Recipes

Rethink gin. With heavy pine needles and balanced, exotic flavors, this spirit may be the perfect backcountry compliment you've written off.

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.

Ring in the New Year with this twist on the classic champagne cocktail featuring pomegranate and brown sugar.

Fill up with this savory and surprising dish.

Check out these delicious one-pot dishes.

Take a break from gels with these fruity and peanut-buttery pick-me-ups.

A double dose of chocolate and cayenne pepper will keep your taste buds hopping this winter.

A hearty, creamy soup that will fill you up in the backcountry.

Red quinoa adds a nutty kick to savory herbs and veggies

These filling flapjacks have a pleasant crunch and natural sweetness.

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.

Fuel up with these belly-warming meals.

After testing 23 canned craft beers from across the country, we narrowed it down to our top choices--simply the best craft canned beers for backpacking.

Pack these tasty treats for fast energy on the trail.

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.

Box wine is back in a big--and quaffable-- way. Here are our favorites for the trail.

Learn to make the classic cold weather cocktail and get a primer on a new version that's sure to impress your tent-mates

Toasting to the day of your birth in the backcountry isn't complete without a proper dessert. Or three.

Don't forget these essentials when you're headed into the cold.

Use these tips to plan perfect winter camping meals.

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.

And if prepared properly, it'll be quite tasty and good for you, too.

Plus: Pesto Pasta with a Kick recipe

It tastes delish. (Yes, really.)

Part rum, part minty-goodness. This one will help you hold on to the last warm days of the year in style.

Add rich, cheesy flair to your backcountry fare.

Wow your campmates with this restaurant-worthy appetizer.

Cheese and beer make this a camp favorite.

Our resident imbibing expert takes on the Spanish staple...and adds a twist.

In this inaugural expert section, the Backcountry Bartender drops some knowledge on crafting the perfect trail cocktail. First up, a timeless classic: the Manhattan.

In a tip of the hat to this universal noodle, here are two sweet breakfast and dessert ramen recipes.

Last call for submissions for the 2011 Readers' Choice Contest! Plus: Three easy recipes for flat trail bread, tortilla sunrise, and a fruit smoothie

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

...Baked in a soda can!

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.

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.

Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, don't leave camp without inhaling one of these tasty options.

The four Herbal Oats granola bar varieties are all-natural, preservative-free, and delicious.

Pots for the masses–and the ages.

This sweet and savory sandwich is a staff favorite.

Kids will love this dessert.