by D. Cragin

Created on: February 21, 2009

Backpacking is an adventurous activity in which everything you use while you are on the trip is carried on your back. While to some this may not seem like much effort at all, it can be a daunting task for many. Think of it this way, every pound you carry on your back is more weight you will have to carry during your trek. When planning you need to look at all aspects of what you are packing.

The most important item you can carry while you are backpacking is food. Planning a menu for such a trip should be considered very heavily. You will need food that is easily cooked, filled with nutrients, and does not weigh a lot. Some items to consider when planning a menu can be found on the sides of the item you purchased, the nutrition facts. When looking for food remember that backpacking will consume many calories, as well as increase your demand for protein.

Before you plan your menu, you must first find how long you will be backpacking. The main reason to look at the duration of the trip is to plan an adequate diet which will give you the vital energy you will need. Remember, that backpacks are not equipped with refrigeration, therefore perishable items such as fresh milk and items needing refrigeration should not be on your menu. Instead you must look for non-perishable alternatives. For example, you could purchase condensed milk, which is a non-perishable version of milk. Remember that many items that you can "pre-purchase" as backpacking food are often friezed dried and require water before you may consume them, as well as cook them. If you have a plan of where you will be stopping to cook and sleep, make sure you understand how much water you will have at each points and areas where you will be able to refill your supply.

To start, if you are backpacking with a group, sit down with them and consider all of the option for food people would like. Then look at what type of cooking each requires; ingredients and preparation. Remember to include small snacks that are easily consumed while you are on the trail. Items such as Clif Bars, work great because they offer many nutrients that can help power your body to push through the trek. They require no cooking and can be consumed right away. Remember, even if you normally do not eat three meals a day, you must eat every single meal. Skipping meals can cause fatigue and tiredness which can ruin your experience backpacking. Each meal should be easy to prepare and clean up, be filled with nutrients, and be able to sustain you until then next time you consume food. Breakfast and dinner, should be hearty giving you food from each of the categories on the food pyramid, while lunch, should be something to give you a quick boost to help you sustain throughout the rest of the day until dinner.

Remember, once you start to plan, consider portions. You need to balance your diet, so you can power up in the morning and then recover at night. Look at what equipment you will need to bring including; stoves, utensils, mess kits, and cleaning wear. When packing the food, an easy way to have an advantage and make cooking easier is to separate food by meal. Remove all individually packed items from boxes and sort them into plastic bags for; breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and evening dessert. Doing this can help save valuable space and weight by removing boxes, not to mention keeping you organized.

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