Backpacking & Hiking Nutrition – Eating Right For The Adventure

Backpacking & Hiking Nutrition

When you are choosing your food for your backpacking trip, what is on the top of your mind? Flavor, weight, satiety, and convenience maybe…but what about nutrition? Though the other factors are important, you should put a little more focus on backpacking nutrition.

If nutrition isn’t something you consider when you pack your backpack, it certainly should be for your next trip. Backpacking is an active hobby that demands a lot from your body. Keeping yourself properly fueled will keep you feeling good and energized while you cover those miles.

Before you do your grocery shopping for the next backpacking trip, there are some things you should know about staying hydrated and eating right while on the trails.

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Backpacking & Hiking Nutrition: Staying Hydrated

Let’s start with water. By now you should be well-versed in how important it is to stay hydrated in your daily life. Well, that goes double for days when you are backpacking. One of the most important things you should be doing on the trail is drinking plenty of water.

Water is needed for your body to perform essential functions from regulating body temperature to helping your organs function properly. Not getting enough – especially when you are exercising- can lead to heat exhaustion, muscle cramping, and dehydration.

Avoid the dangerous and painful consequences of being dehydrated by drinking water consistently while backpacking. Though it can be tedious to filter water to fill up your water bottles or bladders, it is a necessary task. Remember to drink before, during and after you put in your miles for the day.

Tips for Staying Hydrated While Backpacking

• Bring a water reservoir – You can carry water far more efficiently in a bladder than in water bottles. The downsides of reservoirs are that they take up space in your backpack and can be a project to refill. However they do encourage you to drink all day by giving you easy access to water as you hike.
• Drink up before setting off on the trail (and after) – At breakfast, sip down some water so you start your day with a hydrated body. When you take a break to refill your waters, have a snack or when you arrive at camp, chug a bit more. This will help your body prepare for and recover from the activity. Just make sure you don’t drink so much in a sitting that it makes you sick.
• Drink before you’re thirsty – Thirst isn’t always a good indicator of when your body needs more water. By the time you crave water, you might already be dehydrated. Drink consistently throughout the day regardless of whether your mouth feels dry.

Backpacking & Hiking Nutrition: The Importance of Electrolytes

When you backpack, you sweat quite a bit. Sweat leads to a loss of water and electrolytes from the body. We already covered why replenishing the water is important, but electrolytes are just as important for keeping the body functioning properly.

Electrolytes, such as sodium and chloride, are essential minerals that are responsible for maintaining the body’s fluid balance and proper muscle function. They keep your body running smoothly. Not having enough of them can cause muscle fatigue, cramping, and increases your risk of dehydration.

When you hike, you lose electrolytes in your sweat. Not replenishing them can cause painful and harmful symptoms of imbalances.  

Keep your body hydrated and feeling good by consuming electrolyte-rich foods such as salted nuts, bananas, or rye crackers. Bringing along sport drink mixes and electrolyte supplements is also a good idea!

Backpacking & Hiking Nutrition: Knowing Your Macros

Macros are not something only weightlifters need to track. Anyone who wants their body to perform optimally should keep an eye on them, especially if they’re being active. It is important to eat food that fulfills your macros to fuel your body properly for long-distance performance. If you’re unfamiliar with macros, they are 3 categories of nutrients that provide your body with the most energy: proteins, carbs and fats.

Fats For Backpackers

Fats often get a bad rap, but they’re actually super important. They provide long-lasting energy while supporting multiple essential body functions. The importance here is to reach for healthy sources of fats that are packed with other nutrients, not empty fats from highly processed foods.

What makes fats great sources of energy for backpacking is that they oxidize slower than carbs. This makes them perfect for steady forms of exercise because they provide long lasting energy. They also keep you feeling fuller and more satisfied, so you don’t get hangry on the trail!

Proteins For Backpackers

Eating enough protein is also important for keeping your body in top shape while backpacking. Protein is important for rebuilding tissues and muscles as well as to help the body recover after activity.

The continuous activity of backpacking puts your muscles to work. Help your body repair that stress and damage by consuming high protein snacks throughout the day. Improve your body’s ability to recover by eating a protein rich dinner when you get to camp. If you need meal ideas, check these out.

In addition to rebuilding muscles, protein can be used as a sustained source of energy for long distance activities. Protein helps you feel satisfied and satiated, so you feel full between snack breaks.

Carbs For Backpackers

Ah, carbs….Everyone’s favorite macronutrient. If you are a bread, pasta, and potato lover you are in luck because eating a good amount of carbs is important for backpackers. Carbohydrates are your main source of energy. When you are being especially active, like when you’re backpacking, you’re going to need a lot of these.

The body uses carbs as fuel, and when you are doing a long-distance endurance activity you need a lot of fuel to keep going. That is why marathon runners, football players, and other athletes “load up” on carbs before a big game or event. The body needs that energy.

If you don’t consume enough carbohydrates, your body will use other sources of energy such as fats and proteins to keep you going. This may lead to the break down of some muscle and other tissue.

Conclusion

When you are packing your food sack for your next backpacking trip, keep nutrition in mind. Though it may be tempting to throw together whatever is easy, light, and tasty, you should consider what is going to be best for your body on the trail. Make sure healthy and hearty meals are on your backpacking packing list.

A lot of backpacking meals have a decent balance of macros and nutrients to keep you feeling fueled as you tackle those miles. However it is wise to take a look at the nutrition panel. Some brands and flavors are more nutritious than others.

If you’re someone who avoids the premade backpacking meals – make sure you have a healthy balance to the snacks and meals you make yourself. It can be tricky, but you’ll feel a lot better when you do! If you need ideas for healthy backpacking snacks, read this next!

_{Cover photo by Manny Moreno on Unsplash}