Outdoor Kitchen: Backpacking eats made easy 

Getting into backpacking can feel intimidating: You have to get the right gear, know what to pack, and feel confident enough in your hiking abilities to get through a multi-day excursion. But if there’s one thing you shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by, it’s the food.

Marketing will make new backpackers think they need to buy expensive, freeze-dried meals to survive their first trip. While made-for-backpacking meals are delicious and might be worth it depending on your budget, they’re by no means a prerequisite to hitting the trail. There are plenty of items you might already have in your pantry that will work just as well to sustain you while you get outside.

Beef jerky

If you’re a meat eater, beef jerky is one of the best snacks to gnaw on when you’re pushing your body to the limit.

The packaging is slim, making it easy to slip into a side pocket on your backpack. It’s full of protein and will make fill you up quickly. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated. And most importantly, it’s super flavorful, something you’ll find yourself craving. After a full day of hiking, there’s nothing better than remembering you have something more interesting to eat at your campsite than a granola bar.

Boil-in-a-bag meals

Specifically, the Indian Fare line from Trader Joe’s. If you’re a vegetarian (or if you’re not), this one’s for you: These boil-in-a-bag packets are filling, warm, and super flavorful. You can find these at Trader Joe’s near the jarred sauces, and they cost a fraction of what similar freeze-dried backpacking meals will have you spending. These bags may weigh a little more, but the flavor is worth it!

My personal favorites are the tikka vegetables—veggies cooked with cashews and spices in a creamy tomato sauce—and the kitchari—a hearty blend of South Indian grains, vegetables, and spices. Everything you need is already in the bag. All you have to do is get some water boiling and then lower the bag into the water for five minutes. You don’t even need dishware: You can eat it straight out of the bag, giving you one less thing to clean.

Nuts

Nuts are packed with protein and easy to munch while hiking, making them another ideal backpacking snack. I recommend packing a sweet nut and a savory nut: say, some honey roasted pistachios and some garlic almonds, or whichever nut suits your fancy.

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• PHOTO BY MALEA MARTIN

One of the biggest food mistakes I made when I first started backpacking was not bringing enough flavor variety: I would pack a lot of one type of snack, and then get tired of it a couple of hours into the hike. Or, I’d pack a bunch of salty snacks, but nothing sweet, and end up craving something sugary the whole trip long. Nuts are an easy way to spice up your snack selection on the trail, and get some protein in while doing so.

Instant oats

They weigh almost nothing in your pack, they’re warm and filling, and all you have to do is add water—basically the trifecta when it comes to backpacking food. Breakfast is always the most important meal of the day, but it’s especially important not to neglect a morning meal while you’re on the trail: You need to get that fuel in first thing to have a happy day of hiking and exploring.

My secret is to add in some chocolate chips, a bit of brown sugar, or some freeze dried fruit to make your oatmeal a little less bland. Again, it’s all about keeping your food flavorful—boring food gets unbearable really fast when you’re also exhausted and sleeping on the ground.