Best cold-weather backpacking food

How we ranked it

Two filters, then one sort. Every food must carry at least 125 kcal per ounce (light to carry by the common backpacking rule) and get at least 40% of its calories from fat (fat grams × 9 ÷ calories, from the label). That drops sugary candy, drink mixes and lean jerky, which burn fast. What's left is ranked by calories per ounce, so the top of the table is the most energy for the weight. All numbers come from published Nutrition Facts; see the methodology.

Freeze-dried meals that pass: 38, of which 4 are Mountain House. The densest are Stowaway Gourmet Sausage And Eggs (194 kcal/oz, 76% fat), Stowaway Gourmet Kimchi Jjigae (193 kcal/oz, 83% fat), Next Mile Meals Sausage Scramble (177 kcal/oz, 70% fat). For snacks and add-ins (59 pass, mostly nut butters, nuts, cheese and chocolate), the top are 365 by Whole Foods Market Chopped Macadamia Nuts (204 kcal/oz), Justin's Classic Peanut Butter Squeeze Pack (186 kcal/oz), Justin's Classic Cashew Butter Squeeze Pack (186 kcal/oz).

Sample 4-day cold-trip menu

Built by our planner at 4,000 kcal and 140 g protein a day (the balanced menu style, which picks the lightest foods and so leans on fat). Each day averages 4,017 kcal and 181 g protein. The whole trip weighs 6.1 lb, about 1.53 lb a day, at 164 kcal per ounce overall.

Open this cold-trip menu in the planner →

In the planner you can change the days, swap foods, set a diet, and print a shopping list with a packing list for each day.

Shopping list for the 4 days

• ☐7 × 365 by Whole Foods Market Chopped Macadamia Nuts (7.9 oz)
• ☐4 × Bio Chem 100% Whey Protein Powder (chocolate) (3.6 oz)
• ☐4 × Justin's Almond Butter Covered Almonds (4.0 oz)
• ☐4 × Long Weekend Carrot Ginger Instant Soup (4.8 oz)
• ☐4 × Justin's Cinnamon Almond Butter Squeeze Pack (4.5 oz)
• ☐4 × Justin's Classic Cashew Butter Squeeze Pack (4.5 oz)
• ☐4 × Justin's Classic Peanut Butter Squeeze Pack (4.5 oz)
• ☐4 × Fritos Hot Corn Chips (4.0 oz)
• ☐4 × Honey Stinger Honey Waffle (4.2 oz)
• ☐4 × Long Weekend Thai Coconut Curry Instant Soup (4.8 oz)
• ☐4 × Met-Rx Whey Protein Powder (chocolate) (4.7 oz)
• ☐3 × Honey Stinger Chocolate Waffle (3.2 oz)
• ☐2 × EAS 100% Whey Protein Powder (chocolate) (2.8 oz)
• ☐2 × Field Trip Beef Jerky (2.0 oz)
• ☐2 × Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo (9.9 oz)
• ☐2 × Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix (0.8 oz)
• ☐2 × Stowaway Gourmet Kimchi Jjigae (7.8 oz)
• ☐2 × McCormick Poultry Gravy Mix (0.5 oz)
• ☐2 × Stowaway Gourmet Sausage And Eggs (6.0 oz)
• ☐2 × Snickers (fun size) (1.2 oz)
• ☐2 × Stowaway Gourmet Spiced Creamy Oatmeal with Pear (6.2 oz)
• ☐2 × Organic Valley Whey Protein Powder (chocolate) (2.5 oz)
• ☐2 × Met-Rx Whey Protein Powder (vanilla) (2.1 oz)
• ☐1 × Nerds (strawberry) (0.5 oz)
• ☐1 × Snickers Bar (0.9 oz)

Notes for cold trips

Calorie needs vary with body weight, temperature, wind and how hard you're moving. Treat 4,000 kcal as a starting point. Nut butters and chocolate get hard in the cold, so keep a squeeze pack in an inside pocket. Freeze-dried meals need hot water, so budget extra fuel for melting snow. This is label data, not a meal plan or medical advice.