Great Snack Foods For Backpacking

Among the biggest and most difficult considerations when it comes to planning a backpacking trip is food, as you want to bring food that will give you the energy you need, but that will not be so heavy to carry around with you that it depletes your energy in the process! There are a handful of foods that you should always bring with you when you are hitting the trails - and the good news is that these foods are not only lightweight and full of energy, but are inexpensive as well!

Trail mix: Trail mix is one of the most important things to bring with you when backpacking (after all, there is a reason it is called 'trail mix'!), as the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit and berries you can usually find in trail mix will be essential for providing you with energy while you are on the trail. Another great addition to your trail mix is chocolate (especially dark chocolate) - especially if you will be backpacking in an area that is not too terribly hot - and a great approach to take with trail mix is to visit a store such as Whole Foods, where you can buy all the "ingredients" separately, and to mix your trail mix on your own, catering to your taste preferences.

Granola: Oats are another great way to get energy in a lightweight package; you can get your oats from granola (which often includes such additional, beneficial ingredients as raisins or nuts), or you can get your oats from granola bars. Another great source of granola-type oats is oat-based energy bars.

Cereal: Bring a baggie (or several baggies) of dried cereal when you are going to be hitting the trails, as this provides you with nutritional food that is easy to carry and easy to snack on; try Cheerios or Cracklin' Oat Bran.

When you hit the trail with these foods in your backpack, you will be able to get the energy your body needs while hiking, without having to add a ton of weight to your pack!