Adventure Plans

1. How much do you actually need?

Hiking with a full pack burns significantly more calories than everyday life. Most people need between 2,500 and 3,500 kilocalories per day on trail, with harder days — big ascents, cold weather, heavy loads — pushing that higher.

It's not just about total calories though. You need sustained energy throughout the day, which means a mix of complex carbohydrates (slow-release energy), protein (muscle recovery), and fats (calorie density for weight carried). Getting this balance roughly right will leave you feeling well and energised rather than bonking out on day three.

2. The weight vs calories trade-off

Food is heavy. On a trip with no resupply, you'll typically carry 600–900g of food per day (dry weight). The goal is to maximise calories per gram — high calorie density foods let you eat enough without an absurdly heavy food bag.

High calorie density (good for trail): nuts, nut butter, hard cheese, salami, dark chocolate, olive oil, oats, pasta, couscous.

Low calorie density (leave most of this at home): fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, canned goods, anything with a lot of water weight.

3. A simple meal structure

The simplest approach for beginners is to plan around three meals plus snacks:

Breakfast — needs to be quick (you want to be on trail) and filling. Instant oats / porridge with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit is hard to beat. Granola with powdered milk works well too.

Lunch — usually eaten on the go or at a short rest stop. Crackers or tortilla wraps with hard cheese, salami, nut butter, or smoked salmon. Avoid anything that needs cooking at lunch — it takes too long and uses fuel.

Dinner — your main hot meal, eaten at camp. This is where you can afford to spend a bit more time. Pasta, couscous, instant rice, or dehydrated / freeze-dried meals are all solid options. One-pot meals are easiest to cook and clean up.

Snacks — eat little and often while walking. Trail mix, energy bars, dried fruit, nuts, crackers, chocolate. Plan around 200–300 kcal of snacks per hour of hiking.

4. Freeze-dried vs home-cooked vs dehydrated

Freeze-dried meals (like those from Expedition Foods, Firepot, or Mountain House) are the most straightforward option. Just add boiling water, wait a few minutes, and eat. They're light, easy, and taste surprisingly good. They're also expensive — something to be aware of on longer trips.

Home-dehydrated meals are cheaper and let you control exactly what you're eating. If you have a food dehydrator (or a fan oven on a very low setting), you can dehydrate home-cooked meals like chilli, bolognese, or curry for a fraction of the cost. See our dehydrating guides for more on this.

Dry store ingredients — pasta, couscous, instant mashed potato, powdered coconut milk and spices — can be combined to make simple meals at a low cost. They take a little more planning but work very well.

5. Stove and fuel basics

You'll need a stove to cook. The most common options for beginners:

Gas canister stoves (like the MSR PocketRocket or Jetboil) — easy to use, fast, and reliable. Gas canisters aren't always available in remote areas, so plan your resupply accordingly. At altitude or in very cold temperatures, gas stoves can lose efficiency.

Alcohol stoves — very light and cheap but slow. Fine for simple meals, not great in wind.

Solid fuel (e.g. Esbit) — the simplest option, no moving parts, but slow and leaves residue.

For a first multiday, a gas canister stove is the easiest option. A 100g canister usually lasts around 3–4 days for one person cooking two meals a day.

6. Practical tips

• Pre-pack meals at home — divide everything into zip-lock bags by meal before you go. Label each bag. It makes camp life much simpler.
• Share a stove — if you're walking with a partner, one stove for two people halves the weight.
• Don't forget cooking essentials — stove, pot, lighter (carry two), spork or long spoon, and a small bottle of washing-up liquid.
• Try everything before the trip — cook and eat your planned dinners at home first. Finding out you hate something on day two of a five-day route is no fun.
• Pack out all waste — wrappers, empty pouches, everything. Leave no trace means no food waste left in the hills.