The food you pack for a multi-day backpack hunt significantly impacts your energy, performance, and overall enjoyment.
Putting together your backcountry menu is part science, part preference. You need the right amount of calories, the ratio of macronutrients that fuel you best, and foods that are palatable enough that you don’t have to force yourself to eat something that doesn’t sound good or sit well in your gut.
The purpose of this article isn’t to dig into the science behind “food as fuel” or to share a complete example of everything we pack on backpack hunts. While we have covered those topics in the past (see those resources at the end of this article), the purpose of this article is to gain inspiration, get ideas, and learn insights from experienced hunters who spend weeks each year living out of their packs.
Let’s dive in…
Brad Brooks (@bradabrooks)
Calories Per Day: 3500-4000
Go-To Snacks
Favorite Entree
- Peak Refuel...honestly, any of them.
Drink Mix (Electrolytes, Hydration, Flavoring, etc)
Steven Drake (@stevendrakephoto)
Calories Per Day: 3000-3500
Go-To Snacks
- DIY Freeze-Dried Apples
- DIY Freeze-Dried White Cheddar Cheese
- DIY Dehydrated Wild Game Jerky
- Organic Dried Mango Slices (from Costco)
- Grass-Fed Beef Sticks (from Costco)
Favorite Entree
- DIY freeze-dried bacon, eggs, and cheese. (Watch Steven make it.)
Drink Mix (Electrolytes, Hydration, Flavoring, etc)
- Homemade electrolytes mix (sodium, potassium, magnesium), sometimes with added citric acid for taste.
- I also take 10g of Creatine per day for muscles and cognition; usually split across two drinks in the morning.
- After quitting coffee earlier this year, I have also moved to black or chai tea for caffeine.
Miscellaneous Notes & Suggestions
- I have been following an intermittent fasting protocol, eating just two meals each day between Noon and 6:00 pm. It has been fantastic for my energy and cognition.
Kevin Guillen (@wildathlete)
Calories Per Day: I have no idea.
Go-To Snacks
- I always bring almonds or macadamia nuts — usually one or the other.
- Jerky is a must.
- I always have some form of sweet treat. If I can find some good electrolyte gummies with caffeine, I do that; if not, Skittles is usually the go-to.
- Without fail, I pack a Snickers bar or two as a reward snack that I know I have in my pack.
Favorite Entree
- Top Ramen with a packet of chicken or tuna added in. It isn’t the most nutritionally valuable meal I bring, but it's simple, hot, and reminds me of college.
Drink Mix (Electrolytes, Hydration, Flavoring, etc)
- Wilderness Athlete Hydrate & Recover. I usually plan on drinking at least two a day on active days; maybe more if it's a long haul in or a heavy pack out.
Miscellaneous Notes & Suggestions
- I focus a lot on protein. I usually bring a pre-packed protein shake for each day of the trip. Maintaining my protein intake helps me feel energized and nourished, rather than having to down tons of calories to feel full.
- I start my day with some fats from MCT powder, which I add to my coffee or my breakfast, so I start the day with calories that stick to my ribs. Later, I make sure to include carbohydrates to keep me energized and upbeat throughout the day.
Kyle Kamp (@v2pnutrition)
Calories Per Day: 2500-3000
Go-To Snacks
- Granola + Raisin Mix
- Dried Banana + Walnut Mix
- Spicy Trail Mix
- Homemade Bar (Two Recipes)
- Wheat Thins + Cheesestick + Salami
- Instant Mashed Potatoes
Favorite Entree
- DIY: Spicy Red Beans & Rice with Venison, served on a tortilla. (DIY Meal Guide)
Drink Mix (Electrolytes, Hydration, Flavoring, etc)
- Sometimes nothing. Sometimes Tailwind or Powdered Gatorade.
Miscellaneous Notes & Suggestions
- I do not care about calories per ounce; I'd rather have the right type of fuel source (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) for the demand. I also try to include 'micronutrients' where I can. Their ability to combat the inflammatory process that comes with intense physical demands is very underestimated.
Josh Kirchner (@dialedinhunter)
Calories Per Day: 3500-4000
Go-To Snacks
- Chomps Jerky Stick (Amazon)
- Blueberry Larabars (Amazon)
- Gummy Bears
- Dehydrated Mangos (Amazon)
- Coffee
Favorite Entree
- Peak Refuel Venison Casserole is the best I’ve ever had. (Amazon)
Drink Mix (Electrolytes, Hydration, Flavoring, etc)
- Hydrate & Recover from Wilderness Athlete. I pack one a day.
Miscellaneous Notes & Suggestions
- I think packing food that you ACTUALLY LIKE is huge. And don’t just focus on “backpacking food”. If you can’t enjoy most of the food you pack, you are less likely to consume it, which leaves you underfueled. This is not the time to go on a diet. Bring the Reese's; it's fine.
Josh Kuntz (@josh.kuntz)
Calories Per Day: I never count, but my guestimate is around 3000.
Go-To Snacks
- Laird Picky Bars
- Protein Puck
- Nuts and Dried Fruit Mix
- Salami + Bagel Sandwich
- Assortment of Clif Gels & Gu Gels
Favorite Entree
Drink Mix (Electrolytes, Hydration, Flavoring, etc)
- Salt pills
- Various Electrolyte Mixes (For long hunts, I put the powder in a small plastic jar with a mini scoop.)
Miscellaneous Notes & Suggestions
- Based on past long-distance running experience, I have learned to eat some sugar (gel, gummies, candy) 5-30 minutes before a big energy output is needed.
- I use an insulated Tyvek bag/sleeve on my pot when I make a hot drink. It keeps the drink hotter for much longer.
- I often squeeze a chocolate energy gel onto a protein bar. It is like putting frosting on an otherwise mediocre cake.
Justin Nelson (@themtnexperience)
Calories Per Day: 2500-3000
Go-To Snacks
- Honey Stinger Waffles (Amazon)
- Smackers Uncrustables Grape
- Chomp Beef Sticks (Amazon)
- Peanutbutter-filled Pretzels (Amazon)
Favorite Entree
Drink Mix (Electrolytes, Hydration, Flavoring, etc)
- Hydrate & Recover (Berry Blast)
- Energy & Focus (Wild Berry)
Miscellaneous Notes & Suggestions
- Hunt first, then eat!
Rydell Reinbold (@aziakequipment)
Calories Per Day: 4000+ first few days, then taper to 3200ish
Go-To Snacks
- Chips
- Stroopwaffel (Amazon)
- Nature Valley Oatmeal Bars (Amazon)
- Kirkland Nut Bars (Costco or Amazon)
Favorite Entree
- Mountain House Yellow Curry with Chicken & Rice (Amazon)
Drink Mix (Electrolytes, Hydration, Flavoring, etc)
- Usually one Liquid IV each day.
- On cold hunts, hot cocoa is a good “warm up” before bed.
Miscellaneous Notes & Suggestions
- Pack what you enjoy. Having foods I look forward to enjoying is a huge mental boost during difficult hunts.
Mark Rowenhorst (@limitlessalaskaguiding)
Calories Per Day: 4000-4500
Go-To Snacks
- Tillamook Cheddar Cheese Singles
- Cheeze-It Grooves Crackers
- Snickers
- Fruit Leather
- Pistachios
Favorite Entree
Drink Mix (Electrolytes, Hydration, Flavoring, etc)
Miscellaneous Notes & Suggestions
- A salty, fatty snack (crackers or chips) has become an essential for me
- Making a hot electrolyte mix when sitting in the cold or in the evening is awesome. A “hot drink” doesn’t have to be the traditional things you think of (hot cocoa, tea, or coffee).
- Repackaging freeze-dried entrees into quart-size Ziploc freezer bags saves so much space and some weight. I always leave 1-2 meals in the original package and reuse that package for heating/rehydrating the other meals that you repackaged.
- Buy instant coffee in bulk, instead of single packs, and pack them in your own small zippered bags. It saves so much money. One 3’x4” bag is plenty for 5-6 days of very strong coffee.
- On mountain hunts, I don’t get stuck on the idea that my entree meals (breakfast or dinner) have to be eaten at those traditional meal times. Sometimes I don’t feel like eating much right away in the morning, so I’ll snack on a bar while packing up and then eat an Alpenfuel Granola “breakfast” later in the day, while glassing. And sometimes it works best to eat a “dinner” entree whilst sitting on the glassing hill in the afternoon, and then finish the night with snacks before bed.
Steve Speck (@huntbackcountry)
Calories Per Day: 3000-3500
Go-To Snacks
- Homemade Bars (Recipe Here)
- Dried Mangoes (Amazon)
- Maple Sea Salt Granola from Bob’s Red Mill (Amazon)
Favorite Entree
- Alpine Ranch Jambalaya (Discontinued)
Drink Mix (Electrolytes, Hydration, Flavoring, etc)
Related Resources
- The Food We Eat (And How We Pack It)
- Backpack Hunting Basics — Meal Prep for the Backcountry
- 5 Low-Cost, High-Energy Foods for Backpacking and Hunting
- Boring Backpack Foods & The Importance of Variety Over Perfection
- Nutrition Without The Noise: Forget Trends & Find Results
- Why Backcountry Nutrition Matters
- Eat Smarter, Hunt Better. Food as Fuel.
- Free Backcountry Food Guide and Meal Plan