How To Pack High-Energy Foods For Backpacking

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Food will be one of the biggest (and most difficult) considerations when you are taking a backpacking trip, as you will want to bring food that will give you the energy your body requires while hiking, but you will not want food that is so heavy to carry around with you that it depletes your energy in the process; there are a handful of foods that you should always bring with you when you are hitting the trails - and the good news is that these foods are not only lightweight and full of energy, but are mostly inexpensive as well.

Trail mix is the staple of the backpacker's diet (after all, it is called trail mix for a reason!), as the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit and berries you can usually find in trail mix will be essential for providing you with energy while you are on the trail; chocolate (especially dark chocolate) is also a great thing to add to trail mix - especially if you will be backpacking in an area that is not too terribly hot - and visiting a store such as Whole Foods, where you can buy all the "ingredients" separately, and can mix them on your own (to your desired tastes) will also be a great idea to consider.

Another great way to get energy in a lightweight package is with oats; you can get your oats from granola (which often includes such additional, beneficial ingredients as raisins or nuts), or you can bring granola bars to get your oats.

Plenty of different cereals are also good for providing the body with energy, so a baggie (or several baggies) of dried cereal is great when you are on the trail; this will provide you with nutritional food that is easy to carry and easy to snack on, such as Cracklin' Oat Bran or Cheerios.

Once you have loaded up your backpack with these foods, you will be able to hit the trail and get the energy your body needs while hiking, without having to carry around tons of extra weight that will make you tired in the process!