What are some of your favorite foods to bring/make for backpacking?
Some of mine: As an easy-to-cook grain, I recently discovered fonio, which looks and tastes a bit like tiny couscous. I combine a serving of fonio with a packet of ghee (Kroger sells those under the Simple Truth brand) and whatever dehydrated vegetables I’m in the mood for, and I have a great just-add-hot-water recipe for the back country.
Also, I learned from backpackingchef.com that you can make palatable dehydrated ground beef by cooking it with some bread crumbs, or in my case rice panko, before dehydrating. That little change alone has substantially improved the texture of my back country chilis, as dehydrating ground beef on its own turns it into something between a pebble and a piece of old gum.
For me it’s about super simple yet savory dishes. Oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon or dried berries, peanuts butter and honey wraps, jasmine rice with a few pinches from the ol sprice bag (different every time, but might have any of cumin, turmeric, garlic, onion powder, cilantro, oregano, thyme, dill, paprika, or red pepper flakes) or just a bullion cube. Simple and yummy after a long hard day on the trail or a chilly morning to warm the bones ☺️
For sure. Meals like that are a big morale booster for me. Ending a cold, rainy day with cold-soaked noodles or a protein bar or similar would be pretty soul-crushing in comparison, especially if your tent neighbor is enjoying some hot and hearty.