Food
Need some inspiration for killing a serious backcountry chocolate craving? Look no farther, you've clicked into a chocoholic's dream.
Don't be afraid of cooking this superfood in the backcountry.
Jimmy Kennedy of Cabot Cheese shares four scrumptious camp-friendly, cheese-centric delicacies that will surely satisfy. Plus: Watch our how-to video about making a cheese wax candle.
We asked a few of our favorite pros how to fix some common backcountry annoyances
We sampled 50 jerkies, salamis, and summer sausages to find the tastiest and longest-lasting. Here’s how to choose, use, and make trail-worthy meats.
Try these camp-friendly breakfast recipes using summer sausage and salami. They're delicious ways to add protein to your trail menu--and finish an opened serving of sausage before it begins to spoil.
Snack smarter and pack a variety of energy bars to get the right boost at the right moment for optimal on-trail performance.
From a morning cup of joe to easy-sipping fireside nightcaps, here are our staff’s most-requested trail beverages.
Sweet treats to close a campside meal--and help you recoup after an energy-zapping hiking day.
Hunger-sating (and quick to prepare) meals to cap off a long day on the trail.
Grab these quick-fix and fast-fueling trail meals on the go.
Start your day with these tester-favorite and camp-ready breakfasts.
Fuel more trail miles with our favorite new packable meals.
Yes, it's the journey that counts. But every trip is better with fast, delicious food like this.
Pack and prepare a week's worth of mouth-watering meals.
Serve a 5-star meal that matches the scenery.
Tired of the same old weekend loops? Looking to create memories your grandkids will talk about? In this how-and-where guide, we serve up 15 extraordinary escapes that will shatter your expectations of "normal." From adventure moviemaking to canyoneering, we'll take you places you've never been—but will long to visit again soon.
With a fatty boost of peanut butter, these savory soups fuel cold-weather trips.
Peanut butter is the secret ingredient to this smoky chili
A can of pumpkin makes for an interesting trail soup
A perfect splurge gift for the foodie on your list
Conquer cold with proactive hydration and calorie-packed nutrition.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even desert recipes that are easy and tasty campground meals.
Grab some dehydrated veggies, a little salsa, and some beef jerky for these tasty Fajitas.
Three backcountry cooking tips that will guarantee easy and tasty meals
Your favorite desert as a kid goes trail-side.
Some quick-cooking rice and a handful of vegetables makes this a healthy trail lunch.
A bit of frozen chorizo extends your backcountry options.
If you're camping with kids, this pizza is a must make.
A spicy peanut butter sauce makes this a light spaghetti dish that is excellent either hot or cold.
Boil-in-the-bag rice and beef jerky make this recipe a snap.
Make a double batch of this at home. Have it for dinner with your family then dehydrate half for your next few backpacking trips.
Fast-and-easy desserts for the trail.
Knock off more miles after a tasty trail-side lunch.
Fuel a long day on the trail with these tasty breakfasts.
Brown rice becomes a yummy desert with this easy recipe.
Think apple pie and lime cranberry flavors!
Enjoy comfort sweets that complement any autumn campfire meal.
Get a hearty dose of fruit and vegetables right on the trail.
Bring a little Thanksgiving right to the trail with this easy backcountry pie recipe.
Fuel your day with these energy-packed twists on classic breakfast bowls.
Pack your collapsible chopsticks and dig into this delicious Asian cuisine.
Get a dose of veggies on the trail with these DIY summer rolls.
Protein-rich and flavor-packed noodles for the trail.
Maximize fun and minimize hassle with these essential tips on comfort, safety, cooking, and finding solitude during the high season.
Warm your belly with these hearty dishes.
For a hearty vegetable stew, make this easy Farmer's Mash recipe in less than 10 minutes.
This gourmet chicken pot pie is an easy recipe for a warm and filling backcountry dinner.
Stock your backcountry pantry for a full season of chowing down on delicious, satisfying, organic (and vegetarian) trail food.
Portable and delicious chocolate truffles
Hot cocoa, with the emphasis on "hot"
Eat well without all the fuss with these prepackaged camp meals
Improve the taste of any meal
Grab your veggies on the go
Everyone's favorite breakfast staple doesn't necessarily require a stove.
Follow a day of hiking with one of these yummy desserts.
You won't go hungry with these backcountry dinners.
Easy-to-eat lunches and snacks that actually taste good.
Oatmeal, granola, and eggs–backcountry style.
Caffeine in the palm of your hand–no plumbing or plugs required.
A subtle way to mask chemically treated water.
We review their new recipe book
Ultimate Camp Cooking. Plus: their easy-cook Dill Salmon recipe.
Dress up your fresh caught trout with this delicious wild berry compote.
New research shows spinach makes your muscles work more efficiently, so power up with this savory dish.
Your body is an engine. It runs on a mix of carbohydrates, fats, and a very small amount of protein. And it's a finely tuned engine, using the best fuel for every need.
How to keep off what you've hiked off.
Your guide to 52 common mistakes hikers make--and how to avoid them.
Try this quick and easy fish recipe.
Take your fire-side fish skills to the next level with this savory salmon recipe.
Add pizzazz to your gorp with this addictive mix.
Fortify your immune system (and avoid GI distress) in the backcountry with these tasty powder mixes.
Why pay a mint for fruity snacks when you can make your own?
Fill the tanks with these 5 new trail snacks.
Fill the tanks with these 6 new on-the-go snacks.
Fill the tanks with these 6 new on-the-go snacks.
Switch things up with these twists on the classic treat.
You can bake this yummy treat even at altitude, and you and your mates will be fighting over the last crumbs.
10 reinventions of trailworn dinner recipes. Plus some easy breakfast and dessert options.
Overall top-scorer: This wallet-saver meal is super easy to make but packs dynamite flavor.
BACKPACKER readers submitted scores of simple, delicious recipes. Here are 21 taste-tested favorites.
Switch things up with this easy twist on a classic staple.
Just because you're 10 miles into the wilderness doesn't mean you should miss out on holiday drinks.
A hearty, creamy soup that will fill you up in the backcountry.
Red quinoa adds a nutty kick to savory herbs and veggies
Instant sweet potatoes and mini marshmallows make this a unique twist on pizza.
These filling flapjacks have a pleasant crunch and natural sweetness.
Take a break from gels with these fruity and peanut-buttery pick-me-ups.
Despite their eponymous appearance, these rich cookies taste divine.
A yummy desert or breakfast cooked over the campfire.
If you prefer a flask to a cocktail in the backcountry, give these fine Scotches a chance to warm you from the inside out this winter.
For your next backcountry lunch, don't just munch on an energy bar. Try one of these tasty options.
A top-ranked dessert in the 2004 REI/BACKPACKER Camp Cook-Off
May 2000 readers' favorite
March 1982 readers' favorite
First-place entrée winner of the 2004 REI/BACKPACKER Camp Cook-Off
Temper our recipe for Earthworm Patty Supremes with a little Drunken Choc-Berry Fondue. Plus, other recipes and cooking skills.
The gear, techniques, and recipes you need to whip up five-star meals in cold climes
Warm up with these tasty backcountry winter cocktails!
Try these 6 kitchen tips, excerpted from BACKPACKER'S new book,
Campsite Cooking: Cookware, Cuisine, and Cleaning Up. Plus, cold-weather tips from the pros.
Fast, filling, and yummy macaroni and cheese is comfort food wherever you pitch your tent.
Plus: Pesto Pasta with a Kick recipe
Doing more (fresh-baked pizza and rumaki hors d'oeuvres) with less (a canister stove and a frying pan) is the essence of backcountry cooking. But when you're stuck without pots, pans, or utensils for more than a week, knowing how to cook and boil water with these four stand-in containers can be a vital, calorie-providing skill.
Put that hooch to good use with these tips for starting a fire, treating water, and even signaling for help.
Everything you need to stay sated in the backcountry.
Bring a taste of New Orleans with you on your next camping trip with this packaged Gumbo.
Add rich, cheesy flair to your backcountry fare.
Wow your campmates with this restaurant-worthy appetizer.
Cheese and beer make this a camp favorite.
Last call for submissions for the 2011 Readers' Choice Contest! Plus: Three easy recipes for flat trail bread, tortilla sunrise, and a fruit smoothie
Last call for submissions for the 2011 Readers' Choice Contest! Plus: Three easy recipes for flat trail bread, tortilla sunrise, and a fruit smoothie
Stuck in a ramen rut? Are your camp recipes ultralight but ultra boring? Does your food bag weigh more than you do? Our expert chefs solve these problems and more, with tips, recipes, and gear picks for 10 flood-flummoxed hikers.
A simple tuna salad gets a nutritional punch with the addition of bean sprouts.
If your backpacking menu excludes anything fresh, read on for a few helpful tips.
Bring some spice to backcountry cooking with this easy, flavorful curry recipe.
Backcountry cooking doesn't have to mean bland.
Fast food leads to fast crashes trailside.
A decadent pasta dish built for the backcountry.
Cook for a group...with style.
Breakfast for two, any time of the day.
Prevent fresh food spoilage on the trail with these tips.
An easy, year-round homemade snack.
Staying warm does require extra calories when hiking in the winter.
If you have a sweet tooth, you'll love this on-trail Cherry Cobbler.
A gourmet meal designed for the backcountry.
Packing the kitchen for a weekend away? We'll help you pare down.
Punch up boring noodles with ginger and garlic.
Break out of the boring one-pot routine.
Boost your on-trail protein intake with this tasty dish.
Easy ways to take protein on the trail without involving meat or overly fortified energy bars.
A fast, simple way to make silky fondue that's easy to clean
After a long day on the trail, I am in no mood for gourmet slicing and dicing. Here's a delicious, sweet, and savory dish that lets you leave your cutting boards at home.
Fill up on these protein-rich meals.
This gourmet dish combines dehydrated ground beef, fresh cherry tomatoes, and arepa flour for a protein-filled meal.
Chicken, cheese, and avocado–what more do you need?
Spice up your backcountry menu with this flavorful and satisfying Asian staple.
In 20 minutes, you can have Asian in the backcountry.
Spice up ramen noodles with this easy Thai dish.
Just like at home, there's clean-up to do after every meal in the backcountry. Here's how to get your dishes clean.
Suffer no more: instant cheesecake for the backcountry.
Your pre-trip shopping just got a whole lot easier.
Take the hassle out of menu planning with these fast meals.
Cheese spread, bars, drinks, trail mixes–there's more variety than ever in trail snacks.
Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, don't leave camp without inhaling one of these tasty options.
Having the right boots, packs, bags, and tents is never enough. Here, a roundup of all the other "essential" pieces of gear you'll want in the great outdoors.
A fork, knife, and spoon for the green and ultralight crowd.
The four Herbal Oats granola bar varieties are all-natural, preservative-free, and delicious.
Give yourself a flavor-rich protein boost with this update on a classic.
The best instant coffee. Ever.
This sweet and savory sandwich is a staff favorite.
Fill your flask with this smooth Scotch.
A great two-pot cookset
A ceramic coated cook pot with a fry pan lid
The perfect solo cookset
Double your trail miles–or just boost your energy–with protein-rich snacks.
This satisfying whole grain is filling, fiber-rich, and ready in less than five minutes.
With couscous, beans, and veggies this is a complete, and tasty, trail meal.
Salmon jerky and curry powder are key to this hearty dish.
Party of two? Your cookware is ready.
We taste-tested a stack of your recipe submissions–everything from pasta to pub food. These four winners emerged as the best of the bunch.
A spicy Asian dinner with satisfying crunch.
A simple dish from two thru-hikers.
Think the classic campfire treat can't be beat?
Classic, pubworthy flavor for camp.
Fresh pasta in less than five minutes.
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.
Use these proven exercises to get in the best hiking shape of your life.
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 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.
3 simple heat shields to keep your meals toasty in the backcountry
A naturopath's top 5 remedies for common backpacking injuries.
Banish blah food with this 3-day guide to quick, delicious meals.
4 easy recipes that will warm your whole body.
Four trailworthy variations on favorite regional recipes
Enjoy all-day power by combining these 5 superfoods
Stuff yourself with this camp-style version of a traditional Mexican stew.
A simple twist packs protein into this down-home favorite.
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
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.
Sweeten up your next overnight trip with any of these 4 dessert recipes
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
31 flavors, 12 discerning testers, 4 clear energy bar winners
You really want more granola? Get your carbs in a tasty, new way.
Add four low-carb recipes to your trail cookbook
9 tips for Leave No Trace dining
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
Berries Prove Balance Can Be Sweet
The One-Pan Gourmet shows how to eat like a king.
Who's better suited for backpacking--men or women?
How much H2O do you really need on the trail?
Do hikers have special nutritional needs?
Do backpackers have superfast metabolic rates?
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."
Got a bum knee or ankle? Better treatments for post-hike joint pain are on the horizon.
Make your own dehydrated trail food with these simple techniques.
To keep trekking when you have the trots, feed your body the right fuel.
Try this homemade, ultralight bowl for long distance treks.
These crunchy, easy-to-prepare side dishes will make your hiking buddies green with envy.
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.
When water is scarce, minimize the amount your body expends.
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.
Put some past in your stomach for good trail food all the next day.
Our medicine man gives his food suggestions for recovering in the backcountry.
Eat right and you'll hike stronger.
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.
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.
Kick the coffee and toss the tea and try yerba mate.
Ginkgo helps with altitude sickness and cold.
Even diabetes can't slow down hikers with these health tips.
Who says you need water in your food? Dehydrate your vittles and you'll carry less weight, save money, and eat better.
Water treatments defined.
With simple planning, you can turn your bare-bones backcountry meals into satisfying, energy-boosting successes.
Is this health-food-store item really needed in those recipes?
Rice and pasta are nice, but if you want variety, add some millet, kasha, or quinoa to your trail menu.
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.
Rice takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it, so no wonder it's such a tasty, versatile trail food.
Use streams, snow, rivers, and ponds as chilling grounds for enticing backcountry desserts.
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?
Cooking tips from readers.
How to make dreamy drinks and crispy chicken in camp, and lots of other trail-tested cooking tips from readers.
Time it right and you can harvest fresh greens every day of your trip.
Rather than tearing open an envelope, wouldn't you rather slice and dice something fresh?
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.
Here's how to make your morning cup of joe the best in camp.
Spice is the variety of life, so add ground pepper, ginger, and other taste bud tinglers to your camp meals.
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.
