Cooking

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

Follow this reader tip to custom-build your own backcountry cutting board.

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

Need to start a fire fast? Try a flammable cupcake.

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.

When cooking in the backcountry, don't leave home without...

On the trail and at the campsite, there's plenty you can do to leave nature...natural.

GORP is great...for a snack. Backpacker offers some pointers on keeping your energy up while on the trail.

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.

Unwind after a long hike chilé fondue, French bread bruchetta, or an Asian peanut dip

Avoid the Pop-Tart rut with Backpacker's seven-day, two-person shopping and menu list.

Eat for energy minus the meat with this three-day, two-person meal plan.

From cashew-ginger chicken to fruited scones, tasty breakfast, lunch, and dinner options for the trail and the campsite.

What to eat when you're one person spending one day on the trail and looking to travel light

Add garlicky zing to classic southern Appalachian grits.

Give your camp dinner a tropical flair

Maine's celebrated wild blueberries demand real New England maple syrup.

Go Italian—with a Pacific Northwest twist—by serving this seafood pasta.

This sweet-tasting dish is more fragrant than hot.

Limed corn is the secret to this classic New Mexican comfort food. Flour tortillas and lime wedges are traditional accompaniments.

Chili peppers give this meal a pungent kick.

Lemongrass and peanuts accent this creamy Thai dish.

4 easy recipes that will warm your whole body.

3 simple heat shields to keep your meals toasty in the backcountry

4 steamy drinks to spice up your after-dinner stargazing

Banish blah food with this 3-day guide to quick, delicious meals.

Enhance bland backpacking food with an ultralight spice kit including everything from curry to soy sauce.

A naturopath's top 5 remedies for common backpacking injuries.

We asked a few of our favorite pros how to fix some common backcountry annoyances

Check out Kristy Holland's author page.

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.

A revolutionary stove-and-pot set that'll cramp your prep time with super-fast boils.

Enjoy this hardy and healthy Mexican soup at home or in camp

The perfect grill for your next car camping trip

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

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

Two editors debate whether one stainless steel spoon beats many (much lighter) free ones.

9 tips for Leave No Trace dining

Your ultralight kitchen is now complete

Testers' favorite backpacking entrees

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

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.

The hungry hiker's foolproof plan for eating like a king in the backcountry.

No refrigerator, no problem, says this cooking instructor. Here's her secret to making every meal better.

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.

Try this homemade, ultralight bowl for long distance treks.

When water is scarce, minimize the amount your body expends.

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.

Create tasty trail meals like fish chowder, lasagna, and seafood with pasta.

Our medicine man gives his food suggestions for recovering in the backcountry.

Put some past in your stomach for good trail food all the next day.

Eat right and you'll hike stronger.

Feeding a diabetic hiker takes planning and professional advice, but not necessarily a special menu.

Even diabetes can't slow down hikers with these health tips.