So you are hitting the trail for a few days and wondering how to do food that won’t take up a ridiculous amount of space or weigh down your pack. The ideas in this blog take little to no time to prepare and can either be eaten in the packet they come in (no dirty dishes, YAY!), or are a 1-pot/skillet meal. #soeasy

Breakfast

It is kind of tough to pack a basket of eggs into the mix, so Mountain House has created a solution to get your eggs on the go! Both the Scrambled Eggs and Bacon pouch (gluten free) and the Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Peppers (gluten free) have you covered on the eggs front. My personal breakfast favorite is Breakfast Skillet. Because breakfast potatoes… YES. If you have a vegetarian in your bunch, definitely give the Granola with Milk and Blueberries a try.

If you are looking to switch things up, try bread toasted in your camp skillet and spread with half of an avocado per slice. The avocado acts as “butter” while not needing refrigeration (a win out on the trail). Add salt and pepper, and voila – breakfast! It is a little tougher to bring bread with you on the go, but if you tie in a bag to the outside of your pack, it will keep it from getting squished. To round out your meal profile, throw in a protein shake that is easy to make – a couple of scoops of vanilla-flavored Orgain is my personal favorite and shake with water. To prep this meal and make it ready-to-go, throw the protein into an empty water bottle, so you can just add water when you are ready to drink.

Lunch

When I was going through the quick and easy pouches, I stopped dead in my tracks at the Chicken and Rice pack. Seriously, is there a better combo than chicken with rice? Again, these bags are easy to throw in a bag and quick to heat up with hot water (especially if you have the Camp Chef Stryker which can boil water in 2 minutes!).

Snack

I have a few favorites because I love snacks. Number one in my book: I love RX Bars. They are a sweet fix when I need it, they pack a hefty protein punch, and they have some excellent fiber content as well (necessary while out on the trail!). The flavors are out of control delicious – all of the chocolate flavors make me happy. They have a very chewy texture, which means that it lasts longer than 30 seconds, always a plus. Secondly, I also love trail mix. Very cliché. Seriously though – there are so many different kinds available, so no matter what kind of mood you are in (sweet or salty), there is a mix for that. Most of the time, I end up buying two different kinds and mixing in one big mix. Another favorite of mine is dried foods. Dried mango is AMAZING, and of course, you can’t go wrong with jerky either. Lastly, if you can use an individual mess kit to make a batch of pancakes for breakfast and then spread the leftovers with some peanut butter, roll them up (peanut butter on the inside of the roll), throw in a bag and they will be ready to pull out and munch on for snack time!

Dinner

Time to take a load off and relax a bit after a long day. I opt for more comforting food at the end of a long day, so my winners are the Macaroni and Cheese pouch, Lasagna with Meat Sauce pouch and Chili Mac with Beef pouch. They are fast to prepare, leaving you more than enough time to rock the night away in your camp rocking chair (yep, it’s a thing, and you need it).

Dessert

Finally, time for a sweet treat. Check. It. Out. ICE CREAM SANDWICHES for the win. I prefer mine to be cold, so I keep them in a cooler if I have one, but they are anti-melt because they are freeze dried, so they can be left out if you don’t have ice! Who knew you could get these heavenly treats out in the backcountry?

The other dessert I cannot and will not live without is s’mores. I add in a twist now and then if I am feeling adventurous by spreading my graham with a little peanut butter. It does double duty: keeps my chocolate from falling onto the ground and makes a classic even yummier and gooey-er.

Choose your adventure and get exploring! You can keep a stash of most of these foodstuffs in your pack, so you are always ready to hit the trail. Keep in mind that when you are looking for trail food, you should aim for more nutrient-dense foods. That way you aren’t wasting a bunch of space on food that won’t keep you up and running. Bon appétit and happy Scouting!

We would love to see your on-the-go camping meals! Share them with us by using #ScoutShopBSA. You could end up featured on one of our social channels!