal.
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| ingenious. Homemade gear is common too,
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| | To eat, water is mixed in with the meal
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| such as the beverage-can stove.
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| | several hours before eating and allowed
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| Some backpackers use lighter and more
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| | to rehyrdate before heating. Some various
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| compact gear than do others. The most
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| | distributors of this are Backpackers
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| radical measures taken in this regard are
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| | Pantry and Mountain Outfitters. Another
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| sometimes called ultralight backpacking.
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| | kind of special backpacking food is
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| Due to the emphasis on weight reduction,
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| | UHT-packaged without dehydration, and can
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| a practical joke common in some circles
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| | be reheated with a special,
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| is to secretly pack a small but
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| | water-activated chemical heater. This
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| relatively heavy luxury item, such as a
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| | technology originated with the U.S.
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| soft drink, into another backpacker's
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| | military's Meal Ready-to-Eat ("MRE"), but
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| pack. Then, once the group stops for a
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| | is now produced also for the commercial
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| rest, the perpetrator retrieves the item,
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| | market. The small chemical heater
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| thanks the bearer for carrying it, and
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| | obviates the need for a portable stove
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| consumes it.
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| | and fuel, but the meals and packaging
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| Water
| |
| | weigh so much that, for more than a few
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| Backpackers always carry some water from
| |
| | meals, there is no weight advantage. On
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| the trailhead, to drink while walking.
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| | the other hand, MRE's were developed with
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| For short trips, they may carry enough to
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| | many more factors than mere weight in
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| last the whole trip, but for long trips
| |
| | mind, and they still make excellent
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| this is not practical. A backpacker needs
| |
| | backpacking food for several reasons,
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| anywhere from two to eight liters or more
| |
| | such as a) they do not need to be
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| per day, depending on conditions, making
| |
| | rehydrated nor heated or cooked in any
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| a water supply for more than a few days
| |
| | manner, b) they are very durably
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| prohibitively heavy. Backpackers
| |
| | packaged, c) a single MRE contains a full
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| typically carry two to four liters of
| |
| | meal, complete with snack and desert, d)
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| water depending on conditions and
| |
| | they offer a great deal of variety in
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| availability. Although some backpacking
| |
| | each meal, including condiments such as
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| camps in heavily-used areas provide
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| | Tabasco sauce, e) they are individually
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| potable water, it must usually be
| |
| | packaged inside the "brown plastic
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| obtained from lakes and streams.
| |
| | wrapper", so that you can place
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| Drinking and cooking water nearly always
| |
| | individual components in various pockets
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| needs treatment with a filter or purifier
| |
| | and "eat on the move". As more and more
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| to protect against bacteria and protozoa
| |
| | "big box" retail stores carry
|
| (see Potability of backcountry water and
| |
| | pre-packaged dehydrated foods (such as
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| Portable water purification). If water is
| |
| | Mountain House Brand) however, it is
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| unavailable, or if the only water
| |
| | becoming increasingly easier to buy
|
| available is irreparably filthy,
| |
| | packaged meals retail versus mail order,
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| backpackers may need to carry large
| |
| | whereas MRE's are rarely carried in
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| amounts of water for long distances.
| |
| | retail stores.
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| Water may be stored in bottles or in
| |
| | There is a genre of cookbooks
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| soft, collapsible hydration packs
| |
| | specializing in trailside food and the
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| (bladders). Some backpackers store water
| |
| | special challenges inherent in
|
| in ordinary plastic beverage bottles,
| |
| | backcountry cooking. Most such cookbooks
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| while others use special Lexan bottles or
| |
| | espouse one of two philosophies; the
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| metal canteens. For accessibility they
| |
| | first, generally used on short trips,
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| may be carried by a shoulder strap or
| |
| | involves planning out meals and preparing
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| attached to the outside of a pack.
| |
| | many ingredients in one's home kitchen
|
| Bladders are typically made of plastic,
| |
| | before departure. The second method, bulk
|
| rubber, and/or fabric. They are light,
| |
| | rationing, simply supplies the hiker with
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| easily stored and collapsible. They may
| |
| | ingredients, allowing on-trail cooking
|
| be equipped with drinking hoses for easy
| |
| | with minimal prior planning, and is
|
| access while hiking. In spite of this
| |
| | sometimes used for extended outings. A
|
| convenience, bladders are more prone to
| |
| | third form of the genre deals in Dutch
|
| leaking than bottles, particularly at the
| |
| | oven cookery, which has considerable
|
| hose connections. Hoses also allow the
| |
| | historical cachet (especially in
|
| hiker to lose track of the water supply
| |
| | countries such as the United States with
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| in the bladder and to deplete it
| |
| | a long pioneer tradition), but is
|
| prematurely.
| |
| | dependent on suitable locations for a
|
| Food
| |
| | campfire.
|
| Some backpackers enjoy cooking elaborate
| |
| | Winter backpacking
|
| meals with fresh ingredients,
| |
| | Although backpacking in the winter is
|
| particularly on short trips, and others
| |
| | rewarding, it can be dangerous and
|
| carry the gear and take the time to catch
| |
| | generally requires more gear. Backpackers
|
| fish or hunt small game for food.
| |
| | may need skis or snowshoes to traverse
|
| However, especially for long expeditions,
| |
| | deep snow, or crampons to cross ice.
|
| most backpackers' food criteria are
| |
| | Cotton clothing, which absorbs moisture
|
| roughly the same: high energy content
| |
| | and chills the body, is particularly
|
| (particularly protein), with long shelf
| |
| | dangerous in cold weather, so backpackers
|
| life and low mass and volume. An
| |
| | stick to synthetic materials or materials
|
| additional concern is weight; while Dutch
| |
| | that won't hold moisture. Special
|
| oven and campfire cookery are
| |
| | low-temperature sleeping bags and tents
|
| historically popular, small liquid-fuel
| |
| | can be expensive, but will be more
|
| campstoves and ultralight cooking pots
| |
| | comfortable than many layers of warm
|
| made of aluminum or titanium are more
| |
| | clothing. However when hiking in cold
|
| common in modern usage due to weight
| |
| | weather it is always better to hike with
|
| limitations and fire restrictions in many
| |
| | varying layers of clothing so that as the
|
| locales.
| |
| | body heats up layers can be taken off
|
| Ordinary household foods used on
| |
| | without causing to wearer to sweat or
|
| backpacking trips include cheese, bread,
| |
| | become very chilled.
|
| sausage, fruit, peanut butter, and pasta.
| |
| |
|
