The Dried Food Aisle

There are some great options out there for eating well in the back of beyond: freeze-dried, all-in-one meals that weigh next to nothing. They taste pretty good too. But, like all flash outdoors gear they come at a price, almost $10 for a single serving. You’ll also need to go to a specialist retailer to find them.

Thankfully, there are dried foods to be found in the supermarket, and the following meal ideas won’t break the bank, or the back.

Breakfast

Nothing fills you up like the all-time classic, porridge. Add a little milk powder before you put the water in for a creamier taste, chuck in a little scroggin if you like, and top it off with a sprinkle of sugar.

Lunches, sides and snacks

There’s always two minute noodles when you want a high calorie to weight ratio. Other cheap and light backcountry foods we keep coming back to include pasta snacks, couscous, and instant potato flakes with packet gravy.

Dinner

For dinner, pick up a box of Diamond Macaroni Cheese – one will easily satisfy two hungry trampers. It’s even better if you add dried onion and dehydrated peas. Some chopped mushrooms are a great addition too. Best cook these veggies a little first though, because this stuff is done so fast it’s hard to believe it’s really pasta.

Dessert

With a 90 gram sachet of instant pudding, you don’t have to sacrifice dessert when out of doors.

Drink

Lastly, when slogging it out on the track, you can keep that blood sugar up, and that tank water interesting by adding some Raro to your water bottle. There’s tons of flavours available, although who can ever go past sweet navel orange?