Backpacking Info Site

When traveling out to a foreign land, food is always a major concern. For such occasions, you always look for something, which is inexpensive, ready made, nourishing and good to eat. Backpacking food is a complete solution to your traveling needs, at the times when you feel the craving to eat in the inhospitable terrains of the distant lands. Are you interested in the trail foods, non-vegetarian or vegetarian ready made preparations! When you are out on a travel spree, choice is yours and you need to plan your food daily as you planned your travel.

Backpacking Food is the affordable and smart idea to add to your travel kit. Have you ever thought how it feels to cook at the place where you are, just for fun! Imagine carrying that bulky cooking equipment on your back, and feel yourself going on a rock climbing expedition. There are people who take small light cooking equipment, such as a stove, to make something clean and easy, like the burgers, tea or coffee. Do you want to over indulge in all that cooking, like them? You‘d certainly want to say NO to all this and instead move down the city and other places of the country where cooking is more accessible and easier.

It is necessary to get to know all the food items you will carry, before setting out on your journey. There are certain edibles, which undergo spoil and begin to rot easily. Most important thing to keep in mind with backpacking food is to pack according to your needs. Don’t over stuff your luggage, and this goes especially for the air journey. If you take extra food with you, you will end up paying more and above all, you will not be able to carry the heavy luggage on your shoulders.

Here is the list of food items that you should carry, when you plan your travel to any place. These
practical backpacking food ideas work best for every traveler.

• As much possible, carry dry food with you. It can be sustained for longer durations and the freshness remains intact in it as well. Dried food has ample reserves of fibers and vitamins, which are good for your health and essential in your travels.

• While packing food, remember to go for the foodstuffs that are rich in calories, easily packed and are cheap enough to get into your budget;

• If you are choosing freeze dried dinners as the supplement food, then obviously you are relying on an expensive and bulky item. It would be the best option not to include it in your travel kit.

• If you are traveling with canned foods, you will be traveling with lots of weight that you shouldn’t be actually carrying with.

Check for the following points also, before going ahead with the backpacking food.

• What area or region of the world are you planning your travel?
• What is the average temperature change in that region?
• What is the topography of the land, is the land at high altitude zone or a plateau, or a valley?
• What is the daily diet or intake of the food?
• What is the nature of the food intake?
• What do you like and dislike?
• Are you diabetic, have thyroid or any other metabolic disorder?
• Do you have a history of cardiovascular diseases?

Once you list all these tips on the backpacking food, you have come almost half way to get ready with your travel.

As with any trip, deciding what to take, and what not to take, is extremely important. Of course, many people always end up packing at the last minute and forgetting something important, or bringing useless (and heavy) items along with them, like an umbrella instead of a plastic poncho. To make sure this won’t happen to you, we have decided to compose an extensive check list of essential backpacking gear that no one should be without. Things like the caffeine soap, or the indestructible and foldable wine glass are undoubtedly useful travel companions, but in this edition we are only covering the basics, like shoes.

No matter where you are headed, be it the beaches of Bali or the fjords in Norway, you will need a sturdy and stable pair of shoes or trainers. This is especially true for backpackers who might walk for days with their heavy rucksacks trying to hitch a ride to the next village. Now for anyone who plans on scaling mountain tops or traversing jungles, hiking boots are a must. However, because real hiking boots are very bulky and heavy, we only recommend bringing along a pair if you are sure to use them. As a rule when it comes to backpacking, bulky and heavy is bad, while light and small is good. Sandals are always a great idea for warm climates and it is advisable to bring an extra pair of lightweight trainers just in case you should happen to lose a shoe.

Now we can get to the next most important piece of equipment, namely, clothes. How many clothes and what types of clothes you pack of course depend on both your tastes and the climate. But because we are assuming no one wishes to backpack around the Siberian wilderness or French Alps in the winter, we will mostly be covering the clothes needed for warmer environments. A waterproof poncho is essential for everywhere other than the Sahara, as it both keeps you dry and is incredibly easy to pack. Simplicity and frugality is the name of the game when it comes to packing clothes. Most backpackers should be able to get by with only 2-4 T-shirts and around 3 pairs of rugged pants. Make sure the pants are extra durable and rugged, and that the T-shirts can be washed easily. Jeans are a good pick because of the toughness, but they can get hot in more tropical climates. Double the amount of socks and underwear, around 4-6 sets are also recommended. Finally, no matter what climate you are in, at least one lightweight pullover is recommended for chilly evenings or airports.

We’re only just getting started as there are many more essential items to bring. Backpacking and camping go hand in hand, as we discuss in more detail in our look at backpacking tents. Therefore, a comfortable, warm and lightweight sleeping bag is absolutely a necessity, whether you are sleeping in your tent, the airport, or a dirty hostel bed. In addition to sunscreen, of which the fairer among us should bring a plentiful supply, some type of hat or scarf is a good idea for protection from the strong tropical sun. In truly tropical countries, mosquito repellent, a first aid kit, and iodine pills for sterilising water become a good idea. Bringing along a few water bottles is also perfect for those hot summer hikes. Some preferably lightweight towels and cooking accessories, like a bowl, and utensils, will no doubt come in handy as well. Last but not at all least, don’t forget to pack those hygienic articles and toiletries, like a toothbrush or deodorant, or you might really regret it.

Whilst some might see these as non-essentials, we believe that camping games are a must on any outdoor trip. Firstly because it relieves the bordom of waiting in airports or when you can’t sleep at night. But also because its a great way to make new friends by asking fellow backpackers to join in.

Now take a deep breath. We have just gotten through the bare essentials, but hopefully there is at least some more room in your rucksack. If not you will see why we stress travelling light, because there are still many, many more, travel accessories to take with you to make the most of your journey. Such as a camera, GPS locater, torch, tent, some good books, a money belt, spare batteries, charger adapter, music player, journal, bin bags and so on. But don’t feel overwhelmed as we will be covering this list in a separate article. In the meantime, review our packing suggestions and feel confident that at least this time you haven’t forgotten anything.