Guide: What to Eat on a Hike?

The question of food during outdoor activities, especially hiking, may seem simple for the short term, but it requires a bit of thought when venturing out for several days in self-sufficiency

Five key elements to consider

• The calorie factor: A day of walking, in any weather, requires more energy than your usual meals, allowing you to recharge before continuing the journey without depleting your reserves and risking exhaustion.
• The weight and bulk ratio: It's obvious that you'll need to rationalize these factors, even though, as you go on your hike, you'll consume the meals and gain weight and bulk along the way.
• The ease of food storage: You’re not going to carry a fridge, so if you want to bring some fresh food, you must consume it quickly to avoid any stomach surprises.
• Meals that match your cooking equipment: If you want to eat hot meals (which I highly recommend, especially for the long term, as it provides better energy and immediate comfort in bad weather), choose foods that suit your cooking setup to avoid carrying extra fuel.
• The pleasure of eating well: Choose foods you enjoy and that taste good! Yes, you could settle for couscous rehydrated with any protein source, but the idea is to enjoy yourself and not endure your adventure. Food is a great way to create good memories. For this, test different products, recipes, and see meals as a source of pleasure rather than just a fuel stop.

The advantages of freeze-dried meal 

Naturally, freeze-dried meals meet these criteria, being specifically designed to make meal preparation easy for outdoor activities: excellent nutritional value, well-suited for physical activity, low weight and bulk, excellent shelf life, easy cooking requiring little water, and balanced menu options that satisfy even the most skeptical, while also addressing potential allergies or intolerances. It’s a win-win!

My tips for personalizing a freeze-dried meal on the go

You can enhance freeze-dried meals by adding fresh products purchased from villages along your route or by adding spices, condiments, and chili oils, for example, which are easy to include in your meal kit without adding much weight to your backpack. Personally, I always bring either jerky (dried meat) or pemmican (a mix of dried meat that I pulverize in a food processor before mixing it with equal weight duck fat and a portion of nuts or dried fruits), adding extra protein and lipids (which are crucial for calorie intake). When I carry rice, I also bring Nori leaves (the seaweed used in sushi), which I lightly toast in a pan before wrapping the rice, fish, or cod liver inside.