Packing food for multi-day backcountry adventures: our tips for maximising calories & minimising weight
Last Updated on 12 October 2025
Packing food for any backcountry trip is a balancing act between weight, space in your pack, nutritional needs, and the logistical realities of cooking outdoors. Needless to say, there’s no one-size-fits-all backcountry food list—and this post isn’t an attempt to tell you exactly what you should pack. Instead, it’s an exploration of the key factors that shape backcountry nutrition (like caloric requirements, macronutrient balance, and caloric density) and how I personally build out our meals in a way that maximises efficiency and minimises bulk.
This is the exact framework I’ve used to plan food for everything from my solo, unsupported ascent of Aconcagua to our 10-day Mt Assiniboine expedition, plus dozens of multi-day mountaineering traverses and backpacking routes from Peru to the Pacific Northwest. My hope is that it gives you a solid starting point for developing your own food system, tailored to your body, trip style, and dietary preferences!
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Understanding outdoor nutrition
Backcountry nutrition requirements are complex, highly personal, and subject to diverse interpretation, but in this post, I want to give you a global understanding of several key principles that will help you build an outdoor food packing list that actually works FOR YOU:
- Caloric requirements: how MUCH you should be eating
- Macronutrient balance: WHAT you should be eating
- Caloric density: how to maximise calorie-per-gram for better nutrition & a lighter pack
Caloric requirements for backpacking & mountaineering
I wouldn’t dream of telling another hiker how many calories they need to eat in a day, but across the board, you can count on it being MORE than what you’re eating at home— when you’re moving for 6-12+ hours a day with a heavy pack, especially at elevation, your body needs significantly more calories than it does on a normal day. Obvious, right?
- Use 2,000kcal/day as a baseline
- Add 500–1,000kcal for light to moderate hiking
- Add 1,000–2,000kcal for big mileage, elevation, cold, or multi-day objectives
* For reference, the term kcal (kilocalories) is the standard unit used on food labels and in nutrition tracking to represent ‘calories’.
⚠️ WHEN INPUT ≠ OUTPUT
Much of the challenge with backcountry nutrition comes from the fact that you simply won’t be able to eat enough to balance what your body is burning. For example, the push from High Camp 2 to the summit of Aconcagua is estimated to burn around 10,000kcal for the average climber, but you’ll be lucky to manage a few thousand intake calories at that elevation and under that level of exertion.
Understand that it will be impossible to completely avoid a caloric deficit on summit days or other demanding backpacking days— in these cases, the goal becomes “as much as possible” rather than a true balance between input and output. Your body can only sustain this deficit for a limited time, but it’s the name of the game with high-demand outdoor adventures!
Macronutrient balance: carbs, fats, protein
While everyone’s needs differ, a good outdoor food system balances carbohydrates (especially glucose) for quick-burning energy, fats for long-lasting calories, and protein for recovery. The relative breakdown of these macro nutrients is further influenced by the length and physical demands of your trip:
- Carbohydrates (especially glucose) are your body’s primary fuel for sustained movement. During long hiking or climbing days, especially at altitude, carbs are the most readily absorbed and easily digested source of energy, so you’ll want a steady stream of quick carbs throughout the day to avoid energy crashes. Examples: candy, gummies, sports chews, dried fruit, granola bars
- Fats are the most calorie-dense macronutrient and offer long-lasting energy, making them ideal for lower-intensity sections of the day or when you need to maximise calories in limited volume. However, they digest more slowly and are harder to process during extreme physical exertion or at high altitudes. Examples: peanut butter, nuts, seeds, olive oil, salami, cheese
- Protein plays more of a supporting role— essential for muscle repair, immune function, and helping you stay full, but less important during the hiking day and more useful at breakfast, dinner, or as a slow-burn addition. Examples: jerky, protein bars, tuna packs
👩🏻🍳 RECOMMENDED MACRO RATIOS
For most moderate-to-intense backpacking or mountaineering days (6–10hrs of movement):
* Carbs: 50–60%
* Fats: 30–40%
* Protein: 10–15%
For extreme conditions (very high exertion for 12hrs+ and/or high elevation):
* Carbs: 65–75% (glucose is more metabolically efficient at altitude)
* Fats: 15–25% (harder to digest in cold or high-altitude settings)
* Protein: 10–15%
Avoiding the dreaded bonk: glucose & glycogen
Bonking is a state of extreme energy deficit that occurs when you exhaust all of your glucose and glycogen stores (the body’s preferred fuel source and the easiest to process under intense exertion). Once these reserves are depleted, your body can no longer meet the metabolic demands of continued activity, and you start to experience a kind of systemic shutdown.
Along with the typical manifestations of hypoglycaemia, like weakness, fatigue, lightheadedness, and minor cognitive impairment, the lack of glucose in your system also impacts your muscles in terms of coordination, strength, and overall energy— if you’ve ever seen videos of a cyclist collapsing after a long ride and not being able to stand up on their own, they were probably bonking.
This phenomenon is well-known among endurance athletes who are pushing their body to extremes over a sustained period of hours— and when you’re climbing at elevation for an entire day, expending a massive amount of energy while not being able to ingest hardly any calories due to cold, loss of appetite, nausea at elevation, or simply the overwhelming physical demands… it can be very easy to slide into an energy deficit.
💀 MY EXPERIENCE BONKING ON ACONCAGUA
I experienced my first-ever bonk descending from Aconcagua on my solo expedition last year and it was one of the most terrifying moments of my outdoor career. I was NOT diligent enough about my sugar consumption on the final stages of the ascent, was massively buoyed by adrenaline on the summit, and then just collapsed on my way down— in and out of consciousness, unaware of how much time was passing.
As a solo climber, this was extremely dangerous, but ended up being a valuable learning experience (for me and hopefully also for you) about the importance of monitoring your caloric intake while climbing. You HAVE to be your own caretaker on the mountains, and if it means setting an alarm to eat a handful of gummies or a pack of Gu on the hour, then DO IT.
Maximising caloric density
When pack weight and volume are limited, calorie-per-gram becomes one of the most important numbers you can track. The goal is to get the most energy for the least bulk.
Easy calorie-dense add-ons:
- Peanut butter: 210kcal per 32g packet; high fat and long-lasting (I also add this to freeze-dried curries and pad thai to boost calories at dinner)
- Tortillas: ~150kcal each, great for sneakily adding calories to any meal (1-2 per dinner is one of the best hacks!)
- Olive oil packets, trail mix, nuts: excellent fat-forward snacks or meal additions (I love to add nuts to freeze-dried dinners, it’s delicious and fattening in all the right ways)
- Hot chocolate or soup: 50–150kcal per packet and super easy to digest (also a great way to sneak in additional fluids and sodium)
Foods to avoid (low calorie density):
- Rice cakes, crackers, bread
- Plain instant oatmeal
- Raw veggies or fruit (heavy, low payoff)
Packing smart isn’t just about cutting weight— it’s about choosing foods that deliver fuel when you need it most.
What we eat on backcountry trips
Everyone’s appetite and preferences vary on trail, but here’s a look at what I typically eat over the course of a full backcountry day— and how we build meals that hit our calorie goals without adding unnecessary bulk.
Brekky
I keep breakfast food quick and cold— a filling protein bar, with a warm drink to kickstart the system (and sneak some extra water in).
You might prefer a hot breakfast, but I personally don’t think they’re a good value (cost to calorie) and find pouches take up way too much room in my pack to justify, so I’m a fan of light and easy in the morning!
My typical breakfast:
* Hot chocolate – 150kcal
* Protein bar – 280kcal
Total: ~430kcal
Lunch/Snacks
I typically take 3 food breaks throughout the day: mid-morning snack; lunchtime snack; and mid-afternoon snack.
More frequent, smaller snack breaks balance energy and digestive demand throughout the day— prioritise carbs and fats that are calorie-dense, craveable, and easy to portion.
My typical snacks (per day):
* 2x handfuls of pistachios or almonds (58g) – 340kcal
* Handful of mixed candy – 250kcal
* Nut bar – 100kcal
* Peanut butter (32g packet) – 210kcal
* cheese stick – 100kcal
Total: ~1,000kcal
Dinner
At camp, I eat one serving of a freeze-dried dinner + a tortilla to boost calories, and then supplement with a rotating menu of starters/desserts.
Since most commercial dinners are 2 servings per package, I either split with James or, when solo, divide my dinners into single-serving Ziplock bags.
typical dinner setup:
* Freeze-dried dinner (1-serving) – 300–400kcal
* +1 tortilla or +2 tortillas for lighter dinners – 150-300kcal
* ONE OF:
* Soup – 50kcal + apple cider – 130kcal
* OR freeze-dried starter (1-serving) – 200-300kcal
* OR freeze-dried dessert (1-serving) – 250–350kcal
Total: ~800kcal
My essential backcountry food shopping list
Here’s a quick look at some of our favourite staples for building high-calorie, low-fuss meals on the trail. These are tried-and-true options we pack for nearly every backpacking or mountaineering trip, hopefully they will inspire your own food shopping list!
Hot Cocoa: Land O Lakes Cocoa Classics
150kcal per packet
Hands down the best water-only cocoa, these are thick, rich, delicious, and super calorie-dense, with the benefit of getting extra water into your system. We drink at least 1 per day, sometimes 2 on high-demand trips.
Protein Bar: Authentic Bars
280kcal per bar
Peanut butter-based whey protein bars with great taste, solid macros (16g+ protein), and hard to beat for high-calorie snacks on the go. I like to start the day with one of these bars at breakfast!
Electrolytes: Liquid IV
One of the best-tasting and most effective electrolyte powders we’ve tried, especially helpful at altitude. We have minimum 1 per day while backpacking and usually increase to 2-3 on high-demand mountaineering trips where replenishing electrolytes is especially vital.
Nuts: Wonderful Pistachios
270kcal per 29g handful
Compact, easy to portion depending on daily needs, and calorie-dense relative to weight, these are my go-to nuts for daily snacking. I usually eat 2x servings per day (58g), but adapt as needed for more relaxed or more demanding trips.
Peanut Butter: Justin’s Honey Peanut Butter
210kcal per 32g packet
If you like peanut butter, these are one of the best and easiest adds to your backcountry meal plan— they make excellent, pre-portioned snacks throughout the day and are easy to add to freeze-dried curries or pad thai for an extra calorie/fat boost at dinnertime. We eat at least 1 per day, but up to 2-3 depending on the trip demands.
Cheese sticks
100kcal per stick
A delicious hit of fat, salt, and protein— I’m a huge fan of cheese sticks or single-serving cheese slices as a backcountry snack! No-fridge needed for a few days and guaranteed to elevate trail pleasure 🙂
Candy
High-demand trips require quick access to glucose and the easiest/tastiest/cheapest way to accomplish this is with a simple handful of candy spread throughout the day. I know some people believe sugar to be the source of all evil in this world, but glucose is the most readily-digestible source of fuel under high exertion and your body simply WILL NOT function without it on a challenging backpacking or alpine trip. Don’t be a hero: bring candy.
Fast glucose source: Gu Energy Gel
These are totally overkill for casual backpacking, but invaluable on summit pushes or 12-18hr climb days when you can’t stop to eat but need a boost now.
Freeze-dried dinners
300-400kcal per serving, 2 servings per pouch
Freeze-dried dinners have come SUCH a long way in the last decade and are now both delicious and nutritionally optimised for backcountry adventures. Our top picks based on a lot of sampling:
- Peak Refuel Beef Stroganoff (810kcal)
- Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo Pasta (830kcal)
- Backpacker’s Pantry Pad Thai (820kcal)
- Packit Gourmet Dab’s Smash Burger with Secret Sauce (560kcal) + 2x tortillas to add calories
- Real Turmat Creamy Salmon with Pasta (601kcal)
- Real Turmat Chicken Tikka Masala (578kcal) + 2x tortillas to add calories
Tortillas
150kcal per tortilla
Lightweight and packable, versatile, calorie-rich, and great for sprucing up literally any meal, tortillas are one of my all-time favourite calorie hacks for backcountry nutrition. We add 1-2 tortillas to most dinners— hydrate backcountry meals with about 90% of the usual water and then make a curry wrap/burrito/pasta-tortilla-carb-bomb.
Freeze-dried starters
360kcal per half-packet of dip + chips
Since we only eat a single serving of our freeze-dried dinners per night, we spruce up our evening meals with a starter OR a dessert. This might be as simple as a packet of ramen, but preferably, it’s our signature cheese dip from Packit Gourmet (420kcal), paired with Fritos or Doritos (150kcal each)— this is an unbelievable treat in the backcountry and packs a lot of calories into our meal plan. We get a lot of funny looks with chips strapped to the outside of our packs, but they are lightweight, salty, and (on Aconcagua when my appetite was starting to fail at 6,000m) one of the only things I truly felt like eating.
Freeze-dried desserts
250-350kcal per serving
To keep things interesting on long trips, we substitute a starter for dessert on a few nights. Freeze-dried desserts from Peak Refuel and Backpacker’s Pantry like cheesecake, cobbler, and chocolate mousse add several hundred calories and a lot of delight to the menu!
My essential camp kitchen packing list
When it comes to cooking in the backcountry, my best advice is to keep it simple. Whether you’re boiling water for freeze-dried meals or just making cocoa, the goal is always to minimise bulk, maximise efficiency, and get back to relaxing at camp. Here are my camp kitchen essentials for a no-fuss backcountry meal experience:
Camp stove: Jetboil Zip
For years, I’ve used and LOVED my compact integrated canister stove system (Jetboil)— it’s ultralight, fuel-efficient, and boils water ridiculously fast. This setup only works with boil-in-bag meals or hot drinks (i.e., you can’t cook pasta inside the pot), but that’s actually ideal for most trips: it’s lighter, cleaner, and easier than cooking heavy supermarket food on the trail. It even performs well at elevation and in extreme cold (personally tested up to 6,000m on Aconcagua).
Fuel
Conventional wisdom suggests that 100g (~3.5oz) of fuel lasts 2–3 days per person when you’re boiling water for meals and hot drinks. By that estimate, a standard 8oz / 227g IsoPro canister should cover 5–7 days per person— BUT in my experience, that’s excessive if you’re not melting snow or cooking elaborate meals.
I typically pack 2x standard (8oz) canisters for me and James on a 10-day trip and we still come back with a bit of fuel.
Cup: Frontier Ultralight Collapsible Cup
Long-handled spoon: Toaks Titanium Long Handle Spoon
On gram-sensitive trips, we bring the bare minimum dinner utensils: an ultralight collapsible cup and a long-handled spoon to eat straight from the pouch. On more relaxed trips, a collapsible bowl is a great add (especially when you’re sharing food)!
Water filter: Katadyn BeFree 1.0L Water Filter
This is our tried and tested, ultra-lightweight backcountry filter for refilling drinking water from questionable streams and lakes.
Water reservoir: HydraPak Seeker 2L
On top of your trail water bottle/bladder, multi-day backcountry trips call for a water reservoir— a lightweight, collapsible container used to haul dirty water from a stream or lake back to camp. Use it to fill pots for dinner or filter into bottles without crouching over a creek for 10 minutes! Lightweight, packable, and seriously practical when you’re dry camping or need to filter for multiple people.
Food fuels every step, every summit, and every recovery— prioritise calorie-dense food, bring things you actually look forward to eating (especially at altitude), and keep refining your setup with every trip. The more you experiment, the easier it gets!
Explore more outdoor gear guides on brookebeyond
- How to choose the best trail shoes, hiking boots & mountaineering boots for every adventure
- How to choose the best hiking backpack for every outdoor adventure
- How to build an outdoor layering system for backcountry hiking & extreme alpine conditions
- How to choose the best tent for backpacking & mountaineering
- How to choose the best outdoor sleep system: best sleeping bags, sleeping pads & camp pillows
- How to pack food for multi-day backcountry adventures: our tips for maximising calories & minimising weight
