When you’re about to head off for an extended trekking trip or just planning to stock up your bug-out supplies, you need to think carefully about the types of food to pack, especially if you are vegetarian or have a food allergy. If you’re backpacking and have to carry everything with you, then the weight of items will be a big consideration as you’ll not want to carry heavy, dense fresh foods on top of your camping equipment.
Camping food is a little different as it may have a shorter shelf-life as opposed to prepping food which will likely have a much longer shelf-life. However, as you’re expending a lot of energy, you’ll also need to make sure that you’re getting all the calories that you need to keep going. This is where ReadyWise come into play - with their bucket-sized freeze-dried meals, you can be sure to get the sufficient food you need throughout your adventure whilst being lightweight enough to carry for days.
Weight and size
As you’ll be carrying these foods with you, you’ll want to pick options that are lightweight and compact - meals that can easily fit into your backpack without weighing you down. Trekking for several days will mean carrying everything from your sleeping bag and tent to cooking equipment and the food to cook – the last thing you need is extra weight! Freeze-dried or dehydrated foods are great as they’re lightweight and can be reconstituted by just adding a cup of water. ReadyWise have buckets of 60 servings, making them perfect for taking out as many as you need, when you need.
Calorie density
Outdoor activities can be physically demanding, whether you’re scaling a mountain, trekking through forests or just kayaking on a lake, so you’ll need to consume more calories than you might in a typical day. ReadyWise have meals that are calorie-dense to help keep you fuelled and energised throughout the excursion. Vegetarian diets can be healthy, but it’s important to make sure that you’re getting a balanced mix of nutrients. Look for meals that contain a variety of protein sources, such as beans, lentils and nuts, whole grains and vegetables.
Shelf life
Since you might be off on a trip for several days, weeks, or even contemplating months, in a bug-out situation, you’ll want to choose foods that have an extended shelf life to ensure that they stay fresh and safe to eat for an extensive period of time. By choosing ReadyWise meals, they ensure that all the foods you pack will have expiration dates well beyond the end of your trip. If you’re packing for your prepping supplies, you need to keep an eye on dates and rotate stock regularly to make sure that your supply of food is always in date. Most freeze-dried and dehydrated foods have very a long shelf life.
Preparation time
Depending on the trip you’re planning you may not have access to many cooking facilities or utensils. Meals that are easy to prepare and don’t need a lot of equipment, or time, are the way to go. Many outdoor-ready meals can be prepared by simply adding hot water, and make the perfect option for this type of trip, or bug-out bag. ReadyWise is a brand of camping and prepping food that fits this description – requiring only a cup of hot water to reconstitute – they have a vast range of delicious and nutritious options.
Dietary restrictions
If you have dietary restrictions, such as being vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose intolerant or low-sodium make sure that you check the ingredients and choose meals that accommodate your needs. Many outdoor-ready meals are designed to meet these needs, so you won’t need to suffer the consequences of the wrong diet - even whilst out camping, trekking or bugging out.
Other meal ideas
Whilst you need to make sure that you have some nutritious and satisfying meals to meet the calorie deficit you’ll work up whilst trekking up the mountainsides, you can also pack some small extra snack items for a quick calorie hit whilst on the move. Energy bars, trail mixes, nut butter packets or dried fruit can provide a quick and easy snack to keep you moving until you set up camp and heat up your main meal at the end of the day.
Where can I stock up?
If you’re looking to stock up on ReadyWise freeze-dried food packs or just need some ready meals for a shorter trip that you’re planning, then look no further than Preppers Shop. We stock a vast range of different meals that are easy to prepare and cater to a vast array of dietary requirements and offer many delicious menu options, from breakfast pouches and entrée meals to main meal portions - all of which can be easily prepared with hot water. For ease of preparing for your trip, we even stock bags with several days’ worth of food pouches with something for every meal.
Get in touch or call 01637 850259 to chat with a member of our friendly and knowledgeable team for advice about what other ready meals you require for your trip.