Camping/Trekking food
 

Im going on a 14-20 day trek in January. There will be nowhere to get food on the way and I will be equiped only with a Billy and gas stove. What's the best food to take with me. Freeze-dry food would perhaps be my best option but its too expesnive to have available for each day. My thought is to take rice to last the trip, porridge, energy bars, eggs, and a few freeze-dry meals. Can anyone reccomend me what to take that meets the criteria of being lightweight, cheap and provide me with enough energy and generally suitable. I will only be drinking water which will be readilly available at intervals along the trek.

I like the idea of taking lots of rice but I really need something to go with it and a more variable diet.
Thanks

Re: Camping/Trekking food
 

get those packs of tuna and salmon

Re: Camping/Trekking food
 

dont they need to be refrigerated or kept at certain temperature?

Re: Camping/Trekking food
 

I dunno, they sell them on the shelf next to the cans at my supermarket.

Re: Camping/Trekking food
 

Don't skimp on cost. 20 days worth is a lot of food, and if you stop enjoying your meals you will wind up really miserable.

Where are you going?

Re: Camping/Trekking food
 

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Don't skimp on cost. 20 days worth is a lot of food, and if you stop enjoying your meals you will wind up really miserable.

Where are you going?

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Well next week Im doing the Great Ocean Walk and then in january im doing the great south west walk.

Im pretty sure that tuna in a rucksack will go off after a few days... it will be very hot.

Re: Camping/Trekking food
 

Correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't there towns along the way on that walk? I'd try and buy some of your food en-route if so.

If you have to carry the whole lot, I'd suggest lots of rice, oil, suger and maybe some protien powder. These will give you some of the best calories to weight ratio. i reckon you want at least 4000 calories a day, if not more, depending on your weight.

Some lentils, mash potato powder or cous-cous would be goood as a change from the rice, and you could take flour and make damper if you were feeling traditional.

Some sort of sports drink powder would be useful for hydration and suger/salt.

Other cheap options are instant noodles. I'd go for the chinese/asian style ones in cups if possible, as they are pretty tasty and include slightly more vegietables.

Beef jerky is good, but make sure you have lots of water to wash it down with, I'd avoid it whilst walking unless you have easily accessable water supplies.

I'd take a few tins of meat as well, although its heavy, it makes a nice change to dried crap.

In general, I'd plan out your menu day by day, ensuring that you get all the calories you need each day, and also ensure that you would be happy living off it. Don't underestimate how sick you will get of plain rice after days of hard work followed by the same old stuff. Make sure that you will enjoy every meal, as you will be looking forward to it all day.

Also, make sure you carry enough water. I always did my walking up in the NT so I might be too cautious, but I always carried at least 3 litres of water for a morning walk, and 5 if I was going all day without any fresh source.

Re: Camping/Trekking food
 

Thanks Dodga, that really helps.
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Correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't there towns along the way on that walk? I'd try and buy some of your food en-route if so.

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No, there arent really any convenient places to get food... on the GSW walk there is only really 1 place that sells food apparently. On the Great Ocean Walk there aren't really any except for some places which wont be convenient for my route; some people do 'food-drops' where they hide the food in preperation so they dont have to carry it- but I don't want to risk it.

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protien powder

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Will look into this. Never had anything like thi before.

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mash potato powder, instant noodles

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This I will take, thanks.

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Some sort of sports drink powder

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Again, will look into this; never heard of any before.

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tins of meat

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Ive assumed that having tins of meat in my rucksack they'll just go off after a few days. Neverthelss, I;ll ask in the shop.

Re: Camping/Trekking food
 

jerky/nuts...easy to carry, eat, store, easy to live on this for 20 days.

Re: Camping/Trekking food
 

Yeah, nuts would be good, tasty and high energy.

Meat in tins can last years, things like spam and corned beef. Spam is kind of gross normally, but after four hours walking a tin of spam can be heavenly. They are heavy though, so I'd take like 3 or 4 for the first few days.

By protein powder I mean the kind of things body-builders use. I wouldn't worry about it too much, as you want a lot of carbs mostly.

Can you not get someone to meet you along the way somewhere in acar and drop you off some more food? Its just that you want to be enjoying yourself, and that will be harder to do if you food is dull and your pack is heavy.