How to Plan a Backpacking Trip

By Matt Pritchard

Planning Your Personal Fuel Needs - Food and Water

Let's face it, if you don't keep yourself well fed and hydrated during your trip, you are going to be one hurting unit. Take the time to plan your food and water needs carefully so that you don't wind up running short of either while you are on the trail.

Water

Water is the most critical of all needs for backpackers. From a planning perspective, there are a few things to consider. First, when planning your route, ensure that you will have regular access to water sources throughout your trip. Be cautious of seasonal springs and streams that may be dry during parts of the year. As mentioned above, a call to the ranger station should be helpful in determining if your planned water sources will be wet when you arrive.

In terms of quantity, 2 liters (roughly 64 oz., or two standard Nalgene bottles) of water per day is usually considered minimum for most people. A number of factors, including personal physiology, weather, and exertion, can change this dramatically. On most days, we shoot for 4 liters (just over a gallon) of water each.

Become familiar with the signs and symptoms of dehydration. The rule used by many hikers is to drink enough fluids so that your urine is clear and odorless most of the time. Dehydration can have a dramatic affect on your performance while you are in the backcountry and it is important to address the issue proactively. On the flip side of the coin, recent research has indicated that over-hydrating can be dangerous as it can lead to dangerously low sodium levels in the bloodstream. The condition is known as hyponatremia and it is an important condition to understand. For more information on the symptoms and treatment of dehydration and hyponatremia, check out WebMD or other online resources.

No matter what your water source is, treatment of the water is likely to be a necessity. Water-borne bacteria, viruses, and other bugs can turn a trip into a miserable experience. Some people choose to roll the dice and drink untreated water. Most of the time, this won't be a problem. But if your luck runs out, you'll be sorry that you didn't take a few simple steps to protect yourself. The two most common forms of water treatment are chemical or filter.

Chemical treatments come in various forms and generally require you to add a few drops of solution to your water and wait a period of time for the chemicals to do their work. The chemical approach is the simplest and lightest way to make your water safe. However, it can leave a funny taste in the water that some people don't like. In our experience, Chlorine Dioxide-based water treatments (e.g., Aqua Mira, Kleerwater) impart less taste than Iodine-based solutions (e.g., Polar Pure, Potable Aqua).

Filters use a mechanical pump action to force the water through microscopic holes in a filter that strain out the bad stuff. Filters can be expensive and add some weight and bulk to your pack, but are preferred by many backpackers because of their effectiveness and the fact that they often improve the taste of the water. Several manufacturers make various filters and most quality outdoor retailers will have a wide selection to choose from.

A third alternative is boiling your water. By boiling your water for a minute or two, you effectively kill all of the microscopic organisms that can plague your system. This is a time consuming method and it requires large amounts of fuel to continue boiling pots of water, but it is still the preferred method for some. Whichever system you choose, it might be wise to have a backup plan in case your primary system fails. We used a Katadyn pump filter for years before making the shift over to Chlorine Dioxide; the weight savings were too great to ignore.

Food

The backcountry is really no place for a diet. Atkins and South Beach dieters take note that carbs are a very good thing when you are on the trail. Calories are your friend. The combination of hiking and carry a heavy pack burns through an enormous amount of energy. Short-changing your body of the fuel it needs to keep you going can put you in a bad place. Caloric content is probably the most important factor to consider when planning your food needs. Weight, convenience, and taste round out key components to planning a successful menu for your trip. Breakfast and dinner are typically the two meals that you'll take time to prepare at camp. Lunch is usually a process of continuous snacking throughout the day.

The USDA nutritional guidelines suggest an intake of 2,200 to 2,800 calories per day for active women and men. Based on the increased physical activity, don't be afraid to double your caloric intake while you are backpacking. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates are essential to replenishing the glycogen stores that you deplete during the day. Simple carbohydrates, generally found in foods with high sugar content, are metabolized quickly and work to provide you with a faster source of energy throughout the day. Managing an adequate intake of protein can be a challenge as many common protein-rich foods spoil quickly without refrigeration. Menu suggestions are covered below.

The weight of food can add up fast. Since increased weight slows you down and makes you feel like a pack mule, you may consider moving toward lighter weight food. Food may seem like a strange place to cut weight, but the potential to reduce your load without spending hundreds of dollars on lightweight gear is a compelling reason to give it a closer look. Food weight is largely dictated by the water content of a particular item. Foods with lower water content will usually (but not always) weigh less than foods with high water content. For this reason, dehydrated meals are usually the best bet for anyone wishing to maximize their calorie to weight ratio. Unfortunately, dehydrated meals are expensive, bulky, and largely an acquired taste. Since you will have access to water sources along the way, it makes more sense to bring food that is stored dry and requires water to be added at the time of preparation. Food such as pastas, rice, dried beans and lentils, cous cous, and hot cereal all fall into this category. If you are trying to save weight, canned anything is usually a bad way to go. Not only is the can a heavy package, but the amount of liquid inside really increases the weight fast.

The taste of your backpacking food is important and should not be overlooked. The key to staying well-fueled while hiking is eating at regular intervals. If your food tastes terrible, you'll be reluctant to eat it and end up doing yourself a real disservice. Bring food that you enjoy eating. Energy bars are a great source of calories, but consider if you really want to gnaw away on them all weekend long. Variety is key. Due to your increased activity, you can probably get away with eating higher-calorie, more flavorful foods while you are on the trail.

An important part of any backcountry kitchen is a small spice kit. Packaging a few, well-planned spices in film canisters can help you maximize your flavor and only add nominal weight. For us, essential spices include salt, pepper, basil, garlic powder, olive oil, and a few others. Choose the spices you enjoy and use them liberally to add a bit of zip to your meal.

If you want to keep things really simple and reduce the weight in your pack, consider bringing food that doesn't require any cooking. The lightest backpacking stove is the one that you leave at home. This isn't really that tough to do - you probably do it at home from time to time. Not only does it reduce the weight and bulk in your pack, but it speeds meal preparation and makes cleanup easy. This approach is probably best suited for one and two night trips, as you will eventually want some hot food in your tummy on a longer trip. Below are some suggestions for non-cook meals on the trail.

Non-Cooked Breakfast Foods

  • Cold cereal with dried milk (pre-packaged in a ziploc and add cold water)
  • Bagel with peanut butter
  • Pop-Tarts or Toaster Strudel (minus the toaster)
  • Store bought muffins (heavy, but calorie dense

Non-Cooked Lunch Foods (munch while you walk)

  • Trail Mix
  • Dried Fruit
  • Pretzels
  • Cookies
  • Pringles (they travel well if you keep them in the tube
  • Chocolate
  • Jerky
  • Energy Bars (Clif Bar, Power Bar, Balance Bar, etc.
  • Energy Gel (Gu, PowerGel, Clif Shot, etc.

Non-Cooked Dinner Foods

  • Salami Sandwich (certain meats and hard cheeses will keep for a day or two without refrigeration
  • Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (hard to go wrong here)
  • Dinner Rolls
  • Tortilla rolled with just about anything (peanut butter, cheese, hummus)

Questions or comments about this article? Let us know.