Hiking Food 101

What is the best food for hiking trips?

The best food for hiking trips is something that you're actually going to eat. There's no point taking food that you don't like or you're not going to eat - not only is it bad for obvious reasons (going hungry!), but it also does nothing for morale when you get to the end of a big day and can't stomach the thought of dinner.  

Now I know you're thinking "you can't just whip up a roast dinner on the trail", but there are so many awesome dehydrated and freeze-dried meals that are made from real food, taste awesome and are easy and light to carry in your pack!  

What's the Difference between Dehydrated and Freeze-Dried meals?

Dehydrating and freeze-drying are both ways to preserve food for long periods of time; and they both have a really good shelf life. 

When something is 'Freeze-dried," it is frozen to a very low temperature, then it is dried without melting using a process called "sublimation" (the ice from freezing is turned to vapour without becoming liquid first, how cool!)  

Dehydrating removes moisture by applying low heat and air, so the water evaporates out of the food. 

Dehydrating is something you can do yourself at home, either using the oven on a VERY low temperature or using a home dehydrator. While buying a home freeze-dryer is possible, they will set you back a few pretty pennies!  

Freeze-dried food is generally lighter because more water is removed, up to 99%, while dehydrated food is around 85-95%. Freeze-dried food tends to hydrate faster than dehydrated foods, too.  

Dehydrated Food.

Firepot is the dehydrated meal brand we have in store, and the meals are pretty incredible! They are made to be the home-cooked meal you'd want to eat on the trail. They have vegan and gluten-free options, and their meals are cooked with fresh ingredients and no added preservatives. Some of the fan favourites are the Orzo Bolognaise (they do a meat and vegan option!) and the Porcini Mushroom Risotto, not to mention the Chocolate Pudding, which is Harvey's go -to when he's feeling peckish! 

Freeze-Dried Food.

Real Meals and Radix Nutrition are our two Freeze-dried options, and both New Zealand based. Radix takes a 'health food' approach, with all their meals being vegan and gluten-free and aiming to hit all your nutritional goals. Blair swears by the Chipotle Lime Burrito Bowl (it's got bits of avocado in it!) Real Meals are what it says on the packet! Much like Firepot in their approach to cooking full, whole meals, but choosing freeze-drying over dehydrating. Their meals are delicious, and we are forever selling out of their Bacon Mash and Wilderness Stew! And I am a huge fan of the Real Meals Tropical Pudding (MVP of the day, that one!)  

BONUS TIP: These meals are hydrated in the packet they come in; you just fill up to the line on the packet with boiling water. A long-handled spoon or fork (or spork) is gonna really come in handy here, so you can get into the corners of the packet without getting your hands grubby!  

Is Dehydrated or Freeze-Dried Food Better?

Neither Freeze-Dried nor Dehydrated food is better, it's much of a muchness and will come down to personal preference, whether you like the sound of the meals, need your food to hydrate a bit faster or if you're conscious of pack weight.  

BONUS TIP: You can also buy components already dehydrated or freeze-dried at the supermarket, like mashed potatoes, peas and fruits. You can also make your own dehydrated meals at home or use things like noodles, couscous, canned tuna and chicken to craft your own quick hiking meals! 

Hiking Snacks.

Snacks are the reason we go hiking, right? My favourite thing to do is to make trail day snack packs, one for each day you're out hiking, and it can be stuffed inside a hip belt pocket (or your Aarn Packs Front Pocket!). This will be a mix of lollies, chocolate, nuts, dried fruit, pretzels or anything else that takes my fancy! Finding something that you like and will sit right in your body with lots of walking is really important, and having variety is always good so you don't get bored.   

Here are some more tramping snack ideas:  

Muesli or Protein Bars for Hiking.

The Crafty Weka bars are a great natural, no artificial ingredient option - with a few different flavours and lots of nuts, fruit and seeds.  

Clif Energy Bars are some of the original energy bars that people think of! They are full of plant-based protein as well as all the other good bits you need to give you, well, energy! They come in a range of chocolate, nut butter and fruit flavours too!  

The Torq Flapjacks are like a cross between a muesli bar and a cake. And the team here rate them, especially the ginger cake and apple strudel!  

BONUS SNACK: The GU Energy Stoopwaffle. Make sure you heat it over your hot drink before snacking so it gets all melty. Full of all the good things (carbs!) to keep you going! From the team who've tried them the S'mores flavour is the best!

Gels and Chews for Hiking. 

Some people love them, some people hate them, but they are a really good boost to have on hand if you want some quick energy without having to stop.  

Pure Sports Nutrition does some of the best gels and chews, using natural flavours and ingredients; they are seriously delicious! The Kola Nut Gel and Chews are great!  

Torq, Gu and Clif all do a variety of Gels and Chews - and this is where personal preference for flavours, textures and what sits right in your tummy will play a big part!  

BONUS SNACK: Nut Butters. You can't go wrong with a nut butter! You can bring a whole jar, you can get powdered nut butters that hydrate like the meals, or some companies even do individual servings too!  

What to drink when hiking?

Making sure you always have filtered, clean water to drink and cook with on your tramp is super important. You can get easy-to-use and lightweight water filters or chlorine tablets to make sure your water is clean. If it's a really hot day or you're sweating a lot, adding some electrolyte powder (100% recommend the Pineapple Pure Nutrition!) to your water is a good way to replace lost nutrients.  

BONUS TIP: Carry a water bottle for electrolytes and keep your hydration bladder for water only. It's hard to clean electrolyte powder out of a water bladder, and it can go mouldy if left unclean! (Thanks for this tip, Chelle!)

Tea, coffee (Backcountry coffee is amazing and made locally in CHCH!), hot chocolate and powdered fruit drinks are all good options to take hiking with you, especially if they're gonna make you feel happy and cozy or give you energy. They can come individually packaged, or you can easily put the powder into a Ziplock bag to bring with you if you don't like packaging waste.  

BONUS TIP: "If you're hiking in winter, make sure to have something hot to drink with every meal - coffee, tea, hot chocky in the morning and quick packet soups with lunch and dinner!" - Bowen 

This is just a small taste of the hiking food world. There are so many other ideas, meals and snacks to explore, and what works for one person may not work for you, so be prepared to experiment until you get it nailed down!  

I'd love to know your go-to hiking meals, snacks and food tips! 

And if you liked this post, make sure you check out this one too: How do I know if I need wide, mid or narrow footwear? – Further Faster

Top Five Best Foods For Hiking Trips:  

1. Dehydrated or Freeze-Dried Meals - make sure it's a meal that you're actually going to eat and that gets you excited for dinner time on the trail!

2. Lollies and Chocolate - easy-mode energy, and, you know, delicious! If it's really hot, avoid the chocolate. 

3. Muesli or Protein Bars - again, make sure it's one you like, and take a variety if you can so you don't get bored. 

4. Nut Butters - healthy fats and goes with everything (breakfast, satay, in a wrap...) 

5. Gels and Chews - just in case you need a quick pick-me-up or energy boost to get you through, always a good thing to have on hand.