What Food to Take Wild Camping

You’ve been walking all day and have arrived at the perfect camping spot. You’re most likely tired and hungry due to all of the calories you’re burned from carrying your camping gear. But what are you going to eat? Today I’m going to help you work out what food to take wild camping.

Wild camping meal plan

For a weekend of wild camping, with some long-distance walking involved, the following table is a meal plan that will provide you with a good amount of basic amount of energy:

Read on to find out what equipment you will need to make this, extra foods you can add to increase the calories and how to work out how many calories you are likely to burn on your wild camping trip.

What to consider when packing food for wild camping

Before you start packing the snags and burgers for your next wild camping trip, there are a few things that you should consider as packing food for a wild camping trip can vary significantly vs. pack for a normal camping trip.

Weight of the food being packed

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When driving to your camping spot, you have the ability to leave food in your car, as well as putting it in your backpack. This means you can pack a lot more food than you can when hiking to your camping spot.

When your camping spot is a bit more rural in nature, you need to consider how much food you can actually carry. For example, a tin of beans will provide you with a lot of energy, but the tin itself will add a lot of weight to your backpack.

Choosing food that provides energy and is in light packaging will help you save weight. Dry packaged goods like couscous and rice will provide a lot of energy and are in light packaging.

Making sure your food remains fresh

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How you are going to store your food so that it remains fresh is the next consideration.

When you are able to bring a fridge or cool bag with you, it makes it easier for you to take perishable items, such as milk and meat. The problem is that a cool bag means more weight, which is what you don’t want when you have all your gear to carry with you.

Choosing foods that can “keep” for a few days is important here, which I will come on to later.

Calories

When you’re walking all day carrying your equipment you will be burning a lot of calories. Choosing foods that can give you lots of energy in just small portions is very important.

High-calorie foods are great for providing you with the energy you need and should be near the top of your meal/snack list when wild camping.

Taste

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Just because you’re wild camping doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the food you take.

A lot of people think you need to take basic food with you in order to save weight and space in your backpack, but this doesn’t have to be the case. For example, couscous might sound quite dull, but there are very good flavoured versions out there.

Also, there are plenty of foods that pack down small, provide you with energy and are packed with flavour, such as beef jerky.

Don’t believe you have to compromise just because you have to pack light.

How much food do I need when wild camping?

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How much food you will need to take when camping depends on what activity you will be doing, where you will be doing it and how heavy your rucksack will be when you are doing it.

To help you out, there is actually a formula for calculating how much energy you will burn when out hiking and carrying a backpack. This is called the Pandolf Equation and, based on a few simple inputs, can be used to determine how many calories you will burn.

The Pandolf Equation is:

M = 1.5W + 2.0(W+L)(L/W)² + n(W+L)(1.5V² + 0.35VG)

• W = your weight in kilograms
• L = the weight of your backpack in kilograms
• V = your hiking speed in metres per second
• G = the grade of the incline as a %
• n = the terrain factor to reflect the surface you are walking on

Before you reach for the calculator to work this all out, you can use the one here to work all of this out.

The reason all of this is important for what food you will need to take is it will allow you to see just how much energy you will use. This will allow you to take the right amount of energy-packed snacks and foods.

What cooking equipment do I need for wild camping?

When you’re on a wild camping trip you don’t want to take too many heavy items for cooking with.

Below is what we think are the basic items you will need to take and some of our top picks.

Stove

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If you want to prepare a warm meal, have a hot drink or disinfect any water, you will need to take a stove with you.

I am a big fan of the Biolite Camping Stove, which burns sticks and can be used to charge up your devices when out in the wild.

If you prefer to cook with gas, something like the Vango Folding Camping Stove is a good option is it offers good stability due to not perching on top of the gas canister.

Gas bottle (if using a gas stove)

Making sure you have the right gas bottle is the next consideration for adding to your backpack.

You need to make sure you pack the right gas and enough gas to cover the meals you plan on cooking.

If you buy the Vango stove as mentioned above, this Coleman Gas Canister will fit perfectly with it.

Cooking pot

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Unless your stove comes with one, you will probably need to get a cooking pot for warming up meals or boiling water.

There are plenty of options available to you here from many outdoor retailers. The iBasingo Cooking Pot offers a good balance between portability and capacity.

Small sharp knife

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So you want to add a bit of flavour to a fairly basic meal, such as adding cheese or chorizo, but you can’t be bothered to cut it before you go. Or you want to buy packaged meals that you need to cut open when you come to cook. This is where a small, sharp knife will come in handy.

My personal preference is to go with something that is a multi-tool or folding knife as this will store easily and not be dangerous when put inside your bag.

This Mora Companion Knife might just be what you need for your next trip. It comes with a sheath for safety and is sharp enough to cut through pretty much any food you would need to prepare

Plates or Bowls

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Unless you are going extra light and are happy to eat out of the cooking pot, you might be wanting to take plates or bowls on your next wild camping trip.

These collapsible bowls are a good option as they pack down small, are light and can double up as storage as they come with a lid.

Mug

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It goes without saying that you are probably going to need a mug with you. Whether you are going to have tea, coffee, soup or even just water, a mug is essential in my eyes.

I personally haven’t been too extravagant with trying to pick the lightest mug and instead just went for a nice enamel mug.

Spork

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Spoon/fork combo means the best of both worlds! The chances are unlikely that you will need a full cutlery set when wild camping. So pack light and get yourself a good spork.

Cleaning equipment

Lastly, you are going to need something to clean up your equipment with.

Some people swear by just washing your pots in the nearest stream and using some moss to scrub off any stubborn pieces of food. If this sounds like you then crack on. For me, I usually carry a pack of baby wipes or surface wipes to give everything a good once over.

The best food to take wild camping

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So you’ve worked out how many calories you need and what equipment you will need to cook. Now it’s time for the fun bit and deciding what food you are going to take.

I’ll be rating the food based on the following criteria (each out of 5):

• Prep required pre-trip
• Taste
• Packaging (weight and size/shape)
• Calories to weight ratio per 100g (high is good)
• Prep at site

Wild camping breakfast ideas

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With a wild camping breakfast, you’re likely to be having this before setting out for your day, so you will have a little more time and will probably already have your camping stove handy. The following ideas take this into account.

Granola

• Buying granola will significantly reduce the preparation time. You can make your own if you wish and don’t mind the extra preparation required
• Granola is packed full of flavour, but typically you would eat it with milk or yoghurt. Powdered milk can be used as an alternative
• Simply packaged in a sealable bag or small tub
• Around 470 calories per 100g, so this is packed with energy
• Simply add your preferred liquid and your good to eat, so little prep at the site.

Pro tip – Add dried fruit for extra flavour and nuts for extra energy

Porridge

• Simple to prepare as you can buy them in small packets or just decant them into a small pot
• You can pack porridge with flavour based on what you add to it, but it will taste much better with milk, which might be a challenge when trying to pack light.
• The packaging is simple and it is light to carry
• The porridge itself has very little calories, at around 50 per 100g, so you will need to add lots of energy-filled nuts and seeds
• Preparation can be a little tricky as you will have to cook it over a stove or add hot water/milk. In addition, it is quite hard to clean off pots

Pro tip – Add peanut butter to the porridge when it is nearly ready to allow it to mix in. This will make it taste superb and pack more energy into it.

Fried Breakfast

• Little preparation required before you go as most of the goods will be pre-packaged
• Fried eggs, bacon, sausages. Top marks for flavour
• Should be fairly easy to transport the ingredients as they will be prepackaged. You may need to consider how you will keep then cool
• You should get around 500 calories per 100g from a fried breakfast, so it is a good choice from an energy perspective
• Much harder to prepare at your site. You will have to cook each of the ingredients, which means lots of messy pans to wash as well

Pro tip – Make this as a fried omlette, cooking you meat and then adding your egg to cook last.

Bacon Sandwich

• The food is pre-packaged, so no prep needed ahead of your trip
• These should be super tasty as bacon tastes amazing. I’ve heard that vegetarians list it as the top thing they miss when giving up meat
• It can be tricky to bring the ingredients as you can squash the bread you will be using. You may need to package this separately
• Contains around 375 calories per 100g
• You will need to cook this at site, which can be messy

Pro tip – Takes small packets of condiments with you to add extra flavour and save space in your backpack

Overnight Oats

• You will need to prepare this in advanced. Mix rolled oats with milk, yoghurt, honey and some fruit and nuts.
• Overnight outs will taste as nice as the ingredients you add to it, so it can tasty great
• You will need to package this in a container where it won’t leak. Also because it uses wet ingredients this will make it heavier than dried outs to carry
• You will get 171 calories per 100g for basic overnight oats, so you will need to add more things to it to increase the calorie count
• There will be no prep at your site as you simply open it up and eat

Pro tip – Add frozen berries to the mix the morning you set out camping. These will help to keep the oats cool and add a ton fo flavour. Also, freeze the mixture to make it last even longer.

Wild camping lunch ideas

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When it comes to lunch when wild camping, I would be inclined to go for something quick and easy to eat. The chances are that I will have a good few hours walking behind me and ahead of me, to I wouldn’t want to be stopping for too long. The following suggestions are quick and don’t require any real prep when trekking during the day.

Soup

• Will need warming up before heading out for your trip (if taking a flask). This can be done at your site on a stove or at home (if you’re happy to, you could make your own soup)
• Can be very tasty depending on the flavour/brand you have
• Harder to transport as you either need to use a flask, take a tin (which can be heavy) or keep it chilled.
• Only 32 calories per 100g
• If already warmed up, you can just stop and eat straightaway. Alternatively you will need to fire up your stove, but will be saving time you would have spent warming it up earlier in the day

Pro tip – Add some small pasta to give you a better energy boost

Bread, ham and cheese

• Straightforward preparation as you just have to put the different elements together
• Fairly plain tasting, unless you use some artisan ingredients
• Easy to transport in a lunch box or in some foil
• 241 calories per 100g, providing a good amount of energy
• No prep when you’re ready to eat as you have already prepared it ahead

Pro tip – Add pickle, chutney or mustard to add more flavour to your sandwich

Pasta Salad

• You will need to cook your pasta ahead of time as well as chop any vegetables and meat that you will be having in the salad
• This meal can be packed with a lot of flavours, depending on what you add to it.
• Pack this in some Tupperware for a simple way to carry. This will take up some space in your backpack, but not too much
• 202 calories per 100g. This is a good amount of energy.
• No prep required to eat. Just open your tub and get your spork out!

Pro tip – For a simple sauce, use pesto to add some intensity to your pasta salad

Wild camping dinner ideas

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After your long day of hiking and setting up your tent, you don’t want anything too hard to cook. Below aren’t too taxing to make and will give you a good energy kick.

Couscous

• No prep required before leaving as you cook this at the site
• Couscous on its own is pretty bland, but cooking it with stock rather than just water will add some flavour. You can also add some ham or vegetables to improve the flavour.
• Very light and simple to use packaging
• Plain couscous will provide around 112 calories per 100g, so you will need a large portion to meet your energy needs
• Cooking couscous is very easy. All you will need to do is boil some water and then pour this over your couscous. Leave it for 5 minutes and it’s ready to eat.

Pro tip – Buy flavoured couscous for a real flavour boost (I enjoy the Ainsley Harriet range)

Quinoa

• No prep required before leaving as you cook this at the site
• Quinoa is fairly plain just eaten on its own. You will need to add some ham and vegetables to improve the flavour.
• Very light and simple to use packaging
• Plain quinoa will provide around 120 calories per 100g, so you will need a large portion to meet your energy needs
• Quinoa needs to be boiled to prepare it. You will need to boil it for around 8 minutes before it is ready, similar to pasta

Pro tip – Add stock cubes to the water or herbs to improve the flavour when cooking

Mac’n’Cheese

• No preparation required before you head out as you will just take the macaroni and cheese with you
• Mac’n’cheese can be very tasty depending on the cheese used. A simple cheddar will be good enough flavour wise, but you can take something fancier if you wish.
• Simple packaging and fairly lightweight
• 164 calories per 100g, although this depends on the amount of cheese you add
• This will take a bit of prep when you come to eat. You will have to cook your pasta in boiling water for around 6 minutes and then add cheese as well. To get the cheese really melted, you will need to use grated cheese and heat it.

Pro tip – If you grate your cheese before you go, you will save some time when you come to eat

Just add water meals

• These meals come in packets so there will be no prep required
• How tasty they are will depend on what you choose. Freeze-dried meals come in a variety of flavours and can be very tasty, but won’t quite match up to a proper meal
• The packets for these are light and easy to carry
• Depending on the meal you buy, these can provide well over 500 calories per 100g, making that a good option when you need some energy
• The joy of these meals is you just add water, so all you need is some boiling water. Pour the water over the contents, reseal the packet and leave it for 8-10 minutes. Reopen the packet and it’s ready to eat.

Pro tip – Summit To Eat do a great range of freeze-dried meals, but there are plenty of other options (such as freeze-drying your own meals)

Boil in a bag meals

• These meals come in packets so there will be no prep required
• How tasty they are will depend on what you choose. You can buy a wide range of boil in the bag wet meals, so it really depends on what you fancy
• The packets for these are light and easy to carry, though they are heavier than their freeze-dried counterparts
• Depending on the meal you buy, you will get somewhere between 100 and 200 calories per 100g. This is ok but not as good as a freeze-dried meal
• These meals create a little mess as you simply drop the bag into boiling water. You will need to boil them for around 8 minutes until they are ready and be happy fishing the hot packet from the water.

Pro tip – Wayfayrer do a wide range of flavours including desserts, which are all easy to cook

Wild camping snacks

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The following snacks are all great options for a quick energy boost when out walking without having to stop for too long. Pack a variety of these to give you some different flavours whilst out wild camping.

• Beef Jerky – 410 calories per 100g and full of flavour
• Peanut butter energy balls – Simply mix dates, peanut butter, rolled oats, cocoa powder and salt to taste. These can give you 419 calories per 100g and taste amazing
• Trail Mix – can provide 462 calories per 100g. Make your own with granola, nuts dried fruit and some chocolate chunks
• Nuts – Peanuts and cashew nuts have around 550 calories per 100g. Get some chilli nuts for a taste sensation
• Dark Chocolate – Lovely flavour and around 505 calories per 100g
• Dried Fruit – 359 calories from 100g. You don’t just have to eat raisins here, add some peach, apricots or even bananas
• Kendal Mint Cake – The GOAT of walking snacks. 379 calories per 100g and fresh breath to boot!

Summary

Hopefully, you have got some good ideas for what to take with you on your next wild camping trip. The main thing is to take lots of snacks to keep your energy up and make sure you have the right equipment with you!