Backpacking food list
Every store-bought trail food in the index, 292 in all, grouped by type so you can tick off what you need at the store. Each line shows the weight of one serving, its calories and protein, and calories per ounce. Within each group the lightest food to carry is listed first.
Want quantities for a specific trip? The meal planner turns your days and calorie target into a menu and a shopping list. For combos to build meals from, see backpacking meal ideas.
Freeze-Dried & Backpacking Meals 125 foods
Just-add-water backpacking meals from Mountain House, Peak Refuel, Backpacker's Pantry, Good To-Go, Next Mile Meals, Heather's Choice and Stowaway Gourmet. Values are for the whole package.
Breakfast & Oatmeal 8 foods
Instant oatmeal packets.
| Packed | Food | Serving | kcal | Protein | kcal/oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature's Path Organic Instant Oatmeal | 32 g (1.1 oz) | 130 | 4 g | 115 | |
| Nature's Path Instant Oatmeal | 40 g (1.4 oz) | 160 | 5 g | 113 | |
| Bob's Red Mill Classic Instant Oatmeal | 35 g (1.2 oz) | 140 | 4 g | 113 | |
| Kroger Original Instant Oatmeal | 28 g (1.0 oz) | 110 | 4 g | 111 | |
| Quaker Instant Oatmeal (variety) | 43 g (1.5 oz) | 160 | 4 g | 105 | |
| Quaker Chocolate Instant Oatmeal | 35 g (1.2 oz) | 130 | 4 g | 105 | |
| Quaker Fruit & Cream Instant Oatmeal | 30 g (1.1 oz) | 110 | 3 g | 104 | |
| Quaker Original Instant Oatmeal | 28 g (1.0 oz) | 100 | 4 g | 101 |
Meals, Noodles & Sides 23 foods
Instant ramen, pasta sides, instant potatoes and couscous: classic resupply dinners.
Tortillas 8 foods
Flour tortillas, the thru-hiker's bread.
| Packed | Food | Serving | kcal | Protein | kcal/oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ole Mexican Foods Flour Tortillas | 32 g (1.1 oz) | 100 | 2 g | 89 | |
| Best Choice Flour Tortillas | 33 g (1.2 oz) | 100 | 2 g | 86 | |
| Guerrero Flour Tortillas | 70 g (2.5 oz) | 210 | 6 g | 85 | |
| La Banderita Flour Tortillas | 60 g (2.1 oz) | 180 | 5 g | 85 | |
| Guerrero Flour Tortillas | 41 g (1.4 oz) | 120 | 3 g | 83 | |
| Psst Flour Tortillas | 45 g (1.6 oz) | 130 | 4 g | 82 | |
| Mas Y Mas Flour Tortillas | 45 g (1.6 oz) | 130 | 4 g | 82 | |
| Verole Flour Tortillas | 33 g (1.2 oz) | 81 | 3 g | 70 |
Nut Butters & Spreads 13 foods
Squeeze packs and spreads, some of the most calorie-dense foods you can carry.
| Packed | Food | Serving | kcal | Protein | kcal/oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin's Classic Peanut Butter Squeeze Pack | 32 g (1.1 oz) | 210 | 7 g | 186 | |
| Justin's Classic Cashew Butter Squeeze Pack | 32 g (1.1 oz) | 210 | 5 g | 186 | |
| Justin's Almond Butter Covered Almonds | 28 g (1.0 oz) | 180 | 3 g | 182 | |
| Justin's Cinnamon Almond Butter Squeeze Pack | 32 g (1.1 oz) | 200 | 6 g | 177 | |
| Justin's Maple Cashew Butter Squeeze Pack | 32 g (1.1 oz) | 200 | 4 g | 177 | |
| Justin's Honey Almond Butter Squeeze Pack | 32 g (1.1 oz) | 190 | 6 g | 168 | |
| Jif Creamy Peanut Butter Squeeze | 33 g (1.2 oz) | 190 | 7 g | 163 | |
| Jif Chocolate Peanut Butter Squeeze | 35 g (1.2 oz) | 200 | 5 g | 162 | |
| Jif Chocolate Peanut Butter Squeeze | 35 g (1.2 oz) | 200 | 5 g | 162 | |
| Justin's Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups | 40 g (1.4 oz) | 220 | 4 g | 156 | |
| Nutella & Go! Breadsticks | 52 g (1.8 oz) | 270 | 4 g | 147 | |
| Nutella Crispy Wafer | 22 g (0.8 oz) | 110 | 2 g | 142 | |
| Nutella Biscuits | 28 g (1.0 oz) | 140 | 2 g | 142 |
Jerky & Shelf-Stable Meat 24 foods
Beef jerky, meat bars, salami and summer sausage.
Cheese 7 foods
Hard and wax-coated cheeses that hold up for a few days on trail.
| Packed | Food | Serving | kcal | Protein | kcal/oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Parmesan Cheese | 5 g (0.2 oz) | 20 | 2 g | 113 | |
| Digiorno Parmesan Cheese | 5 g (0.2 oz) | 20 | 2 g | 113 | |
| Good & Gather Parmesan Cheese | 28 g (1.0 oz) | 110 | 9 g | 111 | |
| Kraft Parmesan Cheese | 12 g (0.4 oz) | 45 | 5 g | 106 | |
| Mini Babybel Original | 21 g (0.7 oz) | 70 | 5 g | 94 | |
| The Laughing Cow Mini Babybel Cheddar | 21 g (0.7 oz) | 70 | 5 g | 94 | |
| Babybel Plant-Based Cheese Alternative | 20 g (0.7 oz) | 50 | 0 g | 71 |
Trail Mix, Nuts & Salty Snacks 20 foods
Trail mix, nuts, dried fruit, chips and corn chips.
Bars & Waffles 34 foods
Energy bars, protein bars, fruit-and-nut bars and stroopwafel-style waffles.
Candy & Sweets 8 foods
Candy bars, M&M's and toaster pastries.
| Packed | Food | Serving | kcal | Protein | kcal/oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M&M's Peanut | 46 g (1.6 oz) | 240 | 4 g | 148 | |
| M&M's Peanut | 49.3 g (1.7 oz) | 250 | 5 g | 144 | |
| Snickers Bar | 26.6 g (0.9 oz) | 130 | 2 g | 139 | |
| Snickers Mixed Nuts Bar | 49.9 g (1.8 oz) | 240 | 4 g | 136 | |
| M&M's | 47.9 g (1.7 oz) | 230 | 2 g | 136 | |
| Snickers Minis | 36 g (1.3 oz) | 170 | 3 g | 134 | |
| Snickers (fun size) | 17 g (0.6 oz) | 80 | 1 g | 133 | |
| Pop-Tarts (blueberry) | 48 g (1.7 oz) | 170 | 2.1 g | 100 |
Protein Add-ins 11 foods
Protein powders and shelf-stable chicken pouches to boost daily protein.
| Packed | Food | Serving | kcal | Protein | kcal/oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Met-Rx Whey Protein Powder (vanilla) | 30 g (1.1 oz) | 120 | 22 g | 113 | |
| Organic Valley Whey Protein Powder (chocolate) | 35 g (1.2 oz) | 140 | 26 g | 113 | |
| Met-Rx Whey Protein Powder (chocolate) | 33 g (1.2 oz) | 130 | 22 g | 112 | |
| EAS 100% Whey Protein Powder (vanilla) | 49 g (1.7 oz) | 190 | 30 g | 110 | |
| EAS 100% Whey Protein Powder (chocolate) | 39 g (1.4 oz) | 150 | 26 g | 109 | |
| EAS 100% Whey+ Protein Powder (chocolate) | 39 g (1.4 oz) | 150 | 26 g | 109 | |
| Abbott Whey + Casein Protein Powder | 33 g (1.2 oz) | 120 | 20 g | 103 | |
| Bio Chem 100% Whey Protein Powder (chocolate) | 25.3 g (0.9 oz) | 90 | 20 g | 101 | |
| ZobaFuel Chocolate Plant Protein Powder | 34.7 g (1.2 oz) | 110 | 21 g | 90 | |
| Swanson Garlic & Herbs White Chicken Pouch | 73.7 g (2.6 oz) | 80 | 11 g | 31 | |
| Swanson White Chicken Pouch | 73.7 g (2.6 oz) | 70 | 12 g | 27 |
Drink Mixes & Electrolytes 11 foods
Electrolyte and endurance drink mixes.
| Packed | Food | Serving | kcal | Protein | kcal/oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skratch Labs Hydration Drink Mix (lemon-lime) | 13 g (0.5 oz) | 50 | 0 g | 109 | |
| Skratch Labs Hydration Drink Mix (passion fruit) | 13 g (0.5 oz) | 50 | 0 g | 109 | |
| Skratch Labs Hydration Drink Mix (passion fruit) | 13 g (0.5 oz) | 50 | 0 g | 109 | |
| Skratch Labs Hydration Drink Mix (lemon-lime) | 13 g (0.5 oz) | 50 | 0 g | 109 | |
| Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel (mandarin orange) | 27 g (1.0 oz) | 100 | 0 g | 105 | |
| Skratch Labs Hydration Drink Mix (orange) | 22 g (0.8 oz) | 80 | 0 g | 103 | |
| Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix | 12 g (0.4 oz) | 40 | 0 g | 94 | |
| Liquid I.V. Electrolyte Drink Mix (guava) | 16 g (0.6 oz) | 45 | 0 g | 80 | |
| Liquid I.V. Electrolyte Drink Mix (strawberry) | 16 g (0.6 oz) | 45 | 0 g | 80 | |
| Liquid I.V. Electrolyte Drink Mix (watermelon) | 16 g (0.6 oz) | 45 | 0 g | 80 | |
| Liquid I.V. Electrolyte Drink Mix (acai berry) | 16 g (0.6 oz) | 45 | 0 g | 80 |
Values are per serving from each manufacturer's Nutrition Facts label via USDA FoodData Central. Printed from trailfoodindex.com/backpacking-food-list.
How to use this list
Pick a breakfast and a dinner for each day, then add snacks until you reach your calorie target. Most hikers plan on 2,500 to 4,500 calories a day depending on miles and weather. If your bag feels heavy, choose more foods near the top of each group, or see the lightest backpacking foods ranked across every type.