Trail Food

I did say I had food on my mind. This may be a boring topic for those that aren’t interested in backpacking or veganism. I have been going vegan in the backcountry for the most part (this makes my 4 lbs of cheese in a week more impressive). It has been really hot out here and so if I bring butter in it will just go rancid quickly and cheese gets all slimy and unpalatable. When I first realized this I tried looking online for suggestions but could not find any. So for all those vegan backpackers that I know or aspiring vegan backpackers that I know, this is for you. Here are some good things to bring that are highly caloric, light weight, and full of protein:

Dinner:
Quinoa and vegetable medley- add dehydrated vegetables and ½ a veggie bouillon cube to quinoa at home. I prefer dehydrated mushrooms, peas, carrots and tomatoes. One cup of quinoa is good for one person. Boi 2 ¼ cups of water and add the mixture. Let it boil until there is just a little water left. Turn off the heat and let it sit and soak up the rest of the water.

Beans and Rice: Boil enough water to rehydrated TVP (requires a lot of water) and beans as well as boil rice. Rehydrate beans and TVP in a separate bowl. For flavor I like to sauté onions and add some Franks Red Hot. Combine the TVP, beans, and rice. Sometimes I bring in tortillas to make it a really hearty meal.

Orzo and Ginger pumpkin soup
I like to get the dehydrated soups at nice grocery stores and then beefing them up with some grains. So far the best I have stumbled upon is pumpkin ginger soup. I make the orzo and leave in the water and add the soup to taste.

Lunch-
This takes up the most room in my backpack so I have been looking for the richest and more compactable snacks. So far the winner is sesame sticks. These things are packed with fat to the point where I don’t recommend snacking on them if you aren’t on a high calorie diet. This is the main staple of my lunch diet. I also like bringing in dehydrated hummus for the protein. I eat a lot of almonds and cashews and dehydrated fruit. I have come to the conclusion that GORP doesn’t need to be the ultimate trail mix. I am going to make my own. So sometimes I add gold fish, a glob of peanut butter, pretzels and a ton of dark chocolate.

Breakfast-
I always go for granola and PSM (powdered soy milk). It is easy, warm and about the only thing I can manage at such early hours in the morning.