Food
Bring takeout to the trail with these flavorful Asian noodle dishes.
Turn fall's harvest into healthy, energy-packed treats.
For authentic takeout on the trail, try this spicy Pad Thai.
Craving something Asian on your next trek, but don't want to put in a lot of effort? Try this easy Pad Thai.
These recipes are fortified with extra warmth and calories for winter camping.
From beer pancakes to on-the-go tiramisu, our resident Trail Chef will have your mouth watering in no time.
Transform boring old instant potatoes into spicy, hearty meals.
We'll show you how to be the ultimate trail chef in no time with these tips.
Just because you're in the backcountry doesn't mean you don't need cookware. Here, some essentials to make you king of trail kitchen.
From cocktails to coffee, these recipes and tips will keep you quaffed no matter what.
Need to recharge with something tasty? These savory snacks will do just that.
Finish your meal off right with these treats for the trail.
Whip up a four start meal with these trail side recipes.
Start the day right with these out-of-the-ordinary breakfast treats.
On the trail, when you're snacking is just as important as what you're consuming.
These potato cakes are heavy on the carbs–and taste.
Spice up boring potatoes with some summer sausage, brown sugar, and tomatoes in this Italian-inspired dish.
The wasabi adds a kick to instant potatoes, while the salmon is a perfect protein source.
Batter up for these trail-ready pancakes.
From toppings to cleanup, these four tips will enhance the perfect lazy-morning camp breakfast.
This gluten-free variation on the traditional recipe serves up superlight cakes.
Reason #57 to love a good brew: The carbonation in beer makes for extra-fluffy flapjacks.
P&J is for amateurs. This spiced up sandwich is just what your taste buds need on the trail.
Take your ol' ham and cheese up a notch with this concoction.
Take your tuna to the next level with this gourmet sandwich.
Ideal appetizers, perfect wine pairings, desserts, and advanced techniques.
Easy, lightweight recipes. Plus quick ways to stay full and happy without hauling extra weight.
This featherweight pot is great for solo pasta lovers.
Everything you need to eat well in the backcountry.
From dumplings to pasta, check out these three recipes for on-the-go goodness.
Treat dental problems–from minor to major–with these tips.
Wow your friends with this campfire cooking trick.
Craving a slice? Get your fix in the backcountry with these easy stovetop recipes.
Improve the basic pie with cornmeal crust and fresh basil sauce.
Get trail-fit fast! This 4-week program was designed specifically for hikers by trainers Melissa Racouillat of San Francisco's Stone Clinic and Darren Flagg of Boulder's Animal Strength Human Performance Lab.
Stay in shape with these workout tips, and advice from a fitness hero.
Fight the sedentary lifestyle and get a move on with these exercised and essential skill.s
Get ready for the long fitness haul with these skills, workouts, and essential info.
Build your fitness foundation with this essential physiological info, tips on eating right and exercises for staying in prime hiking shape.
Elk meat makes for a leaner, more tender–and always organic!–trail snack.
Say goodbye to rock-hard, overpriced, gas-station jerky with this cheap and easy recipe.
These tasty nutritional all-stars offer a bounty of vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and good-for-you fats. Here are a backpacker's four best bets.
The ultimate solution for backcountry coffee–fast, ultralight, and fuss-free.
Put this meal on the menu for any trip: It's easy-prep trail food that will wow every palate.
With under five minutes of prep time needed, these apples will please anyone.
It doesn't get easier than fruit, pudding and boiling water for this simple dessert.
These simple cookies are perfect for the trial.
Invent your own dessert with these versatile starters from your pantry.
We're serving up gourmet grub from America's top cook. Here Mark Fischer, head chef of Six89 in Carbondale, CO.
Freshly grated Parmesan with your fire-side spaghetti dinner? That's not a problem with this easy to clean, full-featured mess kit
Plan and cook for a group with these time-tested tips.
Don't settle for a hunk of ice-hard jerky when the mercury plummets. A hard day of winter hiking or snowshoeing should be followed with a piping-hot stew.
More than just a hammock for your burrito ingredients, tortillas are very versatile.
Eat like a pro with our recipes for every course.
Upgrade your trail menu–and lower your carbon footprint–with farmers' market fare.
Get stronger and hike longer with a workout that matches your physique.
These 4 red-hot recipes will warm you faster than any campfire.
Whether you're going ultralight or ultra gourmet, it's crucial to pour the right cuppa joe.
We'll show you how to adapt you favorite bar food for the trail: Mushroom-Asiago Veggie Burgers, Spicy Sweet Potato Fries, Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip, and Toasted Tortilla Chips.
4 Japanese meals adapted–and enhanced–for the trail
Want to hike farther, explore tougher terrain, and carry big loads without bonking? To achieve your biggest backcountry goals, you have to change how you eat.
Achieve peak performance on the trail with our complete guide to training and eating like a backpacker.
A hiker cannot live on water alone. Next time out, try these coffee, tea, and wine updgrades.
4 hook-and-cook dinners just waiting to be caught
What to grab when you need a boost
Wild parsnip, burdock, and wild carrot grow throughout North America. Learn when and where they're prime for picking.
3 tasty, filling trailside finds that could save dinner–even your life.
You're lost, hungry, and starting to shiver: Time to play squirrel.
Not sure how to eat right on the trail? You're in luck. We've taken the liberty of coming up with the perfect plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—for just about every situation. So break out your inner chef and get cooking. You'll be eating like royalty in no time.
GORP is great...for a snack. Backpacker offers some pointers on keeping your energy up while on the trail.
The trail-staple GORP gets a face lift with these reader-submitted recipes
When cooking in the backcountry, don't leave home without...
Protein helps hikers regulate their metabolism, repair tired muscle, and boost their immune system.
Want legs that can tackle any climb, any heavy pack, any mileage? Well, don't work harder–work smarter. We grilled fitness experts and scoured the medical literature to uncover the latest, greatest strategies for building strength, endurance, speed, and flexibility.
Restaurant-quality dining on the trail. Choose from Mushroom and Tomato Orzo with Pesto or Chicken Posole Wraps for your next campfire dinner.
4 easy recipes that will warm your whole body.
Banish blah food with this 3-day guide to quick, delicious meals.
A naturopath's top 5 remedies for common backpacking injuries.
3 simple heat shields to keep your meals toasty in the backcountry
4 steamy drinks to spice up your after-dinner stargazing
Enhance bland backpacking food with an ultralight spice kit including everything from curry to soy sauce.
Four trailworthy variations on favorite regional recipes
Enjoy all-day power by combining these 5 superfoods
A simple twist packs protein into this down-home favorite.
Stuff yourself with this camp-style version of a traditional Mexican stew.
Pack your fishing rod; these biscuits go perfectly with fresh-caught trout or catfish.
Enjoy this hardy and healthy Mexican soup at home or in camp
Four new recipes for belly-warming campfire drinks
Sweeten up your next overnight trip with any of these 4 dessert recipes
Make your romantic weekend in the backcountry extra special by inventing your own dessert. Use these versatile starters from your pantry: piecrusts, pudding, and maple syrup.
Liven up camp fare with these 35 natural foods.
Four hearty, ready-in-a-flash bread recipes
Rich flavors and moist textures take top honors with these trail snacks
Cooking tips and recipes for easy backcountry meals
You really want more granola? Get your carbs in a tasty, new way.
31 flavors, 12 discerning testers, 4 clear energy bar winners
9 tips for Leave No Trace dining
Add four low-carb recipes to your trail cookbook
Testers' favorite backpacking entrees
Quick and simple crepe recipes for any meal
The best gorp, breakfast, entree, and dessert recipes from our cooking contest: 200 contestants, eight finalists, one culinary king
A hiker's guide to low-carb eating
The One-Pan Gourmet shows how to eat like a king.
Berries Prove Balance Can Be Sweet
Do backpackers have superfast metabolic rates?
Do hikers have special nutritional needs?
How much H2O do you really need on the trail?
Who's better suited for backpacking--men or women?
Got burgers on the brain? Learn why some experts say it's okay to indulge.
We tortured 51 trail snacks and staples to pick the longest lasting foods for backpacking.
The hungry hiker's foolproof plan for eating like a king in the backcountry.
Cuisine expert Emeril Lagasse shares eight tips on how to liven up your camp cooking.
A soup-to-nuts guide that'll get you through the supermarket and on the trail faster than you can say "express lane."
Make your own dehydrated trail food with these simple techniques.
Try this homemade, ultralight bowl for long distance treks.
Got a bum knee or ankle? Better treatments for post-hike joint pain are on the horizon.
These crunchy, easy-to-prepare side dishes will make your hiking buddies green with envy.
To keep trekking when you have the trots, feed your body the right fuel.
When water is scarce, minimize the amount your body expends.
If disaster leaves you deep in the backcountry without any means to disinfect drinking water, what do you do? Follow these methods to stay hydrated without getting sick.
Camping without stove or fire gains you freedom, flexibility, simplicity, and compactness, and sometimes a lighter load.
If water's in short supply where you're headed, know the secrets of dry camping.
Some trailworthy soups can even help you heal.
A long-lasting bread that handles the rigors of backpacking.
With a little creativity, dairy-wary hikers can find tasty and satisfying alternatives to cheese.
Our medicine man gives his food suggestions for recovering in the backcountry.
From "good old raisins and peanuts" to trail mixes spiced with hot peppers, Michigan cherries, beer nuts, and dried carrots, the ultimate backwoods snack comes your way, courtesy of Backpacker readers.
Eat right and you'll hike stronger.
Put some past in your stomach for good trail food all the next day.
Create tasty trail meals like fish chowder, lasagna, and seafood with pasta.
Feeding a diabetic hiker takes planning and professional advice, but not necessarily a special menu.
Who says you need water in your food? Dehydrate your vittles and you'll carry less weight, save money, and eat better.
Ginkgo helps with altitude sickness and cold.
Kick the coffee and toss the tea and try yerba mate.
Even diabetes can't slow down hikers with these health tips.
Water treatments defined.
Rice and pasta are nice, but if you want variety, add some millet, kasha, or quinoa to your trail menu.
Is this health-food-store item really needed in those recipes?
With simple planning, you can turn your bare-bones backcountry meals into satisfying, energy-boosting successes.
Your daily cups of java seem innocent-until you hit the trail and don't get your normal caffeine buzz for a couple of days.
Tired of freeze-dried? Try hardtack and corn dodgers for a tasty change of pace.
This vegetarian burger recipe will suit your palate and clean-up the environment.
Use streams, snow, rivers, and ponds as chilling grounds for enticing backcountry desserts.
Rice takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it, so no wonder it's such a tasty, versatile trail food.
When it comes to punching up a bland menu,there's a whole world of flakes, granules, and sprinkles waiting to be tried.
Eggs on the trail, stoveless oatmeal, and other breakfast miracles from readers.
By themselves, noodles are just plain bland. Add the proper topping, though, and dinner takes on a whole new flavor.
Winter activities demand more of your body's energy.
That's essentially what the outdoors is, so use those cold temps to carry tasty foods that wouldn't stand a chance in summer.
Tofu has been much maligned, but the simple truth is that it's tasty, nutritious, and an ideal trail food.
It's tasty, nutritious, and will survive being crammed in a pack. Might pasta be the perfect trail food?
How to make dreamy drinks and crispy chicken in camp, and lots of other trail-tested cooking tips from readers.
Cooking tips from readers.
Rather than tearing open an envelope, wouldn't you rather slice and dice something fresh?
Time it right and you can harvest fresh greens every day of your trip.
Boil, pour, stir, eat. Camp food doesn't get any easier than this.
Choose your fuel wisely to keep your engine running strong.
Break down your calorie intake for maximum energy on the trail.
The inside of a pack is a rough place for poorly packaged food. Protect your grub so it emerges intact.
Wrap your dinner in a tortilla and you've got an appetizing and tidy way to satisfy those hunger pangs.
Fearless campers sacrifice their taste buds to determine which instant breakfast is best.
Stock these 25 essentials for grab-it-and-go meals.
These spices add zest to bland camp meals.
Spice is the variety of life, so add ground pepper, ginger, and other taste bud tinglers to your camp meals.
Here's how to make your morning cup of joe the best in camp.
Just because you're in the woods doesn't mean you have to sacrifice dessert. Here are a few recipes for tasty end-of-the-meal treats that'll satisfy anyone's sweet tooth.
