food for overnight bushwalks

Introduction

it is important to take enough energy and protein for your hike (and carbohydrates to help you keep warm at night)
most hiker take high energy content dry foods which may need hot water added before eating such as hiking pre-prepared meals in a bag (need a LONG spoon!)
- for perishable foods ensure you understand how not to get gastro or food poisoning when camping

ensure you have a titanium LONG spoon to eat from a bag!
ensure you have a plastic or wooden spoon to stir your pot if you are reheating or cooking food or soup
a general rule of thumb is to choose foods with at least 100 calories per ounce of weight (or 1.5kJ per 100g) to maximise the energy to weight ratio
- using this, a male adult hiker could get away with around 20oz or 600g of food per day (and supplemented by a bag of potato chips for lunch if only having a snack bar for lunch) ¹⁾
for multiday hikes, its a great idea to separate out daily food into individual bags for each day which are clearly labelled - this helps rationing and avoidance of over-supply and makes replenishing supplies easier
prior to packing food, remove unnecessary packaging and open food packets (eg. potato chips) to release air so it can be compressed into a less bulky bag for your backpack
eat potato chips and nuts from a bag with a long spoon to minimise contamination with soiled hands (crush the potato chips!), this also helps soiling hands from orange Doritos and reduces over-eating so you large back of potato chips can actually last 3-4 days
use a foil insulated food bag to help rehydrate your dry food faster and keep it warmer eg. Big Sky Insulite food pouch
use aluminium foil as a lid for your pot so you conserve gas when boiling water (foil is much cheaper and lighter than a lid)

Options

preparing dehydrated foods:
- https://www.trail.recipes/recipe-collection/dehydrated-backpacking-meals/
- http://ourhikingblog.com.au/food-to-go
other foods:
- porridge or cereal
- powdered milk
- dates, dried fruit, nuts
- packet soups
- biltong - great option for meat protein
- wraps tend to last for days (bread can go mouldy in warm humid conditions within a day)
- if bringing a fry pan, pancake powder allows pancakes for breakfast (consider adding banana and maple syrup)
- perishables are very dependent on temperature conditions, the below assume temperatures below 16deg C
  - NB. some places such as Tasmania's Overland Trail, have requirements such as for dehydrated food that fruit and veg are cooked
  - bacon and eggs for the first morning if kept in a cool bag
  - fresh vegetables will last a couple of days but tend to be heavy, but some like to bring them as a luxury
  - smoked fish in vacuum sealed bag should last a few days
  - Salami and chorizo both last well and don’t even need to be cooked, also vac packed prosciutto
  - cheese kept in its vacuum pack is also good for a few days - BabyBell and hard cheeses such as Parmesan last well
  - quick rice mixed with tuna, long life cream and pre-cut celery and carrot in vacuum sealed bags (stays fresh and then can be cooked at camp site - not pre-cooked)
  - vac packed steak should last 3-4 days hiking winter <14 degrees, perhaps 1 day longer if it was frozen.
  - can freeze 2L bladder of water and keep perishables next to it to make them last longer, although the water is no longer frozen in 12hrs
  - carry soft veges like tomatoes or mushrooms in your cooking pot

¹⁾

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eugWxrjZb4&t=12s